Healing the sick, a Reflection on Mark 6:53-56

At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue in his home town. The response to him was mixed, but for the most part negative.

His response was to send out the twelve to preach, exorcise, and heal.

Herod executes John.

Jesus feeds 5,000, walks on water, and stills a storm.

Then, as now, the Jesus movement is met with differing reactions. Then, as now, great blessings accompany the movement, and some folks react with fear, with apathy, or with harm.

In today's lesson, Jesus and the apostles have changed geography but not mission. People recognize them and rush to them for help. Wherever he went, people begged for help and he gave it.

Crowds gather, a Reflection on Mark 6:30-34

Mark juxtaposes the banquet at which John is condemned with the banquet that Jesus provides for the 5000 (6:30-44). Herod is concerned with himself; Jesus, with the crowds. Herod had invited important people--courtiers, officers, and leaders of Galilee. The people who surrounded Jesus this day were not important--and they weren't rich.

He has just heard about the death of John. He asks his closest companions to come away with him for a while so they can talk about how their missions have gone (1-13). Their solitude doesn't last. People recognize them and want to be near to them.

Jesus had compassion on them because he could see that they were like sheep without a shepherd.

And from his compassion, he begins to teach them many things.

What are we supposed to do with this example? When does teaching take precedence over feeding?

They just showed up? Do we run our churches as if we believe that's the best way to get followers--go off somewhere by ourselves and they'll just show up?

Including the formerly not included, a Reflection on Ephesians 1:3-14

I'm reading this passage and can see how a Calvinist reading it would find support for predestination; i.e., verse 4, God chose us even before the world was founded, and verse 5, God destined us to be Christians.

So, I'm suggesting that you read the Wesleyan view of grace. Here's an introduction to Our Wesleyan Theological Heritage.

In the early church, believers with one kind of background thought themselves superior to those they considered to have a lower background. For those of us moderns who also think of ourselves as superior--or for those of us who have been convinced that we are inferior, we need to remember that both the first to become Christians and the ones who came later are all marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit and are God's own people (11-13).

And we need to remember to praise God's glory (14).

After I wrote this, I came across Donald Hayne's excellent discussion of the Calvinist resurgence on the United Methodist Portal page.

Lift up your heads, O gates, a Reflection on Psalm 24

The lectionary suggests Psalm 24 as the response to this week's reading from 2 Samuel--Verses 7-10 echo for us the entrance of the ark into the tent at Jerusalem.

The ark--the resting place for the Lord, in later times would reside in the temple, but had also accompanied the army into battle. The Lord--the creator of the earth (vv 1-2), the holy one.

Who can approach the holy? Still a question for modern worshipers.
The clean hands and pure hearts--are these absolute requirements of who can get in, or are they strong suggestions for how worshipers should order their lives, or they necessary in order for us to receive blessing--or to recognize what is a blessing?

Bringing the ark to Jerusalem, a reflection on 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

Their fear of their armed neighbors led them to a desire for a king. They no longer trusted God; they wanted a powerful human being to lead a powerful army against their powerful foes. Samuel had tried to talk them out of it, but failed.

Saul was made king, but failed.

Now, David is king, and, so far, seems successful. The enemies are driven back. The northern and southern tribes have combined. They have a new capital--Jerusalem.

David decides to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The capital will then have the earthly king and the mark of the presence of the heavenly king both in the same city.

A great procession marks the occasion--everyone is dancing, including David.

Questions: 1. How are we to interpret the account of the death of Uzzah? Do we read this as a warning to be respectful in front of the Lord? Or, that the holiness of God is paramount? Or, that motives don't matter when we break the rules? (I'm not very happy with any of these)

2. What about David's conduct was so upsetting to Michal?

3. Was anyone upset that David took over the role of a priest?

4. What symbol or symbols remind us of the presence of God? In what ways are we reminded to mark our respect for them?

To the Faithful, a Reflection on Psalm 85:8-13

God had showed Amos a fearful vision of sword and exile--and had commanded him to tell the people about this vision.

Psalm 85 is also concerned with hearing the voice of God--but this vision is one of peace and harmony.

When we meet the gift of God's love with the response of our faithfulness to the will of God, then we will have an abundance of what is good. The imagery is that of crops in the ground responding to rain from heaven--our land will yield its increase.

Outside Agitator, a Reflection on Amos 7:11-15

A priest complains to the king that he resents the message that the prophet Amos has been preaching. He tells Amos to go back home, that he doesn't belong in the temple.

Who does? Who should speak? What message? What is it that Amos has said that is so upsetting to those in authority?

Amos asserts that he speaks because the Lord has told him to. His speech has been full of radical social justice (oppressing the poor and crushing the needy (4:1); mistaking ceremony and offerings as a substitute for doing justice (5:21-27); and even more disturbing to us modern readers, living comfortable lives (6:4-8).

Do we get too comfortable in our lives to be able to hear God's call? Who gets our attention? Who does Amaziah think is his real boss? Who do we think is ours?

Plumb line, a Reflection on Amos 7:7-10

The Lord God has shown Amos a vision of locusts and one of fire. "Can we survive?" Amos asks.

Then the Lord shows him a plumb line--a way of measuring if a wall has been built straight. It hasn't been.

This vision in some ways is more ominous than the ones of locusts and of fire. We plant crops but we can't keep the locusts away. Some steps for fire prevention are possible, but some fires can't be stopped.

But, we could have built a better wall.

How much of the pain we suffer is due to our not following God's way for us?

The lectionary pairs this reading with the one from Mark about how upset Herod was with Jesus and John the Baptist. Could Herod have been eying the walls he was responsible for and fearing that God was about to show up with a plumb line?

Responding to a threat against his safety, Reflection on Mark 6:14-29

Herod was a powerful man whose comfort depended on things going pretty much the way they had been going. This Jesus was a threat to the status quo as had been John (before Herod took care of the threat).

Herod watched out for threats to his safety and took care of them. And John certainly appeared to be a threat. Some people thought he was the great prophet Elijah, who was said to be the forerunner of the Messiah

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight--indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts.....
then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against ... those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien...(Malachi 3:1-5. Also see 4:5-6).

I'm assuming that the well being of hired workers, widows, orphans, and aliens was not high up on Herod's priority list.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

"I prayed to God to rescue me from my torment," Paul wrote. "I didn't get the response that I had wanted, but I did get the one that God thought I needed."

A lot of troublesome theology can be and has been derived from this passage. Yet, I want to hold on to the hope that is in it. Whatever happens to me, I can benefit from it, I can use it, to do God's work.

Carl R. Holladay, in Preaching through the Christian Year B, reminds us that Paul's rival evangelists had used their skills to prove that they were more powerful than Paul. He's saying that they may be winning a game but that it's not the right game.

What he knew only well was that "weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities...were mor frequent and typical of his apostolic life than were visions....In this respect, his life was analogous to that of Christ. Indeed, the crucifixion of Christ came to symbolize human suffering experienced in response to a divine calling....

Freedom, a Reflection on Galatians 5:13-26

Here's a repeat of last year's July 4 entry:
"Do not use your freedom for self-indulgence," Paul says. What a paradox freedom is. We're supposed to love our neighbors, and even more than that, be slaves to one another.

The freedom that Paul is talking about is freedom from the wrong kind of freedom. Forget those things that seem like a lot of fun while you are doing them but are destructive--destructive to you and those around you.

Instead of those harmful acts and attitudes, Paul reminds us the gifts we give by receiving: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Responsibility of Freedom, Reflection on Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 17-21 and Psalm 72

Here's a repeat of my entry from last year:

As we Americans prepare to celebrate our freedom, let us remember how God intends for us to use freedom:

* from Deuteronomy: Love the stranger. Worship only God. Remember that God executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing.


* from Psalms: May our rulers deliver the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.

Who the people want as king, a reflection on 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Saul is dead. His son Jonathon is dead. Although he was initially kept from battle, David turned a defeat into a victory.

Eventually, the tribes of Israel conclude that David should be their king.

Or, am I supposed to be reading this as finally the people of Israel catch on to what the Lord has long planned?

The lectionary has skipped over a lot of intrigue. Are differences between factions no longer important after the leadership is decided? (If we read ahead, we see that the tribes will split apart after Solomon's reign).


Back to the king part. When the people had first wanted a king, the Lord had forecast for them what life with a human king would be like (see 1 Samuel 8), but they wanted one anyway. They just weren't able to trust the rule of the Lord unmediated by a human king.

Psalm 48 is an assertion of the greatness of the Lord. Even kings submit themselves to God. If only.

Called, a Reflection on Ezekiel 2:1-5

the Gospel lesson this week reminds us that not everyone recognized whose work Jesus was doing--but that some did. Disciples heard Jesus' call and were able to help many people who needed it.

The lectionary pairs this reading from the prophet Ezekiel. God sends him to serve people who have rebelled against God.

Stop here and think about this a while. Who deserves help is not at issue here; rather, it is who needs help.

And how is it that Ezekiel can help? Although he was in exile, he was able to experience the presence of God (1:3). He paid attention (1:4-28). A spirit entered into him (2:2).

Most of this I find reassuring and inspiring. But, I get stuck on the part where he is called to speak to people whether they pay attention or not.