Clouds and St Paul

4:19 p.m. yesterday afternoon, yet for all the threatening clouds of weather, we hardly had any rain at all. Driving rain on the Bay between us and downtown, and a half-hour or so of soft pitty-pats on the seagrass below us, but the clouds' movement was from the north or northwest and the storm? didn't even wet the balcony rail.

Later as sunset came along, the same Bay pretended nothing had ever happened. That's the way it is with weather. Wasn't it clear and lovely late afternoon of October 10th, 2018? IDK, we weren't here, we were in Pensacola. And the beautiful day when Noah disembarked from the ark after the Great Flood.

Up way too early and back to bed, I slept throughout, but this morning Linda woke to brilliant lightning in that bright cloud way out over the Gulf of Mexico. So far away that she heard no thunder.

What, Wednesday again? My commitment to some sort of bible lesson or comment instead of my usual nonsense. But I did something like that yesterday. That was fun, picking at Matthew's rendition of Mark's story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, whom for reasons of his audience and agenda, Matthew demotes from neutral ordinary Gentile to untouchable enemy Canaanite who is saved only by her faith. But I appreciated that, unlike Mark, Matthew let the woman bring her little girl along.

What now? Here's the Romans reading for Sunday:

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

Paul is difficult. Difficult and tries one's patience. In forty years of stepping up into the pulpit (my rector in Pennsylvania had me in his pulpit before I even started seminary), I've preached on Paul maybe, what, half a dozen times?

So, what's that all about above? Paul is writing to Christians in Rome before he ever goes there, to people he doesn't know, has never laid eyes on. He's writing to introduce himself, and to lay out his impeccable, solid gold theological credentials to tell them he's heading their way, wants to stop in Rome and visit before continuing on for Spain (never happened), the far eastern outreach of the Roman Empire. Frankly, Paul is hoping the friends he means to cultivate among Christians in Rome will assist and encourage him by raising a purse of money to help him on his further travels; therefore, he wants to establish his credibility before he arrives, make sure they know his faith is strong and unchallengeable. So even though Paul ended up being sent to Rome not of his own accord, but under arrest, and being martyred there, what Paul wrote to the Romans turns out to be a document that was most influential in setting Christian theology over the next two thousand years.

Now let me see if, without going off to study it, I can unravel that Say What?! passage that will put people to sleep next Sunday morning.

First, Paul says that God has not rejected the Jews, his Chosen People the children of Israel whom he, God, has known for so long. In renouncing that notion, Paul uses one of my favorite NT Greek expressions, μὴ γένοιτο, above translated "By no means!" but sometimes rendered an excited "God forbid!" or "Of course not!" but literally "not let it be" or "not happen!" or "never happen!" or "no way!" or maybe "That's a negative!" or "Negativo!". Almost idiomatic, it's my favorite of Paul's exclamations second only to when Paul starts cursing, cussin', swearing like a sailor, and I know he's no better'n me.  

In the next paragraph, Paul says that God is no "Indian-giver" as we used to say in the old days that nowadays would be politically incorrect, a social offense; that once God bestows a gift, it's permanent, forever. So, God is not going to withdraw his love of his chosen people. 

Weaving his inevitable word riddle, Paul goes on to say that you (the Romans) who once were pagan sinners, have been able to have the saving blessing (he says "mercy") of God's messiah Jesus, made available to you because he was rejected by the Jews to whom God sent him (brings to mind the prologue to John's gospel, doesn't it). And now he's available to both you and them, to you outright, to them also (to replace the burdensome Law of Moses). And through everyone's disobedience, God is being merciful to all (i.e., salvation through Jesus).

That's my hack at it. I know that you can do better, so have at it.  

RSF&PTL

T+

This is just a reminder to me, A note that I sent to the Harbour Village management because of a safety and code violation. Has nothing to do with today's blogpost, so don't read it.

Every morning I do part of my exercise routine walking in the stairwell by stack 18, and I notice that the floor/level markers that were up before the hurricane have not been replaced. This is an ongoing safety issue, especially in event of an emergency and EMT or firemen using the stairs for access to the emergency. PLUS BUILDING CODES HAVE SIGNAGE REGULATIONS REQUIRING EACH FLOOR/LEVEL BE MARKED, SO HV CURRENTLY IS IN VIOLATION.I did email the front office about it a couple weeks ago, but no response. It's not a complaint, just observing what could cause a major problem. IDK, it may also be an insurance check-off.