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Bible Readings for Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

– The Week of The 13th Sunday After Pentecost *Click on each bible passage to expand the text. Psalm 133 1. How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

2. It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

3. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore. Genesis 49:29—50:14 Genesis 49

29. Then he charged them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors– in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30. in the cave in the field at Machpelah, near Mamre, in the land of Canaan, in the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

31. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah–

32. the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33. When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 50

1. Then Joseph threw himself on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.

2. Joseph commanded the physicians in his service to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel;

3. they spent forty days in doing this, for that is the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

4. When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph addressed the household of Pharaoh, “If now I have found favor with you, please speak to Pharaoh as follows:

5. My father made me swear an oath; he said, ‘I am about to die. In the tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.’ Now therefore let me go up, so that I may bury my father; then I will return.”

6. Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

7. So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8. as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.

9. Both chariots and charioteers went up with him. It was a very great company.

10. When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed a time of mourning for his father seven days.

11. When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan.

12. Thus his sons did for him as he had instructed them.

13. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, the field near Mamre, which Abraham bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14. After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. Romans 14:13—15:2 Romans 14

13. Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.

14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

15. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

16. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

17. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval.

19. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat;

21. it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.

22. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve.

23. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Romans 15

1. We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! – Psalm 133

When Jacob ended his charge to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. – Genesis 49:33

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. – Romans 14:14

Nothing is Unclean in Itself…

Behold! How pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.

Not a unity of heredity, nor ideological or national identity.

Not a unity of similarity of wealth or poverty.

Not a unity of race.

As Christians, God calls us to be unified as Children of God, one common identity, no more and no less.

Glory be to God!

As Christians we are called to regard no man or woman for their outward and worldly wealth or honors, no should we regard them by their various perfunctory identities assigned by class or culture. We are to regard all people by their internal qualifications: how they love like us, how they suffer like us, how they live like us, how they die like us.

You are all my brothers and sisters in God! And I love all of you, regardless of your faith or lack thereof.

Crossing the Boundaries

But how are we, as good Christian Universalists, to cross the cultural boundaries and overcome these superfluous divisions?

The Apostle Paul write the following Truths to us in today’s passage from Romans:

Romans 14 13. Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.

14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 19. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat;

21. it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Romans 15

1. We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.

Let me help some of you out here: this Truth isn’t only about literal eating. It’s about what you consume on the whole, as teachings, as a lifestyle, as books, as music, as friends… everything.

“Nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.” “Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat.”

So if you as a good Christian Universalist live without fear of judgement and should come out as gay, or are a great friend to gay people, you are blessed in the eyes of God. However, our choices and actions must be accountable to the weaker in faith, as a price of our strength of faith.

If the fact you’re gay leaves others upset or bothered, do not “eat” of that reality of who you are around them. Don’t be openly gay around the weaker of faith.

Simple as that.

“Nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.” “Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat.”

If my being Christian Universalist should cause someone to stumble or fall in faith, I should keep my fat-yapper shut, and live in the quiet and fearless certitude that comes from a life loved by God.

“Nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.” “Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat.”

If a woman should not address a man in a Muslim country, or wear a head scarf, then she should do it without hesitation, knowing she has full equality before God and her CU brothers and sisters.

“Nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.” “Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat.”

If your kiddos read Harry Potter, but you have a Fundamentalist neighbor whose children play with yours and who is has mistaken the “Christology” of the Harry Potter books for” witchcraft”, then don’t talk about the books, don’t show the movies, and never mock them for their superstitions. Love them in their folly, and protect their fagility.

For with great power comes great responsibility to your brothers and sisters who are weaker in faith.

Romans 15 1. We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.

We, my CU brothers and sisters, are the Evangelists of Unity and the Heralds of God’s Transforming love.

Now go and eat, or not eat, as you see fit in the name of love and God’s blessed Community.