not good news

Two readings for Sunday, threatening as the dickens.

The Epistle

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

The Gospel

Luke 13:1-9

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

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Not really early, but it's still dark out, clear across StAndrews Bay. From my window seat here, the high-rise apartment buildings on Thomas Drive are brightly lighted. I went outside an hour ago but looked across not up, so do not know whether there are clouds in the sky or a starlit heaven.

In fact, the Weather icon on my phone says it's 57° and 87% with fog, but I see no fog on the Bay at the moment. Maybe later; sometimes fog appears instantly. Right now though I'm looking across SAB at the lower, mid-rise apartment buildings at Bay Point, quite clear.

Second mug of hot and black, half-mug actually, from the latest bag of Xmas coffee club. All good, each one is different. So far I like the first one and the last one best of all, but this new one, which arrived Monday, is also quite good. Fresh and clear, clean, crisp. For personal taste, I brew it slightly stronger than the norm that seems best for comparing them. Anyway, a new bag arrives about every three weeks, which the company decided based on my initial report to them about how much coffee I drink, for the standard teacup size of about five ounces, usually about three cups, or a coffee mug and a half. Half-mug here. Now and then I reward myself with a second pot, especially early afternoon when the morning was especially busy, or cold, damp, windy.

Earlier I was contemplating the Lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday. For me an Episcopalian the Collect is innocuous, harmless, the OT lesson may be my favorite Bible story, God telling Moses that his Name is יְהוָה lovingly, fearfully, cautiously, reverentially and respectfully pronounced Adonai; or haShem, which simply means "the Name". And the responsive psalm is fine.

But the epistle and the gospel - - which in my growing up years before the 20th century liturgical reform and new BCP were all we read on Sundays when there was Holy Communion - - my thought is whoa. All our kind and gentle Episcopal clergy will wring a smiley-face sermon out of it, but I'm all whoa this is Lent alright, punishment for sins. If you misbehave, your house of straw will be blown away and you will be consumed. Probably by the inspired zeal we sang about in our closing hymn last Sunday.

Paul lays down the threat based on Israel's history. He then seems to try to back his way out of it, but it doesn't work for me, it says the wages of sin is death no matter how assuring Paul tries to be at the end.

And the gospel, which is Luke's alone, he didn't lift it from Mark, nor did he get it from Q, it's Luke's own composition, Jesus says repent or perish, pretty uncompromising. But oh, wait, the parable of the hopelessly barren fig tree, also from Luke only, offers the possibility that maybe you'll get one more chance before the axe.

Threats of doomsday for you, good sound preaching material for Lent: how under heaven will anyone get a smiley-face sermon out of this?

Reminds me of two things. At the Lutheran seminary I attended we were taught that preaching the gospel should take the congregation down into the depths, and then in conclusion lift them up. They had a term for that preaching strategy, I forget what they called it.

The other thing I'm reminded of is the church that had a guest preacher one Sunday. He introduced his sermon with the proclamation "Alleluia! God loves you and you are saved!" At which their regular minister leaps to his feet and cries out, "OH MY GOD, don't say such things to them. Half of them are going to hell with their eyes open."

Yep.

RSF&PTL

About the art: evidently all the artists who did images of the barren fig tree think it has to be shown dry and leafless. Anyone who has grown and grown up around fig trees knows better: a fig tree can have a lush, thick growth of huge, green leaves season after season and still never produce the first fig; that's a barren fig tree. Cut it down, or better yet, dig it up.