Still Can’t Face the Day? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

How do you face the day, these days? 

 

Do you need Gordon Lightfoot’s proverbial second cup of coffee? Or maybe you depend on a battle cry to get your motor running. Conventional wisdom tells us to seize the day: Carpe Diem! 

When I hear that, it conjures those stirring last lines of William Ernest Henley's poem, Invictus: 

 

"I am the master of my fate, 

 I am the captain of my soul."

 

People everywhere urge us to seize the day. They write books about it, make speeches about it, teach classes about it. Some actually do it. Most of us, though, just feel guilty about not doing it. Or not doing it very well. Or not doing it as well as someone else. We’ve all heard the exhortation. It sounds like the right thing to do. And, of course, none of us wants to be accused of wasting a day.

Still, I have to wonder: Is Carpe Diem really the best exhortation for us? Do we even need a battle cry?

 

Our desire, John Ortberg suggests, should not be to seize the day, but rather to welcome whatever the day brings to us. We should have confidence in our God and not feel the need to control it all. He proposes we substitute "Salve” for “Carpe."

 

Salve Diem: Greet the day.

 

It's the perfect term for this week's Matthew selection. In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus explains the kingdom of God is like that tiny seed growing into something so large that it provides an enormous shelter.* 

 

We need to trust in God, the true captain of our souls, to provide what is needed for this day. And, like Solomon in this week’s 1 Kings passage, we should ask for wisdom to handle what comes our way. 

 

The Kingdom of God really is like a mustard seed: Massive growth is inevitable because the mustard seed knows no limits. The mustard seed doesn't "seize the day." 

 

It simply is what God made it. 

 

By being itself, the mustard seed grows to great size. That’s what mustard seeds do. And that is the takeaway for us. We must trust that God can and will use us as we are.    

With faith in God to be in it with us, we can all say “Salve Diem!”

 

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PHOTO: Steve Orr

BONUS MATERIAL 

For you Gordon Lightfoot fans, here’s Chris Roberts’ cover of Gordon’s “Second Cup of Coffee” with all its pathos, regret, and desire for second chances:  

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

 

*Short article explaining about the so-called "mustard tree." http://allfearless.com/2012/09/the-mustard-seed-controversy/

*A reflection on the mustard seed parable: http://dannycoleman.blogspot.com/2012/07/parable-of-mustard-seed.html?m=1

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Join us for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place. We meet Friday morning at 8:00. We have a great time discussing the scriptures, eating some delicious food, and laughing out loud. It's a wonderful way to greet the day.  Salve Diem.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Contact me for the Zoom link

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=152

Print them from here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper12.pdf

Genesis 29:15-38

Psalm 105: 1-11, 45b

Psalm 128

1 Kings 3: 5-12

Psalm 119: 129-136

Romans 8: 26-39

Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52

Proper 12 (17) (July 30, 2023)

 

The Summer of ‘62 (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In the summer of 1962, I encountered a god. 

True, it was a comic-book god, but the encounter was thrilling just the same. That summer, Marvel Comics changed the world when it launched Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor: The God of Thunder.

 

I was a "tween" then; not yet a teenager, but no longer a little child. Junior high and high school still loomed ahead. I was a ripe target for the angst-filled storylines of Spider-Man and his alter-ego, high school science nerd Peter Parker. The Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of the Incredible Hulk, with his anger management challenges, perfectly resonated with a young male starting to explode with not-entirely-welcome testosterone. But the comic book character who truly enthralled me that summer was the mild-mannered, partially disabled physician Don Blake. 

 

While vacationing in Norway, Dr. Blake found a walking stick in a cave. Later, circumstances caused him to strike that stick on a rock—and in a flash Don Blake the human was transformed into Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The "stick" resumed its true form: the mighty Mjolnir, the most powerful hammer in existence. At the moment of Dr. Blake's transformation, my pre-adolescent brain wrestled with something astonishing: There was a "god" inside that human.

 

One thing made me nervous, though. While I thrilled to the adventures of Thor, I was troubled that he was portrayed as a god. As far as I was concerned, there could be only one. By spending my hard-earned pennies on those comics, was I, somehow, worshipping a false god? The workaround I finally granted myself was this: Thor is a fictitious god.

 

This week’s scriptures are filled with God encounters—and something else, too. God was angered by any who worshipped those pretender gods. We find that God repeatedly sent messages to those idol worshippers: Your “gods” have zero validity. If you've read Old Testament scripture, you know that God—the God of the Angel Armies—regarded these so-called "gods" as fictitious creations of humans, no more worthy of worship than a rock or block of wood.

 

In the Isaiah passage, God called them out: 

"I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. There is no other rock; I know not one."

 

With that kind of Biblical clarity, it may come as no surprise that the comic book made me think about the "god" inside the man. It dovetailed perfectly with another matter on my young mind: the incarnation of Jesus. I realized I am much more interested in the true God, the God who is unafraid to declare Himself the one and only, the God who is confident the fake ones will not reply. My God is unafraid to challenge those fake gods. My God entered this existence inside a person—for real. 

God doesn't need a magic hammer to transform to human and back again. He is already both at the same time, and the only real God I encountered in the summer of ‘62.

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PHOTO: Poster from American Graffiti, the movie that launched many, many acting careers. 

Some more about God’s reaction to idol worship: 

https://opc.org/devotional.html?devotion_id=3829&fbclid=IwAR27k2iajDbqd3oQDSbq_XTGM6Se_MozjzyCMzESUmLOFJ03d79YWNmU6wA_aem_AdrjyLKqWbFsNaP8ZvLy0Ejg9rDmBLb6MjPyZeMC2J2xRsRiOcPVkxI2eV5mFj-2hcI

 

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We would love for you to join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place. We gather at 8:00 and have a great hour-ish together. Come for the food and stay for the fellowship. Or just come for the fellowship. 

 

Our time together is transforming.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Contact me for the Zoom link

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=151

 

Print them from here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper11.pdf

 

Genesis 28:10-19a

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

Isaiah 44:6-8

Psalm 86:11-17

Romans 8:12-25

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Proper 11 (16) (July 23, 2023)

Farmers vs Townies? (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

I was a Townie. By all rights, I should know absolutely nothing about farming. I grew up in a good-sized city in the middle of the USA. Our yard was patchy grass and Mimosa trees. No flowers. Certainly not any crops.  

And yet…I know quite a bit about farming.

 

Like many communities in "the middle," my home town rested against a crescent of farmland. It was impossible for us to not know about farming. It was part of our economy, made headlines in the newspaper, and many of our friends and relatives lived and worked on farms. Scouting events were held at the Tobacco Barn.

 

We knew.

 

Much like the followers of Jesus, when we heard the parable of the sower in this week’s Matthew passage, we understood it. We knew about seeds needing good ground to produce the best crop, how weeds and brambles can choke out a section, and how birds and varmints will whisk those seeds away if they are not covered in enough earth.

 

One might wonder why Jesus told so many parables; why not just speak plainly? Why should they (and we) have to "figure out" what is meant by a story? Sure, we could understand the agricultural references—even though we were Townies—but why use that approach at all? Turns out, the Disciples asked first. Jesus explained: Not every listener could receive the direct teaching He had been giving the Disciples. There was no “readiness” in many people’s hearts.

 

Jesus said different things to different people; His message was and still is shaped to the listener. He assessed His listeners before He spoke to them. What do they need to hear? The leaders often need shaking up. The poor and oppressed need to know that God has not forgotten them. The ailing need a kind word and some intervention. And, of course, everyone needs to hear the good news in a way they can understand and appreciate.

Jesus used parables to first create readiness—prepare the soil—and then He planted the seed.

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PHOTO: Steve Orr

BONUS MATERIAL: His first listeners may have understood something that any of us might miss: In the Matthew passage, Jesus was also referencing the prophet Jeremiah: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” (Jeremiah 4:3)

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Join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet at 8:00 on Zoom** and in person at Our Breakfast Place. We share scripture, fellowship—and even some laughs—over good food. 

 

The soil is rich.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Contact me for the Zoom link

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=150

 

Print them from here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper10.pdf

 

Genesis 25:19-34

Psalm 119:105-112

Isaiah 55:10-13

Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13

Romans 8:1-11

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Proper 10 (15) (July 16, 2023)

My Other Life (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Lately, I’ve been tempted to enter one of the many immersive online gaming communities. I think it might be fun to assemble an avatar and dive into the action. It certainly would be a diversion from all the problems of life. 

 

But then I remember: I already have another life. 

 

It is a different time—actually, a different timeline. People dress in clothing that looks a lot like steampunk costumes, great dirigibles ply the skies, and automobiles look much as they did in the early part of the 20th Century. 

 

In my imagined life, I am in service to the Queen of England; a secret knight of the realm, her personal Paladin. My friends are people like Nikola Tesla and Harriet Quimby. I have adventures, drive and fly interesting vehicles, and often "go undercover" to ferret out enemies of the Crown.

 

It's all in fun, a harmless exercise of my imagination. My alternate history lives on a Pinterest board where, by pinning photos, I tell a kind of story about a life in which there's—well, a bit more swash in my buckle.  

 

An important point: We don't always like our real lives. Sometimes, we don't even like ourselves. 

 

We struggle with how to live a good life, often fighting inclinations to do things we know we should not, and sometimes losing that fight. In a pretend life, we are completely in control. So, it's nice to pretend from time to time, to "get away" for a while from the pressures of this life. It can be fun, and even a relief. 

 

But we must not allow ourselves to spend too much time in these retreats. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote in his poem, A Psalm of Life:

 

Life is real! Life is earnest!  

And the grave is not thy goal;  

Dust thou art, to dust returnest, 

Was not spoken of the soul.

 

Each of us does have another life, a different life—the one that continues after this one concludes. Scripture says we get a new body, and adventures so amazing they can't be described in terms we can understand, at least not now. 

 

For now, if we weary of this life, we must follow the teachings in this week's Matthew and Romans passages. Let’s allow the Lord to place us in light harness so we may be guided. And then, let’s trust Him to rescue us when we live a life contrary to what we know is good.

 

I can’t imagine a better way.

 

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PHOTO: The cover of an actual novel from about 100 years ago (or from my other life), Pinterest

 

If interested, you can view my Pinterest Board, "In Another Life," here:

https://pin.it/RqWIHtN

 

(NOTE: my board instructions say “read from the bottom up,” which is correct. It’s just that Pinterest sometimes places other pins below mine. So, scroll down to the photos of Harriet Quimby and the ornate spiral staircase: That’s the bottom of my board. Then, start up. Also: In most of these pins, I have added notes about how I used or interacted with the subject of the pin. You may need to click on some bits to read them.)

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We all join together for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast on Friday morning. It’s been our practice for many years to gather at 8:00 for scripture, food, and fellowship. We meet on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place. You’re welcome to join us.

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Contact me for the Zoom link

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=149

 

Print them from here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper9.pdf

 

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

Psalm 45:10-17 or Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Zechariah 9:9-12

Psalm 145:8-14

Romans 7:15-25a

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Proper 9 (14) (July 9, 2023)

Friending Ashley Judd (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In the early days of social media, my account kept suggesting I become friends with Ashley Judd.  

It popped up with some regularity. The first time it happened, I clicked on the link. The screen quickly displayed a message informing me that Ashley couldn't be friends with me because she already had too many friends. 

Yes, I was that naive.

 

At first, it was quite the mystery why the prompt was there. She was a movie star and I was…well, not. In time, I eventually realized it was because the algorithm thingy recognized we are both from Kentucky. So, of course we might know each other. But I had learned my lesson. From then on, I just ignored it.  

 

It's too bad, really, because I think I could share some stories with Ashley that, being from Kentucky, would resonate with her. I could tell her about Paul and Mike, about Carolyn and Ginny Ann, about Bob and Robin, Bruce and Bonnye; about the great times we all had exploring the Land Between the Lakes, spelunking, picking apples to earn spending money, writing poetry, climbing on the monkey bars, playing on the train tracks, driving through the 19th Hole, playing baseball on a makeshift mowed-out diamond, being in school plays and musicals, canoeing Kentucky Lake, holding hands, and, yes, skipping stones.  

 

Great memories of growing up in West Kentucky. Even the bad parts don't look so bad after half a century. Yes, I think Ashley would recognize some of that—and might welcome a friendship that helps her recall her own growing-up times.

 

I offer these thoughts as extensions of those spoken by Jesus in this week’s Matthew passage: "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

 

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PHOTO: Steve Orr, The Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky

A little friending music (“Thank You For Being A Friend” —The Golden Girls theme):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU4Zeiwvy6g

 _________________________

If you’re in Waco Friday morning, join us at Our Breakfast Place for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We start at 8:00. There’s always great food, great scriptures, and a fine time talking about them. Laughter keeps showing up, too. 

You can always join us on Zoom.**

 

Blessings,

Steve

 

 **Contact me for the Zoom link

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=148

 

Print them from here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper8.pdf

Genesis 22:1-14

Psalm 13

Jeremiah 28:5-9

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Romans 6:12-23

Matthew 10:40-42

Proper 8 (13) July 2, 2023