“Would that all God’s people were prophets.”
- davidwperk
- Jun 19, 2024
- 7 min read
Devotional Reflection, Wednesday, June 20, 2024
Proper 6, week of the fourth Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:
29But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’
You will find the full text of today’s Old Testament reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 971)
AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82
Num. 11:24-33 (34-35); Rom. 1:28-2:11; Matt. 18:1-9
Today we celebrate the Feast of Adelaide Teague Case. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
Moses wished that all God’s people would be prophets. Can you believe that you – child, teen, young parent, retired person – that you are called to a prophetic ministry? I believe we each are. Moses’ wish can come true. Some of you may be resisting this idea within yourself, not unlike Joshua in today’s reading and some of the hearers in Acts 2, who said of Peter and the others, “These folks are drunk.”
Stanley Hauerwas wrote:
Prophecy is no longer solely the role of specific individuals, although individual prophets will, I hope, still be present. It is the community itself that is now prophetic, for it is a community formed by the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, which means that it cannot be what it is without understanding itself to be accountable to the great prophets of Israel. *
Moses’ statement, “Would that all God’s people were prophets, and that God would put his Spirit on them,” came about because of that resistance. Moses and the Seventy appointed to assist him in leading the people had experienced an outbreak of the Holy Spirit and were speaking ecstatically. Two of those registered to be among the Seventy had not arrived. They were running late. But, the Spirit fell on them in the camp and they began prophesying, even though they were not with the others.
That gets reported to Moses. Everyone who paints outside the lines seems to get reported to those who supervise such things. Joshua called on Moses to stop them. That once happened to Jesus. His followers found a man healing in Jesus’ name who was not among them and they tried to stop him.
Just how organized is organized religion supposed to be? What passes for Episcopal worship and behavior? What within your mind is unacceptable religious practice and ministry that some others may be doing in Jesus’ name? Examine those areas. Ask yourself. Would you have been in favor of Joshua’s stricture? Would you have been trying to stop that man because he was not with Jesus’ group?
How much does our political orientation limit our view of what’s acceptable, or what group to join ourselves with? Just how much does our theological orientation limit us? Our labels get in the way, don’t they? Should not the main question be whether any ministry, any group, any initiative is expressing the nature and love of God and of Christ? Just how unorthodox is the Holy Spirit? And just how much does the Spirit care about denominational and spiritual boundaries? As someone once quipped. "Lord, help me in the search for truth but deliver me from the company of those who have found it."
How could Joshua be so sure that these two were in the wrong? Were they not doing the same thing as the Seventy? Were they not inspired by the same God? Their only error – not being “with” the others. Moses demonstrated a totally different orientation – a radical openness to God’s Spirit working through any and all people. “Would that all God’s people were prophets. That God would put the Spirit upon them.” Jesus did the same. His response to his disciples who tried to stop the man from healing in Jesus’ name because he was not one of them, “He who is not against us is for us.”
Suppose those were OUR mantras? Would we view others differently? Would we view those outside “our” box differently? Would we join with them? How can we be so sure our biases are right? How about our prophetic ministries? In John 7 Jesus is quoted as saying that out of “his/her” belly shall flow rivers of living water? Whose? Jesus’? Ours? Perhaps both. Jesus’ resurrection has brought his Spirit into all our lives – no longer limited by time and space as Jesus was during his lifetime.
Could that Spirit flow from our lives into others’ and enrich and bless them, as Christ’s Spirit has flowed into and blessed ours?
If we each have been given gifts from God, we can give them to God and ask the Spirit to take us wherever the Spirit desires. That’s a start. We can ask whether God is calling us to some form of ordained ministry--priesthood, deacon, specialized lay ministry, monastic orders. We can enter into a process of discernment without knowing what that is but with a persistent stirring going on that needs our attention. We can ask, “What prophetic message or action keeps rising up within me?Within my community? Which disadvantaged ones am I and my community called to embrace and advocate for? Which exploiters and despoilers are we called to resist.?”
Kierkegaard once asked,
What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain understanding must precede every action. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do…What good would it do me if the truth stood before me, cold and naked, not caring whether I recognized her or not, and producing in me a shudder of fear rather than a trusting devotion? Must not the truth be taken up into my life? That is what I now recognize as the most important thing. #
* Stanley Hauerwas, Prophetic Ethics, p. 62.
# Søren Kierkegaard, cited by Charles E. Moore in "Introduction," Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Søren Kierkegaard., pp. ix-x.
Collect of the Day, Proper 6, the Week of the fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 230)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Adelaide Teague Case, theological educator (died 19 July 1948 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Adelaide Teague Case
Almighty and everlasting God, who raises up educators and teachers of the faith in every generation of your church: Grant that following the example of your servant Adelaide Teague Case, we might be bold to proclaim the reconciling power of Christ's love in our own generation. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
In the Evening
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)
For the Church
Give to your Church, O God, a bold vision and a daring charity, a refreshed wisdom and a courteous understanding, that the eternal message of your Son may be acclaimed as the good news of the age; through him who makes all things new,
even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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
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)
Dally Office Old Testament Reading, Numbers 11:24-35
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
26 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ 28And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men,* said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ 29But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’ 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
31 Then a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits deep on the ground. 32So the people worked all that day and night and all the next day, gathering the quails; the least anyone gathered was ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah,* because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth.
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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