The Deep Blue Sea (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

We were miles out, and no matter which direction I turned, there was no land to be seen. I recall thinking, this shouldn't bother me . . . But it did.

I was born and raised in west Kentucky. Water was a big part of my life. Our town sat at the confluence of two long, navigable rivers; the Ohio and the Tennessee. We played down by the river; I learned to water-ski on that boisterous confluence; I first operated a small motorboat there. Plus, a short 20 miles southeast of us was one of America's great inland playgrounds, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barclay, with their 265 square miles of parkland: The Land Between The Lakes. I learned to swim in those lakes; boated on them, water-skied on them, camped on them.

But, at 20 years of age, I had never been "at sea." No matter what body of water, I had always been able to see land. Now, here we were, well out into the Gulf of Mexico, and there was nothing to see but water in every direction.

I confess, I didn't much care for it.

But, I didn't want to be rude. Our family friends had offered to take me out for a day of fishing and "picnicking." Every other part of that day was nice. Our onboard repast of cheese, fruit, sandwiches, and soft drinks was delicious. The company ---a retired grocer and his wife--- were warm, gentle, and fun. They were living a life-long dream: retire to Florida, buy a boat, fish in the gulf. This day, now a regular weekend experience for them, was their definition of perfect.

So, I swallowed my nervousness and incipient claustrophobia, tamped them down deep inside, and, catching some of their joy, plastered a genuine smile on my face.

Still.

The day moved along. Probably quickly for them; definitely slowly for me. We fished. We caught some. I was not surprised to discover, despite the lively movement of the boat, that I was not seasick. After all, I grew up on the water. Just not this water. And always, not stopping for a minute, was the question pinging around in my head, When will this be over?

The storm rose up early in the afternoon.

The grocer had gone below for a short, post-picnic nap. The grocer's wife and I pulled in the fishing lines ---Did I mention that neither she nor I knew how to operate the boat?--- Never taking my eyes off the mounting waves, I asked, with as much insouciance as I could muster, if we should wake her husband. She thought not; he had earned his rest. For her part, she seemed completely unaffected by the increased rocking of the boat, the tiny little whitecaps forming on the peaks of the choppy waves, and the darkening clouds rolling in from . . . Well, I had no idea which direction.

We sat. She chatted. I watched. The wind had become quite brisk before I heard the welcome sound of the hatch opening. The grocer emerged looking well rested. He looked up (the sky was growing darker). He looked out (the waves were growing higher). His eyes fell on the stored fishing gear. Then, as calm as you please, he said, "We should probably head back in." He was not concerned. He knew what to do.

I recall thinking, He's got this.

And that's when I finally relaxed. Oh, our return trip was bouncy, and windy, but I enjoyed it. Partly, because I knew we were headed ashore, but, mostly, because I was confident in his confidence. He was the master of the boat. He understood the relationship of the craft to the water. He knew how to take that vessel through the weather and on into the safety of the port.

Sometimes our lives take on similar dimensions. We find ourselves in a place where the "mighty waters" of life threaten; we're tossed about by the wind and the waves. But, no matter how far out we are, no matter how deep, we can take comfort. This week's Lectionary selection from Psalms 93 says: “The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar. The Lord rules supreme in heaven, greater than the roar of the ocean, more powerful than the waves of the sea.” (Psalm‬ ‭93:3-4‬ ‭GNT‬‬)

The Lord is not disturbed by the high winds, the mounting waves, the darkening clouds. No matter the storms that arise on our journey through this life, we can have confidence in His confidence.

He's got this.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Reign of Christ - Proper 29 (34) (November 22, 2015)
First reading and Psalm
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)
Alternate First reading and Psalm
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 93
Second reading
Revelation 1:4b-8
Gospel
John 18:33-37
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Will you be in Waco Friday morning? Join us for Lectionary Breakfast at the "Egg and I" restaurant from 8:00 to 9:00 for an hour like no other. The scriptures are fascinating, the food is tasty, and our fellow travelers are just the best. ☺️

Enjoy the week!
Steve

The Sting (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Robert Redford plays Johnny Hooker and Paul Newman plays Henry Gondorf in the film, The Sting. In brief, for those you have yet to see it: the movie is about two con men who swindle an evil mob boss out of half a million dollars during the Great Depression (1930's). They mount the con as revenge for the mob boss murdering their friend. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won seven. Redford and Newman were, of course, handsome, debonair, and wholly likable.

Almost everyone has seen it and enjoyed how the complex plot results in the comeuppance of the evil man. Ocean's Eleven (12, 13, etc.) have a similar plot skeleton, as has several stories and movies. We like these stories because we like seeing bad or greedy people get what we believe is due them ---the pain of losing something dear to them (in this case, money)--- and done so in an entertaining way.

What's not to like?

Well, maybe a lot.

In reality, there really was a Gondorf (Fred). He and his brother (Charley) really did work this scam. But they did it for money, not for justice. The actual "sting" was pulled on an Englishman in 1914 who was cheated out of real money: $10,000 (a very large sum in 1914). The Englishmen took his complaint to the real police and Gondorf went to a real prison. The money, of course, was long gone.

In reality, ordinary people are scammed out of their hard earned money every day. They almost never get it back; even if the perpetrators are caught; even if the con artists go to jail. Worse than that (hard to imagine something worse, isn't it?), widows and widowers, the poor, and the homeless are common targets, as well.

Wait. What?!

How can those who are "in need" be targets of scams?

Contrary to the movies, most con artists are heartless criminals with no concern for anyone but themselves. Most will stoop to anything, including murder, to get what they want. And that brings us to this week's Lectionary selection from Mark. Jesus identifies an even lower level of con artist scum.

I'll grant you, there were likely some good "scribes" living and plying their trade in those days, but my money is on Jesus being correct in his charging the greater majority of them with something worse than criminal behavior: using their understanding of God's Law to swindle widows and their families out of the little they had. I know, it's really difficult to believe someone could stoop so low.

Remember, Judas loudly decried the "waste" of the expensive perfume used to anoint Jesus' feet because it could have been sold and the money distributed to the poor. Scripture tells us he didn't mean it, that he just wanted the money placed in the ministry purse so he could embezzle it. That's a man personally selected by Jesus to be one of the original 12.

Yes, sad as it is to contemplate, there are people among us who will swindle us out of our money; using God, Jesus, the Bible ---whatever works--- to move our property from our control the theirs. And they absolutely do not care if their "marks" are already impoverished or hurting from the loss of a loved one. All they care about is whether they can successfully scam the mark.

It's bad enough that these kinds of people walk our streets. It is far worse that they walk the aisles of our churches. They don't just "sting" their marks: they destroy them, wound their faith, and drive them away from God. We have to be alert to these wolves in sheep's clothing. Still. And we need wisdom to discern the wolves from the real sheep. For most of those who have fallen prey to these wolves, there is only one consolation:

Jesus promised “These men will be punished most severely.” (Mark‬ ‭12:40‬ ‭NIV‬)

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 27 (32) (November 8, 2015)
First reading and Psalm
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Psalm 127
Alternate First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 17:8-16
Psalm 146
Second reading
Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel
Mark 12:38-44

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Breakfast, scripture, fellowship, and fun. How do you beat that combination? Join is Friday mornings for Lectionary Breakfast at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. We meet at 8:00 for about an hour.

I wouldn't steer you wrong.

Enjoy the week!
Steve