The Gift of Pain (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

[A version of this appeared in 2010.]

You may have never heard of Hansen's Disease; or it may be you can't quite recall what it was you once knew about it (or maybe you're thinking, "Wasn't that on an episode of the X-Files?"). And, if you don't know about Hansen's Disease, it's likely you've never heard of Dr. Paul Brand, the Leonardo da Vinci of the Hansen's Disease universe. *

Perhaps you know Hansen's by its other name: leprosy.

That's what this week's lectionary passage in 2 Kings Chapter 5 says afflicted Naaman, an Aramean who commanded the King's army. [There's this big controversy over whether what the Bible calls "leprosy" is always the same as Hansen's, and I certainly don't know; but the recent discovery of a 4,000-year old skeleton has established that Hansen's was present in the area at the time.] Whatever Naaman had, it was serious. The King of Aram sent 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold with Naaman to Israel in hopes it would purchase a cure for the his condition . . . that's over $3 million US dollars!!

If Naaman did have Hansen's, then his likely symptoms included white, scaly skin (and that seems to be the obvious symptom described in the passage); and one other very notable symptom: lack of protective sensation. In other words, a significantly diminished sensitivity to pain. Hansen's is a progressive disease; if not treated, every symptom worsens over time. While at first glance an insensitivity to pain might look like a good thing, especially for a warrior, there is a real downside.

What? Wouldn't the absence of pain be a blessing, especially for those suffering from such a terrible disease? It was Dr. Brand who first raised the thought that the observable symptoms of the disease---skin lesions, blindness, crippled limbs, disfigured faces---might be a result of the nerve damage caused by the disease rather than a direct result of the disease. He quickly began documenting lack of pain along with the other symptoms. Over time he drew the attention of the wider medical community to an inescapable conclusion: the lack of pain in these people's lives was causing them harm.

People with Hansen's didn't notice when a rock or limb scratched them, and so made no attempt to protect themselves from infection; simple abrasions led to serious problems; a twisted ankle went unnoticed, was never immobilized, and dislocation became permanent; a serious domino effect leading to loss of limbs, facial features, vision.

After first throwing a fit because the Prophet Elisha failed to make a big enough deal over him, Naaman was eventually convinced by those who cared about him to comply with the Prophet's simple instructions. So, after bathing seven times in the Jordan as instructed, Naaman was cured of his leprosy; his skin fully restored.

And, along with his skin, he may also have regained his pain; that quality of life we often wish was not present, but which is really a gift from a loving God; a gift that protects us in a world filled with hidden dangers, injuries that could deepen and cause us great harm if not for the signpost of pain to draw our attention to address them early. It is a gift to the spirit as well as the body.

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 9 (14) (July 3, 2016)
First reading and Psalm
2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 30
Alternate First reading and Psalm
Isaiah 66:10-14
Psalm 66:1-9
Second reading
Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16
Gospel
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
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If you're in Waco, Texas on Friday, join the group for Lectionary Breakfast (and more of the above) at the "Egg and I" restaurant (8:00 a.m. Intersection of Franklin and New Road).

Blessings,
Steve
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* Dr. Brand wrote several books, three of which were written with Philip Yancey, including PAIN: THE GIFT NOBODY WANTS. In addition, Dr. Brand is also one of the featured subjects of Yancey's book, SOUL SURVIVOR.

Lawless (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

"A gripping and sinister tale."

That's the reviewer's comment on the cover of the very first Rebus novel, Knots & Crosses. And it's true. Already, as the story opens, two young girls have been abducted and murdered, and a third is missing. Detective Sergeant John Rebus of the Edinburgh Police is one of many hunting the killer. But only he has begun to receive bizarre messages --- knotted string and matchstick crosses --- taunting him to try to solve the puzzle before it's too late.

For those who love crime novels, hard boiled detectives, and other noir fiction, Ian Rankin's Rebus is absolutely magnetic. Like his noir brothers and sisters, he has a superficial toughness masking a somewhat broken interior. Like them, as well, he tends to work outside the established protocols to accomplish his objectives. Make no mistake, Rebus does not brook lawlessness; he's a copper, after all. He just may bend a rule here and there to ensure justice.

But, at least for some of us, there is a big difference between Rebus and most other noir anti-heroes.

John Rebus is a believer.

Oh, he's rejected his Presbyterian roots; and though he's tried several churches, he just cannot find one that really works for him. Nevertheless, Rebus believes in God and continues to seek Him in his own, broken way. Still, his beliefs form the core of his moral code and that's what drives him to pursue the lawless.

I can't help but wonder if John Rebus, like most of us, would benefit from a better understanding of this week's Lectionary selection from Galatians 5. No doubt he would recognize the list of problem behaviors seen in verses 19-21 as root causes for much of the lawlessness infecting his beloved Edinburgh: “The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual immorality, impurity and wild living, worshiping false gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, having envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not be in God’s kingdom.” (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:19-21‬ ‭ICB, ‬‬http://bible.com/1359/gal.5.19-21.icb)

But I wonder if Rebus would recognize that it is his desire for the qualities in verses 22-23 that drive him in his pursuit of the criminals: “But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬a ‭ICB, ‬‬http://bible.com/1359/gal.5.22-23.icb) *

All of us could do well to focus our time and energy on that second list. The more we can rest in the Spirit, the more we can have those "fruit" in our lives. All of these are outside the Law; that is, the Law of Moses. And while to relax and enjoy them may have the uncomfortable feel of lawlessness, none of us would have to worry that Detective Rebus, or any like him, would be coming for us. Because, as has been made plain in Galatians:

"Against such things there is no law.” ‭
(‭Galatians‬ ‭5:23‬b ‭NIV‬‬, http://bible.com/111/gal.5.23.niv.")
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Proper 8 (13) (June 26, 2016)
First reading and Psalm
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Alternate First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
Psalm 16
Second reading
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Gospel
Luke 9:51-62
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I hope you can join us Friday morning for Lectionary Breakfast. We still meet at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant at 8:00 for an hour that surprises and enriches. It's "lawlessness" in the very best sense of the word! :-)

Enjoy!
Steve
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** An alternative reading of the "Fruits of the Spirit"

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.” (Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬ ‭MSG‬‬, http://bible.com/97/gal.5.22-23.msg)

Elijah and the Ya Ya Sisterhood (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Vivi had a secret.

In the novel (and movie), Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, we meet a group of older women who have been friends since early childhood. Even now, they still care deeply for each other, despite their flaws.

A war has erupted between one of the Ya Ya's, Vivi, and her adult daughter, Sidda. Like many family conflicts, this one is part truth and part misunderstanding. Hoping to reconcile the two, the Ya Ya's kidnap Sidda from her life in New York City and spirit her away to Louisiana.

In the course of trying to help her understand just why her mother is so difficult a person, they finally realize they must reveal to Sidda her mother's deepest, darkest secret.

Vivi dropped her basket.

If you know the story, then you already realize this is the phrase Vivi came up with to describe a time when she had a mental and emotional breakdown as a young mother, brutally beat her children, and then was hospitalized for her subsequent attempted suicide.

You'll have to read the book or rent the movie to get the rest of it. As for us, this is what we need to know: Vivi dropped her basket. Life can be tough. Some of us fare better than others. Some of us are, for reasons known and unknown, stronger than others when it comes to our mental and emotional health. And, even when we appear strong to those around us, we can be coming apart on the inside.

About the time I discovered Elijah in my Bible reading, I also discovered the Twila Paris song, The Warrior is a Child. It was a perfect paring. In the song, Paris sings, "People say that I'm amazing, strong beyond my years. But they don't see inside of me, I'm hiding all the tears ... I drop my sword and cry for just a while, 'cause deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child."

Elijah, on the other hand, is this almost superhuman prophet of the Old Testament. He performs amazing feats in the name of the Lord. People are in awe of his power and authority. To his peers, he seems the ideal warrior for the Lord. And yet.

Elijah dropped his basket.

That's the story we find in this week's Lectionary passage from 1 Kings. This great warrior for God, on the heels of a mighty victory ... just loses it. In fear, he runs out into the wilderness; so depressed, he begs God to take his life. When you read this passage, don't stop when the Lectionary breaks: keep going through the end of Elijah's story. See what God does with Elijah's depression.

Keep that in mind as we face the struggles that affect us in this life. No matter how strong we've been, no matter how amazing our most recent Mountaintop experience, no matter the number of victories we've achieved, any of us can drop our basket.

The takeaway this week is tied to a passage in the New Testament book of James where we're told, "Elijah was a man just like us." And like Elijah, we can depend on God to be in it with us, to hear what we have to say, and, if we can receive it, to redirect us on our journey.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 7 (12) (June 19, 2016)
First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a
Psalm 42 and 43
Alternate First reading and Psalm
Isaiah 65:1-9
Psalm 22:19-28
Second reading
Galatians 3:23-29
Gospel
Luke 8:26-39

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We meet each Friday morning for Lectionary Breakfast. We're still sojourning at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant from 8:00 to 9:00-ish for an extraordinary hour of relaxed fellowship, Bible reading, and meaningful exploration of just how those scriptures affect our actual lives.

Join us.

Blessings,
Steve

Conquistador (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

In the novel, Conquistador, S. M. Stirling tells an exciting and thought-provoking tale of a North America that never saw the arrival of Europeans. Through a clever device, he has his characters travel from 1946 California to another California, one that is filled with various Native American groups, none of whom has ever seen a Caucasian.

Many adventures ensue for these "conquistadors" and the many men and women who followed them from our world to that still unsullied new one. There were no highways, no man-made aquifers, no super cities (LA, for instance). There was no smog.

The early crossovers, these Conquistadors from "FirstSide," made the most of the pristine nature of things; they brought over horse's, camped out, went hunting. Eventually, they hatched a plan to mine precious metals from what they knew, from FirstSide history, to be untouched sources. They used it to build wealth back on FirstSide. Their goal? To establish an infrastructure that would keep that new "new world" (and the gateway to it) secret, to maintain its treasures for themselves and their progeny.

And in time, they succeeded. For that story, and the challenges they faced from FirstSide in the 21st Century, you'll need to read the book.

One of the many aspects that puzzled these new invaders was how the newly discovered "new world" came to be. How could it be that that history contained no European discovery of the Americas? It took many years, but they eventually saw enough of the new world to piece together the chain of events. I won't go into that, but suffice to say it started with Alexander the Great not dying in 323 B.C.E.

One of the twists posited by the author is that this changed timeline led to Christianity never forming. He lays it out quite logically, and without any sympathy that I could detect.

In this week's Lectionary scriptures, there are two resurrections: one facilitated by Elijah and one performed by Jesus. Both involved raising the sons of widows. Both freshly alive young men were returned to their mothers and received with joy. Both acts led to people drawing closer to God.

How strange to think that someone could imagine a world where redemption lay forever beyond the reach of humankind, where salvation was not even a concept, much less a reality, where the conqueror of death never came.

Here on FirstSide, in our real world, Jesus came from another world to walk ours. Over two millennia ago, he conquered something far more important than a country or even a continent. By bringing life in the form of himself, he conquered all that separates us from God.

He is our conquistador.

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Third Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 5 (10) (June 5, 2016)

1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)
Psalm 146
1 Kings 17:17-24
Psalm 30
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17

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We are more than conquerors. Join us Friday mornings for Lectionary Breakfast and find out why. Still meeting at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant.

Walk-ins welcome.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Chain of Command (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

I recently saw a TV show where a traveling faith healer set up a large tent outside London. People came, night after night, to beg the healer to intervene for them with God. They all wanted just one thing: to be well. And the healer, invoking the name of God, appeared to heal all manner of frailties.

That's the kind of scenario we associate with faith healers: while in the physical presence of someone claiming to represent God, people appear to be healed of what ails them. There are witnesses, witnesses who can praise the healer and God for the miracle. It's as close to a standard as we come with this kind of thing.

So, with that standard in mind, imagine this scenario: an army captain is stationed is a foreign country where there is a history of insurgents trying to overthrow his government's presence there. The captain couldn't be more different than the locals; wealthy, well educated, a favored son of his country, and has a completely different religion. One day, he is informed that one of his staff has fallen ill; so ill, in fact, he is likely to die. The captain goes to local community leaders and asks them to reach out to an itinerant preacher and (supposed) miracle worker, who is traveling through that part of the country. The captain would like for the preacher to come and heal the ailing man.

Can you imagine an officer in our army doing such a thing? As the more advanced country, our healthcare is almost certainly better than any available in a "second world" foreign outpost. And, even stranger, would one of our army officers seek help from a local "miracle worker"? It sounds too bizarre to be believed.

And yet.

That's what's going on in the Luke passage in this week's Lectionary selections. Jesus enters Capernaum and is soon approached by the Jewish elders on behalf of a Roman Centurion! The local military leader of the repressive regime that has conquered their country! And if that's not strange enough, they want Jesus to come with them to the Centurion's house so he can heal the Centurion's servant! But, while this may sound very unusual to us, Jesus appears to just take it in stride. He agrees to go.

And, though quite a bit out of the ordinary, at least it meets the faith healing standard: Faith healer does the healing in the presence of witnesses.

It's what happens next that shocks even Jesus.

While on their way, a message comes from the Centurion to Jesus: “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my [servant], ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:6-8‬ ‭NET‬‬, http://bible.com/107/luk.7.6-8.net)

Scripture says Jesus was amazed, that He marveled at the Centurion's faith in Jesus' authority. Everyone else, even Jesus, was expecting the standard. Instead, because of this Gentile's surprisingly expansive faith, Jesus honors his request. He does not go to the Centurion's house, and yet, the servant is healed anyway.

The authority of Jesus has not diminished by even the tiniest part since this happened.

What does your faith allow?

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 4 (9) (May 29, 2016)
First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 18:20-21, (22-29), 30-39
Psalm 96
Alternate First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43
Psalm 96:1-9
Second reading
Galatians 1:1-12
Gospel
Luke 7:1-10
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Friday morning's coming! If you can join us for Lectionary Breakfast, we would be delighted. We still gather at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant for an hour not quite like any other. Food, faith, and a shocking amount of fun :-)

Enjoy the week!
Steve

Winter Is Coming (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

I am not a winter person.

It's not much of a confession to anyone who knows me.

Granted, when I moved to the Boston area late one fall, the novelty of so much winter was pretty mesmerizing. At first. All the play aspects were attractive in those early days. The smell of burning wood and the smoke curling out of chimney-tops, the sight and joyful sounds of neighborhood kids playing broom hockey on our town's frozen pond, the beauty of snow blanketing everything in pristine whiteness.

There was great novelty in walking through the snow to church on a Sunday morning, and living next to the Charles River provided endless fascination as the "little muddy" formed ice shapes along its banks.

Before long, though, the harsher realities overtook the positives. Cars that wouldn't start, constantly falling down on slick surfaces, impassable roads, power outages, being late to everything; never, ever getting warm enough. And, worst of all, at least for me, that overwhelming claustrophobic sensation that it would never end. Because, if you don't live far enough north, you don't know about new snowfall in April, nor that the spring snows fall on top of snow that has been on the ground since January. And you don't realize that the snow may still be on the ground come May.

In George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones novels, the Stark family motto is "Winter is Coming." It conveys a sense of inevitability, the idea that winter cannot be avoided and must be prepared for; something through which each person must pass, something to overcome.

Where is the hope in that?

It was just these winter experiences that made me pause when I came across the passage in the Book of Job where God demands from Job, “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail,” (‭‭Job‬ ‭38:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬, http://bible.com/111/job.38.22.niv). The "storehouses of the snow" really caught my attention. Most scholars read that phrase as meaning a kind of place where God stores snow.

That's not how I read it. I see it as meaning snow is the storehouse. And I think I have a pretty good idea what is stored in the snow: hope.

Summer in New England, and the few weeks that bookend either side of it, is a lovely time. Very Robert Frost. So, when winter does finally end, everyone feels an uplift in spirit; joy fills every heart. A kind of collective amnesia overtakes, clouding the harsher memories of winter. But deep in the winter, people think of the spring to come, of the green grass, flowers, and the planting of gardens. They think of the warm days of summer and the coming, though still far off, harvest.

They have hope.

For they know that every inch of snow piled upon the ground throughout the winter is actually stored water, just waiting for spring to release it. Water that brings life to the land, the plants, the animals, and all of us humans who could not survive without it.

The Romans passage in this week's Lectionary selections talks about a "hope that does not disappoint." Such hope is more than just a wish; it's a confidence that good will come. The passage asserts that by enduring our sufferings, we will gain character, the kind of character that can hope, unreservedly, in the belief that our faith is not misplaced.

It is our storehouse of hope. And it will see us through the winter.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Trinity Sunday (May 22, 2016)
First reading and Psalm
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Second reading
Romans 5:1-5
Gospel
John 16:12-15
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We have a hope that does not disappoint. Join us Friday mornings for Lectionary Breakfast at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. We meet at 8:00 for an hour that feeds us, both physically and spiritually, and from which we draw hope for the days ahead.

Enjoy the coming week!
Steve

Knights, Gunslingers, and Slaves (a Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Did God have slaves? It seems impossible. The very idea is disturbing on several levels. And yet, this week's Lectionary selection from Acts talks about God's slaves. Peter explains to the crowd that they are not hearing gibberish from drunkards, but the word of God from his anointed servants, fulfilling a Biblical prophecy:

"In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." (Joel 2:28-29a NRSV)

And there is the troubling phrase: "Even upon my slaves...." So troubling, in fact, that most modern versions render the word as "servants."

Well, which is it, servants or slaves?

Neither. We don't actually have a word in modern English that directly corresponds to the original language in that passage. The closest we can come is "Bondservant," a person who intentionally attaches themselves to a master (sort of an indentured servant). But even that isn't exactly right.

So, then, what is it like?

More like Batman and Don Quixote* and Stephen King's "Gunslinger" Roland Deschain ... Knights, that is. Though, of course, fictional Knights, they are versions of something that harks back to a time when actual knights swore an "Oath of Fealty" to their King. They went on quests, did as the King asked, and were easily identified as representatives of their King. They pledged to never do anything that reflected badly on the King, and to always do the right. In other words, knights committed themselves to serve their kings, faithfully.

Which brings us back to Israel.

At the time God gave the Law to the Israelites, there were many practices in the world that we would find repellant. As with many of these, God's requirements relative to slavery were intended to begin the process of shaping the fledgling nation in the right direction, to mitigate the worst aspects of the practice within Israel, not eliminate it from the world. "An eye for an eye" was a significant improvement over "a death for an eye."

As part of this, God gave special instructions about slaves who were also Jews. God required that Jews be released from slavery after six years, regardless of the reasons they became slaves. No Jew was enslaved to another Jew for life.

With one exception.

A Jew could elect to refuse release at the end of six years. To make this happen, he or she had to state before community leaders, "I will not go out free." At this, the master would pierce the slave's ear as a sign the person had elected to be permanently in the master's service. It was this kind of so-called "slave" being referenced by God in Joel's prophecy; men and women who had committed themselves to lifetime service to the Lord.

If you are one of these whose "oath of fealty" is to God, someone on whom the Spirit has been poured out, scripture says you "shall" prophesy. You, then, must not wait. You must not withhold God's word.

Peter and the eleven spoke as they were moved by the Spirit. What is stopping you?
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Day of Pentecost (May 15, 2016)
First reading
Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Second reading
Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21
Gospel
John 14:8-17, (25-27)
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* Why not take a break and listen to a song that captures this state of commitment so perfectly? There are many versions of "The Impossible Dream" on YouTube. Here is a link to one of my favorites: Jim Nabors (as Gomer Pyle) sings it in his true voice. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r5KeGccP9Jk&autoplay=1)

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This is the time of year we celebrate Pentecost, the launching of the church in Jerusalem. We would love it if you could join our group of believers at Lectionary Breakfast on Friday morning. We read the scripture and the Spirit instructs us. The hour starts at 8:00 and includes a meal, the Bible, and an enjoyable time together. We still meet at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant.

Enjoy the week!
Steve