My Errors Have Been My Tutors (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

I was a clumsy kid.

How clumsy? My parents always said I could trip over the flowers in the rug. Quite often, my shoulders clipped our corners and door-frames. I was always knocking over some cup of liquid. And, I could always count on, somehow, knocking my fork off the table.  

To be clear, these things didn’t last a lifetime. After a while, I learned how to pick up the front of my shoes when I walked, seriously limiting sprawling before my peers. I did eventually figure out that I could swing a bit wider than my eyes told me to when coming near these corners and portals. Result? All but eliminated that painful shoulder bruising (plus, you know, the whole embarrassment in front of my peers. 

Solving the problem of knocking over liquids presented more of a challenge. I couldn’t seem to cure that one. So, to compensate, I developed the ability to quickly grab the container as it was still tilting over. I’m really good at this mid-spill save and you can witness my ability at almost any meal. The fork thing? Well … it’s still a thing. But I think I’ve narrowed down the culprit to long sleeves. Some things are probably always going to be a work in progress.

I am what someone —a kind person, anyway— might call an “experiential learner” ... I make a lot of mistakes. 

But, my errors are my tutors. I learn from my mistakes. 

That’s a subtlety that may be overlooked in this week’s James passage. James says: We don’t have because we don’t ask God for what we want. And, even when we do ask God, we don’t receive because we ask for selfish reasons.

James is talking about the problems that keep popping up when we want what already belongs to others; bitter envy, selfish ambition, contentiousness … murder, even. He wants believers to understand we have gone about these things backwards. Instead of coveting and then fighting to get what we desire, we, instead, need to go to God with our requests. 

Plus, we can apply the correct process (ask God), but still not receive it because we are only asking for selfish reasons. James is implying we need to follow the Golden Rule.

We need to realize that asking God to give us something that already belongs to someone else is never going to work. 

Turns out: there is a right way and a wrong way to ask. And we can learn that right way. 

We are to ask while in the presence of God. That means we are to be praying and listening, being still before God. And, if we ask while living the Golden Rule  —i.e., seeking for others what we wish for ourselves ... just another way of saying, "Love your neighbor as yourself."—  we will receive ... as promised.

Finally, it’s OK if we struggle with this a bit. We’re probably not going to excel at this when we first begin. Seriously, it’s OK. Our errors can be our tutors.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Orr archives

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What are you doing Friday morning? Can you join us at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast? We meet at 8:00 on ZOOM** and in the function room at Our Breakfast Place. It’s an hour like no other. We come away refreshed and fortified. 

Enjoy the week!

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=220

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Bx_Proper20.pdf

Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 1

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 54

James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

Proper 20 (25) (September 23, 2018)

Them or Me: Surviving Boston Drivers (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Having transferred to the Northeast for work, I spent the first several weeks absolutely terrified by Boston drivers.

Not so much by their bad driving  —though it was truly bad—  but more by their unpredictability. I had no idea what they would do next. And yet, I had to enter that fray at least twice every working day.

When I voiced my concern to a friend at church, he touched my arm and said, gently, “I can help.” He shared with me an essential bit of wisdom that, in time, gave me some much needed confidence. Soon, I was driving all over the Boston area without undue fear (a little fear was still good).

What he shared was this: in the mind of every Boston driver is one thought: “Can ‘I’ make it?”

Suddenly, it all made a kind of crazy sense. What I soon learned to do was watch, not the cars, but the faces of those nearby drivers. Directional signals? Forget it. Lane location? Meaningless. Where were they looking? That told me everything I needed to know.

I learned (1) those Boston drivers were not going to change (no matter how much I wanted them to change, and no matter how much they needed to change), and (2) I learned a lesson about people and imparted wisdom. Sometimes the wisdom is for them ... and sometimes the wisdom is for me. 

With regard to Boston drivers, I was the one who must change, and my friend’s wisdom helped me do it.

It’s an important lesson to keep in mind while reading this week’s scriptures (all related to wisdom). It is easy to conclude that the wisdom of the scriptures is for them ... that is, someone other than me.

Well, of course, not me. None of us wants to think of ourselves as unwise. And yet ... do you ever read a passage and immediately think of someone who would benefit from adopting that code or mode of conduct? Someone who is not you? Personally, I’m still working on this one. I used to do it all the time. 

I have realized that all of this week's scriptures are about me, for me ... not them. So, I’ve been re-reading the passages with me in mind ... not someone else. 

My takeaway: heed Wisdom's call, and choose to accept the instruction that leads to life.

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PHOTO CREDIT (and an article explaining why Boston traffic is SO BAD): 

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2017/04/30/boston-traffic/

The Boston Driver’s Handbook is a hilarious read (and essential should you ever want to drive in Boston). See it here: https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Drivers-Handbook-Streets-Almost/dp/0306813262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536798162&sr=8-1&keywords=the+boston+drivers+handbook

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Join us in the function room at Our Breakfast Place or on Zoom** Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. As usual, we gather at 8:00 for an hour-ish of visiting, reading scripture, praying, and discussing. 

Bring your own breakfast beverage to Zoom … but, be careful; still lots of laughing.

Blessings!

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=219

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Bx_Proper19.pdf

Proverbs 1:20-33

Psalm 19

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 116:1-9

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

Proper 19 (24) (September 12, 2021)

Atticus Finch, Richard Dawkins, Doctor Who, and me (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Atticus Finch is the number one movie hero of all time. (Indiana Jones is second. George Bailey is only ninth. Superman is a distant 26th.) 

Not bad for a fictional lawyer. 

You likely recall that in the movie, To Kill A Mockingbird, Gregory Peck portrays Mr. Finch: attorney, widower, and single father of two. Central to the story is that Finch does the unthinkable in Depression Era Alabama: he defends a black man accused of beating and sexually assaulting a white woman.

The impact To Kill A Mockingbird has had on the law as a vocation is huge. Many an attorney has pointed to Atticus Finch as the reason they chose to pursue a career in law. 

But, perhaps you've heard, in Go Set A Watchmen, Harper Lee's sort-of sequel, Atticus is no longer so heroic. In fact, daughter Jean Louise (Scout) is shocked to learn her father is less the racial hero than she remembered from childhood. 

In this sense, we can compare Atticus to David. Most of us quickly recall David-the-Psalmist, or David-the-shepherd, or David-the-giant-killer. Some might, upon reflection, mention David-the-King or maybe David-the-military-leader. But, for most of us, David-the-rapist is not our go-to memory of him. David-the-failed-father doesn't pop up often, either. And, well, really, who wants to remember David-the-murderer?

But we should. 

Atticus is less than ideal to his grown daughter, but it is not likely he has devolved since he defended Tom Robinson in the 1930's. His racial prejudices had to have existed, then. The truth of it is this: in service to the law, Atticus stepped around the enculturated racial prejudice of his time to provide a vigorous defense of a black man.

It is here I find I may be in agreement with scientist and renowned atheist Richard Dawkins when he writes: "Nothing is wrong with peace and love. It is all the more regrettable that so many of Christ's followers seem to disagree." It is sobering to find that an atheist sees us so clearly, sees us for how our human-ness has "over topped" what we have been taught concerning such fundamental spiritual matters as “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Here is the short of it: we're all human. And, by virtue of that state, complex. None of us is afforded the luxury of remaining the same person throughout our life. We change. But we are still, to one degree or another, the people we have been. Yes, ideally, we mature as we accumulate life experiences; learning, hopefully, to be better people, to lessen our lesser natures and to increase our better ones.

To borrow from Doctor Who, "We all change, when you think about it, we're all different people; all through our lives. And that's okay … so long as you remember all the people that you used to be." 

When we think of David, and of the Atticus Finch's we know, and of each other, we must do so with a large serving of mercy. As is brought home so clearly in this week's James 2 passage, we must love our neighbors as ourselves, regardless of our prejudices … or theirs.

It helps if we keep in mind all of the people we have been in this life.

Mercy triumphs over judgment. —James 2:13

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Clip from To Kill A Mockingbird:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7CX_5D6y6E

PHOTO CREDIT and interesting read about the “changed” Atticus Finch: 

https://www.tomvmorris.com/blog/2015/7/20/is-atticus-finch-still-a-hero?format=amp

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It's not yet fall, but the promise of it is here. I hope you can join us one of these cooler Friday mornings for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet for about an hour at 8:00 on Zoom**  and at Our Breakfast Place (formerly “Egg and I"). We spend our time enjoying each other's company, eating some great food, and discussing the Word. 

Enjoy the week!

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=218

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Bx_Proper18.pdf

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Psalm 125

Isaiah 35:4-7a

Psalm 146

James 2:1-20

Mark 7:24-37

Proper 18 (23) (September 5, 2021)

An Instance of the Fingerpost (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

An Instance of the Fingerpost, that wonderful novel by Iain Pears, kicks off with a murder, and then … well, then the interesting stuff starts. 

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And I say, without good directions it could be a much longer journey. Even with clear guidance, it’s still step by step. There’s much greater confidence, though, we will arrive at our intended destination.

But, murder mysteries rarely come with that kind of guidance. And this novel is more indirect than most. It is comprised of four different accounts of the "facts" as told by four different witnesses … or are they suspects? 

Unlike many mysteries where the "reveal" comes at the end, skipping to the end of this book doesn't help. There are clues, of course. But, they are scattered throughout the book. The only way to really understand what happened is to read each of the four accounts, trying to determine just how much we can trust each of their testimonies. Each has reason to be considered an unreliable source.

I've never read a book quite like it. I love how the author maintains the mystery right through to the end. It's one of those books I re-read every few years. 

But, an odd title, right? What, you may be wondering, is a fingerpost? 

Well, you might be surprised to learn you already know the answer. Really. Picture this: some travelers arrive at an intersection of roads. There, they find a post. On that post are narrow boards on which are printed the names of towns and other locations. Those boards may be pointed on one end, or they may actually resemble the fingers of a hand with three curled under and one pointing. In any case, these fingerposts are oriented so they actually point toward the location inscribed on them.

Fingerposts are very useful, especially if you’re attempting to navigate in an unfamiliar area. And, if they're so useful in the physical world, just think how something like that might help us on our spiritual journey. Well, I believe there are spiritual fingerposts, clear signs placed by God for us to follow. This week's scriptures are crammed full of them!

Do you want to know what God wants? Do you long for clear direction? Here are just two of the many "instances of the fingerpost" set into the Bible to help you.

In this week’s Mark passage we’re told, in so many words, cleanliness is not next to Godliness! No, there’s nothing wrong with hygiene. In fact, most of us think it’s pretty important. But, we can’t substitute physical cleansing for spiritual cleansing. Rather, we need to prioritize our focus on our thoughts as the source of any true uncleanliness in our lives. 

The James passage clarifies the path we need to take on our spiritual journey: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress."

Signposts are not general. If we choose to ignore them or choose a different direction, we will not arrive where we intended. They are unequivocal. They point us in a specific direction, the direction that takes us to our destination. 

And we get there one step at a time. 

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GRAPHIC: Steve Orr

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If you can join us Friday morning at Lectionary Breakfast, all the better! We're still meeting at 8:00 on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Waco Egg and I restaurant). We’re reading scripture, eating good food, sharing a laugh or two, and solving mysteries. 

Enjoy the week!

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=217

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, b6-9

Psalm 15

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-2

Proper 17 (22) (August 29, 2021)

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Vampire Christians and Guernsey Potato Peel Pie (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

No one offered us potato peel pie. And I never saw a sign for a literary society. Still, our visit to the Isle of Guernsey was delightful. 

Many only know of this picturesque island from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I can recommend both the book and the movie. And, following our day of walking about in Guernsey, I can happily recommend the actual island, too!

As the only place in the British Isles occupied by the Germans in World War II, Guernsey was untouched by enemy bombs. While there is much I could share with you about their wartime experiences, I’m going to focus, instead, on one little piece of our own day-long adventure. 

As I meandered through the narrow lanes —passing shops, coffee houses, bakeries, and freestanding market-day kiosks— my eye fell on a sign that drew me off into a little corner: BOOKSTORE. 

As I stepped out of the bright sunlight into the darker shop, I had to pause a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. Soon, I saw before me two casually dressed, older ladies, each sporting a front-mounted fanny pack. They were deep in an animated, but subdued, conversation. Then, in a voice mostly British, but with a very faint hint of French somewhere in the background, the nearest said, “Come on in, Luv. Come get us if you have a question.”

I wandered about the tiny shop, taking my time, getting the shelving order in my head. Eventually, I found myself in the far corner looking at the one shelf that held all of their crime, Sci-fi, mystery, and thriller titles ... maybe forty books in all. I had no expectations when I decided to check out the shop. But, to be honest, I usually enter these secondhand book shops with a great deal of hope ... and hope did not disappointment that day.

On the shelf was a thin collection of short stories written by Bram Stoker, the author best known for the classic horror novel, Dracula. I couldn’t believe my luck. As I read the preface, I learned that Bram’s widow published these stories after his death —that, alone, would be enough to make me buy it. But then I read that this book contained a story that was, in fact, a piece his editors had deleted from Dracula! Now, I’ve read Dracula, and seen many movies and TV shows that derive their villains (and sometimes, heroes) from this first popular novel about vampires. But I had never read this one! 

I must admit to some fascination with these bloodsuckers. Leviticus 17:11 states, “The blood is the Life.” And, of course, that is the very essence of any vampire story: unless they drink your blood, they die. The Leviticus passage takes the opposite tack: God commands us to not drink blood because it is part of the process for the forgiveness of sin, and thus not to be used for anything else.

As I stood there —in that tiny bookstore, on the Isle of Guernsey, out in the English Channel, just off the coast of France— I recalled that from time to time, the followers of Jesus were accused of vampirism ... and worse. That stems from what Jesus says in this week’s scripture from the Gospel of John. He tells His followers, clearly, they must drink His blood and eat His flesh or they cannot abide in Him. It was just too much for some of them. In fact, John tells us, “Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.” 

That was the first time ... but not nearly the last. Over the centuries, many have accused christians of cannibalism and vampirism. It’s easy to see how they could be confused about the requirement to ingest the blood and flesh of Jesus. It’s right there in black and white (or red, in some Bibles). 

Of course, today, we christians know better. 

But It’s a stark reminder to those of us who follow Him: without the Spirit to instruct and guide us, there is plenty of room for misinterpretation of what Jesus taught. 

So, before we even open our mouths to quote some teaching from scripture, we should pause and consider how it could be heard. Then, we should pray for discernment, enlightenment, and wisdom before we speak. 

Confusion abounds in the absence of the Spirit. 

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GRAPHIC CREDIT and a very early review of Stoker’s novel:

https://bookmarks.reviews/an-1897-review-of-bram-stokers-dracula/

A great modern review of the novel, Dracula): 

http://www.wkar.org/post/book-review-bram-stokers-dracula#stream/0

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ZOOM ONLY THIS FRIDAY** - DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast will not meet in person this Friday. Apologies to everyone who prefers an in-person gathering. We plan to resume next week. In the meantime, please join us on Zoom at 8:00 for our usual hour of fellowship, discussion, and laughter. BYOBB 

Blessings,

Steve 

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=216

1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43

Psalm 84

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

Psalm 34:15-22

Ephesians 6:10-20

John 6:56-69

Proper 16 (21) (August 22, 2021)

Solomon and the Beverly Hillbillies (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Remember the opening sequence of the Beverly Hillbillies?** 

Jed is out “shooting’ at some food” when his shot opens up a huge oil strike (“black gold … Texas Tea”). First thing you know, old Jed’s a millionaire … 

At the time, I thought it an unrealistic scenario —I was certain you didn’t find oil that way— But it went with the show being a comedy ... right?

Wrong. 

Shortly after moving to Midland, Texas in the early 1980’s, one of the first things I was taught about “oil country” was this: Oil is where you find it. 

No one really knows where the stuff is.

Oil. Gold. Silver. The problem with drawing treasures from the earth: no one knows where to find them. Yes, there are people —smart, capable people— who have some ideas about where to find them; and there are technologies that help in the search. But, no one knows exactly where to look. 

There’s a reason they call it oil exploration.

So, when I read this week’s selection from 1st Kings, I wasn’t shocked that Solomon might have asked God for riches. Considering that every time someone drills a hole in the earth looking for oil, there is a great chance they will find absolutely nothing ... well, it just doesn’t sound so crazy that people might think they should ask God to give them riches.

But, scripture tells us there is something worth more than the treasures of the earth, and that is what Solomon asked of God: Wisdom. It pleased God that he chose wisdom rather than many other kingly kinds of things he could have requested: riches, long life … the death of his enemies.

We, too, can please God by wanting wisdom. And, unlike silver and gold —or oil— or any other treasure we might wish to come our way, finding wisdom is not a game of chance.

We know right where it is.

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Beverly Hillbillies Opening Sequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvE9zJgm8OY

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Join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary breakfast on ZOOM** or in person at Our Breakfast Place (formerly Waco’s “Egg and I” restaurant). Entrance is near the back on the side of the building. We spend from 8:00 to 9:00 reading, discussing, laughing, praying ... and enjoying the breakfast of your choice.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=215

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Psalm 111

Proverbs 9:1-6

Psalm 34:9-14

Ephesians 5:15-20

John 6:51-58

Proper 15 (20) (August 15, 2021)

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost 

Elijah and the Ya Ya Sisterhood (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Vivi had a secret.

In Rebecca Wells’ Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, we meet a group of older women who have been friends since early childhood. They still care deeply for each other, flaws and all.

A war has erupted between one of them, Vivi, and her adult daughter, Sidda. Like many family conflicts, it’s part truth and part misunderstanding. Hoping to reconcile them, the Ya Ya's kidnap Sidda from her life in New York City and spirit her away to Louisiana.

In trying to help her understand just why her mother is so difficult a person, they finally reveal to Sidda her mother's deepest, darkest secret.

Vivi dropped her basket.

This is the phrase Vivi came up with to describe a time when, as a young mother, she had a mental and emotional breakdown, brutally beat her children, and was hospitalized for attempted suicide.

You'll have to read the book or rent the movie to get the rest of it (and you should). As for us, this is what we need: Vivi dropped her basket. Life can be tough. Some of us fare better than others. Some of us, for reasons known and unknown, are stronger than others when it comes to our mental and emotional health. And, even when we appear strong to those around us, we can be coming apart on the inside. 

Elijah is a perfect example of this. He is this almost superhuman prophet of the Old Testament. He performs amazing feats in the name of the Lord. People are in awe of his power and authority. To his peers, he seems the ideal warrior for the Lord. And yet …

Elijah dropped his basket. 

That's the story we find in this week's 1st Kings passage. This great warrior for God, on the heels of a mighty victory ... just loses it. In fear, he runs out into the wilderness. He is so afraid and depressed, he begs God to take his life. When you read the 1st Kings passage, don't stop where the Lectionary breaks: keep going through the end of Elijah's story. See what God does with Elijah's depression.

We need to keep that in mind as we face the struggles that affect us in this life. No matter how strong we've been, no matter how amazing our most recent Mountaintop experience, no matter the number of victories we've achieved … any of us can drop our basket. 

There is a related passage in the New Testament book of James where we're told, "Elijah was a human being just like us." Like Elijah, we can depend on God to be in it with us, to hear what we have to say, and, if we can receive it, to redirect us on our journey.

When Elijah dropped his basket, he thought his journey in this life was over. In fact, he begged for it to be over. But, God had more plans for Elijah. 

And God has more plans for you. 

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PHOTO: 

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Secrets-Ya-Ya-Sisterhood-Novel-ebook/dp/B000FC11GK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=divine+secrets+of+the+yaya+sisterhood&qid=1628305801&s=books&sr=1-1

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We meet each Friday morning (in person and on Zoom**) for DaySpring’s  Lectionary Breakfast. We're still sojourning at Our Breakfast Place (formerly Waco’s "Egg and I" restaurant). We meet from 8:00 to 9:00-ish for an extraordinary hour of relaxed fellowship (laughing; a lot), Bible reading, and meaningful exploration of just how those scriptures affect our actual lives.

Join us.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

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

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=214

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

Psalm 130

1 Kings 19:4-8

Psalm 34:1-8

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:35, 41-51

Proper 14 (19) (August 8, 2021)