St. Martin de Porres was born in Peru, his father was a Spanish knight, and mother was of African descent from Panama. After a time as a surgeon's apprentice he joined the Dominicans, and was known for taking care of the sick especially the slaves brought to Peru from Africa, he also loved animals and oversaw a dog and cat hospital, he is the patron of social justice, reminding us of the importance of reaching out across ethnic and national boundaries to care for each other, and all God's creatures. He died Nov3 1639.
San Martín de Porres nació en Perú, su padre era un caballero español y su madre era descendiente de africanos de Panamá. Después de un tiempo como aprendiz de cirujano se unió a los Dominicanos, y era conocido por cuidar a los enfermos, especialmente a los esclavos traídos al Perú desde África, también amaba a los animales y supervisaba un hospital de perros y gatos, es el mecenas de la justicia social, recordándonos la importancia de alcanzar fronteras étnicas y nacionales para cuidarnos unos a otros y a todas las criaturas de Dios. Murió 3 Noviembre de 1639.
In the book "The Day the Revolution Began" scholar and author N.T.Wright addresses the commonly held belief that Jesus death on the cross was not only to absolve us of our sins but actually was the beginning of a commissioning of Christians to a new vocation as a royal priesthood reconciling all creation. Too often, contemporary Christians have seen the cross in a reduced way simply in terms of an angry God punishing Jesus for our sins. It has been my view as interpreted by scripture and the historic church teaching, that this is misconstrued. The idea of "penal substitution" came out of the reformation but as a misunderstanding of the traditional view of the death of Christ. In NT Wrights book he expands the idea saying that the reformation understanding is limited and also did not go far enough. This is an important work that encourages Christians to enter into a fuller understanding of the mystery of Jesus' death on the cross.
This month,
Christians will be commemorating an important anniversary. It is one
that has a controversial legacy, and shook the very foundations of
church and society. Five hundred years ago, John Tetzle came into a
German town selling indulgences. People could pay to secure
forgiveness for certain sins. The indulgences were needed to pay
back a loan to a bank in Austria for a high church official, ironically, to purchase an important seat as archbishop. The indulgences sales were then split between Rome and the outstanding loan. Martin
Luther, a monk and priest, was troubled that these indulgences were
being sold to the people that could least afford it. It also went
against his belief that any Christian who truly repented could
receive forgiveness. The church door was often used as a public
notice board, and so on Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted
ninety-five points of debate on the door of the Castle Church in
Wittenberg and mailed his objections to the archbishop who then sent them on to Rome. This
probably went unnoticed at the time and would likely have stayed that
way, if it had not been for the invention of the printing press. The
press was used to reproduce Luther's ninety-five theses and helped to
start a pamphlet war between Luther and Tetzel. By the time that
Luther was called before an imperial diet or court, to defend his
writing, scores of Luther's works had gained him a popular following.
The court demanded that he recant everything that he had written.
Luther, anguish over the situation he faced, responded with his
famous speech, “unless I am convinced by the testimony of the
Scriptures or by clear reason...I am bound by the Scriptures I have
quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and
will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go
against conscience. I cannot do otherwise; here I stand, may God help
me.” Probably without realizing it, Luther had just set western
civilization on a new course. That course would not run smooth.
The enthusiasm of Luther's followers began to take a life of its own.
Other much more radical reformers began to challenge both church and
civil authorities. One of them, Thomas Münster, encouraged a social
revolt of the peasant class. In 1525, peasants revolted and were
crushed in a bloodbath, their leaders executed and thousands
perished. Disagreement in politics and religion caused serious
divisions that led to religious persecution, social unrest, and
religious wars. One hundred years later, a group of religious
dissenters would leave for the new world seeking religious freedom on
the now famous Mayflower. While the legacy of the reformation
resulted in people doing many un-christian things to each other, and
introduced a whole new series of problems that the church is still
grappling with, it also gave us a new respect for individual
conscience, the power of a free press, and limits to the power of the
church over civil society. In the church, it resulted in a new wave
of theological ideas, the Bible in the language of the people, a
renewal in hymns and worship, and just within the last hundred years,
a seeking of forgiveness and reconciliation between Roman Catholics, and Protestants, and different
Christian denominations. First Presbyterian Church of Umatilla will
feature a special emphasis this month reflecting on the legacy of the
reformation at our regular Sunday morning worship service at 11:00am. This sermon series will focus on the "Five Sola's"; Sola Scripture, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria." Often these summations of the Reformed faith have been misunderstood and misinterpreted. The church today still faces the task of reforming itself in the light of God's word, perhaps the greatest reformation tradition. Omar Gonzalez
(Article submitted for press Oct 2017)
Religion and Ethics Weekly The Protestant Reformation
The Prayers of the People have been a part of Christian worship since ancient times. The earliest example comes from Justin Martyr who in the year 150, mentions the prayers. For centuries they have been part of the Daily Office and the eucharistic liturgy. In most Christian worship today, the Prayers of the People follow after the sermon, or are said during the service of the Eucharist along with the Lord's Prayer. In this video, a group called "The Brilliance" from their album, "Brother", sing the prayers of the people set to instrumentation. It is a moving and meditative version of the Prayers. The lyrics below have been slightly modified in order to be used as a prayer in any service of Christian worship regardless of the local context.
Lyrics:
You hear us calling, You hear us calling, Abba Father.
You hear us calling, You hear us calling, Abba Father.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
You hear us calling, you hear us calling, Abba Father.
You hear us calling, you hear us calling, Abba Father.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Prayers of the People
For the church of Christ around the globe,
that we may learn to be one,
as you, along with the Father and Holy Spirit are One,
For the church of Christ in ____________,
that we would grow in our unity with one another,
seeking to understand more than to be understood,
for your church scattered across the neighborhoods of our great city,
that our lives of love and service may bear witness of an alternative story,
Lord hear our Prayer.
For all of us that continue to live in the tension of power and race in America,
that we would in humility discover our cultural biases,
and seek understanding from those that are different than us,
guide us to become advocates for justice and equality,
for President________ and Governor ____________,
that they would be granted grace to lead with civility, justice and peace,
that you would protect their families as they face the challenges attending
these offices.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who teach, tutor, and provide care for our children,
for those you clean, and repair our homes and offices,
for those who prepare and serve our meals,
may they find dignity and solidarity in you,
O Christ, who having all power, did not come to be served but to serve,
and in this knowledge, may we who benefit from such service,
receive it gratefully, employ it justly and hold them in highest esteem.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the victims of mass slaughter in ___________________
and those who have to live with the tragic consequences,
we pray for your mercy and comfort,
we pray that these violent acts would be brought to an end,
for all who are vulnerable to the influence of violent extremist groups,
we pray for protection and merciful care
to short circuit these cycles of poverty and violence,
We pray for your way of peace to take root in people's hearts and lives.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who live on our streets, we pray for relief and comfort,
that we, your people, may humanize our engagement with our
sisters and brothers, and know the grace of serving you as we serve them,
This is a link to an article by Timothy Byrnes, it is rather lengthly and while it focuses on the Roman church and politics, titled "Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas", it can be applied across the board to any Christian denomination. In the article, Timothy Byrnes argues that neither political party embodies the teaching of the Christian Church, and that the church therefore, should not tie itself to any party because political parties are ephemeral institutions, and that no political party ever has been or will be a vehicle for advancing christian teaching. Take the case of the Roman Catholic Church, Christian teaching on the sanctity of life crosses parties lines and including abortion, opposition to the death penalty, strong advocating for refugees and immigrants, social welfare programs for the poor, climate change and environmental stewardship and seeking peace over war. All those issues cross party platforms. For those that claim to be Christians, it is important for us to remember that we should ultimate seek to follow the teaching of the church and Christ, and when making those hard decisions in the voting both, respect members of other parties for this very reason. Any party affiliation we hold should never be more important than the call to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which goes far beyond any political party aspirations to make a nation "great again", and calls us rather to humility and self sacrifice. It is only in the light of the gospel that all human endeavors are exposed as dead end roads, and all human solutions are dissolved. The apostle Paul certainly understood this, every epistle had an ethical implication to the theology he so carefully lays out, and while he lived in an empire that not only did not recognize his religious faith, actively persecuted and forcefully attempted to destroy it, When the principles of the Kingdom, (blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those that mourn, blessed are those that hunger and thirst for justice, blessed are those that are persecuted, blessed are the merciful) are lived out both in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and political life, we begin to see a transformation of our hearts, minds and lives We get to the nitty gritty issues that are less abstract and certainly more real to us. That is where God's reign begins to work itself out.
We are political creatures and live in a representative republic where we can actively participate. So we will have to wrestles with those decisions that are on our ballots. We should be concerned with national and global issues that affect our neighbors, Paul's collection for the poor in Jerusalem during the famine that is scattered across several of his epistle clearly shows that his concern for the well being and "disaster relief" was essential to his understanding of his faith. Paul instructs Christians to be good citizens, to obey the laws, and respect the government even a tyrannical one. Yet, the message that Paul proclaims is also subversive, and it's a direct challenge to Imperial Rome. If Jesus is Lord, than Caesar is not in the words of Biblical scholar NT Wright. When Polycarp refused to take the Imperial oath, it was a theological statement as much as a political one.
Today, Christians need to beware of the growing popular theology that is partisan and nationalistic, that continues to seek to wrap the United States into one particular political party or that seeks to make the United States an extension of the church. Unlike in Paul's day, our situation may be more akin to Kierkegaard's attack on institutional Christianity, or Constantinism. We may be making the same mistakes of generations before us that believed in a "Christian" state or a theocracy, is represented by one political party. Yet in going down this road, we are also seeing growing attacks on immigrants, the poor, science, and those that are members of other religions. More and more countries are turning towards autocratic leaders and militarization as the answer to our problems, and segments of the church are beginning to march in step. When we begin to think that any one political party is the answer to our societies problems, we need to be reminded again about what is at the core of the gospel message. N.T Wright has a fascinating take on the celebration of the Eucharist as a parody of the Roman pagan orgy feasts, a subversive if not direct challenge to the emperor cult with a new feast, the agape love feast, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, Barbarians and Greeks, women and men, around a new Lord, Jesus the Christ of God. The mental and behavioral transformation of Rom 12:1-2 is one that calls us to a new formation in the image of Christ. The new creation of the body of Christ is one where there is no more Greek or Barbarian, Jew or Gentile, male or female, gay or straight, but all are one in Christ. The identity of nation and ethnicity give way to a new identity in Christ and a new family in God. If we are allowing popular talk radio, current political thinking, United States nationalism, or any number of influences to be more pertinent to us than the gospel, then it is time to remind ourselves that the gospel will always challenge us right at the heart of our own selfishness and self interest, and most politics at the end of the day are driven by self interest. It is than once again time to turn to the cross at Golgotha, and the empty tomb, to the fires of Pentecost, and to the ascended Christ, and to the "new creation" in the body of Christ that is so central to the early church's proclamation.
We should be politically active, and interpret as best we can which policies we believe will bring about the most common good in society. However, as we see a new rise in Christian Nationalism, in the drum beat of those Christians that are attempting to tear down the separation of Church and State, and the new influx of Christian worldview thinking into public education, we are faced with threats from within the church that will be damaging to both church and society. Most Christians seemed unaware that these ideologies are not only not Christian, not Biblical, but antithetical to Christianity. In trying to bring about a new morality and 'godliness' to the United States, we will have inadvertently bring about a new kind of oppression, authoritarianism, and deterioration of the church's own values. We would have completely missed the point of what church is suppose to be about. Link to OMG blog "article: Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas" Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas
Matthew 18:15-20New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
15 “If another member of the church[a] sins against you,[b] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.[c]16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew's gospel reading this morning
is one that is often quoted when problems arise in the church. Many
Christians refer to this as the “Matt 18” model of conflict resolution. This passage is open to abuse as we are sometimes all too ready to point out others faults. Matthew, however, is
concerned with Christian fellowship not judgmental nitpicking. Fellowship is a central idea because
it is clear that this is written to a community called to live out
their faith together but still dealing with the realities of life. Most of us yearn for a kind of deep human relationship, sometimes
we idealize it. Think about how many television shows revolve around
relationships, like "Cheers", "Glee", "How I Met Your Mother", "Friends",
etc. We yearn for these relationships but we also know how hard they are to achieve. It is easier to live vicariously then living it out
ourselves. Life is messy. Most of us have experienced the 'messy'
of life this week; our work, home and other obligations all continued
as we faced a major hurricane. Our stress and anxiety would come
in waves. I went through the cycle of denial, “it won't hit us”,
to panic, “ok, I don't know why I am buying 5lbs of potatoes”, to
acceptance, “ok, this too shall pass...” Life is like that, as
messy and dirty as the swirling storm around us. We often need time to process events that have happened. When we engage in
relationship with others, conflict and
hurt are inevitable. Like an unexpected storm, relationship can have their own stormy challenges. Matthew is not only concerned that Christians
come to believe the message of the kingdom, but that they understand
that it has to be lived out in its messiness. To risk real
relationships is to engage those words we too often overuse;
authenticity, honesty, risk, accountability. They may be buzz
words, but these words should be used carefully. To live in this way requires
courage because confrontation can be scary, difficult and challenging. Matthew engages us on two levels, personal, “go to the member of the
church”, and corporate, “take one or two along with you.” The
goal is unity and our witness to others of that unity. Imagine what
can happen with this kind of unity. Matthew also reminds us that we are
not alone in this, even in the midst of our failure and lame attempts
at fellowship, Christ is with us. “Where two
or three are gathered, I am there.” This can give us great
comfort not only in the storm (hurricane Irma) but in the stormy
relationships of our lives. For me, this is both a challenge and an admitted area of weakness. On my own, I do not know how to do this, and I often don't have the capacity to do this. I can only desire it, pray for it, and rely totally on the grace of God to bring this fellowship to pass in my life. I can seek the advice of others, and pray for the courage to confront and the humility to listen. I can make overtures to others, and reach out trusting in God's grace to help me overcome my own hurts or fears. When we partake of the Holy Eucharist, we also proclaim these truths; that Christ is with us, that his Presence meets with us, and that we seek to be in Holy Communion with all the saints. We want to make this a realization in our life. So a few questions for reflection on
this Sabbath morning.
How much are we willing to give to have these
kinds of relationship?
How difficult is it for you to go to someone
and be open and honest?
What practices have you used in the past that has helped you to navigate relationship struggles?
What characteristics are important to have in maintaining healthy spiritual relationships with others?
What teachings of Christ do you find helpful in developing healthy spiritual relationships?
How does the grace of Jesus Christ inform our relationships with others?
How does the authority of the church help us in our interpersonal relationships in the church? (Matt clearly has the church leadership in mind in the "binding and losing" command).
How can we respond when a relationship
barriers seem insurmountable or conflict has reached a point where reconciliation doesn't seem possible?
How can we deal with our pride that keep us from going to others and apologizing for a wrong or seeking reconciliation?
In your church are you looking for a
place to just blend in, or a place to share our faith with each
other? How hard or easy has this been for you?
In areas where reconciliation is not possible, how can Christians move forward while still leaving the door open for future discussions?
Heavenly Father, you have
called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ to continue his
work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world: forgive us
the sins which tear us apart; give us the courage to overcome our
fears and to seek that unity which is your gift and your
will; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and
reigns with you, The Following is a document from the Presbyterian Church (USA) entitled "Seeking to be Faithful Together", It is presented here as a guideline patterned after Matt 18 for conflict resolution in the church:
"Seeking to Be Faithful Together"
Guidelines for Presbyterians During Times of Disagreement
In a spirit of trust and love, we promise we will...
Give them
a hearing...
listen before we
answer
John 7:51 and
Proverbs 18:13
1 Treat each other respectfully so as to build trust, believing that we all
desire to be faithful to Jesus the Christ;
_ we will keep our conversations and communications open for candid and
forthright exchange,
_ we will not ask questions or make statements in a way which will intimidate
or judge others.
2 Learn about various positions on the topic of disagreement.
3 State what we think we heard and ask for clarification before
responding, in an effort to be sure we understand each other.
Speak the truth
in love
Ephesians 4:15
4 Share our concerns directly with individuals or groups with whom we
have disagreements in a spirit of love and respect in keeping with Jesus’
teachings.
5 Focus on ideas and suggestions instead of questioning people’s motives,
intelligence or integrity;
_ we will not engage in name-calling or labelling of others prior to, during, or
following the discussion.
6 Share our personal experiences about the subject of disagreement so that
others may more fully understand our concerns.
Maintain the
unity of the
spirit in the
bond of peace
Ephesians 4:3
7 Indicate where we agree with those of other viewpoints as well as where
we disagree.
8 Seek to stay in community with each other though the discussion may be
vigorous and full of tension;
_ we will be ready to forgive and be forgiven.
9 Follow these additional guidelines when we meet in decision-making
bodies:
_ urge persons of various points of view to speak and promise to listen to these
positions seriously;
_ seek conclusions informed by our points of agreement;
_ be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those who do not agree with the
majority and respect their rights of conscience;
_ abide by the decision of the majority, and if we disagree with it and wish to
change it, work for that change in ways which are consistent with these
Guidelines.
10 Include our disagreement in our prayers, not praying for the triumph of
our viewpoints, but seeking God’s grace to listen attentively, to speak
clearly, and to remain open to the vision God holds for us all.
Adopted by the 204th General Assembly (1992) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for use by sessions and congregations
The church has always opened its heart to people that are the neediest, immigrants are among some of the most vulnerable population, often not speaking the language, lacking financial support and resources, and are easy targets of prejudice. The methodist church is just one Christian denomination that has understood the need and the responsibility of Christians to reach out to those in need including immigrants and asylum seekers. Many seek asylum after war, natural or economic disaster or famine has made living in their homes or traditional lands untenable. Today, the need is greater than ever for the church to reevaluate the message of the gospel and our responsibility to those that are in need, welcoming the stranger and the alien. The second video is a focus on the Methodist Social Creed of 1908, at a time when the industrial revolution was changing the way products were made, Christians turned their thoughts towards labor and industry. Ending child labor as well as improving working conditions were issues that intersected with Christian faith. Today, numerous Christian denomination have adopted social creeds many of which had their roots in the twentieth century.
