Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 30, 2021
The more I learn, the less I know
My uncle told me, when I started university, that my parents would become much smarter over the next few years. He was an old radio broadcaster and had both a wonderful voice and a manner that always put one at ease. He was able to tell me that I was young and foolish and needed to grow up and appreciate my parents, but he did so with a velvet hammer. I remember these words precisely because they did not threaten me. I did not push back but I did remember what he said and embraced his words fully within a few years. Soon, I became less critical of all those who were my senior. His words were easy to honor. In the song, Borrowed Time, John Lennon expresses a similar thought with the words, "The more that I see, the less that I know for sure." This line of thinking is known as the Socratic Paradox. In short form, “I know one thing: that I know nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
One of my teenage pretensions was to be a fan of European art films. I saw Ingmar Bergman's Through a Glass Darkly when I was 14. In his introduction to the published screenplay, Bergman himself says that the movie “conquered certainty.” This arty classic is said to “unearth the dysfunction of insanity, repressed sexuality, self absorption and more.” Indeed, Bergmann challenges the appearances we keep the taken-for-granted idea that our lives will progress relatively untroubled. Paul too called the faithful to a radical humility with these words to the Corinthians. We can never be certain. That is the human condition. Age has a way of teaching us this if we have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” (Proverbs 20:12)
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 6, 2021
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
Less ambitious versions have a volunteer being worth only ten or two pressed (i.e. paid) workers. The point is the same that a volunteer works with a purity of heart and spirit that is compromised once pay becomes part of the equation. This is a phrase that cashes itself out frequently in my life. For one, I make my living by directing a program that is entirely driven by volunteerism. For another, I choose to volunteer for many things I could be paid for. Two, in particular, are weddings and funerals. Rather than set an arbitrary fee for such things or try to negotiate based on the particular circumstances I just offer to provide the service and ask for a donation to a charity if they wish to value my efforts.
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I; send me!"
The words "Here I am" are offered by Isaiah, Samuel, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others, including Jesus. (John 7:28) While God's call is compelling, it leaves open the choice of response and the response to God's call is always voluntary. God receives volunteers. The mission of the prison visitation program I ran is very simple: they match volunteer visitors with inmates who request a visitor. And I often said, no matter how professional, how effective, how compassionate a prison employee might be, a volunteer going in as a friend can do things that no paid person can do. There is a delightful freedom in volunteering; that is why we do it.
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 13, 2021
When the sun rises, it rises for everyone
Universally reported as a “Cuban Proverb” and rarely attributed to any individual, these words make a radical claim on equality of all. Presumably it stops at all people but broadens the idea of “everyone” to include all creation. Similar proverbs can be found in many other cultures. One of my proudest moments as a correctional chaplain was when my performance review noted my fault in “seeing the jail in terms of us and them.” I wondered out loud, in rebuttal, if maybe I saw it that way because that was the way it was. I wasn’t sure why I drew that conclusion, I mused in my defense, maybe it was the uniforms, or maybe it was the locks and bars. Forgive my sarcasm. While the sun rises for everyone, jail is one place where everything that can possibly be done is done to ensure that people do not experience the freedom of equality.
1 Corinthians 15:28
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself
will also be subjected to the one who put all things
in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
The proverb speaks very much in the present as it describes, with delightful simplicity, what is. The Bible verse puts this radical equality into the future. Depending on your sense of time within God's realm, that may not make much difference. As the proverb yields the warning to be careful to not consider ourselves any better than anyone else, the implication of these words to the church in Corinth goes further, explicitly telling the church in Corinth that all things, including people, will be under God.
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
February 20, 2021
One good turn deserves another
This is a restating of the Latin phrase, quid pro quo, which means, “two things exchanged for equal value.” The Latin version is often used in criminal court when explaining a plea bargain where both sides truly give something up and both sides truly gain something. Quid pro quo describes what is rather than what ought to be. In contrast, the word “deserves” in the proverb implies an appropriateness or obligation to repay something with equal value. A less formal way of saying it is “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” Different cultures have different understandings. In the Gitxsan culture of northern British Columbia, gifts require, at some point, a return gift of even greater value. As an outsider, I was always hesitant to give gifts, as it obliged the receiver to pay me back with an even greater gift. Once I gave someone some money to help with repairs from a house fire. It was nearly a year later but they gave me a pair of shoes that were worth more than my gift. As they gave me the shoes, they said, “Thanks for your help” and it took me a while remember why they were thanking me. So many things around finance were radically different in that culture than my own that this was only one of many moments of confusion and education.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
The phrase “One good turn deserves another” is not exactly a restating of “The Golden Rule” which appears not only in the Gospels but also in the teachings of practically every known religion. The difference is that Jesus speaks of an initiative rather than a reaction. It is as if he speaks of our actions as a “first strike,” to use militaristic language.“ One good turn deserves another” is very much about a reaction that is "deserved" rather than a grace-filled choice to initiate goodness. As beautiful and simple as the Golden Rule is, in practice it can be a little confusing. Does it mean that, if I loved macaroni and cheese beyond all things, I should serve it to anyone and everyone because of that? Isn't that a little bit like buying football gear for my wife who doesn't know a penalty kick from a field goal? Given it is a pretty universal habit to project our likes and dislikes onto other people, we need to exercise some caution when living out these, seemingly obvious, words.
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.
January 30, 2021
The more I learn, the less I know
My uncle told me, when I started university, that my parents would become much smarter over the next few years. He was an old radio broadcaster and had both a wonderful voice and a manner that always put one at ease. He was able to tell me that I was young and foolish and needed to grow up and appreciate my parents, but he did so with a velvet hammer. I remember these words precisely because they did not threaten me. I did not push back but I did remember what he said and embraced his words fully within a few years. Soon, I became less critical of all those who were my senior. His words were easy to honor. In the song, Borrowed Time, John Lennon expresses a similar thought with the words, "The more that I see, the less that I know for sure." This line of thinking is known as the Socratic Paradox. In short form, “I know one thing: that I know nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.
Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
One of my teenage pretensions was to be a fan of European art films. I saw Ingmar Bergman's Through a Glass Darkly when I was 14. In his introduction to the published screenplay, Bergman himself says that the movie “conquered certainty.” This arty classic is said to “unearth the dysfunction of insanity, repressed sexuality, self absorption and more.” Indeed, Bergmann challenges the appearances we keep the taken-for-granted idea that our lives will progress relatively untroubled. Paul too called the faithful to a radical humility with these words to the Corinthians. We can never be certain. That is the human condition. Age has a way of teaching us this if we have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” (Proverbs 20:12)
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 6, 2021
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
Less ambitious versions have a volunteer being worth only ten or two pressed (i.e. paid) workers. The point is the same that a volunteer works with a purity of heart and spirit that is compromised once pay becomes part of the equation. This is a phrase that cashes itself out frequently in my life. For one, I make my living by directing a program that is entirely driven by volunteerism. For another, I choose to volunteer for many things I could be paid for. Two, in particular, are weddings and funerals. Rather than set an arbitrary fee for such things or try to negotiate based on the particular circumstances I just offer to provide the service and ask for a donation to a charity if they wish to value my efforts.
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I; send me!"
The words "Here I am" are offered by Isaiah, Samuel, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others, including Jesus. (John 7:28) While God's call is compelling, it leaves open the choice of response and the response to God's call is always voluntary. God receives volunteers. The mission of the prison visitation program I ran is very simple: they match volunteer visitors with inmates who request a visitor. And I often said, no matter how professional, how effective, how compassionate a prison employee might be, a volunteer going in as a friend can do things that no paid person can do. There is a delightful freedom in volunteering; that is why we do it.
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 13, 2021
When the sun rises, it rises for everyone
Universally reported as a “Cuban Proverb” and rarely attributed to any individual, these words make a radical claim on equality of all. Presumably it stops at all people but broadens the idea of “everyone” to include all creation. Similar proverbs can be found in many other cultures. One of my proudest moments as a correctional chaplain was when my performance review noted my fault in “seeing the jail in terms of us and them.” I wondered out loud, in rebuttal, if maybe I saw it that way because that was the way it was. I wasn’t sure why I drew that conclusion, I mused in my defense, maybe it was the uniforms, or maybe it was the locks and bars. Forgive my sarcasm. While the sun rises for everyone, jail is one place where everything that can possibly be done is done to ensure that people do not experience the freedom of equality.
1 Corinthians 15:28
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself
will also be subjected to the one who put all things
in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
The proverb speaks very much in the present as it describes, with delightful simplicity, what is. The Bible verse puts this radical equality into the future. Depending on your sense of time within God's realm, that may not make much difference. As the proverb yields the warning to be careful to not consider ourselves any better than anyone else, the implication of these words to the church in Corinth goes further, explicitly telling the church in Corinth that all things, including people, will be under God.
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
February 20, 2021
One good turn deserves another
This is a restating of the Latin phrase, quid pro quo, which means, “two things exchanged for equal value.” The Latin version is often used in criminal court when explaining a plea bargain where both sides truly give something up and both sides truly gain something. Quid pro quo describes what is rather than what ought to be. In contrast, the word “deserves” in the proverb implies an appropriateness or obligation to repay something with equal value. A less formal way of saying it is “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” Different cultures have different understandings. In the Gitxsan culture of northern British Columbia, gifts require, at some point, a return gift of even greater value. As an outsider, I was always hesitant to give gifts, as it obliged the receiver to pay me back with an even greater gift. Once I gave someone some money to help with repairs from a house fire. It was nearly a year later but they gave me a pair of shoes that were worth more than my gift. As they gave me the shoes, they said, “Thanks for your help” and it took me a while remember why they were thanking me. So many things around finance were radically different in that culture than my own that this was only one of many moments of confusion and education.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
The phrase “One good turn deserves another” is not exactly a restating of “The Golden Rule” which appears not only in the Gospels but also in the teachings of practically every known religion. The difference is that Jesus speaks of an initiative rather than a reaction. It is as if he speaks of our actions as a “first strike,” to use militaristic language.“ One good turn deserves another” is very much about a reaction that is "deserved" rather than a grace-filled choice to initiate goodness. As beautiful and simple as the Golden Rule is, in practice it can be a little confusing. Does it mean that, if I loved macaroni and cheese beyond all things, I should serve it to anyone and everyone because of that? Isn't that a little bit like buying football gear for my wife who doesn't know a penalty kick from a field goal? Given it is a pretty universal habit to project our likes and dislikes onto other people, we need to exercise some caution when living out these, seemingly obvious, words.
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.