and there is that Leviathan
Some of us have favorite lines of literature, from novels, or especially poetry including psalms of ancient Hebrew poetry, Bible verses. Maybe films. Cartoons, comic strips, Pogo the Possum in the trash dump that humans have made of a swamp, observing "We have met the enemy and he is us", which one might say is deeper Truth than anything any religion has to offer.
I have no Idea what my favorites are, they just seem to pop up in confrontation with whatever. Over the years, probably most often during sermon prep, when sometimes I use them and more often think "No, I can't say that from the pulpit, the bishop would take my collar".
Lines create mind images, don't they. In the news this morning I read an apt line, "A racist, sexist pig", which brought to mind the lines of a political cartoon,
A: The less immigrants we let in the better.
B: The fewer.
A: Shhhh, don't call me that in public yet.
Sometimes images of abysmal obliviousness, yea, unto imbecilic stupidity. In CSL's The Great Divorce, the Ghost in Gaiters, a late-departed English bishop who cannot see (Mark 9:1, ἴδωσιν from root ὁράω, discern, perceive, realize, understand, see with the mind's eye, even epiphanically) where he has been or where he is, has ridden the overnight bus up from Hell to Heaven. The bishop is what my business partner used to call a cockalorum, a self-important little man. When his heavenly host offers him the opportunity to remain in Heaven instead of returning to Hell, he makes the counteroffer that he "might stay if needed". Told that there are no "needs" in heaven he suddenly realizes, "Oh my word, of course I can't stay. I've written a paper to read to my little study group next Tuesday evening". The pompous one is in heaven and can't wait to get back to his little study group of dimwits, he is of course their leader. Before getting back on the bus, he asks his heavenly host, "But aren't you going to ask me what my paper is about?"
Images. For the Ascension, last week from Psalm 47, "God has gone up with a shout!". This Sunday we observe The Day of Pentecost (wear something red!) so another favorite, from Psalm 104, "there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport of it." I love the leviathan, which appears a few times in the OT, another favorite line, "Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? ..." from Job 41:1 - -
which Carl Jung answers with his notion about divine arrogance, pomposity and, again, divine obliviousness, the Divinity's total absence of self-awareness that not until later does God have the (human) introspection to look at himself and realize what he has done; and so Jung asserts that Good Friday is not God's offering himself to atone for man' sins, but God's self-offering penance for God's sin against Job, who of course is mankind itself, us. (Okay, humankind). And also would be, I suppose?, perhaps an oblique response to mitigate, and even in the divine mind dismiss, the question of theodicy? Which might be to say that the forgiveness of sins that Calvary brings could be mutually efficacious, absolves both ways, for the sins of both God and man.
If this sort of wandering blasphemy disturbs you, two things occur: you are not a member of my Sunday School class, and as J B Phillips said, Your God is too small.
People ask "what IS the leviathan anyway?" and probably the best answer is at Isaiah 27:1, "In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea."
Lewis again, The Chronicles of Narnia, the terrifying night at sea, the giant sea serpent attacking the ship in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Or a whale, a crocodile.
Or, in my obsolete notion of naval warfare perfection, a battleship
Scroll down for the Pentecost readings.
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USS Nimitz
IJN battleship Yamato
The Collect of the Day
The Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The people sit.
The Lessons
A Reading from Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
`In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Benedic, anima mea
25 O LORD, how manifold are your works! * in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
26 Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, * creatures both small and great.
27 There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
28 All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
29 You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; * you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; * and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; * may the LORD rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; * I will rejoice in the LORD.
37 Bless the LORD, O my soul. * Hallelujah!
A Reading from Romans 8:22-27
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The Sequence Hymn
“Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove” Hymn #510
Then, all standing, the Deacon or a Priest reads the Gospel, first saying
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (15:26-27; 16:4b-15)
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. The Gospel of the Lord
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
