Consecrate them so they’ll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy. Exodus 30:29 (The Message)

In this week’s daily lectionary readings a passage from Exodus giving instructions on the construction and preparation from the tabernacle popped up. I honestly still don’t know exactly why it was included. It seems out of place. However, it started working on my heart.

The passage describes the preparation of the anointing oil and incense for the temple. And the way Eugene Peterson translates v. 29, above, captured my imagination. Everything in the tabernacle was to be anointed with the fragrant oil. They were to be “soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy.” All I could think of is that is what I want to be, soaked in holiness.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he reminds them “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16) The “you” in the verse is plural and scholars surmise that Paul is speaking to the church. What if we, the temple of God, were consecrated, anointed like that ancient tabernacle. What if we were so soaked in holiness, that anyone who so much as touches us, came in contact with us, would become holy. What if the smell of anointing was so heavy upon us that even those who came near would smell the holiness, the presence of the Divine? That is the church I want to be a part of. That is the church that could change the world.

One element that I forgot to mention (I do that a lot) that came to my attention last week was the willingness to be vulnerable, to not be in control. I encourage you to listen to this 20 minute talk by Brene Brown, a social worker and researcher, who has some fascinating and inspiring insights on connection and vulnerability:

I had the opportunity to gather tonight with some folks who are pretty special to me. There was only a handful of us, and all we did was sing some songs, read some readings, and pray together, but like all the times that the Spirit moves, it was more than the sum of it’s parts. It was the highlight of the first week of advent for me. God was present.

One of the experiences was watching a video meditation by Christine Sine called “Awaiting the Christ Child.” You can see it below, but I think it’s better shared with fellow sojourners. Come and join us next week!

“When you change the way you look at things. The things you look at change”   - Wayne Dyer

I used this quote in a sermon a few weeks ago, speaking about how Jesus often used parables to reframe his listeners view of life and of God. The way we look at things makes a difference as is illustrated by the illusion to the right. What picture do you see? There are two images. It depends on how you look at it.

―Franz Kafka, from his diaries, cited in Roberto Calasso’s “K,” translated by Geoffrey Brock

This quote was posted on Parabola Magazine‘s Facebook Page a couple of days ago and I have not been able to shake it. To me, this is what religion is, what our spiritual practice is.

The Christian story, my Christian practice is what calls the splendor of life in all its fullness to me.

What struck me was these demonstrators marching, and complaining, amongst many, many more members of the 99% who had chosen to do use their Saturday differently- the vendors at the Greenmarket. They are small (most, I imagine, VERY small) business owners who were up before dawn setting up their booths after being up half the night baking and preparing.

I realize that protests and demonstrations have been instrumental in significant changes over the course of history. I don’t know if  the Occupy demonstrations are making any impact on what they are protesting against: corporate greed, money in politics, etc. The movement, however, has encouraged me and probably others to more deeply consider these issues.

At that moment on Saturday though, I was more impressed with the pastry chefs, kettle corn poppers, soul food vendors, and spice & tea merchants who were creating and producing, adding value and bringing joy and, hopefully, making some money as a result.

What do you think?

This shall be a statute to you forever: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall deny yourselves, and shall do no work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you.  For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord.   Leviticus 16:29-30

…but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.    Leviticus 16:10

Saturday, October 8th, is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. I’ve been thinking about it a bit lately, especially the idea of the scapegoat which bore the sins of the people and was sent out into the wilderness. It makes for a bizarre scene, but I imagine it would be very satisfying, this once a year purging.

“But Jason,” you might say, “I’m a Christian. My atonement is in Jesus. Thank God I don’t need any of those superstitious rituals.”

OK. But for me, I know there is just crap that builds up in my life. Sin that makes me feel like I am separated from God, from those that I love, from creation. I know that, In Christ, I am one with God. But I don’t feel it – I need me some “at-one-ment.” And that is where the rituals come in. I don’t have any goats around, but I can confess my junk to a trusted friend or work my junk out in a journal entry. And then I can spank the goat and send it into the desert, letting go of the sin that weighs me down and separates me from what is most important to me.

Thank you God!

One of today’s readings from the daily lectionary is Romans 14:13-15:2. In the second half of the book of Romans, Paul is exploring the implications of the theology, the Christology he has proposed in the first half.

In Romans 14:13, Paul writes, “Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.” He then goes on to elaborate and explain in the verses that follow. The context is a discussion of the eating habits of the believers in this new church, however it could be applied to just about any situation.

For believers, for followers of the way, there are simply two requirements: do not judge what someone else is doing and do not engage in behaviors that might be harmful for the continuing faith formation of those who know you.

What if we each lived that way? What would the ramifications be for our life together? I never cease to be amazaed at the power of the Gospel and early understanding and living of it. But why doesn’t it stick? Why don’t we live it?

We looked at the Psalm together and, sure enough, the Psalm begins as a glorious hymn to God and, midway, switches to a commitment to destroy the enemies:

“Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands…” Psalm 149:6

My first thought is that is a verse that could have come straight out of what most of us to perceive the Koran to be–slaughtering those who do not share our religious view.

What are we to make of it? Most thinking and even marginally compassionate people (among whose rank I would consider myself; I never seem to make it much past the marginally compassionate realm) would agree that God is not expecting us to walk around with a hymnal in one hand and a sword (or automatic weapon) in the other.

However, I know in my own life there are many “enemies” that I could take a sword to: there is the pride, the anger, the judgmentalism, the objectification of others either through prejudice or lust. They are the same annoying enemies that pop up again and again. If I don’t completely annihilate them, these enemies never cease to return.

So, in my spiritual walk, this is the place of the sword, surgically pointed toward myself, not wildly swung at the other.

“Family Values” has been a priority of the Christian “Right” for my entire life. I mean, it has been put on a pedestal just below the Gospel itself. The traditional family (see the picture to the right) is what holds the fabric of society together. If one follows Christ, that is pretty good, but the family is what is really important. This is why divorce used to be frowned upon (not so much anymore) and that is the reason given for why homosexuality is such a grievous sin. If same-sex unions are allowed, society will decay right before our eyes.

However, I am leafing through my Bible and reflecting on 35+ years of pretty good teaching and I don’t recall one family in scripture that reflects the “family values” touted by so many today. In Genesis they were polygamous, showed favoritism, lied to one another, tricked one another into having sex, and attempted to kill one another. The Hebrew law came along and tried to establish some boundaries, but there isn’t much evidence that it helped much (David? Solomon?)

Yes, there is teaching about families in scripture. Every defender of the sanctity of marriage worth his (and sometimes her) salt knows that Jesus said “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5) in answer to a specific question from the good religious folk of his day. And there is plenty of pontificating in the pastoral epistles (Ephesians, Timothy – submit, submit, submit, etc.). But if the traditional family was so darn important, why didn’t Jesus or Paul marry? Why did Jesus imply (Matthew 19) and Paul outright say (1 Corinthians 7) it was best not to get married? Why did God seem to use polygamists and adulterers and worse to carry out God’s plans? In fact, a thorough reading of scripture reveals that God exclusively worked with and through screwed up people and families.

I’m not knocking families. It is an honor, privilege, and huge responsibility to raise my precious son with my incredible wife. And I do believe that families are an important element in the fabric of our society, especially here in the west. The strength of those families does not rest, however, in the traditional definition of family (mama, papa, 2.5 kids); it rests in the respect, love (and yes, even at times submission) that is shared in those family units. And I definitely don’t see the point of making a bigger deal about it than scripture, apparently, does.