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“Well. Bread again.” was the comment heard at my Wednesday morning lectionary study group. The “Staff of Life” does indeed get major emphasis throughout the Holy Writings, perhaps because it is a universal commodity. Everyone needs bread. For many ancients, bread was the only food available; before Costco, with its wide diversity, folks relied on bread to stave off starvation. For us children of the ’60s, “bread” became a word for money. We remember the story of the baker with many children: he always needed the dough… Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend do include bread in a symbolic sort of way; the inner story is of God’s providence and largess.

EXODUS 16:2-4, 9-15 tells of the recently freed Hebrews just beginning their wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. Not surprisingly, the Back to Egypt Committee (every congregation has one) were belly-aching: “We shoulda stayed where we were! At least we had food, although we were slaves!” God told them to get a life by sending Heavenly Bread every morning–they called it “Manna”/ “What is it?” Beyond this sign is a compassionate and loving God who’s there in times of distress and spiritual hunger. Since manna was there every morning, the People began to realize that God can be depended upon, and there was no need to hoard. Can we “moderns” learn from this? The Psalmist announces that “you have turned my mourning into dancing”…

The letter to the EPHESIANS (4:1-16) exhorts Christians to live as God’s People, not tossed and blown off course by the schemes of evil people, but growing into the being of Christ. “Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” The author is insistent on this external grace, received not through our merits, but given abundantly by the Creator who loves us. We and the Ephesians need to know that the Bread of Heaven is not only a sign of divine love, but goes beyond that to a provision which doesn’t leave us in the wilderness.

JOHN 6:24-35 picks up the narrative after the feeding of the multitudes: people who wanted more free food piled into Capernaum by boat to see Jesus. They invoked Moses, “our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness”; but Jesus told them, “it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven”. This bread, then and now, is the bearer and sustainer of life. “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” More metaphors? Yes and no…

The Tempter earlier told Jesus, “Be relevant! Turn stones into bread and feed the world!” But the Bread of Life is that abundance which endures, given through the Creator’s benevolence and largess. Some in your hearing may well be wandering hungry, and need a reminder of satisfying grace. God calls us to prosper even in the wilderness, away from the slavery of whatever Egypt controls us. Feed me ’til I want no more…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My encounters with scripture lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be viewed every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

Well, I screwed up my calendar, and sent the scripture lessons for THIS week LAST week…. So I’m gonna devote this space to the Psalter reading, which generally gets overlooked. The Psalter for the upcoming weekend is Psalm 145:10-18; although the entire Psalm is worth reading, and in at least one tradition–United Methodist–is somewhat expanded. This is a Psalm of Praise, very fitting for most folks in mid-summer’s greenery. It’s easy to praise God when everything is rich and full; how about when a season of bleakness captures us? How about those hungry & homeless? Can THEY praise God?

The word “all” jumps forth throughout the reading: “The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.” All God’s works and all God’s words, all God’s ways and all God’s doings; “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” “Praise offered in the darkest hours springs from a confidence in God’s unfailing goodness even when that is not immediately visible.” (Tom Are, Jr., in FEASTING on the WORD B 3:274)

Notice the many times “your Kingdom” appears: people will worship by acknowledging its glory and splendor; “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” This Kingdom has shown its power from the beginning–the contemporaries of the psalmist AND the worshipers of today can rest assured that despite “the wrong being oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” (Maltbie Babcock)

The preacher or study -leader confronted by this psalm does well to remember that such praise springs from telling stories of how God has entered our holy history. Pastor Michelle often begins prayer-time by asking, “Where have you seen God at work this week?” Where have you seen God’s sacramental in-breaking in the old family stories, or even in the cultural tales which may include an overview of wandering in the wilderness to finally arrive at the Promised Land?

These lazy, hazy, crazy days may be our opportunity to watch the rain, or to see shapes in the clouds–or to lovingly bask in God’s Steadfast Love! Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices; who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; Who from our mother’s arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Please join me each Tuesday at this spot, as we’re encountered by the lessons assigned to the upcoming week: horacebrownking.com

One of the vicious prevailing myths of today is that of Scarcity. Those who claim to remember the Great Depression have urged us all to hoard what we have just in case lean days come to starve us. The people who know about world food supplies tell us that there’s plenty to go around, once we learn how to distribute it. In the meantime, we’re divided into Haves and Have-Nots, feeling guilty about owning more than some, yet unsure of what to give up… But that’s another story–scriptures for the coming weekend speak of a generous God who always gives us more than we need. Abundance with left-overs!

We begin with a few verses from II Kings 4:42-44: these appear in the canon to identify Elisha as a worthy successor to Elijah (see I Kings). Just as Elijah lifted up the providence of God to the destitute and the hungry, so Elisha announces that there’s no scarcity in God’s care. The disciple–the story needs his input–questions that there’s enough to feed the crowd; and the prophet assures everyone that the abundance of God will always prevail, WITH left-overs! This isn’t really a story about hungry people as much as it is about a God who’s present with Good Gifts even in a time of need. Culture gets sidetracked in its temptation to worship powers other than the Creator…and here is another reminder that with God, there’s plenty…

Paul or one of his friends blessed the Church in Ephesus with a continued wish for their insight as to the majesty and completeness of God’s Kingdom (Ephesians 3:14-21). The author prays (and so should we) that the Church might know the immense dimensions of God’s Place, “and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.” Again the holy instance is lifted up against the “knowledge” of the world: while the society around us cries “Scarcity”, God-followers can say with assurance that there’s plenty.

The Gospel is John’s account of the Feeding of the Multitudes, 6:1-21. One of the few miracles recorded in this Gospel, here John is contrasting the World with the Presence of God. We probably know the tale of Jesus making a huge crowd satisfied with morsels of five loaves and two fish. But again this isn’t only about human needs, but rather an affirmation of how much God provides for us. The disciple–see an earlier paragraph–must ask the question from human perception, “what are they among so many people?” And God/Jesus replies, “Let me show you!” When everyone was filled, there were enough pieces left to fill a basket for each of the Tribes of Israel; no one would get left out.

I love the word PROVIDENCE. There’s sorta an eternal ring to it, that SOMEone’s in charge! Everyday I count my money–but tomorrow we may all be dealing in woodpecker scalps instead of equities… I need these readings to remind me again that come Hell or High-water, God has everything under control… that God WANTS to give me more than I need, and can do this. “To God be the Glory, great things God has done!”

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My musings upon lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

I’ve always sorta admired my colleagues who’ve been courageous enough to speak out or demonstrate against injustice or other forms of selfishness. I myself am quite fond of a regular salary, decent clothes and a long-term address! It’s true; the prophets among us run a risk of being shunned, losing prestige and maybe even death. Scripture for this weekend tells the stories of two guys who spoke truth to power, an encouragement to us pew-sitters who Go Along to Get Along.

We begin with Amos (7:7-15), a prophet–not his term–to the divided kingdom of David: Israel to the north, Judah to the south. He spoke of a plumb-line (a device builders use to determine gravity and therefor whether a structure is in line): God is measuring Israel’s alignment in life-style and justice. Israel was evidently full of people who were dazzled by the luster and lust for today’s toys. Michael Jenkins observes that “the hypocrisies of people who stand on their religion while neglecting the common humanity, who have moved the boundary markers of compassion in their own hearts so they can trample the needy and bring ruin to the poor, have inflamed the anger of the Lord.” (FEASTING on the WORD, B 3:222) For his troubles Amos was banished from Israel and sent home to Judah.

The author of Ephesians 1:3-24 goes to many words to assure his readers of the “lavish” grace of God to all. These and we who hear and respond in faith are imprinted by the mark of the Holy Spirit. I wish that he had told us a little more what this means for daily life–but perhaps it’s a better ethic to ask God about each situation as it arises.

Why does Mark, the bare-bones of the Gospel, take us on a retrospective trip to John the Baptizer? No matter: it’s instructive to read about how the Baptizer spoke up about Herod’s “appropriation” of his brother’s wife, Herodias. Herod had appreciated John’s sincerity and was sorry that his step-daughter & her mother conspired to execute John. But what could he do? He’d promised before his friends and officials–so John lost his head over a dancing-girl! Herod the bon-vivant was contrasted to the ascetic John, which fits with Mark’s presentation of binary evil and good: it’s either one or the other. Reading ‘twixt the lines, the Good News is that we don’t have to settle for the ethics of this political moment….

The role of the prophet is to confront and publicly point out spots of idolatry, that is, those places where human selfishness has promoted itself and closed out God. Amos & John the Baptizer lived about 700 years apart, yet their efforts continue to be necessary in every generation. Where can We The Church speak about materialism and distrust to a society which condones winning at any cost? Or should I just keep quiet and collect my pension….? Pray for wisdom, both mine and yours.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My ruminations on lessons proscribed for the coming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot at horacebrownking.com