That bull was moving on!
It happened about the time everyone was headed back from lunch. The bull, lighting out for the territory ahead, was giving it his all as he sprinted down a very busy street. Behind him, lasso and whip at the ready, raced a man in a red pickup truck—followed by four police cars.
It was a sight.
Drivers pulled to the side as that parade headed toward the roundabout. Folks finishing their burgers and fries at Health Camp were entranced. But an even more interesting part of the story was about to come.
That's when two "animal control cowboys" rode up. Their job was to corner the fella and wrangle him into a trailer. They made it look easy. His flirt with freedom at an end, the bull was returned to his owner, only a little worse for the wear. The whole spectacle was a thing of a few minutes, but it gave us all something to talk about for a long time after.
Later, when it was written up in the newspaper, a police sergeant was quoted as saying, “The good thing about living in Texas is that it’s not too long after you call a cowboy that you get one coming to you.”
That brings us to this week's scriptures from Exodus and Psalms, passages that focus on a time when the children of Israel tested God. At this point in the story, they had experienced the wonder and power of God again and again…and again: the plagues on Egypt, the miracle of the Passover; the pillar of cloud and the pillar of flame; the dry crossing at the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptian army; undrinkable water cured; free meat every evening to feast on and manna every morning.
And yet, after all of that, when they grew thirsty, they insulted God by complaining as if they had never witnessed a single miracle. They had seen His power—lived it—but acted as if none of it had ever occurred.
The police in my community called on animal control cowboys when faced with the need to round up an errant bull. They made that call because they knew those cowboys were available and ready to accept the challenge. There was every confidence that a cowboy would soon be coming to do what needed to be done.
That's because we live in "cowboy country."
We know they exist, that they’re capable, and that we can depend on them. We’ve seen their abilities and have no concern about them handling such things. Our experience with cowboys has led to our faith in them to address our cowboy needs.
The Israelites lived in "God Country." They had been living there for some time. Yet, when the need arose, they couldn't trust God for their need. We can extend a little grace to these folks. After all, they had recently come out of generations of enslavement. Trust can be a very difficult thing under such circumstances.
Our circumstance is different…or is it? Some of us have trust issues, even with God. Maybe especially with God.
If you have seen the power of God in your life, consider imitating our local bull chasers. Trust that when you need God's help, God already knows and has an answer on the way.
You have a cowboy coming to you.
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PHOTO (Waco Police Department and a story about that bull-on-the-run):
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There is no Lectionary Breakfast this week. We’re all off somewhere on Spring Break. See you next week!
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=26
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_ThirdSundayinLent.pdf
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Third Sunday in Lent (March 12, 2023)
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