The Tree of Life

 

      Yesterday at both Good Friday services at the Church of the Holy Communion, we offered the Reproaches as part of the liturgy of the day.  I had not encountered them before.  This morning I learned that they had almost made it into the 1979 Book of Common Prayer but did not because they were perceived as opening the door to antisemitism.  I confess this did not occur to me because I understood them as addressed to the Church rather than to the Jewish people.  They recall the great acts of salvation history of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.  In them, God asks, "O my people, how have I wearied you that you have treated me so poorly?" This surely stirs repentance in the listener.

The second section- which is in verse- includes these two stanzas:

V. God in pity saw man fallen, shamed and sunk in misery, 

when he fell on death by tasting fruit of the forbidden tree: 

then another Tree was chosen which the world from death would free.

R. Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.

 

 V. Bend thy boughs, O Tree of glory; thy relaxing sinews bend; 

for a while the ancient rigor that thy birth bestowed, suspend: 

and the King of heavenly beauty on thy bosom gently tend.

R. Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.

 

These stanzas brought to mind three things.  The first is  a text from the Song of Solomon (Ch. 2 v.3 )  "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste."  

The second was a hymn I love greatly - "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree."  Most often sung at Christmas, perhaps it should also be an Easter hymn.   Below is the text...

And the third, Rev. 22:1-5.  

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.

Once again, I understand that the Cross on which Jesus was crucified has become for us the Tree of Life.  Thanks be to God!  

A Blessed Feast of the Resurrection to you and yours!

__________________________

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

The tree of life my soul hath seen,

Laden with fruit and always green: 

The trees of nature fruitless be

Compared with Christ the apple tree.

His beauty doth all things excel:

By faith I know, but ne'er can tell 

The glory which I now can see

In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought,

And pleasure dearly I have bought: 

I missed of all; but now I see

'Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I'm weary with my former toil,

Here I will sit and rest awhile: 

Under the shadow I will be,

Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,

It keeps my dying faith alive; 

Which makes my soul in haste to be

With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

Mud, Spit, and Illumination - Lent 4A

 From Jan Richardson.....

                                                                Jan Richardson

For you, from me, here on the eve of the fourth Sunday in Lent. Because when grace meets us, it is so often not tidy and shiny.

BLESSING OF MUD

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the dirt.

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the earth

beneath our feet.

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the dust,

like the dust

that God scooped up

at the beginning

and formed

with God’s

two hands

and breathed into

with God’s own

breath.

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the spit.

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the mud.

Lest we think

the blessing

is not

in the mire,

the grime,

the muck.

Lest we think

God cannot reach

deep into the things

of earth,

cannot bring forth

the blessing

that shimmers

within the sludge,

cannot anoint us

with a tender

and grimy grace.

Lest we think

God will not use

the ground

to give us

life again,

to cleanse us

of our unseeing,

to open our eyes upon

this ordinary

and stunning world.

—Jan Richardson

from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons

Image: “Mysteries of the Mud”

© janrichardsonimages.com

Inspired by John 9:1-41 See less

A Blessed Lent to you all...

Welcome to Desert Time.

May you enter with courage and hope.

Ash Wednesday sermon is posted at the right.

 

John Chrysostom - Bishop and Theologian - AD 407

 

In the Episcopal Calendar, we give thanks for the life and work of St. John Chrysostom (387-407) on January 27th, Here is a quote I love.

"“A friend is more to be longed for than the light; I speak of a genuine one. And wonder not: for it were better for us that the sun should be extinguished, than that we should be deprived of friends; better to live in darkness, than to be without friends.”

Listen

                                                                                                    

Puerto Annigoni. Italian.1910-1998

As the noise of Christmas celebration - which started in October and continues to escalate (!) - I find myself longing for the deep silence of Advent. 

 Last month I had the opportunity to hear Paul Pearson of the Merton Center speak about Merton's understanding of the relationship between the breakdown in communication and its relationship to communion - that is, authentic relationship with each other.   Pearson writes, "For Merton, it is our loss of silence that has led to the breakdown of communication, and consequently to the loss of communion, which is the grave danger we face, and the reason why we must work to restore authentic communication with one another: “To live in communion, in genuine dialogue with others is absolutely necessary if [we are] to remain human.” New Seeds of Contemplation, p.55.

This Advent, may we find times and places for silence so that we can learn how to listen deeply, how to communicate and to enter into genuine communion with each other.

O Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving Blessings to you all! 

 

Max and the Marines

    Earlier this week, John and I traveled to Jacksonville, NC to drop off our son Maxim at Camp Geiger (part of Camp Lejune).  He completed boot camp at Parris Island, had some days of liberty (probably too many), and was reporting to the School of Infantry where he will be for nine weeks. 

    Max had been searching for a life focus for a number of years and feels like he has found a home in the Marines.   He is a changed young man who now has direction, drive, and discipline.  We are so thankful for that.   Of course, we worry that he may end up in the middle of World War III, but know that, because of his training, he will have a better shot at surviving it than most of us.  We are praying for him and ask for your prayers too - for strength, for perseverance, for safety and that he may guard his integrity.  Thank you.