Leaving the Dogs of Society

1Timothy 6:17-19

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

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So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

"Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin from the Elton John album of the same name

This story is told in every time and place, the story of a person who becomes the plaything of another. Always on display, always the accessory, but not merely the arm-candy. In this case, the accessory is supposed to shine, but only to enhance the status of the other.

It would be like the moon bragging about the way it shines, holding the sun at arm's length. The sun's doing all the work, but the moon is doing all the bragging.

In both cases, when the real source of light goes away, all that's left is darkness.

So for the rich, who's more important: the rich or the one who has made them rich. Maybe that's one of the troubles with our economy today, the people making each other rich are lawyers and accountants manipulating numbers that don't reflect the work of the people. Insert your favorite Enron reference here. They were so busy making money, they forgot they were in the energy business. Ultimately, they were just in the number juggling business and that house of cards fell with a harder thud than even they imagined.

These folks got more concerned with what money could buy than with God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They wanted the bells and whistles and were left only with what they could hide, which was more than most people were able to salvage.

They were living on the front lines of society, howling like dogs. They were seducing the world to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "Cribs" not noticing that there was nothing behind the curtain. But not the young man in Elton's song, he wouldn't be planted in the penthouse like a fern.

God richly provides us with what we need, and what's glorious is that when we get what we need, we find that it is more than what we expect and better than what we want. How wonderful! It's more and better. This is God's gift to us so that we may take hold of the life that really is life, better than the death that we would pick on our own. That's one way to discover the future that lies beyond the yellow brick road.

The End of Childish Ways

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.

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Fifteen there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
Fifteen, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got hundred years to live

"100 Years" by Five for Fighting

There's a genre of songs that take the listener over the course of a life in a song. Frank Sinatra won a Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance in 1966 with a song called, "It Was a Very Good Year." Harry Chapin had a huge hit with his contribution to the genre, "Cat's in the Cradle." This version is from Five for Fighting.

"100 Years" tells the story of a young boy (the singer/songwriter is a boy so I going with the subject of the song being a boy) who is fifteen years old, "stuck between ten and twenty." The story continues throughout the years and benchmarks of life as the boy becomes a man, and a father, and continues until the age of ninety-nine, just a moment from dying.

Then again, it may be the boy, age fifteen, imagining all of this. Imagining how life will unfold. That's what's great about art, I can imagine both and not worry about being right or wrong. The song writer can tell me what he intended, where the "truth" lies, but in the meantime, I can have both views.

In any case, as the boy grows up, he increases in responsibilities. He increases in wisdom, and not so coincidentally, the time lapse of the song increases. It takes four verses to go from fifteen to forty-five, but from there it speeds up the next verse takes us from forty-five to ninety-nine. Ninety-nine gets its own verse though, examining life and awaiting death.

Paul tells this young boy that when he is young, he will be young. He'll speak like a child, think like a child, and reason like a child. When it comes time to be an adult it's time to put away childish ways. In the verses where the boy becomes a man, when he has a wife and a family, he must be a man and take care of his family like only a man can.

If we have only one problem it is that we have too many children having children. A child can't raise a child. Only an adult can raise a child. Some kids in their tweens have become borne children, and some forty year old's with kids haven't left childish ways behind.

Stay young at heart, laughter is essential! Seeing wonder in life everyday is important to growing in wisdom. Childishness is different, and it's dangerous past a certain age, and destructive once you have children of your own.

Paul put away his childish ways. He accepted responsibility. He did what he had to do instead of what he wanted to do. He acted with wisdom instead of impulse. At fifteen there's still time, but time marches on.

St. Patrick and the Songs of Zion

Happy St. Patrick's Day


Psalm 137:3

For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

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It's been so lonely without U here
like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby where did I go wrong

"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Prince covered by Sinead O'Connor

Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. The man who rid the island of snakes. The man who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle. Here is something you may not have known about him. He was brought to Ireland as a slave when he was young. He was kept as a slave to an Irish nobleman for several years.

Here's where the story goes sideways. Patrick escaped the nobleman and Ireland. When he escaped he became a Christian. He became so consumed by the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Good News of forgiveness that he went to Ireland to spread the Good News.

He was well received by everyone... well almost everyone. His former master was so ashamed he set his castle aflame and committed suicide in the fire rather than face Patrick and the grace of Jesus Christ. Truly, this man went from keeping slaves to becoming the slave.

Patrick never knew the "songs of Zion" when he was a captive, but when he did, and when he found his mission, he went to his captors and shared his mirth with his tormentors, a far cry from the psalmist.

The Isle was a bird without a song. Patrick provided the song. Tears fell when it was time to mourn, but in the joy of the Good News of Jesus Christ there was joy.

This is the lesson of St. Patrick's Day, a song of Zion, a song of joy, a song of forgiveness. Lonely tears may fall, people will ask where things went wrong, but in forgiveness there is new life. In forgiveness there is new life in Christ.

Saint Patrick and the Dreadful Snakes

A Pre-St. Pat's History Lesson


Genesis 3:14-15

The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

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"Snakes Alive" instrumental by The Dreadful Snakes [Bela Fleck (banjo), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Pat Enright (guitar), Roland White (mandolin), Blaine Sprouse (violin), and Mark Membree (bass)] from "Snakes Alive"

The legend of St. Patrick begins with his kidnapping from England and being taken to Ireland at a young age. He eventually escaped his captors and returned to England where he became a priest. I say legend because there are so many stories about the man with so little corroboration that legend is a better word than fact. Then again, there is often as much truth in legend as there is in fact.

Years later, Patrick returned to Ireland, there he began to spread the gospel. One of the things which evangelists today should take from Patrick is that he knew the lay of the land, he knew Ireland and its people long before it became "the mission field." I wonder if he ever thought of it in the way many people think of "the mission field." He wasn't a stranger to the land or its people. He knew what they valued and he knew how to share what he valued.

He was a captive and when he returned he returned with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Knowing the land, knowing the people, he took the three leaved shamrock and explained the Trinity. He explained that God was in three persons like three leaves on the clover. He explained that God was still one as the flower was one plant. He shared three in one in a way they would understand.

Patrick is beloved in Ireland. He is the Patron Saint of Ireland. By him, Ireland became a nation that worships the Lord. For this, I say "Happy St. Patrick's Day." But there is a more popular part of the legend of Patrick, and if I didn't go there there would be no reason for this scripture and this song.

According to the legend, Patrick banished all snakes from Ireland using his staff when snakes confronted him during a forty day fast. Fighting the dreadful snakes off with his staff, he was like Aaron before Pharaoh. Then again, since the glaciers receded and Ireland became a land mass, there has never been evidence of snakes on the island. Britain has snakes, but none have made it to Ireland. There have never been any snakes for Patrick to banish so the legend is just that, a legend.

Or... this part of the legend could have referred to the serpent symbolism used by the druids, and when Patrick brought the Good News, the Gospel shared by Patrick banished those snakes. See what I mean, not literal snakes, but the snake symbols and the druids who worshiped them. They were banished and the Lord was worshiped. Not factual snakes, but legendary snakes. Like I said, this is one time when the legend has even more truth than the facts. Then again, Patrick wouldn't have known any of this if he hadn't known the people he came to serve in the name of the Lord.

Disagreements and Turning Points

Acts 15:1-2 and 19-20

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.

Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.

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So let's leave it alone 'cause we can't see eye to eye
There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy
There's only you and me and we just disagree

"We Just Disagree" recorded by Dave Mason, written by Jim Krueger from Mason's "Let It Flow" album.

It is often said that the bloodiest wars are fought over the least of consequences. This wasn't a bloody war, but it was over an important theological and liturgical point of worship for the new believers in Christ. Let's remember our history, the first believers were Jews. Hence the first believers were sons of Abraham and participated in the Abrahamic Covenant. In short they were circumcised. The gentiles, the Romans, and the Greeks were not. The newest believers from he hinterlands of the empire were not.

So it just made sense to the old guard, to become a part of The Way, the Body of Christ, you first must become a son of Abraham like Christ. You had to be circumcised just like we are. Logical, isn't it. To enter the second door you have to go through the first. It seems so logical. As logical as it was, it was also a stumbling block.

So glad we're enlightened today! So glad we don't have to dress a certain way... or affirm a particular creed--beyond Jesus is Lord of course. It's wonderful that we don't have an official bible version we have to carry or a particular car we have to drive. Thank God we don't act like... oh, wait, we do, don't we.

A litmus test-- if you aren't exactly like we are you aren't welcome in the name of Jesus Christ is probably the worst thing we can say to one another. It is also said frequently, to our shame and I trust God's horror. Killing in the name of love. How ironic.

In the end, the council that heard this question, known as the Jerusalem Council, came to a wonderful compromise. If you wanted to require circumcision that's fine. But for those who do not have a history of Abraham's covenant, the gentiles, they would only be required to "abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood." (Let's not ask how any of us are doing with that one, alrighty?)

The branch of the Church of Christ led by Peter and Paul did not require circumcision. The branch that remained in Jerusalem led by James and John did.

On a side note, have you ever heard of this branch of the faith? This disagreement truly led to a turning point in the church. It can also provide an important lesson for us today, inclusiveness without sacrificing distinctiveness is a good thing for the church in any age.

Another thing? Does this make James and John the "bad guys?" No. There ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys. On one issue we just disagree.

An Unexpected Way to Go...

Judges Week Extra! Thanks to the Rev. Andrew Parnell for the challenge. Just guessing I took a left turn from where you expected me to go...


Judges 3:15-23

But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to King Eglon of Moab. Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes. Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent the people who carried the tribute on their way. But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” So the king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants went out from his presence. Ehud came to him, while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he rose from his seat. Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly; the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the dirt came out. Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and closed the doors of the roof chamber on him, and locked them.

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A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

"A Little Less Conversation" by Billy Strange and Mac Davis recorded by Elvis Presley for the film "Live a Little, Love a Little." This is the JXL Remix for the "ELV1S" compilation.

This is the trend of the time of the Judges, the Lord provides the people a good Judge and all is well. The good Judge dies and is replaced by a bad Judge who does evil in the eyes of the Lord and the people follow. Tragedy befalls the people and they pray for deliverance. The Lord provides the people a good Judge... wash, rinse, repeat.

The people did bad and evil has arisen in the land, this time evil's name is King Eglon of Moab who was over Israel for eighteen years. Eglon had taken tribute, Israel's future for his own treasury. The people had finally had enough. The Lord sent Ehud to save his people.

Looking at Judges' description of Ehud, he is anything but typical. To begin with, he was a Benjaminite, the smallest of all of the tribes. We learn he is left-handed. Scripture doesn't say being left-handed is evil or sinful, but it is always beneficial to be on the right hand of anything scriptural. Statistics say between two and three in twenty people are left-handed, so Ehud being a lefty is at least unexpected. As for the cubit long sword strapped to the inside of the right thigh, that's appropriate only for a left-handed swordsman.

The most unexpected bit of all comes at the end of this reading when Ehud takes his sword, all 18" of it, hilt and all, and sends it through Eglon's bowel. Not into but through.

One of the joys of Biblical Hebrew is that idioms get lost in the translation. For example, "stabbed until dirt came out" meant King Eglon had a royal BM upon being lanced. His "roof chamber" held a chamber pot. Ehud stabbed Eglon while he was enjoying the pleasures of his rooftop outhouse after accepting his plunder. Then he gets stabbed with such vigor that the sword, point to pommel is lodged in his lodgings, spilling not only what was in his bowels but his bowels into the pot beneath him.

All in all, quite an unexpected way to go, but after a week of readings from Judges, we can hardly expect anything different. I suspect they said the same thing about Elvis, who also expired if not in a similar manner, in a similar location.

A little less conversation, a little more action please. Ehud had a message from God for Eglon. It was the last thing Eglon expected. Meet your maker? Maybe something a little less subtle.

Yet, with all of these unexpected things happening, what was expected did happen, the nation was saved. Again, what was least expected was actually what should have been expected. That is the way of God, the mysterious way of God, and honestly, times like these we could stand to do what the King of Rock and Roll commands, "Close your mouth and open up your heart." That will satisfy the King of kings.

Looking for a Second Miracle

Judges Weekend, Second Verse!


Judges 6:39-40

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more; let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

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All I need is a miracle
All I need is you

"All I Need is a Miracle" recorded by Mike + The Mechanics, written by Mike Rutherford and Christopher Neil from "Mike + The Mechanics"

Now here's one of the problems with believing in miracles, sometimes we ask for a miracle and then it occurs to us that it isn't much a miracle after all. Yesterday we read about Gideon asking for God to dampen a fleece. This wasn't much of a miracle. This was actually a common trick used to collect water in the ancient world.

Gideon didn't ask for a miracle as much as he asked for a drink.

Can't you hear Gideon now, "Please can I have one more miracle? That one was just a test, this is the real one." This time Gideon asks for the same miracle, this time in reverse. He wants dry fleece on a damp floor. And God made it so that night.

Here's the big thing. Gideon asks for signs and God shows him signs. He asks for parlor tricks and forgets the greatest sign of all. He's chatting up God! Emmanuel! God is with Gideon and he doesn't take that as the miracle.

The miracle we need is God. God with us, now there's a miracle worth believing in.