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This season of the Christian Year seems to be dedicated to Kingdom parables, which is OK.  The danger is in assigning human criteria to heavenly realms:  quick reading of these passages could simplify “Heaven” as for only The Good on Earth, thus sending those others to Hell in a handcart.  (Thanks so much, John Milton & John Bunyan!)   Readings heard on this upcoming weekend deal not only with the “binary ethic” but also with the grace of living in expectation of God’s intentional love.

Some of this steadfast warmth is portrayed in a story from the First Book of Kings:  Yahweh took the initiative of approaching young Solomon with the offer of a gift to reward his devotion (3:5-12).  Solomon wisely asked for “an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil…”  Pleased with this, Yahweh confirmed Solomon as the Wise King whose deliberations were legendary.  Heather Murray Elkins suggests that this story is Biblical because it calls later communities–Exiles of many generations–to recall that God gladly lavishes the capacity for wise choices on receptive people.

Romans 8:26-39 is one of my favorites, once I read past “predestination” and “God’s elect”, phrases which have been misconstrued badly over the years.  But “who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword?”  Or predestination?  “No, in all these things we are MORE than conquerors through him who loved us!”  NOTHING in Creation separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!  Universal salvation?  That’s God’s dream!  So who you callin’ a bad fish??

Matthew’s recording of Jesus’ parables continues with more similes of the Kingdom (13:31-33, 44-52).  Grace comes with waiting, Pastor Michelle says:  tiny seeds eventually grow huge plants, microscopic spores of yeast make the bread rise in a while.  The Kingdom of Heaven is so priceless that all of our other possessions, even fine pearls,  pale in comparison.  I have a lot of trouble with the image of angels sorting fish in End Times and throwing some into the Inferno.  But I guess that’s God’s prerogative and not mine…

These lessons could degenerate into a fruitless discussion of Who’s In & Who’s Out.  I’d rather see bowed heads looking upward and slouched shoulders rise in new confidence.  Weeping can turn to joy, and slack hands can be strong again!  The Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near!

God Bless Us, Every One!                Horace Brown King

My hopes and fears about scripture lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this space on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

Bindweed is a smooth operator.  It masquerades as morning-glories, and is welcome until I find that there are few blossoms AND that it’s choking my broccoli and tomatoes.  It grows overnight, just like Jack’s beanstalk; today’s three-inch tendrils wave saucily where last night was but empty ground.  It infiltrates my orderly vegetables and happily displays its plan to own the entire garden….  Where is Homeland Security?  Scriptures this weekend attempt to replant hope in the soul- gardens of those weary with identifying and excising the tawdry among the turnips.

“Well,” says God through Isaiah, “here you are in Babylon.  But do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?  You are my witnesses!  Is there any god besides me?”  (44:8)  Tell us again a story of personal bravery, of a community regathered around its common faith; we’d half forgotten.  There are so many unlike us growing alongside; without belittling the other plants, how do we maintain our belief and worship, our understanding of God’s mercy?  As Chaplain Jan Abel says, “Who am I to call a plant a weed?”

Romans 8:12-25 is much too profound a passage to treat all at once.  If I were into “sermon series”, I’d take this verse by verse for many weeks.  Three major things are happening–first, Paul calls believers to accept their adoption by God and thus believe that they have become heirs of the Kingdom; second, that “suffering” goes with the turf, “for the creation was subjected to futility” (v.20); and thirdly, that “in hope we were saved” (v.24) .  This hope is all we can cling to, considering how radically different the values of our surrounding society appear…  When is a weed not a weed?

Which brings us to the Gospel parable, Matthew 13:24ff.  How did all these weeds get in our wheat-field?  If we rip them out now, the whole crop will be lost!  Maybe if we tolerate ’em until end-time, God will sort out the Good from the Bad.  The danger here is grave:  if we subscribe (as Paul does) to this binary universe, there’s no room for Grace.  Calvin constructed a useable system to explain the controversial:  we’re Good, they’re Bad (too simple for me).  What do we do with the guys who ate meat on Friday?  Or the tax-collectors?

I’m often puzzled about how much to assert my counter-cultural ethic.  Especially as I’m trying hard to be inclusive to those who’re “different”.  How wide can the Church grow while still being identified as the Church?  Should I be less harsh on the bindweed?   The Good News is that almost every year SOME vegetable or flower appears in the “wrong” place that I haven’t planted there…  So when is a weed not a weed?  When it’s a tomato!   (Now, can I give you some mint?  It’s about to eat all the chives…)

God Bless Us Every One                       Horace Brown King

My understandings of the lessons to be heard on the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

My parents planted vegetables in neat, very straight rows.  This works fine for beans and peas, and maybe cabbage.  But since carrot-seeds and those of turnips are so tiny,  I’d rather broadcast them over a 3 x 5 bed and thin them “later” (which probably won’t happen).  This weekend’s scriptures glorify One who provides seed and distributes it lavishly, without distinction.

Isaiah of Babylon reminds the captive Israelites of God’s abundance:  the earth is watered, making crops grow, “giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater”.   If Goodness is designed into these natural cycles, so in time shall the homesick find a return to their land.  Is nothing wasted?  “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)  These are words which gladden my penny-pinching heart:  there seems to be enough to go ’round, however unlikely the recipients may be…

Psalm 65:9ff is usually used at rogation or harvest or Thanksgiving; but its images of the Creator visiting Creation with an overflow of care can well fit here.

Romans 8:1-11 doesn’t mention seed at all.  Don’t get hung up on Paul’s dichotomy of Good & Evil, but let the Gospel of “sending [God’s] own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh {?}” shine forth.  As with Good Seed, everything of value comes from God, and the initiative is God’s.  Reform theology maintains that Faith is human response to the Grace already set forth by a Divine hand.

“A sower went out to sow, ” begins Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:3b.  No neat rows here: a lavish hand broadcast holy morsels all over!  The hard-packed path, the gravel raked to the side of the field, the bramble-patch all got seeded, along with the fertile ground.  Some seed just didn’t take, since conditions were so poor.  But the seed that grew–WOW!  Never in all my days did I expect a crop like THAT!  Bushels of abundance is what this parable advertises, and Jesus reminds his followers to live expecting such.  Casting seed can bring heartache when it falls upon unyielding ground, yet we take a risk and celebrate whatever growth comes.

Gardening is risky.  We hope that those little flakes held over from last year will turn into something amazing!  “Every turnip green, every kidney bean, every plant grows according to the plot.”  May you realize when the seed is nearly grown just what was sown…

God Bless Us, Every One                           Horace Brown King

My peregrinations around Scripture for the upcoming weekend can be found each
Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

Fourth of July is a fine time to ask the perennial questions about how the Church of Christ has impacted our human societies and structures.  Many of us who would be prophetic bemoan the current callous and bullying rhetoric of Our Nation.  In 1998, Tom Brokaw’s book, THE GREATEST GENERATION, was released: a paen to how wonderful and life-changing World War II was, and how those involved were the best ever!  As nostalgic as we may be, today, about the mythic Good Old Days–remember Archie Bunker?–Scriptural words need to be heard to bolster the faithful few who yet see the Greater Picture.

Why not begin with Zechariah, taking him from being an accessory to Palm Sunday to a more exalted post-Exilic role?  To Zion, center of the faith-world, he announces, “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he….he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to [shining] sea….Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.” (9:9-12)  Here’s a strange model of power:  can one be “triumphant and victorious” while humbly riding on a donkey?  Can we still be The Greatest while commanding peace?

St. Paul admits that he twists and turns:  “I do not understand my own actions.” (Romans 7:15)  Can we really will ourselves to be good?  Or is there some external vaccuum pulling us into an ethical black hole?  Whether we’re “under Law” or not, each of us has created a code of moral living from snippets of poorly remembered Scripture and anecdotes of our peers, liberally salted with admonitions about “Nice boys/girls” from our grandmas.  When our good intentions and our actual deeds conflict, can we save ourselves by trying harder?  “Paul views sin not as the breaking of a rule but, rather, as the distortion of a relationship.” (Harold E. Masback III, FEASTING on the WORD, A 3:209)  “If Paul’s bad news is that the self is trapped and cannot rescue itself, Paul’s good news is that God intervenes to rescue the self through Jesus.” (ibid. p 211)  This refreshes me as a member of the not-so-Great Generation…

And Jesus is frustrated:  “To what will I compare this generation?”  (Matthew 11:16)  Whadd’ya want, already?  John the Baptizer was too sober, Jesus too outgoing; John ate desert survival fare, Jesus went to dinner-parties.  How does this generation understand reasons for dancing and reasons for mourning?  God’s Presence is criticized for being both too traditional and too progressive!  How are succeeding generations engaged with those who mourn AND those who dance?

Sister Joan Chittister writes, “Hope is not a matter of waiting for things outside us to get better.  It is about getting better inside…” (Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope, p.110)  Where is hope for THIS generation?  It may begin by taking off our foam fingers that say, “We’re Number One!” and acknowledging that the US is ‘way down the list in education & healthcare.  We have the strongest military budget, so we can defend The American Way of Life, which is sub-titled “liberty and justice to whites”.  Many lack food & shelter, although my TV shows are sponsored by over-priced vehicles…  Our selfish materialism isn’t unique to this generation–but I AM.  Perhaps Independence Day would be better celebrated as a moment to be free from hate and fear?  How will our generation compare??

God Bless Us, Every One                    Horace Brown King

My musings on Scripture readings assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com