My Thin Place (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Unexpected. That's the word. Everything about that morning was unexpected.

First, it was cool. That summer had been one of the hottest in recent memory; days on end of triple digit highs. So, by "cool" I mean it was a pleasant morning to take a stroll in a short-sleeved shirt. Also, I was early. Unexpected. Because of the timing for the commuter rail, I often needed to hurry from the station to my office. But not that morning. The sun had yet to crest the buildings, the tall sides of the downtown canyon. The morning was still dawning.

I was completely caught off guard by the birds.

Rounding a corner, i suddenly found myself serenaded. So, so unexpected. On my right was a small pocket park, and its trees were packed full of singing birds. Even though there was no melody, the collected sound of their birdsong was surprisingly harmonious. I stopped and just let it wash over me. For several long minutes, I was completely wrapped in those blended voices.

Many people, when asked to identify a place where they feel closer to God, will describe things like high mountains, majestic waterfalls, a peaceful stretch of ocean, or a moment of absolute silence in an ancient meeting place. But, these "thin places" are individual. Sure, people often erect edifices to mark those places. Jacob did that, twice; once, on the west side of the Jordan River where he had a vision of a stairway to heaven, and again, two decades later on the east side where he wrestled with an angel as he was returning to the land promised him by God. Jacob did not expect either of those encounters; they were arranged by God, on God's timetable.

Not many modern people claim to have encountered God, at least not like Jacob did; up close and personal. In modern times, we tend to describe it as "feeling closer" to God, or, as one friend suggested, "not as far from God as I usually am." However you want to describe it, that unexpected birdsong serenade was my thin place. I felt that God was there, in that moment, sharing a portion of His creation with me. I was moved to do something I rarely do; I wrote a poem.

Sun still coming;
Short-sleeve cool;
Birdsong peals;
Buildings ring.

I know there are many people who make sometimes long, arduous journey's so they can visit some "thinny," places where others have claimed an encounter with God. And I mean no disrespect for their choices when I state that, for me, I think there is great value in waiting for God to make the arrangements, for Him to chose the place of encounter . . . and the nature of the experience.

There is no stone to mark that spot of urban birdsong. Only the poem, and my memory of the experience, remain. It was transient, an unexpected moment in an unexpected place.

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I hope you can join us at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant Friday morning. We're in at 8:00 and out at 9:00. And, for that hour, we have our own little thin place in the "Egg and I" meeting room. We spend time in God's word and draw closer to Him.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

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http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 13 (18) (August 3, 2014)

Genesis 32:22-31
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Isaiah 55:1-5
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21

Not Exactly A Role Model (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

There are many who would question any attempt to hold up my mother as a role model. And I must confess, for many years I could have been found standing among them.

She was not the kind of woman the stay-at-home moms would have invited over for coffee . . . had she been at home to be invited. Mama worked, full time, at the phone company; back when AT&T was something of a monopoly. In the early years her hours were erratic; she started as an Operator and had to work when scheduled. So, she wasn't always available when I thought we needed her. In those days, when she was at work, my slightly younger sister and I were cared for either by relatives or by hired help. Once I reached Junior High School, we became latchkey kids, with me being responsible for my sister.

In the pseudo-wisdom of my youth, like many people, I found my parents lacking. I often compared them, unfavorably, to other adults for what I considered deficiencies in their parenting, our home, our possessions, their work, etc., etc. It seemed to me that my parents had missed the boat on several fronts.

At one point in my life I had a very long laundry list of complaints, mostly charged to my mother, that started with my room (no heat, no air-conditioning) and ran on to include my lack of a wardrobe (mostly hand-me-downs), paltry allowances, not being driven to school (which was across town), unfair treatment, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Then life happened.

As absolutely none of you will be surprised to learn, my view of my parents changed significantly when I became a parent. And it has continued to change over the years. Oh, my mother still had her problems. I'm not looking back through rose-colored glasses, forgetting the problems. No. What HAS happened is that I have begun to value things which I either had previously discounted, down to zero in some cases, or which I had failed to perceive at all.

My mother was not the ideal woman. But, seriously, who is? The worthy woman described in Proverbs 31 has many commendable qualities. She keeps her home in good shape. She conducts business profitably. She truly is a worthy woman.

And she is an ideal.

I see some of my mother in that passage. And I see some things there that would never have applied to her. Mama could be petty, and could hold a grudge like nobody's business. She also was an unflagging champion of the underdog, rescued people others had given up on, and was steadfast to those she befriended. I could keep delivering these, seeming, incompatible contrasts for several pages.

In short, she was a human being, with all the flaws and foibles attendant to that. But, she is also the one who taught me to regard all people equally, regardless of race, gender, etc. She is the one who modeled for me how to make and keep commitments, how to provide for family both monetarily and by keeping a clean, safe place for us to live; taught me to love reading, taught me how to drive a car, inculcated me with many of the philosophies that form the ribs of my life.

So, yes, Mama was no angel; she possessed many negative qualities that branded her as certifiably human. And, no, Mama was not exactly a role model.

She was just like all of us; not wholly ideal. But there were some truly fine parts. And that is the little secret of this week's Proverbs passage.

It is sometimes referred to as "The Worthy Woman." But if you read it with the right eyes, you'll realize it could just as easily be called "The Worthy Human." Think about it. Is there anyone, any person, regardless of gender, who wouldn't like to have such wonderful things said of them?

The key to understanding the passage is in the opening phrase: "Who can find a worthy...?" If one must search, then it can't be the standard; can't be the everyday baseline for acceptable behavior in this life. Who could fully live up to that?

"Not exactly a role model" could describe any of us. In that light, the Proverbs 31 passage constitutes a worthy goal for us all.


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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt
Proper 20 (25) (September 23, 2012)

Proverbs 31:10-31
Psalm 1
Jeremiah 11:18-20
Psalm 54
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37

Who can find a worthy human? If you are one of those who, like me, believes the search for ideals is a good use of your time, then join us Friday morning at Cafe Cappuccino (downtown Waco on 6th, near the Courthouse) at 8:00.

The food is good and the company is better.

Enjoy the week!
Steve