What If You Could Walk On Water? (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Long before Harry Potter captured our collective attention, there was another little boy with amazing abilities. Orson Scott Card's story of Alvin Miller (SEVENTH SON) is set in early 19th century America. But not an America like we learned in school. When the story begins, the year 1776 is a few decades in the past, and it holds no special meaning for the folks living in the European colonies.

There is no great nation of united states. The revolution never happened. But that's not even close to the strangest part of the story.

In the story, some people are born with a "knack," a special ability that allows each of them, in a limited way, to perform some supernatural feat; start a fire with their minds, find underground water, tie an unbreakable knot, command metal to shape itself, etc. Since the 1600's, England has been "transporting" these undesirables to the "new world." Better there than near the Royals. France and Spain, seeing the wisdom of this, follow suit. When our story opens, many generations later, almost all of the people occupying the new world have "knacks."

And then there's Alvin Miller.

Where almost everyone else has only one knack, and a very few have two or more (such as Benjamin Franklin, America's greatest wizard), young Alvin has them all. And that's not a good thing. Think of Clark Kent as a seven year old boy growing up in Smallville, Kansas while possessing the abilities of a Super man and I think you will get the picture. A bit unnerving.

But even more that that, we christians are uncomfortable with people, even fictional people, having abilities that cannot be explained by science. We're OK with teens being bitten by radioactive spiders, but many of us start to squirm if their powers might be from a magical source. Alvin's certainly seem to be in that latter category. But, setting that to one side for the moment, I want to focus in on one of Alvin's particular knacks.

He can walk on water.

And that brings me to this week's Lectionary selections, specifically the scripture from John 6. This the "Jesus walking on water" story that is also told in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. But there are a few differences in the three versions. Matthew is the only version in which Peter steps out of the boat and then Jesus gets into the boat. Neither John nor Mark mention Peter; Mark ends with Jesus getting into the boat. But it is Mark, alone, that contains, at least for me, the most remarkable statement.

What if you could walk on water? What would you do? I can only know how I would answer, but I can tell you what I think most people would do if they could walk on water.

Walk on water.

If I could walk on water, that's what I would do. And I can tell you something else, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy it, immensely. And, given the option, I would do it often. So, while it may at first seem shocking to discover the bombshell in the Mark version, I think I can understand it. There in the Mark narrative is this: "At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them.” (Mark‬ ‭6:48‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Wait. What? He intended to go right by them?!

Yep. There it is. Jesus was not walking on the water in order to rescue his disciples. And he had no intention of joining them. Only after they saw him and became so frightened OF HIM (thinking He was a ghost) did Jesus have compassion on them and walk toward the boat so He could calm them.

So, what, you may ask, was the original plan? Was Jesus just on a 4:00 a.m. stroll across the sea? Maybe taking the most direct route to the other side?

Well, what would you do if you could walk on water?

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Proper 12 (17) (July 26, 2015)
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21

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P.S. The story of Alvin Miller as he grows from child to adult, and the struggles he goes through to understand and control his abilities is fascinating. Card is such a good storyteller, and his characters, especially young Alvin, are so well written we readers find ourselves caring a great deal about them. They are the kind of books that are very hard to put down. They're like reading Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, only with powers. So, if you enjoy alternate history, and are not put off by a bit of magic, I heartily recommend these to you. [A big thank you to my friend, Karen Powell who, despite my protestations ("I don't read stuff like this."), continued to insist I should.]
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Join us Friday morning for more great times at Lectionary Breakfast. At 8:00, we start reading the menus and and just visiting together; by 8:15-ish, we've placed our orders and are looking at the scriptures. Then, more fun than should be allowed ensues. To be honest, we aren't always able to pry ourselves out of there by 9:00, but it's close. The folks at Waco's "Egg and I" restaurant seem to understand.

Join us. It puts a spring in your step.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Word Gets Around (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

People talk.

And people really talk when they have an exciting topic. In this day and age of instantaneous updates to various social media sites, hardly anything stays where it starts. But the exciting stuff girdles the Earth faster than Puck. Something big happens in a remote location, and the next thing you know, it's all over YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The media have changed over the Millennia, but speed was still a factor when Jesus walked the Earth. He would do something in one town, and upon reaching the next one find that it was already known. Think about that. News had to travel faster than a troupe of walking disciples and their teacher. But there was no modern technology to carry the message. Ordinary people did not have use of chariots or fast horses. So, how?

They ran.

That's all there can be to it. They ran. The news was so big, they ran ahead to spread it. As noted here, previously, Marshall MacLuhan established for us moderns that "The medium is the message." In this case, the medium was a person (or people) with a message so "hot" they could no keep it to themselves. They couldn't even keep it in their town. They just had to run ahead. That tells you just how important and exciting was this "news." And it happened again and again.

We see the fruits of those runners in this week's Lectionary selection from the gospel of Mark, chapter 6: Jesus and team try to get away for a little down time, only to find as they come to shore that people have run ahead and spread the news that a miracle worker was coming. And what a miracle worker! I can almost hear them, "He doesn't even have to touch you!"

Yes. That is the message that got around. Sick people came from all over; and those who couldn't come were brought. It was like that quote from Firefly: "When you can't run, you crawl, and when you can't crawl, when you can't do that, you find someone to carry you."

And all they wanted to do, what they begged to do, was touch "even the fringe of his cloak." Why, we only just read about the woman in Chapter 5 who had the unending hemorrhage of blood. It had cost all of her money and all of her health, and it had plagued her a dozen years. Her decision to just touch the hem of His garment was one of desperation. Yet, here in this new place, many miles away, the word had spread that it had worked!

And was it true? Or was this just so much talk? Was that all that was needed to be healed, just to touch his garment? Did you have to sit through a sermon, first? Did He have to grab your head and shout? Was there a 12-step program to complete in advance? Was there a pre-interview? Perhaps a statement of faith to declare? The good news---while people will talk, in this case, it was more than just talk---"All who touched it were healed."

Word gets around.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Proper 11 (16) (July 19, 2015)

2Samuel 7:1-14a
Psalm 89:20-37
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
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Friday morning is coming! Will you be with us for Lectionary Breakfast? We're going to settle in around 8:00 and spend about an hour visiting, discussing scripture, chowing down, and if it's like every other Friday, laughing 😉

Get here as fast as you can.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Just a Carpenter (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Seventh Grade was tough; the toughest of the three years I spent in Junior High School. And one of the toughest parts? Shop Class.

Our teacher had strict rules, the chief one being, "No horseplay!" Punishments were harsh, public, and immediate. It was a stressful year in an arena fraught with potential pitfalls.

Consequently, I made every effort to follow the rules. I performed every step with care. I employed each hand-tool as intended, cleaned it after use, and stored it properly after cleaning. I used every power tool with extreme caution and only after donning the correct protective gear and obtaining permission from Mr. Towne to turn it on. As harsh as those experiences were, though, they had one big upside:

I became a carpenter.

At the end of that year, I could calculate board feet. I could design and build structures out of wood. I knew which woods were right for which purpose. I knew the difference between types, sizes, and uses of nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. I knew how to operate a power saw, a T-Square, and a wood clamp. I knew the correct way to swing a hammer (there really is a correct way). Eventually, my carpentry skills helped me pay my way through college.

So why this stroll down memory lane?

It was triggered by something I read in this week's Lectionary selections. In Mark 6, Jesus returns to his hometown partway through his three-year ministry. Initial praise and acceptance by the home crowd is soon replaced by their criticism and contempt:

"He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”

"But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching." (‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭1-6‬ MSG)

Just a carpenter?!

Of all that was said, to me this was the most telling. Carpentry, done right, is complex. There are a thousand things that can go wrong or be done wrongly. It takes skill and concentration to ensure a good product. But that wasn't the problem. They didn't disparage Jesus as a poor carpenter.

What they did was something many of us have been guilty of: disparaging a person's vocation because it "isn't spiritual enough." It's quite common for us to believe spiritual thoughts can only be expressed by those who have received advanced education and training in religious matters.

How dare this mere carpenter speak as one who had a right to teach God's word?

They forgot that God sends who He chooses to send, regardless of their usual vocation (e.g., Amos was an arborist and a shepherd, Nehemiah was a civil servant, Elisha was a farmer). And because of this prejudice, and their unwillingness to see beyond their shared roots, they missed the opportunity to fully benefit from the teachings of Jesus.

Marshall McLuhan famously declared, "The medium is the message" (meaning, the method of delivery was just as important as the content, and in fact was the context for the message). That is often true with the messages God sends His people: the medium (the prophet, teacher, etc.) is often not a recognized religious practitioner.

Before you think I am disparaging those who have invested a portion of their lives in religious training, let me assure I am not. All I am urging is this: weigh the message; don't disparage it just because the messenger doesn't fit the accepted religious mold.

Even if he's just a carpenter.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Proper 9 (14) (July 5, 2015)
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
Psalm 48
Ezekiel 2:1-5
Psalm 123
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13
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What better way to start the weekend early than by joining us for Lectionary Breakfast? We still meet Friday mornings at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. That hour from 8:00 to 9:00 goes fast, but we're still able to squeeze in a week's worth of scriptures, discussions, and laughter.

Enjoy the week!
Steve