What do you do when you’ve just been caught breaking and entering, not to mention nearly murdering a tarantula? I had to talk to someone. Not my brother, he’d rat me out to Mom and Dad immediately. Friends? It was hard enough trying to fit into Belliacre Junior High. A potential criminal record would only make things worse. Then I had an idea: Jealous Plant. Jealous Plant belonged to Pastor Susan Basil. When she’d first started at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Belliacre, the congregation had gotten together and bought her one of those potted plants with the trailing vines for her office. And it seemed like a nice gift, but there was something odd about the plant. It looked normal and all, but it never managed to stay in Pastor Basil’s office. The custodian would find it in the garden shed, vines wrapped around a shovel. The quilters kept discovering it in the middle of their different projects, usually with a big pile of dirt rubbed into the fabric. The altar guild was alarmed to find it sitting in the sacristy with a bottle of wine upended in its pot. A motion was even made by the church council to dump the plant in the compost bin while the quilters all signed a petition to have the bishop come to perform an exorcism. But Pastor Basil put her foot down. The plant, she insisted, wasn’t bad or possessed, as the quilters insisted, just jealous. It didn’t like being left out of anything. So Pastor, in front of the whole congregation, lighting a candle and everything, baptized the plant and named it Jealous Plant. It was the least boring service ever! Then she started taking Jealous Plant with her on visits and including him in different meetings. She even let him sit next to her during worship. Jealous Plant was a regular at Sunday school, and I had discovered that he (Pastor insisted it was a he) was a good listener. Since Jealous Plant was already known to be jealous and a troublemaker, I never worried about him judging me. He just sat there, as plants do, but I always got the sense that he heard what I had to say and paid attention. Not even grownups always do that! Jealous Plant, I thought, I need to talk to Jealous Plant. To Be Continued Luke 7:44-50 Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jealous Plant does little to ingratiate himself to the members of St. Mark’s. How does Pastor Basil’s welcoming of Jealous Plant change his behavior? What is it about Jealous Plant that makes the narrator so ready to trust him? In what ways has forgiveness and hospitality changed how you treat others? A reading of chapter 4 by Amelia Corbett
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I would have stolen that eyepatch too, except the operation didn’t quite turn out as planned. Having accepted my brother’s dare, I slipped out of the house and headed down the street toward the edge of town. My mom always calls Mr. Skink’s trailer an “eyesore.” She’s kind of right. Our town may be relentlessly boring, but it is very clean and very orderly. The lawns are so well manicured, it almost hurts to look at them. The sidewalks are spotless and the houses practically identical, each one as neat and annoyingly cheery as the next. Besides such perfection, Mr. Skink’s trailer sticks out “like a sore thumb,” as my dad likes to say. When I arrived, the trailer was silent. Creeping up to the front, I pressed my ear against the door. Nothing and then, the faint sound of snoring. I was in luck! No way Mr. Skink would keep his eyepatch on while he was napping! Slowly I wrapped my fingers around the door handle, giving it just the slightest turn. More luck, it twisted with only a faint creak. Barely breathing, I slipped through the door and took one step into the front room. Still no sound except for the faint snoring coming from somewhere in the back. I raised my foot to take another step and nearly put it down on the biggest, hairiest spider I had ever seen! I shrieked and immediately heard a yell from the now very awake Mr. Skink, “who’s that!?” I turned, slammed the door behind me, and took off down the street running as fast as my legs could carry me. To Be Continued Luke 12:39-40 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he[g] would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Did Jesus just compare himself to a thief? Jesus probably has little interest in breaking into our homes and stealing our eyepatches, but as human beings there are all sorts of other things we hang onto: grudges, guilt, grief, the list goes on. If Jesus is going to come to us like a thief, what might he steal from us? What memories, feelings, and habits get between us and loving God and our neighbor? Chapter 3 read by Amelia Corbett
Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could a town as relentlessly boring as Belliacre have a reptile house? Reptile houses are full of interesting animals, fascinating trivia, and trendy gift shops. The thing is, our reptile house is just a private home with, well, reptiles, and a couple spiders thrown in for variety. My parents say that Mr. Samuel Skink showed up when we were still small in a rusty green pickup truck pulling a trailer just teeming with snakes, lizards, and even a couple tarantulas hanging out the windows. He parked that trailer on the edge of town and he and all the snakes, lizards, spiders, and God knows what else, have been there ever since. Mr. Skink keeps himself to himself most of the time. Sometimes we’ll see him at the grocery store, talking to an orange and black tarantula perched on his shoulder, or riding his bicycle through town with a great big python draped around his neck. He rarely smiles or says much of anything that isn’t directed to a snake or spider. Then there’s the eye patch. Nothing wrong with an eye patch, except Mr. Skink can’t seem to decide which eye it belongs on. Some days it will be covering the left, other days the right. My brother had the idea that the thing was magic, which is why he came up with the dare to steal it. To Be Continued Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Jesus places himself among “the least of these.” He builds community with outsiders: women and men with bad reputations, people pushed to the side because of illness, as well as beggars and foreigners. What would Jesus have to say and do with someone like Samuel Skink? What about the narrator? A video recording of chapter 2 by Amelia Corbett
Nothing ever interesting happens in this town. Every single day, we do the same thing. Nobody else really seems to mind doing the same thing every day. My mom and dad tell us that routines are good, well routinely. Our church always sings the same songs, prays for the same things, and stands and sits at the same time. It’s no wonder Jesus hasn’t come back yet, he’d probably be bored stiff. The relentless predictability of small town life in Belliacre, MI is probably why my siblings and I are so into Truth or Dare. You never know what is going to happen in a good game of Truth or Dare. Secrets are uncovered, terrifying deeds are done...no wonder the grownups are always telling us to play something else. In fact, the most epic thing to ever happen in the history of Belliacre was all because of a Truth or Dare game. It was my little brother’s fault. Most things are probably the fault of somebody’s little brother. But to be fair, I was the one who picked dare over truth. The dare in question was to sneak into the town reptile house and steal Mr. Samuel Skink’s eye patch. TO Be Continued Mark 13:32-31 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” Have you ever been bored in church? What made worship boring? How can we balance the comfort that comes from routine with the need to keep alert and seek Jesus in our day to day lives? Chapter 1 as read by Amelia Corbett
Starting December 1st, this blog will be featuring a daily devotional recounting the trials and triumphs of St. Mark's Lutheran Church as they struggle to put on a Christmas Pageant with high expectations and limited resources.
In telling this story I relied upon the creative genius of Amelia Corbett and the artistic whimsy of Stephanie Dubbs. The story you will read and reflect on could not have been told without their gifts. I hope this story of preparation, disappointment, and...house geckos is a source of joy and spiritual renewal for you this Advent. At the very least, I hope you laugh at the jokes. All the good ones are Amelia's. In Christ, Pastor Emily Revelation 2:7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. Classical Insight Unlike many of our other “clever words,” this one is actually quite common in Classical Greek! In fact, νικάω (nikaō) is a verb that students often encounter early on in their Greek studies, in part because it provides an example of a distinct pattern of conjugation (but we don’t need to worry about that here). Its familiarity is probably due, in part, to its broad usage -- it can describe victories in battle, athletic contexts, law courts, and arguments, and might often be better translated as “to prevail.” Devotion Wondrous things are promised to the churches that conquer or win νικάω: the morning star, manna, fruit from the tree of life, white robes, among other things. But how does the church go about winning? If we look to Jesus, victory does not involve fierce battles and daring deeds, but the cross. A Christian is victorious not through winning but through losing. Not necessarily heroic losing either. Song, story, and cinema glorify the idea of a last stand. The hero dies in a fiery battle, resolving the problem through bloodshed, his enemies’ and his own. But if the cross shows us anything, it is that we are not the heroes in this story. Jesus is the savior and we are the saved, freed to lose because victory is not up to us. What if apostasy protects a loved one? What if denying Christ means we get to live and witness another day? What if lying about our belief shelters the vulnerable? And what if at the end of all of this apostasy and denial and lying we turn to Christ, trusting in his mercy for a messy world? It may not be heroic, it may not get us a halo or stained glass window, but it does proclaim Jesus, and Jesus wins in the end. Questions for Reflection When have you experienced failure as a Christian? How have you encountered Jesus in failure? Verse
Revelation 2:19 “I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. Classical Insight In Euripides’ Electra, the chorus expresses its “small” or “little faith” (πίστιν σμικρὰν, pistin smikran) in a story about the actions of the god Zeus (lines 726-736). This Greek word, pistis, is a pretty good match for the English word “faith,” with its range of both religious and secular connotations. We, too, speak of having “little faith.” Yet how do we really envision degrees or magnitudes of faith? How might we measure it? Is “faith” or pistis an either/or proposition (you have it, or you don’t), or can you have a bit of faith -- and what would that mean? Devotion When we have said the Lord’s Prayer during parking lot church, I have invited people to place their hands on their car windows as a gesture of faith, Πίστις. Even though we cannot hold one another right now, it will not always be so. Faith is not an easy thing to keep. Many of the churches addressed in the first few chapters of Revelation are starting to weaken in their faith keeping. Continuing to live out their faith in Jesus in a hostile environment day after day is exhausting. It is no wonder that John repeatedly urges them to repent and reorient their lives and priorities. We too grow weary. We ache for normalcy, for the simplicity of a Sunday morning of singing, sharing the Lord’s Supper, and holding hands as we say the Lord’s Prayer. These practices do so much to keep us strong in the faith and without them it can feel like that faith is slipping away. Thankfully, while we are disciples in the faith, Jesus is a master. In the life, death, and resurrection of Christ we see just how faithful God can be to God’s people. When we stumble and grow weary, when we give up and let our faith drop to the ground, God keeps holding on. God is faithful and will keep that faith and keep us too. Questions for Reflection What faith practices have helped you keep the faith over the past few months? Who is an example of faithfulness in your life? Revelation 2:9
“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. Classical Insight Θλῖψις (thlipsis, say that three times fast) is not a common word in Greek literature. It shows up in medical writing as a term for physical pressure, before it is used to describe metaphorical “pressures,” or “oppressions.” In a treatise linked to the philosopher Aristotle and his school (the “Problems”), for example, the author explains how the application of “pressure” (θλῖψις) causes bruising and swelling. Devotion Discomfort. Inconvenience. Awkwardness. We try to minimize these feelings as a church. We want all who join our community to feel at ease and welcome. But, as of late, we have all been struggling under an unrelenting pressure: masks are uncomfortable; maintaining social distance is inconvenient; enforcing new rules is awkward. We see other faith communities making different decisions and wonder if we’re getting it right. Welcome to the reality of living in a time of persecution, or what John calls Θλῖψις, thlipsis. Now, let’s not leap to the more gory stories of martyrdom. For many if not most of the Christians receiving John’s letter, the concern was less about being tossed to the lions tomorrow and more about the daily grind of hardship and uncertainty. To follow Jesus meant to refuse to participate in the worship of other gods. As a result, the early Christians were outsiders in their own culture where worship of the Roman emperor and other deities was part of doing business. Christians suffered economically and socially, while living under the real threat of being brought to trial for their faith. Day after day they had to deal with unrelenting pressure, discomfort, and anxiety; Θλῖψις. For John, however, Θλῖψις is not just hardship but also an opportunity to witness to the gospel. Patient endurance under daily discomfort and pressure, proclaims the gospel, then and now as well. Questions for Reflection How have you experienced the good news or proclaimed it during this time of unrelenting pressure? Revelation 2:5a:
Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Classical Insight The verb μετανοέω (metanoeō) is composed of two parts: the prepositional prefix meta (with, after) and the verb noeō (to perceive, think). It thus underscores the way that “changing one’s mind” is an act of “rethinking” or “thinking again.” Socrates, in Plato’s dialogue Euthydemus (279c), remarks that he has “changed his mind (metanoeō) once more (au) again (palin),” piling up adverbs that further stress an ongoing process of reconsideration, rethinking, and reassessing. Devotion “When were you saved, Pastor?” I have known Christians who have the specific date of when they were saved: a moment when they confessed their sins and accepted Jesus into their hearts. I suppose I could say that I was saved early in January of 1987 when my family had me baptized, or I could say I was saved last night when I took a long hard look at my growing list of resentments and hurts and asked God to forgive my selfish self and remind me how to love (again). John calls repeatedly for the churches to repent, μετανοέω: to change their hearts and reorient their lives toward Jesus. But let’s remember, this isn’t the first time the members of these churches experienced a change of heart. When they first heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as Lord, their hearts were changed and they experienced repentance and salvation. And yet, John sees them in their struggles and urges them to repent once again. What John’s repeated calls for repentance show us is that God is constantly breaking into our hearts and reorienting our lives. Salvation is an ongoing process and repentance is best learned through repetition. Questions for reflection When have you had to practice repentance over the last several months? Revelation 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Classical Use Compared to other Greek words for love (philia, erōs), agapē doesn’t show up much in Classical Greek literature - it is very much a word that becomes prominent in the New Testament. Yet its earlier uses imply a mix of affection, devotion, and action comparable to what we see in Christian texts. In Euripides’ play The Suppliants, for example, a messenger (angelos!) describes how the Athenian king Theseus “tends lovingly” (agapaō, verbal form of agapē) for those who have died in battle (line 764). Devotion It has been a hard year for love of all varieties. Dating in the era of COVID-19 is even more awkward and complicated than before. We are unable to express love for friends and family in the usual ways. Add to that, in this season of isolation, frustration, and strong feelings about what is right, wrong, and essential, it is hard to remember that we love each other at all. For the Christians addressed in Revelation and us as well, love is at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. In Jesus we experience a love that transforms. This love, agape, is more than a feeling of warmth or fondness. It is demonstrated not just through emotion, but in the active care for one another. Care that is demonstrated when we do things like forgo family gatherings to keep those who are vulnerable safe, wear masks because we want to make our community safe for everyone, and speak up for justice so that everyone is able to live and love one another in peace. For Christians, love is expressed through actions. And sure, when we are tired and discouraged it is easy to forget that sort of love. But even when we are unlovable and unloving we remain beloved to God. Consider yourself reminded; you are loved and you are capable of loving others. Questions For Reflection How have you practiced love in the past few weeks? When has someone shown love to you? |
About the Blog
Journey through the season of Advent with daily updates on the adventures of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Belliacre, MI as they attempt to cobble together a Christmas Pageant with an unlikely cast of characters. AuthorsAmelia Corbett Illustrator
Stephanie Dubbs
Stephanie is an art educator and a landscape/portrait artist. Her inspirations come from the amazing people she meets and the gorgeous state of Michigan as well as her home state of Florida. She and he husband love nature. They are out in the water during the summer months and on the snow in the winter enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Archives
December 2021
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