"Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander..."

August 20, 2012

At the small  Episcopalian church I attend in rural Virginia, Sunday morning’s New Testament reading was from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to Ephesians (4:25-5.2).  In a political season when Christian values are being extolled (though this morning’s sermon was not political) the apostle’s clear, unambiguous expression of how we might manifest Christian values in our lives seemed a useful reminder.

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.  Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.  Let no evil come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up.  …Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Durable and reliable guidance for these troubled economic times

Each passing day seems to bring further news of stock market losses, job cuts, mortgages foreclosed and bankruptcies of corporate icons contemplated. Last week we witnessed the spectacle of the “big three” auto presidents - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler - traveling to Washington in their private jets to plead for government handouts. All of us are seeking guidance at a time when many whose “wisdom” and “integrity” we trusted have failed us.

This morning’s Gospel message at Leeds Church provided guidance from a more reliable and durable source. The quotation is from the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Chapter 25, verses 31-46.

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then he shall sit on the throne of his glory. "And there will gather before him all the nations, and he will choose them one by one, like the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. "And he sets the sheep from his right and the goats from his left.

"That is when the King says to those from his right, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom that was destined for you from the foundations of the universe." For I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was an outcast and you took me in. 'I was naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. '

"Then the saintly will say to him, 'Our Lord, when did we see you hungry and we fed you, or you were thirsty and we gave you drink? 'And when did we see you an outcast and we took you in, or when were you naked and we clothed you? 'And when did we see you ill or in prison and we came to you?' And the King replied and told them, 'Amen, I am telling you, that whatever you do for one of these my little brethren, for me you have done

"Then he will say also to those on his left, 'Go away from me you accursed to eternal fire, that is set for the Devil and his angels. 'For I was hungry and you did not give me to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink. 'I was an outcast and you did not take me in. And I was naked and you did not cloth me. And I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.'

"Then they too shall reply and say, 'Our Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or an outcast or naked or ill or in prison, and we did not serve you?' Then he will reply and say to them, 'Amen, I am telling you, that whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, neither did you do it for me.' And they will go these to eternal* torment and the saintly to eternal life."

Hear our prayer, take us there

Today was youth day at Leeds Church, about which I have written previously.  Each year, our very active youth group is given responsibility for the sermon and the ‘Prayers of the People,’ a liturgical staple in the Anglican service.  As the human community begins to grapple seriously with the prospects of global warming, today’s Bible lesson, from the book of Genesis,  provided food for thought:

... Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth.  And God said to Noah.  ‘I have determined to make and end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth...”

The prayers of the people, written by our youth-group members, provided a more hopeful supplication, written in youthful vernacular:

Let us pray for those down with Jesus Christ, who walk the walk, talk the talk and know what it’s like for all those who are down with God’s crews.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.

Let us pray for the mission of the church, bringing the Hope the Faith, the Love of Jesus to all peeps, in every hood, for all time, every day.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.

Let us pray for this country and our leaders, that we may all live in freedom and peace.  You down with us, and we down with yo, cause you got the back of every and each.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.

Let us pray for the world.  For good will between nations and blessings and all peeps.  Let us holla the message cause together we can’t be beat.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.

Let us pray for those in the House, for all those in the Hood, for all who live in the streets, its still all good.  For all who are in prison, for their families and their victims.  For all those who work and hold it down in the justices system.  For the military, victims of violence, and those who are in need.   We are down for you, we got ya back, trust us, best believe.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.

Let us pray for those who have died.  For all the founders of Hip Hop gone on to heaven.  For the children of your streets no longer here.  For the Prophets and Saints before us give us your blessings

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer, take us there.