One Ring To Rule Them All (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, hobbits, elves, wizards, regular humans and a being named Gollum fight over a magical ring that belongs to none of them. 

It was forged to give its possessor power over several other magical rings. The one wearing the one ring could control those who wore the other rings. 

But—there was a price.

Gollum is the only one who calls the ring "My precious," but all of the others act as if that is true for them, as well. They so badly want to possess it that few of them can see the danger lurking beneath that shiny surface.

I thought of that while reading this week's selection from Luke 12. Someone in the crowd shouts out to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” You're left to decide for yourself about the "shouter." Has he been cheated out of what is rightfully his? Is it that he believes it only "fair" that his brother share with him? Or does he know full well he is due nothing … and wants it anyway? 

There are a lot of problems with demanding that Jesus intervene. The first is that the man may see Jesus as just another scribe (lawyer) who should adjudicate disputes about property. Kind of makes you wonder if he had been listening to what Jesus had just been saying. The best scenario—and it's not pretty—is that the man recognizes the power and authority of Jesus, and wants to use Jesus as a wedge or leverage in a family dispute. 

Think about that one for a while.

In any case, in his response to the man, Jesus elevates the issue to what really matters—and it's not who owns what in this life. In the parable that follows, Jesus makes it clear that our focus in this short life should be on our relationship with God, not on the level of abundance or scarcity we are experiencing at any given moment.

Why we desire what we desire is definitely worth taking time to consider. Luke Burgis reports strong evidence that imitating the desires of people we admire is a prime reason for our desires. That’s a discussion for another time, though. Regardless, it does leave the question: Is it OK to want things? The answer? Sure. It’s even OK to have things. Just don't let them rule you. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:21‬)

What then, in the absence of a final answer as to the “why” of our desires, is the action we can take now? Scripture makes it clear: Store up your treasures in God. Nothing and no one is more precious.

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PHOTO (God, Gollum and the Ring):

https://seekinggoddailyblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/gollum-mankind-bound-by-sin-part-ii/

Burgis takes a deep dive into God, mimesis, desire, imitation, technology and culture:

https://read.lukeburgis.com/p/layering-culture

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We're back! Getting together Friday morning at 8:00 for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Join us on Zoom** or in person at the Our Breakfast Place. Great food, great Bible discussions, and great fellowship.   

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=273

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper13.pdf

Hosea 11:1-11

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23

Psalm 49:1-12

Colossians 3:1-11

Luke 12:13-21

Proper 13 (18) (July 31, 2016)

Rocks for Breakfast? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

I wasn’t supposed to read it, but I’m glad I did. 

I was eleven years old and exploring under the eaves in our attic when I found the book. It was A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins. To say it was inappropriate for an 11-year old would be an understatement. This was definitely an adult book. 

The story: A Jewish boy in the Great Depression of the 1930s learns he can use fighting (his one “skill”) to bring in some money for his family. While pursuing elevation and increasing rewards in the boxing ring, he falls in love with a beautiful Catholic girl. But, his boxing prowess also brings him to the attention of organized crime. I'll let your imagination take over for the rest of it. Suffice to say, Danny Fisher had many troubles in his life. Robbins’ ending could well make you cry.

What I will say about the novel is this: I've read it three times. And each time I've found depths I somehow missed on the earlier readings. I'm planning to read it again, soon.

The one mystery that eluded me for years was the meaning of the title. There is nothing in the novel about stones. No one gave one to Danny. Then one day, I read this week’s passage in Luke 11: “What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" Suddenly, I got it: Robbins thought someone, likely God, had given Danny a raw deal, a "stone" of a life rather than one filled with good.

Sounds bleak. 

Except, that Luke passage is part of a longer section where Jesus answers his followers' request to teach them to pray. In answering them, Jesus made exactly the opposite argument as Harold Robbins. Jesus tells them that God loves them and will meet their needs. This is the ask-seek-knock section; the Lord's Prayer section. We tend to slice this section into separate parts, but Luke delivers them all together so we can understand the real point.

Our lives are not about what we want or need. Sure, those things are important, even necessary. But at the heart of it, we have a loving Father who desires good for us; a Father who, in his answers to our prayers, far surpasses both the eventual responsiveness of a pestered neighbor and the loving intent of an earthly father.

We face the same challenges as those early disciples, though, in understanding prayer. Yes, we ask for our daily bread when we pray, as we should. God is the giver of good gifts. If only we can also grasp the greater values to be had in prayer; our affirmation of God's sovereignty, the relationship between forgiveness we extend to those who need it and the forgiveness God extends to us, the guidance away from temptation and unnecessary trial, rescue from evil. And crowning all of it: the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe Danny Fisher did receive a stone instead of bread, but I reject that it came from God. Tough times come to every one. We believers, though having just such tough times, measure our lives by our relationship with God, not by our circumstances. 

We get the bread, every time.

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PHOTO: Adobe Express and Steve Orr

How A Stone for Danny Fisher became the Elvis Presley movie, King Creole:

https://themysterytrainblog.com/2013/06/08/king-creole-a-stone-for-danny-fisher/

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We return Friday morning, July 29th for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Join us at Our Breaking Place in person or on Zoom** at 8:00. Food and fun with scriptures!

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Read them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=272

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper12.pdf

Hosea 1:2-10

Psalm 85

Genesis 18:20-32

Psalm 138

Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)

Luke 11:1-13

Proper 12 (17) (July 24, 2022)

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The Olive Merchants of Bethany (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

It was never Mary good, Martha bad.

In a fictional story I would write, the Bethany siblings would have fleshed-out lives. They would be the children of well-off olive oil merchants. Lazarus would be the prodigal son. Mary might be the woman caught in adultery and, certainly, the sinful woman who anoints the feet of a Jesus. Martha would be the good one, the responsible one. Both Lazarus and Mary would each, at some point in the story, be restored and saved by Jesus. 

But what about Martha?

In my story, Martha remained true to her family’s beliefs. She stayed and kept the home, nursing her parents in their old age. Martha watched her siblings waste their inheritance and their lives. And after her parents’ deaths, Martha became the matriarch.

In my story, this is the Martha we would encounter in this week’s scripture from Luke; the one who stayed, the one who held it all together, the one who was, as Jesus described her, “worried and distracted by many things.” Jesus knew the depths of those He encountered. When he spoke those words to Martha in real life, he knew she needed to be sitting in his presence like Mary. His words were not an indictment of Martha or of her desire to maintain order and decorum in her home. This is not, and never was: Mary good, Martha bad.

Martha needed Jesus just as much as her siblings ... but not for the same reasons. Martha needed to hear those words from Jesus. They were for her. He was issuing an invitation to her. 

It’s the same one He speaks to us: You can set down your heavy load of excessive worries and numerous distractions. You are safe with Jesus. You can take a risk and allow him to gently remove your armor. You can rest in him. 

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PHOTO: Adobe Express

We do not meet this week for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We’re taking a summer break. We return on July 29, 2022.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Read them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=271

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper11.pdf

Amos 8:1-12

Psalm 52

Genesis 18:1-10a

Psalm 15

Colossians 1:15-28

Luke 10:38-42

Proper 11 (16) (July 17, 2022)

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Are You Running on Empty? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

For a while, I was a bank examiner. 

It was a hard job. We worked day and night. Days, we were in banks examining them. Nights, we were analyzing data and writing our report. I saw little of my wife and baby. My chief memory? Being exhausted. 

There never seemed to be even a moment to recharge.  

Sometimes, I would go over to a colleague’s apartment to collaborate on number-crunching and report preparation. He had a Jackson Browne album that he would play, over and over. About once each hour, we would hear them sing "Running on Empty." After a while, I knew all the lyrics and could sing along. Those lyrics perfectly matched my situation:

(Running on) RUNNING ON EMPTY!

(Running on) RUNNING BLIND!

(Running on) running into the sun

But I'm running behind

This all came back to me as I read this week's Luke 10 passage. I've known so many people who became exhausted trying to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Looking into their eyes

I see them running, too

Spiritually speaking, they were running on empty. I'm not certain where we got the idea that we’re supposed to do that all on our own. Maybe from some misapplication of "sacrificial love." Definitely from some misunderstanding of scripture. Wherever we got that idea, it's wrong.

We are vessels. Unless we allow ourselves to be filled with the love, vitality, talents, and gifts of God, we are not going to be able to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we can accept God's filling of our vessel, we will have the resources to love our neighbor without bankrupting our spirits. In other words: God loves us, why can't we love ourselves? 

Seriously, dare we think less of ourselves than does God?

When I was a bank examiner, I eventually came to the realization that the people above me were also running on empty. I exited that career path. I found a job that let me spend my evenings and weekends with my family, meeting my vital needs, and recharging my batteries for the next workday.

Granted, we cannot always arrange our work for the optimum rest and recreation needed. But that is no reason to approach our spiritual journey that way. We can (and must) set aside time with God, allow ourselves to accept that God loves us, to rest in that love, and to love ourselves as God loves us.

Then, and only then, can we successfully love our neighbors as ourselves. There must be something in the vessel or there will be nothing to pour out. Only then can we truly obey the second greatest commandment.

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PHOTO (and devotions for people running on empty): 

https://www.faithfoxvalley.org/running-on-empty

Jackson Browne singing Running On Empty (with lyrics): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq25ZJwZJzU

_________________________

We do not meet this week for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We’re taking a summer break. We return on July 29, 2022.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Read them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=270

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper10.pdf

Amos 7:7-17

Psalm 82

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

Psalm 25:1-10

Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Proper 10 (15) (July 10, 2022)

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Fireworks on a River and Under a Bushel (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

We had front row seats for one of the best firework displays in the country. It was the evening of July 4, 2002. We were sitting on the boardwalk by Boston’s Charles River. A few yards further on, the Boston Pops would soon provide patriotic musical accompaniment to the colorful explosions, known to all for pairing the riotous 1812 Overture with the visually stunning fireworks finale.

But something else made that night truly special. It was the first celebration of USA’s Independence Day after the horrific events of 9/11. As a nation, we needed to send a message to the world, a message that clearly communicated our determination to continue living our lives. And what better way to do that than to celebrate the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence out in the open, with bright fireworks and loud music?

Yes, soldiers with machine guns stood on the decks of gunships plying up and down the Charles River that night; more than a little unnerving to see as they cruised by just a few feet away. But also strangely comforting as the celebration rose in intensity. 

As a nation, we needed to be, unmistakably, seen and heard. By everyone. So, all across the country that night, we were bright, colorful, sparkly, and, oh so loud. I can't imagine that anyone, anywhere, did not receive that declaration.

All of this came to mind when I read this week’s Psalm 66 passage. How do we make that joyful noise? God made us light-bearers. Shine! God deserves our songs of praise where others can hear! Sing! 

As Katy Perry sings in Firework: 

You just gotta ignite, 

the light, 

and let it shine. 

Just own the night 

like the 4th of July!

'Cause baby you're a firework 

Come on, show 'em what you're worth 

Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh" 

As you shoot across the sky-y-y 

We need to be, unmistakably, the people of God. We need to be obvious. People need to be able to identify us, without having to turn over a bushel basket to check the strength and quality of our light. 

‘Cause baby you’re a firework.

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PHOTO - CHARLES RIVER FIREWORKS: 

https://www.bostonusa.com/events/holidays/4th-of-july/

*Katy Perry’s Firework (with lyrics):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1lfYh-aUk0&app=desktop

_________________________

DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast does not meet this week. We’re taking a summer break. We return on July 29, 2022.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Read them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=269

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper9.pdf

2 Kings 5:1-14

Psalm 30

Isaiah 66:10-14

Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Proper 9 (14) (July 3, 2022)

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