The Community of God
Faith Notes for September 28, 2021
New News:
Last week, while in Washington, D.C. I visited one of my favorite places which is the National Cathedral. In the late afternoon light, the west facade is brightly shining and the doors have screens depicting Biblical scenes. These are beautiful handmade works of art in wrought iron.
This Sunday, October 3rd, we will celebrate Holy Communion. Our scriptures will follow the complimentary lectionary readings for the nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost. They will include Psalm 8; Genesis 2:18-24; Mark 10: 2-16; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12.
Some Psalms speak words of praise directly to God. Others include side monologues directed to the congregation, intended to get others to join the praise. Psalm 8 only speaks to God. It’s spoken like a private prayer that praises God’s majesty and identifies the designated vocation of human beings as stewardship of God’s creation. There are two interconnected relationships here: God - humanity and humanity - creation. Maybe we are created in the image of God precisely because we are God’s representatives who participate in creation care.
Our Genesis text describes the Creator’s efforts to produce a partner for the first human being. Traditionally, interpretation of this passage focused only on male dominion and did not address theological building of community. The cultural designation of Adam as the first man doesn’t match the grammar since the Hebrew word ha-adam simply translates to a non-gendered “human” created from the ha-adamah, which is dirt. Adam is “dirt human” and so is the helper made from the rib of ha-adam. Thus, this passage has less significance as the basis for our formation ideas about marriage than as the generation of community in which we “dirt humans” intimately and collaboratively steward the creation around us.
This week in Mark’s gospel, the Pharisees present Jesus with a test, as they so often do. It’s a test about a point of law concerning marriage, but, as usual, Jesus flips their argument and turns the whole thing into a question of relationships and how God protects the vulnerable. Emmanuel has not come among us to talk about the defense of legal institutions but about God’s underlying purpose for the law. The legal loophole for divorce under Mosaic law and the prohibition of remarriage undermine the health of the community since they economically imperil women and children. To demonstrate His point, Jesus condemns anyone who denies a child, a cultural nobody without rights or power, access to Himself as God in Christ.
This week we begin a number of Sundays working with the letter to the Hebrews. No one is quite sure why that name has been given this letter since Hebrews are not mentioned in the text except for the opening line: “Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets…” This week’s text works as a preamble and doxology about God’s majesty and God’s intimate, collaborative relationship with Jesus. Community has been a theme all through this week’s readings. Now we see it in its holy and sanctified form as a model for all of us “dirt humans.”
Meetings and Gatherings Calendar:
Lectionary Bible Study - September 29 at 5:00 p.m. in the church library.
Lunch Bunch - every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Session meeting - September 30 at 6:00 p.m. in the church library.
See you in church!
Allen