Saturday, January 27, 2018

The Best Laid Plans (a Steve Orr Epiphany reflection)

"The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft astray" wrote poet Robert Burns. My experience agrees.

It hasn't put me off scheming, completely, but at times I wonder why I bother. I plan, organize, time-manage, equip, assemble, deploy, and, in some cases, accessorize; not to mention hurry, fret, placate, rearrange, orient, and clock-watch. But, it just doesn't quite work out. To paraphrase German military strategist Field Marshall Moltke: "No plan survives actual contact with the enemy."

I don't think either of these men would want their thoughts misconstrued. Moltke was really saying "fret not;" and rather, to always plan well, recognizing you just cannot anticipate everything. Have enough contingencies that you can be creative in your response when the inevitable breakdown occurs. In fact, he not-so-famously also said, "Strategy is a system of expedients."

And Burns was apologizing to a mouse.

He recognized the fact that disappointment often follows the realization that our plans are not unfolding as we intended. Burns is sorry his plowing has destroyed the mouse's home, but he is also a little envious that the mouse can focus only on the present, while Burns regrets the past and fears the future.

I've had good reason, from time to time, to reflect on the philosophies of these two men. I had a scheme or two go astray, more than one plan expire in the face of reality. These things happen to us, don't they?” Frankly, all the planning in the world can't prevent them.

We can and should make plans.

But we need to be ready to "roll with the punch" because the punch is going to come. We will have to make a course correction, to put it in nautical terms. And beyond the "what" of that creative response is something perhaps even more important: the "how."

We are free to choose any solution that satisfies us.

We could just throw up our hands and leave. Let's face it: if you don't feel angry at the unfolding events, the other go-to choice is self-blame followed by surrender. And speaking of anger, we can, as my Great Aunt Vera used to say, "throw a hissy fit." It's emotionally gratifying and, conveniently, usually shifts the blame from ourselves to someone else. Most of us think all of our options lie on a continuum between these two poles: surrender or strike out at someone else; flight or fight. Most people don't care to consider another response, to step outside the usual.

Freedom allows them to leave it at that.

But, to sum up the 1st Corinthians 8 passage: God does care when you use your freedom carelessly, especially as it affects those who may not be as strong of will or certainty as we are. And how are we to know who is "strong enough" to not be impacted by our choices, actions, statements?

Therein lies the challenge. Paul offers a solution to the believers in Corinth. You might not like it, though.

You might have to change your best laid plans.

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A different version of this reflection appeared in 2012 as “Burns Day.”

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Photo: https://remadepreacher.com/spiritual-battle-plan/

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (January 28, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28

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Join us Friday morning for Lectionary Breakfast (Waco “Egg and I” Restaurant; Outside door bear the back). We start at 8:00 and wrap up around 9:00. The food is tasty and the fellowship is sweet.

We have a plan, but we’re flexible.

Blessings,
Steve

Saturday, January 13, 2018

A Life Lesson While Learning to Drive (a Steve Orr Epiphany reflection)

When the light turned green, I just sat there.

It’s was less than a month to my 16th birthday. Mom had become my driving instructor (this was in the days before mandatory Driver’s Ed). Dad was supposed to be my instructor, but ...

On our first (and only) outing (taken on country roads to limit exposures to other vehicles), Dad spent most of the drive clinging to the passenger door and hissing through his teeth. While he never spoke to me about it, directly, apparently my every action frightened him. He told Mom she would have to teach me. I was not sad about that development. Who can think with a hisser in the car?

So, Mom took over. After a few more country roads, she decided I was ready for town streets. Much of it is a blur, but I clearly recall this: sitting at that green light. Don’t get the wrong idea; I was not frozen by insecurity, uncertainty, or fear. I sat at that green light because my mother told me to.

It went like this. As we approached the traffic signal, it turned red. So, of course, I brought the car to a halt. I was feeling pretty good about it all, that being my first time to stop at a traffic signal. And then, the odd thing: Mom looked over and said, "When the light turns green, don't go. Wait until I tell you."

I remember being puzzled. I had read my driver's handbook. I knew we were supposed to stop on red and go on green. In fact, not only was it expected, it was my right. When the light is green, I have the right of way. But, being the dutiful son —and having no desire to be cast off to some other relative for the balance of my training— I obeyed her ... waiting at that intersection for just about one second longer.

A car ran the red light.

It cut straight through the space we would have occupied if I had asserted my rights and driven forward!

I learned a life lesson that day. I call it "jumping the green," my phrase for those actions we take simply because we can. They are allowed, so we do them. But, as was so stunningly demonstrated to me that day late in my 15th year, such actions, though allowed, may not always be the wisest.

Something to think about as we contemplate this week’s passage from 1st Corinthians.

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A slightly different version of this reflection appeared in January 2012 as “Jumping the Green.”
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Photo: Steve Orr
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Second Sunday after the Epiphany (January 14, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
John 1:43-51
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Lectionary Breakfast is our time to explore, in light of the teachings of scripture, those kinds of allowed-but-not-always-wise choices life regularly tosses our way. Join us Friday morning at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant at 8:00. It’s an interesting hour of Bible, discussion, prayer, food, and laughter.

Blessings,
Steve

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Following the Star to ... Nazareth?! (a Steve Orr Epiphany reflection)

The Wise Men never made it to Bethlehem.

Wait. What?!

In the Sony animated Christmas film, The Star (which was delightful), some talking animals, following several adventures, eventually join the three Wise Men to greet the newborn Jesus lying in a feed trough (manger) in a Bethlehem stable.

But, talking animals aside, is that what really happened?

Most retellings of the Nativity story follow the same basic plot line as the Sony version: three Wise Men (sometimes called Magi or Kings) travel “from the East” (that is, east of Israel), following a star that, they say, heralds the birth of “the King of the Jews (Messiah).” They head first to Jerusalem, but find only the current king, Herod.

Everyone's interested to know who and where this new King is, especially Herod. So he gathers Israel’s scholars, and they all agree Bethlehem is where the Messiah will be born. The Wise Men then leave Jerusalem and follow “the star” to that stable in Bethlehem where they find Jesus still in the feed trough and bestow their respective gifts.

But, some scholars disagree.

They point out that scripture clearly states (see this week’s Matthew selection) the Wise Men only enter the story “after Jesus was born.” Further, when they finally meet Jesus, it is in a house ... no mangers or animals (talking or otherwise) are present.

There are those who argue that, according to Jewish Law, Jesus was presented at the Temple about 40 days after His birth. This was required for all firstborn sons. They point to the second half of Luke chapter 2 which supports their view and also contains this: “When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” (Luke 2:39)

So. Could the Wise Men have followed the star to Nazareth instead of Bethlehem? Maybe. There is no real way for us to know. Scripture only tells us they followed the star to a house where “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.” (Matthew 2:11)

Wait. What happened to the stable?

I don't suppose we'll ever know. All we really know is that at some point after Jesus was born —days? weeks?— wise men came on pilgrimage from the east based on what they saw in the heavens and they worshiped Jesus.

In other words: some people learned about Jesus and felt they should seek Him out. Leaving behind all that was familiar to them, they began a spiritual journey, following God’s lead. When they found Jesus, they worshiped Him.

Sounds like something anyone could do ... anywhere.

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A very different version of this reflection appeared in January 2013 as “A Little Epiphany of my Own.”
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Image credit: http://www.freebibleimages.org/photos/wise-men/
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Epiphany of the Lord (January 6, 2018)

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12


Link to table of readings for the season of Epiphany: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//lections.php?year=B&season=Epiphany

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The 12 days of Christmas end on January 5th. Lectionary Breakfast meets that morning at the Waco “Egg and I” Restaurant for about an hour. We start at 8:00 and enjoy an hour of prayer, food, discussion, fellowship, and laughter.

No drumming drummers expected ... well, not 12 of them, anyway.

Blessings,
Steve