July 11, 2021
Trinity 6
(Ephesians 1:1-14; Mark 6:7-13)
You are social distancing, you have masks in the glove compartment, jacket pockets, desk drawers and on hooks in the hallway, and you’re afraid to go shopping. Yet, the Bible says you’re blessed. Excuse me? Well, okay, maybe California no longer has so many of these restrictions, however I am sure you get my drift.
The first verse of today’s Epistle reading mentions a form of the word “blessed” three times! Even those of the dimmest understanding will recognize this as a probable key to the entire reading.
Reading verses 4 through 14, however, is a daunting task. If one were to enumerate all the blessings mentioned therein … well, it would be like searching for the correct number of squares in a Facebook puzzle. If you are not familiar with the puzzle, you’re additionally blessed. Only the perceptive and spatially gifted can arrive at the correct answer. You uncover one blessing, only to find another … like Russian nesting dolls. Well, okay, maybe I am exaggerating – a smidge.
Maybe we should count the blessings in the passage – and in our lives - just as the old hymn “Count Your Blessings” advises us to do:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
So, how many blessings are in the passage? Some might argue for a number between 20 and 28 blessings! Others might not see so many blessings, but can easily spot the big ones:
~ God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (v. 4).
~ God destined us for adoption as his children (v. 5).
~ In Jesus we have redemption through his blood (v. 7).
~ In Jesus we have … the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (v. 7).
~ In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance (v. 11).
~ In him you also … were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit (v. 13).
Maybe blessings are not supposed to be counted. It may seem absurd on the face of it. Counting our blessings makes about as much sense as trying to count grains of sand at the beach or the number of hairs on your head. C’est impossible! Yet, counting and keeping track is what we humans do. We not only count our own blessings, but we count the blessings of other people and wonder why they’re blessed and we aren’t. We keep track of successes and failures, insults and awards, the good things and bad things. We like to have a balance sheet, or a P&L statement that shows just where we are in this experience we call life. We have egos, don’t you know?
So it’s natural to itemize our blessings, and one gets the feeling that the apostle Paul is just getting started — that he feels blessed in so many countless ways.
But we don’t often feel blessed these days, do we? 2020 and 2021 have not been easy. The three-headed ogre — Politics, Racism and Pandemic — is a fire-breathing monster that has kept the country on edge for a long time. Is it possible that like the ancient Israelites tramping through the wilderness of Zin, we have lost sight of our blessings and instead constructed a culture of complaint. If we’re honest, we can find things to complain about far easier than we can find blessings.
That’s probably overstating the case, but still, to speak of one’s blessings is so … 1950s. It’s retro and nostalgic. Perhaps we used to feel blessed, but the thrill is gone. What happened?
Blessings? What blessings?
We Are Blessed
This reading from Ephesians 1 is a much-needed attitude adjustment. But before going further, let’s look at the word “blessing.”
Grammatically, it can be both a noun and a verb. Used as a noun, we might say:
~ “She is such a blessing.”
~ “He said a blessing before dinner.”
~ “Dad gave our marriage his blessing.”
~ “We have received so may blessings.”
And by the way, “blessing” is a countable noun.
But the word can also be a verb, conveying action.
~ “The pastor blessed the couple and sent them on their way.”
~ To cite today’s reading: “ … God … who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.” Here, the word appears as both a verb and a noun.
I am amazed I can even remember all this from grammar school, however ….
The point is that a blessing is something that one can both receive (noun) or bestow (verb). We can receive a blessing, and we can bless others.
In the Old Testament, blessings generally refer to material possessions, children, good crops, good health and long life. Ancient Judaism considered such things as blessing from God for living within His laws.
When God blessed Job after his horrifying ordeal, the Bible says that “the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. … In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters … After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years. … And Job died, old and full of days” (Job 42:12-17). Notice he didn’t get a second wife? After all, his wife was not taken from him – in fact she even told him that he should curse God and die! (Job 2:9) Thus God didn’t give him another wife to match, because one Mrs. Job was quite enough, thank you very much! (There is more to this story also, but we will leave it be for today.)
Many people are familiar with the most famous blessing in the Hebrew Bible is the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the New Testament, however, blessings generally refer to spiritual benefits. The text before us is an example of this, of course, but there are other well-known passages, too. The most famous of these are the so-called Beatitudes from the mouth of Jesus himself.
In the Beatitudes, traditional notions of what it means to be blessed are turned upside down. People, exposed to the Scriptures through the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, generally believed that:
~ The rich were blessed, but Jesus said the poor were blessed.
~ Those who were in mourning had been cursed or punished for their sins, but Jesus said that those in mourning were blessed and would be comforted.
~ The strong and mighty are the blessed ones, but Jesus said the meek would inherit the earth.
~ You are blessed if you have plenty to eat and drink, but Jesus said that those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” are truly blessed.
The apostle James speaks of the blessing that comes to the person who “endures temptation” because “Such a one … will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
But we’re not in Matthew 5 or James 1. We’re in Ephesians 1, and here we have blessings galore. Of course we are blessed! We’ve been “chosen” before the natural world came into being! God thinks of us as divine children. Our sins and transgressions have been forgiven through the blood of Christ. And — this is interesting — there is an “inheritance” awaiting each of us! Okay, yes, our inheritance in heaven is better than becoming a billionaire! Of course, asking for both is a bit outside of our message today.
In our roles as husbands, wives, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends, we have all experienced moments of mercy and forgiveness. How liberating it feels to be forgiven! We are blessed.
So, we understand the apostle Paul when he reminds us that God has forgiven us. God has no argument or beef with us. God’s cool. We’re cool. All God’s children are cool. What a blessing! Cool.
Now, to the part where we bless others.
To bless, to be a blessing, is the verb form of the word. Followers of Jesus try to live in a way that blesses others.
As the apostle Paul says in our text, we have received “every spiritual blessing,” so now we try to offer others every tangible and emotional blessing that we can. In all we do, we bless others, and our lives are blessings in action – or we should be.
~ People who are blessed do not curse (see James 3:9-10).
~ People who are blessed do not listen to complainers and naysayers (see Psalm 1).
~ People who are blessed do not feel entitled; they feel grateful.
~ People who are blessed tend to pay their blessings forward; in other words, they are generous.
~ People who are blessed are vividly aware of their blessed-ness and are humbled by it.
~ People who are blessed see the sacred and holy in every aspect of their lives.
This last thought is particularly significant. The apostle Paul had some incredible adventures that included shipwrecks, floggings, imprisonment, false accusations, the misunderstanding of colleagues, and illness. But Paul always regarded himself as blessed. He lived and breathed in the blessing of God!
Maybe this awareness of the providence of God came, in part, from his upbringing and education as a Jew. This cannot be understated because, as Rabbi Jennifer Singer notes, “Judaism is chock-full of blessings.” She references Rabbi Fred Dobb, who said, “We’ve got blessings for seeing heads of state, Torah scholars, and ugly people. Blessings over sunsets, meteors, rainbows, reunions, and bad news. Blessings for bread and baked goods and fruit and vegetables, all different.” Gosh – they sound just like Catholics! A prayer or blessing for nearly everything!
A blessed person perceives blessings when others are oblivious. In turn, a blessed person blesses everything! In the Talmud, Rabbi Meir suggests “reciting 100 blessings each day … one every 10 minutes of our waking lives.” Which is to say that we “should be constantly aware of the world around us and should respond through gratitude and prayer.”
So, can we come up with 10 blessings a day? Absolutely! And let us pray that it happens! Meanwhile I will curb my sarcasm for a few minutes.
Let us pray.
In today’s Gospel we read how Jesus sent out his disciples to spread his message among the people of Israel. Through baptism we too are disciples sent out to live the gospel. We pray that through the example of our words and actions we may in our own lives be witnesses of the goodness of God, our Father. We pray to the Lord.
We pray that the Good Lord, who sent out the Twelve, would today look down with mercy on his Church and inspire young men and women to join in the good work of spreading his holy gospel. We pray to the Lord.
For our companions on this faith journey. For our families, friends, co-workers and members of our parish community. Hold us together in faithfulness to each other and unify our commitment to Christian values during this time of polarization. We pray to the Lord.
Bring healing to all in need. Invigorate those who are saddened or having difficulty. Restore life to the sick, the dying and the grieving. Inspire the addicted and the destitute. Create life-giving pathways for immigrants and for all who are afflicted. We pray to the Lord.
Awaken with us, oh Lord, the blessings you have given us. May we open our hearts and minds to see the blessings we often ignore. We pray to the Lord.
For our LGBTQ brothers and sisters as they celebrate Pride this weekend here in San Diego, may they never fear to live in honesty by living as they truly are. May legislation be passed to protect and give complete and equal rights. God does not make mistakes, he creates all humanity and love us all equally regardless of the gender we are or know we should be, and that we all should be free to love whom we are drawn to, just as God has designed all of humanity. We pray to the Lord.
For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.
Holy God, weave praise into the fabric of our days so our lives become a blessing to others.
Weave peace into our words and deeds so hatred and anger are disarmed.
Weave love into our work so accomplishments are imbued with humility.
Weave kindness into our actions so the world becomes a joyous place to live.
Weave hope into every encounter so we may testify to God's continuing resurrection.
Weave songs into our worship so our morning might echo in praise to God. Amen.
God Love you +++
The Most Rev. Robert Winzens
Pastor – St. Francis Chapel
San Diego, CA
We at St. Francis appreciate all of you who keep our ministry alive through your prayers and donations. There is much ministry to do, with ever so limited resources! Please consider adding St. Francis Chapel as one of your donors! Thank you, and God Bless+++
