1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Epiphany 4 - Year A
"Holy Week" Tuesday - Years A, B, C
Blessedness and rejoicing are both exciting, over-the-top, expressions and bedrock foundations from which comes steadfast love in shown in many ways. They need particulars to bring goodness into better clarity. They need particulars to respond to questions that will set case law.
Let's track some parallel terms from Micah, Psalms, Paul.
do justice - speak truth from the heart - do not take a bribe - desire wisdom
love kindness - do what is right - do not lend money - demand signs
walk humbly - walk blameless - stand by your oath - decide through foolishness
All manner of arrows can be drawn between these terms. Some will double-back on themselves, particularly when the beatitudes are tossed into the mix. Each of the blessings can be related to good effect to each of these terms.
In fact we have a season of possibilities here. Write them on a magnetic sheet and cut them apart. Each day rearrange them on your refrigerator until you have identified the best pattern for your life in this season. (In another season you may go through the same process and find yourself with a different best pattern.)
- - -
O my poor spirit
you have mourned much
destroyers of creation
the unhumble dominionists
who settle for righteousness
presently defined
devoid of future, of hope
the strict constructionist
merciless
setting up blowback
and child soldiers
through persecution
an evil of falseness
unable to see itselfpause
breathe
prepare to contend with yourself
for yourself
plead your caseno more sacrifices
internal or external
they will not fix
brokenness
they will not heal
hurt
they will not cover
debtrejoice persecuted soul
peace is at hand
in heart and gut
created to comfort
to strengthen
your presence
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
Two days ago we were so close to being in like Flynn. There was this parade happening the next street over, but we were just settling in to the Inn. We missed it.
Now we're trying to get a belated autograph and have a lead through a Mr. Philip who apparently knows someone who knows someone.
And just a quickly there is no response, our contact didn't show up. We're left behind.
So, from the other side - Jesus says, "We're full up. Disciples, stick closer than ever, no more taking bribes so someone can get their picture taken. Everyone, huddle up. The game's going to depend on this next play."
Well, believe it or not, this is a different time and place from these ancient stories. What is our criteria for helping someone come close to Jesus? What litmus test do they have to pass? What is the minimum ante? Will we take the time to introduce someone to the value source of our life ourselves or wait to see if someone else will blackball the idea? Is there still time available to slowly transform interest into involvement or must we expect instant conversion?
Is the game plan still to huddle up? Does looking back on this story from postEaster make a difference for how we are going to act in this, our next preEaster, season?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
"For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom." Every culture has its own standards that have to be met to count in its eyes.
As you think about the standards of your family, your community, your congregation, your denomination, your nation, your class, your . . . . - - what do you use to validate opportunities to change direction?
How do those standards operate when they are in conflict with one another - - your family standards don't match your class standards? your congregational standards don't match your denominational standards?
Do you have a standard separate from any of these specifics that holds you in good stead whether you are at a family gathering, a town meeting, a worship service, a doctrinal debate, a political gathering?
For Paul, a standard that informs him in any given situation is the metaphor of Cross and Crucifixion. How do you see Paul using that standard? Do you use that metaphor for yourself? If so, how do you use it? If not, what do you use?
Whatever standard you use probably has some way to reveal and deal with the hypocrisy of our lives that periodically raises its head and leads us to avoiding, in some situations, the very standard we espouse. Does your standard assist you in these questions: When given a choice, which direction requires the least hypocrisy? which asks the greatest amount of cognitive dissonance? which presents a position requiring the fewest sound-bite phrases?
To pay attention to such as these is to be foolish in the world's eye. The world's unfoolish use common sense adages to paper over rough edges that snag the poor, every time.
Court jesters, Arise! Joy and Pun are at hand. These are our tools for taking down standards of death by surprise*. Enjoy.
* lyric from Bob Franke'sAlleluia, The Great Storm is Over.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/january2005.html
When was the last time you talked about G*D's foolishness? This puts a new light on being "a fool for Christ."
When was the last time you talked about G*D's weakness?
Are these character flaws? Do we so desire unchanging solidity that we insist that G*D be immutable, unchanging, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc. even when G*D's own witness about repentance and mind-changing and bringing a new heaven and earth just don't compute with us?
Might these be exactly the character virtues needed for creation? Without them we wait for some static perfection that will last and last and be devoid of growth in meaning. Here we are open to not only considering the foolishness and weakness of G*D, but reveling in it. When we hear we are made in the image of G*D this begins to make sense to us. The humility this takes stands us in good stead. We don't need to make up things about the future or to speculate on G*D's judgment and what heaven/hell looks like, imagining there is a heaven or a hell.
Now it is before us. Do we pay attention to G*D's foolishness or will we show our denseness by denying it? Do we pay attention to G*D's weakness or will we show how out of touch we are by denying it?
It takes a great deal of wisdom and strength to attend to fools and weaklings, whether that of GOD or Neighbor. It takes a great deal of foolishness and weakness to attend to such as you and me.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/january2005.html
Looking for that third way that will cause your foolish opponents to stumble?
First, avoid that competition and boasting that your way is the only way.
Simply proceeding with what you know to be true will be sufficient for yourself and as witness to others
What is your vision when the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It?
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/march2005.html
Those with Power claim they has wisdom on their side. How else would they have been "entrusted" with the power they have, if they did not represent the wisest possible way to go. We hear that expressed in one way or another by every winner of a power position. Power and meekness or power and humility do live well together.
At play is a large movement from the nothingness of chaos to everything being vain. We live between and do what we can to hold briefness lightly and with all the gravity we can muster. It is this heavily invested and laughably usable moment that makes a difference.
Paul would equate this with his language of a cross that measures the meaning of creation and re-creation. Paul's cross image stands to show up power, of whatever ilk. It stands as a bookend to belovedness which lifts up the powerless. And we stand in this moment between a so-solid melting before our eyes and a yet ephemeral future casting a faint path, one less travelled, one day to be recognized as an avenue we all need to tread. And we make a difference.
A conversation with death reminds us how frail is our sense of power and how far from wisdom we yet are. This throws us back on how we choose to live. Our choices will be noted by their grounding. Will we live in light of such qualities beyond the collusion of perceived power and accepted wisdom as the following?
poverty
mourning
meekness
desire
mercy
purity
peacemaking
persecuted
reviled
justice
kindness
humility
The ancients say, "Aye", The present says, "As soon as we can, but not until we have surety our wisdom is safely in charge", the future says, "Yea". This movement can help us stand prophetically in the present whether from Paul's vision of "Cross" or another creation-centered or eschaton-engaged perspective.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/01/1-corinthians-118-31.html
The message about the cross — live your life as deeply and widely as you can and then que sera, sera — is foolish to those whose life-force is fading and are scared of suffering or fear itself, but to those who are interested in gathering more energy it is a joining with G*D and Neighbor in everday living.
From this starting point we are able to take another look at wisdom, good ol’ Sophia herself, “Grandmother” in many indigenous traditions. We won’t be fooled by scripture/reason or tradition/experience when we insist that all four are needed in addtion to the glue of humble/service.
Even if we get into the fancy language of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, holiness, dikaiosyne, hagiasmos, apolytrosis, consecration, justification, ransom. purity, or whatever, we won’t be fooled by letting projected outcomes control our choice to be loving and merciful in the moment.
Blessings on being able to translate “cross” into “choice”.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/01/1-corinthians-118-31.html