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Humans have a personal sense of time and consequences: “What if…?”, we ask. We hesitate to go over the speed limit unless we know where the police cars are. We don’t speak the truth to our spouses because the repercussions would be disastrous. We stay in a no-end job because we’re afraid of not finding another. AFRAID: that’s the word. A common greeting in the Bible is from heavenly to earthly: “Don’t be afraid!” Yet we are, and lessons to be read this weekend address our personal angst as well as our corporate despair.

I commend to you the Book of Job. Early wisdom, perhaps of Sumerian origin, this saga tells of “righteous” Job, a successful lord of many flocks and herds. He’s laid low when Satan challenges God to test his faith…and calamity ensues. “Why me, Lord? I’ve been good!” Our own question, isn’t it? Finally, “the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind”, (38:1) “So where were YOU when I made all this stuff and called it Good?” Job has a finite world-view, limited by human constraints of time and place; but God sees the big picture, the cosmic stability. We who weep with Job are invited to see that God’s Creation is enough to handle our daily afflictions…thanks be to God!

Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians seems to be a weave of several letters, or parts thereof. 6:1-13 appears to be a bit of self-justification. Yet in all this list of Paul’s troubles–afflictions, beating, imprisonment, riots and more–he announces that he’s overcome his fear of such discord by the love of God. “As dying, and see-we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” We need to read this as more than the bragging of Paul, seeing Christ’s triumphs over even those afflictions we ourselves own.

Mark’s Gospel tells a story in 4:35-41 about a tremendous storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was zonked out in the back of the boat, while his disciples were wide-eyed with fear of being capsized and drowning! Finally they woke Jesus, and at his word, the storm abated. “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Easy for YOU to say, but our external life is filled with terror! Our boats are pretty fragile, after all, and the storms of life are indeed raging: we’re vulnerable to being sunk with every passing breeze. Unlike the success-story we’ve been fed since childhood, the disciples haven’t summoned courage out of their heredity or buried resources; they and we need to confess our fears AND our inability to sail with the storm, and lean completely on Jesus.

The writers of Job and Mark have presented us with a metaphor: things can get pretty bad, yet God is still in charge. These are words we crave to hear when we’re feeling overwhelmed with affliction and reversal of fortune. Experienced sailors though we be, we may very well be cowed by the storms. Where is God when you need him?? Right in the back of the boat, available to still the wicked waves.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My intersection with scripture lessons to be read during the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

When we lived in Waverly NY we often drove past St James Roman Catholic Church, where a flock of pigeons could be seen sunning themselves on bright days. This caused my older son, Steve, to remark, “Look! Birds of Pray!” Evidently these were descended from the swallows mentioned in Psalm 84… Readings for this weekend deal with God’s Providence: not only to birds of the air, but to ALL living creatures. Some who will hear these scriptures may have been feeling insignificant and unlovable; here is another opportunity to remind them that the Creator called “Good!” everything that was made. We and the birds are all part of God’s ecology.

The reading from the Old Order comes from the prophet Ezekiel, 17:22-24. God is portrayed as a caring nursery-man who transplants a vital sprig from the growing edge of a cedar tree to a mountain location. The sprout becomes noble, and the birds build nests in its branches. A bud from the stump of Jesse? These are intended to be words of comfort and life-promises to the Babylonian Exiles, but they’re appropriate for all generations. Who are the refugees in our pews? Have they felt exiled from their Fields of Dreams? Storms and earthquakes come and go; but the word of the Lord lives forever.

A little bit of a leap takes us to the Epistle, II Corinthians 5:17. It begins with a phrase of assurance, “So we are always confident”. Having heard of a God who tenderly nurtures the World’s Garden, we’re urged to take up residence and citizenship there. Taking the plant analogy to non-Pauline extremes, we recognize that our bad habits, cruel words and careless attitudes are those non-productive tendrils which are pruned away as we become reframed into our true nature as bearers of the Holy Likeness. “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

The Gospel of Mark 4:26-34 includes two parables of Jesus talking about seeds. The first–appearing only in Mark–describes the Kingdom of God as a fertile plot upon which someone (God?) has scattered seeds. Sunrise & sunset go by, and eventually the plants ripen and can be harvested. That’s the way things grow, thanks be to God. The second parable may be more familiar: the notice that a mustard-seed (the smallest of all) will eventually grow into a thriving bush which hosts…the Birds of the Air! There is displayed here a mysterious yet vital power of life which takes the tiny and easily-buried virtues of each of us and magnifies them into the fullness which was the original intention of the Creator! Does it look like you’re dead? You’re not…

God really must like birds; God made so many of them! Early in our holy-history we heard about the dove which Noah released, which came back to announce dry land; this then turned into the Dove of the Spirit which ripped through the heavens to anoint Jesus at his baptism. There’s the lonely bird on the proverbial house-top. And we hear about the eagles, whose wings bear up the believer; and the sparrow, who has caught God’s eye. “Fear not, little flock, for you are worth many sparrows!”

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My musings on scripture lessons to be read on the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

I hate snakes. Can’t trust ’em. Always popping out at me, even from the TV screen. Besides, who can trust anything that doesn’t have legs? Readings featured this weekend are stories about TRUST, especially aimed at persons in the pews who’ve had trust issues. Some feel betrayed by spouses or children. Some are smarting because someone at work shared publicly that which was meant to stay private. Others have buried their past guilts because they feel as though there wasn’t anyone to unburden with… I often envy those persons who have the relief of a formal and sacrosanct confessional to unload that which would tie them down! Perhaps these readings will inspire the self- isolated to move forward.

The passage from Genesis 3:8-15 bears the humor of Adam & Eve hiding from God after the Fruit Tree Incident. “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (God really knew: this was to give Adam an opportunity to ‘fess up.) And now Adam knew what his index finger was for: “Not me, Boss! This WOMAN gave it to me…” Eve jumps into the fray, “The SNAKE tempted me…” The snake, having no fingers to point, just sat there and grinned. And thus guile was born. Up ’til now, everyone trusted the other party–but now humans need to be careful, cuz someone’s gonna snitch…

“Seeing is believing “, the old saw tells us. But, says Paul to the Corinthian church, “the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise US ALSO with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.” (II, 14:15) There’s evidently more than meets the eye, and God through Christ is reliable, i.e., trustworthy. “We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.” There’s an element here of trustworthy expectation: “day after day” we’re being transformed into the holy image covered over by our insecurities long ago…

Mark’s Gospel tells us in 3:20-35 that the traditionalists thought Jesus to be possessed, and set up Jesus’ mother and brothers to make an intervention. How much had he trusted these to go along with him, even though they might not yet understand the full picture? “C’mon, Jesus! Get a real job, get married, have a lot of Jewish children!” Jesus’ non-compliance may be the lesson here, to persevere against the tempting demons, trusting (naively?) in God alone. And there are days when it feels VERY alone…

Somewhere along the road I learned the wisdom: “Love many, trust few; learn to paddle your own canoe.” This is the Popeye wisdom: “I yam what I yam!” The pandemic isolated our general society, and destroyed much of the trusting community. Now more than ever we the Church needs to confess our self-reliance as sinful, and show the way to community to the watching culture. Besides, I hate snakes…!

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My reflections on Scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

On this weekend when we celebrate the Trinity, there’s a special remembrance of the power of the three-in-one God. Worshipers are prodded to remember their own stories as they meet those of Isaiah and Nicodemus, both steeped in Jewish tradition. But now their experience is enhanced by these personal meetings with the God-head who speaks familiarly with them, despite their growing anxieties about not being good enough. Both men left this special presence with greater wisdom than they had brought–those hearing these ancient tales may well expect their own life- changes which may very well take them to new scenes of their own service and soul-fulfillment.

The famous Isaiah story, chapter 6:1-8, tells of a presumably young man, who in a vision is transported to the throne-room of the Almighty. Although tradition tells us that Isaiah is of the priestly–maybe royal–family of Jerusalem, he suddenly is overwhelmed with a sense of his own inadequacy: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…” But an angel burns away his perceived foulness, fitting him for an ongoing ministry of speaking God’s Word and engaging with faithless Israel: he can honestly answer, “Here am I; send ME!” As Andrew Greeley reminds us, “God draws straight with crooked lines.”

The eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of my favorites in Scripture; this week we look at verses 12 through 17 & 18. The hearer is reminded that the source of absolution and witness are by the Spirit of God–“All who live by the Spirit of God are children of God”! Bad habits? Evil and lusty thoughts? This Holy Spirit can overcome and kill them; and this Spirit reminds us that they really are dead and gone forever! Our actions and wills are insufficient unless sustained by the Spirit, God’s sacramental in-breaking. If God, through kindness, has elevated us to be heirs of the Kingdom, how could we look at other wanderers as anything less? What have you inherited from your parents? What have you inherited from your Abba?

Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, brought his questions out of the night of confusion into the True Light of Jesus, according to John 3:1-17. A work in progress, he too is seen to be pulled by the Spirit closer to the freedom which comes to the believer in Jesus. Nicodemus represents each of us who have difficulty envisioning the Kingdom of God to be here & now, and not something we can attain through a series of spiritual acrobatics. Unlike human birth, which we can more or less control, this birth from above represents a new way of life which God directs and cares about. Jesus’ role is not as prosecutor or dispenser of guilt, but as a benevolent guide who has seen it all and now is eager to affirm God’s Creation as a venue of loving care…

It seems good to me to have these narratives about good men who’re urged to go a step farther. My own growth in life skills of compassion, witness and good deeds evidently didn’t stop at Confirmation. Would that people of the World be open to the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit!

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My take on scripture lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com

Sunday will honor the Day of Pentecost, the Hebrew festival remembering Moses’ descent from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments which would order Jewish life. Followers of Jesus were grouped into one place, where the Wind of the Holy Spirit “filled the house”. This wind was mentioned in the Old Testament as RUACH, or the breath of God, which would resuscitate the dead and heal the living. It is hoped by the creators of the Christian Year to be a time of renewal and new birth for the Church: Easter is past, and now the disciples are blown into the far corners of the world with the holy message of God’s love through Christ Jesus.

The traditional reading for this day is that from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2. It seems good to me to be presented with a mysterious event–our age of digitalization often excludes the possibilities of heavenly inter-vention. The Wind of God is here the impetus for sending apostles out, reminding them that God’s presence is always blowing, despite the angst of those who are opposed to it. Part of the reading is a reprise of a segment of the prophecy of Joel: young folks in the pews are urged to dream big, and their elders are urged to cast a vision of what the Kingdom can really be like! What will happen when our sails catch the Spirit?

The Epistle involves Paul’s words to the Romans in the important 8th Chapter. V. 26 tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” That “sigh” may well be the Wind of the Spirit rustling through the weeds which choke our path… Even when we’re tongue-tied, that Spirit speaks to the Creator on our behalf.

We’re still with Jesus’ High Priestly prayer at the Last Supper, as pictured by John (15:26-27 and 16:4b-15). The Lord assured his friends that his death will not leave them bereft of a Holy Presence, as he will send an Advocate to stand with them in times of trial. (The Greek, here, is “paraclete”–which is not a caged bird with blue or green feathers!) Yet the Advocate does ride on the wings of the Wind, sometimes arriving at a target before the witnesses actually get there…pastors, have you marveled at the smooth resolution of a tough situation that you’ve been dreading and maybe avoiding? This dynamic Spirit will guide each of us into the eternal truth, to a deeper understanding of the grace and beauty in which we are.

There’s so much happening here that the leader of worship and proclamation could spend many words in trying to capture it all. OR she could say very little, and let this Divine Breath pause where it would… Those observing this message should know that they will be changed, inflated perhaps with a dream, a vision and a shove to take these things into all the world.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Please join me every Tuesday as the Spirit attempts to fan my holy embers into a useful flame…at this spot on Facebook, or at horacebrownking.com

This will be the week before Pentecost: some will wish to focus on the Ascencion of Christ, but I’ve chosen to look at the readings for the Last Sunday of Easter. These will recognize the host of unnamed teachers, parents and preachers who’ve informed each of us and helped us to grow in the Kingdom of God. I personally thank those little-remembered Sunday School teachers and other kind adults of the Dalton (United) Methodist Church: the snippets of understanding they shared have helped build Discipleship in me. These are the saints to whom I give much thanks for telling me the Stories of Jesus. How about you? Who’re those who have paved your way through the swamp?

Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17,21-26 is the oft-overlooked story of the replacement of Judas as a Disciple. “12” was the magic number, for this was to reflect the 12 Tribes of Israel–named after the sons of Jacob. So, said Peter, we’ve gotta cast lots for a worthy replacement; this way, God will control the outcome and everyone will be satisfied. We read that one Matthias was chosen…and we never heard anything about him after that! His nearest competitor was a fella called Justus, another unknown to history even though the others thought quite a bit of him. So who were these guys? What did they “accomplish” in these formative days of the Church? We’re here today because they helped other ordinary folks to know something about Jesus.

The Epistle, I John 5:9-13, continues with the passing on the riches of holy-history through the generations. Written towards the conclusion of the First Century, The Elder acknowledges the power of oral transmission within his developing community. “Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts….And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Who were the several unknown but vital persons who passed on their experiences to the coming generation? They spoke not only of factual events, but also of how God sustained and transformed them as individuals and within the faith-group.

The Gospel continues to examine Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer at the Last Supper, this time from John 17:6-19. Don’t get lost among the many words, but try to isolate and identify the Good Will Jesus has for all his friends. He speaks of being “sanctified”–made holy–among the many distractions of the rest of the world. John, bless his heart, often divides life into black ‘n’ white, and remembers the Lord’s words as separating the Kingdom of God from the World. But to his credit, here he pictures Christ as NOT removing His People from their evil surroundings, but rather sending them out again to tell the Holy Story. “There’s no hiding place down here!” The community needs to gather from time to time to refresh themselves and be renewed by the spark of each other–but this shouldn’t be seen as abandoning the world.

These words will be told again, this weekend…all because Somebody Somewhere fanned a spiritual spark which caught and burned. I couldn’t begin to thank all the ordinary folks who took time & energy to help mold me, and probably you can’t either. But I can pay it forward: I hope that now that I’m full of years a few can look back with appreciation at this Unknown Preacher for telling God’s Story again & again in order that an anonymous seed might take hold and grow some more…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My meeting with lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be observed every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook or at horacebrownking.com

There’re so many cartoons of a space-alien, complete with flying saucer, saying to a human–or maybe the cat– “Take me to your leader”. We’ve asked the same question for generations–centuries!–of each other in a strange land, “Who’s in charge here?” In the tradition of the American myth of independence, we usually answer, “I am”. It’s so difficult to acknowledge that we’re NOT in charge of the world/our neighborhood/our house…. Scriptures this weekend will address our need to be in control.

Acts 10:44-48 is the tag to the story of Peter’s housetop vision where God pronounces ALL animals “clean”, an allegory of all people (even Gentiles!) being created in a holy image and pronounced “good”. Peter is immediately summoned to the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion; and there he preaches God’s blanket affirmation to even these occupation interlopers. To the marvel of everyone, the Holy Spirit came upon the company, “even on the Gentiles”! Hearers of our generation are invited to know that there’s a Power even above ourselves which is accomplishing mighty acts, whether we or our traditions agree with them or not.

The Epistle, I John 5:1-6, contains these startling words: “whatever is born of God conquers the world”. We would-be world-beaters are urged to look again at this greater Power, thus subjecting ourselves to the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Believing is one thing; yielding to God’s commandments of love is another. Try as I may, I can’t get rid of my vulgar habits…especially in traffic! I guess the only way for improvement is to admit that God’s will is greater than my own; and to let that will take over my spiteful impulses…

John’s Gospel spends a great deal of time on Jesus’ farewell discourse at the Last Supper, five chapters out of twenty-one, a quarter of the account–so the author must have sensed a central importance, here. In this segment, Jesus tells his friends, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit…” There have been many words expended urging listeners to “choose Christ”, yet this passage takes it to a Higher Authority. John’s Gospel is full of the initiative of God–from the Prologue of “coming into the world” to the Resurrection narratives and subsequent appearance. Hearers are called to accept the glories of Creation and the ensuing daily wonders done in our midst, not by ourselves but through the presence of the Christ. “And for us living in a culture that celebrates self-autonomy and choice, these words my call us back to an awareness of God’s initiative in seeking us out, gathering us into a community, and sending us into the world.” (Thomas H. Troeger, FEASTING on the WORD B 2:501)

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the barrage of commercials extolling the Good Life. If I only would buy such’n’such, I’d be eternally happy! Or at least be able to cope with fearsome bodily conditions. Somewhere to all of us the tale of self-fulfillment by our strength/wisdom/glamor runs out: we’re left in the desert to cry out to a God who’s really in charge. Kyrie eleison.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My encounter with scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be viewed every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

When I was in college, my father took a position in Harrisburg PA; for several years, my parents maintained an apartment there plus keeping the Old Family Homestead in Dalton, where I grew up. But then, an end-of-career move for them in yet another town left me rootless. Friends would ask, “Where do you live?”, and my only answer could be, “Where I am right now!” Scripture readings for this weekend are all about a human need for COMMUNITY: there will be those within our scope who feel cut off from familiarity, and transient within their culture.

Acts 8:26-40 is a neat story: the apostle Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to intersect with an Ethiopian believer who was reading from the prophet Isaiah. This person wasn’t welcome within the Jewish community because he was a eunuch, thus “incomplete” in their eyes; he also wasn’t welcome because of his skin color. Philip’s spontaneous act of Baptism was audacious to some, because he included this “alien” within the Christian group, an affront to the Jewish leaders and their tradition. Philip is to be applauded for his availability to knock down another wall which would exclude good folks from the Community.

I John 4:7-21 is notable because it uses the word “abide” many times. From the Greek MENO, this word carries the meaning of stability, staying in place, enduring, hanging in there which speaks of God’s HESED, God’s steadfast love. “God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.” We do not define God, but God defines us. (William L. Self) The author attempts to speak a mystery which is really beyond human words–especially as translated across many centuries. But the core of the passage seems to be that God loves us so much that we’re to be included within the Community of God, warts ‘n’ all!

I like to use the Gospel, John 15:1-8, during the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion. This is the saying of the Vine and the Branches: we little twigs are connected to the nourishment of God (the Ground of our Being) through the vine of Christ. As communicants take in the essence of Christ–the bread & wine–we can image such holiness flowing through our main stems into each tiny capillary of our humanity. “Those who abide [there’s that word, again] in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” Barbara J. Essex reminds us, “When God is doing the maintenance, we are assured that new life and new growth will result. Despite what the plant looks like, its connection to the vine renders it alive and not dead.” (FEASTING on the WORD, B 2:475) When John’s Gospel was written, the Community of Believers was of paramount importance. Today, too? This family was identified by its adherence to the Vine of Christ.

The job of the preacher/teacher/worship leader today is to stress the planned Incarnation of God into the well-loved world, and the permanent idea of dwelling there with us. The human heart is truly God’s abode, and we are encouraged to live in peace with God and all God’s people! “When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me…”

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My encounters with scripture lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this space on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

Showing my age: I once had a friend who owned an ocelot called “TearAlong (the Dotted Lion)” A few weeks ago, I had a dental procedure which required my permission. The nurse shoved three wordy documents at me and told me to sign my name “here…and here…and here”. What have I done? Maybe the small print included something about being executed at dawn! Y’never know, when you sign your name on the line, just what you’ve agreed to. Readings for this upcoming weekend are about Jesus, who laid his life on the line; and also how his followers are urged to risk their own lives for the betterment of the community. Heavy stuff.

Acts 4:5-12 continues the story about Peter & John after “their” healing of the lame man at the Temple. Authorities were outraged, not only that these two had usurped their monopoly of God-dispensing, but these disciples had done it in the name of Jesus–whom they thought they had eliminated. Peter spoke in the believers’ defense, being filled with the Holy Spirit: “let it be known to all of you…that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…” He told of how Jesus saw fit to lay down his life–to put his life on the line–to make the world and its people Whole again.

The Epistle continues in the First Letter of John, 3:16-24. What is probably the entire message is announced in v.16: “We know love by this, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us–and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” John’s community is urged to go beyond words and speech to truth and action! The author reminds us that we have a boldness from God to actively love one another. One of the things we’ve put aside during these pandemic times of quarantine is that sense of loving community. That is, we’ve refined it to include only those whom we choose to ZOOM with, and we can duck out at any time. Today’s readings emphasize that we’re all on this ship together, and that living out our spirit-compulsion is a reflection of the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.

John 10:11-18 is the famous Good Shepherd passage: “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” It can be dangerous to confront the hungry wolf! As God through Jesus develops the flock, the disciples’ job is to prepare a safe sanctuary to welcome the “tempest-tossed, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. How much can we dare to go out of our comfort-zone in behalf of these, our fellow-travelers? What does Jesus mean about “other sheep that do not belong to this fold”? He has a heavenly mandate to lay his life on the line–and expects his followers to do likewise.

I confess that this expectation often turns into an intellectual exercise, for me. My words are braver than my deeds. I’ve prayed for courage to speak truth to power; but shrink away from danger to my prestige or pension. Am I too old to be an activist again? When I was young, lean and hungry it was much easier. My sympathies are quite aligned with the women of Africa who have to walk three miles for water; I walk by the smelly man who panhandles at the door of the post office… These words in church, this weekend, are meant to stick with us, to embolden us to make the wounded whole. May we be blessed…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My meeting with scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be known every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com

So Easter is gone. I’ve eaten all the peanutbutter eggs, gorged myself on jellybeans and nibbled the ears off chocolate bunnies. The cat has eaten most of the Easter grass–a poor substitute, she says, for the real thing. What remains? Good News! The message of the empty tomb continues to resonate in the labyrinths of our souls, and the earth waits to see what God will do next… These weeks after Easter–Eastertide–are full of possibilities for engaging others in the highways & byways in experiences of justice, peace and renewed life. Lessons for the upcoming weekend remind those who straggle back after Easter that the Risen Lord is present in all things, and can be honored in the way we live.

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (3:12-19) should be introduced with the backstory, where Peter & John have healed the lame man at the Temple. This gives opportunity for Peter to address the stunned Jewish multitude: “And by faith in (Jesus’) name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.” As in the Gospels, healing is a vehicle for glorifying Jesus, not only in body but in the deep recesses of their hearts. Peter & John were surrounded because this healing was a departure from the everyday post-Passover cleanup. Perhaps they expected more healing–but what they got was an invitation to come closer to God through Christ.

We turn again to I John 3:1-7, which includes a wealth of study material. The readers of this letter are exhorted to adopt a radical response to the daily temptations to selfishness and hate. The “sin” which is expressed here goes beyond chewing gum in school or running with scissors; John’s aim is at those who deny of the Risen Christ by practice or speech. And there is a happy ending for those faithful to God’s precepts: “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” Will that interrupt our scrabbling in the dust?

The Gospel returns us to the immediate gathering of the Disciples on Easter, this time according to Luke’s narrative (24:36-49). No specific mention of Thomas’ faith-journey, but the assurance that Jesus did have a bodily resurrection. His eating of the broiled fish was not a parlor trick, but a prescient reminder of his physicality (to confound later heresies of gnosticism, which claimed that Jesus was only a spirit). Did those early believers think that their Jesus travels ended with Good Friday? Again, their indecision and tendency to hide was interrupted in an astonishing way… The Risen Lord transformed this motley crew into a cohort of released prisoners, sending them as witnesses of redemption and forgiveness.

Saints through the ages have described the Christian stance as one which interrupted their complacent routine with its surprises. “Just when I thought things were boringly normal, here he comes again!” We’re reminded that Easter continues, even when the hard-boiled eggs have become egg salad. When you least expect it, the Risen Christ breaks in!

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My encounters with readings designed for the upcoming weekend can be traced every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com