Proper 18 Yr A
Festival of Freedom

image is “Statue of Reconciliation” by Josephina de Vasconcellos, donated to Coventry Cathedral by Richard Branson on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995

Published date 11/23/2021

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Editor's note: During the season of Pentecost, churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary have two options. One, often called "semicontinuous" or "Track 1", provides more detail about the Old Testament stories. The other, called "complementary" or "Track 2", more closely marries the Old Testament lesson to the gospel reading.

Introduction

The lesson from Exodus details the "festival of freedom" instituted by God among Israelites so they would remember how God had loosened their bonds in Egypt. E.M. Broner and Naomi Nimrod remind us that ". . . each man is obliged to see himself as though he went out of Egypt. . . . "every woman is obliged to see herself as though she went out of Egypt . . .." This reminder grounds us in our faith and heritage.

When we turn to the gospel lesson, we receive instructions about dealing with a person who vexes you. For many, this gospel lesson is one of the most difficult. When there is a member of the "church" who agrieves you, what do you do? Notice that you are not to just shrug your shoulders and forget about it. The instructions are clear.

First, do not air your problems with others in a public forum. Instead, approach privately those with whom you disagree. If your private conversation with the person resolves the irritation between you, then both of you have benefitted. But, if there is no resolution, then ask a few others to join the discussion. If the discussion among friends cannot resolve the conflict between you and the person with whom you disagree, take the next step, that is. bring the whole church into the discussion. If the "offender" still cannot see the "error of his/her ways", then that person is not welcomed into the church.

Note that bringing the conflict into the church is the last resort. Why the church? Likely because those in the church are like-minded. It is also likely that there are more personal experiences within the church that will have a bearing on the conversation. Above all, Jesus asks us to come to terms with those with whom we disagree, that is to reconcile.

The last question is "Why bother?" If someone is a problem, why not just leave it be? Do you have an inkling of the answer? Ding, ding, ding! You got it. It takes little thinking to realize that disagreements bind us, limit our freedom. Reconciliation frees us to be who God wants us to be. So, let's have a conversation! Comments welcome.

Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

From sermons4kids: Sometimes you and I have a disagreement with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When that happens, we often build a fence between ourselves and them. We stop talking to them. We don’t want to see them. We don’t want to be around them. That isn’t what Jesus wants us to do. Instead of fences, he wants us to build a bridge of love between us.

Scripture: September 10, 2023, Proper 18 (Pentecost 15) Year A—Track 1: Exodus 12:1-14 (image); Psalm 149 (image); Track 2: Ezekiel 33:7-11 (image); Psalm 119:33-40 (image); Romans 13:8-14 (image); and Matthew 18:15-20 (image). Illuminating the scripture, an image and audio journey.

Collect: Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Reflection:
Track 1: How do you reconcile a God who would “strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals” (Exod. 12:12) with a God who would die for the sins of the entire world?

Track 2: he passage from Matthew (18:15–20) is concerned with church discipline in a time of conflict. The focus, however, is not on punishment or blame, but on listening and talking through what has divided or offended so that forgiveness and reconciliation may be accomplished. Does your church have a prescribed way of working through difficulty and division? Has there been a time in your congregation’s life or in your own life when conflict or an offense caused breaks in relationship? How might this reading from Matthew have helped that situation? How does the commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves inform our handling of disagreement and division?

Eye Candy:
“Into the night” (2014), acrylic by Rande Cook;
“Never again” (~250), acrylic by Willy Karekezi (part of Rawandan Reconciliation project);
"Changed by community" (contemporary), digital image by Anna Strickland

Ear Worm:
“Love one another“, Mormon Tabernacle Choir;
“Love one another“, contemporary;
“We are one in the spirit“, congregational singing

Brain Food:
“Insiders and Outsiders“, posted to Huffington Post;
“Forgiveness and Reconciliation” by CDM Anderson;

“Reconciliation” by R. Lyle Johnson

God taught me a truth, that I learned in five days. But it came as I knelt, and pondered, and prayed.
Misjudged, upset, and wounded, I stayed. For my friend said things, that would not lay.
They stood in my mind and the pain increased. He tried to offer solace, it gave no release.
Imposing expectations, and misplaced demands. I thought,”he must change, to receive my hand!”

The days then passed, I continued in prayer. To seek comfort from hurt, now too hard to bear.
Through reconciliation, I soon sought relief. Realizing more prayer, would heal my grief.
And then when humility, finally obliged. Tears washed out, the hidden mote deep inside.

My eyes saw clearly, my friend’s good intent. The fault I accused, was now my lament.
“Forgive me my friend, for I have sinned. The error I saw in thee, I discovered within.”
And my friend with his hands, outstretched to me. Gave me the peace, that let me be free!

Parables:
“The Green Mile” (1999, R), about nature of evil and goodness of creation, Tom Hanks’ character is “called” from his accepted/acceptable role to the cause of grace, the story of an incarcerated gentle giant, “John Coffey (J.C.?) restores health and life”, , Review 1, Review 2, Review 3;
“O brother, where art thou?” (2000, PG-13), “zany and hilarious bluegrass version of Homer’s Odyssey”, 3 escaped convicts in search of a treasure, comedic presentation with prayer episodes, baptism in the river scene, Review 1, Review 2;
“The Straight Story” (1999, G), “. . . slow journey to reconciliation . . .”, story of a man who wants to reconcile with his brother, Review

Hymn Notes: A few tidbits about "They'll know we are Christians" (referenced above):

". . . Like many post-Vatican II hymns, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” a favorite song during the folk mass of the later 1960s and 1970s, has reached beyond its Roman Catholic origins. Don Saliers notes in his article, “Vatican II and Its Influence on USA Hymns and Hymnals,” that songs such as “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” accent the connection between the church’s song and its role in the life of the world (Saliers, n.p.). . . .

"Peter Scholtes, a Catholic priest serving at St. Brendan’s parish on the South Side of Chicago in 1966, penned “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” when he could not find a suitable song to accompany a series of ecumenical and interracial events for which the youth choir he led was to sing (Daw, 303). Like many songs coming out of the popular folk music of the 1960s, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” connected to the societal upheaval of the decade. Alongside popular protest songs like Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” or Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flower’s Gone,” Scholtes’s text connected the faith story of young people disillusioned with the landscape of American culture (Loftis, 142). . . "

from Discipleship Ministries website.

For families: Study guide and activities, (former guide), group activity, snacks, kid video

For children: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft

For middlers: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft

Coloring: Romans 13, Building bridges

For youth: Jesus instructs his disciples to forego ill-will and embrace reconciliation with our enemies. This is particularly hard to do when we put up barriers between us and others or even when we wear masks (as we are having to do today). Here’s a poem “We wear the mask” (by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Maya Angelou reading). Think about someone you’re having a disagreement with. How do you hide yourself from that person? How do they hide themselves from you?

In what ways are reconciliation difficult? (excerpted from “Messy discipleship”, Stewardship of Life website.

Comments welcome.

We now reach a section of Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus teaches about God’s way of dealing with humanity: namely, forgiveness. Today’s reading is primarily concerned with the Church’s role as the agent of forgiveness. Even when a member of the Church is unrepentant, the Church is not to give up on that person easily. We are to make every effort to move the sinner to repent and accept the forgiveness of God, which Jesus has commissioned the Church to offer.

Track 1. The story of Moses and the Exodus continues today. God and the Egyptian king have been in a struggle. Now comes the final test. We hear the instructions to the Israelites about the meal that will protect them from Egypt’s final plague and prepare them to set forth on their journey to freedom. This became the Passover meal of the Jews, the precursor of the Eucharistic meal.

Track 2. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel is commissioned to warn the people of the need to repent. The central message is that God has no desire to condemn; God’s deepest desire is to forgive.

Today’s passage from the Epistle to the Romans continues to deal with the characteristics of Christian living. We are to live in good relationships with all people, to respect the laws and authorities of human society, and above all to express love by mutual behavior based on God’s law.

We gather as the People of God, having found in our relationship with God that he is our lover and our savior, not an angry or condemning judge. We find in our lives together as Church that we are not only the recipients of God’s love and forgiveness but also sent into the world as the instruments of that love and forgiveness to all people.

Proper 18 Yr A Festival of Freedom

Introduction

Matthew 18:15-20

Proper 18 Yr A
Festival of Freedom