Trinity Sunday
June 4, 2023

Business before pleasure

Is this a statement about temporal ordering, or is it a statement of relative value?  Does it mean to value business more than pleasure or are we to finish business before engaging in pleasure?  When I lived among the Gitxsan First Nation, the opposite seemed to hold true.  Big feasts were always served before business.  Pleasure came before business and they told me the reason for this was that people are less argumentative on a full stomach.

Genesis 1:22  
God blessed them, saying, 
"Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas,
and let birds multiply on the earth."

The first creation story is more than two-thirds finished before making reference to anything that presents as pleasure rather than work. Even "being fruitful and multiplying" can be demanding work although we can grant that it is also something that brings pleasure.  It is interesting to note that animals are trusted with this pleasure before humans.  In the first story of Creation, at least, God mixes pleasure into the midst of work; seemingly escaping any division of the two that is implied by the saying, “business before pleasure.”


Proper 6
June 11, 2023

You can't get blood out of a stone

This ancient phrase, thought to be of Italian origin, is in Charles Dickens' David Copperfield describing the futility in trying to collect from a debtor who has no money. Its use is more general in such cases as getting wisdom from a fool, or juice from a poor fruit, or any other number of cases where added effort is unlikely to produce any better results.  Reflecting on these words leads us to territory somewhere between resignation and regrouping.  Similar phrases such as “quit while you are ahead” and “don't throw good money after bad” echo this aphorism.   

Matthew 10:14
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.

Jesus invokes an act of Jewish piety that would allow Jews to separate themselves after having spent time with Gentiles.  Luke's version of this teaching makes it explicit that this was "a testimony against them” [who would not welcome you.]  The more commonly used phase, "shake off the dust and move on" is less hostile.  Like “you can't get blood from a stone”, it promotes a sense of practicality and an openness to change when success can no longer be expected.  

Proper 7
June 18, 2023

I am still alive for a reason

What is your closest call with death?  Was that a certain death or a possible death?  The answer to this question is one of many that often separate the life experience of people who have have been incarcerated from those who have not.  Long ago have I lost count of the people I have met that came close to killing themselves with an overdose, survived motor vehicle collisions despite all odds and have stared down a loaded gun or survived a wound from a bullet. I have never knowingly come close to any of these. I also have lost count of the number of times people have expressed the idea, “I am still alive for a reason” but remain unclear, in most cases, what that means to either themselves or others.  My best guess is that they believe God intervened and kept them alive and the reason behind this is a particular task or objective needs to be completed before they die.  What pressure!

Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
we too may live a new life.

We are all alive for a reason.  This verse identifies that reason as being so "we may live a new life."  Within that notion, and what specifically this means for each one of us, there has to be quite a bit of diversity.  Such a sense, that there is God given purpose in our life, is not the sole possession of those who have had a significant brush with death. It is a gift to us all.  However, a near death experience, however defined, likely brings into focus this promise of "newness" that it is portrayed by our sharing life, death and resurrection with Christ. A colleague of mine would quickly respond to any declaration that someone was alive for a reason with a short and simple question. "What is that reason?"  He was not looking for a tidy answer but rather was inviting the person he was with to begin to think of their lives in terms of mission and purpose rather than accomplishment. He was asking, "Where does the rubber hit the road?"    What is new for you? Today!
 
Proper 8
June 25, 2023

Trust your gut

The challenge with these words, like any quote it does not answer the question, "compared to what?"  Many people use the rubric of "head, heart and gut" as the three centres we operate from.  Another way to say this would be "mind, emotion and instinct."  Indeed, expressions can be found such as "follow your heart" and "have a sober second thought" that offer alternative advice. All sorts of folk, from Jack Canfield to Paula Abdul, have told us to trust our gut.

Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin,
you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

This verse comes from a much longer section in which the point is made that we can trust the new heart in us rather than having to follow rules to know what we ought to do.  It is message of Gospel and grace rather than rules and laws.  And although the verse and passage talk about what is from the heart, it talks, as our quote does, about instinct.  The Gospel promise is that God can give us new instincts, instincts we can trust. 
 
Proper 9
July 2, 2023

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

In 1814, American Preacher Lorenzo Dow argued that any doctrine of predestination is inherently contradictory with the words: “You can and you can't, You will and you won't; You'll be damn'd if you do, You'll be damn'd if you don't.” Now, this phrase is usually used with very little, if any, theological context. It describes a difficult choice of acting or not acting and the perceived gains of each choice are not as great as the perceived dangers and risks. Common use would say that if you haven't studied for an exam and you are offered to take an oral exam instead of a written one, you would likely fail regardless of which option you choose.Damned if you do, or damned if you don't. There’s no winning.

Romans 7:18-19
For I do not do the good I want, 
but the evil I do not want is what I do.

These verses imply that, on our own, we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. One immediately thinks of Step I of AA, as these words describe our powerlessness in the face of temptation. Taken literally, this powerlessness can become a built-in excuse for any wrongdoing. Our fallen nature is responsible for our broken ways of living.It is almost like excusing yourself by saying “the devil made me do it.” Conversely, others interpret verses such as these as an invitation to a battle, a battle between good and evil waged within your very own body. Paul reflects, what is thought of as core orthodoxy. Namely the notion that we can overcome evil, not by our own effort or wisdom, but by grace alone.
 
Proper 10
July 9, 2023

It’s all good

“It's all to the good" is an accounting term indicating that the statements are satisfactory and heading in a more positive direction. The shorter version is used in endless circumstances with equally endless connotations. Generally, it means whatever discomfort or conflict was in the past, no longer impact or even relevance. It can also be used in a passive aggressive way, as if to say, “It is all good right now because I say so, but I reserve the right to change that whenever I want to.” Used this way, it is a hostile reminder of who holds the real power. Yet another use is shown in an incredible documentary movie made in 2004 called I, Curmudgeon which has all sorts of interviews with people who have embraced grumpiness, sloth and depression. My favourite part is a rant about the phrase “It’s all good” that vehemently argued that it is not all good and that any use of the phrase is simple delusion. I was aware of this in the prison system. When I would ask someone how they were and got an upbeat positive response, I used to joke “Now we really have a problem… you shouldn’t be okay here,” or I would remind them that it is not all good.

Isaiah 55:12
For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

What a stunning depiction of joy! Even trees clapping their hands.  I worked with an Orthodox Rabbi who always gave what I took to be an odd answer to the question, How are you?’  He would always reply, “God is good.”  At first I took at as cheeky but with time I became curious (but not enough to ask him) and eventually I embraced his answer. I assume his answer was to say, “in  the grand scheme, my ups and downs are little in comparison to the goodness of God.” He was able to say “It’s all good” in a way I came to love. The Hebrew Scriptures are full of reflections on God’s wonderful and fantastic nature. God's goodness is beyond measure. If we can see everything as being under God's creation and care, we can also say “it's all good” and mean it. 

Proper 11
July 16, 2023

Rome was not built in a day

This assertion can be found in French in a collection of proverbs from 1190. Dickens's fans would know the term from his novel, David Copperfield. It is a colourful call to patience, with particular respect to large projects. The less quoted second half of the proverb, “but it burned down in one” makes the point all the stronger.

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, 
we wait for it with patience.

The promise is given in the following verse that the “Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words” when we do not know for what or how to pray. It is almost as if the Spirit can be patient for us when we can't be. In either case, we have all been told, at some point in our lives, that patience is a virtue.


Proper 12
July 23, 2023

Don’t go it alone

As advice for climbing a tall and wobbly ladder, this aphorism speaks of the value of partnerships and mutual support. Extended, it could be taken as proclaiming the value of communal collectives such as food-purchasing clubs or cooperative housing. Note the use of the word “don’t” which implies we actually have the choice to “go it alone” – a suggestion some would counter as being impossible, if not absurd. We are “going” with others whether we wish to or not. Given this understanding, the phrase might be restated, “Don't pretend you are going it alone because you are not alone, whether you like it or not.” Part of the problem of this phrase is that it holds irrespective of the value of project at hand. Such thinking is at the core of recruitment into organized crime activities. Petty thieves are recruited into much larger and more sinister operations to reap the economies of scale to be gained by “not going it alone.”

1 Kings 3:9-11
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people
and to distinguish between right and wrong.
For who is able to govern this great people of yours?
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 
So God said to him, Since you have asked for this 
and not for long life or wealth for yourself,
nor have asked for the death of your enemies 
but for discernment in administering justice,

In this text, where King Solomon is speaking with God, the not going it alone refers explicitly to God's help. There is a story I love about a man shipwrecked on a deserted island praying to God for help. When a couple arrives in a sailboat and offers to take him to safety, he replies that he is trusting in God to save him. When a naval ship comes by and calls him to board, he gives the same answer. Finally, when a helicopter hovers over him and calls by loudspeaker, he once again refuses, saying he has prayed and God will save him. The man dies from starvation and exposure. In the afterlife, he complains to God and God replies, “I tried to rescue you three times, and each time you refused my help.”

Proper 13
July 30, 2023

Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do.

The original quote, from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People continues: "But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” The quote can be found between praise for Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Carlyle for being people who were kind, diplomatic and consistently avoided negativity.

Psalm 145:8-9
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

These verses, which come from a long and compelling psalm of praise, are devoid of criticism, complaint and condemnation.  What’s more, they appear to describe a God who is characterized in the same way. 

Proper 14
August 6, 2023

Be careful what you ask for

These words are associated with Oscar Wilde as they are the moral of his 1891 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Aesop’s story of The Tortoise and the Eagle tells of the tortoise who wishes to fly and is carried to the skies by the eagle and is dropped only to fall and shatter his shell.  The tortoise reflected on the events and realized that wishing for the ability to fly had been the first mistake and to try to act on them his second. An episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery in 1971 entitled Pamela's Voice starred Phyllis Diller. Her husband had killed her so we would not have to listen to her annoying whining.  He is confused when he realizes he is listening to her.  She explains that he is dead and this is his afterlife.  He responds that he never thought she would be in heaven.  Her answer is priceless: “In heaven Jonathan, in heaven.  I am afraid the arrangements provided for you are not quite so accommodating.” The words “be careful what you ask for” come to mind whenever I begin to wish or desire and are amplified whenever I begin to take that energy and move it into the realm of prayer. This applies not only to sharing our wishes with God but with others.  A story floats around my hometown of a wealthy business owner responding to his spouse's complaints about the lawn not being mowed at the cottage by bulldozing their entire property and painting it green.

Matthew 14:28-30
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 
He said, “Come.” 
So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 
But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, 
he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

These verses, which follow Jesus walking on water, live out the words “be careful what you ask for.”  Many a sermon is preached on this story, and Peter’s faith followed immediately by his lack of faith. In moments he is confident enough to ask for the ability to walk on water and then is unable to maintain the confidence to do so. He was not careful in what he asked for, And while Peter is rebuked by Jesus for his “little faith” it is only two chapters later (16:16) where Jesus is ready to make Peter the “rock” of the church. 

Proper 15
August 13, 2023

You shouldn't tell tales out of school

The phrase is likely older than 1530 where it is found in British Reformer William Tyndale's The Practyse of Prelates. Often appearing with the word “never” at the start, it is generally used as a rejoinder to mind your own business. The fact this phrase arose in the context of a school could imply that such behaviour is correctable in the young but intolerable in the adult. This notion is strongly enforced in the criminal world, sometimes in brutal ways. Slicing someone’s mouth to make it bigger is a punishment for having talked or “ratted out” someone to police. The scar marks them forever not to be trusted. In that culture, the circumstances are irrelevant and the innocence of the phrase above is but a mere dot in the distance.

Matthew 15:19-20
For out of the heart come evil intentions, 
murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 
These are what defile a person,

Confidentiality, respect for privacy, and the absence of gossip all fall into a well-known category. This is the category of things that people say are wrong but still do. Surely these words of Jesus, which lump false witness together with an impressive list of wrongdoing, can be understood as a reminder to “never tell tales out of school,” for such actions not only “defile a person” but undermine the very spirit of healthy community.

Proper 16
August 20, 2023

Ours in not to reason why

This phrase is actually a slight misquote from Lord Alfred Tennyson's 1854 poem about the Crimean War, Charge of the Light Brigade.  His actual words are "Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.  Into the valley of Death, Rode the six hundred."  It talks about a soldier's role to follow orders rather than to think for himself. Even if one's owns reason can predict certain annihilation! It is often used in much broader terms than the narrow military context for which it was first written.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you
not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment, 
each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

This verse encapsulates what might be the greatest challenge of living the faith.  We are not freed from thinking for ourselves nor are we given carte blanche to trust our every instinct.  Instead we are to live in challenging middle ground where we are asked to test the spirit of each moment.  We are to use our God given sober judgment; we are to reason why! Yet, there is a constant call to humility as to remember where our ability to reason comes from.  We are prone to err on both sides of the "sweet spot" where we follow God’s lead.  We can create a false humility where we never reason and therefore abdicate our creaturely responsibilities.  Or, conversely, we can tilt too far in the other direction and trust our own judgment so much we forget that very ability to judge is a gift from God.  This applies in the moment, as well as both in the past and in what is yet to come.
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​​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.

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