Take Time

A reflection on Ephesians 5:15-20
Some 20 centuries ago, Christians in Ephesus heard these words: "Be careful how you live, not as unwise people, but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine (for that is lacking soberness), but be filled with the Spirit.

... Let's consider some of these phrases. Why are the "days evil"? Because the Ephesian society held values which were vastly different from the understanding of the Christians. The author encourages them, and us, to hold on to the "alternative life-style", the "New Life", that we have been given. So, we are encouraged to live "as wise people". That means constantly questioning the values which are held by our society, and questioning the assumptions behind these values. Do we agree with what passes for "wisdom" in North America?

The first step is to "be careful how you live". This means "awareness"; being aware of what the reality before us really is. (That is why the author refers to keeping sober. This is not some puritanical opposition to alcohol; we keep sober in order to keep aware). Any addictive attempt to escape from reality, to numb our anxiety, is an avoidance of our awareness. *Wisdom is the ability, and the willingness, to see life as it really is; (not as we would like it to be).

So, I think it is along these lines that we must understand that puzzling phrase, "making the most of the time". Now my hunch is that the message many of us hear is, "Don't waste time"; one of the Great Commandments of our society: "Thou shalt NOT take any more time for anything than is absolutely necessary!" So "quick" and "fast" are among the highest values of our culture; "speedy" is better than "slow" or "leisurely". We have advanced to quick foods, automatic tellers, instant credit (even mortgages, apparently), The come to expect the "quick fix". (Have to WAIT?! - there is something wrong!) We buy lottery tickets, we take speed reading courses, we change our personality with a weekend workshop, we are guaranteed delivery of our pizza in 20 minutes. We try to squeeze as much ACTIVITY as possible into each day, each hour - even into a vacation!

This may sound like the rantings of an Old Grouch; but I think the author is urging something more profound here. "Making the most of the time", is also translated as "redeeming the time". "To redeem" is financial language; it means "buying OFF, buying OUT of" (like paying off the mortgage, or "redeeming" one's Canada Savings Bond when it matures). So, to "redeem the time" refers to the wise business person who KNOWS when to buy, and when to sell. It means making good, wise use of opportunities when they arise.

It does not mean keeping busy; in fact, it can mean the opposite: If one is too busy, one will not be AWARE of opportunities as they are presented. It was Pascal who suggested that most of humanity's problems are the result of our inability to sit quietly in one's room. It is not a Christian value to "be busy" (unless it is one of the "Deadly Virtues"). Busy-ness can be an addiction too, an escape from awareness of reality, to numb our anxiety. In order to "understand what the will of God is", UN-busy-ness is required. The stewardship of our time requires us to leave some Sabbath time, some INactive time; time for quiet and reflection.

To "make the most of the time" is to live with care, thought, sensitivity, AWARENESS. Awareness of our place within creation, our place within God's family, our place within society. Awareness that all our actions and thoughts have consequences - in either building up, or tearing down, the relationships of which we are a part. There is no quick fix here, nothing that makes us instant saints, who fully understand what is the will of the Lord. But we can grow into a fuller awareness of that Eternal Life; taking the time to be aware that Eternal Life is where we NOW live. In our worship, in our individual reflection, we are nourished for growth; nourished for our particular ministry;so that we can be more able to seize those opportune times, which, once in a while (or maybe even frequently), are presented to us.

Making use of "opportunity times" keeps us in tune, in harmony with ourselves, and with God, and her universe.
--Bryson

Reflections of Glory

(Thoughts on Luke 9.28-36 )

A mysterious event; we call it the "Transfiguration". Near the end of his teaching ministry, as he is on his way to his suffering, Jesus takes his three closest disciples up a mountain.

There the disciples witness two significant things:

1- The face of Jesus is changed, transfigured; his clothes become dazzling; they see his glory;
2- in this glory, they see Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus.

This is in the realm of mystery, in that area of truth where words fail us. Luke is at the extreme edge of language, where only picture language, and images, can convey truth. The"truth" here, has something to do with "glory", with beauty. The disciples are given a privileged insight into the reality of Jesus - the glory and the beauty of who and what he really is. And, not only of Jesus - but of all humanity. The disciples see the glory and the beauty of humanity; the beauty that the Creator intended you and I to have and be. This is the glory that Jesus came to restore in us. Something along those lines that is going on here, but it would be presumptuous of me to try to "explain" it; one does not explain a mystery!

Instead, let's look at another aspect of this event: Moses and Elijah. Why are they here? Let me suggest a possible meaning. Consider what Peter wants to do with this vision he has been given:

Peter (not knowing what he was saying), said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Peter's idea is probably to build what is called a "booth." This was a small shelter made of branches, used for a sort of "camp out," as part of the traditional week long celebration of the autumn harvest. "Dwelling" in this "booth" recalled the years of living in the wilderness, after the Exodus. Peter wants to build this booth so he can preserve this experience.

Quite understandable: to package the event up in a "dwelling", where he can keep it, control it, pull it out from time to time. (If this were today, he would pull out his camera, taking pictures to e-mail to his family). It is trying to "capture the event", "contain" the vision. Peter may be coming close to making an idol out of his experience; wanting to limit and control the mystery. But God's glory cannot be controlled, reduced, photographed, boxed up, or subjected to any limitation. And neither can humanity's glory; despite all our efforts to do so.

So Peter gets a dramatic answer to his suggestion -- a terrifying cloud, and a voice from God, which said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Then Jesus was found alone, that is, Moses and Elijah had GONE. Moses and Elijah represent "The Law" (Moses) and "The Prophets"(Elijah); that is, the Scriptures (most of what we call the"Old Testament"). That was the Bible, for Jesus and his disciples. Peter wants to make a fixed "dwelling" for the Law and the Prophets; for the teachings of the Scriptures. Instead, the voice of God says, "This is my Son; listen to HIM."

Peter is being told, the Church is being told: You cannot limit the Word of God to words from the past (Moses and Elijah). You must not limit the Word of God to a set of written scriptures. The Bible is not the fixed and final message from God. To say that would make the Bible into an idol. It is NOT a "god" to be worshipped.

God's voice from the cloud said: "Listen to him". This listening is a process, an ongoing dialogue, between Christ and his Church. The Bible is not the "word of God"; God's Word is living - and is found in the living Christ Jesus. We live in a relationship with God's word; Christians (and Jews and Muslims), are in a continuous dialogue with their sacred scriptures, the Bible.

We do not proclaim the Bible; it is the Good News of God's love and compassion, God's forgiveness and acceptance, that is to be proclaimed. The Bible is simply a vehicle of that proclamation.

Our encounter, our relationship, is with the living Christ, who is the fullness of God's "Word" to us. The fullness of the glory, and the beauty, which God sees in all of us; which we are invited to see in each other, and see in the mirror.

--Bryson