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In college days, there was a book called “Who’s In Charge, Here?” circulating among my friends. It was a collection of news photos of national and world leaders with funny word-balloons added. Every once in a while it’s fun to see officialdom in amusingly human predicaments: the guys and I made our own collection of pics featuring our profs and other campus figures in comic attitudes. At about the same time, we saw cartoons of aliens in the hardware store demanding of a coffee-maker, “Take me to your leader!” Who IS in charge, here? And who sez so?

Moses was getting old, and the Desert Wanderers were growing in number and contrariness. “The Lord you God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) And Yahweh added, “I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.” (v.18) Such bestowed authority gave a central (and moral) leadership to a restless collection of tribes practicing how to become a Nation.

Oh, what shall we do with those worldly habits like smoking, playing cards, dancing and wearing nail-polish? Are the drinkers and the over-eaters sinful in their enjoyments? Paul addressed the Christians of Corinth–the Big Apple of its day, O Henry’s “Baghdad on the Subway”–who affirmed that eating meat once offered to idols had nothing to do with their own spirituality. (I,8:4-13) Well, sure; “we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists'”, so “Food will not bring us close to God.” Yeah, BUT–“Take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Community standards are a form of authority, too. And an ethical formation of responsibility to the Neighbor.

Jesus’ new neighbors at Capernaum were astounded at Jesus’ teaching, “for he taught them as one having authority…” He evidently knew whereof he spoke–yet Mark doesn’t give us a summary, but demonstrates this authority with another Right Now instance, this time an exorcism in which even the “unclean spirits” obeyed him. (Mark 1:21-28) Funny how people in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry recognized a Godly Authority; and how this was officially questioned as he went along…

This is still Epiphany, remember. The lessons are collected to demonstrate how God shows God’s-self in Jesus–with the hope that current Disciples will also receive and acknowledge Divine Insight as the Kingdom continues to unfold within them. Myself, I’m glad to have a dependable authority as current events make ancient goods uncouth…!

God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King

What IS that noise? and why is Marie kicking me? “Your alarm is going off!” “unnnh” So I press the appropriate button, and 10 minutes later the same drama unfolds. And maybe again. My New Year’s resolution was to get up earlier and stop wasting the morning–and that involves going to bed earlier, as well. So far, I’m only moderately successful. The crack of dawn? Morning has broken…

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah a SECOND time…” (Jonah 3:1-5) “And [Jonah] cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Ninevah shall be overthrown!'” Is this the time, finally, for the Day of the Lord? We’ve been poised on the doorstep, waiting for the gates to open: is the Eternal Present really here? Will it ever be morning?

Libertines would love what Paul wrote to the Corinthians! (I,7:29-31) He tells them to forget that they’re married! Or that they’re grieving or rejoicing, buying or selling… “for the present form of this world is passing away.” He’s not being licentious, but saying that a New Age is at hand, an age which presents an end to earthly contracts because the Kingdom of God is now here! “The appointed time has grown short…” If, says Paul, we clear our agendas, then–THEN!–we can better participate in what God is building.

“Now after John {the Baptizer} was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying,’The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near…'” (Mark 1:14-15) “Mark begins like an alarm clock, persistently declaring the time and demanding some response.” (Ted A. Smith) No longer can we dream about Tomorrow–deferring our acts of mercy & kindness, cleansing & worship–but are smacked with the immediacy of Today! Good Lord, it IS morning…

My father, may he rest in peace, was one of those guys who could bounce out of bed and sing in the bathroom. My own style is to slowly unfold and slither into the day with one eye reluctantly half-open. Any sounds I may issue are definitely not singing. I wouldn’t mind if morning WAS broken! Nevertheless, the light has dawned on saint & sinner alike, and I guess we’d better get at it…

God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King

Sometime during my high-school years, I came home in the early dusk of a Winter’s evening. Mom was still at work in the drugstore; and I knew Dad was probably napping, since he had had a rough night. So I quietly let myself in, and without turning on a light, crept upstairs. Try as I might, the old staircase creaked–and my father (who indeed had been sleeping soundly) sat up and quavered, “Who’s there???” After our mutual adrenaline rushes had subsided, no amount of explaining could convince him that I wasn’t trying to scare him into an early grave… Readings for this weekend after Epiphany are about recognition.

In I Samuel, Chapter 3, we hear about the boy Samuel, who was apprenticing at the temple with Eli, the High Priest. In the middle of the night, he heard his name being called–and thinking it was old Eli, who was nearly blind, he rushed to help his mentor. But no, Eli hadn’t called…. This happened again, and yet a third time; and now Eli realized that this was GOD calling. “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord,for your servant is listening.'” Sometimes it takes a few tries before we recognize the Holy right next to us.

Paul’s message to the Corinthian Church (I,6:12-20) is about fornication; Corinth was a seaport with many sailors, and commercial sex was everywhere. I’m thinking that most of us have a hard time defining “fornication”: maybe “casual sex” is better wording. Paul tells his flock that sex without involvement with one’s partner is shallow, even blasphemous to the Creator. Do we recognize our lovers as bearing the image of Christ?

Early in John’s Gospel comes the calling of Jesus’ disciples (1:43-51). “When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?'”(47-48) What does the Lord recognize in us, even as we seek him? Some will feel spied upon by an all-knowing Lord–but it comforts me to think that God knows my few better parts, as well…disguised even as they are!

Urbane and crowded as I am, I’m often glad to be anonymous. Yet I also long for a place where everybody knows my name; thus I seek out a faith-community of like-minded persons who may care enough to get to really know me. May we apprehend the nearby holiness in the late-night voice, in our lovers, in those who follow and in those who lead!

God bless Us, Every One…. Horace Brown King

This week’s readings celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, and are full of symbols about chaos & salvation. Genesis 1:1-7 speaks of the formless void, “while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” Pre-history peoples of the Desert were fearful of the Ocean, and considered it the Enemy. The story about the conquest of Leviathan, the chaos-monster; Jonah; and Noah, who rode out the Flood in the Ark which God provided are all part of this cosmic confrontation. Note that the Dove was seen as the messenger of salvation.

In Acts 19, we hear of Paul’s meeting with some believers in Ephesus who had received the sign of water-baptism without knowing about the Sacrament of receiving the Holy Spirit. The passages urged the Church to do more than just go through the motions, and delve the full experience of participation as Disciples.

Mark’s gospel story (1:4-11) tells Of Jesus beginning his traveling ministry by being publicly baptized by John the Baptizer. “And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens TORN apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” This is no Sweet, Sweet Spirit! Receiving the Holy Spirit is earthshaking, heaven-rending and dangerous!

Rising from the water are the elements of God’s Becoming Kingdom. The Church also rises into a working, developing community which is to mirror Jesus in caring for and announcing what God has already accomplished.

God Bless Us, Every One. Horace Brown King