Sunday, January 26, 2025
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Embodied scripture
My spiritual director Deb talked about the Examen on Friday. I shared my experiences with what I call antidotes to stinkin’ thinkin’, to monkey mind, to thoughts that fly around my brain like addled crows, cawing, calling to you and to me. Deb is a pastor at the Mennonite Church down Lincoln Avenue half a mile from our house in Urbana. She’ll be preaching next Sunday on a passage from Micah 4. Verses 1-5.
This is where Micah, who like Amos was a farmer and a prophet, sings his song of swords beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. No more lifting up swords, nor more training for war. Instead there will come a time when …
They shall sit, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
And Deb said this is not only a prophecy of safety and security, but of every person having what they need and desiring nothing more. This is the way of the Lord, and it will become the way of all flesh. She told me about Mennonite Action and their commitment to the downtrodden and oppressed. We talked about the history of the Amish, a branch of Mennonites that flourish in many parts of the US, including the Arcola, Arthur, Sullivan and Tuscola communities just south of Urbana.
For the Sundays of Advent several folks in her church prepared “embodied scripture,” during which they present a Sunday Advent text with inflection, drama, and intentionality. Deb “embodied” Luke 4 from today’s lectionary, when Jesus speaks in his hometown synagogue.
She stood before her congregation, sat down and unrolled the scroll of Isaiah. As did Jesus. As Jesus did, Deb began to read.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
As Jesus did, Deb rolled up the scroll and handed it her attendant.
The eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
I imagine that as Deb returned to her seat, her listeners sat quietly, many of them praying, imagining what it was like to be in Nazareth, watching their native son speak of the Messiah, and claim that he himself is the One.
We talked a bit about politics, admiring Bishop Budde’s courage and confidence this week as she “pleaded” for mercy from our new administration. And I showed her a T-shirt just now re-introduced by one of my favorite publications, “The Bitter Southerner.” It’s simple. It just says “HAVE MERCY” in block letters.
Of course this way of saying the obvious is not for everyone. We find ways to say politically what we think we should, but none of us much quibble with these even more famous words of Micah the peasant prophet:
He has told you, o man, what is good:
And what does the Lord require of you
      But to do justice,
      And to love kindness,
      And to walk humbly with your God.
 (Nehemiah 8, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12, Luke 4)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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