Sassenachs and Outlanders (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Exiled to a place from which she may never return.

That's what happens to Claire Randall, a WWII battlefield nurse. After she returns home from the war, having experienced all those horrors, she has an even more harrowing experience: she falls through time. That's the premise of Diana Gabaldon's runaway bestseller, Outlander. Claire is marooned in the highlands of 18th century Scotland, a place from which she may never return. That, alone, would be disturbing. Then, due to her British accent, she is immediately dubbed a sassenach, a term used by Highlanders to label outlanders, anyone who is from "away."

In other words, she's not one of them and they remind her of it every single day.

Are you an outlander? Do you ever feel like you've been exiled from all that brings you comfort? Do you sometimes find yourself surrounded by folks who seem to all know each other, to have established relationships ... to be a tribe, almost; but not one to which you can belong?

That's such an uncomfortable environment, so filled with rejection it becomes almost unbearable. All of us have had this kind experience, to some degree. At school or on the playground, at work, in the neighborhood, in our towns ... even at church. We don't seem to know the lingo, and, even if we want to assimilate, no one seems interested in helping us. We feel different, and truly, we are different; every aspect of our daily interactions and environment underscoring just how different we are.

What are we supposed to do? Just keep a stiff upper lip? Remain calm and carry on? Complain about it?

Claire Randall doesn't know if she will ever return to the modern world. Her long-game is to do just that; but until that's possible, she works at finding a way to fit in. As a way to be useful, Claire brings to bear her intelligence and her nursing experience (a "healer" in the parlance of that time). She doesn't ever truly fit in, but she finds ways to actively benefit those who surround her.

In this week's Lectionary, we find God has sent the Israelites into exile. They had been conquered and dragged off to Babylon, a people not their own. They were outlanders in every sense; language, culture, societal position. They desperately needed some help ... and God sent help, in the form of a message through the prophet Jeremiah. Partly, it was to make sure they knew that the exile would not be permanent, that a day would eventually arrive on which Israelites living in Babylon would "return" to the country God had given their ancestors.

But perhaps more importantly, it was about letting them know how to act while their exile remained in place. What a treasure! At last they knew what God expected of them while they were being outlanders, true strangers in a strange land.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NRSV)

And there's the guidance for us, as well. When circumstance (or other people) make us sassenachs and outlanders, we must not let that immobilize us. We are to continue our lives as best we can, to keep on living, to grow and flourish.

And just as importantly, we must seek the best for those among whom we are the sassenachs, the outlanders. Even going so far as to pray to God for their well-being.

Their welfare is our welfare. That is loving your neighbor as yourself.
_________________________

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 23 (28) (October 9, 2016)
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

First reading and Psalm
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Psalm 66:1-12
Alternate First reading and Psalm
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm 111
Second reading
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Gospel
Luke 17:11-19
_________________________

This Friday morning would be a great time for you to join us at Lectionary Breakfast. We start at 8:00, sharing our mealtime at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. We continue with scripture, discussion, and some of the best fellowship anywhere. We're supposed to leave at 9:00, and some do, but some stay longer.

It's that good.

Blessings,
Steve

Digging A Ditch (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

When I was in high school, we went through a period where my parents, as many parents before and since, decided we needed to learn the value of money. As part of that process they gave each of us a fixed amount of money each week that we had to manage. We received no other money. And, for a while, that worked pretty well; it covered our lunch money for the week with a small amount left over. I walked to and from school, I hadn’t really started dating at that point, and I was using the public library to supply the lion’s share of my book addiction; I even accumulated a little money.

That is, until they raised the price of the school lunch. Suddenly, our allowance was only enough to pay for your lunches. My father’s solution? No raise. We could take our lunch if we wanted to have some extra money for other things. My parents locked horns over this, and the battle raged for some weeks.

In the meantime, we kids had to just make do. It was in the midst of this situation that I heard Principal Mutchler announce over the school intercom that there was a need for a boy who was interested in earning some money by doing some manual labor on Saturday. As soon as I could, I hurried to the Principal’s office to let them know I wanted that job. I was motivated by my need for money; I really didn’t much care what I had to do. As it turned out, the job was digging a ditch across a private road.

Those who have dug ditches will agree, I believe, that it is not usually a complicated enterprise; you move earth from one place to another. There is another fairly universal truth about ditch digging: unless you have access to some pretty sophisticated equipment, it's hard work!

Let me spare you the hour-by-hour description of my first time to dig a ditch. It was not a great experience; not for me, not for my employer, and not for the ditch. But, at the end of the day (literally … the END of the day), there was a ditch where one had not previously existed. And I got paid.

Uncomplicated, but taxing; simple to understand, but a real challenge to accomplish. Our spiritual walk is much the same. Don’t be fooled by those who tell you different; it is NOT complicated.

“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.” (‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭MSG‬‬, http://bible.com/97/1ti.2.1-3.msg)

Again, not complicated.

Yes, it can be VERY challenging. Praying for people we disagree with, people who we don't trust, people we don't like ... people we didn't vote for. That's hard to do.

It helps from time to time to stop and recognize that all we are asked to do are simple things ---hear; believe; repent; confess; walk; stand ...

And pray.

(A version of this appeared in fall of 2010)
_________________________

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 20 (25) (September 18, 2016)
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Psalm 79:1-9
Amos 8:4-7
Psalm 113
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 16:1-13
_________________________

Lectionary Breakfast is both a place and an activity. We gather Friday morning at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant (Franklin and New Road). While there, we eat, visit, read scripture, challenge each other, laugh, and just enjoy each other.

Join us if you can. We would love to share in all this with you.

Blessings,
Steve

The Kessel Run (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

You might be surprised to learn that real scientists can be upset by what is said by fictional characters.

Oh yes, it's true. In fact, they can get in quite a tizzy about the most arcane things. They get into heated debates about the accuracy, and more specifically, the likelihood, of such things.

Case in point: in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (the first movie), Han Solo boasts that his spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, is more than fast enough to meet the needs of Luke and Obi-Wan, claiming, "It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

Astronomers everywhere blanched.

A Parsec, it turns out, is a measurement of distance, not time. One Parsec is roughly 3.26 Light Years or 19 trillion miles (that's close enough for our purposes).

So, if Han wasn't bragging about the speed of his ship, what did he mean?

Well, the Internet is FULL of answers.

Many serious scientists have weighed in on this, and their answers run the gamut. A sample: one theory suggests that Han took a short-cut through a dangerous region of space to reduce the distance, went where a more risk-averse pilot would not. Another scientist talked of wormholes (or hyperspace). One even wrote a very learned paper on why it HAD TO BE time-travel.

The situation is somewhat akin to what happens when we read the statements of Jesus, especially when he tells a parable. We often get caught up in the details of the parable, completely missing the reason why Jesus told it.

In the case of Han Solo, it is unlikely there will ever be an answer that is acceptable to everyone. However, George Lucas is on record (there's a note in the script) that Han was "obviously lying." The reactions to Han's claim, especially that of Luke Skywalker, strongly support Lucas' answer.

And who knows better than the author?

In this week's Lectionary passages, we have "the parable of the unjust judge" told by Jesus to his disciples:

"Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8 NET)

The debates about the various particulars associated with this parable are, seemingly, infinite. How much of a role model is that judge for us? Are "we" the widow in the story? Who is her adversary, in "real life?" And what is Jesus trying to tell US with that last statement about faith? On and on.

All of it, in my opinion, missing the point.

If you read it and come away with any conclusion other than we "should always pray and not lose heart," then you have drifted from the purpose of the parable. It's right there in the very first line of the passage.

And who knows better than the author?

###############################
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 24 (29) (October 20, 2013)

Jeremiah 31:27-34
Psalm 119:97-104
Genesis 32:22-31
Psalm 121
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Luke 18:1-8

We're continuing to meet for Lectionary Breakfast every Friday morning at the Waco "EGG AND I" restaurant. Join us at 8:00 for some excellent earth-based foods and some celestial discussions.

Astrophysicist are welcome, but must limit themselves to language we can all understand ;-)

Enjoy the week!
Steve