Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Study +++ May 9, 2016 +++ The Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday) (Year C)
Jerusalem. Jerusalem. In Revelation, John, on the island of Patmos, gave us a vision of a city not bound by time and place. Later generations read their own thoughts into John's words, causing misunderstandings, confusion, fear, and panic over the world ending. Sadly, so much misreading means missing all the fun and pure love of and from God underlying much of our Bible content. It's full of serious stuff, but that does not mean the Bible is stuffy.
When we freely encounter John's mystical vision, we transfer our thoughts into the eternity of God's time. John places us there, outside of time and place. That is where we and all our fellow human beings have always been from the beginning. We are part of eternity. God's city is our city. "Jerusalem" is just a name for where we are, when God is with us; and that is always.GOD & THE PEOPLE OF AN ANCIENT CITY:
The Bible texts we usually share in the WDRG Study come from the NT. However, as we end the Great Fifty Days of Easter with the Feast of Pentecost, the most interesting way to explain the annual reading from Acts in the NT comes with the Common Lectionary use of Genesis 11:1-9 as the OT lesson. By sharing this combination with many Christian denominations, we connect in unity with them.
Read aloud this remarkable story of human beings striving so hard to achieve their own importance, that their self-centered egos overwhelm the possibility that all power truly comes from God. All the resources for a good life are gifts from God; but the Babel tower builders claim all the credit for themselves. They insist they are making a name for themselves.
Like many of the Genesis stories remembered from childhood, this Babel story originated with the ancient folklore-like "J" source, which has an anthropomorphic God described with human qualities. In the Babel story, this paternal overseer is saddened and disappointed that the human children en-masse have used their free will to get a bit "too big for their britches." Any adult faced with this problem might choose to do what God does--separate the consolidated children by sending them off in separate directions to develop on their own, until they come to their senses. That is what happens here.
The formerly unified, populated world, fragmented into distinct entities, developed different languages and could no longer communicate easily. We learn from this story how people going separate ways become splintered apart. The result is confusion. And confusion is the meaning of the word "Babel."
GOD & THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM IN THE TIME OF JESUS:
Fast forward to NT times and the annual Pentecost reading of Acts 2:1-11. Read aloud this story where God's Holy Spirit powerfully restores unity to separated humanity. Though written centuries apart, these two scriptures bookend the long saga of human beings struggling on their own, building safe, fortified places to guarantee earthly power bases.
The events in Acts happen because God intervened in human life by becoming human in the presence and ministry of Jesus Christ. With the crucifixion, hope died. With the resurrection, hope was reborn. And the Jews, who were believers, gathered in Jerusalem. Set afire by the Holy Spirit, separation for humanity ended. All rejoiced at the power to reunite with each other and with God. Humanity was once again whole.
GOD & THE PEOPLE OF CITIES TODAY:
These two fascinating stories deserve pondering. Both apply to our world today. Rather than looking despondently around the globe, across our nation, or in our own cities, the Pentecost lessons guide us to action, because we believe the presence of God is with us now and in the future. And unity of humanity in love and peace, thanks to the Holy Spirit, begins with each of us.
Collect for The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel that it may reach to the ends of the earth through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
This partially reconstructed 2000 BCE ziggurat at Ur on the Euphrates, near an Iraqi airbase, is an example of a towering construction known to the Genesis "J" source compiler. Such a terraced, stepped pyramid probably inspired the Tower of Babel story
As you read Revelation 21 and 22, you will close the WDRG Study of Revelation. For the rest of your life, as you reread Revelation again and again, you will be rewarded every time with fascinating new discoveries to enrich your life.
In the original, John's whole text looked like one continuous run-on sentence. The Greek language, until the Middle Ages, was written without space between letters, words, or punctuation. Now, thankfully, translators employ possibilities that allow setting the text into sections for easy comprehension. Obvious in your Bible pages are two different composition styles, narrative and poetry.
REVELATION'S TWO-PART LAYOUT:
The narrative sections of Revelation carry the action of the story. The best way to read the poetry sections is to consider them as song lyrics.
While no proof exists to confirm this idea, repeated reading aloud of Revelation may have allowed hearers to memorize familiar parts. Perhaps John's poetry became a chorus, like those used in ancient Greek drama. As early Christians participated in singing the interludes of expectation, confirmation, praise, and celebration, they internalized John's words, becoming one with the text.
REVELATION INSPIRED MUSIC:
With the fullness of Revelation in mind, listen for music that has been inspired by this Bible text. Discover how Revelation exists as the sound track for your life. Some music connections are obvious. Some are so subtle you will unexpectedly stumble onto them. Here are a few suggestions, from across the centuries, to help you connect Revelation to what you hear and sing:
As Revelation 22 begins, the new Jerusalem comes to new life under the omniscience of an enthroned God. Human beings faithful to God receive ever-flowing love, described by John. God lives with all humanity for eternity. Live eternity now!
William Blake, about 1805, created a water color now at home in London’s Tate Gallery. It shows the new Jerusalem with The River of Life flowing abundantly from God's throne to nurture the life-giving trees. Here Revelation, the closing Bible book, connects with the rivers and trees of Genesis, the beginning Bible book. With your Bible in your hand, you hold the Alpha and Omega summing up the entirety of Christian hope and belief. Read. Hear. Be faithful. Ask and live!
Revelation 22 is surprisingly explained also by the words and music of Let the River Run. Carly Simon won the best original song Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy awards for this theme creation used in the 1988 (adult comedy) movie Working Girl. Set in New York City, it explores the trials and tribulations encountered, when women dreamed about and sought professional and societal equality.
Reflect on Revelation, as you enjoy these You Tube performances of Simon’s song:
Music and Lyrics by Carly Simon for the 1988 movie Working Girl
We're coming to the edge,In the original, John's whole text looked like one continuous run-on sentence. The Greek language, until the Middle Ages, was written without space between letters, words, or punctuation. Now, thankfully, translators employ possibilities that allow setting the text into sections for easy comprehension. Obvious in your Bible pages are two different composition styles, narrative and poetry.
REVELATION'S TWO-PART LAYOUT:
The narrative sections of Revelation carry the action of the story. The best way to read the poetry sections is to consider them as song lyrics.
While no proof exists to confirm this idea, repeated reading aloud of Revelation may have allowed hearers to memorize familiar parts. Perhaps John's poetry became a chorus, like those used in ancient Greek drama. As early Christians participated in singing the interludes of expectation, confirmation, praise, and celebration, they internalized John's words, becoming one with the text.
REVELATION INSPIRED MUSIC:
With the fullness of Revelation in mind, listen for music that has been inspired by this Bible text. Discover how Revelation exists as the sound track for your life. Some music connections are obvious. Some are so subtle you will unexpectedly stumble onto them. Here are a few suggestions, from across the centuries, to help you connect Revelation to what you hear and sing:
- 1599. Philipp Nicolai and Catherine Winkworth. Wake, awake, for Night Is Flying.
- 1739. Charles Wesley. O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing. (One of his 6000 hymns.)
- 1742. George Frideric Handel. Hallelujah Chorus. (Handel's original note on the Messiah Oratorio score says, "Great is the mystery of God.”)
- 1851. Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring. Crown Him with Many Crowns.
- 1861. Julia Ward Howe and William Steffe. The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
- 1861. Reginald Heber and John Bacchus Dykes. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty.
- 1864. Robert Lowry. Shall We Gather at the River. (Spiritual.)
- 1896. When the Saints Go Marching In. (Popularized as Jazz by Louis Armstrong.)
- 1901. Charles Albert Tindley. We Shall Overcome.
- 1921. R. Nathaniel Dett and J.Church. There is a Meeting Here Tonight. (Spiritual.)
- 1934. Cole Porter. Blow, Gabriel, Blow. (Broadway show Anything Goes.)
- 1937. Franz Schmidt. Book of the Seven Seals. (Oratorio for soloists, chorus, organ, and orchestra.)
- 1940. Marian Anderson. O What a Beautiful City. (Spiritual.)
- 1941. Olivier Messiaen. Quatuor pour la fin du Temps. (Violin, clarinet, cello, and piano quartet premiered by WWII German prisoners, including composer Messiaen, on 'found' instruments.)
As Revelation 22 begins, the new Jerusalem comes to new life under the omniscience of an enthroned God. Human beings faithful to God receive ever-flowing love, described by John. God lives with all humanity for eternity. Live eternity now!
William Blake, about 1805, created a water color now at home in London’s Tate Gallery. It shows the new Jerusalem with The River of Life flowing abundantly from God's throne to nurture the life-giving trees. Here Revelation, the closing Bible book, connects with the rivers and trees of Genesis, the beginning Bible book. With your Bible in your hand, you hold the Alpha and Omega summing up the entirety of Christian hope and belief. Read. Hear. Be faithful. Ask and live!Revelation 22 is surprisingly explained also by the words and music of Let the River Run. Carly Simon won the best original song Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy awards for this theme creation used in the 1988 (adult comedy) movie Working Girl. Set in New York City, it explores the trials and tribulations encountered, when women dreamed about and sought professional and societal equality.
Reflect on Revelation, as you enjoy these You Tube performances of Simon’s song:
- South Africa. Drakeberg Boys Choir, Winterton, KulaZulu-Natal. 2014. [2:46 minutes, arrangement: Craig Hella Johnson] https://youtu.be/l_QVu0DH4MM
- New Zealand. Burnside High School Senior Chorale, Wellington. 2015. [2:54 minutes, arrangement: Craig Hella Johnson] https://youtu.be/2hhg1U09kKo
- England. Lesley Garrett with chorus and orchestra at Royal Albert Hall, London. 2009. [3.33 minutes] https://youtu.be/8y9ge2Yufqo
Music and Lyrics by Carly Simon for the 1988 movie Working Girl
Running on the water,
Coming through the fog,
Your sons and daughters.
Let the river run,
Let all the dreamers
Wake the nation.
Come, the New Jerusalem.
Silver cities rise,
The morning lights
The streets that meet them,
And sirens call them on
With a song.
It's asking for the taking.
Trembling, shaking.
Oh, my heart is aching.
We're coming to the edge,
Running on the water,
Coming through the fog,
Your sons and daughters.
We the great and small
Stand on a star
And blaze a trail of desire
Through the dark'ning dawn.
It's asking for the taking.
Come run with me now,
The sky is the color of blue
You've never even seen
In the eyes of your lover.
Oh, my heart is aching.
We're coming to the edge,
Running on the water,
Coming through the fog,
Your sons and daughters.
It's asking for the taking.
Trembling, shaking.
Oh, my heart is aching.
We're coming to the edge,
Running on the water,
Coming through the fog,
Your sons and daughters.
Let the river run,
Let all the dreamers
Wake the nation.
Come, the New Jerusalem.
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Study +++ April 25, 2016 +++ The Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Rather than looking at Revelation as a book filled with monstrous beings and terrorizing events, consider it to be the most imaginative and humanly creative book in the Bible. Revelation frames a true message of hope, as we live into God's future. In the week ahead, read aloud Revelation 17-20.
ORIGNS OF NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
One of the obvious curiosities of Revelation, as well as other books of the Bible, is the use of numbers. Although numerology was practiced in the ancient world, the perspective on numbers was vastly different from the approach applied in the last few centuries, since the Enlightenment. The way numbers are used in our world today could not have even been envisioned by John. So beware of fanciful explanations when applying numbers to anything biblical, especially the Book of Revelation.
John of Patmos had the Old Testament as his source for validating his use of numbers. He wrote in the Jewish apocalyptic style used from 200 BCE to about 100 CE. John knew the content of the Hebrew or Greek Septuagint texts well, far better than most Christians do today. While he does not quote verses directly, scholars tell us that more than sixty-five percent of John’s text of Revelation is founded in the Hebrew Bible.
NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
The 666 of Revelation 13:18 is probably the most misunderstood number. Across the centuries, 666 has ended up with shades of meaning far beyond what John was communicating. It has been spun out to refer to all things satanic. However, in its original meaning, based on the numerology system used in John's time, 666 was a well-known "nickname" for the befuddled Emperor Nero, remembered even after several decades, as an evil power.
All Christians of John's time had a corporate memory of the terrible persecutions experienced years before, when they had been scapegoated by the mad Caesar Nero. Authoritative earthly powers masked their failures by abusing innocent groups, like the Christians openly seeking to live under the unifying rules of a singular, loving God. This eternal evil has not changed, as we recoil in horror at the strange persecutions crossing our world now.
DESCRIPTIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
As we look at the use of the number 1000, it is important to realize that in John's time, 1000 meant simply a long or infinite amount of time, not a restricted or specific one. Our calendars today were not even a concept in the ancient world. BCE (BC) and CE (AD) had not been designated to mark the passing of a Christ-centered view of time. It’s fun to imagine how John might have expressed eons of time within God's eternity, if he had been able to calculate things digitally. Think how far into the future our current computer technology can spin us. All time is in eternity, which is God's time.
Throughout Revelation, numbers abound. John draws upon a system of numerology practiced in the ancient world. People In later centuries, unfamiliar with this knowledge, constructed schemes to fit their own time and needs. Do not bog down trying to explain John's numbers too precisely, or you will completely miss his message.
USING POSITIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
Writers in biblical times often used the number seven. In the world of antiquity, seven was the perfect, complete number. In Revelation, John uses seven over and over: churches, cities, stars, lamp stands, letters, seals, trumpets, and bowls. And careful counting reveals that Revelation also has seven beatitudes, hymns of praise, categories of people, references to the altar, and prophecies about the second coming of Jesus.
John’s vision is complex. He organized and composed it masterfully. For us in this WDRG Study, the experience of Revelation has opened the door for your serious personal delving into this remarkable book. Reread it often, and share its mystery and meaning with others. Revelation is a great way to start a Bible conversation.
In the broad sweep John created, the ups and downs of individual and community life are presented as an allegory, helping us to see the evils in the world being overcome by the good of God. John's writing expresses hope. The result, for the faithful, is being united symbolically with God, as the bride of the Lamb. John tells us to rejoice in the presence of God for an eternity with no end. Our response is to live out our “Amen. Hallelujah!”
In 1498, Albrecht Durer depicted John’s vision in 15 woodcuts based on Revelation. In this one, John prays before God. Shown is the only heavenly weapon used in all triumphant battles with evil—a two-edged sword, that is, The Word of God.
ORIGNS OF NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
One of the obvious curiosities of Revelation, as well as other books of the Bible, is the use of numbers. Although numerology was practiced in the ancient world, the perspective on numbers was vastly different from the approach applied in the last few centuries, since the Enlightenment. The way numbers are used in our world today could not have even been envisioned by John. So beware of fanciful explanations when applying numbers to anything biblical, especially the Book of Revelation.
John of Patmos had the Old Testament as his source for validating his use of numbers. He wrote in the Jewish apocalyptic style used from 200 BCE to about 100 CE. John knew the content of the Hebrew or Greek Septuagint texts well, far better than most Christians do today. While he does not quote verses directly, scholars tell us that more than sixty-five percent of John’s text of Revelation is founded in the Hebrew Bible.
NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
The 666 of Revelation 13:18 is probably the most misunderstood number. Across the centuries, 666 has ended up with shades of meaning far beyond what John was communicating. It has been spun out to refer to all things satanic. However, in its original meaning, based on the numerology system used in John's time, 666 was a well-known "nickname" for the befuddled Emperor Nero, remembered even after several decades, as an evil power.
All Christians of John's time had a corporate memory of the terrible persecutions experienced years before, when they had been scapegoated by the mad Caesar Nero. Authoritative earthly powers masked their failures by abusing innocent groups, like the Christians openly seeking to live under the unifying rules of a singular, loving God. This eternal evil has not changed, as we recoil in horror at the strange persecutions crossing our world now.
DESCRIPTIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
As we look at the use of the number 1000, it is important to realize that in John's time, 1000 meant simply a long or infinite amount of time, not a restricted or specific one. Our calendars today were not even a concept in the ancient world. BCE (BC) and CE (AD) had not been designated to mark the passing of a Christ-centered view of time. It’s fun to imagine how John might have expressed eons of time within God's eternity, if he had been able to calculate things digitally. Think how far into the future our current computer technology can spin us. All time is in eternity, which is God's time.
Throughout Revelation, numbers abound. John draws upon a system of numerology practiced in the ancient world. People In later centuries, unfamiliar with this knowledge, constructed schemes to fit their own time and needs. Do not bog down trying to explain John's numbers too precisely, or you will completely miss his message.
USING POSITIVE NUMBERS IN REVELATION:
Writers in biblical times often used the number seven. In the world of antiquity, seven was the perfect, complete number. In Revelation, John uses seven over and over: churches, cities, stars, lamp stands, letters, seals, trumpets, and bowls. And careful counting reveals that Revelation also has seven beatitudes, hymns of praise, categories of people, references to the altar, and prophecies about the second coming of Jesus.
John’s vision is complex. He organized and composed it masterfully. For us in this WDRG Study, the experience of Revelation has opened the door for your serious personal delving into this remarkable book. Reread it often, and share its mystery and meaning with others. Revelation is a great way to start a Bible conversation.
In the broad sweep John created, the ups and downs of individual and community life are presented as an allegory, helping us to see the evils in the world being overcome by the good of God. John's writing expresses hope. The result, for the faithful, is being united symbolically with God, as the bride of the Lamb. John tells us to rejoice in the presence of God for an eternity with no end. Our response is to live out our “Amen. Hallelujah!”
In 1498, Albrecht Durer depicted John’s vision in 15 woodcuts based on Revelation. In this one, John prays before God. Shown is the only heavenly weapon used in all triumphant battles with evil—a two-edged sword, that is, The Word of God.
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Study +++ April 20, 2016 +++ The Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
The details of taxes, valuable objects, and times can cause conflict in unexpected ways. Completing the WDRG Study this week, for your inspiration, had to be juggled with governmental tax trivia, twice re-gluing a critical, unattached, tooth gold crown, and unexpected, essential demands on personal time. Amazingly though, all of these interruptions or complications bring the reality of Revelation smack dab into life today.
Revelation is all about what has control over us. For taxes, it is about "rendering unto Caesar." For objects, it is determining good or bad value. For time, it is about the conflicts of now and the heavenly sphere of eternity.
John, who is not talking about the end-of-days in Revelation, was talking to Christians living in the today-ness of their lives, and about the choices open to them and the priorities they set. Revelation is about life in this world, not life after the world; and John used his most dramatic imagery to tell his story of who is really in charge--God.
THE WHOLE STORY OF REVELATION:
Living with Revelation for the full Easter season gives you the opportunity to read it in full in one setting, and then dabble around, rereading bits and pieces as the text attracts you to the scenes portrayed. The challenge of the WDRG Study is to actually convince 21st Century people that reading something written at the close of the 1st Century is enjoyable and has meaning for lives today.
Reading Revelation aloud in full in one sitting takes about 2 hours, the time most movies take, minus their 15-minute preamble of coming attractions. If John's word imagery is difficult to fathom, divert your thoughts to turning it into the make-believe world of playing video games or watching TV action dramas.
Think of what John might have done to tell his tale, if he had all of our modern digital technology available to work with. Pixel by pixel, let your mind create an ever evolving mass of movement, providing a great IMAX spectacle. John gives us the script for an explosive action movie, and he casts it with bizarre and beautiful actors.
CASTING THE CREATURES OF REVELATION:
Before our 20-minute reading of Revelation 13:1-16:21 this week, we have witnessed the universal battle between good, represented by the Archangel Michael; and bad, symbolized by the dragon, aka serpent, Satan, or devil. Ancient storytellers remind us that "mean old critter" has been tempting humans since the garden in Genesis. John does not want us to miss the overwhelming power of evil that can permeate our world, so he gives us manifestations of this dragon on land and sea.
The systems emanating from orderly, authoritarian Roman rule contrasted the Caesars’ gods with the open, loving arms of God. Imbalance in a good, God-given life can occur, if power-seeking agendas of humans win out.
CASTING THE WOMEN OF REVELATION:
Women are among Revelation's leading characters. The first woman featured is in the midst of childbirth, with God saving the newborn from the ultimate clutches of worldly destruction to live an eternal forever. In John's time, clearly this was Mary and Jesus of the gospels. Later speculative thinkers embellished the simplicity of the original reference, thus muddying John’s simple vision.
The next woman is truly horrific! What a sneaky way John uses her to describe the debauchery in the power and greed of Rome. As the Babylon of John's day, Rome, built on seven hills, forced all the territories it controlled to yield to the Pax Romana, or Roman peace. Plundered precious metals, extraordinary gems, fine cloths, and other resources were hoarded by those wielding power in the empire without considering essential human needs. John uses imagery to explain the opposite of God's love.
We meet the final woman, the bride, at the end of the story. John has plotted his visions carefully, so listeners see the contrast where evil is overcome by God's good.
THE REALITY OF REVELATION IN LIFE TODAY:
Taxes then were on demand for use by rulers randomly. There was no representation in government or sense of the common good connected with them. Gold and precious resources were greedily accumulated to be flaunted as impressive status symbols. Show trumped utilitarian possibilities. Personal time was at the limited mercy of authoritative hierarchy.
In John's time, persecutions were more subversive than overt, but Christians still struggled. The joy is that none of this tribulation limited John's vision of God, as he spoke to God's people. And because John's view from Patmos does not tie us to a specific incident or place, his glorious vision can guide us into producing, directing, and living life today on God's terms.
Mary and the Christ Child are shown on a crescent moon in the stained glass panel created by an unknown maker about 1505-1510 now in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
Revelation is all about what has control over us. For taxes, it is about "rendering unto Caesar." For objects, it is determining good or bad value. For time, it is about the conflicts of now and the heavenly sphere of eternity.
John, who is not talking about the end-of-days in Revelation, was talking to Christians living in the today-ness of their lives, and about the choices open to them and the priorities they set. Revelation is about life in this world, not life after the world; and John used his most dramatic imagery to tell his story of who is really in charge--God.
THE WHOLE STORY OF REVELATION:
Living with Revelation for the full Easter season gives you the opportunity to read it in full in one setting, and then dabble around, rereading bits and pieces as the text attracts you to the scenes portrayed. The challenge of the WDRG Study is to actually convince 21st Century people that reading something written at the close of the 1st Century is enjoyable and has meaning for lives today.
Reading Revelation aloud in full in one sitting takes about 2 hours, the time most movies take, minus their 15-minute preamble of coming attractions. If John's word imagery is difficult to fathom, divert your thoughts to turning it into the make-believe world of playing video games or watching TV action dramas.
Think of what John might have done to tell his tale, if he had all of our modern digital technology available to work with. Pixel by pixel, let your mind create an ever evolving mass of movement, providing a great IMAX spectacle. John gives us the script for an explosive action movie, and he casts it with bizarre and beautiful actors.
CASTING THE CREATURES OF REVELATION:
Before our 20-minute reading of Revelation 13:1-16:21 this week, we have witnessed the universal battle between good, represented by the Archangel Michael; and bad, symbolized by the dragon, aka serpent, Satan, or devil. Ancient storytellers remind us that "mean old critter" has been tempting humans since the garden in Genesis. John does not want us to miss the overwhelming power of evil that can permeate our world, so he gives us manifestations of this dragon on land and sea.
The systems emanating from orderly, authoritarian Roman rule contrasted the Caesars’ gods with the open, loving arms of God. Imbalance in a good, God-given life can occur, if power-seeking agendas of humans win out.
CASTING THE WOMEN OF REVELATION:
Women are among Revelation's leading characters. The first woman featured is in the midst of childbirth, with God saving the newborn from the ultimate clutches of worldly destruction to live an eternal forever. In John's time, clearly this was Mary and Jesus of the gospels. Later speculative thinkers embellished the simplicity of the original reference, thus muddying John’s simple vision.
The next woman is truly horrific! What a sneaky way John uses her to describe the debauchery in the power and greed of Rome. As the Babylon of John's day, Rome, built on seven hills, forced all the territories it controlled to yield to the Pax Romana, or Roman peace. Plundered precious metals, extraordinary gems, fine cloths, and other resources were hoarded by those wielding power in the empire without considering essential human needs. John uses imagery to explain the opposite of God's love.
We meet the final woman, the bride, at the end of the story. John has plotted his visions carefully, so listeners see the contrast where evil is overcome by God's good.
THE REALITY OF REVELATION IN LIFE TODAY:
Taxes then were on demand for use by rulers randomly. There was no representation in government or sense of the common good connected with them. Gold and precious resources were greedily accumulated to be flaunted as impressive status symbols. Show trumped utilitarian possibilities. Personal time was at the limited mercy of authoritative hierarchy.
In John's time, persecutions were more subversive than overt, but Christians still struggled. The joy is that none of this tribulation limited John's vision of God, as he spoke to God's people. And because John's view from Patmos does not tie us to a specific incident or place, his glorious vision can guide us into producing, directing, and living life today on God's terms.
Mary and the Christ Child are shown on a crescent moon in the stained glass panel created by an unknown maker about 1505-1510 now in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Study +++ April 11, 2016 +++ The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Having read Revelation aloud in full, a complete perspective is helpful this week for the mid-book cutting of 8:2-12:18. We are now in the thick of overwhelming descriptions that fill this work. We must make a personal decision about how to deal with and understand what this apocalyptic Bible text says, both for each individual and for our Christian community.
YESTERDAY:
While Revelation is the last book in the Bible, it is not about the end times. As John was composing it 2000 years ago, foremost in his mind were the forces impacting and challenging the lives of the Christians he knew living in the powerful Roman Empire. Was Caesar or God the master controlling lives?
Because of their beliefs, John’s fellow Christians were like strangers in a foreign, very unholy land. Powerful forces, counter to the teachings of Jesus, engulfed them, making them subject to worldly powers that controlled, suppressed, and oppressed them. At best, the pressures these Christians faced, individually or together, made them slaves to ungodly situations.
TODAY:
Although we like to think our world today is very unlike that in which John lived, are we really that much different? We prize our freedom, yet we are subject to the control that others have over our destiny.
When we muse on our existence, we must acknowledge that in much of our lives, as individuals or as part of a community, we are merely pawns living under the control of outside forces. In many ways, we are helpless, often caught in battles in our everyday lives—battles that we fear we cannot win. Crises from climate changes, terrorist action, political maneuvering, job instability, financial insecurity, and health uncertainty may seem to overwhelm us and create a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Such an unsettling human condition of internal dis-ease, though causes were different, was prevalent in John's time. Life for Christian folk, especially in the seven cities to whom John was speaking, were pressed by internal and external troubles impacting them so strongly that they could be called tribulations.
TOMORROW:
In Revelation, John creates a drama to give hope to those who hear his words. He spins their circumstances into a great cosmic struggle. From his vantage point on Patmos, he envisions dynamically flowing scenes, where the balance of evil becomes tilted toward good. Along the way, we are treated to a front row seat, the opportunity to observe a horrific conflagration. John has us become witnesses, rather than participants. He wants us to be aware of the violence in explosive situations that can confront us.
While John's descriptions may seem overwrought for a Bible book, they are like many other fanciful personal or community struggles between evil and good that we encounter in other secular presentations. Consider the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, the Ring Cycle operas, the Star Wars movie series, and the Harry Potter novels. Just because Revelation is a Bible book does not mean that we should consign it to a dark abyss, where we miss or dismiss the meaning it can give to our lives.
ETERNITY:
With all the fantastic scenes John gives us, he does so with an intense zeal, driving us directly to his point. God's good always is victorious over evil. John pushes us to persevere, keep the faith, and never ever lose hope. In our universe, God is in charge.
In reading Revelation, we are surrounded by a multitude of angels. They are God's messengers. From antiquity, these beings, were regarded as go-betweens linking a god to humans.
John tells us, in Revelation 12:7-12, about the valor and leadership of the Archangel Michael. Michael is a hero figure to encourage us, in our personal jihad, to stay faithful to our Christian Faith. In battle, he gives us a victorious outcome.
The plot John concocted for Revelation was meant to be read as a message of hope. In John’s time, and in ours, the more we connect directly with his thoughts through multiple reading, the clearer his message becomes.
If we read Revelation literally, our minds may be diverted to trivial misunderstandings. John’s ultimate message to his hearers is to remain true. Only then will the eternal battle be won, when God's magnificent love will triumph in our lives, our communities, and our world.
A version of this 1636 painting of the Archangel Michael by Guido Remi is in the sanctuary of Tucumcari’s St. Michael’s Church in our Diocese of the Rio Grande. The original is in Rome’s Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.
YESTERDAY:
While Revelation is the last book in the Bible, it is not about the end times. As John was composing it 2000 years ago, foremost in his mind were the forces impacting and challenging the lives of the Christians he knew living in the powerful Roman Empire. Was Caesar or God the master controlling lives?
Because of their beliefs, John’s fellow Christians were like strangers in a foreign, very unholy land. Powerful forces, counter to the teachings of Jesus, engulfed them, making them subject to worldly powers that controlled, suppressed, and oppressed them. At best, the pressures these Christians faced, individually or together, made them slaves to ungodly situations.
TODAY:
Although we like to think our world today is very unlike that in which John lived, are we really that much different? We prize our freedom, yet we are subject to the control that others have over our destiny.
When we muse on our existence, we must acknowledge that in much of our lives, as individuals or as part of a community, we are merely pawns living under the control of outside forces. In many ways, we are helpless, often caught in battles in our everyday lives—battles that we fear we cannot win. Crises from climate changes, terrorist action, political maneuvering, job instability, financial insecurity, and health uncertainty may seem to overwhelm us and create a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Such an unsettling human condition of internal dis-ease, though causes were different, was prevalent in John's time. Life for Christian folk, especially in the seven cities to whom John was speaking, were pressed by internal and external troubles impacting them so strongly that they could be called tribulations.
TOMORROW:
In Revelation, John creates a drama to give hope to those who hear his words. He spins their circumstances into a great cosmic struggle. From his vantage point on Patmos, he envisions dynamically flowing scenes, where the balance of evil becomes tilted toward good. Along the way, we are treated to a front row seat, the opportunity to observe a horrific conflagration. John has us become witnesses, rather than participants. He wants us to be aware of the violence in explosive situations that can confront us.
While John's descriptions may seem overwrought for a Bible book, they are like many other fanciful personal or community struggles between evil and good that we encounter in other secular presentations. Consider the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, the Ring Cycle operas, the Star Wars movie series, and the Harry Potter novels. Just because Revelation is a Bible book does not mean that we should consign it to a dark abyss, where we miss or dismiss the meaning it can give to our lives.
ETERNITY:
With all the fantastic scenes John gives us, he does so with an intense zeal, driving us directly to his point. God's good always is victorious over evil. John pushes us to persevere, keep the faith, and never ever lose hope. In our universe, God is in charge.
In reading Revelation, we are surrounded by a multitude of angels. They are God's messengers. From antiquity, these beings, were regarded as go-betweens linking a god to humans.
John tells us, in Revelation 12:7-12, about the valor and leadership of the Archangel Michael. Michael is a hero figure to encourage us, in our personal jihad, to stay faithful to our Christian Faith. In battle, he gives us a victorious outcome.
The plot John concocted for Revelation was meant to be read as a message of hope. In John’s time, and in ours, the more we connect directly with his thoughts through multiple reading, the clearer his message becomes.
If we read Revelation literally, our minds may be diverted to trivial misunderstandings. John’s ultimate message to his hearers is to remain true. Only then will the eternal battle be won, when God's magnificent love will triumph in our lives, our communities, and our world.
A version of this 1636 painting of the Archangel Michael by Guido Remi is in the sanctuary of Tucumcari’s St. Michael’s Church in our Diocese of the Rio Grande. The original is in Rome’s Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Study +++ April 4, 2016 +++ The Third Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Does the Bible’s Book of Revelation have an overall theme? What John, who calls himself the author, wants people to know is that they must live with hope, the same message proclaimed in Eastertide.
WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT REVELATION?
We do not know the precise author, place, or time of Revelation. We know only generalities. An imaginative storyteller, giving John as his name, places himself on the Island of Patmos. He aims his writing at Christian communities created by Paul and his followers in seven cities of the Roman Province of Asia Minor, an area that is now Turkey.
The Greek used by this author does not have the sophistication or brilliance of the person who penned the Gospel of John. Linguistic scholars think Revelation’s John was a Christian of Jewish heritage, whose primary language was Hebrew. The original Greek does not flow smoothly throughout Revelation. This is not apparent to readers today, because translators over the centuries have struggled to provide a unified overview for John’s very complex vision.
In selecting the books to form the NT, early Christian leaders were aware that Revelation was vastly different from other chosen texts. Revelation was included because it was written by a person who identified himself as John, a name with a connection to Jesus. John was a common name in NT times, and scholars today have ruled out people named John, including the baptizer, the disciple, and the writers of a gospel and three epistles.
WHY GIVE PRECIOUS TIME TO REVELATION?
The hour-and-fifty minutes you took to read Revelation straight through (aloud) has set you on a lifelong path toward discovering the myriad riches waiting to be uncovered in this remarkable, strange text. You have surveyed John’s message in full. While this dedicated commitment may have seemed like a struggle to fit into your busy life, compare it to the time challenge John and other biblical writers and readers faced.
Writing Revelation began with each letter being scratched onto a tabula rasa and then copied letter-by-letter onto papyrus for a single complete copy. Until the advent of printing in the late fifteenth century, every book created required this slow, laborious penning of individual letters. And with each new hand-made copy of a lengthy text like Revelation, it was extremely difficult to avoid errors. As a result, there are no exact duplicates of any ancient written works.
Also, the reading of first century Greek texts aloud was complicated. Ancient writing involved no spacing or punctuation between any of the individual letters placed on the papyrus. Documents of any genre created at this time appear to be sheets filled with nonstop run-on sentences. Readers had to have an extraordinary sense of purpose to attempt bringing forth the original meaning the writer intended.
WHAT IS THE TRUE MESSAGE OF REVELATION?
Though Revelation, the closing book in the Bible, is a topic of popular conversation for many people, probably few of them have read it completely. Information gleaned about the contents of Revelation comes often from hearsay. Few people will admit that their personal knowledge has been received only from fragmented text snippets or pseudo-authoritative misreadings, giving a negative perspective on the content. Erroneous information about Revelation abounds.
Do not let the agendas of others determine your reflections on this book. Revelation is not a prophesy of events happening now or in the future. It is not a roadmap to the end of time. John was speaking to his contemporaries; and to get unadulterated attention, he mounts an assault on the senses, with a treacherous, terrifying saga. Exotic, bizarre descriptions of a nightmarish cosmology detail happenings for those succumbing to human temptations or entrapped by hierarchical earthly power.
John’s vision, read in Revelation 4:1-8:1 this week, is a theatrical pageant with a celestial backdrop, hinting at the ultimate conclusion for those staying true to the Christian hope of new life. Real power rests with God on the throne. Real love comes with the caring shepherding of the Lamb. Heaven pauses in silence.
In a life subject to chaos, John’s glimpse of goodness provides hope for overcoming any difficulty, terror, or horror ahead. Living in hope is the theme of Revelation and Eastertide. And because, “…thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever,” we know, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.
WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT REVELATION?
We do not know the precise author, place, or time of Revelation. We know only generalities. An imaginative storyteller, giving John as his name, places himself on the Island of Patmos. He aims his writing at Christian communities created by Paul and his followers in seven cities of the Roman Province of Asia Minor, an area that is now Turkey.
The Greek used by this author does not have the sophistication or brilliance of the person who penned the Gospel of John. Linguistic scholars think Revelation’s John was a Christian of Jewish heritage, whose primary language was Hebrew. The original Greek does not flow smoothly throughout Revelation. This is not apparent to readers today, because translators over the centuries have struggled to provide a unified overview for John’s very complex vision.
In selecting the books to form the NT, early Christian leaders were aware that Revelation was vastly different from other chosen texts. Revelation was included because it was written by a person who identified himself as John, a name with a connection to Jesus. John was a common name in NT times, and scholars today have ruled out people named John, including the baptizer, the disciple, and the writers of a gospel and three epistles.
WHY GIVE PRECIOUS TIME TO REVELATION?
The hour-and-fifty minutes you took to read Revelation straight through (aloud) has set you on a lifelong path toward discovering the myriad riches waiting to be uncovered in this remarkable, strange text. You have surveyed John’s message in full. While this dedicated commitment may have seemed like a struggle to fit into your busy life, compare it to the time challenge John and other biblical writers and readers faced.
Writing Revelation began with each letter being scratched onto a tabula rasa and then copied letter-by-letter onto papyrus for a single complete copy. Until the advent of printing in the late fifteenth century, every book created required this slow, laborious penning of individual letters. And with each new hand-made copy of a lengthy text like Revelation, it was extremely difficult to avoid errors. As a result, there are no exact duplicates of any ancient written works.
Also, the reading of first century Greek texts aloud was complicated. Ancient writing involved no spacing or punctuation between any of the individual letters placed on the papyrus. Documents of any genre created at this time appear to be sheets filled with nonstop run-on sentences. Readers had to have an extraordinary sense of purpose to attempt bringing forth the original meaning the writer intended.
WHAT IS THE TRUE MESSAGE OF REVELATION?
Though Revelation, the closing book in the Bible, is a topic of popular conversation for many people, probably few of them have read it completely. Information gleaned about the contents of Revelation comes often from hearsay. Few people will admit that their personal knowledge has been received only from fragmented text snippets or pseudo-authoritative misreadings, giving a negative perspective on the content. Erroneous information about Revelation abounds.
Do not let the agendas of others determine your reflections on this book. Revelation is not a prophesy of events happening now or in the future. It is not a roadmap to the end of time. John was speaking to his contemporaries; and to get unadulterated attention, he mounts an assault on the senses, with a treacherous, terrifying saga. Exotic, bizarre descriptions of a nightmarish cosmology detail happenings for those succumbing to human temptations or entrapped by hierarchical earthly power.
John’s vision, read in Revelation 4:1-8:1 this week, is a theatrical pageant with a celestial backdrop, hinting at the ultimate conclusion for those staying true to the Christian hope of new life. Real power rests with God on the throne. Real love comes with the caring shepherding of the Lamb. Heaven pauses in silence.
In a life subject to chaos, John’s glimpse of goodness provides hope for overcoming any difficulty, terror, or horror ahead. Living in hope is the theme of Revelation and Eastertide. And because, “…thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever,” we know, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.
Women of the Diocese of the
Rio Grande Study +++ March 28, 2016 +++ The Second Sunday of Easter (Year C)
"Blessed
is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who
hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near." In our
WDRG Study, we are doing what Revelation 1:3 tells us to do.
The
Resurrection is past. We are living in Easter time. Our lives are
completely refreshed by God's love. Being human, we may be overwhelmed by the
simple awe that results from this. Or, with our free will we may choose to
ignore God's caring blessings in our lives. Free will is God-given free choice.
What is your choice? Will you follow the wisdom of John of Patmos, the nom
de plume given the author of Revelation?
WHAT IS REVELATION?
In
addition to Sunday gospels, the NT book featured in the Year C Easter Season
Lectionary is the last one in the Bible. The title “Revelation,” like many OT
books, comes from the first word of the each text. The Greek apocalypsis
translates into the Latin revelatio, meaning revelation, unveiling, and
disclosure.
Apocalyptic
fragments are scattered throughout the Bible, in addition to the NT Revelation
and OT Daniel. They seem mysterious to us, because they reveal things using
coded symbols intended to make their content clear only to anticipated
receivers. Unfortunately, today we are massively challenged to unearth the
significance originally intended. Since we do not live in the environment
in which these texts were created, they may seem to be encrypted into
gibberish.
As
a result, Revelation is the most abused and misinterpreted book in the Bible.
The important thing, when delving into this strange text, is to forget all
the things already implanted in your mind about it. Wipe your slate clean!
Start over! Become your own tabula rasa.
Tabula
rasa, used by ancient
people about 100 CE when Revelation was created, is the name of the process
that probably was used to write it. Thoughts, when conceived, were scratched,
letter by letter, into a waxed surface topping a wood block. Copied texts were
then inked permanently onto papyrus. To recycle the ancient notepad merely
meant melting the surface. The renewed, blank wax-surface awaiting reuse was
a tabula rasa.
READING REVELATION:
The
original recipients of Revelation heard it read aloud. Using this technique
today opens up unexpected possibilities that may be missed by silent scanning.
The
best way to grasp the strange power of Revelation is to read it aloud as a
whole.
This means a commitment of an hour and 50 minutes. Reading Revelation straight
through, on your first go-round, lets you digest it more completely than the
usual partial readings allow. In full reading, you will see how
misunderstandings about Revelation easily occur. Do not be diverted. Don't pause
to ponder meanings; don't bog down in minutia. Just go!
If
you find that the text of Revelation does not seem to make logical sense, you
are in good company. The well-known Princeton NT professor Elaine Pagels, writer of a
scholarly commentary on Revelation, says, “The book is the hardest one in the
Bible to understand. I don’t think anyone completely understands it."
CONFRONTING REVELATION:
Reading
the whole Revelation text non-stop will put you way ahead of most people in
making sense of the content. What a jumble of thought and ideas it contains! It
desperately needs a good editor!
Set
negative thoughts aside. Disconnect from today’s conditions: Opportunities to
work with adequate climate and lighting control; to write with computer and
printing technology; to speak with voice projecting and hearing devices.
Exercise
your mental gymnastics in exploring Revelation's strange world. Marvel at how an
author, using the tabula rasa technique, ever compiled this complex,
extensive text. Fantasize about how and where the message of prophesy might
have been delivered to small or large audiences in the ancient world. Wonder at
miracles of composition and transmission that have brought Revelation to us
about 60 generations after John of Patmos conceived it.
DISSECTING REVELATION:
After
your whole excursion through this strange apocalyptic universe, re-look at
chapters 1-3. Revelation's writer John directs letters to people in seven
early Christian communities. These Christians, living in first-century time,
were overwhelmed with unspecified turmoil and tragedies. We can only guess what
was happening.
By
not writing in a logical, linear way, John counterbalances evil and horror with
purity that can envelope those living in the love of God. May we let the
mystery and magic of John’s thoughts give us a new, hopeful approach in coping
with our troubled world today. In these post-Easter days, hear the message
in each letter, "Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is
saying to the churches.”
