"Abiding and Such"
One my way here to Louisa I pass the time by listening to podcasts, talking to friends, listening to the radio, and sometimes I just ride in silence, thinking and praying.
The podcasts I listen to vary - I listen to Sermon Brainwave at the beginning of the week - it is a podcast out of Luther Seminary where 3 or 4 Old and New Testament scholars discuss the lectionary texts for the week, and then I listen to The Daily, the New York Times podcast for the day, and then sometimes the Ezra Klein show. Depending on the day I listen to all or just some of each podcast.
The Daily’s topics vary, generally by the day - hence the name and it discusses whatever is one hot button world or national issue. Sometimes human interest, some times news etc. This past Tuesday’s podcast was entitled, “The Taliban’s Advance” and it spoke of how quickly the Taliban has overtaken much of Afghanistan, even after our years serving there. Obama, then Trump, and now Biden have pressed forward with removing our troops from the Afghanistan and the podcast was speaking of how quickly the Taliban has been able to regain power. It is tragic, somewhat expected, and there are no easy answers.
I was listening to that podcast following the Sermon Brainwave podcast and I was thinking in terms of our text from John 6 which we continue this week for 2 more weeks and I was mulling over the concept of our abiding in Christ - our text says - “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them”.
And so as I was still thinking of abiding and all that entails, my mind got diverted to the Taliban and I thought, well, this is a perfect illustration. As soon as we, the United States, pulled out of Afghanistan, as soon as we were no longer abiding there and providing the ability for some human rights to exist for specifically women and children - another force was able to take over the Taliban. As soon as our “abiding” was done - something else moved in.
And I began to think of us. How, if we stop abiding in Christ, if we stop practicing and observing these things which Christ has commanded us - what other things do we allow to begin to seep in and fill that space in our lives?
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.” This sounds pretty gruesome if you were in the first century hearing it. To us, we have tamed the words over the years, we are not hearing a first hand account of someone saying to us, “eat my flesh, drink my blood”; I am not sure how I would have responded had I been listening to Jesus say that - I am sure my response would have been in keeping with my personality, “What the heck are you talking about?”
Over and over these last few weeks Jesus has told us to eat. To integrate him into our very being and daily existence. To accept what he offers, be nourished, and live.
We have the benefit of fuller knowledge of the gospel story. We know that Jesus offers his flesh for the life of the world as the bread on the cross.
We have the Lord’s Supper instituted, and we have been taught that whenever we gather at the table, we “take, eat, remember and believe that the body of our Lord was given… and the blood of Christ was shed… for us…”
In other faith traditions and in days past, the tendency was toward complete understanding before being invited to the table to eat. I spent many days in seminary classes and reading and debating with colleagues, about what it all means. We wanted and want, to be doctrinally secure and “correct”.
And perhaps today we lean too far toward eating without proclaiming Jesus’ promise and acknowledging the invitation of relationship with him at the table.
As I went through my Committee on the Priesthood exams I was questioned about my views of the “table”. I was questioned about whether or not I held to this concept of “Open Table” where all are invited to the table. The official doctrine of the Episcopal Church is that only Baptized Christians partake at the Table - as the receiving of communion is for Jesus’ followers. Most mainstream denominations hold to this belief. The concept of the Open Table, allows for some mystery in the receiving - some mystery in the Sacrament - that it is in and through the receiving of the Body of Christ that God can and does move in the individuals life.
However I answered, the central theological claim as we eat and abide is that of life.
Not just life eternal which is the promise, but in the present. In our present life— an abiding, a unity, a reciprocity, and oneness. It offers the possibility of a real relationship here and now. Life that is not a remembrance of Jesus’ past life or a hope for a future life, but life lived in the moment - today. The offer and promise of abundant life today.
In returning to the notion of abiding, in one sense, abiding is participating with someone in something. The apostle Paul tells us when we drink the communion cup and eat from the shared loaf we are “participating” in the body and blood of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10.16) We are acknowledging that spiritually, we are becoming one with God through Christ because of how he gave himself physically, and somehow, we’re becoming part of that physical sacrifice. The meal is meant to be this reminder that Jesus Christ isn’t just a spiritual reality, he was and is a physical one. Lest we forget and let it all be a “spiritual thing,” we remember the gospel story in its entirety with the physical experience, eating the bread and drinking the cup of the communion meal.
When we stop abiding, when we stop coming to the Table, we must ask ourselves much like we see happening in Afghanistan, what things do we then allow to come in to our lives, in to our thinking, in to our being? When we are no longer practicing “abiding,” what things then fill up our mind and our hearts? I tend to think and believe that there is rhythm and patterns and reasons for things - that the command to observe a weekly Sabbath is not just arbitrary.
In the language of the Lord’s Supper table, having been reconciled with God, we become God’s agents of reconciliation in the world. More and more we become the “true” body and manifestation of Christ on earth that Paul says the church is…it is discipleship, it is growth.
It is in taking this leap of faith, in coming to the table, in partaking of the Body of Christ, that we become more fully who God would have us to be. It is in continually abiding that we become more Christ like and the people God would have us to be.
At some point, we have to take Søren Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith,” go through C.S. Lewis’ wardrobe, and sit at the table of God, encounter the Holy Spirit, and eat Jesus’ flesh.
Abiding is truly being and becoming the self we were meant to be by God.
In finding our true selves, in becoming the person that God has called us to be, we find some joy in living.
It is in the being of your true self, in your abiding with God, that you can find true, untarnished joy. There is nothing like coming home to yourself.
Come as often as you can to the table, to partake of this bread and this wine - the body of Christ, given for you.
The one who eats this bread will live forever.
Our Old Testament text today is from Proverbs. 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has also set her table.
To those without sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
Amen.
The podcasts I listen to vary - I listen to Sermon Brainwave at the beginning of the week - it is a podcast out of Luther Seminary where 3 or 4 Old and New Testament scholars discuss the lectionary texts for the week, and then I listen to The Daily, the New York Times podcast for the day, and then sometimes the Ezra Klein show. Depending on the day I listen to all or just some of each podcast.
The Daily’s topics vary, generally by the day - hence the name and it discusses whatever is one hot button world or national issue. Sometimes human interest, some times news etc. This past Tuesday’s podcast was entitled, “The Taliban’s Advance” and it spoke of how quickly the Taliban has overtaken much of Afghanistan, even after our years serving there. Obama, then Trump, and now Biden have pressed forward with removing our troops from the Afghanistan and the podcast was speaking of how quickly the Taliban has been able to regain power. It is tragic, somewhat expected, and there are no easy answers.
I was listening to that podcast following the Sermon Brainwave podcast and I was thinking in terms of our text from John 6 which we continue this week for 2 more weeks and I was mulling over the concept of our abiding in Christ - our text says - “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them”.
And so as I was still thinking of abiding and all that entails, my mind got diverted to the Taliban and I thought, well, this is a perfect illustration. As soon as we, the United States, pulled out of Afghanistan, as soon as we were no longer abiding there and providing the ability for some human rights to exist for specifically women and children - another force was able to take over the Taliban. As soon as our “abiding” was done - something else moved in.
And I began to think of us. How, if we stop abiding in Christ, if we stop practicing and observing these things which Christ has commanded us - what other things do we allow to begin to seep in and fill that space in our lives?
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.” This sounds pretty gruesome if you were in the first century hearing it. To us, we have tamed the words over the years, we are not hearing a first hand account of someone saying to us, “eat my flesh, drink my blood”; I am not sure how I would have responded had I been listening to Jesus say that - I am sure my response would have been in keeping with my personality, “What the heck are you talking about?”
Over and over these last few weeks Jesus has told us to eat. To integrate him into our very being and daily existence. To accept what he offers, be nourished, and live.
We have the benefit of fuller knowledge of the gospel story. We know that Jesus offers his flesh for the life of the world as the bread on the cross.
We have the Lord’s Supper instituted, and we have been taught that whenever we gather at the table, we “take, eat, remember and believe that the body of our Lord was given… and the blood of Christ was shed… for us…”
In other faith traditions and in days past, the tendency was toward complete understanding before being invited to the table to eat. I spent many days in seminary classes and reading and debating with colleagues, about what it all means. We wanted and want, to be doctrinally secure and “correct”.
And perhaps today we lean too far toward eating without proclaiming Jesus’ promise and acknowledging the invitation of relationship with him at the table.
As I went through my Committee on the Priesthood exams I was questioned about my views of the “table”. I was questioned about whether or not I held to this concept of “Open Table” where all are invited to the table. The official doctrine of the Episcopal Church is that only Baptized Christians partake at the Table - as the receiving of communion is for Jesus’ followers. Most mainstream denominations hold to this belief. The concept of the Open Table, allows for some mystery in the receiving - some mystery in the Sacrament - that it is in and through the receiving of the Body of Christ that God can and does move in the individuals life.
However I answered, the central theological claim as we eat and abide is that of life.
Not just life eternal which is the promise, but in the present. In our present life— an abiding, a unity, a reciprocity, and oneness. It offers the possibility of a real relationship here and now. Life that is not a remembrance of Jesus’ past life or a hope for a future life, but life lived in the moment - today. The offer and promise of abundant life today.
In returning to the notion of abiding, in one sense, abiding is participating with someone in something. The apostle Paul tells us when we drink the communion cup and eat from the shared loaf we are “participating” in the body and blood of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10.16) We are acknowledging that spiritually, we are becoming one with God through Christ because of how he gave himself physically, and somehow, we’re becoming part of that physical sacrifice. The meal is meant to be this reminder that Jesus Christ isn’t just a spiritual reality, he was and is a physical one. Lest we forget and let it all be a “spiritual thing,” we remember the gospel story in its entirety with the physical experience, eating the bread and drinking the cup of the communion meal.
When we stop abiding, when we stop coming to the Table, we must ask ourselves much like we see happening in Afghanistan, what things do we then allow to come in to our lives, in to our thinking, in to our being? When we are no longer practicing “abiding,” what things then fill up our mind and our hearts? I tend to think and believe that there is rhythm and patterns and reasons for things - that the command to observe a weekly Sabbath is not just arbitrary.
In the language of the Lord’s Supper table, having been reconciled with God, we become God’s agents of reconciliation in the world. More and more we become the “true” body and manifestation of Christ on earth that Paul says the church is…it is discipleship, it is growth.
It is in taking this leap of faith, in coming to the table, in partaking of the Body of Christ, that we become more fully who God would have us to be. It is in continually abiding that we become more Christ like and the people God would have us to be.
At some point, we have to take Søren Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith,” go through C.S. Lewis’ wardrobe, and sit at the table of God, encounter the Holy Spirit, and eat Jesus’ flesh.
Abiding is truly being and becoming the self we were meant to be by God.
In finding our true selves, in becoming the person that God has called us to be, we find some joy in living.
It is in the being of your true self, in your abiding with God, that you can find true, untarnished joy. There is nothing like coming home to yourself.
Come as often as you can to the table, to partake of this bread and this wine - the body of Christ, given for you.
The one who eats this bread will live forever.
Our Old Testament text today is from Proverbs. 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has also set her table.
To those without sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
Amen.