Sunday Stretch: Vol. 89

Start off your week with a grounded take on Bible, prayer, the world, and your life ...

Hi Readers,

Quick additional note: I wrote this post earlier in the week prior to the tragic shooting at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania that injured the former president and also killed and seriously injured two other rally attendees. My heart is sick with sadness and fear at this escalation of political violence in America. I am praying for the healing, both physically and emotionally, for all present at the rally, and sending prayers especially to those whose loved one lost their life. I will add a petition to the prayer section below as well. May you care for yourself in these days ahead, pray often, listen, pause, and find solace in God’s peace that passed all understanding.

Original post: I’ll be honest and say that it has been awhile (years) since I have spent this much time doomscrolling and worrying about the future. The toxic stew of climate change, severe weather, war in the Middle East and Ukraine, family illnesses, insurance cruelty, and of course, American presidential politics and the reign of selfishness and narcissism has me spiraling.

Still as I write this, I can look outside and see the tree branches heavy with green leaves. Life goes on.

Let’s get to the texts. God knows we need ‘em!

Amos 7:7-15

Amos 7:7    This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. ⁸ And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“See, I am setting a plumb line

in the midst of my people Israel;

I will never again pass them by;

⁹ the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,

and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,

and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos 7:10    Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. ¹¹ For thus Amos has said,

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,

and Israel must go into exile

away from his land.’”

¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; ¹³ but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

Amos 7:14   Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am^a no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am^b a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, ¹⁵ and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Dividing lines are hard. Our general sense is division = bad, unity = good. We’re taught from a young age to value cooperation and collaboration. I think especially for women, we’re taught to “be nice,” and not to hurt anyone’s feelings. The truth is, though, that God throughout the Bible values truth over vague “niceness.” And discerning the truth requires drawing hard lines, sometimes. Stating clearly facts that aren’t “nice” or “positive” or “pleasant” is a key part of leadership and faithfulness. God’s words here are harsh. But it’s not until we are able to hear the hard words, to draw the distinguishing lines, that we can move forward with a plan for the future. I think maybe this passage asks each of us to ask ourselves: where’s your line? Where’s your boundary? What is true? What’s not true? Where is God’s word asking us to repent and change course, even when it’s difficult?

Questions to Ponder

The Bible employs all sorts of different images for God: sometimes God is father, mother, child, farmer, magistrate, shepherd, soldier, criminal. Here, God is a construction worker and laborer. What does this image of God say to you?

What images of God do you think we could translate into our modern-day society?

Could you imagine God walking through your everyday life? What roles might God take on, and what everyday objects might God use to convey God’s messages?

Ephesians 1:3-14

Eph. 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ just as he chose us in Christ^a before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵ He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹ he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹ In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^a having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹² so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴ this^a is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Unfailingly, it seems each time I read Ephesians I’m struck by a sense that it’s “too perfect,” “too pretty.” Everything seems to be systematically laid out and designed, in its proper place. I don’t often find that to be true to my lived experience. But what if I could envision that God’s design really was crafted with such detailed care and desire, out of God’s love for me and for you?

In what other places in the Bible is God seen as “gathering up all things in him?”

Why do you think this gathering and storing and collecting and stewarding is a common theme and practice of God throughout the Bible?

What is the role of destiny in this passage, and how might it coexist with human agency?

Bonus question: What is the promise of this passage?

Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14   King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’^a name had become known. Some were^b saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

Mark 6:17   For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod^a had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed;^a and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²² When his daughter Herodias^a came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” ²³ And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” ²⁵ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s^a head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

This is one of those Bible stories that kind of gives me the chills.