Wednesday, October 30, 2024

“Saints Along the Uragami” (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Japan banned Christianity from the mid-17th to late-19th century. Before that, a large Christian community thrived along the shores of the Uragami River. Their village rested against a horseshoe of mountains where the Uragami widens into a bay on the East China Sea. 


The ban brought persecutions. So, for more than 250 years, the saints along the Uragami hid their Christianity. But they never stopped worshipping.

 

In 1895, after the ban was lifted, this Christian community started building. It took 19 years to complete the main structure, 11 more to raise twin bell towers. The Urakami Cathedral, the largest in East Asia at that time, was where Christians living in the area of the Uragami River worshiped, studied, confessed; where they were baptized, prayed over, and eulogized. It served them for 20 years. 

 

Right up until 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, when the atomic bomb known as “Fat Man” exploded 500 meters above their city, Nagasaki. 

 

Because it occurs above the earth, the location of such an explosion is not called “ground zero.” That would be the area below the explosion, often referred to as the “hypocenter.” That church building, the central location for Christians all along the Uragami Valley, was about five football fields south of the bomb’s hypocenter. 

 

The distance did little to protect it. The force of the atomic bomb destroyed most of the building instantly. The south bell tower and portions of the facade were the most identifiable sections to survive. There were also considerable military and industrial targets in Nagasaki, that day, and they were significantly impacted by the blast. As were almost all structures within half a mile of the hypocenter. Analysis indicates the bomb produced only 25 percent of its yield. It could have been much, much worse. But even at its diminished yield, many thousands of human lives were extinguished. It is believed 40,000 people died immediately, with another 60,000 people injured. By the following January, the death toll had climbed above 70,000 people and doubled that at the end of five years. 

 

Among the 15,000 Christians living in the area, more than 10,000 died from the bomb and its after-effects. 

 

November 1st is All Saints Day, the day from which Halloween draws its name (October 31st is All Hallows Eve). Traditionally, on the first Sunday in November, Christians everywhere pause to remember the followers of Jesus who have died. Usually we recall loved ones, friends, other Christians we have encountered along our spiritual journey. But we would not be amiss to recall Christians we’ve never met: those who died in war, from pestilence, at the hands of evil doers, from mishap, from hunger.

 

And the saints along the Uragami who lived, loved, raised families, and worshipped God in a beautiful valley by the sea. 



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PHOTO (Urakami Cathedral following atomic bomb exploding in Nagasaki, Japan):

https://nabmuseum.jp/


A very brief history of the Nagasaki bombing with “Fat Man”

https://nagasakipeace.jp/en/reference/materials/kids/commentary/toshi.html#:~:text=Among%20the%20possible%20reasons%20Nagasaki,shipyards,%20steelworks%20and%20armaments%20factories.


A fuller discussion of the Nagasaki bombing and the Urakami Cathedral:

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/atomic-bombing-in-nagasaki-and-the-urakami-cathedral-nagasaki-atomic-bomb-museum/uwXRRfqvSwUA8A?hl=en


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Will you be with us Friday for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast? Join us at 8:00 am on Zoom** or in person at Our Breakfast Place. We have a great time exploring scripture, kicking around what it means, and laughing. See you there? 

 

Blessings,

Steve 

 

**Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

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SCRIPTURES FOR ALL SAINTS DAY

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=382&z=p&d=83

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Bx_AllSaintsDay.pdf

 

Isaiah 25:6-9

Psalm 24

Revelation 21:1-6a

John 11:32-44

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SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=382&z=p&d=82

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Bx_Proper26.pdf

 

Ruth 1:1-18

Psalm 146

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Psalm 119:1-8

Hebrews 9:11-14

Mark 12:28-34

Proper 26 (31) (November 3, 2024)

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Radiators Against the Cold (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Mrs. Maguire’s algebra class wasn’t just cool. Some days it was downright cold!

Our spritely Algebra teacher could not abide attention-drift from any student. To make certain we paid attention, she opened the windows—in the dead of winter. 


Winters could be harsh in our little river city. When the wind off our two rivers came blowing up through the town? Bone-chilling. 

 

What saved us were the radiators. 

 

Lined up just below the classroom windows was a row of steam-heat radiators blasting hot air into the room. You could still feel the cold air slicing in, but the radiators kept radiating heat to offset the worst of it.

 

A radiator—or “radiant” as it is sometimes called—draws its heat from a central source. Without the right energy coursing through the radiator, it could not radiate the heat we needed. If not connected to that central source, those algebra class radiators would be just so much cold metal—and no use at all in mitigating the winter chill. 

 

In this week’s Psalm 34 selection, it says, "Look to Him and be radiant.” A person can be a radiant, a conduit for energy outflow. It certainly was true of Moses. He spent so much time in God's presence, he glowed! Moses became a radiant. 

 

Those radiants kept us warm that winter in Mrs. Maguire's classroom, but only because they were connected to the source, the generator of all that steam heat. What about us? Are we radiants? Are we connected to the source? Do we spend so much time in the presence of God that others cannot help but experience God's warmth and glow?

 

Look to Him and be radiant.



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PHOTO (and why steam heat leads to open windows…on purpose!):

https://lopcocontracting.com/why-that-old-steam-radiator-heats-up-so-hot/



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Fall is such a busy time. Make time to enjoy DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast on Friday morning. We gather at 8:00 for an hour of fellowship, scripture reading, discussion, prayer—plus a few laughs along the way. Join us on Zoom** or at Our Breakfast Place for a sure-fire way to start a great week.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

**Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

 

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK 

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=382&z=p&d=81

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Bx_Proper25.pdf

 

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Psalm 126

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

Proper 25 (30) (October 27, 2024)


Saturday, October 19, 2024

Lincoln's So-Called Cow (a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)

I never saw a Purple Cow,

I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

—Gelett Burgess




I grew up hearing my Dad quote that poem. Even as a small child, a purple cow seemed unlikely. Later, I heard of another unlikely cow. The tale goes something like this: Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas—candidates for the same U.S. Senate seat—were debating. At one point, Lincoln thought Douglas was intentionally misinterpreting Lincoln's words so he could win over the audience. 

 

Lincoln asked Douglas, "How many legs has a cow?

 

Douglas replied, "Four, of course.” 

 

Lincoln agreed, and then asked, "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"

 

Douglas replied, "Why, five, of course.” 

 

"Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." 


Fact or fiction, the story makes a valid point. Just because someone says something is so doesn't necessarily make it so. Likewise, just because someone claims to be quoting from the Bible doesn't mean they are. And, even if they are honestly attempting to quote scripture, it doesn’t mean that they are doing so accurately. Finally, even if someone is accurately quoting scripture, it doesn't mean that they are applying it correctly.

 

That brings us to in this week’s Psalm 91 passage. Satan quoted verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 91 while tempting Jesus in the wilderness (Mark 4:5-7). Satan quoted scripture correctly, but he spoke those words for an evil purpose.


The next time someone throws scripture at you, particularly if they’re trying to get you to do what they want, pause a moment and recall Satan's misuse of Psalm 91. Sadly, people do twist the words of others to their own purpose. If that happens, we must react wisely.

 

Remember Lincoln's cow.

 

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Purple Cow poem: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Cow



GRAPHIC (from a book of poems by Gelett Burgess, including his “Purple Cow”):

https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-Gelett-Burgess-ebook/dp/B082C28W7C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ILGQIZWXGIJN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.d0d9qDU1lkPseeLI5FKzum2-OTtOgLykHlkcqIHkLgAfju-upmaX8Yjs7EUlx8rA.JmueQW1A2rvLR1J_pZefXBXDJvanOGB8QbAwr0JUrZQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Purple+cow+burgess&qid=1729386016&s=digital-text&sprefix=purple+cow+burgess%2Cdigital-text%2C269&sr=1-1



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Join us for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast on Zoom** or in person at Our Breakfast Place. We meet at 8:00. We have a prayer, we read and discuss scripture from the week's Lectionary passages, and we eat some tasty food. Did I mention the laughing?

 

No cows are expected, purple or otherwise.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

**Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414

 

 

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK 

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=382&z=p&d=80

 

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Bx_Proper24.pdf

 

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)

Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c

Isaiah 53:4-12

Psalm 91:9-16

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

Proper 24 (29) (October 20, 2024)