Wednesday: wandering midweek Bible chat
Looking at the Propers for next Sunday, Marion Hatchett says the collect was prepared for the 1549 BCP:
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; 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.
It's apt for the Sunday, alluding specifically to the gospel from John 14 (scroll down). In the collect's address, the theological assertion "whom truly to know is everlasting life" brings back the scene early in C S Lewis' book The Great Divorce when the narrator, who has ridden the overnight bus from hell up to heaven, finds out from the spirits who meet the bus, that once there, knowing God is not immediate; rather, as a ghostly spirit who nevertheless travels by walking on foot, one begins a long journey into the distant mountains and beyond, ultimately to see God face to face. So, it's not possible truly to know Almighty God here in Time, and there's trekking to be done, miles to go before we sleep, even in Eternity. And, perhaps most significant to many, everlasting life consists of that ultimate knowing God. "Whom truly to know is everlasting life" is a lovely turn of phrase, theological conjecture that is neither clear nor specific. But which is fine for Episcopalians, who have far more questions than answers.
Even if we can't truly know God, who is neither defined by, nor known through or in, the Nicene Creed, the theology of the collect's petition (remember, lex orandi lex credendi we wouldn't pray it unless we believe it, although that likely doesn't occur to most) is that it is possible perfectly to know the Son Jesus Christ; at least, possible to know him to be the way, the truth, and the life, whatever that signifies, which may be different for each of us; for example, to know is not the same as to realize. Knowing, or believing, something to be a fact is not the same as knowing with intimate familiarity. So, I find this particular collect nicely ambiguous.
Mind, we don't pray the collect as lofty theological gobbledygook for starting and centering worship, we are meant to understand it. Marion says the result clause (that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life) was added later. For one, I do not appreciate that clause, which to me suggests that we live in The Way in order to earn our way into heaven, I don't like that. I'm not living my life with the goal of getting into heaven, I'm living life to have it abundantly and quite frankly, as I look back, I've fairly done so even if the details are none of your business. As for heaven, I leave it to God, whatever the Creator has in mind.
Going on to the lessons, Acts 7,
Acts 7:55-60
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
sorry about Stephen being martyred, but it was two thousand years ago, and though he's unique to us as First Christian Martyr, he's not singular by any means, millions have been cruelly and unjustly killed, including for what they believe, especially in our own Time. Unlike most folks, Stephen got a holy day out of it: remember, Good King Winceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen, that's 26 December, the day after Christmas. It was a lovely scene, the snow was on the ground, deep and crisp. And it was a day of blessing, King Winceslas spotted someone who was poor, struggling to make it home with a scrap of wood to make a fire for a bit of warmth; and the king kindly made generous provender for a feast. IDK, it may have been a basis of Boxing Day? Here's Neale's poem, lyrics for the hymn:
https://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wenceslas.htm
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even .
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel .
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed .
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
BTW, a league is right at three and a half miles, quite a long trek in deep snow and bitter cold. Oh, almost an afterthought, this is when and where we meet the young man Saul, later for us Saint Paul himself.
The portion of Psalm 31 appointed as the people's response to the Acts reading
The Response
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me."
seems quite appropriate for us to read as a prayer to God for Stephen's sake. Or indeed for us to offer as prayer on our own behalf.
That's enough lesson and discussion for now, at least it's enough for me just now; but here are the other two readings. Note that the author of 1 Peter continues to dig deep into the Hebrew Bible:
The Epistle
1 Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner”,
and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
The Gospel
John 14:1-14
Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I AM the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I AM in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
Art: Rembrandt 1600s. Stoning of Stephen. Ostensibly that's Rembrandt himself peering out just above Stephen's head
