Clothed In God

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