Saturday May 29 Pentecost
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Psalm 30
Because of its references to being in the grave, followed by joy, this psalm is often used on Saturdays, the weekly mini-anniversary of Jesus’ being in the grave.
“God’s wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye”—it’s not that God is losing God’s temper, but that God made the world so that actions have consequences—anything else would produce chaos. It’s inevitable that evil selfish actions on our part have consequences but the psalm proclaims that God’s goodness acts to overcome the evils that we have caused. Christians interpret Jesus’ dying and rising as the process by which God accomplishes fulfilment and joy for us despite our evil.
Psalm 32
When I acknowledged my sin, I received immense joy. When we acknowledge our participation in oppressive policies, we know God will overcome those, and we can also be in joy instead of living in denial or guilt. Then we will have the energy to act against those oppressions.
Deuteronomy 5: 22-33 What’s Deuteronomy about?
After reading the commandments to the people, Moses reminds the people that they were terrified of God and afraid that their lives would end by merely being so close to the ultimate glory and so they asked Moses to approach God on their behalf. God understands that their fear is the way they are experiencing the commitment to justice—they have understood the danger of not following justice. They have understood the earth-shaking implications of a society based on justice and if they live with inclusive justice all will be well.
Luke 16: 19-31 What’s Luke about?
Jesus tells a story of a rich man who cared nothing for a desperately poor man lying outside his front door. There are consequences for not enacting the generosity of God’s kingdom—we become inward-turned like the rich man in the story and thereby create a gulf between ourselves and God’s offer to everyone of an all-inclusive banquet.
The rich man, in torment, implores that someone rise from the dead to warn others, and this may be a reference to Jesus’ resurrection in which all such selfishness is healed, and a warning that the healing of the resurrection isn’t automatic—the resurrection must be embraced.
This week’s collect:
Almighty and everliving God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal,
keep us in the unity of your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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