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Stories heard this weekend remind us of the urgency of proclaiming God’s Kingdom. Headlines and digital posts say that the world is going crazy, that the System is exerting its ugly head yet again. Bombs and missiles fall from the sky to fulfill the wishes of a would-be king, and the chariots of Pharoah close upon us quickly. Is there a way out? or should we just lie down under a broom-tree and wait for death…? What in the world are you doing, for heaven’s sake?

II KINGS 2:1-14 revisit Elijah, as he walks with his protege Elisha. The (senior) prophet is going to see God, and his helper is gonna stick with him, come what may. They part the Jordan with Elijah’s cloak, to remind us that Elijah was in the Moses-tradition. Elisha does the same, on the return trip, to signify that he also is speaking up to the Pharoah-figure of the System. They are both engaged in the God-work of pointing out the fallacies of the king-figure and the constancy of YHWH. What is God calling US to do in Today’s challenge?

St. Paul, in GALATIANS 5:13-25, is telling the new Christians of Galatia to be nice to each other. The System can be pretty crude–Paul tells us to embrace one another in response. (The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-6 has already told these folks to “go the second mile”.) People in the pews are being commissioned to go tell the News TODAY, either by word or direct action. The fruit of the spirit is contrasted to the feel-good works of the Evil Empire, which spin disorderly cocoons in our daily life.

One commentator, James W. Thompson, points out that LUKE’s Gospel often portrays Jesus as on the road; 9:51-62 finds him in Samaria, with “his face set toward Jerusalem”. As he went from village to village, several confronted him by saying they would go with him, “but…”. Here Jesus points out the urgency of the Gospel: it is for Today, not Someday. (Reminds me of the story of the guy falling from the top of a skyscraper–as he goes past the Tenth Floor he calls out, “I’m OK so far!”) Annie was right: Tomorrow is always a day away!

Some worshipers may read along with these stories; others will drowse over their cell-phones. But more important than getting out of there for lunch is the urgency of telling and living out the Gospel today: maybe there won’t be a tomorrow…

In the process of unfoldiing, Horace Brown King

Please join us next Tuesday–if there IS a next Tuesday–to be met by scripture lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary which may be read to you on the upcoming weekend; at horacebrownking.com

We’ve all been there. So deep in doubt, so much in despair. Will anything work right? I’ve done all I can, Lord, and now I’m overwhelmed by life. Readings for the upcoming weekend remind us of these excursions into the Valley of the Shadow of Death…and also that God cares for us, and provides sustenance wherever we are. The Holy Writings are full of these remembrances, helping each generation to remember that “this is the house of God”.

Elijah’s story is long and convoluted, perhaps announcing that he represents the Prophetic strain of speaking Truth to Power. We pick up the story in I KINGS 19:1-9. He’s just called down fire from the sky, seen the drought ended, and killed all the prophets of Baal. Queen Jezebel was livid! Sensing that she would have him killed, he did what any of us would do: he hightailed it out of there. Filled yesterday with God’s Spirit, he was empty today: “It is enough; now, Lord, take away my life…” God told him that this was rubbish, and sent an angel with heavenly food & drink to sustain him for a long (40 days, twice more than you can count on your fingers and toes; sounds like Noah, or Jesus in HIS wilderness) journey to Mt. Sinai. Where the wild things are, God is a providential God. Haywood Barringer Spangler says, “Elijah doesn’t have to give up his frustration, but God will not let him give in to it.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:151)

What does Paul say to the GALATIANS in vv. 3:23-29? “…In Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.” Good thing Elijah didn’t know the song, “We shall overcome someday”–he thought that TODAY is the Day! There is an immediate need for God’s children–Jew or Gentile, slave or free–to project the ethical and spiritual stand of Jesus even in the face of power. “We will go forth in grace alone.”

LUKE 8:26-33 is the rather humorous story, especially to Jewish folks, of demons going into a herd of pigs, who rushed into the Sea of Galilee and were drowned. But the core, of course, is that Jesus found a non-Jew who had no name but “Legion”, exiled from his community and consigned early to the graveyard. Even though Legion was an alien, Jesus cast out the demons and restored him to “normal” life. Are YOU overwhelmed by voices raging at you from inside and out? Are you consigned to the Wilderness? God wants to confirm you as an individual, as a person, as a vital part of your community.

Mary Louise Bringle has written a hymn, which could be sung to the tune of “Finlandia”: As frailness grows, and youthful strengths diminish, in weary arms which worked their earnest fill, Your aging servants labor now to finish Their early tasks, as fits your mercy’s will; We grieve their waning, yet rejoice, believing Your arms, unwearied, shall uphold us still.

May these remembrances of God’s steadfast love sustain each of us through our wilderness pilgrimage…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Come join us every Tuesday to explore and be confronted by scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend by the Revised Common Lectionary…at horacebrownking.com

We’re working toward Trinity Sunday, the day in which we celebrate the Third Person of God, God’s Holy Spirit. Christians don’t worship THREE Gods, rather we acknowledge the Triune faces of God, different functions, yet the same God. Some would call these Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Scriptures to be read this weekend celebrate this Third Person (the Holy Spirit) and how he/she works in our daily lives to bring us closer to Perfection.

Before Jesus, this spirit was considered to be Wisdom, and PROVERBS 8:1-4, 22-31 tells of the everywhere character of this Person: “on the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads…” We are encouraged to remember the spark of Wisdom coursing through our own souls, to affirm that the creative process continues within us as we assume the process of truth and discernment. Even in this mystery we pay attention to our own connection with the Creator.

St. Paul goes deep in ROMANS 5:1-5: he speaks of the rewards of bearing our “sufferings” nobly and with an eye on coming glories. Why? “…because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us”. This faithful love is ours not because of our goodness, but rather through the mercies of One who Created us in a holy image. We are given the opportunity–again and again–to discern this steadfast love in our daily walk.

JOHN 16:12-15 is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse to his followers in which he assures them (and us) that his absence is only temporary, that a great portion of God–the Holy Spirit–” will guide you into all the truth”. The role of the Spirit, then, is an interpretation of the God-like life to all who wish it; that is, to imitate Christ in ethical and moral stances.

Douglas M. Donley questions, “why can’t this form of wisdom be seen as an aspect of God’s Presence in our lives? As we are innately wise, so we are innately connected with God”. (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:26) In all of our wanderings, we are to remember that God’s Holy Spirit graciously spreads God’s abundance to everyone, even in times of rebellion and anger and neglect…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Lessons to be read and heard during worship on the upcoming weekend are presented every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com.

It’s almost Pentecost. Again. On this day when we remember how the Holy Spirit spoke to so many, we too are called to speak in a language that is opposite of the System. Scriptural references contain two stories plus an appeal to Holy Living. We might read them as our own stories as we try to speak of God within a world where the noise of its several speeches drowns out reality under a sea of material and political gain.

“Grandpa, why are there so many languages and so many races?” “Let me tell you a story, sugar…” And around the campfire a hush arose, for no one ever disregarded hearing again how the People of Earth were frustrated when they tried to build a Tower to Heaven. But the story in GENESIS 11:1-9 isn’t about language, but rather human attempts to make a name for themselves: this sin continues through the centuries, even today, as each nation/individual tries to be more powerful, more dominant than the other. To play God. Instead of a Tower, we build walls and draw lines in the sand. We secure our garages, the home of our idols; we distrust our neighbor… Have you built a tower lately?

God saw that difference in language was anathema to the sense of community, so in ACTS 2:1-21 God translates our apprehension into words all others could understand. Not to build a tower, but to build the church! God didn’t do away with our uniqueness, but gave us a universal understanding of God’s purpose. And in the sharing of our own languages with others we take our places as carriers of God’s Word for the entire World.

How shall we know God? Philip spoke for all of us when he said to Jesus, “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied”. This gave Jesus the opening to answer, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” According to JOHN 14:8-21, Jesus went on to introduce the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate, to be with you forever”. Here is One who gives the impetus to pass on the Holy Story from generation to generation. This text is about knowing Jesus as One with the Father, and thus not afraid to engage ourselves in acts of mercy and the affirmation of forgiveness.

Jeff Paschal writes, “God’s promise is that our ultimate value does not depend upon our building gleaming cities and towers of achievement but upon God’s dazzling and soaring love….We Christians constantly need to be reminded that we do not have to make a name for ourselves because, as Jesus said, our names are already written in heaven.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:5) Have you built a tower lately?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join us at horacebrownking.com every Tuesday to be confronted by scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary to be read on the upcoming weekend.