THE PROPHET AMOS: The Wednesday Morning Bible Study resumed this past week – please note we will not meet on September 29. We read the Book of Amos, one of the Twelve Minor Prophetic Books.
Amos was a shepherd from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. His book is a collection of oracles that were delivered in and to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jereboam II, King of Israel, sometime between 760 and 750 BC. (Recall that King Saul, King David and King Solomon presided over a united kingdom, but after Solomon’s death the kingdom split into two: northern Israel and southern Judah – the Biblical account of the united and divided monarchies can be found in the Old Testament Books 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.) Amos’ oracles were delivered to Israel at a time when the Northern Kingdom was in the midst of a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity, yet only one or two generations away from being overrun and destroyed by Assyria (in the 720s BC).
The Book of Amos begins with a series of oracles (chapters 1-2) indicting Israel’s neighbors for their various sins and crimes: if you look at a map you can see that Amos first points far north to Damascus, then far south to Gaza, then north again, though not as far, to Tyre, then south once more, again not as far south, to Edom, gradually and continually naming neighbors closer and closer to Israel and Judah. The penultimate oracle in this section lambasts Judah for rejecting the Law and being “led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked” – precisely what 1 & 2 Kings states the leaders of Judah and Israel did. Finally, Amos looks at Israel and indicts them on a far greater scale than the rest. Israel is guilty of defrauding and oppressing the poor and making a mockery of their religion by letting it be swallowed up in the cultic practices of their neighbors. One assumes that a resident of the Northern Kingdom hearing this first part of the oracle would almost cheer as God’s wrath is made known about the sinful neighbors, one after the other, not noticing that the neighbors in question seem to be getting closer and closer. However, at the mention of the sister Kingdom Judah, that same resident’s ears might prick up and an audible gulp might escape his or her lips. I find Amos’ rhetorical skill quite impressive in this opening sequence.
The second part of the book (chapters 3-6) lists in great detail Israel’s shortcomings and the punishment that God is most certain to bring. The people have “trampled on the poor” and “turned justice into poison”. Amos is blunt about what the Lord will do: “I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground”. And he is clear that the “notables” who “lounge on their couches”, “sing idle songs”, “drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils” will “be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.”
The third and final part of the book (chapters 7-9) details several visions of Amos. Amos sees locusts devouring the king’s fields, he sees fire devouring the deep and the land, and is shown a plumb line, symbolizing the fact that Israel does not measure up. After being confronted by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, who tells Amos to go home and prophecy somewhere else, Amos compares Israel to summer fruit… which will rot in short order. To many Christian ears, one of the last few oracles echoes forward to Good Friday: “On that day says the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day.” In the final vision of Amos, the Lord appears next to Amos at the altar and commands him to “strike the capitals [of the altar]”, and “I will shatter the heads of the people”.
A theme running through the book is that the Day of the Lord is coming. Amos corrects the presumption that the day of the Lord will be far off, or that it will be a good thing… but in fact the day of the Lord is unexpected, near, and severe. “[The Day of the Lord] is darkness and not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear, or went into a house and rested a hand against a wall, and was bitten by a serpent.” Amos is clear that the Day of the Lord will come, but it will be followed by resurrection and new life: “I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen”, and “restore the fortunes of my people Israel.” “I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord your God.”
The Book of Amos is probably the earliest of the written prophetic books. Amos’ language is stark and at times very violent, and sometimes people have difficulty with the idea of God’s wrath. But that wrath is spoken of in the context of extreme injustice in the midst of prosperity. Amos sees Israelites who are wealthy, peaceful, and happy, but who are also very unjust, immoral, and practicers of religious abominations (temple prostitutes and so forth), and so he indicts them for their injustice and treatment of the poor and for their false religious practices. Amos may not have known that his oracles would come true soon, but that luxury and prosperity was gone quickly when Israel was overrun by the Assyrian Empire, and everything that Amos said was going to happen, happened. For Christians the book has served as a preview of the events of the Passion, when both the Day of the Lord and the restoration of the people would truly come with the death and resurrection of the Son of God. The book also serves as a reminder that we are called by God to use all the gifts that we have been given in this life to love God and our neighbor. Amos might say there is no time like the present to act.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Shepherd's Voice: From the Rector #12
A GREAT YEAR: I have been rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd for one year. My wife, Nicole, our sons, Liam and Nicholas, and I moved to Granite Springs at the start of September one year ago. We have had a wonderful year, we love Granite Springs and Good Shepherd, and I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to every member and friend of Good Shepherd for making our first year a great one: thank you very, very much!
In particular, I would like to thank all of the members of the vestry, those who currently serve, and those who served in 2009. The lay leadership of the parish gives so much time and hard work to Good Shepherd. We are blessed with great lay leadership, and it is an honor to be the rector of a church with such a devoted and hard working vestry. Thanks so much!
The Wardens, Jim Corning, Bruce Barber, and last year’s Property Warden, Phil Levy, have been absolutely fabulous. We are blessed to have the wardens that we have. They have worked for the church constantly, and the fruit of their work is everywhere. Thanks so much!
The other parish officers, Sally Stevens, Jan Corning, and Bob Bubeck, have put in countless hours during the day, at night, and after church as our treasurer, clerk, and financial officer, respectively. They are, to a great degree, the three people who make sure all of the details and numbers add up. Thanks so much!
I would also like to thank the staff of the parish who ensure that Good Shepherd remains open and operational. We have a small staff, but that does not diminish the wonderful work they do. I would like to thank Ann Siemerling, our sexton, who has worked tirelessly keeping the church open and clean every day of the year. I would like to thank Cecilia Sparacio, our organist and choir director, who has ensured that we have a great variety of lovely music at church services on Sunday, during the week, and at special events. I would like to thank Sharen McKenna, our child care provider, who has made sure that our Nursery is open and full of children every Sunday of the year. Finally, I would like to thank our parish secretary, Cindy Sotter, who died this past June after many hard months of illness, and her husband Bernie, for his behind the scene secretarial assistance. Cindy did all of the little things that needed to be done during the week at a church, and her loss in the office and parish community has been great, but I am thankful for the time that she worked here, and that I was able to work with here. God bless you Cindy, and rest in peace. Thanks so much to all of you!
I would be remiss if I did not also offer thanks and congratulations to you all for a year of amazing growth at Good Shepherd. Good Shepherd averaged 58 people each Sunday from September 2008 to September 2009, and that number grew to 86 people from September 2009 to last September 2010 – so far our average attendance for 2010 is even higher at 88. That is an increase of 31%! A church does not grow unless everyone is involved in some part of welcoming visitors and newcomers. I am so happy that we have such a friendly welcome at the door before and after church, that we always have hearty and fun coffee hours and events, that we have so many people who are involved in supporting and organizing out thriving Sunday School (especially Glenn Hintze and the Sunday School Committee), and that joy is one of the defining features of the worship and everyday life at Good Shepherd. The honest and warm welcome that Good Shepherd parishioners always offer to newcomers, children, friends, and members has been a primary source of growth over the past year. It’s a thrill being a part of that!
The 2010 Stewardship Campaign saw nearly identical growth in pledging this past year. Our pledge total for 2010 was $104,539, nearly $25,000 higher than in any previous year: that also is an increase of 31%! Thanks to Maria Kaprielian and Leslie Fulton for their organization and work on the Stewardship Committee. Growth like that is commendable, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support of Good Shepherd this past year. I also think every single friend and member of Good Shepherd deserves hearty congratulations for growing the church: Congratulations and well done!
I would also like to offer thanks for all of the time and effort put into beautifying the parish grounds in the last year. A great source of parish pride is our attractive property. Before my family arrived at Good Shepherd a great amount of work was done renovating and repairing the rectory and the grounds. Over the past year a number of work days have continued and built on that work. The woods have mostly been cleaned out and cut back between Granite Springs Road (the front) and Richard Somers Road (in back). Flowers and plants have been carefully planted and maintained all summer long. All of the exterior doors have been painted. Several enormous dumpsters have been filled with garbage. The rectory has a cleared back yard (grass is growing in right now!). The list of those who have worked on various work days is far too long to name everyone, but in particular, I would like to thank Bruce Barber, Phil Levy, Lorne Robbins, and Pat Mulholland, who have taken time this past year to organize work days and work on large and small projects. Thanks so much to you and to all who have done so much to make our grounds so eye pleasing.
I am overjoyed to be a part of a happy and growing church. Thank you so much for making our first year at Good Shepherd fabulous. I look forward to many more years to come, and I pray that Almighty God fills us with the Holy Spirit so that the Good News of the Risen Lord Jesus continues to be spread with such joy and enthusiasm by the people of Good Shepherd!
In particular, I would like to thank all of the members of the vestry, those who currently serve, and those who served in 2009. The lay leadership of the parish gives so much time and hard work to Good Shepherd. We are blessed with great lay leadership, and it is an honor to be the rector of a church with such a devoted and hard working vestry. Thanks so much!
The Wardens, Jim Corning, Bruce Barber, and last year’s Property Warden, Phil Levy, have been absolutely fabulous. We are blessed to have the wardens that we have. They have worked for the church constantly, and the fruit of their work is everywhere. Thanks so much!
The other parish officers, Sally Stevens, Jan Corning, and Bob Bubeck, have put in countless hours during the day, at night, and after church as our treasurer, clerk, and financial officer, respectively. They are, to a great degree, the three people who make sure all of the details and numbers add up. Thanks so much!
I would also like to thank the staff of the parish who ensure that Good Shepherd remains open and operational. We have a small staff, but that does not diminish the wonderful work they do. I would like to thank Ann Siemerling, our sexton, who has worked tirelessly keeping the church open and clean every day of the year. I would like to thank Cecilia Sparacio, our organist and choir director, who has ensured that we have a great variety of lovely music at church services on Sunday, during the week, and at special events. I would like to thank Sharen McKenna, our child care provider, who has made sure that our Nursery is open and full of children every Sunday of the year. Finally, I would like to thank our parish secretary, Cindy Sotter, who died this past June after many hard months of illness, and her husband Bernie, for his behind the scene secretarial assistance. Cindy did all of the little things that needed to be done during the week at a church, and her loss in the office and parish community has been great, but I am thankful for the time that she worked here, and that I was able to work with here. God bless you Cindy, and rest in peace. Thanks so much to all of you!
I would be remiss if I did not also offer thanks and congratulations to you all for a year of amazing growth at Good Shepherd. Good Shepherd averaged 58 people each Sunday from September 2008 to September 2009, and that number grew to 86 people from September 2009 to last September 2010 – so far our average attendance for 2010 is even higher at 88. That is an increase of 31%! A church does not grow unless everyone is involved in some part of welcoming visitors and newcomers. I am so happy that we have such a friendly welcome at the door before and after church, that we always have hearty and fun coffee hours and events, that we have so many people who are involved in supporting and organizing out thriving Sunday School (especially Glenn Hintze and the Sunday School Committee), and that joy is one of the defining features of the worship and everyday life at Good Shepherd. The honest and warm welcome that Good Shepherd parishioners always offer to newcomers, children, friends, and members has been a primary source of growth over the past year. It’s a thrill being a part of that!
The 2010 Stewardship Campaign saw nearly identical growth in pledging this past year. Our pledge total for 2010 was $104,539, nearly $25,000 higher than in any previous year: that also is an increase of 31%! Thanks to Maria Kaprielian and Leslie Fulton for their organization and work on the Stewardship Committee. Growth like that is commendable, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support of Good Shepherd this past year. I also think every single friend and member of Good Shepherd deserves hearty congratulations for growing the church: Congratulations and well done!
I would also like to offer thanks for all of the time and effort put into beautifying the parish grounds in the last year. A great source of parish pride is our attractive property. Before my family arrived at Good Shepherd a great amount of work was done renovating and repairing the rectory and the grounds. Over the past year a number of work days have continued and built on that work. The woods have mostly been cleaned out and cut back between Granite Springs Road (the front) and Richard Somers Road (in back). Flowers and plants have been carefully planted and maintained all summer long. All of the exterior doors have been painted. Several enormous dumpsters have been filled with garbage. The rectory has a cleared back yard (grass is growing in right now!). The list of those who have worked on various work days is far too long to name everyone, but in particular, I would like to thank Bruce Barber, Phil Levy, Lorne Robbins, and Pat Mulholland, who have taken time this past year to organize work days and work on large and small projects. Thanks so much to you and to all who have done so much to make our grounds so eye pleasing.
I am overjoyed to be a part of a happy and growing church. Thank you so much for making our first year at Good Shepherd fabulous. I look forward to many more years to come, and I pray that Almighty God fills us with the Holy Spirit so that the Good News of the Risen Lord Jesus continues to be spread with such joy and enthusiasm by the people of Good Shepherd!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)