Genesis 18:20-52 ; Hosea 1:2-18; Luke 11:1-13

July 29, 2007
Genesis 18:20-52
Hosea 1:2-18
Luke 11:1-13

Life has a language.
And scripture has a word for us.
These two thoughts frame LCL's Lectionary reflections.

At first glance this Sunday's readings are all about connection. Jesus teaches us how to connect in prayer; Abraham wants to know how long a connection can be sustained when two cities decide to go their own way; and Hosea makes the point that Israel and God are estranged.

From a pastoral point of view connection involves accompaniment. As a leading cause of life connection is not a temporary accommodation. It is a long and often arduous process. Relationships may ebb and flow, but it is an awareness of sustaining connections that gives life. God accompanies us over the course of time, and asks us to do the same with each other.

In spite of all that has gone awry in Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham prompts God to say that if just 50 inhabitants are found to be righteous the cities will be spared; well, actually 45 would do the trick. So would 40; and 30 would suffice; perhaps even ten would save the cities. The story gives solace to any for whom mission has become a lonely experience. But its deeper message reveals how reluctantly and slowly God determines whether or not the wayward cities should be destroyed. It takes a lot for the God of creation to end part of creation. It is a long reading, and a long process, this severing of connections.

We can't help but read the story with a bit of smile. We think of the times we've almost given up on the church and its myriad committees. We think of how patiently and fervently we nourish a thread of connection with our teenagers when they flew like Icarus into the sun's blazing heat. At great cost we wait for the prodigal to return. At great cost we wait for the church to declare its mission despite its tendency to turn inward. At great cost we keep connection alive and accompany each other through life.

And then . . . if the ties are severed . . . and when the ties are severed God points us towards a new beginning. We learn with certainty that separation from God leads to death and that learning informs our ministry and our world of accompanying relationships.

In the complex and beautiful Hosea passage we hear anguish and anger mingled together as Israel neglects the lessons of Sodom and Gomorrah. Hosea's son is to be named Lo-ammi which means NOT MY PEOPLE. The words are chilling. You DO NOT BELONG is a prelude to the injustices of our world in so many ways. Without an insurance card, you DO NOT BELONG. Without a job you DO NOT BELONG. Without the “right” ethnicity you DO NOT BELONG.

But the final word in scripture is not one of separation. “In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' it shall be said to them, 'Children of the living God.'” we read in verse 10.

Connection and the possibility of accompaniment is re-established. Life once again holds promise. How does that happen? How do we accomplish that? Jesus shows the way and, as usual, his words direct a symphony of connection.

Note again what has so often been noted in the Lord's prayer.

Our . . . the first word is plural.
Father . . . the second word is relational
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven . . . the thought speaks of connection as profound as creation itself.
Give us . . . we must receive from another, and be open to the reception.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us . . . it is all transactional and sins is plural showing that this connection is trapped by a single moment in time.

If we are to be about life in our churches, we need only keep sacred teachings about connection alive with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength and all our soul.

Larry