How the Baptist’s vocation resembles ours
by Jeremiah Bartram on 14/01/11 at 8:50 am
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1, 29-34; reading for Sunday, January 16.
Full StoryThe discouraging subject of my own vocation
There are people in this world – so I am told – who know exactly what they want to accomplish in this brief life, and do it.
I don’t know whether to envy them or not. But my life isn’t like that. It’s messy and confused. I keep trying new doors, testing new paths: knock and it will be opened to you, seek and you will find. So it’s not linear, and it’s not logical, and I can’t sum it up in one brisk sentence: ‘Oh I knew from the age of 12 that I wanted to be a writer, so now I have the Nobel.’
Could something so very ad hoc be a vocation?
Gay Jesus
A journal extract: the concept of Gay Jesus. It’s not about Jesus having a male lover: that’s such a boringly predictable idea, that’s a cliche just as stupid and dreary as Dan Brown. It’s way more than that: it’s Jesus as the new Adam: both male and female. And since he is the new Adam, you could imagine two rivers flowing from Jesus’ sexuality – gay and straight, the first seeking completion in itself, the other seeking completion through sexual union with another….
Full StoryMore on experiential prayer
Our vulnerability is the needle’s eye through which we must pass to find the Kingdom of Heaven. When we make ourselves invulnerable, it’s not that he is not present – never that. It’s we who are closed to him. Conversely, when we open our own vulnerability to him, he enters, bringing light, peace, happiness – and healing.
Full StoryThe Call of God
Most nights I wake in the dark hours, around three o’clock, the time of deepest silence, the time when people often die. I can’t sleep again, so I pray. Lately I’ve understood that there’s a cycle in prayer, like a wheel of fire: Ask, Listen, Discern, Act; Ask, Listen, Discern, Act; Ask, Listen, Discern…. And the fire? That’s thanksgiving, and praise.
Full StoryDoes God answer prayer?
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me, the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. So I say to you, Ask and it will be given you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives, and everyone who searches, finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11, 1-13, Gospel for Sunday, July 25.
Full StoryA feminist gospel
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10, 38-42, Gospel for Sunday, July 18.
Full StoryMy enemy is my neighbor
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10, 25-37; Gospel for Sunday, July 11.
Full StoryPeace, power and community
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.” ….The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10, 1-12; 17-20; reading for Sunday, July 4.
Full StoryHard sayings
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9, 51-62; reading for Sunday, June 27.
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My coming out story
This is my coming out story. It is about me telling my mother what was already hanging in the air, in all those moments when I just remained reticent to those questions “Don’t you like girls?” or statements “One day, I want you to give me grandchildren”. I told her one night, when I did not keep silent, but I talked back until the air was dripping with truth and all came down, the truth. I will now proceed to tell you this story, but it will not be chronologically. Instead, I will move back and forth, in and out of different parts of the process, just like how Jesus makes loves to me.
Full StoryFresh thoughts on Paul
In turning the church decisively toward the Gentiles, Paul created the need for the gospel accounts. A new and growing population of pagan adherents who knew nothing of law or prophets needed not just Christ, as incarnated in Paul by the Holy Spirit, but also the historical Jesus. They needed the stories; they needed to know who this man was, this man on whom their faith was based. Hence the demand for the gospels. And the interesting thing about the gospels is this: they can be assumed to go well beyond what Paul himself knew about the life and teachings of Jesus. So without knowing it, Paul created demand for information about the historical Jesus whom he himself hardly knew. Like all revolutionaries, he could not have known the consequences of his own revolution.
Full StoryThe Call of God
Most nights I wake in the dark hours, around three o’clock, the time of deepest silence, the time when people often die. I can’t sleep again, so I pray. Lately I’ve understood that there’s a cycle in prayer, like a wheel of fire: Ask, Listen, Discern, Act; Ask, Listen, Discern, Act; Ask, Listen, Discern…. And the fire? That’s thanksgiving, and praise.
Full Story
