Easter 6
May 26, 2019
When one door closes, another door opens
This phrase can be found in the Spanish Novella, The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities, published anonymously, due to its heretical content, in 1554 and later translated into English. A young boy, Lazarillo, is given up by his parents and "apprentices" under a variety of people. One is a priest and the young hungry Lazarillo (same name as Lazarus in John 11) is trying to find a way to steal communion bread from the priest. The phrase is used by the boy to encourage himself when one path to the bread is foiled. In this case it can be taken more as encouragement in persistence than a promise of providence. A comic take on this is "when a door closes, open it, because that is the way doors work."
Acts 16:6-10
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia,
concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia,
having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
When they had come opposite Mysia,
they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;
so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision:
there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia,
being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
The proverb often is used by religious people and changed to say something like “When God closes one door, he opens another.” While the passage in Acts does not use the image of windows or doors, it is clear that God both closes (v6) and opens (v10) opportunities. The common phrase goes beyond saying that this can happen by stating that it will happen. This is a much grander claim and makes it sound like mechanical certainty. Fancy footwork must follow. If an opportunity is sought and then made unavailable, we are left to interpret whatever happens as the new opportunity. Can the football player who blows his knee out in his last year of college say the road to fame and fortune was closed and a new door to being a casual worker for a moving company opened? All the power to him! For he would be "giving thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) This is to say that trusting in God's providence is something different than blind, false and manufactured optimism.
Easter 7
June 2, 2019
All for one, and one for all
This well-known phrase appears in the Three Musketeers, written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. In fact, it is D'Artagnan, not one of the Musketeers, who utters the words coercively to Porthos before Athos and Aramis join in to swear this promise of unity. Although never officially adopted, these words have served as the motto of Switzerland since their first use there in 1868.Again, the intention is to rally to unity.
John 17:20-21
I ask not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those
who will believe in me through their word,
that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,
so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Jesus' desire for our unity is a common and frequent theme in the Gospels. It is more pronounced in John and even more so within Jesus’ prayers as recorded by John. This verse is one of many where Jesus prays not only for those present but also for those who follow. This teaching is not time-bound;it applies today and into the future. The kinship we have with Jesus and our common Father points to the unity in which we are invited to live, within an ever-growing sense of “one for all and all for one.” Indeed, in our divided world, these are radical words.
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.
May 26, 2019
When one door closes, another door opens
This phrase can be found in the Spanish Novella, The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities, published anonymously, due to its heretical content, in 1554 and later translated into English. A young boy, Lazarillo, is given up by his parents and "apprentices" under a variety of people. One is a priest and the young hungry Lazarillo (same name as Lazarus in John 11) is trying to find a way to steal communion bread from the priest. The phrase is used by the boy to encourage himself when one path to the bread is foiled. In this case it can be taken more as encouragement in persistence than a promise of providence. A comic take on this is "when a door closes, open it, because that is the way doors work."
Acts 16:6-10
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia,
concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia,
having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
When they had come opposite Mysia,
they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;
so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision:
there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia,
being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
The proverb often is used by religious people and changed to say something like “When God closes one door, he opens another.” While the passage in Acts does not use the image of windows or doors, it is clear that God both closes (v6) and opens (v10) opportunities. The common phrase goes beyond saying that this can happen by stating that it will happen. This is a much grander claim and makes it sound like mechanical certainty. Fancy footwork must follow. If an opportunity is sought and then made unavailable, we are left to interpret whatever happens as the new opportunity. Can the football player who blows his knee out in his last year of college say the road to fame and fortune was closed and a new door to being a casual worker for a moving company opened? All the power to him! For he would be "giving thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) This is to say that trusting in God's providence is something different than blind, false and manufactured optimism.
Easter 7
June 2, 2019
All for one, and one for all
This well-known phrase appears in the Three Musketeers, written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. In fact, it is D'Artagnan, not one of the Musketeers, who utters the words coercively to Porthos before Athos and Aramis join in to swear this promise of unity. Although never officially adopted, these words have served as the motto of Switzerland since their first use there in 1868.Again, the intention is to rally to unity.
John 17:20-21
I ask not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those
who will believe in me through their word,
that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,
so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Jesus' desire for our unity is a common and frequent theme in the Gospels. It is more pronounced in John and even more so within Jesus’ prayers as recorded by John. This verse is one of many where Jesus prays not only for those present but also for those who follow. This teaching is not time-bound;it applies today and into the future. The kinship we have with Jesus and our common Father points to the unity in which we are invited to live, within an ever-growing sense of “one for all and all for one.” Indeed, in our divided world, these are radical words.
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.