An Instance of the Fingerpost (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

An Instance of the Fingerpost, that wonderful novel by Iain Pears, kicks off with a murder, and then … well, then the interesting stuff starts. 

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And I say, without good directions it could be a much longer journey. Even with clear guidance, it’s still step by step. There’s much greater confidence, though, we will arrive at our intended destination.

But, murder mysteries rarely come with that kind of guidance. And this novel is more indirect than most. It is comprised of four different accounts of the "facts" as told by four different witnesses … or are they suspects? 

Unlike many mysteries where the "reveal" comes at the end, skipping to the end of this book doesn't help. There are clues, of course. But, they are scattered throughout the book. The only way to really understand what happened is to read each of the four accounts, trying to determine just how much we can trust each of their testimonies. Each has reason to be considered an unreliable source.

I've never read a book quite like it. I love how the author maintains the mystery right through to the end. It's one of those books I re-read every few years. 

But, an odd title, right? What, you may be wondering, is a fingerpost? 

Well, you might be surprised to learn you already know the answer. Really. Picture this: some travelers arrive at an intersection of roads. There, they find a post. On that post are narrow boards on which are printed the names of towns and other locations. Those boards may be pointed on one end, or they may actually resemble the fingers of a hand with three curled under and one pointing. In any case, these fingerposts are oriented so they actually point toward the location inscribed on them.

Fingerposts are very useful, especially if you’re attempting to navigate in an unfamiliar area. And, if they're so useful in the physical world, just think how something like that might help us on our spiritual journey. Well, I believe there are spiritual fingerposts, clear signs placed by God for us to follow. This week's scriptures are crammed full of them!

Do you want to know what God wants? Do you long for clear direction? Here are just two of the many "instances of the fingerpost" set into the Bible to help you.

In this week’s Mark passage we’re told, in so many words, cleanliness is not next to Godliness! No, there’s nothing wrong with hygiene. In fact, most of us think it’s pretty important. But, we can’t substitute physical cleansing for spiritual cleansing. Rather, we need to prioritize our focus on our thoughts as the source of any true uncleanliness in our lives. 

The James passage clarifies the path we need to take on our spiritual journey: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress."

Signposts are not general. If we choose to ignore them or choose a different direction, we will not arrive where we intended. They are unequivocal. They point us in a specific direction, the direction that takes us to our destination. 

And we get there one step at a time. 

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GRAPHIC: Steve Orr

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If you can join us Friday morning at Lectionary Breakfast, all the better! We're still meeting at 8:00 on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Waco Egg and I restaurant). We’re reading scripture, eating good food, sharing a laugh or two, and solving mysteries. 

Enjoy the week!

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=217

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, b6-9

Psalm 15

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-2

Proper 17 (22) (August 29, 2021)

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Vampire Christians and Guernsey Potato Peel Pie (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

No one offered us potato peel pie. And I never saw a sign for a literary society. Still, our visit to the Isle of Guernsey was delightful. 

Many only know of this picturesque island from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I can recommend both the book and the movie. And, following our day of walking about in Guernsey, I can happily recommend the actual island, too!

As the only place in the British Isles occupied by the Germans in World War II, Guernsey was untouched by enemy bombs. While there is much I could share with you about their wartime experiences, I’m going to focus, instead, on one little piece of our own day-long adventure. 

As I meandered through the narrow lanes —passing shops, coffee houses, bakeries, and freestanding market-day kiosks— my eye fell on a sign that drew me off into a little corner: BOOKSTORE. 

As I stepped out of the bright sunlight into the darker shop, I had to pause a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. Soon, I saw before me two casually dressed, older ladies, each sporting a front-mounted fanny pack. They were deep in an animated, but subdued, conversation. Then, in a voice mostly British, but with a very faint hint of French somewhere in the background, the nearest said, “Come on in, Luv. Come get us if you have a question.”

I wandered about the tiny shop, taking my time, getting the shelving order in my head. Eventually, I found myself in the far corner looking at the one shelf that held all of their crime, Sci-fi, mystery, and thriller titles ... maybe forty books in all. I had no expectations when I decided to check out the shop. But, to be honest, I usually enter these secondhand book shops with a great deal of hope ... and hope did not disappointment that day.

On the shelf was a thin collection of short stories written by Bram Stoker, the author best known for the classic horror novel, Dracula. I couldn’t believe my luck. As I read the preface, I learned that Bram’s widow published these stories after his death —that, alone, would be enough to make me buy it. But then I read that this book contained a story that was, in fact, a piece his editors had deleted from Dracula! Now, I’ve read Dracula, and seen many movies and TV shows that derive their villains (and sometimes, heroes) from this first popular novel about vampires. But I had never read this one! 

I must admit to some fascination with these bloodsuckers. Leviticus 17:11 states, “The blood is the Life.” And, of course, that is the very essence of any vampire story: unless they drink your blood, they die. The Leviticus passage takes the opposite tack: God commands us to not drink blood because it is part of the process for the forgiveness of sin, and thus not to be used for anything else.

As I stood there —in that tiny bookstore, on the Isle of Guernsey, out in the English Channel, just off the coast of France— I recalled that from time to time, the followers of Jesus were accused of vampirism ... and worse. That stems from what Jesus says in this week’s scripture from the Gospel of John. He tells His followers, clearly, they must drink His blood and eat His flesh or they cannot abide in Him. It was just too much for some of them. In fact, John tells us, “Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.” 

That was the first time ... but not nearly the last. Over the centuries, many have accused christians of cannibalism and vampirism. It’s easy to see how they could be confused about the requirement to ingest the blood and flesh of Jesus. It’s right there in black and white (or red, in some Bibles). 

Of course, today, we christians know better. 

But It’s a stark reminder to those of us who follow Him: without the Spirit to instruct and guide us, there is plenty of room for misinterpretation of what Jesus taught. 

So, before we even open our mouths to quote some teaching from scripture, we should pause and consider how it could be heard. Then, we should pray for discernment, enlightenment, and wisdom before we speak. 

Confusion abounds in the absence of the Spirit. 

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GRAPHIC CREDIT and a very early review of Stoker’s novel:

https://bookmarks.reviews/an-1897-review-of-bram-stokers-dracula/

A great modern review of the novel, Dracula): 

http://www.wkar.org/post/book-review-bram-stokers-dracula#stream/0

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ZOOM ONLY THIS FRIDAY** - DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast will not meet in person this Friday. Apologies to everyone who prefers an in-person gathering. We plan to resume next week. In the meantime, please join us on Zoom at 8:00 for our usual hour of fellowship, discussion, and laughter. BYOBB 

Blessings,

Steve 

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=216

1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43

Psalm 84

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

Psalm 34:15-22

Ephesians 6:10-20

John 6:56-69

Proper 16 (21) (August 22, 2021)

Solomon and the Beverly Hillbillies (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Remember the opening sequence of the Beverly Hillbillies?** 

Jed is out “shooting’ at some food” when his shot opens up a huge oil strike (“black gold … Texas Tea”). First thing you know, old Jed’s a millionaire … 

At the time, I thought it an unrealistic scenario —I was certain you didn’t find oil that way— But it went with the show being a comedy ... right?

Wrong. 

Shortly after moving to Midland, Texas in the early 1980’s, one of the first things I was taught about “oil country” was this: Oil is where you find it. 

No one really knows where the stuff is.

Oil. Gold. Silver. The problem with drawing treasures from the earth: no one knows where to find them. Yes, there are people —smart, capable people— who have some ideas about where to find them; and there are technologies that help in the search. But, no one knows exactly where to look. 

There’s a reason they call it oil exploration.

So, when I read this week’s selection from 1st Kings, I wasn’t shocked that Solomon might have asked God for riches. Considering that every time someone drills a hole in the earth looking for oil, there is a great chance they will find absolutely nothing ... well, it just doesn’t sound so crazy that people might think they should ask God to give them riches.

But, scripture tells us there is something worth more than the treasures of the earth, and that is what Solomon asked of God: Wisdom. It pleased God that he chose wisdom rather than many other kingly kinds of things he could have requested: riches, long life … the death of his enemies.

We, too, can please God by wanting wisdom. And, unlike silver and gold —or oil— or any other treasure we might wish to come our way, finding wisdom is not a game of chance.

We know right where it is.

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Beverly Hillbillies Opening Sequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvE9zJgm8OY

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Join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary breakfast on ZOOM** or in person at Our Breakfast Place (formerly Waco’s “Egg and I” restaurant). Entrance is near the back on the side of the building. We spend from 8:00 to 9:00 reading, discussing, laughing, praying ... and enjoying the breakfast of your choice.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=215

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Psalm 111

Proverbs 9:1-6

Psalm 34:9-14

Ephesians 5:15-20

John 6:51-58

Proper 15 (20) (August 15, 2021)

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost 

Elijah and the Ya Ya Sisterhood (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

Vivi had a secret.

In Rebecca Wells’ Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, we meet a group of older women who have been friends since early childhood. They still care deeply for each other, flaws and all.

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

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

Vivi dropped her basket.

This is the phrase Vivi came up with to describe a time when, as a young mother, she had a mental and emotional breakdown, brutally beat her children, and was hospitalized for attempted suicide.

You'll have to read the book or rent the movie to get the rest of it (and you should). As for us, this is what we need: Vivi dropped her basket. Life can be tough. Some of us fare better than others. Some of us, for reasons known and unknown, are 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. 

Elijah is a perfect example of this. He 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 1st Kings passage. This great warrior for God, on the heels of a mighty victory ... just loses it. In fear, he runs out into the wilderness. He is so afraid and depressed, he begs God to take his life. When you read the 1st Kings passage, don't stop where the Lectionary breaks: keep going through the end of Elijah's story. See what God does with Elijah's depression.

We need to 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. 

There is a related passage in the New Testament book of James where we're told, "Elijah was a human being just like us." 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.

When Elijah dropped his basket, he thought his journey in this life was over. In fact, he begged for it to be over. But, God had more plans for Elijah. 

And God has more plans for you. 

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PHOTO: 

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Secrets-Ya-Ya-Sisterhood-Novel-ebook/dp/B000FC11GK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=divine+secrets+of+the+yaya+sisterhood&qid=1628305801&s=books&sr=1-1

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We meet each Friday morning (in person and on Zoom**) for DaySpring’s  Lectionary Breakfast. We're still sojourning at Our Breakfast Place (formerly Waco’s "Egg and I" restaurant). We meet from 8:00 to 9:00-ish for an extraordinary hour of relaxed fellowship (laughing; a lot), Bible reading, and meaningful exploration of just how those scriptures affect our actual lives.

Join us.

Blessings,

Steve

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK

Find them here: 

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=214

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

Psalm 130

1 Kings 19:4-8

Psalm 34:1-8

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:35, 41-51

Proper 14 (19) (August 8, 2021)

King David and the Midnight Library (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In Matt Haig’s novel, The Midnight Library, thirty-something Nora is having a bad life. 

In her estimation, she’s failing at it. She regrets so many of her life choices, maybe even most of them. She is so filled with regrets, she decides to end it. 

That’s when things get weird.

Nora is surprised to awaken in a vast library, and even more surprised to find it staffed by Mrs. Elm, the school Librarian of her early teens. It gets weirder. Mrs. Elm offers her the chance to live different lives; those lives she would have lived if she no longer had those regrets. 

Wow, that’s tempting. 

Can you imagine it? What would life be like if you had never done that thing you did? Not said that thing you said? Would your life be better? 

I’m pretty sure King David was thinking something along those lines in this week’s selection from 2nd Samuel. Quick review of last week: David gets Bathsheba pregnant, has her husband killed, and then marries her … all to cover up that he had sex with a married woman. 

This week, thinking he has gotten away with it, David is stunned when the Prophet Nathan makes it clear that God knows all about it … and is not happy with David’s choices. So, yeah, I’m thinking David suddenly had some huge regrets. 

The problem, of course, is that in real life, we don’t get “do overs.” David could no more go back and eliminate his bad actions than any of us can. 

We have to live with them.

And suffer the consequences. 

There is one thing, though. We can ask for forgiveness. No, that doesn’t mean we get to skip over the consequences of our actions. Good or bad, we are going to reap what we sow. But, we can seek God’s forgiveness for our regretful actions. 

That’s what David is doing in Psalm 51 when he asks God to teach him wisdom in his “secret heart” and create in him “a clean heart.” It’s a great confessional poem, and I can testify to its power to help. 

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PHOTO CREDIT: 

https://smile.amazon.com/Midnight-Library-Novel-Matt-Haig/dp/0525559477/ref=monarch_sidesheet

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Once again, we meet DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I). Join us there (or on Zoom) Friday morning at 8:00. We have a great time visiting, reading scripture, discussing, and laughing. 

Blessings,

Steve 

Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=213

2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a

Psalm 51:1-12

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Psalm 78:23-29

Ephesians 4:1-16

John 6:24-35

Proper 13 (18) (August 1, 2021)

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The Dream Cabin (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

In my dream, I was restoring an old cabin on the rocky coast of Maine. The cabin was small, just one room, and it was not in good shape. It was single wall construction, and, standing in the center of the room, I could see daylight sparking through in a few places. I had started nailing cladding on the inside so I could add some insulation between it and the outside wall. I planned to use a certain kind of natural wool as an insulator. 

It was chilly, but I was not surprised; I was cold most of the time we lived in New England, including some summer evenings. I sensed a need to hurry and, at least, get some of the insulating done. Night was coming and I expected the chill to deepen. So, I started in the corner nearest the ocean, hoping to block the most direct sea breeze before nightfall. Luckily, in my dream I had brought lots of supplies and tools. I went out to my truck (yes, my truck: it was a dream, after all) to haul in what I needed to do the job. 

I was so pleased with how it was going. I had planned well. I had the right tools to measure twice and cut once (as opposed to measure once, cuss twice). Once I got three or four board lengths nailed onto the studs, I paused to stuff in the wool. It was so beautiful and soft. I remember thinking I hoped there was some left over. What a nice mattress or pillow stuffing it would make! When I realized the light had almost faded, I stopped to survey my work. I had managed to get cladding affixed to the two walls about seven feet in each direction and two and a half feet high. They met in the corner, perfectly. The wool was pressed down as tightly as I could make it, and, at least in that corner, I could feel no chill sea breeze. 

I set up for the night in that corner, spreading my sleeping bag and mat along one wall, tucking my tools and other essentials along the other. I felt a great sense of satisfaction, as well as the calm that comes with knowing I had done all I could do that day, and I had done it well. I not only made a plan; I made the right plan. I hadn’t tried to do more than I could do with those circumstances and in the time available. I climbed into my sleeping bag, turned off the Coleman lantern, and closed my eyes, confident I was ready for the coming day,

I can’t exactly explain why I think my dream relates to this week’s selection from Psalm 145. I just know that it does. There’s something in that profound sense of, not just accomplishment, but of satisfaction at knowing I had done well, that my work was good. And, yes, my wood shop teacher would certainly have approved of my work. But, it went beyond the feeling that someone else would have approved of my work in that cabin. 

I knew. In myself I knew it was good. That kind of assurance has not been common in my life. And the peace that accompanied it seemed, to my dreaming self, to be integral to it, part and parcel with the whole. My work was complete and my rest had been earned. 

Somehow, all of it made me feel closer to God. And that is always a good thing.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Orr (Atlantic coast near Wells, Maine) 

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In-Person Lectionary Breakfast THIS Friday! I hope to see you there. Zoom is also available for those who cannot attend in person. We start at 8:00, and we spend the hour reading scripture, discussing, laughing, and chowing down ... not necessarily in that order. 

So, join us on Zoom OR join us in person at the former Waco “Egg and I restaurant (now called “Our Breakfast Place”). We’ll be in the function room (down the side, near the back).

Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=212

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Psalm 14

2 Kings 4:42-44

Psalm 145:10-18

Ephesians 3:14-21

John 6:1-21

Proper 12 (17) (July 25, 2021)

When You Can’t Crawl (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

His last request: Please take my body home. 

In the all-too-brief television miracle that was Firefly, there was a lot of excellence crammed into just 14 episodes. All fans have their favorites. So, in a sense, every episode was the best episode. One particular episode, though, appears on every short-list: “The Message.”

In it, the crew of the spaceship Serenity are asked to transport a dead man home to his family and his final resting place. They had served with him in the war; and in their memories, he was still Private Tracey. The request comes as a message he recorded in preparation for his death. They agree once they hear Tracey repeat a saying they know from their military past: “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.”

In a similar vein, when The Hollies released their hit song “He Ain’t Heavy” in 1969, it was immediately appropriated by Vietnam veterans. It perfectly reflected their wartime experiences of carrying an injured buddy to a place where someone could help. But, the real story behind the lyrics (“He ain’t heavy. He’s my brother.”) goes back to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town and an abandoned little boy who had polio.**

I couldn’t help thinking of “He Ain’t Heavy” and that Firefly episode, especially that saying, when I read this week’s scripture from Mark. Jesus and team used a boat to try to get away (“to a deserted place”) for a little down-time. But, as they brought their boat to shore, the crowds found them, anyway. 

As we know from previous Bible stories, many ill people were carried into the presence of Jesus. Their needs were so great, they begged permission to just touch “even the fringe of His cloak.” Apparently, they had all heard about the woman who was healed by touching the hem of His garment. 

Was it true? Or was this just so much talk? Was that all that was needed to be healed, just to touch his garment? Did you have to sit through a sermon, first? Did He have to grab your head and shout? Was there a 12-step program to complete in advance? Was there a pre-interview? Perhaps a statement of faith to declare? 

No. 

Scripture tells us: "All who touched it were healed." They just needed to do as Private Tracey said, “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.” 

When it’s Jesus you’re going to see, you just need to get there ... any way you can. 

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PHOTO (Medics carrying wounded soldier in Vietnam 1967): 

https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/medical-evacuation

** Info about the Boys Town statue: https://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/story-behind-aint-heavy.aspx

Listen to The Hollies sing “He Ain’t Heavy” (Then, scroll down to the Hillsborough Charity performance. Stunning): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBI9i3HlFVE

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SAVE THE DATE! We resume in-person Lectionary Breakfast on Friday, July 23rd at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I), located at the corner of Franklin and New Road in Waco. 

Join us Friday morning for an hour like no other. DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets at 8:00 on Zoom. We read, we pray, we laugh, and we discuss ... all while enjoying your breakfast beverage of choice.

Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

Blessings,

Steve

SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=211

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

Psalm 89:20-37

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 23

Ephesians 2:11-22

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 

Proper 11 (16) (July 18, 2021)