Stirring the Ashes

Daily Office Devotional, Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Wednesday of Easter Week

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

Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:

5But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ . . .16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

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

Daily Office Lectionary Readings

AM Psalm 97, 99; PM Psalm 115

Exod. 12:40-51; 1 Cor. 15:(29)30-41; Matt. 28:1-16

David’s Reflections

The Spanish poet,  Antonio Machado wrote:

I thought my fire was out,

and stirred the ashes . . .

I burnt my fingers. *

The disciples may have thought the fire was out, that their experience with Jesus was over.  He had been executed,  and all their dreams of a renewed and delivered Israel had become smoldering gray ashes.  But, the angel who appeared to them at the tomb told them that they would see him again if they would go to Galilee.  (Note, please, that the initial appearances were granted to the women, not to the Twelve. And resurrection faith also began with the women.)

Galilee—that was the place where the story had begun.  Jesus had appeared there and begun his ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing after having been baptized by John.  Why must they go there to see him?  An even tougher question for us as Matthew’s readers, “Do we have to go to Galilee?”  It’s a long trip.

You and I can return to Galilee in a different way.  We can reread the story.  We can go back to the beginning of the Gospel and reread.  That’s our return to Galilee.  Veiled within the angel’s command to those first witnesses might be the Gospel writer’s invitation to his readers to go back to the beginning of the story now that they knew the ending.  A second reading in light of the ending would open the entire story to a deeper reading.

This passage calls us to stir the ashes of our previous devotion, our remembered spirituality, our weakened faith and hope.  In stirring those ashes, we might just discover the beginnings of a new flame;  we might find glowing coals lurking there.  One way to stir the ashes is to reread slowly and deeply the Gospel story of Jesus.  Reread with questions like, “What is God saying to me here?”,  or “Where am I in this story?”, or “If had been there,  what would I have done in that moment?”

During this Easter week, when the excitement and expectation that goes with a newly found empty tomb might be a faded and distant experience of your past, reread.  Go back to Galilee.  There you will see him.  Can we do less than accept the invitation Jesus’ angelic messenger offers us?  Let it be said of us that we went where we were told.

And, note this. The new dream of world-wide mission differed markedly from their previous dream of a renewed Israel. When we stir the ashes and the fire rekindles, our new dream may well be quite different from our previous vision of our life and of God’s intent for us.

I thought my fire was out,

and stirred the ashes . . .

I burnt my fingers. *

* From "Forty Poems Chosen from "Moral Proverbs and Folk Songs" Dedicated to Jose Ortega y Gasset, in Times Alone:  Selected Poems of Antonio Machado, trans. Robert Bly (Hanover, NH:  Wesleyan UP, 1983), pp. 143-153.

Collect of the Day, Easter Day

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 222.)

Wednesday in Easter Week

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,

now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP,  223)

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)

Disturb Us, Lord

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.  Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of the things we possess we have lost our thirst for the water of life.

Stir us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery, where in losing sight of land we shall find the stars.  We ask you to push back the horizons of our hope, and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.  Amen.

(Attributed to Sir Frances Drake upon departing to sail to the New World, 1577.  Cited by The Right Rev. Clay Matthews, Clergy Retreat, Diocese of So. Virginia, 2004.)

In the Order of Worship for Evening

Almighty, everlasting God, let our prayer in your sight be as incense, the lifting up of our hands as the evening sacrifice. Give us grace to behold you, present in your Word and Sacraments, and to recognize you in the lives of those around us. Stir up in us the flame of that love which burned in the heart of your Son as he bore his passion, and let it burn in us to eternal life and to the ages of ages. Amen.  (BCP, 113)

A Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)

Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 28:1-16

28:1After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

11 While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. 12After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” 14If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ 15So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

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