Author Archives: The Rev. Dcn. Bill Mosier

Epiphany 6A, 2011
Scriptures references
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37
Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Basically there are two major ways of looking at biblical texts. One is to investigate what that writing meant to the people at the time it was written and figuring out why it was written that way.

This effort is to get to the core of the original meaning. This study requires an understanding of the people in that time and place of history.

The other way of looking at scripture is to apply it to our experience today. This means looking deeply into ourselves finding out how we relate to the writing in our daily lives.

This morning I want to look at our readings through both of these Lenses to relate our lessons to something basic to the human condition. Or I believe it to be basic anyway.

To paraphrase Deuteronomy:
if you obey the lord your god you will live and become numerous! Our old testament lesson today from deuteronomy talks to all of Israel. All of God’s chosen people.

If your heart turns away and you do not hear– and if you are led astray bowing down to false gods you will perish.

Not just as a person but as a people. This is Moses speaking as prophet to define who these people are before they enter to possess the land that God has promised them.

It is a defining moment that we often today apply to our selves as individuals who stand before God.

therefor choose life so that you may live–

In the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck, we are given a description of a chinese care taker named Lee who discusses scripture with his employer. The employer asks Lee — do you mean to tell me that you do not believe that the holy bible was written by the inky finger of God? and Lee reply’s that the writers of the bible were divine minds and we have had a few of these in China as well.

I will talk more about this book and this character as we move along in this sermon. My point here is that Divine minds are not the province of one branch of mankind.

I Corinthians 3:1-9
In Corinthians we have the mind of Paul speaking to his people making a distinction that he speaks to them as people of the flesh and not of the spirit.

There is an obvious assumption that these people of the flesh have some growing to do before they can take their places as spiritual beings.

I probably disagree with Paul a bit here in that I feel we are and have always been spiritual beings. I suspect our spiritual being is as much a part of us as our fleshly being .

I also suspect that both are in a process of growth and development.

We call ourselves human beings but perhaps that is not what we are— but what we are becoming.

A good friend took me aside the other day and asked me. “ Bill what do you think of St. Hilda’s ‘ is it growing or shrinking? ‘

I told him “ it is in God’s hands” but a better answer would have been– “ St. Hilda’s is becoming more human every day because that is what God intends for God’s people.

Growth is not measured in stature – It is not measured in wealth — it is not measured in power, or numbers.

It is measured in how we grow to be God”s people.
How we grow to become human beings.
Only God gives the growth

We do the growing ==the source is God

But the choice is ours.

Matthew 5:21-37
In Matthew the writer has Jesus explaining a new way of looking at old law. A way of living with the old law on terms of compassion.

Jesus is making a new thing based on a true understanding of the old.
for you see.

The old laws had be come hidebound and unjust. The old laws were based in legality and Jesus was proposing a law based on the heart.

On choosing the way of love.

I go back now to Steinbeck and East of Eden and a special word found in the Cain and Abel story

Toward the end of this epic masterpiece Steinbeck writes of two brothers, their father , and the family servant Lee.

They are discussing scripture and Lee notices a discrepancy In Genesis — In one translation (King James) he find the words thou shalt rule over him.
in another (American Standard ) it becomes Do thou rule over him.

In another the words The promise that we can conquer sin
became not a promise but an order to defeat sin.

Which was the true meaning?

This was important for Lee to understand so Lee went to his family in San Francisco where lived some great family sages. For you see, Lee was Chinese. His family was large. These family sages learned Hebrew and worked on the passage to find the true meaning.

What they found was the Hebrew word Timshel
which means “thou mayest.”

This is a Vital difference- for if thou mayest then – thou mayest not. The way is open
the choice is ours. Forgiveness is possible, Salvation is possible, Life is possible. We may choose.

Evil always has to be reborn, but this is eternal. Thou Mayest, is the condition of being human.
Lee said “I feel I am a person And I feel that a person is a very important thing—maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed—
because ‘Thou mayest.’”
Timshel
Amen