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“Humans are strange,” said one fly to another. “They build houses with nice ceilings, but they never walk on them!” We are a peculiar people, some of us more peculiar than others. Sometimes we ARE “crowned with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5), but on other occasions our sins are scarlet and our motives purely selfish. Readings to be heard this weekend are aimed at those who think they’re the star of the show and that fellow-travelers are but bit players, if not robots. Maybe the robots also will be comforted…

The Book of JOB is prehistoric, it goes back to before writing and assumes a place as oral folklore. We’ll look at it for a few weeks, and try to relate to this guy who puzzled over the Universe and his place therein. The first two chapters introduce this blameless and upright God-fearer, and dwell on the Tempter’s contention that those with afflictions quickly turn from God. (Will they?) So Job lost his flocks, his standing in the community and his children/heritage… Yet he maintained, “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” Job becomes a poster-boy for all of us as we cultivate our illusions of righteousness. So the Universe doesn’t function with a system of reward and punishment? Is God sitting in the ashes with Job?

HEBREWS 1:1-4, 2:5-12 begins by re-introducing Christ as “the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.” This understanding undergirds the entirety of the Letter, and stresses the timelessness of the Good News. Our faith-history is centered, then, in this central thread of seeing/ knowing God through Christ. The writer re-visits Psalm 8, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them….You have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.” This seems like a huge responsibility as well as an occasion for loving all the rest of the children of God!

MARK 10:2-16 puts me on tiptoe: what do we say about a cultural item like marriage, especially when remembered in the words of Jesus? Despite our good intentions, partners do grow apart, and often separate. When the world was small and we all shared the same cultural story, marriage could, I suppose, be considered “sacred”. But with an expansion of diversity, we recognize that not all social arrangements such as “marriage” are the same. Part Two of the reading confers “glory and honor” on children, valuing them as real parts of the Kingdom of God. The uniting thought here is about mutual respect and making a welcome for children–jelly-fingered and all–and sometimes grimy spouses…

There are a lot of ethical & moral points in these scriptures–yet the Whole is greater than the sum of its Parts. Reflecting upon these, we string together the concept of respect and we honor those the rest of the world rejects as unimportant. We struggle. We burn. We give God glory and honor, since we are made in God’s image.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My Tuesday thoughts and fears are presented every week as we contemplate the scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend…at horacebrownking.com

I’m reading a fine book by N.T.Wright entitled “Broken Signposts: How Christianity Makes Sense of the World”. The author’s premise is that God–who called the Creation “good”–is constantly at work refining and overcoming the sense of brokenness under which we live. He says that values such as justice, love and righteousness are yet intact, even though these signposts which show the way may have been distorted. Wright’s idea says that Jesus of the Gospels is the pinnacle of God’s movement (especially seen in John’s Gospel account); that past the misunderstandings and suffering comes the Resurrection which fixes Creation and stands as a metaphor of Steadfast Love. Those fellow cynics of mine will take some heart from the readings of this coming weekend.

A fairly long reading from the book of ESTHER ( 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22) should be prefaced by a synopsis or backstory. The reading is the climax of the plot against the Jews, Esther’s people–and how the “evil” Haman got his in the end. The holy implication is this: that a caring God notices the unfair system and ultimately fixes it. “Because the humble are lifted up and the haughty brought down, the case can be made that God is present and active….if we are looking for evidence of God’s presence, we do well to consider those times and places when there are great reversals and dramatic changes of fortune….Though God cannot be named, God is at work to put things right, to deal justly with both the oppressor and the oppressed.” (H. James Hopkins, FEASTING on the WORD, B 4:99ff)

There are many things to be found in the Letter(s) of JAMES: this reading, 5:13-20 is about the efficacy of prayer. If a person finds themselves broken/un-whole in body, mind or spirit, they need to connect with God. And this is a community opportunity as well, involving the Church as an example of anticipated Wholeness. “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” Healing depends upon our awareness of a “broken signpost” somewhere, and thereby turning over the problem to God, who will put things right.

The Gospel lesson is from MARK 9:38-50: on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus teaches about tough things, like pruning the unnecessary branches from a fruit tree; or blighted body parts from our imperfect selves. “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off…” Or your foot. Or your eye. Is Jesus speaking in hyperbole here? I sure hope so, because my offending parts would probably outnumber the working ones! But this is God’s quest for spiritual perfection, that the Whole person can be put right with God by eliminating those things–habits? words of anger? condescension?–which would separate the practicing Christian from the Ongoing Creation.

As a person who’s fatigued by looking for the silver linings, I need to hear these things. I had a conversation with a neighbor who claims to be ready to die, because things are so imperfect on Earth. Some will sing that “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through…”–but that’s an easy way out. We read that God LOVED the world, thus sent Jesus his son to pitch his tent in our backyard! I suspect that I’ll have to move my tired soul to seek out and announce the large & small instances of God-at-work. Join me?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Wayfarers are invited to join me every Tuesday as the scripture readings for the upcoming weekend confront us.

How counter-cultural. Many of us have by now realized the impracticality of being Number One/the Greatest. And yet there’s something which impels me to succeed, to be recognized for my superior intellect. I’m quite proud of my new all-electric car: I tell people that it’s good for the atmosphere, but I like to be seen in it. Besides, it’s RED. Scriptures for the coming weekend smack us a good one for our advanced egos–the challenge is to hear/read them without pointing a finger at our neighbors, and inhaling them personally.

Beats me why PROVERBS 31:10-31 should be included in the Lectionary, or why it’s included in the canon in the first place. This passage has unduly affected and troubled our understanding of Women through the ages, for it describes the “good wife” as SuperWoman who can do everything well, and who probably looks like Mrs. Brady when her husband comes home! Generations of women have frustrated themselves when they can’t live up to this Stepford-like picture; and generations of men have goaded them on… One commentator (male) tries to explain this as a JOINT effort between husband and wife, which is lame. Take it out, or at least bury it!!

JAMES 3:13-4:3, plus vv.7 & 8 is the Epistle reading of the day. Verses 17 & 18 seem to be the core: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” The author is contrasting an earth-bound “wisdom” of me-first with heavenly graces which reveal God’s involvement with Creation. Henri Nouwen has postulated somewhere that all worldly evil springs from Greed & Anger. But wisdom from above expresses itself here as an awareness of the needs of others. Is this image evident in the overview of your congregation?

The Gospel continues the story of Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem, MARK 9:30-37. On the way, Jesus observes a discussion in the ranks of his followers: Which is to be Greatest? And in answer he said, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” That’s not what Grampa said! Like Hagar the Horrible, we want to get ours first and leave the remnant to others… But the highest prestige is given to those who wait on table ; if they’re lucky, they’ll get the crumbs which are left over. Little kids don’t do much for the maintenance of the household–but we train them and keep them around for what they will be someday! Receiving Jesus as a child means seeing salvation and fulfillment in an approaching holiness.

If there’s a Golden Thread which weaves through these lessons it seems to deal with service. The WonderWoman of Proverbs works 24/7 to aid others, especially of her own household. James speaks of holy wisdom expressed in yielding our egos to the needs of others. And Mark tells of Jesus’ teaching about humble service, allowing others to stand in line ahead of the disciple. Hard?? You bet–especially for the preacher who lived on crumbs earlier, but now enjoys the Good Life! Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me every Tuesday to get slapped around by scripture intended to be read on the upcoming weekend: at horacebrownking.com

Help! We’re drowning in words! Wherever I turn, words are urging me to buy something: a miracle snake-oil that’ll solve all my problems (warning: side-effects may include sudden blindness, hemorrhoids or death); the latest in laser technology; or a genome map of my ancestry, horse-thieves and all. Those who’re fortunate to subscribe to these commercials will have nothing to worry about–they’re guaranteed health & happiness, even Eternal Life! With all these voices, there MUST be a word from God in there. Somewhere. Scripture for this weekend is God’s attempt to cut through all these voices in the rumble of the world…

We turn again to the Book of Wisdom, aka PROVERBS, 1-20-33. Lady Wisdom calls out at the busiest corners, “I will make my words known to you.” We’re reminded of the early-morning street-vendors in “Oliver”: “Who will buy…?” Wisdom may be likened to a mother urging restraint on a know-it-all son or daughter, “Don’t come running to me ‘because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof'”. Thank goodness for those saints who listen for and hear the still, small voice! The preacher/study leader needs to lift up those who will hear, and not denigrate or whine about the yet-stubborn. Where are the practices of letting God be God? Are there those among us who value Wisdom in the midst of our power-hungry culture? Who will buy…?

JAMES 3:1-12 speaks about how a small thing such as the tongue can drive so much of our system. “The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.” He goes on to say that there’s a disconnect between the praise of God and the cursing of creatures bearing God’s image. James will later urge his readers to clean up their act/tongue, dedicating it to the language of God. The preaching moment will be the recognition of profane speech which surrounds the disciple…and the importance of using the tongue as a tool to proclaim that which IS True & Beautiful.

Some say that this moment of the Gospel according to MARK (8:27-38) is a watershed: before this, Jesus was calling disciples and exploring his ministry; from here on in, the journey to the Power-Seat (Jerusalem) focuses on the conflict between the Messiah and the prevailing culture. Mark’s hearers, impatient for freedom, needed to hear this tale of “going, but not there yet”. The microcosm of the conversation with Peter (us) continues each day within the Church: “Who do YOU say that I am?” Realizing the enormity of his confession, Peter attempts to walk it back by downplaying the predicted suffering–only to be rebuked by Jesus for disregarding the hard side of speaking God-language to a culture already noisy with hopes and dreams. When Jesus calls Peter “Satan”, he’s referring to the conflict of the Wisdom of Heaven & the Wisdom of Earth. Followers of this Christ are called to put aside their egos and accept the Cross, with all it carries.

There’s a lot of noise out there. These lessons present the Choices of Voices which is our daily task and opportunity. Sometimes we get to speak Truth to Power; most days our ministry is to quietly add value to those we meet. At the least, there’s a responsibility to not contribute to the plastic cacophany which seduces the multitudes with promises of the Good Life. May I so do…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me every Tuesday to be smacked around by scripture readings assigned to the upcoming weekend–at horacebrownking @ yahoo.com