My First Wormhole (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Do you remember your first wormhole? Was it Madeline L’Engle’s “wrinkle in time?” Perhaps it was one of Stephen King’s “thinnies.” You may have first come to one in a computer game as a “gate” or a “portal.” It’s even possible your first wormhole was introduced to you in science class as Einstein’s “space-time bridge.”

 

Whenever it happened and whatever it was called, you must have wondered if something like that could actually happen. I know my curiosity was piqued when, as a middle-schooler, I read Robert Heinlein’s Tunnel in the Sky. Was it possible people might someday teleport to another planet like high school student Rod Walker did in the novel?

 

I am a fan of the unexplainable—a big fan. It's one of the reasons I so enjoy Bible passages describing events that seem impossible. Consider the one in this week's passage from Acts. God uses Philip to lead the Ethiopian Eunuch to Jesus—and then, apparently, teleports Philip about 30 miles away. 

 

Did God teleport him to his next assignment? Was it miraculous? Or was Luke just describing Philip‘s quick exit? You will not be shocked to discover that scholars are divided. 

 

I tend to agree with those who think it was a miraculous event. This is hardly the only instance of such miraculous transportation in the Bible. Consider when Jesus appeared to His disciples as, post crucifixion, they were gathered in locked rooms. Jesus just appeared in the midst of them.

 

I'm not sure what, if any, lesson we can draw from this passage. Maybe I just like that, long before science fiction raised the possibility of teleportation, long before theoretical physicists showed how it could be possible based on quantum mechanics, and long before recent experiments seem to confirm it, there is a story about it in the Bible. 

 

I think our takeaway is found in the “bookends” of the story. It begins with God sending Philip to proclaim the good news to someone. And how does it end? Apparently unaffected by his miraculous journey to Azotus, Philip just heads north and keeps on telling folks the good news about Jesus. 

 

And however we travel, isn't that always the point?

 

 

 

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GRAPHIC: Adobe Express

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We are deep into the Season of Easter and are enjoying our time to discuss the related scriptures. Join us Friday morning at 8:00 on Zoom** or in person at Our Breakfast Place for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. It’s truly an hour like no other.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Here’s the Zoom link:

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

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=90

 

Print them here:

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

 

Acts 8:26-40

Psalm 23:25-31

1John 4:7-22

John 15:1-8

Fifth Sunday of Easter (April 28, 2024)

 

Stephen King and the Bad Shepherds (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Author Stephen King creates some intriguing characters, captivating beings who draw us ever deeper into his tales. Surprisingly, it is his lesser characters that often capture our interests and imagination. 

Consider King’s “low men.” 

 

The low men usually show up to perform distinct, limited—almost always bad—actions. Then, fairly quickly, they move off the stage. They’re pretty horrible. In their true form, they appear as rat-like humanoids, complete with fleas, lice, and (sometimes) rabies. They dress in garishly colored out-of-fashion clothing, and they drive vintage cars—which might not actually be cars, but something else entirely. 

 

If having the heads of rats isn’t frightening enough, the fact that they walk among us on two legs just ratchets up the creep factor. In every scene, we always have the sense that things are about to go from bad to worse. There is no question as to how King wants his readers to regard these creatures. 

We don’t need fiction, though, to think of similar folk. We’ve all met some, haven’t we? There are some low men in this week’s scriptures—especially the passages from John and Acts. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus contrasts Himself (“the good shepherd”) with those who, by their acts of low character, have proven themselves to be not-good shepherds. Of those real-life “low men,” He says that when “wolves” threaten the sheep, the not-good shepherds will run away and leave the sheep to the wolves. The result? Some of the sheep will be “snatched” by the wolves, which will surely lead to their deaths. Others will “scatter” in fear for their lives.

 

He says the not-good shepherd “runs away” because the not-good shepherd “does not care for the sheep.” By contrast, Jesus tells us that the good shepherd will do all he can to protect and save the sheep, even going so far as to lay down his own life for them. We are the sheep in this illustration. And the shepherds? Those who claim to be our spiritual leaders.

 

The point: Jesus wanted everyone to understand that the measure of whether a shepherd is good or not good is based on what the shepherd does for the sheep. Most important, He wanted us to know that everyone has a choice, Himself included. 

 

The main reason that Stephen King’s “low men” are the way they are is because of what they are. As his fictional creations, they have no choice to be anything other than low. 

 

In contrast, Jesus did not lay down His life for us because it was destined. He had the power and authority to choose.

 

He chose to lay down His life for us because He is the good shepherd.

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PHOTO: Adobe Express

 

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Join us Friday morning when we once again share a meal, say a prayer, and discuss one or more of this week’s Lectionary passages. There’s likely to be laughter, too. We can be surprisingly funny. 

 

DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets at 8:00 on Zoom** and in the function room of Our Breakfast Place.

 

Shepherd or sheep, you are welcome.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Here’s the Zoom link: 

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

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=89

 

Print them here:

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

 

Acts 4:5-12

Psalm 23

1 John 3:16-24

John 10:11-18

Fourth Sunday of Easter (April 21, 2024)

 

The Sin Fable (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

A few years ago, I wrote this short fable inspired by this week’s scripture from 1st John. It’s based on the idea that in archery, the word “sin” means to “fall short” of the target’s bullseye.

 

Two Archers Meet in a Wood

 

An archer, dressed in brown, enters a vast Wood from the east. Another archer, dressed in green, enters The Wood from the west. The brown archer strides purposefully. He clearly has a destination in mind. The green archer ambles a bit, taking in the beauty of The Wood. 

 

Each moves on a path that brings him to the center of The Wood. At last, they see each other and stop. For a few seconds each just looks at the other. 

 

Finally, the brown archer says, "Hello friend. I see you, too, have come to use the King's archery range."

 

The green archer appears surprised, looks about, and for the first time takes notice of the targets off to the north. The brown archer misses this reaction, already setting up his gear for the shoot. 

 

The green archer says, "So, this is the King's range?"

 

"Oh, yes!" replies the brown archer. "Do you not know? The King has set aside the whole of His Wood for the pleasure of His subjects. And he encourages us to use the range to improve our targeting."

 

The brown archer then nocks his first arrow, draws back, eyes the target, and lets fly. The arrow flies swiftly across the vast clearing toward one of the targets. At first, the arrow is on course, but at the very last it appears to lose speed. When it finally strikes the target, the arrow rests well below the bullseye. 

 

"Sin!" cries the green archer, a bright grin splitting his face. He is suddenly awakened to the fun he might have here. 

 

Selecting an arrow from his quiver, the green archer quickly nocks it, draws deeply on the bow, and releases. In no time, a loud "THUNK" heralds the arrow's arrival across the clearing. But it’s not on the target. It isn't even in the hay bales backing the targets. The brown archer finally sees it, buried to the fletching in a hollow tree.

 

"Miss," says the brown archer. 

 

"At least it didn't fall short like yours!" crows the green archer. He grabs another arrow, sets it to string, and pulls even farther back before releasing. This arrow flies even faster than the first, slicing past the targets, over the bales, past the nearby trees, and off into the forest. No sound of its landing is heard.

 

The brown archer watches, frozen, as the green archer lofts a third arrow high and to the left; a fourth high and to the right; then turns and sends one through the woods behind them. Finally, shaken from his shock, the brown archer cries, "What are you doing? You're not even trying to hit the target!"

 

"Of course not," replies the green archer. "How boring! The fun is in not aiming for the target! I so enjoy the feel of flinging the arrows off at top speed, the flexing of my muscles, and that sense of power! I really don't want to fuss with all that aiming."

 

The brown archer has heard enough. "Don't you realize there are others in the King's Wood? Your wild arrows could easily hit someone, could maim or kill. We come here so we can practice our aim. This clearing is set up for just that exercise. That's why there are targets. Certainly the King knows we will not always hit the bullseye. I tally many a sin because I am plagued with a weak pull; my arrow often falls short. But no one, not even the worst archer, comes here intending sin. And we never act in a way that might endanger others."

 

The green archer, not liking this lecture, is no longer enjoying himself. He speaks petulantly, "Well, you’re no fun." Gathering up his gear, he stalks away, continuing his original journey.

 

The brown archer watches the other bowman disappear to the east. He stands that way for a while, thinking of the wild abandon with which the other had launched his missiles, recalling when he, too, had been the thoughtless archer. Finally, he selects an arrow from his quiver, nocks it along the string, pulls deeply on the bow, eyes the target for a long while.

 

And then … lets fly.

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"All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.

 

So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways." (1 John 3:4-8, The Message)

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GRAPHIC: Steve Orr and Adobe Express

 

 

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DaySpring’s Friday morning Lectionary Breakfasts are a true pleasure. Join us on Zoom at 8:00 or at Our Breakfast Place. We will enjoy the treasures the King has shared with us, luxuriating in each other's company and tasting the Word to see that it is good.

 

Bows and arrows are checked at the door.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Here’s the Zoom link:

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

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=88

 

Print them here:

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

 

Acts 3:12-19

Psalm 4

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

Third Sunday of Easter (April 14, 2024)