Genesis 12:1-4a

Lent 2 – Year A

Can one be born again? It happens all the time.


Abram, Sarai, Lot, and more are born again through migration. This is not an issue of legal or illegal. It is a call from G*D, a necessity. Abram ran a risk greater than deportation. He felt in danger of his life and felt this strongly enough to risk his relationship with Sarai.

Elijah was born again while hiding in a cave.

Moses found a birth canal through a burning bush.

A Psalmist found new birth with a song of trust and confidence.

Peter is reborn through questions of his love.

Saul is reborn Paul on his way to Damascus.

To think these folks had only the one rebirth is too limiting. I’ve had several, myself. What about you? Can you count your many birth canals?

Even folks we have a most difficult time with have had a new birth to get as far along as they have and we pray for more births for them. If we parallel this to forgiveness, as we pray for their rebirth we pray for our own.

- - - - - - -

 

1 + 1 > 2

my current life
plus my rebirthed life
is more than the two
combined
I now also have
an anticipation
of yet another 1
even if I reach
70 x 7
there is more
for there is no end
of toil
of bookmaking
of steadfast love
of rebirthing forgiveness

 

As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience

 

 

 

Go from your homeland. Go from your tradition. Go from your status quo. Go.

After going you will find a compensation for your losses. There will be blessings aplenty for umpteen generations.

(Now it must be admitted that blessings are also available at home, in the midst of the usual. It is simply that the strangeness of new territory sensitizes us to the presence of blessing and blessing upon blessing and thanks in all things, even such as this.)

Whether at home or not, when blessings come they are not self-encapsulated. Blessings are not things we ingest for ourselves alone. Blessings are huge kurama bell strikers that ring forth. Blessings are small stones dropped in water that radiate forth. Blessings have energy as powerful as mc2, where m=material life and c=compassion. Blessings are basically not containable, though they can be ignored.

May the blessings you receive so concentrate your core that you must multiply its energy and set off a chain reaction of blessings. Pray to be blessing-active

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/february2005.html

 

 

Can one be born again? It happens all the time.

Abram, Sarai, Lot, and more are born again through immigration. This is not an issue of legal or illegal. It is a call from G*D, a necessity. Abram ran a risk greater than deportation. He felt in danger of his life and felt this strongly enough to risk his relationship with Sarai.

Elijah was born again while hiding in a cave.

Moses found a birth canal through a burning bush.

The Psalmist found new birth with a song of trust and confidence.

Peter is reborn through questions of his love.

Saul is reborn Paul on his way to Damascus.

To think these folks had only the one rebirth is too limiting. I've had several, myself. What about you? Can you count your many birth canals?

Even folks we have a most difficult time with have had a new birth to get as far along as they have and we pray for more births for them. If we parallel this to forgiveness, as we pray for their rebirth, we pray for our own.

- - - - - - -

1 + 1 > 2
my current life plus
plus my rebirthed life
is more than the two
combined
I now also have
an anticipation
of yet another 1
even if I reach
70 * 7
there is more
for there is no end
of toil
of bookmaking
of steadfast love
of rebirthing forgiveness

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html

 

 

Ready, set, move on.

Blessings are anticipatory and unsettling.

Too often we presume blessings are our due, that we are entitled to them. Blessings in this sense are confirmations of the status quo. Blessings, like manna, will spoil if they are contained in the here and now, stored up.

Ready, set, move on.

Blessings are risky propositions only known in retrospect.

Too often we presume blessings are what we are after and they bring safety and security. Blessings in this sense are denials of even more blessings to come. Blessings like to be free and ring false when focused on too closely or turned into sureties. They are part of the background of abundance and fade in the light of day.

Ready, set, move on.
Ur
Ready, set, move on.
Haran
Ready, set, move on.
Moreh
Ready, set, move on.
Bethel/Ai
Ready, set, move on.
Negeb
Ready, set, move on.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/03/genesis-121-9.html

 

 

Surprise!

“You, Abram, don’t know me. I’m a G*D beyond—beyond your present Babel-scattered tribes; beyond your present experience base; beyond, well, simply beyond. So—arise from sleep and follow where you know not where. You will be a germinated seed around which the scattered are reorganized.”

“I, Abram, say, ‘Huh?’”

“OK, Abram, here’s what’s in it for you. You get in on the ground floor of the building of a great nation that will greatly honor you for your spiritual entrepreneurship. This means you will have control over the rest, to bless it or curse them depending on whether you feel they are blessing or cursing you.”

“Ahh,” says Abram, “I’m in.”

This has the feel to it of the beginning of any adventure. Perhaps a third start will be the charm—Adam (Eden), Noah (Ararat), Abram (Haran). Perhaps more starts will come. Who's next? Joseph (Egypt)? Moses (Horeb)? Mary (Nazareth/Bethlehem)? Saul/Paul (Damascus)? Muhammad (Mt. Hira/Mecca)? Luther (Germany), Wesley (England)? “Your Name Here” (Wherever You Are)?

Call and Response—A story ever new. Listen. Enjoy the ride.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/03/genesis121-4a.html