My Blog

The Greeks had a word for it: ACEDIA. “The devil of the noon-day sun”. It’s good, once in a while, to lie back and watch the clouds roll by–but sooner or later we’re called to Get to Work. Scriptures to be read this upcoming weekend urge the hearer to get on with it: there’s lots to do, and God is sending each one by name to proclaim that the Kingdom has drawn near.

II KINGS 5:1-14 is one of my favorite stories. Naaman, the leprous general from Syria, heard about the prophet Elisha’s healing power, and he knew what he had to do. When he came to the prophet’s home, the SERVANT came out and gave the prophet’s instructions: “Dip seven times in the Jordan”. “Phooey!”, said Naaman, “I’ve got bigger rivers than this at home!” Nevertheless, since he was there, he did what he was told–and his leprosy vanished! Key to this passage is the role of the assistants in setting things up for God to work: Elisha’s servant, the Israelite serving-girl of Mrs. Naaman, and Naaman’s lieutenant who convinced the general to at least try it… The message is about doing what God speaks by the prophets, strange as it may seem.

There’s lots of good stuff in GALATIANS 6:1-10 (some recommend adding vv.11-16). The verses that jumped out at me were ##2 & 9: “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ….So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” With news about abortion denial and looser gun restrictions, a European war that grinds on and on, plus racial violence and ethnic distrust–yeah, I feel like giving up! What good can come from little me? It would be nice to not be involved and to lie back in the noon-day sun… This is Independence Day weekend: have we a community responsibility to be Godly?

The Gospel reading is from LUKE 10: 1-11, 16-20–Jesus sends his followers out in pairs, “like lambs in the midst of wolves”. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” They were to travel light, trusting in what hospitality they could find. Their message was one of Wholeness: “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” Jesus has seen an abundance of possibility, while others bemoan scarcity. Jesus continues to identify the gaps in worldly armor through which goodness may trickle in. The disciples’ job is not to create these gaps but to fill them with an alternative to Business as Usual. “We are called to be open to this growth; to plan, organize, and work in a way that anticipates, rather than impedes, such growth.” (David J. Lose, in FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:217)

The Founding Fathers must have been overwhelmed, at times, with working out a new nation. There must have been those days when they would’ve preferred to sit in the sunshine and drink lemonade. The real patriotism then and now is to see the possibilities and announce them–and often to speak Truth to Power when it’s dangerous or inconvenient. Where, today, can we take care of God’s Business?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me at horacebrownking.com each Tuesday to explore together the scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend.

“Where’re we going?” “I don’t know.” “When’ll we get there?” “I ain’t certain…All that I know is I am on my way.” Scriptures read this weekend urge the brave ones who will hear to leave their comfort zone and plug on toward God’s horizon. Paint Your Wagon and come along!

II KINGS 2:1-14 is the famous story of Elijah and the Fiery Chariot. Elijah has been mentoring Elisha in the ways and dangers of being a prophet (speaker for God), and now gets ready to leave for heaven. Both men realized that new horizons involve grief that things aren’t the way they were. Elijah is taken away by the fiery chariot, leaving Elisha alone to ask, “What’s God’s purpose for me now?” Still faithful, he was grappling with understanding his own role of striding out with God’s continued message. We may well pack our prayers for the journey, wherever it may lead! An interesting footnote–Elijah’s earthly body was never discovered, nor was that of Moses, linking the Law & the Prophets… FWIW

GALATIANS 5:1, 13-25 has instructions for the Holy Traveler: what to pack and what to discard. The author urges the pilgrim to put aside “fleshly things”, i.e. things which make for so much comfort that we’re content with a permanent camp. Earthly desires include fornication, idolatry, sorcery, anger, quarrels, envy, carousing, “and things like these”. (Might also include arrogance, racial abuse, and militarism.) Yet the “fruits of the Spirit” include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control. J. William Harkins reminds us that “bondage takes many forms, and we must be courageous in naming them.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:186) The Good Stuff comes when we risk community with others on our journey.

LUKE’s Gospel, 9:51-62, tells of some encounters with Jesus who is on his way to Jerusalem (“his face was set”). Jesus discouraged these folks from being disciples because they were concerned for the comfortable (“Foxes have holes…but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”) and the necessary (care for parents and family). Couldn’t they have done both? These rather callous rebuffs are included to remind the reader that the Journey can’t wait for a better time: the moment for commitment is always THIS one. (A personal note: God has always been patient with my excuses, coming back yet again–and again!–to aim me at the horizon, wherever it may be…)

And so the Journey is before us. There probably will be some detours–we’re far from perfect. But as we go on to Perfection, our eyes may be open and our other senses attuned by the grace of God’s Spirit, and we disperse the spiritual fruit of a holy message to those others we encounter along the way. Have a wonderful trip! Vaya con Dios.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me every Tuesday as we travel into scripture readings to be heard on the upcoming weekend: at horacebrownking.com

Scriptures to be read this weekend have two great adventure-action stories plus a philosophical musing about the meaning of life. Who could ask for anything more? Those who hear these lessons are urged to see God’s design and handiwork in all sorts of places–maybe even where they themselves hang out.

Like all good storytellers, whoever reads us I KINGS 19:1-15 should provide a background. Just before this narrative, we found Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal–Queen Jezebel’s favorites–and challenging them to a duel. Whoever got YHWH or the Baal to consume an offering with fire would prove that their deity was better (see chapter 18). So Elijah prevailed and had all the Baal prophets killed, and Queen Jezebel was livid! Elijah beat it out into the desert: discouraged, he asked YHWH to relieve him of his prophet-job. “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life…” God’s response was to provide sustenance for a long trip! Elijah went to Sinai/Horeb, where it all began, to hand in his resignation face to face. “What are you doing HERE?” asked God. After hearing the silence of a quiet voice after the fire & earthquakes, Elijah, clothed in God, was sent back to keep on keepin’ on…

Read GALATIANS 3:23-29 with thought, and pay particular attention to verse 27: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” An early Church tradition was to provide new clothes for the recently baptized, symbolizing the New Life that they put on in Christ. Our “former imprisonment” was our system of categorizing the rich & poor, the college-kid & the highschool dropout, the old family & the recent searcher for a fresh start… There’s always room for diversity, yet we all wear the commonality of baptism.

Again, while reading LUKE 8:26-39, the reader/preacher needs to explore the strangeness of the situation: Jesus & Co. were on the East side of the Sea of Galilee in the gentile country of the Gerasenes. Does God work there, too? And a herd of pigs was greatly disdained by kosher Jews; everyone but the farmers laughed about the demon-possessed drowned swine! (My colleague Paul Reed claims that a good title for the sermon is “Devilled Ham”–wish I had said that!) After all the excitement, the townsfolk crept back to see for themselves and found the former demoniac “clothed and in his right mind”. What happened, and where’d he get his clothes? Seems as though there should be a Biblical spectacular about the continued life of “Legion”.

“I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy,” goes the song. Or a fireman, police person, soldier or band-member. We identify ourselves and others by what we wear. The bottom-line for today is knowing that we’re all part of the Jesus-team; and acting that way.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My anxiety about the lectionary readings for the upcoming weekend can be enjoined every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

“‘What is Truth?’ said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.” I commend to you the entire essay by Sir Francis Bacon, for it explores this commodity more thoroughly than most of us half-baked preachers could. So if you think I’m gonna tackle the question, stop reading right now, ’cause I’m not… However, being that Trinity Sunday is coming this weekend, the readings presented are attempts to elucidate the role of God’s Holy Spirit within the lives and practices of those in the pew.

In the Book of PROVERBS, 8:1-4, 22-31, God’s Spirit is presented as “Wisdom”, a very potent view of that which is to fill us, and “wise us up”. Here Wisdom is a creative side of God that set the Universe in balance and defeated chaos. “My cry is to all that live….(for I am) delighting in the human race.” Wisdom is seen in both dark places as well as those of light, offering a depth to living so much beyond the shallows of voyeurism and greed. John Calvin has said, “There is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of (Wisdom’s) glory.” (from the”Institutes…”)

The Epistle reading is five short (!) verses in ROMANS, 5:1-5. The passage ends with “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Most of the world’s religious thought involves a vague appreciation of a natural order; but St. Paul corrals this into a baptism by which holiness and beauty are funneled into our very being by an outflowing love that is still creating! Evidently our transformation is delivered to us daily, saturating us with grace. Michael Jinkins poetically says, “We track it into every room in our lives and out into the world.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:42)

JOHN’s Gospel, 16:12-15, still recalls Jesus and his close friends at the Last Supper. The Lord is trying to lift the disciples’ gloom by promising a “living replacement”–“When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” The idea of Truth is more than facts & dates, but is a sense of ethics and morality and justice as unpacked by Jesus. John’s projected community is one that will reflect Jesus’ intense care and ministry.

ElizabethAnn can sit in her rocker and tell us solemnly that “that’s the truth”–but Elizabeth Ann is only five years old. We who are slightly older know that Truth is but a gadfly, with many interpretations and many expressions. Steve Shussett has commented (ibid., page 30) that “On the road of life there are innumerable occasions for us to stand at the corner of ‘Mystery’ and ‘Mundane’ and see God at work in the course of an ordinary day.”

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

You are invited to join me every Tuesday in wrestling with the scripture readings to be heard during the upcoming weekend: horacebrownking.com