Was Archie Bunker Right?
- davidwperk
- Jan 29, 2024
- 6 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Monday, January 29, 2024
The week of the fourth Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev,. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection in today’s reading:
11:1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. . . . 8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. . . .10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
You will find the full text of today’s epistle reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 947)
AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65
Gen. 19:1-17(18-23)24-29; Heb. 11:1-12; John 6:27-40
Today we celebrate the Feast of Andrei Rublev. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
Just what IS faith? Was Archie Bunker correct in his paraphrase of Mark Twain, "Faith is believing what any damn fool knows ain't so."? * Not according to the author of today’s Epistle. The writer of Hebrews vividly parades before us in chapter 11 many of the great heroes of the Hebrew Scriptures in an effort to answer that question.
In so doing, he gives us one of those delectable and perplexing ambiguities so common in Scripture. Is faith primarily an inner disposition or is it primarily an outward action that serves as evidence of an inner disposition? The ambiguity lies in verse 1 in the original language and most translations resolve it one way or the other. Our translation has followed the tradition of the King James and treated faith as an inner disposition with the words “assurance” and “conviction” in verse 1.
However, the word “assurance” could also be rendered “realization” or “reality,” and “conviction” could be rendered “proof” or “evidence.” In that case, faith would be the objective manifestation of a person’s inner attitude. Could it be that the author would prefer NOT to remove this ambiguity? Perhaps both faith as inner conviction and faith as outer manifestation are in his/her field of vision. (Hebrews is anonymous – no named author, and some have attributed it to Priscilla; see Romans 16 for one mention of her.)
What would prompt Abraham to leave his homeland and become a wanderer and pilgrim in the world? Did he have an inner assurance and conviction that manifested itself in an outer realization and evidence? The inner assurance would have been that he would have a child who would become the progenitor of a great people. The outer realization and evidence would have been his breaking camp, leaving home, and wandering in Palestine.
It is one thing to recite the Creed that we believe in God and in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. It is another to be so possessed of the inner assurance and conviction that what we hope and pray for will come true that our lives evidence that inner conviction in action—to set our hearts on God and act accordingly.
Being part of a new church or redeveloping an existing church in disarray certainly calls for that kind of outer manifestation. We envision and hope for a community we have not fully seen. A new church may hope for buildings that they’ve not yet seen, buildings that put into bricks and mortar a vision still being enfleshed in the community. Can we be so possessed of the assurance of the realization that we keep acting toward our vision and knowing for certain that it will come to pass? We give our time and energy and prayers and resources to worship, witness, and service because we are so convinced of the reality toward which we are living.
A redeveloping established church faces the same challenge. Our inner assurance of a renewed faith community finds expression in the actions required to live into and welcome that renewal.
The same could be said for any individual. We have the inner conviction and assurance that our spiritual life will unfold in renewed and revitalized living; so, we welcome that possibility and take the concrete steps we discern will get us to that place, to a country we’ve not yet seen.
We can chuckle at Archie Bunker’s aphorism, "Faith is believing what any damn fool knows ain't so."? * But, we know that ain’t so. As the writer of Hebrews puts it, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Or, we could take the other option and translate, “Now faith is the realization of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Singer Van Morrison offers us some solid counsel in his song “Let Go Into the Mystery.”
Let go into the mystery
Let yourself go.
When you open up your heart
You get everything you need.
Baby, there's a way and a mystic road.
You've got to have some faith to carry on.+
*Cited by James Fowler, Stages of Faith (NY: Harper, 1981), p. 32.
+Van Morrison, "The Mystery," CD “Poetic Champions Compose" (Exile Productions, 1987)
Collect of the Day, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 215)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Andrei Rublev, monk and iconographer (died ca 1427-1430 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Andrei Rublev
Holy God, we bless you for the gift of your monk and icon writer Andrei Rublev, who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, provided a window into heaven for generations to come, revealing the majesty and mystery of the holy and blessed Trinity; who lives and reigns through ages of ages. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
A Collect for Early Evening
Grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in us and shed its light on those around us, and that by its brightness we may have a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100, 257)
Daily Office Epistle, Hebrews 11:1-12
11:1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. 8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’
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
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