Living in Limbo - A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 and Psalm 66:1-12  •  2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c and Psalm 111  •  2 Timothy 2:8-15  •  Luke 17:11-19

These days, more than any time I can remember, it seems like we are living in limbo - waiting for something to happen, not making things happen. Is this what God calls us to do?

In this week's readings, Israel is in Babylonian exile, Paul is in prison. What is the prophet Jeremiah's message to those in exile? What can Paul do in prison?
You've heard the saying "when life serves you lemons, make lemonade." What are we, as Christians, called to do in times of uncertainty, of crisis, when our circumstances and lives change, or face changes? See Daniel P. Clendenin's "A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste - Israel in Exile, Paul in Jail," and The Rev. Rick Morley's "Proper 23: betwixt, between, nowhere, everywhere."

Exile and the Kingdom (L'Exil et le royaume) is a 1957 collection of six short stories by French-Algerian writer Albert Camus.

These works of fiction cover the whole variety of existentialism, or absurdism, as Camus himself insisted his philosophical ideas be called. The clearest manifestation of the ideals of Camus can be found in the story "La Pierre qui pousse." This story features D'Arrast, who can be seen as a positive hero as opposed to Meursault in The Stranger. He actively shapes his life and sacrifices himself in order to help a friend, instead of remaining passive. The moral quality of his actions is intensified by the fact that D'Arrast has deep insight into the absurdity of the world but acts morally nevertheless (not unlike the main character in The Plague). [from Wikipedia]

How does this worldview compare with the Scripture lessons this week, with Christ's "good news"? 

Rick Morley tells us "When you come through the wilderness, the yoke of slavery, the impending reality of graduation, marriage, or retirement – the potential for the grace of God is rich. And the potential for us to miss the holy significance of it is also rife."  

Will we miss the holy significance of the opportunities presented to us to love and serve God and our neighbors?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did he just say? KISS!

Scripture: Lamentations 1:1-6 and Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137  •  Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 and Psalm 37:1-9  •  2 Timothy 1:1-14  •  Luke 17:5-10

What did Jesus just say? He's at it again. In Luke's gospel we have considered some hard stories to hear. Squandering, philandering sons, dishonest managers and beggars getting rewards! And this week, hard working slaves are told to come to the table only after they have finished their work, and rather than to expect to be commended for their work, they are to say "We have only done what we ought to have done!"

As Christopher Burkett says, it is no wonder the disciples said to Jesus, "Increase our faith!" What is the point of these parables? Consider The Rev. Rick Morley's "keeping it simple -  a reflection on Luke 17:5-10"; The Rev. Robert Cornwall's "Just Fulfilling My Duty --Lectionary Reflection (Pentecost 20C)"; and Christopher Burkett's "Love bade me welcome."

"KISS: Keep it simple stupid." Is there something in that?

What about money, the rich and the poor?

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 and Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16  •  Amos 6:1a, 4-7 and Psalm 146  •  1 Timothy 6:6-19  •  Luke 16:19-31

Jesus talked about money more than anything else, except for the kingdom of God, and even then he tells us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

We continue our lectionary study, in year C, of Jesus' stories about the rich and the poor. Our readings this week are "Poverty Reduction - of the Soul, the Parable of Dives [rich man] and Lazarus" by Daniel P. Clendenin, and Alyce M. McKenzie's "The Rich Man and Lazarus - Reflections on Luke 16:19-31."

Does Jesus have it out for the rich? What are we called to do with our "wealth," and what is our wealth? Is it our wealth?

 

Isn't this what happened to us on the Cross?

Scripture: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 and Psalm 79:1-9  •  Amos 8:4-7 and Psalm 113  •  1 Timothy 2:1-7  •  Luke 16:1-13

What a parable we have to study this week! The parable of the dishonest manager. This follows Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son. What are we to make of the parable of the manager, who, caught with his  hand in the cookie jar, then "cooks the books," slashing debts owed to his master. And what does his master do!? He commended his manager because he acted shrewdly! In both parables we have someone who is trusted with another's possessions and squanders them or gives them away. What does that say about the manager? The master?

Of course Jesus has some other things to say, such as we cannot serve two masters, God and Mammon (wealth), and about faith, trust and generosity.  Consider the perspectives of Nancy Rockwell in "God and Mammon" from her Blog, "A Bite of the Apple," and The Rev. Rick Morley's "squandering right - a reflection on Luke 16:1-13."

What do you think about this parable? What do you take away from it? Isn't this what happened to us on the Cross?

 

Do You Know What God Is Like?

Scripture: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 and Psalm 14  • Exodus 32:7-14 and Psalm 51:1-10  • 1 Timothy 1:12-17  •  Luke 15:1-10

 
Do you know what God looks like? Michael L. Skinner says he does in "I Know What God Looks Like." Compare this with the parable of the lost sheep and the woman who searches for the lost coin. Watch the video in his article about the school bus driver, and consider school employee Antoinette Tuff as she spoke to a troubled 20-year-old gunman. With no choice but to be present to someone who was -- on that day, at least -- very lost, she lit a lamp and bravely started sweeping, saying: “I can help you. Let’s see if we can work it out so that you don’t have to go away with them [the police] for a long time.
Then, as the crisis came to a bloodless end, she soothed him: “It’s gonna be all right, sweetheart. I just want you to know that I love you, though, OK? And I’m proud of you. That’s a good thing that you’re just giving up and don’t worry about it. We all go through something in life.” What characteristics of God, and in his followers do you see?

 

The Rev. Rick Morley says "nobody does this a reflection on Luke 15:1-10," except who?

 

Read "Signs, Sheep and Shepherds" by Kyle Childress, and ask yourself, what kind of church are we? Who are we called to be, and what are we called to do as followers of Christ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Potter and the Clay in Relationship

Scripture:  Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18  •  Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Psalm 1  •  Philemon 1:1-1:21  • Luke 14:25-33

This week we have images of artistry and sacrifice, and learn more about the nature of God and ourselves, and our relationship with God and each other. Is God a controlling master, dispassionate, unchanging and without regard to the clay, or the "condition" of the clay?  What is the relationship between this potter and the clay? Between the God who knows our innermost being and us in the poetry of the psalmist? Between master and slave in Paul's letter to Philemon? Are we really supposed to hate our family , give up all our possessions, and carry a cross?  What is going on here?

For thought and discussion consider Dr. Bruce Epperly's "Sacrifice and Artistry: Human and Divine," and Dr. David J. Lull's Process and Faith Commentary on the lectionary readings.

Hospitality to Strangers - Entertaining Angels.

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:4-13 and Psalm 81:1, 10-16  •  Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7 and Psalm 112  •  Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16  •  Luke 14:1, 7-14

This week's letter to the Hebrews and gospel account are lessons in humility and hospitality. Jesus was invited to a Sabbath meal at the home of a leading Pharisee, and tells us where to sit - not in the place of honor, but in the lowest seats where we may be exalted and asked to move up, rather than embarrassed and asked to move down. his lesson, and the real heart of the lesson, is to have the heart of a servant. "The next time you throw a party, don’t invite your rich friends and neighbors, so that they might return the favor some day and invite you to one of their nice parties. Rather, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed, because they can’t repay you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” See The Rev. Dr. Joseph Pagano's "Awaken the Servant Within."

Read Steve Goodier's wonderful story about Booker T. Washington, and lesson in humility and spirit in "A Humble Spirit ."

Finally we have that beautiful passage from the letter to the Hebrews,"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Who are angels who may have shown us hospitality? What is it to be hospitable? What happens when we are hospitable to others? See The Rev. Larry Patten's "Was He an Angel?"