Something There Is That Doesn’t Love a Wall

Daily Devotional, Thursday January 1, 2021

Feast of the Holy Name

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:

an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 941)

Psalm 103, 148

Isa. 62:1-5; 10-12,  Rev.. 19:11-16  Matt. 1:18-25

David's Reflections

The year 2020 has been the second worst twelve month period in my individual life, second only to the year of our divorce, 1992. The stresses of COVID associated with trying to keep a parish safe from illness and trying to preserve some semblance of common life, plus the death of my younger brother yoked to yield a rather dark time. From a national perspective, few years in my journey of 76 compare to this one for darkness and turmoil and stress. Here’s hoping that watching 2020 recede into the rear view mirror will be accompanied by a more pleasant forward view in 2021.

Today, the first day of 2021, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name. I am feeling especially joyful about this feast day as a marker of a new beginning. Every Jewish son was circumcised the eighth day after birth and named in that ritual.  Joseph had been instructed by the angel (Matthew 1) to name the boy Jesus (Hellenistic form of the Hebrew Joshua).  That name, common among first century Jews, means something like  "God is salvation."

Joseph and Mary were obeying this command and perpetuating that ancient practice in the circumcision and naming of Jesus.  He was a Hebrew, adopted by Joseph as his own in the ritual of circumcision and naming.  Circumcision served as  a boundary distinction, a way of identifying oneself as a Hebrew, one who had hope in the promises made to Abraham. (Note Paul’s statement to that effect in Philippians, “circumcised the eighth day, of the people of Israel,  of the tribe of Benjamin,” Phil. 3:5.)

In his adulthood, Jesus demonstrated a distrust of the traditional boundaries bequeathed to him as markers of the identity of his people.  He touched the unclean, shared table with the despised, and called on his fellow Jews to stretch the boundaries of community to include those normally excluded (Luke 15, 19).  The resistance of key religious leaders to this call to reconciliation was a driving force in Jesus’ rejection  and death.

On this first day of the new year, what are the boundary markers that distinguish us as Christians?  As Episcopalians?  Obviously, the former are much more basic.   To me, the primary boundary marker is faith.  Faith in Christ most  distinguishes a Christian from a nonChristian.  If we live in the spirit of Jesus, we want to be cautious about making the boundary between us and nonChristians anything other than permeable;  we want our style of life to be inviting  and desirous of their inclusion.

In our worship, we always need to assume the presence of newcomers and/or people new to the tradition. We can make our worship more seeker sensitive and hospitable by briefly explaining communion and by a number of other steps (calling page numbers in The Book of Common Prayer during worship; creating service booklets that contain the ordinary—that stuff that stays the same each week; offering a full bulletin with all the content, etc) Something Gordon Lathrop, a Lutheran liturgical scholar ,said in his classic book, Holy Things, has stuck with me.“The task of the assembly is a task of polarity:  make the center strong, the symbols large, the words of Christ clear, and make that center accessible, the circle large, the periphery permeable.”+

Lines from Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall” caution us boundaries.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

. . . . .

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That wants it down.*

+Gordon W Lathrop. Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993, p. 132.

*The Poetry of Robert Frost, ed. Edward Connery Lathem.  (New York:  Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1969), pp. 33-34.

Collect of the Day, The First Sunday after Christmas Day

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 214)

On January 1st, we celebrate the Circumcision of Christ, the Feast of the Holy Name.  For an historical note, readings, and prayers see the web link Web site:  http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Holy_Name.htm and The Episcopal Online  Dictionary. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/holy-name-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-the/

Collect of the Feast of the Holy Name

Eternal Father, who gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen. (LFF:  2003, p. 115)

A Collect for Guidance

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people;  Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (BCP 100)

Of the Holy Trinity

Almighty God, you have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace to continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; for you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 251)

A Prayer for Light

Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord;  and by your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;  for the love of your only Son, Jesus Christ,  Amen.  (BCP, 111)

A Collect for Mission

O God of all the nations of the earth: Remember the multitudes who have been created in your image but have not known the redeeming work of our Savior Jesus Christ; and grant that, by the prayers and labors of your holy Church, they may be brought to know and worship you as you have been revealed in your Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 257)

Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah* took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;* and he named him Jesus.

Daily Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer