Too Many Balls in the Air? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

It just looked too complicated. That’s why I put off learning to juggle.

It seems I always saw someone tossing several differently-shaped objects into the air, possibly while riding a unicycle, possibly exchanging those objects with another person riding a unicycle.

But that's not how real jugglers start out. They must first learn the craft; starting small, with two or three balls. Or better yet, with small bags that don't bounce away when they, inevitably, fall to the ground. Turns out, most people can learn to juggle three small, equally-sized objects. Of course, success is not automatic: it takes practice.

But it's not complicated.

The complicated stuff comes later ... much later. Jugglers must first become really good at getting those three, relatively small things to do as they should. They quickly realize: only after they master the beginner level should they consider taking on more complicated routines.

In this week's scriptures, the prophet Micah asks how someone shows proper respect to God. He asks if special, and increasingly difficult, sacrifices would be required to impress God. At stake? What kind of sacrifice would be big enough, dangerous enough, meaningful enough to cancel out a person's sin?

Micah already knows the answer, though, and it is surprisingly simple: "God has told you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Sure, there are people —a few— who are called to do more complicated things in life. But that's not most of us. The challenge before most of us God-followers is this: to begin with a few, relatively simple actions, and to not skip the beginner level. That all-important beginner stage? To consistently act justly, to consistently be merciful, and to consistently walk humbly in God's presence, all at the same time.

Do you have too many balls in the air?

For most of us, God is only asking this: keep just those three balls circling. You may find, as have I, that there's plenty of challenge in that.

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PHOTO (Juggling for the Complete Klutz): https://www.amazon.com/Juggling-for-the-Complete-Klutz/dp/1591744482

A different version of this reflection appeared in January 2017 as Juggling for Dummies.

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany (February 2, 2020)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=16

Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12

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I hope you can join us Friday morning at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We're still at Our Breakfast Place (formerly named the Waco "Egg and I") reading scripture, praying, eating, and laughing from 8:00 to 9:00. Usually we're in a room at the back of the building. If you're not sure, ask.

Jugglers welcome (but juggling not required).

Blessings,
Steve

Lost and Found (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

"The world had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted." —Stephen King, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

The quote is from one of my favorite novels. I recommend it to anyone who has children, or who loves baseball, or who loves Stand By Me or Shawshank Redemption (same author) ... or who just loves a well written suspense tale.

Or who loves God.

As nine-year-old Trisha McFarland followed her brother and mother on a hike along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail on the Maine-New Hampshire border, she quickly tired of their bickering. Pausing only long enough to allow them to pull ahead so she could no longer hear them, she took a wrong turn.

She quickly became lost in the surrounding wilderness.

Disoriented, she wandered farther and farther away from civilization ... and into danger. Over the next days and nights, she moved deeper and deeper into those dark woods. The circumstances were overwhelming for a nine-year old child. Despite her best efforts, she was just not capable of making it on her own.

And that's where Tom Gordon comes into the novel.

Gordon was, once upon a time, a special kind of relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox: a Closer. They are brought in near the end of the game to ensure victory, especially when the other team seems about to win.

Faced with mosquitos, loneliness, wasps, hunger, fear, illness, hallucinations —and even grizzlier threats— Trisha depended on her love of Red Sox baseball and Tom Gordon to lift her spirits. Imagining what Tom Gordon would do was, often, all that kept her going. As long as she could tune in to those baseball games on her portable radio and listen to the amazing work of Tom Gordon, Trisha never lost hope. He truly became her beacon in the night.

Like Trisha, the people in this week’s Isaiah and Matthew scriptures lived in deepening darkness, the very shadow of death. Everything was bad, and there seemed no possibility of rescue.

But then, those people saw a great light.

Like them, we, too, can find ourselves lost in a wilderness of deep darkness. It could be the culture that surrounds us or it could be an internal darkness we carry with us. Like them, we need to be looking for a light to lead us.

And like Trisha, we need a beacon of hope. So we, too, can rise from our deep darkness and follow the dawning light, the DaySpring, Jesus.

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PHOTO: Steve Orr

A different version of this reflection, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, appeared in January 2014.

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday after the Epiphany (January 26, 2014)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalm 27:1, 4-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Matthew 4:12-23

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Will you be in Waco Friday morning? DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast group meets at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place (formerly named the Egg and I). We would love for you to join us for some illumination as we enjoy great food, tasty scriptures, and each other.

No compass needed ☺️

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Am I the Spy You’re Looking For? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

It started innocuously enough.

I perused a one-page graphic on the internet depicting, in eight steps, HOW TO PROPERLY TIE A BOWTIE. I know there are reasons why someone might need to know this, but not in my day-to-day. I chuckled and thought, Yeah, right. I'm never going to need to know that! ...well, maybe when I become a spy. Ha ha.

And that was that. Or so I thought at the time.

But the idea, becoming a spy, kept popping up from time to time throughout that day and the next. My brain would not let it go. Eventually, I gave in and did what millions of people around the globe do when an idea just won't leave them alone.

I started a Pinterest board.

And suddenly, I was pinning pictures of tuxedos, trench coats, decoder rings, "TOP SECRET" rubber stamps, hot cars, and, of course, fedoras. I pinned to my board anything I could think of that represented, at least in my mind, spy accoutrement. Now that it’s going, there’s no telling where or when it will all end.

So. Am I going to become a spy?

I don't really know. At this point, it seems unlikely. I'm ready, though, should the occasion arise. I've seen all the James Bond movies. I've read all the Mrs. Pollifax novels. And I have my Pinterest board to guide my equipment purchases. If someone were to search for a spy, I am findable. 😎

And that brings me to Psalm 40 in this week's scriptures.

If someone were searching for a person who loved The Lord, would you be findable? How would someone know if you are the real deal? I haven’t seen a Pinterest Board on this, so let’s check the psalm for the criteria.

Do you love to do God's will? Do you keep His teachings in your heart? Could you speak about God's salvation, loyalty, mercy, and love to be with others of His people? It would be a lot easier if, like spies in the movies, all we had to do was wear certain kinds of clothing or surround ourselves with cool gadgets. But it doesn't work that way in real life. We're going to have to spend some time getting to know The Lord through prayer and reading scripture.

And we're probably going to have to say something to someone.

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PHOTO: https://pin.it/rs6rf7wxdxf7vd

A different version of this reflection appeared in January 2014.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Second Sunday After the Epiphany (January 19, 2020)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=14

Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
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Greetings from the Caribbean! This message is coming to you on “Island Time.”

I hope you can join our group for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet Friday morning at Our Breakfast Place in Waco (formerly named the Egg and I). Gather with us at 8:00 to peruse the menu, eat, pray, read the Bible, and kick around what we discover there. Find us in the back function room.

No code words needed.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Revisiting a Bruised Reed (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

My friend was "very disappointed" with me.

He had observed me offering what he termed "a soft response” to some comments made by a declared atheist. My friend explained, in a pretty condescending way, that he just could not believe I had failed to enumerate the "steps of salvation" when I had the opportunity to "witness" to the atheist.

My friend’s comments to me were considerably longer, and pretty brutal, but that's the gist of it.

What I wanted to do was lash out at him, cut him down to size for daring to think (and worse, put it into words) that I somehow shirked my responsibility as a Christian to spread the Gospel at every opportunity.

But, I was saved from that mistake by that "still small voice" from deep within reminding me: when I am angry, my most successful communications usually follow a period of prayer. In listening to that thought, I was led to the Isaiah passage in this week's scriptures, a prophecy about Jesus.

Here are four quick takes on the same passage:

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice." (Isaiah 42:1-3)

“He won’t call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.” (Isaiah 42:2-3 MSG)

“He will not break a crushed blade of grass or put out even a weak flame. He will truly bring justice." (Isaiah 42:3 NCV)

“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged." (Isaiah 42:1-3 NLT)

Do you see what I, eventually, came to see?

Jesus tailored his speech to his audience.

When dealing with the leaders, the scribes, the learned, Jesus could be harsh, and with good reason. These were the people who had volunteered to lead and teach God's people, and they were doing so as if God did not actually exist.

But when Jesus interacted with the weak, the lost, the needy, the meek, his words were gentle. He led them gently, as only a good shepherd would.

And so, I did not back down from my "soft response" to the atheist; a man I have known for over four decades. He struggled, not so much with God as with his idea of God; an idea based on what he had gleaned from inaccurate things he had heard people say —and terrible things he had seen them do— in the name of God.

But I also did not respond harshly to my friend. Upon reflection, I knew he did not possess all the facts. He did not know of the years of discussion between the atheist and myself that had gone before. He was unaware of the gentle ministrations of a Pastor who had helped this atheist, this bruised reed, move, in tiny steps, in the direction of the true God.

"What Would Jesus Do?" has become a cliched question to many. But I encourage you to ask WWJD, often. You never know when you will encounter a bruised reed that needs a gentle touch or a weak flame that needs the softest of sighs to encourage it.

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A version of this reflection appeared in January 2014 as The Bruised Reed and the Weak Flame.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Baptism of the Lord (January 12, 2020)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=13

Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

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I hope you can join us Friday morning at 8:00 at Our Breakfast Place (formerly named the "Egg and I") for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We have a great time discussing scripture and eating a delicious breakfast.

Flames are brightened; no reeds are bruised.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Ready for “Bang the Drum Sunday?” (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

As I sat in the not-so-comfortable seat, looking at the empty stage, I wondered for the umpteenth time why I had agreed to come.

We had driven all the way from Midland to Lubbock, a considerable distance at any time. We left Midland right after work and were going to have to drive all the way back when the concert was over. Tomorrow was another workday. All of this just to attend a performance by an artist whose name I had not seen or heard in over a dozen years. Honestly, I was surprised to learn he was alive, much less still performing.

Those thoughts were blown away when the band took the stage and blasted out their first song.

“I don’t want to work! I just want to bang on the drum all day!”

In the space of a couple minutes, I was hooked. Take a break, here, and listen to it; you may find you agree with me (copy and paste): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO17hN-YvBc

With its blatant disrespect for all the “must do’s” in this life, Bang on the Drum All Day was the perfect song for me that night. Familial responsibilities were constant and growing. My job was hard and getting harder. Church and community involvements were significant. All of it was demanding. I often felt like I just couldn’t catch my breath.

There was a lot of great music that night. I especially enjoyed Hodja and Mighty Love, two other upbeat toe-tappers. But, that night, Bang on the Drum became my new anthem. From then on, whenever I felt weighed down by the requirements of my life, I replayed it my head. And that few minutes was often all I needed to get myself back to the grindstone.

This time of year I recall that night and the wonderful lifelong takeaway of Todd Rundgren’s music. And that’s because of the Twelfth Day of Christmas. January 5th is always the date for the last lyric of that famous Christmas tune. Do you remember what the singer’s true love sent on the twelfth day? Yep. Twelve drummers drumming.

For many Christian churches, this Sunday will be the celebration of Epiphany: recognizing when the Magi brought gifts to Jesus. Scholars differ on when that actually took place; some say it was as much as two years after the birth of Jesus. But there’s a long tradition that the Magi came twelve days after Christmas ... January 6th.

This year, the Twelfth Day of Christmas falls on Sunday, January 5th. It’s going to share it with Epiphany. Can you imagine it? Twelve drummers marching down the center aisle drumming away at their drums?

Probably not.

But the excitement such a demonstration would bring: that we need to pour into our Epiphany Sunday. Christmas celebrates the day Jesus came to the people of Israel. Epiphany celebrates when the rest of the world got to join in. I know we can’t “bang on the drum all day” this Sunday, but let’s make sure Heaven knows how deeply we appreciate being included.

Make some noise!

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Link here (or copy and paste) to listen to Hodja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_zUWPXQb3k

Link here (or copy and paste) to hear Mighty Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_j9lN1Bes

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Epiphany of the Lord
January 6, 2020
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=12

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12