It's Saturday!

It’s Saturday, so Mona and I were at the church for the Youth Choir rehearsal, but only two kids showed up. We ran them through their vocal warm-ups and ear training lessons, and rehearsed the hymns for tomorrow. While we were rehearsing, members of the Episcopal Church Women were decorating the church for the United Thank Offering in-gathering tomorrow. Lots of blue and white!

Well, I finally finished my Christ the King sermon yesterday, but it really got me thinking about the passage from Daniel. I do understand why this edited version of the passage would be selected for Christ the King Sunday, but it bothers me somewhat because I think that it’s disingenuous to identify the “one like a human being” with Jesus. It looks like a bit of twisting the scripture to fit one’s purposes, in my opinion. If one continues to read the passage one learns that Daniel, who was dismayed by the vision and whose spirit was troubled within him, approached one of the attendants of the court and requested an interpretation. He is told that the four beasts represent four kingdoms (he sure had a lot of beasts in his visions), but what interested me (but did not interest Daniel; he was more into the beasts and horns) was that “the one like a human being” is no longer a single person in the interpretation, but becomes “the holy ones of the Most High.” It is the holy ones of the Most High who will receive the kingly power and retain possession of it always, for ever and ever. (Daniel 7:18) In verse 27 we read: “The kingly power, sovereignty, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. Their kingly power will last for ever, and every realm will serve and obey them.” So the “one like a human being” who comes before the Ancient One isn’t the Messiah, the Christ, but a people, the faithful of Israel, I suppose. Maybe someone with an Anchor Bible Commentary can ‘splain this to me.

Mona and I are off to Gamboa; I’m taking the services at St. Simon’s tonight and next week. Maybe we’ll takes some photographs.