Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C
Lectionary citations
Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6
John 13:31-35
Additional reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter is available in Sermon Seeds Year C from The Pilgrim Press.
Worship resources for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C can be found at Worship Ways.
Note: We continue our special Mission 4/1 Earth series of preaching reflections on the lectionary texts for the Easter season, written by professors at our United Church of Christ seminaries. Weekly Seeds Bible studies for these weeks will be adapted from these reflections and available each week at http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/weekly-seeds/ (also by free email subscription).
Sermon Seeds
Reflection:
Professor Julia M. O'Brien
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Which is more important: protecting the environment or creating jobs? Safeguarding animal habitats or achieving national energy independence? Policy makers and political parties often insist that we have to choose between these values, pitting care for people against care for the earth.
Two of this week's lectionary texts challenge such either-or thinking. Psalm 148 places humans and the rest of creation on equal footing, and Acts 11 shows how rethinking our relationship with food can help us rethink our relationships with each other.
Psalm 148
This poem is one of five doxological hymns that conclude the book of Psalms. Likely intentionally placed at the end of the book to shape the Psalter into a document of praise, these psalms all begin with "Hallelujah!" ("Praise the LORD!") and are repeatedly punctuated with the imperative, "Praise!"
The command to praise is the sole theme of Psalm 148. Apart from two verses that explain why God deserves praise (6 and 14), each verse begins with the same command (sometimes implied). The psalm first addresses the heavens (1-6), then the earth (1-7), and finally ends with a summary and a repeat of its opening line: "Praise the LORD!"
These structural features cast humans as equals with the rest of creation. In its middle section addressing the earth, the psalm makes no formal distinction between mountains, wild animals, kings, and people of all ages and genders. Each is addressed in the same way--creeping things equally capable of and responsible for praising their creator as are princes.
Throughout, the sole object of praise is God. Animals and mountains do not serve people: they, along with people, praise and serve the divine one. The glory of the heavens and the earth is eclipsed by the glory of the God whom they serve (13).
The mention of God's favor for Israel in 14 continues rather than interrupts the psalm's theme of universal praise. God's closeness with the people is presented as motivation to join the rest of creation in praise rather than as a privileged status over the world; the covenant relationship does not place God's chosen people above creation.
Acts 11:
The book of Acts is organized to depict the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome. Chapter 11 appears mid-way through this advance, explaining how key figures such as Peter came to accept Gentiles as part of the Jesus movement.
Peter's vision is first narrated in Acts 10. After the Gentile Cornelius has a vision in which an angel instructs him to contact Peter, Peter himself experiences a vision in which unclean animals are offered for food. The two men meet and recount their visions, leading Peter to conclude that "God shows no partiality" (10:34), and the Holy Spirit comes upon all those gathered. In ch. 11, Peter recounts the vision to those skeptical of including Gentiles, and they are persuaded by his testimony. Peter's recap of the events in ch. 11 does not mention Cornelius by name, though both chapters acknowledge the role of a Gentile, two visions, and the Holy Spirit in shaping a new understanding of the believing community.
This well-known passage is often interpreted in ways that explicitly or implicitly promote anti-Judaism. The dietary and membership restrictions of Judaism too often are cast as narrow and arbitrary, in contrast to the purportedly more enlightened inclusivity of Christianity. Such interpretations are not only detrimental for contemporary interfaith dialogue but also fail to recognize the ways in which this story shows how people's views can change and how attitudes toward food relate to attitudes toward other humans.
The foods offered to Peter go against his understanding of what it "fit" to eat. They are described as "profane" and "unclean," categories drawn from the purity system of the Hebrew Bible. As studies of the purity laws underscore (for example, see David P. Wright, "Unclean and Clean [OT]," pp.729-741 in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 6. New York: Doubleday, 1992), these labels refer not to matters of hygiene or sanitation but to a particular cultural and religious understanding of how the universe is ordered.
While modern Christians often dismiss the purity system as irrelevant to their own lives, we nonetheless hold to our own notions of "fit" foods. Many would second Peter's refusal to eat reptiles and birds of prey and add other rules about food to our list:
• A proper dinner includes meat.
• A meal that includes a wide variety of foods (for example, numerous small plates or tastings) is more elegant than a single dish.
• Food should be easy to prepare.
• All produce should be available year round.
• Bottled water is better than tap water.
Numerous studies have shown that these "tastes" have severe consequences for the planet, our own health, and the food supplies of others. Simple internet searches on "environmental impact of bottled water" and "environmental impact of meat consumption" offer useful and challenging data. A search on "variety and overeating" reveals the ways in which a variety of food choices leads to overeating.
In Acts 10-11, Peter's willingness to change his mind about food prompts him to change his mind about people. His vision, the Holy Spirit, and his encounter with Cornelius allow him to discern the interconnectedness of all creation: "what God has called clean, you must not call profane" (11:9). Might changing our own views of food help us do the same? Could drinking tap water help us be more aware of the privilege of having clean water readily available to us? Could quenching our craving for variety reduce our waistlines and our monopoly of the planet's resources? In her short, readable book Eating and Drinking (in the series Christian Explorations of Daily Living, Augsburg Fortress, 2011), Elizabeth T. Groppe investigates the sources and implications of the food her family consumes in a single day. Following her lead might help us take more responsibility for the environmental and human impact of our tastes.
Tastes and cultural norms are hard to change. But we trust that the Holy Spirit can empower us to embrace more of creation, just as it empowered Peter and the Jerusalem church.
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Our guest writer this week for Mission 4/1 Earth:
Dr. Julia M. O'Brien is Paul H. and Grace L. Stern Professor of Old Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary. Her academic specialties include the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible, (especially the Minor Prophets) and the intersection of gender studies and biblical studies. The author and editor of numerous commentaries and monographs, Julia currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies and is completing a feminist commentary on the book of Micah. Julia also lectures and leads workshops on various topics related to the Bible and contemporary culture–including (homo)sexuality and the Bible; the family in ancient and modern perspectives; biblical promises and Middle Eastern politics; and secular readings of Old Testament narratives. For more information, go to http://juliamobrien.net.
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Lectionary texts
Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' But I replied, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.' This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.' And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."
Psalm 148
Praise God! Praise God from the heavens;
praise God in the heights!
Praise God, all you angels of God;
praise God all you host of heaven!
Praise God, sun and moon;
praise God, all you shining stars!
Praise God, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of God,
for God commanded and they were created.
God established them forever and ever;
God fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Praise God from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling God's command!
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beast of the forest and all cattle,
crawling things and flying birds!
Rulers of the earth and all peoples,
nobles and all leaders of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
Let them praise the name of the Sovereign,
whose name alone is exalted;
whose glory is above earth and heaven.
God has raised up a horn for the people,
and praise for all the faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to God.
Praise be to God!
Revelation 21:1-6
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them as their God;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."
John 13:31-35
When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
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Liturgical notes on the Readings
In ecumenical liturgical practice, there are normally three readings and one psalm at each Sunday service, in this order:
First Reading: Hebrew Scripture
Response: Psalm (or Canticle) from the Bible
Second Reading: Epistle (or Acts or Revelation)
Third Reading: Gospel
The first two lessons are normally read by laypeople, the Gospel by a Minister of the Word or a layperson. In Roman Catholic, Anglican and liturgical Protestant churches, it is uncommon for an ordained minister to read all of the lessons.
The psalm is not a reading but a congregational response following the lesson from Hebrew Scripture: it is normally sung with a refrain or recited by the congregation as poetry. Occasionally, a canticle is appointed in place of a psalm; it is sung or recited in the same way. The New Century Hymnal provides a complete liturgical psalter with refrains and music.
A hymn may be sung as an introduction to the proclamation of the Gospel.
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