Black History Month 2020 - Identity - @rajpatta

The Letter of Euodia and Syntyche to the Philippians: Reflecting on Philippian 4: 2-9

 Dear Church@ Philippi,

 

Euodia and Syntyche, sisters in Jesus Christ write this letter

To all the people in Philippi,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

As many of you will remember both of us were among those women along with Lydia who on a Sabbath day gathered by the river outside the gate at a place of prayer and listened to Paul and his teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:11-15). From then on, when we as women began sharing our testimonies and experiences of prayer, by the grace of God the Church at Philippi began to grow. We are grateful to Paul for his ministry and his missionary journeys, especially for God in Jesus’ calling Paul to mission both to the Jews and the non-Jews equally, we praise God. We also thank Paul for recognising us, though women, as those who have struggled beside him in the work of the gospel (Phil 4: 3), and for also preaching and practicing that there is no longer, Jew, non-Jew, male, female for we are all one in Christ. We also thank Paul for taking time in writing a letter to our church from his imprisonment. We send our prayers, peace and thoughts to Paul at a time like this.

 

As we received this letter from Paul, we were saddened to note not only that both our names were called out in the public, but were also disheartened to realise how we were portrayed as quarrelsome women in the church. Paul would have written with a good intention of asking both of us ‘to be of the same mind in the Lord,’ (4:2) but ever since this letter from Paul came out everyone has started to enquire about the quarrel we had, and the reasons for such a quarrel. We as women get very little attention in the literature of ancient Christianity, and when we are mentioned for wrong reasons, in this context over a quarrel between us, you can imagine the kind of ostracization we women have been facing.

 

Ever since we have called out in the letter, we have been branded as ‘two quarrelling women’ and have been stereotyped as women are the ones who always quarrel, and unfortunately some even went on to say ‘wherever there is a quarrel there is a woman.’ We do recognise that we live in a patriarchal world, and women have always been subjected under men, and this calling out our names in the public sphere by Paul is unwarranted and unexpected. So, our call to the church at the Philippi and to all the readers across time and space is to not yield to patriarchy, subjecting women under male dominance and to stereotype women as those with whom quarrel is associated. There isn’t anything funny about this matter. We as followers of Jesus Christ believe that people with all genders are created in the equal image of God, and any practice of patriarchy in the church and outside the church is a sin. We urge Paul, and the rest of the Christians to repent for practicing patriarchy, which is male dominance and arrogance, consciously and unconsciously, and strive towards building a just society by affirming in the equality of all genders.

 

We urge the church not to be too inquisitive to know the reasons for why Paul has written about us ‘to have the same mind in the Lord.’ This is not about any conflicts or quarrels that we have, but it is an exhortation that Paul is making to the entire church through us to strive towards having a same mind in the Lord. Sameness is not about uniformity, but is about unity in diversity in the Lord.

 

We are thankful to Paul for not taking sides with any of us, and for not provoking each of us to fight between us. All that he calls us is ‘to be of the same mind in the Lord.’ He did not urge us ‘to be of the same mind with one another,’ for then we would have struggled to know which same mind. Paul has given us the clue to have the same mind in the Lord, which is to have the mind of Christ, which is to be inclusive, open, humble, accepting one another, receiving one another, serving one another and loving one another with out any conditions.

 

We call on the church to recognise partnership as a key feature in Christian discipleship. Paul did mention about Clement, about Timothy, about us as deacons, as co-workers with him, for partnerships of working together is a way forward for us as churches. Partnerships recognises the diversity of gifts among us, and when we work together offering our own gifts for the Kingdom of God, we can together make a difference. The plural of disciples is church, and partnerships of men and women, young and old, Jews and non-Jews, Greeks and Romans, when all of us work together, we can work with Jesus in bringing a change in our locality. So, keep working in partnerships for it provides a collective and communitarian witness to the gospel of Jesus relevant for our times.

 

When we are in partnerships, in unity with one another we can rejoice in the Lord, for to rejoice in the Lord is to celebrate partnerships, where others priorities become our priorities and where we can serve God by serving one another. Let our gentleness be known to everyone, for we as church will be known by our partnerships, by our being in the same mind in the Lord and in rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing in the Lord is not rejoicing in Ceasar. Again, we join with Paul in saying this, rejoice in the Lord always.

 

Make prayer a priority, for prayer is listening to God, waiting on God, retreating from all busyness of life and hearing to God speaking to us, for God is a speaking God, collaborating God willing to work with us.

 

And the peace of God which passes all understanding, for we cannot predict the ways and works of God, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, the hope of this world today and forever. Do not allow our lives to be guarded by any other securities other than the peace of God and strive to share that peace with everyone we meet.

 

Finally, as you will know the meaning of our names Euodia which means “Good journey” or “fragrance” and Syntyche means “Good luck” or “fortunate” reflect that in Christ our lives have been on a ‘good journey’ of fragrance, faith and fortune. May goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life.

 

(This is a reflection imagining if Euodia and Syntyche write a reply letter in response to Philippians 4:2-9 to the same church)

 

Rev. Dr. Raj Bharat Patta

11th October 2020

Prayers of Intercession: Black History Month

“I have a dream that our children will one day live in a nation

where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin

but by the content of their character”

cried out O God of justice, Martin Luther King Jr. several years ago,

and dear God that dream still remains unfulfilled,

and here we gather together in one voice, one heart and one mind

seeking your grace for justice to flown into our nations,

so that we can respect one another, treat each other in dignity and

uphold the truth that you have created each of us in your equal image.

 

God of justice, help us to recognise that this Black History Month

Is an opportunity to commit ourselves to strive for a just world,

Where you are calling us to give up our privilege, prejudice and supremacy.

 

We remember in prayer all the contributions of BAME communities for the society, specially we remember the Windrush generation, to whom justice has been denied and who were unjustly treated, we ask O God for your healing.

 

Specially during this global pandemic of COVID,

We have noted that this is not a great equaliser,

because people from Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic communities are two to three times more likely to die with Coronavirus than the general population in the UK. We pray for your healing O God.

 

We remember in prayer people from Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic communities, who are at greater risk of financial hardships, and could suffer a ‘double whammy’ of higher financial impact on top of disproportionate health effects. Help us as churches to look to the interests of these people O God in compassion and justice.

 

We remember in prayer that one in nine people have been unable to keep up with house bills during this COVID, which is six million people across UK are in debts, particularly affecting the poor people. God as we demand the chancellor to reset the debt and proclaim a debt jubilee, hear our prayers and help our governments to act wisely for the benefit of people who are vulnerable. 

 

We remember in our prayers all people’s movements for justice across the world who are raising the voice against the unjust systems of racism, capitalism, patriarchy, casteism, colonialism etc. Help us as churches to partner with these movements for justice and be your channels in bringing a difference to the world in which we live.

 

We uphold each of us joining at this special worship, as we leave this zoom, help us to keep reflecting and help us to act as your instruments in striving towards transforming our society, dismantling the walls of injustice and discrimination and to build bridges of love and peace. Help us to be your channels for racial justice, for gender justice, for economic justice and for ecological justice. Hear our prayers O God.

 

Sent us out into our localities to be agents of your kingdom, for we ask all these things in the name of our Lord and Liberator Jesus Christ. Amen

 

@rajpatta

circuit service 04.10.2020

Isn’t this surprising? The rejected becomes the cornerstone: Reflecting on Matthew 21:42

Wonder is the beginning of Faith, Hope and Love

 

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the temple,

“Have you never read in your scriptures,

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,

This was the Lord’s doing

And it is amazing in our eyes” Matt 21: 42

 

 

Some of the most successful people in the world were once a failure, or for that matter were failures in several attempts, only to succeed after so many failed attempts. These were people mocked, felt rejected, yet in their perseverance to achieve they did not give up and ultimately achieved in life. Winners are the not the ones who fail, but are the ones who quit. Of course, we need to ask how to we define failure and success and on whose terms. It is always the powerful who define the norm for such things, and makes the vulnerable look like a failure.  

 

Thomas Edison was told by his teachers, “He was too stupid to learn anything.” Eventually, Edison has 1000 patents on his name including phonograph and electric lamp. The stone that the builders reject becomes the cornerstone.

 

Albert Einstein didn’t start speak until he was four, reading until he was seven, and thought to have been mentally challenged person. But eventually he went to win a Nobel prize and the whole approach to physics was changed because of his scientific discoveries. The stone that the builders reject becomes the cornerstone.

 

Vincent Van Gogh, sold just one painting, “The Red Vineyard” during his life time, and the sale came not long before his death. For Vincent others got to enjoy the financial spoils of his life time of toils. The stone that the builders reject becomes the cornerstone.

 

 

1. What is the surprise? The situation of the surprise:

Why do the builders reject a stone in their business of construction? Stones which are not of proper shape, stones that are hallow, stones that are not similar to the other ones are rejected, and are either thrown into a scrap. Only those good stones, the builders who is powerful justify to use them. However, Jesus picks these rejected stones, those that are thrown away as scrap, and surprises everyone by choosing these rejected stones to be the cornerstone on which he builds his Kingdom of God.   

 

2. Who does the surprise? The source of the surprise:

This was purely the Lord’s doing. Jesus affirms and re-emphasises that it is the Lord that does these surprises. For the God of Jesus, the God of the scriptures is a God of surprises, who reverses the order, where the last becomes first, the least becomes the best, and the lost becomes found. The source of surprise is God, who contrasts to the paradigms of the temple or the society. God works on the terms of ‘unpredictability.’

 

 

3. To whom is this surprise? The sight of the surprise:

Jesus said, such a surprise is amazing in the sight of the public sphere. Surprise or wonder is the beginning of the kingdom of God, where there is God’s act surprises, for God is a God of unpredictability. What are the things that are amazing in our lives? Familiarity, habit, predictability are opposites of wonder, and wonder is the beginning of wisdom, faith, hope, love and also to the very understanding of church.

 

Graham Tomlin in his book Why being yourself is a bad idea? Writes about “Why wonder is the beginning of wisdom?” which is an interesting read.

 

Relevance:

1. Have we ever read our scripture with the lens of surprise? When was that occasion that the Scripture has surprised us?

2. The God of the scriptures is a God of surprises – where the rejected becomes not only chosen but also cornerstone.

3. As a church how are we offering this ministry of wonder? Reimagining is a clue towards that, where we can strive with the help of God in offering new ways of doing mission and church.

4. Who are the rejected in our society today? People who are felt to be rejected in the name of colour, race, gender, class, caste, sexuality etc. are called to be made not only welcome, but also to recognise that God in Jesus transforms them as cornerstone for the society. As a church are, we joining with Jesus in that mission of finding the new cornerstones.

5. In the context of COVID many people feel rejected based on their ability, vulnerability disability, age, - the gospel is that God has not left anyone out because of our vulnerability – God in Jesus is reversing and surprising the society.

 

 

@rajpatta

04.10.2020

Prayers of Intercession: Based on Philippians 2:1-11

God in Jesus, in whose name we gather here, each from our own homes,

We thank you for your encouragement in Christ towards us,

For your love, for your strength and for inviting us to be imitators of Christ’s love.

Teach us to regard others better than ourselves,

Help us not to look to our own interests but to the interests of others.

 

At this time, we especially pray for people who are pushed into situations of poverty and homelessness, help us as churches to look to the interests of these people, O God.

 

We pray for people who are in self-isolation, and whose well-beings are affected by this lock down, We specially remember people who are unwell and sick, grant them your healing. Help us as churches to look to the interests of these people by offering prayers and sharing love.

 

We remember in our prayers today those that are crossing oceans, fleeing away from violence and war, help us as churches to look to the interests of these people O God, by working towards shelter and the right to work for the asylum seekers O God.

 

We remember today the 27th of September as Rivers day, and pray for the rivers across the world, for they are the arteries of our planet and have been the lifelines to several people and nations. Forgive us for we pollute our rivers with the chemicals. Help us as churches to look to the interests of our creation, particularly the rivers today and help us to preserve them. We remember in prayer River Mersey, River Goyt, River Etherow, River Tame, the rivers in the metropolitan borough of Stockport. Help us to be sensitive to the needs of our creation. 

 

We remember in prayer people from Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic communities, who are at greater risk of financial hardships, and could suffer a ‘double whammy’ of higher financial impact on top of disproportionate health effects. Help us as churches to look to the interests of these people O God.

 

As we remember the international day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, yesterday the 26th September, we pray for our countries and their leaders to pledge and commit for a global nuclear disarmament, and help them to strive for peace among nations. Help us as churches to look to the interests of global peace by advocating our governments towards a global nuclear disarmaments O God.

 

We pray for ourselves, help us not to turn inwards but help us to be drawn outwards by the love of God so that we can be channels of sharing your love with people around us. Grant us the mind of Christ, teach us to be humble like Christ, help us to be compassionate like Christ and help us to join with Christ in transforming our world. Upholding all of us into your hands, and looking for your grace, we ask these prayers in the name of the living waters Jesus Christ. Amen.

                                                               

@rajpatta

27th September 2020

 

In the rule of the Kingdom of God, Authority is De-powered: Reflecting on Matthew 21:23-32

In the 21st chapter of Matthew, we begin to read about the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem, we recognise a public parade of Jesus in protest against the Roman empire, which created a turmoil in the city. Later on, Jesus goes into the temple, creating a turmoil in the temple by overturning the tables of power and commerce in that sanctuary, which made the chief-priests and the scribes angry. Following that incident Matthew records the cursing of the fig tree in Bethany, when he found no fruit on it. In the first 22 verses of this chapter, we see an angry Jesus, who was angry against the empire and against the religious powers who were a crony to the empire. In verse 23, as he again enters into the temple and was teaching to the people there, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these (above mentioned) things, and who gave you this authority?”

 

The chief priests, the scribes and the elders of the temple have been waiting for an opportunity to corner Jesus, a Galilean man from Nazareth, for the kinds of disruptions and turmoil that he has been creating in their city, for they are angered by his actions. They now took this opportunity to confront him by questioning him about his authority. This question, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” exposes the fears and the insecurity of these religious authorities, for whom their identity is built around the notions of ‘authority.’ These religious authorities have assumed power and authority either by the legitimacy of their birth (priestly clan), or by their religious traditions of interpreting the scriptures or by being the representatives of the empire. They have always claimed to be the custodians of law, temple and religion, demonstrating their power and authority. When Jesus created a turmoil in Jerusalem by his public parade and by overturning the tables in the temple, the authority of these chief priests and the elders of the temple was at stake and so on their first encounter with Jesus they had to question about his authority. The word ‘authority’ is a loaded term, for there is so much power and privilege when someone claims it for themselves. So, when the religious authorities asked this question “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” to Jesus, they were conveying, “it is we the chief priests and the elders of the temple who control things here in Jerusalem, without our knowledge and permission no one can exercise power or authority, far be it for a powerless rabbi called Jesus of Nazareth.”

 

Jesus answers these religious authorities by asking another question about the baptism of John, was it from heaven or was it of human origin? (25v) When they tried playing safe with their answer saying ‘we do not know’ (27v), Jesus replied that, “neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (27v). However, Jesus continued the conversation by narrating a parable of two sons (28-32v), which I read it as Matthew’s account of Luke’s ‘parable of the prodigal son’ as a clue to understand about authority, Jesus way. By sharing this parable, Jesus in a way was de-powering the authority of these religious authorities who boasted about their power and authority and affirms in the preference and priority of the powerless and outcasted communities in the Kingdom of God.

 

In this parable, we recognise that the father asks both his sons to go and work in his vineyard. Firstly, it is interesting to note that Jesus at the temple, talking to the chief priests and the elders of the temple did not choose a parable of speaking about a father who was a priest and requests his sons to go and help him as priesthood those days was understood to be a lineage affair, for those from the priestly tribe continued to be priests. However, Jesus by choosing to speak to the religious authorities about a parable of a farmer father who calls his sons to work in his vineyard, Jesus was de-powering the authority of those priestly class and religious authorities, inviting them to look to the struggles of the peasant class in their own public sphere.

 

Secondly, the farmer father does not enforce authority on his sons, rather asks both his sons to go and work in the vineyard today (28v). For the religious authorities like that of the empire, authority was always understood as that is enforced, either by force or by violence or by levying huge taxes. In contrast to such an understanding of authority, Jesus presents a farmer father who requests his sons for help to work in the vineyard for that given day. So, for Jesus, authority is seeking and requesting for support and partnership in his work at the vineyard. Authority, in Jesus’ way is not about power relations, where the powerful father dictates terms to his powerless sons, rather was about mutual partnership. Both the sons had the freedom of expression, a choice to express their views in this parable either to work or not to work. Authority in Jesus way is providing that freedom to express about their willingness or unwillingness, each according to their free will and choice. Authority in Jesus’ way is not an enforcement of power, rather building trust and partnership in seeking mutual support in the ambience of freedom of choice, will and expression.

 

Thirdly, authority for Jesus is not in ‘hypocritical obedience’, projecting to be obedient to the word, but unfaithful to put that into action. When the father farmer requests both his sons for help, we see that the second son who impulsively replied “I go sir” (30v) to his request but did not turn up at the end. We recognise that the second son was exhibiting the traits of ‘hypocritical obedience,’ where he tries to please his father by words only and acts very contrary to what he has said. The chief priests and the elders of the temple have always tried to please everyone only by words, and their actions never matched to their words. Jesus by bringing this parable, was explaining it loud that authority, his way, is not like that of the chief priests and the elders of the temple, who display ‘hypocritical obedience’, where they project to be obedient but are not truthful to that obedience, who reply only on words, with a total mismatch to their deeds.

 

Fourthly, authority for Jesus is rather in the ‘solidarity of action,’ a willingness to help, assist, support and serve in the vineyard. We see the first son who initially replied “I will not” (29v) but later changed his mind and went to serve in the vineyard. Authority for Jesus is not in pleasing words and shouts, but in changing the mind and expressing it in a ‘solidarity of action.’ Jesus elsewhere said all those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ will not go into the kingdom of God, because for Jesus a solidarity of action, a willingness to work with him in the vineyard is all that matters. Authority, in Jesus’ way is in changing the mind, supporting the farmer, taking on the struggle of the farmer, giving up one’s own priority of work and in agreeing to work with the ‘other’ for the ‘other’. The chief priests and the elders of the temple were only presenting themselves with long robes in the temples, living on the unjust temple taxes of the poor peasants. They never knew what it is to work in solidarity with the poor peasants, nor had an open heart and ears to the struggles of the peasantry in their land. Jesus by sharing this parable was de-powering the authority of the religious authority and was affirming in a new understanding of authority, which is in ‘solidarity of action’ with the struggling communities.

 

Fifthly, authority in Jesus’ way is in offering a preferential option of the outcasts, with their conscious inclusion in the Kingdom of God. Jesus says in verse 31, “Truly, I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.” The tax-collectors and the prostitutes, were on the edge of the society, for they were hated and looked-down by the people, particularly the religious authorities. The temple authorities by exercising their power and authority always assumed and claimed positions to be the first in the temple and in the society. On the contrary, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes were the ones to be first in the kingdom of God, though they were considered to be outcasts and polluting, and were treated as the least, the lost and the last in the society, for they have no power or authority of their own. But authority in Jesus’ way is that the people who were considered the outcasts and the least, and who have no power or authority in the temple will be the ones who will be going into the kingdom of God ahead of the so called ‘chosen’, the religious authorities. Jesus again was de-powering the power and authority of the chief priests and the elders of the temple, by consciously including and offering preference to the least and powerless communities.

 

Finally, authority in Jesus way, is about changing the mind, willing to give up, choosing to be the least, practicing solidarity and humility, to be a church on the margins and subscribing to the authority of the divine, whose grace is upon all people irrespective of identities, for the cause of the kingdom of God. By narrating this parable, Jesus was nailing authority on its head, by de-powering the power and authority of the dominant groups, and by reversing it with the conscious inclusion of the outcasts and the excluded into the realm of God’s rule and grace. So, the answer to the question “by whose authority Jesus was doing the things he was doing?” was that by the authority of the divine, whose rule of grace is a reversal to the powers and authorities of the dominant and powerful in the society, is an important learning for us as a church today.

 

The relevance of this text for us today is in abiding to the authority of the divine, whose rule of grace is in contesting the power and authority of the dominant and in affirming in a conscious inclusion of those on the margins of our society today. There are four models of churches that I recognise from this text for us today. Firstly, a church who boasts about their authority, history and authorised traditions, claiming to be the authority of faith and church, in so doing are closed to other faith perspectives and excluding the grace of God to many other people – like that of the chief priests and the elders of the temple. Secondly, a church who are only good at pleasing words, and whose actions mismatch to what they sing, pray, preach and offer – like that of the second son in the parable who said “I go sir” but did not go at the end. Thirdly, a church that is not impulsive and reactionary, but rather are critically reflective and are willing to express the love of Christ in solidarity of action – like that of the first son, who initially said “I will not go” but rather changed his mind and went to work in the vineyard. Fourthly, a church that consciously includes those that are pushed as outcasts and offers to be a church at the margins sharing grace to all of the creation, contesting power and celebrating life of all – like that of Jesus’ preferential option of the tax-collectors and the prostitutes to enter the kingdom of God ahead of the many so called ‘chosen.’ Let us therefore, prayerfully introspect ourselves as churches and locate ourselves as a church to be with Jesus who is working untiringly on the margins of our society today. May God, whose authority is in giving up power be with each of us and help us to be a church relevant for our times today and make a difference in the world by working with Jesus in his vineyard of the world today. Amen.

 

Rev. Dr. Raj Bharat Patta,

25th September, 2020

Pic credit: https://www.saintmarkslutheran.org/2008/09/28/sermon-matt-2123-32-whose-authority/

Are we as a Church listening to the cries of “Because no one has hired us”? Reflecting on Matthew 20:1-16

 

Pic Credit: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/172614598196328034/