Episcopalian Lectionary Readings, 9/7

Good morning.

Well, first there was Exodus. Exodus is very very interesting and contains so many of the Bible Stories we read as children.  Today's reading, Exodus 12:1-14, is about the intiation of the Passover. God instructs his people  through Moses and Aaron that they must slay a lamb and mark their doorways with the blood of that lamb. God intends to wreak havoc on the firstborns of all creatures, and the Israelites will be spared, God will pass over, if their doors are marked so he will know them.  God did not have ESP apparently.

The instructions are quite specific. I find this a very interesting story. But Passover is in the spring, which makes me wonder why the Lectionary organizers put this lesson in the fall.  There must be a reason...we are after all leading up to Advent, the little Lent...it's coming sooner than we think, especially this year which seems to have zoomed by very very fast to all us little folk. I don't know the reason.

I liked last week's story of the burning bush much better, and meant to write about it, but I didnt. The Fire that Burns but Does Not Consume. Interesting concept.

The second reading was St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 13: 18-14.  Strange order of verses. That's what it says in the bulletin, however.  It is all about love, and loving each other. We are commanded to love one another. It is not an option, and it does mean everybody. Oh my. That is so difficult a concept, especially to live it.

We are winding up our discussion of Romans and last week it was brought to the attention of all that St Paul in this book seems to completely ignore the human story  of Jesus Christ. No lambs balooing in a stable, no weddings, no hunger issues where fish are divided in miraculous ways to feed a hungry crowd.  No, it is all about divinity.  Perhaps this attitude was fueled by the manner in which Paul became a Christian--struck down by the side of the road, whence he became a changed man.  He wasnt raised with any stories, maybe. Again, interesting.

I shall not deal with the Gospel, which is from Matthew and is about forgiveness. A very difficult subject and I'm not fit for dealing with it.  I try to live it, though. Here we must take Matthew's words quite literally and just humbly try to live them out. I have always been pretty good as a forgiver; it is harder now. Perhaps I am old and cranky. Well, no perhaps about it. Perhaps I should forgive myself. YAZZYBEL