The lessons this week

Mon Oct 6 09:11:00 EDT 2008

Dear Gulf Coast Leaders,

This coming Sunday is October 12  – Proper 23

Exodus 32:1-14 <http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/ex32a.htm>  or Isaiah
25:1-9 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah25.htm> 
Psalm <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm106.htm>  106:1-6, 19-23 or
Psalm <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm23.htm>  23
Philippians <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/phil4.htm>  4:1-9 – Rejoice in
the Lord always… I can do all things through Christ… I have learned the
secret of plenty and want

Matthew 22:1-14 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt22a.htm>  – The Parable of
the Wedding Banquet (v. 9: “Go therefore into the main streets, and invite
everyone…”)

Yesterday (10/5/08) was the most emotional service I’ve taken part in so far
this year. Members of the three Galveston ELCA congregations gathered at
First, Galveston for a service of healing and wholeness in the wake of
Hurricane Ike (or Icky as they’re calling it). First is the only one of the
three that has power (and air conditioning). Pastor Doug Guthier (First),
Pastor Sharon Burns (St. Paul’s and Zion), Pastor Joe Summerville (Dean of
the Coastal Ministerium) and I led this Eucharistic liturgy together. The
gallery pipe organ at First sang under the able skills of organist Don
Hermanson. This service followed a day in which hundreds of Houston
Lutherans poured onto the island to help families and congregations muck out
their homes. 

What made the service particularly emotional was Pastor Guthier’s invitation
for people to share their situation and make specific requests before the
anointing with oil and laying on of hands. As you can imagine, even with
each of us at the four stations, this took a long time. Many hymns were
sung. People came forward and shared astonishing stories. “Our house burned
down,” one woman shared with me as she, her husband and two children glazed
over with tears. A house flooding is ugly, but watching your house burn
feels like a lynching. 

Responses to trauma vary. One family from Faith, Dickinson that served on
Saturday had lost their home. They had lost everything and yet here they
were helping others muck out. Another man who had lost everything said to
me, “Aw, I didn’t need all that crap anyway.” He talked to me of
materialism, and said he was using this time to begin a new life, with a
simpler lifestyle. An older woman said she was experiencing survivor guilt.
“My house is fine. Pray that I will do all I can to help others,” she said
with tears in her eyes. Another woman wept uncontrollably. Everyone reacts
differently. Yet, everyone is affected in some way. 

When we take time to pray something happens. When we take time to pray
together, something else happens. When we anoint people with oil, and listen
to their stories, and then lay hands on them, something entirely different
happens. Flood gates open. Never before have I felt so many people shaking
with tears as I laid hands on them and prayed for them. Even the most stoic
men were deeply moved. Never before have I received so many hugs from so
many strangers as they filed out of worship. 

So much emotion, and yet these people laughed heartily during the sermon.
They even applauded once. They were alive, responsive, together. And,
strangely filled with hope and joy. Could it be that our joy can only soar
as high as our sorrow runs deep? I’m terrified to think that there is a
relationship between joy and suffering. When the well is dry we know the
worth of water. There is a passage in Hebrews I think that says that
“Christ, for the joy that was within him endured the cross.” Suffering
stokes our joy. Joy makes it possible to enter into suffering. In Christian
spirituality we do not draw close to God by rising above the suffering of
this world; we draw close to God by entering into the suffering of this
world. Joy is found in the cross. This is counterintuitive, but it is our
faith – the folly of the cross. 

So when Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice,” he
knows of which he speaks. This is no happy bourgeois platitude, borne of
privilege or entitlement. Paul is writing this from prison, and Roman
prisons were not pleasant. Paul had been tortured and persecuted. Paul knew
a secret about joy so astonishing that it couldn’t just be preached. It had
to be lived or no one would believe it. 

In the gospel reading (Matthew 22) Jesus tells of a king who throws a party.
The invited guests don’t show, so he throws open the doors. I imagine Jesus
told this story to explain why he was hanging out with the riff raff. For
Jesus the Kingdom of God is a super-duper eschatological banquet par
excellence to which everyone is invited. There’s only one catch. You’re
invited to come and die.

שלמ

Mike Rinehart

Michael Rinehart, bishop

The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

12707 I-45 North Frwy, Suite 580

Houston, TX 77060-1239

281-873-5665

www.GulfCoastSynod.org <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/> 

Looking ahead – 7 Sundays until Advent:

Summary

October 12  – Proper 23

October 19 – Proper 24

October 26 – Proper 25 or Reformation Sunday

November 2 – Proper 26 or All Saints’ Sunday

November 9 – Proper 27

November 16 – Proper 28

November 23 – Christ the King

OCTOBER TEXTS

October 12  – Proper 23

Exodus 32:1-14 <http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/ex32a.htm>  or Isaiah
25:1-9 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah25.htm> 
Psalm 106:1-6, <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm106.htm>  19-23 or
Psalm 23 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm23.htm> 
Philippians <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/phil4.htm>  4:1-9 – Rejoice in
the Lord always… I can do all things through Christ… I have learned the
secret of plenty and want

Matthew 22:1-14 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt22a.htm>  – The Parable of
the Wedding Banquet (v. 9: “Go therefore into the main streets, and invite
everyone…”)

October 19 – Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23 <http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/ex33.htm>  or Isaiah
45:1-7 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/isaiah45.htm> 
Psalm 99 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm99.htm>  or Psalm 96:1-9,
(10-13) <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm96.htm> 
1 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1thess1.htm>  Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:15-22  <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt22b.htm> – Is it lawful
to pay taxes to Caesar? Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and
unto God the things that are God’s.

October 26 – Reformation Sunday (Oct. 31 – Many congregations celebrate on
the last Sunday of October)

Jeremiah <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/jer31c.htm>  31:31-34 – New
covenant.

Psalm 46 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm46.htm>  – God is our refuge
and strength.

Romans 3:19-28 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/rom1_3.htm>  – The
righteousness of God disclosed apart from the law.

John 8:31-36 <http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn8b.htm>  – The truth will
set you free.

OR

October 26 – Proper 25 

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 <http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/deut34.htm>  or
Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 <http://www.textweek.com/pentateuch/lev19.htm> 
Psalm 90:1-6, <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm90.htm>  13-17 or Psalm
1 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm1.htm> 
1 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1thess2a.htm>  Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt22c.htm>  – The Great
Commandment

NOVEMBER TEXTS

Lots of apocalyptic stuff

November 2 – All Saints Sunday (November 1)

Revelation 7:9-17 <http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/rev7.htm> 
Psalm <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm34.htm>  34:1-10, 22
1 <http://www.textweek.com/epistlesrevelation/1john3a.htm>  John 3:1-3

Matthew 5:1-12 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt5a.htm>  – The Beatitudes

OR

November 2 – Proper 26 

Joshua 3:7-17 <http://www.textweek.com/history/josh3.htm>  or Micah 3:5-12
<http://www.textweek.com/prophets/micah3.htm> 
Psalm <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm107.htm>  107:1-7, 33-37 or
Psalm <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm43.htm>  43
1 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1thess2b.htm>  Thessalonians 2:9-13

Matthew 23:1-12 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt23.htm>  – The Scribes and
Pharisees: do what they say, not what they do, for they lay heavy burdens on
others’ shoulders they themselves are not willing to bear.

November 9 – Proper 27

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 <http://www.textweek.com/history/josh24b.htm>  or
Wisdom of Solomon <http://www.textweek.com/apocrypha/wisdom6a.htm>  6:12-16
or Amos <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/amos5b.htm>  5:18-24
Psalm 78:1-7 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm78.htm>  or Wisdom of
Solomon <http://www.textweek.com/apocrypha/wisdom6b.htm>  6:17-20 or Psalm
70 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm70.htm> 
1 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1thess4.htm>  Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt25a.htm>  – The Parable of
the Ten Virgins or Bridesmaids
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm70.htm> 

November 16 – Proper 28

Judges 4:1-7 <http://www.textweek.com/history/judg4.htm>  or Zephaniah 1:7,
12-18 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/zeph1.htm> 
Psalm 123 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm123.htm>  or Psalm 90:1-8,
(9-11), <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm90.htm>  12
1 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/1thess5a.htm>  Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30  <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt25b.htm> – The Parable
of the Talents

November 23 – Christ the King

 <http://www.textweek.com/prophets/ezek34.htm> Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
 <http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm100.htm> Psalm 100 or
<http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm95.htm> Psalm 95:1-7a
 <http://www.textweek.com/pauline/eph1b.htm> Ephesians 1:15-23
 <http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matt25c.htm> Matthew 25:31-46 – The Parable
of the Sheep and the Goats

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