"Betta Axe Somebody"

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Yes, the ground was prepared prior to my arrival. All Hail the Mighty Axe!

Hack away.

Be Opened (2006)

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bonus link - Spiritual, but Not Religious (2006)
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Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

We kneel together before the altar. We have come to eat his flesh and drink his blood. The epiclesis has been prayed. The Spirit has descended like a dove, transforming these creatures. They are now the sacrament of God.

We cannot see the glory of God. So Jesus comes to us. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ. What Moses could not do, we can. Moses was the moon, reflecting the light. Even that was too terrible for the blind to look upon.

Jesus is the light. He is incarnate so that we might behold the light, the glory of God. The advent of the Spirit has brought the light into our hearts. We behold him in one another. We partake of him in the Eucharist.

Though we have been so blind, now we are in the process of recovering our sight so that we might see the Lord with perfect vision.

We cannot hear the voice of God. So Jesus comes to us. He is the Word. He touches us. He opens our deaf ears. He says to us “Be opened,” and we can hear for the first time.

We are no longer trying to listen from the other side of the door with a glass pressed to the wall. We are now in the room with him. He has made his dwelling with us by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God has healed our deafness.

Though we have been so deaf, now we are in the process of recovering our hearing so that we might hear the Lord with perfect ears.

We cannot speak to God or one another. So Jesus comes to us. He is the Prophet whom Moses foretold. He is the one who only speaks what he hears his Father saying.

Jesus touches us. Our tongue is loosed. Our mouth is wide open. We may now speak the praises of God. We may now hold conversation with God and man.

Though we have been so mute, now we are in the process of recovering our speech so that we might tell others what we have seen and heard and touched (1 John 1).

That which formerly stayed on stone tablets is now in our hearts by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In astonishment we say that truly Jesus Christ has done all things well. By his atonement he has made the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak and the blind to see. Hallelujah.

And so we are kneeling together before the altar that we might eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. Is there a balm in Gilead? Is there a physician there? Here is the medicine of immortality. The Great Physician and the vivifying physic are one.

Hear Him, ye deaf.
His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ.
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
- Charles Wesley

NOTE: The Ochlophobist has a worthy meditation on the importance of touch that is appropriate to the Propers for Trinity 12.

Fate Be Damned (2006)

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NOTE: I did a satirical version of the parable found in this Sunday's Gospel about a year ago. It was called "A Postmodern Retelling of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican"

Jesus told a parable one time about a Pharisee (super-religious guy) and a tax-collector (scum-of-the-earth). They both went to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray to God. The Pharisee thanked God that he was not as bad as other people. The Pharisee layed out all his religious deeds before God. It was like a bad interview where you can tell that the interviewee (in this case God) is wanting to say, "Is there a question that you wanted to ask?"

The dirtbag tax-collector approached his devotions in a very different manner. His physical deportment and the words he chose communicated humility. It is certainly possible to look downcast with a haughty heart. It is possible to say self-effacing words while being perfectly self-aggrandizing. That was not the case with this fictitious supplicant. His words and attitude aligned, and God heard his prayer.

The conclusion of the parable favors the tax-collector over the Pharisee. Pride is bad. Humility is good. Boasting against others is bad. Contrition is good. God will justify and exalt the humble and contrite person. God will condemn and abase the arrogant person. He said all this in the Old Testament (see Psalm 51:17)

There is much anti-clericalism floating around these days. That is not the lesson that Jesus was intending to teach. There were humble Pharisees (see Nicodemus in John 3). There were certainly arrogant tax-collectors. Tax-collectors were not hated without cause. The point is that we are to approach God in contrition over our own sins, not seeking to make our rotten apple look shinier because it doesn't have a worm sticking out of it like the next guy's.

There was once an angry, persecutin' so-and-so named Paul. As a zealous Pharisee, he was determined to snuff out the Church. One day the Lord appeared to him and he was transformed. He became a leader in the Church. His story teaches us an important lesson.

None of us are locked into some kind of fate. We may be going due south at 100 MPH. Nevertheless, life is not on a monorail. We are permitted to change directions. Those of us who lived as blasphemers and pleasure-seekers may be brought to see the errors of our ways. We may be granted repentance unto life. We may enter the highway of holiness and know the peace of clean hands and a pure heart.

Paul became the greatest apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He bore witness to the Son of God throughout the ancient world, outlaboring all of his fellow apostles. He attributed his exploits to the grace of God which had transformed him, however unworthy he was. He maintained an attitude of humility and remembered how he had persecuted those whom he eventually served.

O GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Propers for Trinity 11

The Dark Side of Spiritual Gifts (2006)

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Imagine it is your birthday. You've had a great gathering with your family and friends. They gave you some really nice cards and thoughful gifts. The evening is winding down. Everyone is gone except for your best friend.

She tells you that she wanted to give you her gift privately. She hands you a modest box. You politely read the attached card but are really wondering about what she got you. You open the gift and are not sure how to react. Inside is a book on parenting.

Context is everything. If you are an expecting mother and your friend has successfully raised some children, then you are most likely grateful. If you already have older children then you might be taken aback. You might even be downright offended.

Your friend senses that you are not thrilled by her gift. She excuses herself and says goodnight. After cleaning the kitchen up you take a seat on the couch. The book is staring at you from the coffee table. You start to feel peeved at your friend again. Your thoughts take off.

"Who does she think she is? I've been parenting as long as she has, actually longer. How could she be so rude?"

It takes a little while, but you eventually calm down. You start thinking about your friend. She's not perfect but she is definitely a friend who has weathered some storms with you. You start to think about your children. They're not horrible but neither are they where you had hoped they would be.

You pick up the book and start thumbing through the table of contents. At some point you get past the introduction and start reading. You already know much of what the author is saying. Nevertheless, the presentation reminds you of some of the commitments that you let slip a long time ago. You read on and glean very practical guidance on how to recover some of the things that have been lost in the daily grind.

It's about midnight and you put the book down for a moment to stretch your bad shoulder. Your think about your friend. It's too late to call. You go over to the computer and write a quick email to apologize and invite her for coffee. As you shut down the computer you say a prayer of thanks for the refreshing that you are experiencing and for your faithful friend.

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Spiritual gifts can be a pain in the gluteus maximus for both the one exercising and the one receiving the gift. We like healing, miracles and mercy, but how about prophecy and discernment? We want to be patted, stroked, told how much God loves us. We're not all that excited about having our sins pointed out or hearing what our responsibilities are as disciples of Christ. We like comfort. We'll pass on judgment.

If we got a letter telling us that the Lord wanted to come to our church for a visit we would be understandably overjoyed. Would we still be happy to have him if, when he entered the fellowship hall, he started pointing out our church's deficiencies (Revelation 2-3)? How about if he accused us of working against the very purpose of the church's existence: the worship of God (Luke 19:45-8)? Would we let him clean house?

If we let the Lord get us straightened out we would receive the unspeakable blessing of his instruction. God tears something down only to build something better in its place. The process is painful because of our intractable hearts. Nevertheless, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not weary of wounding and healing us as we recover more and more of the Imago Dei in our communion.

Propers for Trinity 10

Transfigured (2006)

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In the Mystery of the Word made flesh, thou hast caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of thy glory in the face of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Imagine waking up to the Transfiguration.

You have been napping. You wake up. Boom! There stand Moses and Elijah. There stands Jesus. He’s glowing. Not in the metaphorical sense that you’ve seen dozens of times. He is literally glowing.

“It’s good for us to be here. Let’s make camp.”

1. The Transfiguration honors the past. History is more than important to the Christian faith; it is essential. We do not bask in timeless, spiritual truths. Our faith is the stuff of time and space.

We are the inheritors of the legacy of Israel. We are the children of the Patriarchs. There is no Gospel without the Law and the Prophets. Jesus was incarnate in the fullness of time. That fullness included the histories of Moses and Elijah. The life of Christ is in continuity with the history of Israel.

2. The Transfiguration exhibits the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Moses and Elijah both met with God on mountains during their lifetimes. They were limited in what they could perceive of God at those times. Now, they see the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his person.

Moses and Elijah worked for Jesus. Their stories are part of his greater story, the Gospel. Jesus fulfills everything that Moses and Elijah said and did. Moses and Elijah are there as particular characters in the unfolding story of God’s life in the world. They are also there as representatives of all of Israel. They defer to the Lord. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.”

3. The Transfiguration grants us a taste of what awaits us. Jesus was transfigured in his humanity (see Fr. Robert Hart). We too shall be transfigured in Christ. Our frail, clay pots shall be transformed into a beauty that puts to shame all the super-models and paparazzi bait. All the sickness, weakness, and proneness to error shall be laid aside in the glory of the new creation.

Grandma, you’ll lay that walker down forever. All those who have been bound to wheelchairs will outrun the fastest Olympic sprinter. My mentally and physically handicapped friends will outthink Socrates and out jump Lebron James. We will all trade our frustrated and failing intellects and will finally know the Triune God even as we are known by him.

4. The Transfiguration is only a foretaste. It is incomplete without the Atonement. Peter wanted to stay there on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. We want the spectacular. We want to drop names. “Yeah, we were just hanging with Moses and Elijah.” We like the mountain of glory. That’s understandable. That is what we were meant for. We were meant to know God face to face, to walk with him in unhindered, dependent fellowship.

Nevertheless, we must go on to the cross. Jesus must finish the work that he came to do. That work includes suffering and death. He must recapitulate Adam’s unfortunate history. He must undo the curse by overcoming sin and death through death. We must join him in death. Only then will it be possible for us to share in his resurrection glory.

Propers for the Feast of the Transfiguration

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Here's a post I did last year as a follow up to the above reflection:

A reader of axegrinder emailed me a question on the Transfiguration that I would like to respond to publicly.

"Why the transfiguration? I cannot remember ever being told why it occurred, what it accomplished, or why it occurred when it did."

Think in terms of truth, beauty and goodness. Try to put the idea of utility out of your mind for a moment. In other words, lay aside the requirement of "What did it accomplish?" Maybe a better way to say it would be to think about the utility of it in terms of truth, beauty and goodness.

Truth - There was a revelation of the relationship of the Father and the Son. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: Hear him."

Beauty - Jesus' humanity was transfigured, granting us a vision of what we will become when we are glorified together with him.

Goodness - Moses and Elijah, representatives of Israel, were there with the three "top" Apostles, representatives of the Church, communing with Christ. "It is good for brethren to dwell together in unity." (think "the communion of saints")

I think that exhibiting the reality of truth, beauty and goodness is quite an accomplishment and enough to "justify" any act of God.

As to why it happened when it did, I do not know. I might speculate that it had something to with the fact that the crucifixion was imminent. We might take a run through some of the Fathers. I am confident that they have something to say here. The Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures would be a good starting point.

Ramblers Are We (2006)

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Trifles and profanities distract us.

We walk over to a pile of steaming feces, buzzing with flies, and stare at it for a while. We find a racoon or armadillo on the side of the road, guts more on the outside than the inside, and poke it with a stick. We find a dirty magazine in an abandoned tree house and spend the afternoon trying to make out its images, despite the fact that they are obscured by the yellowing of age and the elements. We eavesdrop on a couple fighting about detergent at Wal Mart.

Most of the above scenes come from the life of a child or adolescent. The choice of those images is intentional.

We don't have to make much of an effort to sin. We can do so vicariously, constantly and numbingly. The remote control and the computer mouse put us in touch with a pantheon of idols that, unlike their ancient counterparts, speak and move. However, like the idols of past millenia, they are unable to save us from our unreality and shallowness.

We're on our way to a wedding and we stop at a topless bar. We're on a pilgrimage to a holy site and we detour at a gaudy tourist trap to buy air brushed t-shirts and souvenir shot glasses. We're due at a family reunion and we buy tickets for the carnival so we can gaze at the freak show.

We're not the first to be sidetracked in our pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness. We're not the first who, having arrived at a good destination, find ourselves afflicted by wanderlust and a desire for the open road. Our current state is not an Eden. Our way is not a Caribbean cruise. We get stones in our shoes on the way of holiness. We live with chafing trials in our sanctuaries, homes and places of employment.

Those things that come at us from without to put us off our goals find that they have an ally within us. We are prone to sin. We are open to temptation, though we may be more open to God. We are liable to be mesmerized by the stupidest of things if we stare long enough.

There are consequences for both our negligence and our rebellion. Party now and pay later. Prodigal sons, wandering God-fearers and exiled Israelites litter the history of the Lord's people. They are warning signs to us of the judgment against disobedience.

Our telos is perfection in holy love. We wander from this goal. The Lord our Bridegroom calls us to repent.

Propers for Trinity 9

Arturo Vasquez on Reverence

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"It could be argued that the real problem with the cult of the saints is not with who we reverence but how we reverence. If we are hesitant to bend our necks to anyone out of an all-too-modern pride, then we will find reverencing human beings like ourselves quite difficult. But if you can't venerate a creature who is greater than you, I don't think you will be able to the Creator very well. It is this sense of awe that is lacking. It is not that the human heart must be miserly with its sense of wonder and reverence. Its sense of wonder must constantly expand and branch forth into all things."

From here

Arturo is an old soul. I don't know that I can say anything better about another Christian. Read his blog, the Sarabite, and join him in his pursuit of beauty.

By the way, thank you for continuing to visit axegrinder. I realize that the pickings have been slim around here over the last month during my transition to Austin. I will share some pictures soon and will try to get back in the habit of posting at least twice a week.