We consider the gifts of humility and satisfaction that God grants Job – and us – for offering the Lord a life of fidelity, honesty and humility. And we are grateful. Today we celebrate the wisdom and hope this story engenders. We acknowledge the choice that God puts before us . . . the choice to live doubtfully or hopefully, dishonestly or faithfully, deceitfully or lovingly. And we affirm the choice we take to live in God’s wisdom as best we are able.
My Choice
Like a leaf windmilling in the
Quick current of life,
I tumble, waiting for the words,
All is well.
Like a flake of hoarfrost clinging to thin glass,
I lean on the hope of my choice that
God alone is enough.
I am a thought of God
sent into the wind,
Pinned to this fragile life I am gifted by
One so great.
I extend myself beyond my own imagining.
I give myself over to the only choice before me.
I bend all into the Spirit of the Lord, to rest in God’s healing wisdom.
Commentary will explain for us that what we read today will both settle and unsettle us. After reading the accounts of combat, the writer brings us to a kind of resting place where he summarizes for us the results of recent warfare; we have the borders of David’s new nation defined. We also see how David determines to administer his newly-forged kingdom, and with this description of personnel and policy we have a foreshadowing of what is to come. An uneasy feeling may flicker through us when we realize that David – who has been so faithful to God – now allows himself to nibble at the edges of his authenticity.
From THE HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY, page 267: “Skirting the edges of Deuteronomic law (“nor is he to multiply greatly for himself silver and gold,” Deut. 17:17), the king dedicates gifts and booty of silver and gold to Yhwh [Yahweh] (8:11). So “Yhwh gave David victory everywhere he went (v. 14) . . . For David’s sons to be priests is to flout the Mosaic law that draws the priesthood exclusively from the tribe of Levi . . . Many versions, like many commentators, have attempted to smooth the text by rewriting it”. It seems that with David – just as we find in our own lives – with every gain of stability there will be a fluttering of worry.
Almost daily in our world of instant, mass communication we have word that more nepotism has been exposed. Another leader falls to the noisy masses; one more plot of corrupt practices covered by officials is revealed. There is nothing new in our modern headlines and today we see that bureaucracy breeds its own end. Transparency may be the present watchword for leaders, but dishonesty appears to be the practice. There is something about power that corrupts even the best of us.
In Jesus’ early church the structure was horizontal; it lacked a hierarchy of platoons and divisions; there was no ladder for priests to climb. Jesus names Peter as the rock (Matthew 16:18) on which the church will be erected by those who accompany him . . . and by billions of kingdom-builders to come. Christ does not lay out an elaborate bureaucracy of functionaries. Instead, he charges each of us with our own participation function in his community according to our gifts.
In 2 Samuel 11 we hear of David’s sin with Bathsheba. Can it be that we begin to see David wobble in chapter 8 once he establishes the kingdom of Israel, once he becomes comfortable? Perhaps we can learn a lesson from today’s story, and perhaps it is this. When we find ourselves on firm ground and feeling confident in a newly-formed strength, we will want to pause and reflect on the subtle snares that lie hidden in our success. This is not to say that we ought not enjoy the satisfaction that comes from having achieved stability in our lives; but it is to say that once we humans conquer our enemies and our fears . . . we must remember who it is who makes all of this conquest and all of this steadiness possible. And so we pray . . .
Good and patient God, Remind us that when we celebrate stability after chaos, we celebrate you. Tell us often that when we find peace after struggle, that peace is you. Guide us in the remembering that layers of power do not govern well but that a convoluted structure leaves many little places for little demons to hide. We know that you want to erase fear from our lives. We know that you want to bring us stability. We know that you are present to us and in us directly. We know how much you love us. Keep us from creating labyrinths that separate us from one another and from you. We ask this in Jesus’ name, together with the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who lives in each of us. Amen.
Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 267. Print.
David evidently was in denial about his son Absalom. All we need do to read about this young man’s abuse of the status and power given to him is leaf back a few pages to Chapters 13 through 18 to read the details of his story. It is not positive. Yet, David mourns the loss of this child, ignoring the horror that Absalom played out even against his own father. We watch David struggle with the reality he does not want to see and now in this reading we watch David give over to his grief completely. We wonder – does he mourn the loss of what actually was? Or does he mourn the loss of what might have been? We have no way of knowing.
Joab approaches David with words that eventually bring about a reconciliation between king and people. His words are harsh and to the point; David comprehends quickly. The greater offense here seems to be not so much that David mourns the loss of a child but that he appears to be oblivious to the harm this child’s behavior has brought about. Many of us can identify with this. We have likely gone to a family member or friend to try to being clarity to a murky situation only to be accused of speaking ill or of causing problems. When delivering bad news, we must always be prepared to be blamed; and if we are not, we can breathe a sigh of relief and thank God.
In today’s story, David’s fragile state becomes apparent despite Joab’s recalling him to the realities of his role as leader and king. We may not be as fortunate as Joab; but whether we are believed or rejected, we must consider the difficulty we bring someone when we bring bad news about a loved one; and we must deliver our words carefully. If we are the ones who receive this bad news, we must be prepared to see another’s reality or else . . . Not a single man will remain with you overnight, and this will be a far greater disaster for you than any that has afflicted you from your youth until now.
Whether we be Joab or David, we do well to remember that dreams fulfilled are welcome allies while dreams not realized are formidable enemies. If we hope to step out to sit at the gateas David does, if we hope to bring the dreadful truth to someone so that it is heard as Joab does, we do well to enter the interaction carefully, and always include God in the exchange. Only then can we hope for reconciliation.
On this Monday before Palm Sunday, we reflect on the morning’s first reading for liturgy. Today we look to one who trusts God as a model for our anxious minds and weary hearts. The LORD says . . .
I will bless the person who puts her trust in me.
She is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit.
We ask . . . do we believe that we will not succumb to the times of drought? Do we trust that we will weather barren days and dark nights? Are we willing to bear fruit when our resources are low? DO we send out roots to water and stretch limbs to the sky?
E-piph-an-y: A Christian festival, the manifestation of a deity, a sudden intuitive perception or insight, a piece of literature presenting a revelation. These definitions define the holiday or the emotion, the state of being surprised by something we already know but have not yet acknowledged. This word may also define our relationship with Christ. Today we encounter Jesus in the midst of his work and this is what we find.
Jesus teaches. Jesus proclaims the Good News that we are free to choose life over death. Jesus heals. Jesus is moved with compassion at the sight of the crowds. All of this goodness is what God has in mind for us. All of this kindness is what God has in store for us. All of this love is what God intends for us. And this is what the Magi come to honor and worship.
In our Western tradition we have come to know these three men as Melchior, a scholar from Babylon, the place of Israel’s exile about six centuries before Christ’s birth, Caspar, another scholar from Persia, the civilization that overran the Babylonians, and Balthazar, an Arab scholar. These learned men bring gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold that serve as symbols for our own worship of the Son of Man. Frankincense, aromatic incense, is brought to purify the Lord; myrrh, perfumed oil often used in embalming, is offered to anoint the Lord; and gold, the symbol of power, is presented to honor the Lord. Some commentary suggests that the Magi bring forward these gifts for medicinal purposes; others propose that they are meant as tribute to this new kind of high priest, savior and king. Still others say that these gifts stand in stark contrast to the sacrificial gifts of birds, lambs and oxen that the Jewish people proffered to God. In any interpretation the story holds importance for us for these men have spent their lifetime studying the heavens and their search leads them to a small place in a small town where this small Jewish family shelters for a time. Who is more surprised? The Magi themselves? Mary and Joseph? The shepherds who tend their flocks and follow the Magi who follow the star? Or are we perhaps the most surprised?
All of this is tradition as we have said earlier but we hold and cherish this belief in the story of the Magi for a purpose. We love to hear the names read out rhythmically. We want to listen to the details of this story again. We want the mystery and surprise of this holy night to roll over us and wrap us in the warm and holy mystery of the Christ. We want to be children for a little time again.
When I was small my Eastern European grandmother made doughnuts and inside them she had hidden shiny, bright coins. Who would find the pennies, the dimes? Who would be lucky enough to encounter the rare quarter? Children understand how important it was to nibble the edges of the pastry carefully. Children know the importance of joyful anticipation. Children understand wonder and surprise. As adults we want the confirmation from these intelligent students of the heavens and stars. As adults we want to be affirmed that the Good News we have heard is true. As adults we want someone to stun us with a vivid and beautiful truth. We want the verification that wonderful surprises lie ahead of us. We want to see and hear and touch the reality of the Christ Child.
Velázquez: The Adoration of the MagiOn this Epiphany let us resolve to believe more and doubt less. Let us decide to act on our beliefs and turn away from a cynical view of the world. Let us announce to the world that we will love our enemies into goodness. Let us bow in homage to the Christ child. Let us lay at his feet the incense of our own suffering and the joy of our hearts. Let us come and worship the Lord. And let us allow ourselves to experience the surprise and enchantment of the Epiphany . . . just as God has intended.
Jesus says: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. (GNT)
God the Creator says: I know that on many days you feel disconnected and ungrounded; but my Spirit lives in you to bring you home to me. I know that you spend nights feeling alone or even abandoned; but my Spirit is with you always. Do I not promise this to you in your exodus journeys that bring you out of enslavement to dangerous ways of life or thinking?
Jesus says:I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. (NRSV)
God the Creator says: Do I not, in the person of my son during the great Discourse on the evening before my human death, promise that I will be with you always?
Jesus says: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever.(CJB)
God the Creator says: Do I not promise to abide in you every morning at your rising, every noonday when you pause to rest in me, and every evening when you lie down to rest?
Jesus says: I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. (MSG)
God the Creator says: You can rely on me. You can believe in me. You can stand firm on my shoulders. I speak the truth of my love to you when I tell you that I have been with you since before your inception; and I am with you through endless time and space. Rest peacefully in me. Always.
For the next several days there will be no Noontimes posts but I will continue to pray with you each day at noon and record thoughts in an old-fashioned paper journal to share later. In place of receiving a daily post, you may want to explore ideas on the Connecting at Noontimepage offered in the hope that you find a suggestion to feed the soul and strengthen your bond with and in Christ.
Our spiritual life is always about Call and Response. God creates and calls us. We listen, and then return God’s word. This blog is one small way for us to listen, to seek, to discern, to come together, to puzzle through and to respond in full voice to God’s mysterious and beautiful invitation to life in the Spirit. It is our daily visit with God that nourishes and sustains us. It is our persistent connecting with the one who created us that reminds us of who and why we are. It is our constant hope and our fervent prayer that buoy us up when the road is difficult. And it is Christ’s love for each of us that keeps us on The Narrow Way. Thank you for taking part in our Noontimes journey. We are creatures meant to travel together and, like Paul writing to the Romans, I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus the Lord.
New posts will return later this month. In the meantime, may you each know and experience Christ’s peace. May you seek and discover God’s Wisdom. And may you be fortified in the Love and Counsel of the Spirit. I hold each of you in prayer as always. S
Keeping each of you in prayer while I am away from electronics. Holding you in prayer at noon each day.
We rise, put on our strength and let the bonds fall away from our necks.
We are an Easter People. We examine ourselves. We investigate the brokenness and sorrow. We lean on one another. We accept the fact that we must trust God alone. We find the comfort of Christ in others who share our grief. We are the compassion of Christ for one another as we respond to the grief in those around us. We wait through the darkness in active and hopeful patience . . . and then, just as promised, we are restored. The promise we know we were destined to live is fulfilled.
When we use the scripture link and commentary to explore this prophecy, we find hope in the darkness, the promise of restoration, and the fulfillment we seek.
Keeping each of you in prayer while I am away from electronics. Holding you in prayer at noon each day.
We gather our worn flesh and our broken bones. We take one last look around us at the weariness, poverty and darkness in which we find ourselves . . . and we prepare for restoration.
Just when we believe that we escape all that terrifies us, we learn again that life holds no guarantee. Just when we believe that we escape our worries and anxieties, we learn again that eternal life is a promise on which we can rely.
When we use the scripture link and commentary to explore this book, we discover that there is no guarantee that we will not suffer; but there is a guarantee that the light of God’s love will overcome the darkness to bring us new life.
David evidently was in denial about his son Absalom. All we need do to read about this young man’s abuse of the status and power given to him is leaf back a few pages to Chapters 13 through 18 to read the details of his story. It is not positive. Yet, David mourns the loss of this child, ignoring the horror that Absalom played out even against his own father. We watch David struggle with the reality he does not want to see and now in this reading we watch David give over to his grief completely. We wonder – does he mourn the loss of what actually was? Or does he mourn the loss of what might have been? We have no way of knowing.
The Noontimes 