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We’re always asking the unspoken question: how much do I need to give to God, and how much can I hold back for myself? Many congregations are now holding their annual “stewardship” (i.e., send money) campaigns, and urging each of us to be tithers (10%) of our income. TEN PERCENT! Not much, when you think about it; especially in a time in which income equity is so evasive… In the lessons you’ll hear this weekend, two widows will be introduced; plus some thoughts on how Jesus went the Whole Way in order to be a priest forever…

The story from RUTH 3:1-5, 4:13-17 is about sex, no way around it. In a culture where widows were dependent upon their children and relatives for support, it was important and fiscally sound to get a husband to care for you as soon as you could. So Naomi instigated Ruth’s seduction of rich Boaz, who promptly got Ruth pregnant. Being a good guy, Boaz made the arrangements to marry her: long story short, the baby was Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David the Perfect (?) King. Finally the holy story begins to make sense, and God seems to have won another one…

HEBREWS drags on and on about Christ’s role as Eternal Priest, as contrasted with the Hebrew High Priest. Here in 9:24-28 we experience the totality of Christ’s saving event, and in this totality mortals have a constant audience with their Creator. In some ways the earth has been “widowed”, that is, cut off from a providential sense of completeness. The writer here urges a renewed acceptance of Christ’s ultimate importance in human living on EACH side of death, being restored to Real Life. “Thanks to Jesus, salvation no longer requires an annual renewal sticker.” (Peter M. Wallace, FEASTING on the WORD, B 4:281)

In MARK’s Gospel account, we’ve been “marking” (!) Jesus’ way to Jerusalem. In 12:38-44, we find him and his pals in the Temple watching folks drop their offering into the Treasury Box–some with great fanfare. But here comes a shabby, down-at-heel widow who puts in her “mite”–Jesus says to his friends, “This poor widow has put in more than all those [richer people] who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Went the whole nine yards, didn’t she! How much faith did she have to believe that the God who helped her live today will help her live tomorrow??

Well-meaning but Biblically-illiterate people have told me that their minute contribution is but “the widow’s mite”–and I’ve told them that I’m glad to hear it, for it means that they’ve given EVERYTHING! How then to go all the way for and with God? The final hymn at my funeral (I hope) will be an old one–“All the way my savior leads me; O the fullness of his love! Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father’s house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal, Wings its flight to realms of day, This my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way.” And please sing a loud and resounding AMEN!

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Please join me each Tuesday to be confronted and changed by scripture to be read on the upcoming weekend: at horacebrownking.com

Some people have dropped away from organized (?) religion because “there’re too many rules”. Well, I suppose, there ARE those concepts which call for enforced prayer, sacrifice and meditation times, and negate all the fun things… Scriptures read this weekend–if your congregation isn’t observing All Saint’s this day–introduce us to some folks who were trying to live a righteous life by obeying all the footnotes. There’s nothing wrong with our self-imposed disciplines/habits; if these things work for you, by all means keep at them! But are they basic to our route to perfection?

RUTH 1:1-18 has been spoken at weddings, and sung about in several “anthems”. “Where you go, I will go…your people shall be my people…” What’s happening here is the formation of a relationship, even the affirmation of that which already was a closeness. The Book of Ruth is in the Hebrew scriptures because it establishes the line of David’s ancestry; it’s in the Christian scriptures because it lifts up the necessity of selfless surrender to the needs of others. God’s grace has already been seen to function in the lives of Naomi & Ruth: each has a glimpse of What’s Really Important. Although there are many social niceties which would shape the lives of these ladies, their love for each other was remarkable…

The author of the Letter to the HEBREWS is still contrasting the Levitical high priest to the priesthood of Christ: the human priest must sacrifice once a year for the sins of the People; whereas Christ has been there, done that, and constantly carries our ongoing brokenness to God for forgiveness and wholeness. The writer implies a community unfolding in and through Christ, and infers that each of us is somehow dependent upon the Christ-image in The Other. This may be my own interpretation of the moment, yet I’m more and more aware of how dependent I am on not only my daily peers but also on those whose good deeds in the past have set me up. If we’re each in a covenant with the living God, What’s Really Important?

The Gospel according to MARK, 12:28-34, is so central to the Christian doctrine that it appears also in Matthew and Luke. The story is that Jesus is approached by a good man who has done his best to keep ALL the Law (no pork, etc.) yet feels as though there’s Something More. “Which Commandment is absolutely essential?”, he asks. “The first”, Jesus replied, “is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, that you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There are many codicils in the Law and the Talmud, but they all depend on these, the Love of God, and the Love of the Other. That’s What’s Really Important!

There are a lot of Good People, made in God’s Image, who get sidetracked and hung up on the details, Seems to me that Jesus’ entire ministry points to the WHY of God’s worship and ignores (downsizes?) the HOW, leaving each of us to evolve our own methods. Central to all, though, is the importance of God, often shown by how important we make the ones around us.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me each Tuesday at horacebrownking.com to explore how we can yet be shaped by the lessons read to us on the coming weekend.

For most of my life I’ve been speaking and writing about sacramental healing; that is, the wholeness of body, mind and spirit as God breaks in. Unfortunately some showmen have claimed special talents of healing, pointing to piles of disused braces and crutches affirming the success (?) of their methods. Others have posited the idea that healing is dependent on the person’s faith-level: if the cure doesn’t work immediately, their “faith” wasn’t enough. Above this folklore, Morton Kelsey writes “…the healer…is seen as the agency through which the Spirit of God and [God’s] power, the very creative force of the universe is transmitted….therefore sacramental.” (HEALING AND CHRISTIANITY, p,84-85) Thoughts brought to us in the scriptures of the weekend present the completion of some folks who had been separated from God.

JOB 42:1-6, 10-17 tells of Our Hero’s transformation and ultimate restoration: “I had heard of you (God)…but now my eyes see you.” Job finally allows God to BE God, and thus accepts himself (Job) as a valuable human. The long saga reaches a happy conclusion not moralizing about Job’s behavior or vices; and Job is himself again, healed and able to take his place in the community. The healing involves a deeper way of thinking about God and being aware of God’s presence. He finally acknowledges that God doesn’t necessarily follow human expectations! God’s inbreaking helps Job to recognize Grace in the Ashes.

The author of HEBREWS 7:23-28 contrasts the Old/Present order of high priests with the New priesthood of Jesus the Christ. Both offered sacrifices for the people–but the traditional priest had to do this over and again, while Jesus did it once as enough. Our humanity seems to need healing and forgiveness regularly, whereas those “in Christ” can claim an ongoing touch which frees us from the trap of the consequences of a single action. This re-orients our lives into progressive spirituality, putting to rest the boring and repetitive guilt of Yesterday! “[This] is Jesus’ amazing discovery that we do not need to be bound by past trespasses; through repentance and forgiveness we can be transformed; we can find release from past pain and learn how to forgive ourselves and others.” (Ginger Grab, FEASTING on the WORD, B 4:211)

The Gospel is the story of the restoration of sight to Bartimeus (MARK 10:46-52) also found in the account of Matthew and Luke. Bartimaeus called to the passing Jesus, who stopped and responded: “What do you want me to do for you?” Immediately the blind man answered, “My teacher, let me see again.” Although the prevailing culture assumed that this blindness was retribution for some awful sin, Jesus didn’t vet his history or admonish him to clean living–he just healed him. Gave Bartimaeus sight to participate in his surroundings, gave him insight to know God better.

I sometimes weary of my seemingly endless apology for Sacramental Healing: the humanity of today craves data and gigabytes, and disrespects the holy and the miraculous. Cynthia A. Jarvis tells us, “Miracles are those events that bring people from darkness into the light. Miracles turn our attention to what really matters in life and in death. Miracles claim no power, but reveals a Power who wills to be known. Miracles point beyond the one before us to the One who made us for love’s sake.” (FEASTING… B 4:214) In the name of Christ, be whole.

In he process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Come join me on my pilgrimage every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com, as we are explored by scripture lessons assigned to this coming weekend.

What’ll they think of next?! Even though I say I don’t like change, I do appreciate the new gadgets in my life: solar power, electric cars, wind farms… When I think about all the technology in cell phones and computers, I feel as if we humans can do just about anything to make life better. Maybe artificial intelligence and modern medicine can save us for an everlasting future! Not. This weekend’s scriptures confront and convict those in the pew who’ve figured that they’ve arrived, mostly through their own shrewd investments and courageous bravado.

Finally JOB gets an answer from God (38:I-7, 34-41). “So you’re ready to be in charge? Where were YOU when the earth was created, and when its foundations were tested? Can you lift up your voice to the clouds….send forth lightning….hunt for the lions’ prey….and feed the ravens??” Well, CAN you? And Job came to and embraced a new perspective, that God is God and he’s not. This encounter doesn’t make Job any less human, but it puts him firmly within Creation as a loved person made in God’s image. Now Job can “go home again”, back to his human roots, humble as they are. Will those in the pews also accept all their devices as gifts, allowing God to be God? Can you?

HEBREWS 5:1-10 can be an enigma. The author reminds her readers that priesthood is a matter of being chosen, not self-appointed. Thus Jesus, a “high priest according to the order of Melchizedek” was given this role in order to intercede for the arrogance of the worldly and to help each one acknowledge their compulsion to usurp God’s plan. I begin to see that all my bright ideas about What the World Needs Now are but dust-bunnies in the corners of a Greater Movement; this “high priest” is one who suffers with us, even while rejoicing that GOD’S grace is being made perfect in US. A mystery for sure, one that I yet can’t get my mind around. (Can you?)

As Jesus and his crew moved toward Jerusalem, James & John (“sons of thunder”) desired special honor in God’s Kingdom, to be “seated on the right and on the left”. (MARK 10:35-45) “Really?” asked the Lord, “can you drink the cup of human death? Can you rise from the dead?” “Still heroic spirits answer, ‘To the death we’ll follow thee.'” Perhaps the sons of Zebedee’s request is more fear than arrogance: all of us look for the assurance that there’s really something beyond death… But for now, the only promise we get is that there WILL be suffering as well as glory; and that God is God–and we’re not…

These are hard passages for me. They threaten my comfort zone. They remind me that everything could change in the blink of an eye. Under them all, though, is a sense that a loving Creator is still in charge; and that this Creator cares for both the gimmick-endowed AND the homeless, both the multi-vehicle blessed AND those who beg for groceries on Main Street. As for me, I’m more ‘n’ more convinced that I can’t do a thing apart from God….. Can You?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Sit with me every Tuesday as we’re confronted (perhaps attacked!) by the lessons assigned for the upcoming weekend–at horacebrownking.com

Written from the dark side of the moon. Oh, nothing special; I’m just fatigued with headlines about poverty, immigrants, vaccine mandates, the military…and now there’s an oil spill from a pipeline off California. The owners of said pipeline have been warned multi times, but the abuse of the earth goes on. Scriptures assigned to this upcoming weekend bring questions of darkness to the fore–part of the Church’s mission is to acknowledge these imperfections and to let the gathered faithful know that they’re not alone nor are they aliens when they’re frustrated by each generation’s problems.

We’re still struggling along with JOB (23:1-9, 16-17) as he searches for God in all his afflictions. Job’s faith tells him that God will ultimately free him from his pit of despair–if only he could make his pitch to YHWH. Across the centuries the cry goes forth, “Where ARE you, God?” How will Job and his righteous descendants find their way in the dark? “If I go forward, [God] is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive [God]…” Nor can we encounter God by stumbling either right or left. Is God hiding from Job/us, sick of our whining?

The Epistle is the anonymous “Letter” to the HEBREWS, 4:12-16. Beware of that two-edged sharp sword that will puncture our preconceptions, which will plunge into our weakness, deception and pride! I often think that I’m being arrogant with this weekly writing, or by standing in a pulpit expounding how culture is affected by the Holy Writings. Those who know me may well say, “Yep, he’s a fake!” “Before {God] no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.” Yet the Letter continues, introducing Jesus, our great high priest, who also wept over Jerusalem and whose final coherent words were, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the New Order was about to dawn in grace to him, to the Hebrews, and to us.

We’ve been following Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem as remembered by MARK: today we turn to vv.10:17-31. Matthew and Luke also present this encounter with the earnest man who wanted an assurance of eternal life, but found that his many possessions stood in his way. “What can I DO?” “Begin by giving away all your stuff which blocks your view.” Money. Patriotic pride. Self-satisfaction. Well, what other junk do we have to hurdle on the way to the Kingdom? The disciples asked, “Who can be saved?” Wrong question, Jesus told them: we’ll discuss eternal life/salvation some other time, but what can you do NOW to point to the Kingdom? The darkness grows as I realize how captive I am to my Stuff.

“So what’s the GOOD news?” asked my friend Ken in lectionary study. I suspect that it’s found in Jesus’ answer to his friends, “…for God all things are possible”! A motto of our country which some find archaic is “In God We Trust”. Alas, most of us trust more in our pension plans, the pentagon and our nostalgic “remembrance” of How It Used to Be. I sound like an old curmudgeon (which I am). I could go away to a cave in the desert and be a hermit, ‘cept I like running water and TV…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me every Tuesday as I writhe before God, dealing with lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend; at horacebrownking.com

“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

There’s something about us homonids that makes us want to draw lines, usually in the sand. It may be our own insecurity about Who We Are, or a misplaced sense of wanting to win. But we’re good at including some and excluding the others, finding some little detail to justify our actions. Some of us feel challenged by cultures and values not our own; others will cite trumped-up anxieties about scarcity and sharing the Good Life. Scriptures that are about to address us this weekend have a common commandment: “DON’T DO THAT!”

Several verses from PROVERBS 22 are chosen, vv. 1-2, 8-9, and 22-23. They remind the Hebrew people, until recently insulated from alien belief, that God and God’s Power extend beyond geographic and language frontiers. “The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.” These verses refer not only to our individual ethics, but beyond these to the unity of the community however we define it. How then are we tied up in the lives of those around us? And what value can we give to Those People next door? Will we insult YHWH by demeaning those whom God created and pronounced “Good”?

Despite the issues some of our Church Founders had about the writings of JAMES, the author continues to bring us good things. The reading at hand is 2:1-17, which speaks of “the royal law” of “loving your neighbor as yourself”. A hypothetical situation in a service of worship is described: an obviously well-dressed person and a shabbily dressed person both show up, and who gets the better seat? In the Church, James says, there’s no place for distinction. As one who’s been there, it’s good to know that here’s one place where you can’t be looked down on! Archie Smith, Jr. notices two concerns: 1, that we and they all bear God’s image; and 2, that many who seem externally “rich” may well be spiritually impoverished (FEASTING on the WORD, B 4:40). This is a radical expression of Christianity: to weave all comers into the fabric of the congregation/community.

The Gospel Lesson is MARK 7:24-37, which remembers two healings Jesus performed in (gasp!) Gentile country. The first is rather awkward, since it depicts Jesus as willing to withhold healing from the Syro-Phoenician woman: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs!” He said that?? But she made him come around to see that God has no partiality, even–especially–in Tyre & Sidon! The second part of this remembers how the community brought a deaf man for healing–both of these accounts have a happy ending, and are included here to demonstrate how God loves ALL the children of the world… “In these stories it is not the faith of the disabled person that brings about their healing, but the active faith of their companions.” (Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, ibid.) A little non-Jewish woman-child was healed. So was a sinful (?) foreign man. Is this an inclusive God or what?!

As I grow older, I’m sorry to realize that my own prejudices too often pop out: when I drive through ethnic-centered neighborhoods; when I’m galled by irresponsible traffic; or when “their” music is too loud… So I need to hear these readings even again to break through my complacent isolation and give ’em a break. May God help us all to be more inclusive.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Join me in being smacked by scriptures assigned to upcoming weekends every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com