Just Say No? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In the early 1960s, Dad quit smoking. 

I remember it clearly. He finished a pack and declared he was finished with cigarettes. Dad was medically trained and believed the reports that were starting to circulate: Smoking was a danger to health. Even though many in the medical field disagreed with the results of those early studies, Dad thought they had validity. So, he quit.

 

It didn’t go all that well. He was grumpy and always out of sorts. He held out almost a month before he resumed smoking, and close to a year went by before he decided to try quitting again. You could call that first try a failure. But Dad didn’t. He said he learned important lessons—the main one being that a person needs a new habit to replace an old one. Previously, Dad quit "cold turkey." But this time, he had a plan. 

 

Each time Dad found himself wanting a cigarette, he worked on the house. He scraped off old paint. He swiped on new paint. He sealed widows against the cold. He crawled under the house to check the plumbing and electrical connections, and he re-wrapped all of it, appropriately. 

 

When our house was as good as it was going to get, Dad moved on to the houses of our elderly relatives. He replaced roof tiles, re-hung screen doors, poured concrete, scraped, painted, sealed. Next up: the car.

 

Each new urge to smoke was met with a new project. It was fast and furious for a time. But then one day, Dad's home care, elder care, and car care activities began to slow down. Oh, he still did some repairs now and again, but he no longer needed to replace smoking with a new habit. He had beaten it. 

 

Dad never smoked again.

 

It's this kind of "replacement" therapy God requires of us in the way we treat each other. When it comes to bad behaviors, he never asks us to just quit "cold turkey." Instead, as this week's Isaiah selection says, "Cease to do evil, learn to do good." See how that works? It's not "stop doing evil and start doing good." It's "stop the bad and learn the good." Who knows us better than God? He knows we need new habits to replace our old, bad ones. So, He directs us to start the change process by learning how to do good.

 

The passage continues by telling us how to start that learning process: Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. We find its reflection in the teachings of Jesus. (“Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.")

 

In fact, if you want to start this process, the Bible is chock full of replacement activities, brand new habits we can practice until they are second nature to us. And we can keep on practicing them until we no longer feel that tug of the old life-threatening habit.

 

No need to try to quit cold turkey. God is with us and wants us to succeed.

 

"Cease to do evil, learn to do good."

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PHOTO: Collection of Steve Orr

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Can you be with us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast? We're learning to do good as we peruse God's word, discuss it among ourselves, and continue replacing bad habits with good ones. Join us at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place and on Zoom** for food, fellowship, and fun...all squeezed into an hour like no other.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the 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=287

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper26.pdf

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Psalm 119:137-144

Isaiah 1:10-18

Psalm 32:1-7

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Luke 19:1-10

Proper 26 (31) (October 30, 2022)

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And Then The Dog Said… (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

The sign reads: “TALKING DOG FOR SALE.” 

The passerby just has to stop. Following the owner into the backyard, he finds an ordinary-looking dog.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the dog replies.

Shocked, and needing some time to recover, he asks, "So, what's your story?"

The dog says, "Well, when I discovered I could talk, I wanted to be useful, so I contacted the CIA. For more than eight years, they jetted me from country to country, placing me in rooms with spies and world leaders. Because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping, I was one of their most valuable spies. But that life takes its toll, and I wasn't getting any younger, so I decided to settle down. 

“I got married, we had pups, and then I joined the TSA. Mostly, I just wandered around the airport, hung out near suspicious looking people, and listened. I uncovered some incredible stuff and was awarded a bunch of medals. Now, I'm retired."

The guy is amazed. He asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

"Ten dollars."

"Ten dollars? Why are you selling him so cheap?"

"First, he's a liar. I don’t believe he did half that stuff. Second, even if he did do some of it—well, you heard—there’s not a shred of humility in him. And who needs an arrogant dog?!”

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There are, of course, dogs in the Bible, and it’s entirely possible some of them were arrogant. But, if we want to explore humility, we’ll have to switch to birds. 

Witness the humble sparrow. People purchased sparrows to use as sacrifices in the Temple. When Jesus referenced them during His ministry, He pointed out that His audience could buy "two for a penny" and "five for two pennies." The Law of Supply and Demand would suggest that, at that price, they must have been very common indeed.

In this week's scriptures, sparrows and swallows stand in for the common and most humble among us. Psalm 84 declares that at God’s altar even the sparrow finds a home, that the swallow builds a nest “where she may lay her young.” The meaning: Everyone, even the lowliest, even those marked for sacrifice, are welcome to rest in God’s house.

In the Luke passage, Jesus goes even further to clarify: The humble (like the despised tax collector) are far more welcome in God's house than those (like the Pharisee) who are pleased with their own moral performance and look down on people.

Perhaps you haven’t lived a life filled with excitement and rewards. Perhaps you aren’t the model of moral perfection. Maybe quite the opposite. If you find yourself feeling like an imposter, feeling that your own complement of shortcomings may overwhelm you, and that you can only cry to God for mercy, know that God welcomes you as He does the sparrow. 

Come and rest. There is always a place for you at God's altar.

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PHOTO (and some thoughts on “Building a Nest in God’s Presence”):

https://www.blockislandtimes.com/affiliate-post/building-nest-gods-presence/31306

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Join us for food and fellowship on Friday mornings. We meet DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at Our Breakfast Place and on Zoom** at 8:00. Everyone is welcome. We excel at eating, reading the Bible, discussing it, and laughing… 

...in all humility.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the 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=285

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper25.pdf

Joel 2:23-32

Psalm 65

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

Psalm 84:1-7

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

Proper 25 (30) (October 23, 2022)

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Han Shot First! Or, One Pilgrim’s Progress (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

Han Solo was one of the most compelling characters of the Star Wars saga. Whether you consider him a hero of the revolution or an enemy of the state, his was a journey worth following all the way to the end.

When we first met Han in the original Star Wars film, he was hanging out in a bar with his…um, “peers.” Obi-Wan Kenobi described the Mos Eisley Cantina as “a wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Han seemed to belong in that hive. Cheat, braggart, smuggler, ruthless: That’s the Han we met.  

And, he was a liar. 

 

Wait. What? Sure: cheat, braggart, smuggler, even ruthless. (After all, Han shot first.***) But liar? Where did that come from?

 

In the scene, Han bragged to Luke and Obi-Wan that his spaceship was more than fast enough to meet their needs. He claimed, "It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

 

Astronomers and astrophysicists everywhere shuddered.

 

Scientifically speaking, that can’t possibly be how fast the spaceship made the Kessel Run. A parsec is just a measurement of distance, not speed. One parsec is roughly 3.26 light-years (about 19 trillion miles). So, if Han wasn't bragging about the speed of his ship, what did he mean?  

 

Well, the Internet is full of answers.

 

Many serious scientists have weighed in on this, and their answers run the gamut. One theory suggests that Han took a short-cut through a dangerous region of space to reduce the distance, an action a more risk-averse pilot would not take. One scientist talked of wormholes (or hyperspace). One even wrote a very learned paper on why it had to be time-travel.

 

The situation is similar to what happens when we read the words of Jesus, especially when He tells a parable as He did in this week’s Luke passage. We often get caught up in the details of the parable—completely missing the reason Jesus told it.

 

In the case of Han Solo, it’s unlikely there will ever be an answer that is acceptable to everyone; however, Star Wars author, George Lucas, is on record with his answer. (There's an author’s note in the script that says Han’s brag was "obvious misinformation.")

 

And who knows better than the author?

 

We have a similar situation in this week's Gospel passage, which opens with: "Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart.“

 

What are we supposed to make of the hard-hearted judge and the widow who pesters him? There are only eight verses, but the debates about the meaning of this parable are, seemingly, infinite. Is the judge God? Are we the widow? Are we supposed to act like the judge? Should we seek justice like the widow—keep pestering until we get our way? Is it important for us to figure out who her adversary is, so we can apply it to our lives? And what is Jesus trying to tell us with that last statement about faith? Or was the parable told just for the benefit of the twelve apostles, and not for us?

 

On and on the debates go...all of it, in my opinion, missing the point.

 

Luke indicates the purpose right there in the very first verse. If you read the parable and come away with any other meaning than we "should always pray and not lose heart," then you have drifted from what Jesus meant for His audience to take away from the parable. 

 

And who knows better than the author?

 

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***Memory refresher-Han & Greedo in the Cantina:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjGZ8ABEFhI

Script note indicating Han Solo was lying about the 12 parsecs:

https://imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Wars-A-New-Hope.html

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DaySpring continues to meet for Lectionary Breakfast every Friday morning at Our Breakfast Place and on Zoom.** Join us at 8:00 for some excellent earth-based foods and some celestial discussions.

 

Astrophysicists are welcome but must limit themselves to language we can all understand. 

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

**Contact me for the Zoom link

 

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the 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=284

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper24.pdf

 

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Psalm 119:97-104

Genesis 32:22-31

Psalm 121

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Luke 18:1-8

Proper 24 (29) (October 16, 2022)

Outlanders and Sassenachs: A How-To Guide (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Are you an outlander? 

Do you ever feel like you've been exiled from all that brings you comfort? Do you sometimes find yourself surrounded by folks who seem to all know each other, to have established relationships? It’s like they’re a tribe, but not one to which you can belong.

That's so uncomfortable, and so filled with rejection it can become unbearable. I think all of us have had this kind of experience to some degree: at school or on the playground, at work, in the neighborhood, in our towns...even, sadly, at church. We don't seem to know the lingo and, even if we want to assimilate, no one seems interested in helping us. We feel different—and truly, we are different. Every aspect of our daily interactions and environment underscores just how different we are.

What are we supposed to do? Keep a stiff upper lip? Remain calm and carry on?

 

Consider Claire Randall of the Outlander books fame. Claire has fallen through time to 18th Century Scotland. Surrounded by Highlanders, and stuck with her clearly British accent, she finds she is branded a Sassenach. It’s a term used by locals to label outlanders: that is, anyone who is “from away." She’s exiled among people nothing like her...an exile from which she might never return. 

 

She's not one of them…and they remind her of it every single day. 

 

Claire’s long-game is to return to the modern world. But, she doesn't know if she will ever be able to do that. Until that's possible, she works at finding a way to fit in. To be useful, Claire brings to bear her intelligence and her nursing experience (a "healer" in the parlance of that time). She doesn't ever truly fit in, but she finds ways to actively benefit those who surround her. 

 

Similarly, God’s guidance to the exiled Israelites in this week's scriptures can benefit us, as well. The Israelites were outlanders in every sense: language, culture, societal position. God’s message through Jeremiah told them how to act while they remained in exile. What a treasure! At last, they knew what God expected of them while they were being outlanders—true strangers in a strange land. 

 

Get married and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children. Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat the produce. In other words, settle in. Of most importance, though: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

 

When circumstance or other people make us sassenachs and outlanders, we must not let that immobilize us. We must keep living as best we can. We must grow, flourish...settle in and bloom where we’re planted.

 

Most importantly, we must seek the best for those among whom we are the sassenachs and outlanders. Even going so far as to pray to God for their well-being. Their welfare is our welfare. 

 

That's loving your neighbor as yourself.

 

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PHOTO: Steve Orr

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon:

https://www.amazon.com/Outlander-4-Copy-Boxed-Set-Dragonfly/dp/1101887486/ref=sr_1_2?crid=RI3B7B1IRHPW&keywords=Outlander&qid=1664986179&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjA2IiwicXNhIjoiNC43OCIsInFzcCI6IjQuMzgifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=outlander%2Cstripbooks%2C110&sr=1-2

 

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This Friday morning would be a great time for you to join us at Dayspring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We start at 8:00, sharing our mealtime at Our Breakfast Place (and on Zoom**). We continue with scripture, discussion, and some of the best fellowship anywhere. We're supposed to leave at 9:00, and some do, but some stay longer. 

 

It's that good. 

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 

**Contact me for the Zoom link

 

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the 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=283

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper23.pdf

 

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Psalm 66:1-12

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

Psalm 111

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Luke 17:11-19

Proper 23 (28) (October 9, 2022)

All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

Something unusual happens in the film Yesterday. Jack Malik, a would-be rocker, awakens in the hospital after a bad traffic accident. That’s a good thing. He soon discovers, however, that he has miraculously awakened to a world where he is apparently the only person who remembers the Beatles. 

 

In an early scene, Jack, still unaware of what has transpired, sings “Yesterday” to some of his friends. They assume it’s his song since they’ve never heard it before. And they are stunned. The song is far better than anything Jack has ever written. They are bowled over by the sense of longing so perfectly conveyed through its lyrics and music. As I watched the scene, and listened to him sing, I found I could easily imagine that I, too, was hearing it for the first time. 

“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be.
There's a shadow hanging over me.”

And there it was: a deep, deep desire to, somehow, turn back the clock, a longing to travel back in time to something and somewhere that could no longer be. 

Would you like to travel to the past?

 

Time is like a river...or so Einstein thought. He believed it flowed, that it sped up and slowed down. His contemporaries thought time might have banks like a river, that the past was back there, around a bend, just out of sight. They believed that if someone had great desire to do so, really wanted to go, he or she could travel back the way the "river" had come, back around the bend, so to speak, to the past. People could even go to a place and time to which they had never been; likely a place and time only their ancestors had known. 

This is the theme tying together several of this week's scriptures. Not time travel, per se, but the almost overwhelming desire to return to the past. This is particularly true of Psalm 137  and the first passage from Lamentations where the Psalmist captures the laments of the Israelites, enslaved by Babylon and exiled far from home.

 

Of course, the real problem is not years or miles, but rather the distance one has traveled from God. The Israelites mourned for the land of Israel, not fully grasping that the place called Israel was nothing without its relationship to God. That's why they were in exile in the first place: They had drifted away from God and needed time and circumstance to teach them that lesson.

 

Do you sometimes feel a sense of melancholy for a time and place in the past? Could it be that what you really desire is a closer relationship with God? The selections from Lamentations 3, Habakkuk, and Psalm 37 provide us some relief and point us toward some true solutions to our longing. 

 

As followers of Jesus, our situation is different from those exiled Israelites. Underscored in the 2 Timothy passage is that the Holy Spirit flows within us, connecting us believers to God in ways we cannot even fully understand. Like a river, it brings spiritual life and nourishment to us. When we feel ourselves drifting from God, we can pray in that Spirit for what we need to fully reconnect us. 

 

That’s better than Einstein’s river of time. For Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No time travel needed.

 

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PHOTO: Steve Orr 

From the movie, Jack Malik sings “Yesterday”: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VgRuLQgeSE

How Paul McCartney Wrote “Yesterday”: https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/music/beatles-yesterday-history-a1926-20190913-lfrm

 

To fully appreciate the overwhelming sadness of exiled Israelites and their longing to return, listen to this song ("Babylon") from the TV show, Mad Men: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsVCjykMHVw&app=desktop

For you Rat Pack fans, here’s the Frank Sinatra version of “Yesterday”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0fP5srK8k8

 

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Join us Friday morning at Lectionary DaySpring’s Breakfast. We still gather in person and online. Meet us at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place or on Zoom.** We wrap things up about an hour later. The food is good. But the scripture, discussion, fellowship, and laughter are better.

Enjoy the week!

 

Steve

 

**Contact me for the Zoom link:

 

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the 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=282

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_Proper22.pdf

 

Lamentations 1:1-6

Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Psalm 37:1-9

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

Proper 22 (27) (October 2, 2022)

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