Banter

Of the lectionary texts for this Sunday, I have chosen to focus on the two Old Testament texts. The texts are in a bit of a dialogue as we will see. There is some to-and-fro going on between the texts. Today I want us to sit in the midst of this dialogue for a little while. Hopefully, we can hear the texts in a new light and see ourselves in the midst of the dialogue, and maybe even join into the dialogue.

Before reading the passages, I want to take a moment and say a few things about the Jewish mentality that these texts exemplify. Specifically, I want to contrast this way of reading the text to the way we might normally read or hear the text. We, as individuals in Vancouver in 2013, bring certain lenses or perspectives with us when we read the texts. The lenses or perspective can sometimes inhibit us from experiencing the text or participating with it. Speaking generally, it is common for our culture to read literature as if it is science. By that, I mean we attempt to read things as "facts" and reduce the text to stating precepts. We make it an object and make ourselves the examiner. For example, in the Psalm we are about to read it states, "You make us the scorn of our neighbours." As scientifically minded readers, we might assume that the people ARE in fact the scorn of their neighbours, and that God is the CAUSE of this EFFECT. In doing this, we make the judgement that the emotion articulated within the Psalm actually correctly depicts reality. We also put onto the text the belief that there is a direct Cause and Effect linkage between God's intent and actual occurrences. The text then is viewed as data, and we act as the computer making the calculations. Unfortunately, this is a very flat reading of the text.

Diagram

Contrasting this flat reading of the text is a Jewish tradition of call and response. In what we now call the Old Testament, is this different way of reading the text. It is almost like banter going back and forth between arguing parties. There are those who see it one way, and those who see it differently. There is somewhat of a disagreement at the heart of speaking about God and our circumstances. We see this as the kings are critiqued by the prophets, and they argue back and forth. For example, King David – who we are told – is a man after God’s own heart, is rebuked by the prophet Nathan. We also see this disagreement in the Psalms, as they articulate various emotions in response to differing circumstances. There is praising and lamenting, over the exact same event.

Today I want us to hear some of this banter. The purpose of this banter, I am suggesting, is not to come to some clear-cut conclusion, but to experience the banter. I am suggesting that we find God in the midst of this banter. And these text provide an example of how we can make the bantering our own, as we continue through our own life struggles and struggles with God.

So as we hear the texts, consider them as two people speaking to each other. The context is the nation of Israel going into exile. They are being taken over by foreign nations and are wrestling with God as to why these events are happening to their community. Both passages use the image of a vine for the historic nation of Israel. The texts differ in that within the Psalm the petition of the people is for God to be on the side of the Israel. This is in turn responded to by the Isaiah text, which criticizes the community that assumes God to be on their side.

A challenge that comes to us when viewing the text as banter is how to respond to the varying perspectives. A challenge I hope you ponder as we hear these texts argue one another.

Two Readers:

Psalm 80:1-19

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

    you who lead Joseph like a flock!

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth

2     before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.

Stir up your might,

    and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God;

    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts,

    how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,

    and given them tears to drink in full measure.

6 You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors;

    our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;

    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;

    you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it;

    it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,

    the mighty cedars with its branches;

11 it sent out its branches to the sea,

    and its shoots to the River.

12 Why then have you broken down its walls,

    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

13 The boar from the forest ravages it,

    and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts;

    look down from heaven, and see;

have regard for this vine,

15     the stock that your right hand planted.[b]

16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;[c]

    may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.

17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,

    the one whom you made strong for yourself.

18 Then we will never turn back from you;

    give us life, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;

    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Isaiah 5:1-7

 Let me sing for my beloved

    my love-song concerning his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

    on a very fertile hill.

2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,

    and planted it with choice vines;

he built a watchtower in the midst of it,

    and hewed out a wine vat in it;

he expected it to yield grapes,

    but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem

    and people of Judah,

judge between me

    and my vineyard.

4 What more was there to do for my vineyard

    that I have not done in it?

When I expected it to yield grapes,

    why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you

    what I will do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge,

    and it shall be devoured;

I will break down its wall,

    and it shall be trampled down.

6 I will make it a waste;

    it shall not be pruned or hoed,

    and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;

I will also command the clouds

    that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

    is the house of Israel,

and the people of Judah

    are his pleasant planting;

he expected justice,

    but saw bloodshed;

righteousness,

    but heard a cry!

What stood out to you in this bantering?

Today, for our second time through the text, I have rewritten the texts as a paraphrase and a Targum. I have paraphrased the Psalm. The Psalms are written as poetry, as such they contain flourishes of language and illustration, which ideally can be sat with and dwelt upon, so as to soak up their beauty and learn from their wisdom. But for the purpose of considering how these two text banter with one another I have stripped the Psalm back to its bare bones.

The Isaiah text I have rewritten as a Targum. Targums are a form of Jewish interpretation popular in the third and fourth centuries AD. Targums are non-literal translations of the text, that take the thrust of the text and use contemporary language and idioms to communicate the meaning.

I hope these renditions can help you hear the banter a little more clearly.

Psalm 80:1-2,8-19 1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,     you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2     before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might,     and come to save us! 3 Restore us, O God;     let your face shine, that we may be saved. 4 O Lord God of hosts,     how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,     and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors;     our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;     let your face shine, that we may be saved. 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;     you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it;     it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade,     the mighty cedars with its branches; 11 it sent out its branches to the sea,     and its shoots to the River. 12 Why then have you broken down its walls,     so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13 The boar from the forest ravages it,     and all that move in the field feed on it.	Listen God, Come Save us Restore us Don't be angry         We paid our debt Yet everyone still laughs at us Restore us You were the reason for our success You took care of us We prospered God, then you abandoned us Others take advantage of us         we are ruined
14 Turn again, O God of hosts;     look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15     the stock that your right hand planted. 16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;     may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,     the one whom you made strong for yourself. 18 Then we will never turn back from you;     give us life, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;     let your face shine, that we may be saved.	Help us We have been destroyed Hurt those who hurt us Make us strong Then we will be loyal to you Restore us Save us
Isaiah 5:1-7  Let me sing for my beloved     my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard     on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,     and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it,     and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes,     but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem     and people of Judah, judge between me     and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard     that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes,     why did it yield wild grapes?	Let me tell you a story about your community. It was formed by a vision of inclusion. The land was vast and plentiful, the valleys deep and abundant, the rivers clear and clean. Your country was meant to welcome the refugee. Your church was supposed protect those who were weak. Your community was to share with each other. Your hearts were to grow in compassion. For God desired these things for you. It is all a lie! Now your land, your country, your church, and your community, and you are a mockery of what was intended. No wonder people doubt and mock God when they look at the west, the church, and at you. What did you want?! The land is raped and pillaged; you consume and pollute nonstop. Instead of including, you are exclusive. Instead of protecting one another, there is constant bickering and slander. Instead of sharing, you have adopted a mentality of scarcity where you have to fend for yourself. Your hearts are closed off and guarded. TWO FACE!
5 And now I will tell you     what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge,     and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall,     and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste;     it shall not be pruned or hoed,     and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds     that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts     is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah     are his pleasant planting; he expected justice,     but saw bloodshed; righteousness,     but heard a cry!	I'll tell you what is going to happen! Karma's a bitch. Since you exploited people, prepare to be exploited. You want to live by your own devices, fine! Have it your way! You think you civilization will survive without altruism and principles of care; you are sorely mistaken. By failing to care for one another, you'll see what it is like to live in a dog-eat-dog world. You made your bed, now lie in it. Watch the environmental destruction wreak havoc on your homes and cities. Watch your nations war over resources. Watch your self-interested churches tear themselves apart from within. Watch your lack of compassion rupture your soul. You wanted God on your side; you forget yourself! God is on all sides! The rain and the land are for everyone. You were supposed to be a people that lived in a unique way.  God's vision was justice             now there is only self-interest God wanted relationality             but only loneliness and isolation remain.

Having heard the banter twice, what side do you identify with? Are you on one the sides? Both? Neither?

Where are you in these texts?

Thoughts? Reflections?

How I have come to understand this type of banter within the text is to understand it as a draw toward one side. That means I usually identify with one and the call of the text on my life is to draw me toward the other. In this case, I find myself most clearly in the selfishness and self-centered Psalm perspective. The one trying to justify my own existence, arguing that I paid my debt and things had better start to shape up. The Isaiah text calls me out of this perspective. It calls me to dethrone myself from my self-centered existence, to look at the world from a more broad perspective.

In these messy texts we find God in the in between. Neither fully in one, nor fully in the other. The exit from viewing the world entirely from within one's perspective takes time. We are embodied beings, we cannot take some objective position from outside ourselves, but we also hear the call to look beyond ourselves and desire participating in a bigger vision. It is in this mixed-ness we can find the messiness of God, a God for everyone, as well as a God for me.

This can be an unsettling place to land. The is much more ambiguity in wrestling in the middle ground. But it is also a thrilling, alive place to exist. As we pursue and are pursued by a God who participates in this dialogue.

Now, as we ponder this in between, we are going to watch a music video by Vampire Weekend called “Ya Hey” a not so shrouded allusion to Yahweh. The song does not necessarily make sense, but in that it helps to explore what it might mean to understand God as being in the in between. The song posits things on either side, this or that, then neither, or both. 

Kanye West - Black Skinhead

                It has been a while since I posted about a new music video, but maybe that is because it is not every day that Kanye releases the video for “Black Skinhead.” Kanye, we love him, we hate him, we love to hate him. Whether I like what he is releasing at the moment or not, he is one of the artists that I follow, watching and listening to everything he puts out. At his best, Kanye is able to capture the cultural moment and return it to the audience with profound insight; I think of the lyrics in “Who Will Survive in America” and its critique of American capitalism and ideology. At his worst, Kanye is an egotistical womanizing maniac; “Monster” comes to mind as one of his more excessively graphic. However, the tension between these two aspects of Knaye’s work makes it all the more intriguing and uncertain of where he will go next.

                Kanye’s latest album Yeezus continues his political/personal/religious/ego-driven narrative of his work. A review of the album I read early on said it was probably his most self-absorbed album to date, more clearly mirroring 808’s and Heartbreaks than his early work or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and I would agree. Yeezus lacks some of the communal rage and dissent that is evident in his early albums, yet there is still the unsettling part of rap that is maintained. The part the disrupts the blasé life of the listener, or creates an intense affinity with those in similar situations. In Kanye’s ability to maintain the unsettling nature of rap, one can see the anger taking an existential turn as Kanye explores the angst within him. I think this turn is evident in “Black Skinhead.”

                I think the video for “Black Skinhead,” more clearly than the song itself, reveals the prayerful nature of the song. Kanye utilises Ku Klux Klan imagery, something that is not new in his work notably in “Jesus Walks” (white) and his video epic “Runaway” (red) after the eight-minute mark, representing racism and the cult of celebrity respectively. However, in “Black Skinhead” the imagery is turned onto himself (black). I think this turn is a realizing of the internal angst and uncertainty that gives rise to the violence. The drive to fight the racism and the conflicting draw-and-resistance to the cult of celebrity are depicted as causing a whelming up of internal angst that desires to explode.

                The video builds throughout, and I think it is intended to be an uncomfortable experience. The CGI humans, the dogs, and the frenetic splicing of the video disrupts and jars. It unveils an internal angst/anxiety/rage. In the build up of this rage, we become the one we hate, and then the video ends with what I think are explicit religious images. Imagery of the sacrifice of self, followed by an eleven-fold refrain of “God.” As such, it turns the rage into an angry lament, revealing the prayerful nature of the piece. This ending, for me, changed the song into one of Kanye’s masterpieces that captures, depicts, and comments on a stream of contemporary culture that eludes us, which he can help us understand.

                I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did.

Imagine – Embody – Subvert!

Mystery, magic, and imagination. The text we are going to dwell on today involves all three. Today, like all days, I hope we can engage our imagination while drawing from the text. It is a text that is often described as having hymn like qualities. It is also one of the most Christological passages in the New Testament, and by that I mean that from this text serious theologians have drawn out deep implications of who Jesus was, what his mission on earth was, and the scope and the ramifications of the event of his coming. The section of text we are looking at goes beyond the imaginative hymn, it moves to application, as well as moving from Christ to us. So like a "proper" sermon, today I'll be focusing on three parts, three segments of the text, which follow the flow of "Imagine, Embody, Subvert."

As we hear this passage read, let it sink in, and imagine.

3 Readers:

Colossians 1:15-29

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶ for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

²¹ And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— ²³ provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

²⁴ I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. ²⁵ I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶ the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹ For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

IMAGINE:

This text comes to us from the book of Colossians, a book attributed to Paul, but many people disagree as to whether Paul wrote it, partly due to the passage we just heard. This passage, if written by Paul marks a shifting in his theology. Here we have language of the cosmos, invisible, powers, authorities, and rulers. It is a different vision, a grander scope, an encompassing vision of Christ's work that is not as specifically explicated in other letters of Paul. Whatever the case, whether written by Paul or one of his followers, it is this grand vision the text welcomes us into.

This Colossians text and the Ephesians text have significant overlap. And both of these text seem to deal with magic, a magic that was part of the culture of Colossae and Ephesus. BUT what do I mean by magic? Magic, as conceived of at the time was not some Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings, or Narnia magic. Rather, magic was associated with religion. It was a belief that if you said things the right way, or with the right belief, that your invocation would be answered. So people would chant spells, petition the gods, or go about ritualistic ceremonies in order to get what they wanted. It was often referred to as mystery, as only the inductees were granted access to the correct words. The reference to mystery in the passage we read and a later mention of worship of angels in the Colossians text give us clues that this magic culture is being addressed. With this understanding of magic, as a way of guaranteeing desires, we can see that magic was kind of like a sect of religion, it was a religious deviant; it was about managing the supernatural powers in order to get the guaranteed results.

In some ways, I think we have not moved all that far from the magic religions. I perceive that most people want religion, including Christianity, to function like magic. We mumble our prayers to a certain rhythm, we have our favorite phrases that we repeat, whether it be reducing our requests "Just" statements to make it seem that our request are not really that big of a deal. "God JUST do this, God JUST do that." OR we heap on the extra words as if saying them in the right way will get us what we want, to guarantee results, for example, "Dear Lord Jesus Christ, and the heavenly father, the Almighty and all powerful, and done in the name of the Holy Spirit...etc," OR we repeat things "Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you Lord Jesus, and Praise you Lord Jesus, and worship you Lord Jesus." In all these ways, I think ideas of religious magic are alive and functioning in our Christian faiths.

But it is not only the "How" of relating to God that magic relates to, magic also involves the "What." The "What" of magic often changes, it might be something you hold very closely. Maybe it is the reason you have faith, is it having faith in order to secure your salvation, it is to guarantee your certainty, or is it so that do not need to admit you are lonely, or is it just a cover up to make up to make you feel better about not being a very nice person? These are not bad things to wish for or desire, but if your Christian faith is the way a guaranteeing these things, then you might be treating your Christian faith like magic.

In what ways do you see magical beliefs incorporated into Christianity?

So how does Paul respond to this culture of magic?

Into this context, of a magic way of relating to the gods, the text of Colossians is written. The Colossians text contrasts this view of magic and mystery, it is not about saying things in the right way, nor is it keeping the mystery secret so only the inducted ones can have access to it. Paul completely subverts this prevailing view of how to interact with the gods. Instead, the text shows the overwhelming scope and power of Christ, thus undermining a notion that you can ask for specific things in certain ways to alter the gods or guarantee that you get what you want. Further, Paul says that the mystery is revealed. Thus, the mystery or secret has become plain. For Paul, there is no way to treat the Christian good news as magic, because the mystery has been revealed to all. By being revealed to all, the mystery loses its coercive power. This implicitly means that all requests or petitions that would have a result in favour of one person, and would have had a negative effect for someone else can no longer work. This revealed mystery breaks down conceptions of competitive religion, in favour of a universalizing vision. In addition to negating religious competition, Paul moves to a metaphor of reconciliation. Reconciling ALL Things. 

The metaphor of reconciliation is a bringing together. In order to communicate this, Paul paints a cosmological picture; that is, a picture of the entire universe. Christ is depicted as the agent of creation, the bond that holds the cosmos together, he is the present head of the Church, which is already redeemed, and he is the destiny of creation, the consummation. The passage has two sections a creation and a re-creation. As such, this passage shows a way of viewing the cosmos that undermines the us/them dichotomy, and it undermines the me/other dichotomy. It totally reframes the way we think about, and how we relate to, the world. It puts us amongst creation, placing Christ above and within, thus changing all the power structures. Through the use of the words In/through/by/with a relational picture is painted. A picture in which the human is one of many participants.

Re-read:

•      ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶ for in^[h] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He himself is before all things, and in^[i] him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Pictures:

Video: Each circle you see throughout this video is a factor of 10, which means the previous circle was either 10X smaller, or 10X larger. It is an exponential video.

How are you reacting to hearing these verses set in a magical context and viewing them as a cosmological vision?

EMBODY:

The text then moves in a bit of a new direction. From the grand cosmological vision of Christ’s supremacy, Paul begins to imagine the ramifications of such a belief. It is an inclusion of the person.

The grand vision has already challenged all conceptions of the Roman Empire, the thrones and dominions. It has brought in all of created world. It has brought encompassed all religious notions in the visible and invisible, including the Jewish religion and the dwelling of God has seemingly been changed from the tabernacle and the temple to Christ. And now the text challenges the reader and hearer to understand the ramifications of a vision with such a grand scope.

It is a journey to embody this vision. The distant are brought in. The individual is included in the church.

Re-read:

•      ²¹ And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— ²³ provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

Now as we are imagining, we will read three poems that will help to bring our imagination from the estranged to the reconciled.

The Wolf Howled – Arthur Rimbaud

“The wolf howled under the leaves

And spit out the prettiest feathers

Of his meal of fowl:

Like him I consume myself.”

Fire and Ice– Robert Frost

“Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold  with those who favour fire.

But if it has to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.”

The Rose Family – Robert Frost

“The rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.

But the theory now goes

That the apple’s a rose,

And the pear is, and so’s

The Plumb, I suppose.

The dear only knows

What will next prove a rose.

You of course, are a rose –

But were always a rose.

What are your feelings about being included into the vast, redefining vision of Christ?

SUBVERT:

Having articulated the grand scope, challenging the conceptions of religious magic, and then bringing in the embodiment of the vision to the individual, this section of text goes on to point a direction in which to follow.

Re-read:

•      ²⁴ I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. ²⁵ I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶ the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹ For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

This text show us a way. A way to join into the grand vision of being In Christ. It is not a way of having power over, it is not about an us verses them conception of humanity. It is a way of welcoming, of bring people into the church, of inclusion. It is enabled by Christ in us. The creator, holder, and restorer of the entire cosmos.

Specifically, it is the way of suffering, of being a servant, which makes God fully known. As we participate in this way of weakness, of suffering, of giving, that we continue to make up “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” and we participate in bringing the entire cosmos into reconciliation. It is in this hope, in this way that we find Glory, a way of being as we are meant to be. Glory is to function properly, like the athlete who wins; he or she has functioned perfectly and is glorified. The text shows that participating with Christ, having Christ in us, is the hope of functioning properly. This way we embody the cosmological vision of reconciliation, down the path of suffering and servant hood. Therefore, we do not need to treat our Christian faith like magic because the scope of treating Christianity like magic is far too small. God’s vision for the reconciliation of all things is far more grand and beautiful than magical certainty.

Reflections?

Transition to Communion:

As we come to the table, we participate in the vision we have just explored. We consume the bread and the juice and as it participates in us, nourishing us and enabling us to go on, so too Christ is participating and working in us and through us in the task of reconciling ALL THINGS to himself. And as we reflect on our God of the Cosmos, the one revealed in Jesus, we remember the path he chose, the path of suffering, the way of the servant, the way that led him to the cross. As we remember this we are emboldened to choose the same path of suffer for reconciliation.

As God invites us into his vision for the cosmos, we invite you to our table. Here at Mosaic, we practice an open table, all are welcome to come, and all are welcome to eat. So come to the table, eat of Jesus’ body given for you, and drink of his blood poured out for the many.