2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Advent 4 - Year B
Perplexity can be left alone or challenged. Our confusion points come from inside and out. David and a Temple raises questions from a prophet. Mary and a pregnant question rise to challenge an angel.
David's going ahead meets reversal and he holds back. Mary's holding back meets reversal and she goes ahead. Both are promised good fruit - descendants for ever and for good.
In the midst of a king's word being his bond and a young girl's fear raising deep questions we find prophets and angels - catalysts for reversal and renewal. In the midst of a world not knowing how to back off from misused power and individual fears arrayed against creative peace, we are still in need of prophets and angels.
Priests would urge us to build a bigger box in which to praise and communal mores would belittle the slightest change in acceptable perspective or behavior. Prophets and angels are where the breaks in our power and fear can welcome an outsider (Gentile Alien) without first shunning or reconstructing them.
What will it take for us to listen to the questions, inside and out? Can we hear the Nathan's currently speaking? Can we listen to a Child within?
What will it take for us to speak truth to power and hope to fear?
- - -
my spirit rejoices
I have been blessed enough
to back down from my word
to forge a new wordblessed enough
mercied enough
steadfastly loved enougha mysterious revelation
a questing proclamation
release blessing enough
to rejoice my spirit
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
David, safe from his enemies around him, but unsafe from enemies within – both his past and his offspring – belatedly recognizes his ego has taken precedence over his "altar-ego". Of course he tries to make up for that error in prioritizing. It comes to no avail.
Yet altar-ego G*D sets up a throne in perpetuity. In today's world of scandal one wonders what sort of bribe that took.
Were David's family, kingdom, and throne permanently secure? If you say, "yes", what scale of measurement are you using?
When this is overlaid generations later on Jesus, what is it that is being carried forward?
If you were so convinced that your own family, accomplishments and place were permanently secure, what change would that make in your relationships (old and new)? Is this conviction a power that corrupts or sets free?
There is a sense in which David's peace was external to the political and power arrangements of the day? Sealed off in a specimen jar, David's peace turned out to be a passing thing. Even before he was dead, cracks in his family, kingdom, and throne were becoming evident and would eventually break apart. This leaves us with the difficult lesson of engagement with current realities and to work through all the pains and confusions of incarnation, joys of healings, disappointments of betrayal, and uncertainties of death and resurrection before claiming a satisfied mind. Our usual process is to make the claim first, proclaim eternity for this moment, and always see that fall away all too soon. In Advent we need to look at our realities, not just our warm fuzzy Santa wishes.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html
It is still a good question - Is G*D localizable?
That does seem to be our experience - we take what has happened to us in a particular instance and universalize it. G*D becomes our particular writ large.
Hopefully we are more than our experience.
Hopefully we are not simply an extension of the experience of others.
All that being said - here is our experience writ large and also beyond our understanding - even when wrong, we are never without love. What a difference this can make to our common life when we not only receive it for ourselves but pass it on to others. (Of course this comes from the deleted part [verses 14-15], but it seems too good to pass over and it is of a different quality than the reported part that glorifies the nation state. It might be worth reading anyway.)
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/december2002.html
Have you ever made an announcement that you were sure about and then found out you had to take it back? We do have a tendency to approach announcements with surety. We may not be right, but we are sure. Appearing decisive and resolute is all the rage.
Participating in announcements puts us at risk for getting it wrong. At its best this calls us to practice humility. If we've not had time before we announce something, it is prudent to check as soon as we can to see if we got it right. Always it is easier, in the long run, to 'fess up to an error early on. The longer we put off making the correction the more "sure" we get and when we wait until we can't avoid coming clean it is too late to reclaim our integrity.
Here Nathan announces his understanding that David is in like Flynn with G*D. "Go for it, David, you're the man!" Then, that night, correction comes. Next day brings the correction goes forth. Nathan's integrity holds. He shifts announcements as new information comes in. This will hold him in good stead several chapters down the way when he will need to again bring a word of correction to David, this time regarding Uriah and Bathsheba.
How goes your announcement integrity. Hopefully you are not waiting until everything is clear to make an announcement because that will be the twelfth of never. Say what you mean and mean what you say until you have additional information and then, like shampoo, repeat the process to remain clean.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/december2005.html
Pastors today are the equivalent of the king, living in static property while recognizing that the power of G*D resides in movable tents and the poverty of a manger. These two worlds have a most difficult time interacting. Priest does not mingle well with prophet.
G*D seems to have the same temptations to grandeur that we do. Basically G*D says, “Well, yes, I wouldn’t mind having a few comforts after another 6 “days” of work manipulating things for my people and smiting others. A little R&R wouldn’t hurt. Having a pay-off for all this hard work would show those other gods who’s top God.” And so G*D won’t take a “house” from David, but Solomon - that’s a different story. There is no explaining this decision.
Advent is a time to sort through our values: A moving G*D living with the poor and scattering holiness? A settled God expecting folks to come to a holy place? Advent asks us to discern what is behind our questions and to say “No” to the established trappings of success.
I’m still waiting for a creche that will have dung on the floor, holes in Joseph’s sandals, no halos, special magi, shepherds with light-saber crooks, and Mary in wrinkled garb with no eye-liner. This is where a living G*D might visit without getting loaded down with expectations.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/12/1-samuel-71-16.html