Blogging Towards Sunday November 15

Mark 13:1-8; 1 Samuel 2:1-10

A Day of Memory : November 11th

I spoke this morning in the town of Vernouillet at an inter-religious ceremony commemorating November 11th, end official end of WW1.  The theme of "solidarity for peace" - quite a French theme and experience, and one that has been poignant for today.  It began with the moderator introducing me (I spoke with a Priest, Rabbi and Almost Imam [sounds like the beginning of a joke]) as the newbie and an American.  He began crying, expressing his gratitude for the Americans who came and died in Europe twice in 30 years for freedom.  Moving and unexpected.

Bumper Sticker of the Week

Can Virtual Church Be Literally Fulfilling?

CNN recently posted a breaking news video entitled "Is virtual worship fulfilling?" [LINK to the video report]. [LINK to lifechurch.tv]  Interesting video that asks a question that's been being discussed for several years in certain corners and sub-populations of the church community.

I found striking the commentators remarks towards the beginning.  It's high ceilings, windows and everyone together - those are the things that remind her of church.  In an age of transformation and redefinition of most of our experiences in daily life because of technological advancement, our approach to pluralism and cultural diversity and the global market-place, church - religious community and experience - also needs to be redefined, or does it?

Blogging Towards Sunday, November 8th 

Mark 12:38-44

Familiar text that we often regulate to a stereotypical reading that glorifies the generosity of a poor widow, I suspect that we are so blinded by her extreme example that we become incapable of living into the generous way of life Jesus is calling us to.  She gives all that she has, 2 coins (lepton, worth about 1/64th of a day's wage for a typical worker).  The coins weren't worth much, or anything in the day.  Yet it's all she has.  So she gives it by faith and in faith.  Whereas the scribes make themselves known and visible by their actions and supposed generosity, she enters into the worship space and lives our her faith without seeking attention and glory.  Faithfulness in action.

It's a great story.  Yet often we've read it saying that it's a horrible excuse to deprive the poor even more, or a vain attempt to say that we, the good and faithful Christians, are like the widow and others are like the scribes.  I suspect the text is more than just a black and white comparison between the scribe and the widow as examples of faithfulness.  It's an invitation to recognize that the scribes weren't just blinded by their ambition, they were blinded to the fundamental meaning of the Torah.   It's a juxtaposition between the ambiguity of institutions and systems and the demands of faithfulness.