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Ah, for the days when God was in [his] heaven, and all was “right with the world”! Now in my dotage, I get overwhelmed by the seriousness of Life, especially Life often marred by the contentiousness and anger of “corrupt” politics. Texts for the upcoming weekend are hard words for those wanting to be left alone: professing disciples are slapped by justice issues and those of racism, militarism and profiteering. This Christian life is difficult–thank God that we have God’s strength to see and act beyond our own meager resources…

Down in the dumps? Better not read JEREMIAH 18:1-11, the famous tale of the potter and his clay. As Jeremiah watched, he saw the potter discover a glitch in the vessel he was throwing. The potter worked the clay into something else. Extra time, extra work, maybe extra money. Although modern folks understand this as an analogy of their own lives being reformed, Jeremiah/God’s direction was to recast the PEOPLE of Israel. Notice, please, that the prophet’s concept of God is one of continuous creation, that God is constantly doing new things (as opposed to a pre-ordained clockwork Creation). This process is a messy one: Sally A. Brown envisions God being messy up to the elbows. Has God become the clay itself to model how the People can be integrated into a holy vision?

The Letter to PHILEMON is certainly different from Paul’s community admonishments. The impetus of this letter–and why it’s in the Bible– continues Paul’s envisioning of holy communities where folks exist as siblings, where there is “no slave or free”. What does it cost to free our slaves? Will I be able to invest in the stouter-than-I person who walks into the restaurant? What I do now is to pat myself on the back, congratulating myself on being thinner…thereby enslaving that person…

LUKE 14:25-33 continues the story of Jesus marching on Jerusalem. Large crowds were joining his parade, and he reminded them of their holy priorities: whoever puts family or even life itself ahead of carrying their own cross should turn around now. Two illustrations follow: the would-be builder who didn’t count the possibilities; and the ill-prepared ruler whose army didn’t have a chance against his neighbor’s. If you’re gonna join a movement, you’d better count the cost of what this is gonna involve…

I was thrilled at age 16 to be able to buy an old car! Dad said, “What about insurance?” and Mom said, “What about repairs?” “Oh, ” said I, “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” Well….good thing I had a profitable paper-route, ‘cuz those bridges came pretty quickly! I guess it was a “teaching moment”: I learned the hard way to Count the Cost. Now some call me Stingey, but I think of myself as Frugal, enshrining my Scottish heritage. Seriously, what will it cost to be a practicing Christian?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me in confronting scriptural texts to be heard on the upcoming weekend; every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

My father-in-law had a knack of saying funny things without realizing it. One day when Marie and I were first engaged, he and I were discussing my life-prospects and possibilities. I told him, “Someday, I’ll get ahead”; to which he replied, “Yes, and you’ll probably need one”. {!!} Scriptural texts read during worship on the upcoming weekend are two cautionary tales plus some ways of doing the Christian life.

JEREMIAH 2:4-13 finds our boy immediately (?) taking on the people of God, grown careless about their part of the Covenant. He says that they’ve forgotten their ancient holy-history and derisively chortle, “Where is the Lord?” They’ve addressed things as equally important as YHWH: “But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.” Two evils are noted–1) that they’ve forsaken God, the fountain of living water; and 2) they’ve dug out cracked cisterns that can NEVER hold living water… It’s a small leap forward to our own culture, where many things and values are idolized.

The Letter to the HEBREWS gives us some possibilities of living the life of a disciple (13:1-8, 15-16). I especially like the bit about offering hospitality to all, ’cause they might be angels! Among other things, we’re encouraged to reverence those who introduced us to God’s Presence: “Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Nothing particularly new about this; it’s a reiteration of the message God gave from the beginning. “Do not neglect to do good [by following the way of Jesus] and to share what you have…”

Ah, how great I am! LUKE 14:1, 7-14 recalls a story that Jesus offered about choosing your seats at a dinner, or maybe standing last in line at the pot-luck. It’s supposed to make us uncomfortable, since most of us think more highly of ourselves than others do! King Arthur had the right idea by making his table round…and we read with horror the concluding legend of the knights’ vanity as they fell away from the “brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” Compare this with the Table of Our Lord, which shares a holy essence with ALL who come, especially the imperfect and the downtrodden.

So…how do I get to be more humble? How do I pull down the idols of my shiny toys which stand between me and the God of Forever? Maybe I should start to follow the way of Jesus more closely, and to share my many riches with others who could use them? Tomorrow…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My ruminations about the texts assigned for the upcoming weekend continue each Tuesday: come help me chew over what I believe to be a message from God.

There’s much to be said about the idea of “choosing” to follow God, to open the door to Jesus. Yet in my own experience, it seems as though God keeps battering at my supposedly safe hiding place; and once God breaks in (a sacrament?), I find myself enmeshed in the claws of Christian service. There’s nothing to do about it. Readings for the upcoming weekend speak of this perseverance even and in spite of the disciple’s reluctance.

The opening of JEREMIAH, 1:4-10, tells of the young prophet being told by God, “You can run, but you cannot hide, Jeremiah! Now don’t give me excuses, like ‘I’m only a little kid’, but I’ll give you the words to say.” “You shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” “…we find ourselves grasped by a God passionate for the fate of human beings…. God’s passion for goodness and wholeness becomes our passion as well…” (Sally A. Brown, not Charlie’s sister, in FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:367) Jeremiah was in for a full life of disappointments, suffering and tears of frustration. Who would go there, ‘cept for being held in God’s talons?

The author of the Letter to the HEBREWS (12:18-29) reminds her readers of the tenacity which God confers on these representatives: “See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will WE escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven!” The ancients were well-familiar with the holy terrors of Mt. Sinai–now that they’ve come to the treasures of Mt. ZION, why should they negate or avoid the clutches of God which place them there?

LUKE’s story of the seriously-bentover woman (13:10-17) has many gems for our perusal. What grabbed my eye was the enormous change when Jesus touched her: “When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.” In the hands of Jesus, her world changed and she could rejoin her friends who had shunned her all these years because of her difficulties–which many had attributed to God’s displeasure. The leader of the synagogue had equated healing with WORK; but Jesus presented healing as God’s good pleasure.

Too bad we don’t have an historical follow-through on some of these folks who’ve experienced being clutched by God. Jeremiah’s life has been chronicled, and so has my own…at least to me, although I’m reconciled to being but a footnote in a Journal. And maybe we all are. Yet being clutched by God is not a walk in the park! In retrospect, I’m really glad that God didn’t give up on me…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Please join me each Tuesday as we unpack the scriptures assigned to the upcoming weekend at horacebrownking.com

Admittedly, I’m odder than some–yet I suspect that we’re mostly geared in our behavior to what we think is expected of us. As a participating citizen of this country/community, I obey the speed limits. (Well, mostly.) I vote and I don’t pilfer stuff from my neighbors’ yards. You get the idea. Why be “good”? Is it out of fear of being caught; or just because I’m such a good guy? Or, is my behavior instilled in me through the expectations of my parents/grandparents/little town where everyone knew my name? Readings for the upcoming weekend challenge the devout to celebrate Grace & Forgiveness, while perhaps expanding their picture of God…

ISAIAH of Jerusalem pictured the analogy of God as a frustrated vine-grower (5:1-7). In this Song of the Vineyard he described the careful preparation, the watchful protection of an owner determined to do everything right…and when it came harvest time, the grapes were wild/sour. Enraged, he planned to tear down the walls and the hedge, to cause it to be a dry wasteland. “For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” Bitter stuff, but it needs to be said.

The writer of the Letter to the HEBREWS (11:29-12:2) continues the litany of the “great cloud of witnesses”, saintly leaders who’ve received the vision but as of yet haven’t seen the Promise Fulfilled. This cloud calls the contemporary disciple to “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely” and continue the (human?) race just as God expects. Even in the wreckage of a divinely designed vineyard.

LUKE 12:49-56 does in the “gentle Jesus, meek & mild” picture! This passage needs to be read forcefully, with gritted teeth. Followers of Jesus must accept that there ARE swords and fire and family divisions involved in the Christian affirmation. Grace, of course, prevails; but on the way…sheesh! Jesus expects “the crowd” to recognize the seriousness of the moment: “You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

These are not scriptures to lull us into a pleasant state of gracious living; rather they’re forceful reminders that God is very serious about the Creation. In a word, God expects Righteousness. Yet financial exploitation and racial profiling continue; millions are spent on sporting events while some folks sleep under bridges; I’m proud of the acceleration of my air-conditioned care at the same time many walk shoeless on the burning pavement… The Good News is that a hopeful God will continue to plant and maintain this vineyard in the expectation of good fruit soon.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Every Tuesday we look at the lessons for the upcoming weekend, while they look back at us! Join me at horacebrownking.com

It will be quite a feat for the Chief of Cynics to write a blog about Faith! Perhaps God is speaking more to me than to you with these readings to be heard on Sunday. For the last several weeks, we’ve been exploring how the abundance of possessions can and often does separate the would-be disciple from the depths of God: wrapped up as we are with getting, we can put holiness on the back burner–“Even if there IS a God, he’ll never know what I’m doing.” So, fellow materialists, join with me in shuffling our feet when confronted by these prophetic words…

The beginning of ISAIAH of Jerusalem’s oracles (1:1, 10-20) is directed against the hometown crowd, as he identifies them as Sodom & Gomorrah. He speaks for God (“prophet: one who speaks for God”) and decries the offerings and incense, the cultic festivals and the fancy talk. “Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile.” Then begins an ongoing list of the faithless evils God perceives: the lack of justice, the persecution of the oppressed, the exploitation of widows & orphans…doesn’t say anything yet about rockets & racism–or does he? The “attack is on the bizarre disconnect of people praising God while desecrating God’s commandment to love.” (Paul Simpson Duke, in FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:319) BUT no matter how badly you’ve screwed up, no matter how bloody your hands, “if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”

Moving on a bit to the Letter to the HEBREWS, 11:1-3, 8-16, we read what has come to be the working definition of Faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The disciple is willing to go forward believing in a holy promise of a homeland SOMEwhere. We hear again about Abraham and others who staked their lives that such a promise is true, even though they never saw it. Rainbows & bluebirds? What’s beyond our daily lives, if anything? Or is our homeland a state of Godly activity and daring to believe that God will fix a scarred Creation?

LUKE’s account (12:32-40) is another interruption of Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem. Here is an opportunity to say again that God delights to give us the kingdom! But our treasures are to be ethical and spirit-filled, not measurable or accumulated. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I need to confess that my spirit-life was much stronger when I had less junque to stand between me and God. The task, then, is to live as though a loving and generous God isn’t keeping score of our wrongs (heaven help us) but is providing all the treasure necessary for a wonderful life.

John Wesley is reported to have told his newer pastors, “preach faith until you have it”. Good advice–yet the further I go in ministry, the more elusive faith appears. In seminary we learned that “Faith is a response to Grace”: I believe what I can experience, just like Thomas. In the meantime, while waiting for signs, I’ll TRY to upold the downtrodden, to welcome the marginalized and to vote against those who’d desecrate Creation and its God. Perhaps a merciful God will overlook my questions and let me live anyway…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Every Tuesday I wrestle with what I believe are God’s words for Today and the upcoming weekend; come join me at horacebrownking.com