The Narrow Gate: Day 656 - The Text the Lectionary Avoids

The Narrow Gate

Welcome to the continuation of my blog, post-seminary. Ministry and evangelism have brought me back home to Chattanooga. I welcome your company on my journey.

The original blog, Down In Mississippi, shared stories from 2008 and 2009 of the hope and determination of people in the face of disaster wrought by the hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, of work done primarily by volunteers from churches across America and with financial support of many aid agencies and private donations and the Church. My Mississippi posts really ended with the post of August 16, 2009. Much work, especially for the neediest, remained undone after the denominational church pulled out. Such is the nature of institutions. The world still needs your hands for a hand up. I commend to you my seven stories, Down in Mississippi I -VII, at the bottom of this page and the blog posts. They describe an experience of grace.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Day 656 - The Text the Lectionary Avoids

I have resisted falling back onto “sermons” since I’ve been in seminary perhaps because I see the weaknesses in me that I so easily see in others. Nevertheless, the chaos in Haiti begs a connection to a biblical texts.

I think one is a very common text most of us might seize as justification to help Haiti. The other, to my knowledge, has never been part of the lectionary. I am going to be a little unconventional and ask that you review these texts in advance of my next blog entry.

What is unusual you will find when I’m done is how prescient these U.S. Senators were in 1974 when they introduced into the Senate a resolution to declare "a national day of humiliation, fasting and prayer;"
Mark O. Hatfield (R.-Ore.),
Pete V. Domenici (R.-N.M.),
Clifford P. Hansen (R.-Wyo.),
Paul L. Fannin (R.-Ariz.),
Dewey F. Bartlett (R.-Okla.),
Harold E. Hughes (D. -Iowa),
Jennings Randolph (D. -W. Va.),
Lawton Chiles (D.-Fla.),
John C. Stennis (D.-Miss.),
James B. Allen (D. -Ala.), J.
Bennett Johnston (D. - La.),
Sam Nunn (D. –Ga)

Readings:
The Pentateuch: The time of the Judges: Judges 21:25; and The Story of Jephthah’s Vow: Judges 11:1-40
(WARNING: Please be prepared for shock. The Jephthah reading is a loathsome text.)

The Gospel: Luke: 10:25-37 – Who is my neighbor?

If you have access to a good library, you may want to also look for an article by Phyllis Tribble: The Daughter of Jephthah, “Virgin in Gilead,” Chapter 4 in Text of Terror, Fortress Press, Philadephia (1984).

My next blog entry will be my exposition of the significance of these texts relative to not only Haiti, but also most of the interaction of our great country (and our denomination) in the world in the latter part of the 20th century and the early 21st century.

Peace and Grace,
Henry

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Gates

The gate pervades the Good News. Peter entered the temple gate after the Jesus’ arrest to deny him. Poor Lazarus lay at the rich man's gate, longing for the crumb's from the table, while dogs licked his sores. The blind, lame and paralyzed lay at the Sheep Gate at the Jerusalem temple waiting at the pool with five porticoes for healing water. Jesus warned of the easy road and wide gate to material ease and spiritual destruction and calls us to the hard road and narrow gate to the waters of life.

necessary disclaimer

This blog is created solely to communicate to my brothers and sisters how one person sees adversity bringing out the greater character of humanity. It's early part relating connection to the volunteer relief effort in Mississippi after Katrina and later work with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program and the Presbyterian Church(USA) is solely through my participation in them; this blog does not carry any sponsorship from these fine organizations or purport to speak for them. All original content is that of the writer who holds the copyright to all original writings and art or other works (See Creative Commons License above). Every effort is made to identify content from other sources which have been obtained from open internet sources. It's more recent content contains sermons and lessons used in preaching and teaching. The url to scripture are obtained via http://bible.oremus.org unless otherwise indicated.

Texts quoted from oremus bible viewer are from "New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved." and "New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."