King David and the Midnight Library (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In Matt Haig’s novel, The Midnight Library, thirty-something Nora is having a bad life. 

In her estimation, she’s failing at it. She regrets so many of her life choices, maybe even most of them. She is so filled with regrets, she decides to end it. 

That’s when things get weird.

Nora is surprised to awaken in a vast library, and even more surprised to find it staffed by Mrs. Elm, the school Librarian of her early teens. It gets weirder. Mrs. Elm offers her the chance to live different lives; those lives she would have lived if she no longer had those regrets. 

Wow, that’s tempting. 

Can you imagine it? What would life be like if you had never done that thing you did? Not said that thing you said? Would your life be better? 

I’m pretty sure King David was thinking something along those lines in this week’s selection from 2nd Samuel. Quick review of last week: David gets Bathsheba pregnant, has her husband killed, and then marries her … all to cover up that he had sex with a married woman. 

This week, thinking he has gotten away with it, David is stunned when the Prophet Nathan makes it clear that God knows all about it … and is not happy with David’s choices. So, yeah, I’m thinking David suddenly had some huge regrets. 

The problem, of course, is that in real life, we don’t get “do overs.” David could no more go back and eliminate his bad actions than any of us can. 

We have to live with them.

And suffer the consequences. 

There is one thing, though. We can ask for forgiveness. No, that doesn’t mean we get to skip over the consequences of our actions. Good or bad, we are going to reap what we sow. But, we can seek God’s forgiveness for our regretful actions. 

That’s what David is doing in Psalm 51 when he asks God to teach him wisdom in his “secret heart” and create in him “a clean heart.” It’s a great confessional poem, and I can testify to its power to help. 

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PHOTO CREDIT: 

https://smile.amazon.com/Midnight-Library-Novel-Matt-Haig/dp/0525559477/ref=monarch_sidesheet

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Once again, we meet DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I). Join us there (or on Zoom) Friday morning at 8:00. We have a great time visiting, reading scripture, discussing, and 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 THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=213

2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a

Psalm 51:1-12

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Psalm 78:23-29

Ephesians 4:1-16

John 6:24-35

Proper 13 (18) (August 1, 2021)

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The Dream Cabin (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In my dream, I was restoring an old cabin on the rocky coast of Maine. The cabin was small, just one room, and it was not in good shape. It was single wall construction, and, standing in the center of the room, I could see daylight sparking through in a few places. I had started nailing cladding on the inside so I could add some insulation between it and the outside wall. I planned to use a certain kind of natural wool as an insulator. 

It was chilly, but I was not surprised; I was cold most of the time we lived in New England, including some summer evenings. I sensed a need to hurry and, at least, get some of the insulating done. Night was coming and I expected the chill to deepen. So, I started in the corner nearest the ocean, hoping to block the most direct sea breeze before nightfall. Luckily, in my dream I had brought lots of supplies and tools. I went out to my truck (yes, my truck: it was a dream, after all) to haul in what I needed to do the job. 

I was so pleased with how it was going. I had planned well. I had the right tools to measure twice and cut once (as opposed to measure once, cuss twice). Once I got three or four board lengths nailed onto the studs, I paused to stuff in the wool. It was so beautiful and soft. I remember thinking I hoped there was some left over. What a nice mattress or pillow stuffing it would make! When I realized the light had almost faded, I stopped to survey my work. I had managed to get cladding affixed to the two walls about seven feet in each direction and two and a half feet high. They met in the corner, perfectly. The wool was pressed down as tightly as I could make it, and, at least in that corner, I could feel no chill sea breeze. 

I set up for the night in that corner, spreading my sleeping bag and mat along one wall, tucking my tools and other essentials along the other. I felt a great sense of satisfaction, as well as the calm that comes with knowing I had done all I could do that day, and I had done it well. I not only made a plan; I made the right plan. I hadn’t tried to do more than I could do with those circumstances and in the time available. I climbed into my sleeping bag, turned off the Coleman lantern, and closed my eyes, confident I was ready for the coming day,

I can’t exactly explain why I think my dream relates to this week’s selection from Psalm 145. I just know that it does. There’s something in that profound sense of, not just accomplishment, but of satisfaction at knowing I had done well, that my work was good. And, yes, my wood shop teacher would certainly have approved of my work. But, it went beyond the feeling that someone else would have approved of my work in that cabin. 

I knew. In myself I knew it was good. That kind of assurance has not been common in my life. And the peace that accompanied it seemed, to my dreaming self, to be integral to it, part and parcel with the whole. My work was complete and my rest had been earned. 

Somehow, all of it made me feel closer to God. And that is always a good thing.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Orr (Atlantic coast near Wells, Maine) 

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In-Person Lectionary Breakfast THIS Friday! I hope to see you there. Zoom is also available for those who cannot attend in person. We start at 8:00, and we spend the hour reading scripture, discussing, laughing, and chowing down ... not necessarily in that order. 

So, join us on Zoom OR join us in person at the former Waco “Egg and I restaurant (now called “Our Breakfast Place”). We’ll be in the function room (down the side, near the back).

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.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=212

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Psalm 14

2 Kings 4:42-44

Psalm 145:10-18

Ephesians 3:14-21

John 6:1-21

Proper 12 (17) (July 25, 2021)

When You Can’t Crawl (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

His last request: Please take my body home. 

In the all-too-brief television miracle that was Firefly, there was a lot of excellence crammed into just 14 episodes. All fans have their favorites. So, in a sense, every episode was the best episode. One particular episode, though, appears on every short-list: “The Message.”

In it, the crew of the spaceship Serenity are asked to transport a dead man home to his family and his final resting place. They had served with him in the war; and in their memories, he was still Private Tracey. The request comes as a message he recorded in preparation for his death. They agree once they hear Tracey repeat a saying they know from their military past: “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.”

In a similar vein, when The Hollies released their hit song “He Ain’t Heavy” in 1969, it was immediately appropriated by Vietnam veterans. It perfectly reflected their wartime experiences of carrying an injured buddy to a place where someone could help. But, the real story behind the lyrics (“He ain’t heavy. He’s my brother.”) goes back to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town and an abandoned little boy who had polio.**

I couldn’t help thinking of “He Ain’t Heavy” and that Firefly episode, especially that saying, when I read this week’s scripture from Mark. Jesus and team used a boat to try to get away (“to a deserted place”) for a little down-time. But, as they brought their boat to shore, the crowds found them, anyway. 

As we know from previous Bible stories, many ill people were carried into the presence of Jesus. Their needs were so great, they begged permission to just touch “even the fringe of His cloak.” Apparently, they had all heard about the woman who was healed by touching the hem of His garment. 

Was it true? Or was this just so much talk? Was that all that was needed to be healed, just to touch his garment? Did you have to sit through a sermon, first? Did He have to grab your head and shout? Was there a 12-step program to complete in advance? Was there a pre-interview? Perhaps a statement of faith to declare? 

No. 

Scripture tells us: "All who touched it were healed." They just needed to do as Private Tracey said, “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.” 

When it’s Jesus you’re going to see, you just need to get there ... any way you can. 

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PHOTO (Medics carrying wounded soldier in Vietnam 1967): 

https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/medical-evacuation

** Info about the Boys Town statue: https://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/story-behind-aint-heavy.aspx

Listen to The Hollies sing “He Ain’t Heavy” (Then, scroll down to the Hillsborough Charity performance. Stunning): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBI9i3HlFVE

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SAVE THE DATE! We resume in-person Lectionary Breakfast on Friday, July 23rd at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I), located at the corner of Franklin and New Road in Waco. 

Join us Friday morning for an hour like no other. DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets at 8:00 on Zoom. We read, we pray, we laugh, and we discuss ... all while enjoying your breakfast beverage of choice.

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.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=211

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

Psalm 89:20-37

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 23

Ephesians 2:11-22

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 

Proper 11 (16) (July 18, 2021)

The End of the World … As We Know It (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” —R.E.M.

Henry Palace always wanted to be a police detective ... to see justice done. That’s what we find him trying to do in Ben Winter’s novel, The Last Policeman. Only, now, a lot of people, including many of his peers, are puzzled by his dedication. Everyone has recently learned that a huge meteor is on its way to destroy all life on the planet. They don’t quite see the point of pursuing law enforcement when, six months along, there may well be nothing left. 

Most think Detective Henry Palace should just cool it. 

That’s exactly the attitude facing two people in a couple of this week’s scriptures: John the Baptist and Amos the Non-Prophet.

John’s message to King Herod that he had broken God’s Law by marrying his brother’s wife was roundly rejected. Herod threw him in prison for just telling the truth. Perhaps if he had stopped sooner, he might have kept his head. But, John couldn’t stop. He had been sent to call Israel to repentance … and that included the King. 

Local leaders wanted Amos to know that he —and all his talk of justice for the poor— was no longer welcome in the northern kingdom of Israel. They begged him to go back to the south, to Judah, to peddle his prophesying there. 

But, they missed something important. 

Detective Palace continued to insist he was a policeman and pressed on in the pursuit of justice. Amos, on the other hand, balked. He rejected the title of prophet, declaring, "I am no prophet!” 

Why would God’s prophet reject the title of prophet? In that time, being called a prophet was an insult. It implied you were just spouting whatever message would earn you some money … telling people whatever they wanted to hear just to get a payday. The title of prophet had fallen into such disrepute that Amos, God’s actual prophet, could not abide being called prophet. 

Still, despite his reservations about being called a prophet, Amos responded to God’s call. He went where he was sent and said what he was told to say. It wasn’t a popular message: death-and-destruction was on its way. 

Like Detective Henry Palace, Amos pursued justice in the looming shadow of destruction. All he asked: that people do right by one another despite what was to come. It was the end of the world as they knew it. But it was no excuse for continued injustice. 

Amos and John the Baptist persisted in their missions despite the resistance of those to whom they were sent. On one side, people doing what God sent them to do. On the other, people who should have listened to and welcomed them. Yes, there were circumstances. But, aren’t there always circumstances? 

Perhaps it did seem like the end of their world. But wouldn’t that be an ideal time to do what God calls us to do?

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PHOTO CREDIT and a nifty little story (with a twist!) about the end of the world & the Mayan calendar: 

https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/variety/2020/06/15/The-world-will-end-on-Sunday-according-to-reading-of-Mayan-calendar

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Big news! We will begin meeting DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast in person on Friday, July 23rd! More details as we get closer. In the meantime, join us this Friday morning on Zoom for another hour of great scripture discussion. We start at 8:00, and we leave plenty of room for laughter. 

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 THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=210

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

Psalm 24

Amos 7:7-15

Psalm 85:8-13

Ephesians 1:3-14

Mark 6:14-29

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost 

Proper 10 (15) (July 11, 2021)

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Unbreakable (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

“Do you know what the scariest thing is?”

This is the key question raised in the movie, Unbreakable. It’s asked by Elijah Price, one of the two main characters. 

Unbreakable is the first film in a trilogy (followed by Split and then Glass) by M. Night Shyamalan, the creative person who brought us The Sixth Sense. It’s the story of two extraordinary men. The first is David Dunn, a man who is forced to accept that he is invulnerable after he is the only survivor of a horrific accident (or, was it an accident?). It’s also the story of Elijah Price. More about him in a minute. 

Elijah Price, for his part, supplies an answer —at least his answer— to his question: “To not know your place in this world, to not know why you're here.”

You see, Elijah Price was born with bones that break very easily. Because he was so breakable, other children dubbed him “Mr. Glass.” His affliction fills him with fear, but not the fear you might assume. He fears that all the pain, all the surgeries and hospital stays, all the casts, and all the metal pins in his bones, may all be for nothing. He fears he may be afflicted this way … for no reason whatsoever. 

To Elijah Price, that is the scariest thing. 

In this week’s scriptures, we read of four people who also experienced pain and fear. First, there’s King David. Despite many fearful life experiences, David persevered because he had a close relationship with God. He knew his place in this world. Also, there’s the Prophet Ezekiel. He was surrounded by people God compared to briars, thorns, and scorpions. He persevered because he was chosen by God to bring God’s word to them. He knew his place in this world. 

Then, in the New Testament, there’s the Apostle Paul, afflicted with his “thorn in the flesh.” He knew it’s purpose was to show the extension of God’s grace to a flawed vessel. He knew his place in this world. And, finally, we see Jesus on a visit to his hometown, having a shocking encounter with the life He might have had. Because he can’t do, there, the kinds of amazing miracles he had done everywhere else, He must carry the good news elsewhere ... to people more receptive to His message. He knew his place in this world. 

Elijah Price, in seeking his place in this world, shapes his life around a vision of who he might be. It is a vision he formed in isolation … and it is very dark. On the other hand, each person in this week’s scriptures was open to God’s leading and instruction concerning who and what he was. Yes, it’s true they also experienced fear and pain in their lives; but not a fear of what purpose they served. Each, because of his relationship with God, knew his place in this world.

The scariest thing is not the conclusion reached by Elijah Price; though it could be if, like him, you pursued the answer in isolation.

The scariest thing is to live your life without God in it. Your place is with Him; and when you choose it, no one can separate you from His love. It is unbreakable. 

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PHOTO CREDIT: “Thorns” by Steve Orr

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We continue to meet DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast every Friday morning at 8:00. Join us on Zoom for an hour of food, fellowship, and scripture. 

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 THE COMING WEEK 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=209

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Psalm 48

Ezekiel 2:1-5

Psalm 123

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Mark 6:1-13

Proper 9 (14) (July 4, 2021)