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Posts Tagged ‘resurrection’

Isaiah 13:11-22: The Desolation of Babylon

Posted in Comparing Scripture, Favorite, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Isaiah 13:11-22: The Desolation of Babylon

Friday, May 12, 2023

Ruins of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Ruins of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

These are dreadful words and even more dreadful images yet the message is an important one. We might do well to remember that the dreaded Babylonians who swept down from the north were later swept away by the Assyrians, who were taken over by the Persians, who were displaced by the Romans. This is the message of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in the story of Daniel. A series of invaders will take political control over the land of the faithful, and the faithful must persevere despite the outward appearance that God is not among them.

We must remind ourselves as Resurrection people that God walks among us, lives among us, suffers with us and loves with us. The outward appearance of loss and destruction cannot matter. What appears to be desolation is in truth a path to restoration.

If we are truly a resurrection people, we must remember this.

Image from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/10485011607451516/

We will want to read other versions of these verses as we consider this Old Testament God who appears to send destruction and ruin to those who have wandered too far from the shepherd’s loving care. As resurrection people . . .  How do we reconcile these verses with words from the prophet Hosea? Do these words reflect the kingdom Jesus describes and enacts? And what kind of response do these reflections engender in us? 

A Favorite from April 6, 2008. Click on the image above to learn more about the ruins of Babylon, or visit: http://www.biblebasics.co.uk/arch/arch12.htm

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John 20:1-10: The Impossible as Reality

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , , , on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »


John 20:1-10: The Impossible as Reality

Thursday, May 5, 2023Abundant-Life

 A Favorite from May 5, 2008.

For some reason this chapter has popped up at Noontime several times. Today, as always when this happens, we can look more closely at this reading, and this is what comes to me.

Today’s morning scripture reading is from Hebrews.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.  Because of it the ancients were well attested.  11:1-2

I have often tried to imagine the rainbow of emotions which swept through Mary, Peter and John when they saw the empty tomb. There were so many explanations of what might have happened.

This is the time of year in which we always re-live the Resurrection story. Two thousand years after the fact, we are still experiencing the mix of doubt, fear, hope and joy which swept through the early apostolic band. They had been accompanied by Jesus in life. Now they would be accompanied by him and the Spirit for eternity.

We are surprised by the absence of something we thought existed, someone who once was a foundation, some idea that gave us meaning. We see, hear and feel the emptiness and sorrow of that loss. Slowly, and painfully, we explore the possibilities. Little by little we come to the realization that our existence is paradox. We are divine, we are human. We are human, we are divine.

jesus is risenWe are slow to believe. We see the empty tomb. We know that our eyes do not deceive us. We can imagine the possibilities, and we dare to hope, we dare to dream, we dare to live in a way we have never lived before. The impossible becomes reality.

Images from: http://www.robinweinstein.net/blog/our-grave-clothes-for-his-glory and https://www.youngisthan.in/opinions/lord-jesus-tomb-and-the-resurrection-theory/27956

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Acts 5:17-42: Obeying God

Posted in Comparing Scripture, Video Link, tagged , , , , , , , on April 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Acts 5:17-42: Obeying God

Thursday, April 20, 2023obeygodnotman

And the Apostles said in reply: We must obey God rather than men . . .

Do we see Jesus’ Apostles as only the twelve who followed him? Do we believe that Jesus’ followers were men alone? Can we stretch beyond any narrowness to believe that we number among Jesus’ Apostles today? Are we willing to stand during difficult times to say . . . we must obey God rather than men . . .?

When we read these verses in their varying translations, how do they speak to us of Jesus’ remarkable gift of resurrection? What do they reveal to us about God’s generous promises? And why do they call us – or perhaps not call us – to become one with the Spirit that wants to heal a troubled world? When we use the scripture link to explore this story of the Apostles who carry out miracles in Jesus’ name well after his death, we find new life and new energy to carry out the Gospel in all we say and do. When we allow God’s goodness to settle into our bones, we find new courage and new patience to smile in the face of adversity.

A video presentation of Acts 5:17-42 may be of interest. While we may not be in accord with all the speaker tells us, we are invited to reflect on this story of the importance of obeying God. Click on the image above or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MiSr5yx9nA

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Ezekiel 48:35: The Lord is Here – Part III

Posted in Easter, Favorite, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Ezekiel 48:35: The Lord is Here – Part III

Second Sunday of Easter, April 16, 2023

We have celebrated Easter Week, an eight-day celebration of the resurrection of the crucified Christ, and as we move forward through Eastertide, we continue to explore the doubt we might have about the resurrection miracle. We continue to ask the familiar question in the face of violence and tragedy: Where is God? And Ezekiel, the prophet who lives in exile from the physical place in which he believes God resides, gives us a simple answer to this simple question: God resides everywhere. As Easter people who celebrate the miracle of Easter renewal, we see God best in the new temple of the Christ’s body. We see God best when we all strive toward creating the New Jerusalem here among us, a place where differences are anticipated and respected, a place where every voice is heard, a place where reparations are made and accepted, a place of healing and restoration. A place of ultimate and intense truth. A place of purity and of fire and of healing.

The prophet Ezekiel tells us that God is a paradox. He tells us that the Temple and God’s presence must be central to our lives. He tells us that God is awesome – “reaching far beyond human relationships and human explanations”. (Senior RG 339) He tells us that as individuals we are responsible for our own adherence to the Law and that no matter our ancestry or our misfortunes, we cannot scapegoat our circumstances. “Each person lives or dies according to his or her wicked or virtuous way of life”.  (Senior RG 340) Ezekiel transforms the art of prophecy, bringing it to a new level and setting the stage for the entrance of the Messiah and the New Testament. He also lays the foundation for the Second Coming – when the Lord returns and sends his angels among the living to separate the sheep from the goats.

Mikhail Nesterov: The Empty Tomb

Mikhail Nesterov: The Empty Tomb

All of this is too terrible, too wonderful, too much to believe – and yet there is nothing else to believe. All other thought pales and hence the paradox. What we first see and hear we want to believe but do not, thinking that this New Jerusalem is impossible. Yet through living, suffering, hoping, believing and loving we arrive at no other spot. We have no choice but to believe that indeed, the Lord is Here. 

When we spend time with this prophecy today, we have the opportunity to feel the presence of God as we remember and reflect . . . we are Easter People . . . visited by the risen Christ . . . and so the Lord is among us.

Image from: https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/easter-readings/peter-at-the-empty-tomb

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 337. Print.   

Adapted from a Favorite written on September 15, 2007.

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Grace, Peace and Love, Alive Again

Posted in Easter, Prayer, Video Link, tagged , on April 9, 2023| 1 Comment »


Grace, Peace and Love, Alive Again

Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023

Annibale Carracci: Holy Women at Christ’s Tomb

If we listen to the song Alive Again by Matt Maher, we may find new peace and a new energy as we ponder the question Where have I gone . . . we may experience a new birth, and we may discover that we are alive again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30qiH7MSHM

Wishing all a blessed Easter, and offering all of you this Easter Prayer.

May each of us be renewed in Christ.

May each of us be blessed by the Creator.

May each of us be graced by the Holy Spirit. 

May we keep in mind that we are Easter people.

May we announce and share the gift of Resurrection that God has bestowed on us.

And may we hold the story of God’s love for all creation in our hearts.

We ask for Christ’s peace.

We rest in the Creator’s hands.

And we come together with and in the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annibale_Carracci_-_Holy_Women_at_Christ%27_s_Tomb_-_WGA4454.jpg

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The Gospels: Waiting

Posted in Video Link, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »


The Gospels: WaitingGood-Friday

Good Friday, April 7, 2023

We live in a culture of immediacy; we have created a society that dispels mystery. We insist on knowing our unborn child’s gender; paparazzi tell us the daily intimate details of the lives of the famous. We insist on quick marts, fast food, instant dinners and bread-making machines. We look for comfort, create short cuts through pain, and seek antidotes to suffering.

We fail to teach our children how to suffer well. We shy away from abiding with family and friends who wait for Christ’s infinite, overpowering love to heal and transform. We have failed to learn the lesson of waiting.

This Good Friday, as we mourn what we first believe to be the loss of truth in the face of corruption, let us remain and abide with Mary the Mother of Jesus and John the Beloved Apostle at the foot of the cross. Let us await the promise of light that we know is arriving to pierce the darkness. Let us rest in the peace and joy of the resurrection story.

tomb linens (2)Matthew 28

Mark 16

Luke 24

John 20

Using the scripture links and drop-down menus, spend time with God’s word. Then watch or listen to Matt Maher’s video presentation on the gift of waiting at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnp60uQ3EAw

Image from: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Galleries/7-Things-You-Didnt-Know-About-Good-Friday.aspx

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John 21: Glory, Part XIV – Epilogue

Posted in Favorite, tagged , , , on July 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »


John 21: Glory, Part XIV –  Humility as Epilogue

Mike Moyers: Breakfast At Dawn

Mike Moyers: Breakfast At Dawn

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Disappointment, fear, hatred, trouble, emptiness, and doubt – these are the valleys we traverse on our road with God’s glory. Jesus washes our feet, gives us life on his great vine of love, tells us of the Advocate and asks us to hand ourselves over for the gift healing unity. And Jesus asks that we hand ourselves over in humility as true followers rather than passing fans. These are the gifts we have discovered on our road with God’s glory. Today’s we look at our final lesson on Glory: The epilogue of the Jesus story is the prologue of our own. How do we wish to tell it?

When we spend time with the last chapter of John’s Gospel, we will find many parallels between the lives of the apostles and our own. We can look at this brief list and add examples of our own discipleship.

  • The apostles go back to their old way of earning a living when Jesus leaves; and this is what we often do when we discover something about the kingdom but do not quite own it. We revert to what is familiar, even if it is not good.
  • Jesus calls his followers “children”. If these fishermen and the women who tend to this group are children then certainly so are we.
  • It is the beloved apostle, John, who recognizes Jesus while the others do not. We can imagine how many times a day Jesus walks past us without our noticing.
  • Peter is so excited when he sees Jesus on the shoreline that he leaps from the boat to walk on water, doubts and falters, but rises when Jesus encourages him. We also do this when we respond to God’s call, flounder, yet are raised up by the Creator.
  • When Jesus tells the tired apostles where to fish there are too many to haul on board in the same body of water where there were none. Too often we are tempted to cease just fishing when we need to continue.
  • Jesus cooks and eats with his tired followers. The Resurrected Jesus is just as real as the Human Jesus, they are one and the same. And this man who loves us so much and so well calls us to be nourished in him. He calls us to this same resurrection that he experiences.

Footnotes and commentary tell us that the character of this last chapter of John has non-Johannine “peculiarities” that suggest it was written by Luke.  Others say that it was definitely written by John.  Whoever the writer, it is clear that he is impelled to depict with clarity the surprise and happiness of these disciples Jesus knows so well. The writer is also eager for his readers to experience this same surprise and happiness in their own lives. And so it is with the last verse that he invites us to add our own stories of glory in and with God to this incredible story of goodness, mercy and light in a world that is too often dark . . . There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

Jesus is as big as all of us.  Jesus is as small and intimate as each of us. Separately and together we are Christ. How do we take him into the world every day?  Is this epilogue the end of the story . . . or is it the beginning of another encounter between us and our God? Is this the beginning or the end of God’s glory? 

Tomorrow we begin a series of reflections on what is “left over” in our lives and what we do with God’s bounty. 

Adapted from a reflection written on February 26, 2008.

Image from: http://illuminationsbymike.blogspot.com/2012/04/breakfast-at-dawn.html

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Matthew 28:11-15: The Report

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , on March 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Matthew 28:11-15: The Report

Annibale Carracci: The Dead Christ

Annibale Carracci: The Dead Christ

Thursday, March 24, 2015

While they were going . . . We are eager to hear the resurrection story again. We anticipate the revelation of Christ’s powerful restoration message. What seemed lost is found. What was empty is now full. Jesus’ faithful followers go to Galilee to meet with Jesus. What must they have been imagining? What do we imagine as we set off each day to do God’s work in an often hostile world?

Some of the guard assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers . . . We dislike the corruption and deceit that surrounds the resurrection story. We are saddened by the darkness that clouds this beautiful exemplar. What is light is threatened by the darkness. What is holy is stalked by evil. Jesus’ enemies cannot abide the truth that stares them down. How do they think they can silence the very hope they themselves have sought? How do we avoid the truths that stare at us each day?

ontheshoreThe soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this is the story that has circulated to the present day . . . We forswear duplicity and promise to cease all gossip. We are stunned by lies and shudder at the audacity of others to twist reality to their own vision. What is dead now lives forever. What is slandered is now exalted. What report of God’s love do these schemers present to the world with lies and deceit? What daily report of God’s love do we present to the world through our actions and words?

No principality or power can overcome the love that the Spirit bestows on us. No tempest or evil can undo the healing the Spirit brings to us. No strident denial, no manipulative tyrant can drown out the justice that Christ speaks through his actions. And this is our Lenten promise from God. We are rescued. We are healed. We are redeemed. We are loved beyond measure. The false report that ends Matthew’s Gospel continues for a time in its falsehood while the report of Good News has held through the ages and will hold until the end of time.

Tissot: Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea

Tissot: Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea

We are bearers of this wonderful news, so let us carry this Word forward in joy-filled hope.  We are children of God, so let us share this marvelous news with those who have ears to hear. We are sisters and brothers of Christ in the Spirit, let us determine to hold fast to the report brought to us through the power and love of God.

Yesterday we considered whose good opinions we seek, today we consider whose reports we believe, tomorrow we consider what fears we obey. 

The Carracci image from: http://www.bible-people.info/Mary-Magdalene-bible-text.htm

The fishing boats and fire image from: https://biblicaljoy.wordpress.com/page/3/

The Tissot image from: http://www.jesuswalk.com/luke/tissot-artwork-new-testament.htm

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Daniel 12: The Great Apocalypse

Posted in Prayer, Prophecy, tagged , , , , , on January 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »


Thursday, January 27, 2022

JRC Martin: Resurrection Morning

JRC Martin: Resurrection Morning

Daniel 12

The Great Apocalypse

What images come to mind when we hear the word Apocalypse? What are our hopes? What are our fears? And what image of God do we offer to the world with all we say and do?

“Resurrection is explicitly affirmed only here in the OT, though belief subsequently spread until it finally became orthodox Jewish doctrine. But who is to be revived? ‘Many’ appears to mean only ‘some’, but it includes righteous and wicked. The scenario makes best sense if we see the problem being addressed as one of justice. There are those who have suffered undeservedly and those who have sinned without punishment. Both groups must be revived so that justice can be administered”. (Barton, and Muddiman 570)

And so we pray . . .

Good and faithful God, teach us to remain in you as you remain in us.

Good and patient Christ, help us to love our enemies as you love yours.

Good and encouraging Spirit, heal us of all our wounds and worries, our hates and fears . . . so that we might remain ever in and with you. Amen.

Louisa Anne, Marchioness of Waterford: Christ Raising the Dead

Louisa Anne, Marchioness of Waterford: Christ Raising the Dead

Barton, John, and John Muddiman. THE OXFORD BIBLE COMMENTARY. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. 570. Print.

For more reflections on the words of this prophet, enter the words Daniel or Apocalypse into the blog search bar and explore.

Images from: http://pastorblog.cumcdebary.org/?tag=resurrection and https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/waterford-christ-raising-the-dead-n03222

 

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