Genesis 42:18-28

I cannot say that this reading has meant any more to me than the entire story of Joseph, he of the coat of many colors. Oh, the many pictures I colored of him in Sunday School. Nor do I remember any discussion about him, and Joseph was a colorful character. What a pity for that oversight in my religious education because Joseph’s story is one of intrigue, faith, and forgiveness. It has more twists and turns in its telling than any modern twenty first century tale.

Kidnapped by his older brothers, ripped from the home of his beloved father and his younger brother Benjamin, he was sold into slavery in another country, Egypt. It was years before he was reunited with those he loved. But this is a tale of God’s steadfast presence in a miserable situation. Time after time Joseph was tested physically and emotionally by God, who gave him strength and abilities to help him rise above his environment. An organizer and what is more important an interpreter of dreams, two gifts from God, put him into Pharaoh’s favor and made him eventually in charge of Pharaoh’s kingdom. During a severe famine, when Joseph’s brothers come begging for food from Pharaoh’s vast supply-house, they beg from Joseph whom they do not recognize. This man is powerful, well-dressed and wears the king’s ring, a token of authority. Is Joseph angry, or vindictive? Absolutely not, only anxious to know of and to see his father and Benjamin. He has recognized these brothers, and he has forgiven them for what they did to him so many years ago. And here I am going to say that what Joseph does is so clever and unusual that it must be read to be appreciated. What this story says to me is that no matter how dreadful the circumstances and how hopeless it may seem, God is with us and will see us through the toughest of situations. Never give up hope because God doesn’t—ever.

Lord, my daily prayer is that You will help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me that you and I, together, cannot handle. Amen.

~Betty

Holly and his harmonica were rarely parted all the years that I sang in the choir with him.  Our most senior member, Holly joined our church and choir in 1948, a record-breaking 65 years ago!  Every so often, as we waited for Jim to call us up to the front to rehearse, Holly entertained us with a lively tune on his “mouth organ.” On Sundays, his deep bass was always a welcome sound coming from the back of the choir.

Hollis Holden was born in Belmont, where his mother played the concert harp in their church and taught piano.  As a young boy, Holly would accompany her to the lessons.  This is when, he believes, his love of music got started.  After the Second World War, when Holly served with the army in Europe, the family moved to West Concord, where Holly met Carolyn, a West Concord native, on a blind date.  They were married in 1950, raised two children, and have lived in West Concord ever since.

Just one year after Holly settled in our town, he opened his Acadian Machine Shop on Beharrel Street, a familiar building which still stands in its original location and which he continued to operate until 2010.  His mother lived for a while in an apartment in back of the shop, where she would play her harp and fashion handmade wooden clothes- drying racks to sell.  Imagine yourself walking into the shop to witness Holly operating his machines to the sound of a gentle harp!  Holly explained the name of his shop, which had always been a mystery to me:  his mother came from Nova Scotia.

Holly and Carolyn loved ballroom dancing and acquired their nicknames that way.  So the next time you see them, say hello to Fred and Ginger!

~Polly

Genesis 42:1-17
1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Mark 3:19b-35

The lectionary readings for a given day usually have a common theme, and today’s theme appears to be “Really Awkward Family Moments.” In Genesis, Joseph sees his eleven brothers for the first time since they sold him into slavery; Joseph then accuses his brothers of being spies and has them thrown in prison. In Corinthians, Paul rails against a man who is sleeping with his father’s wife. And in Mark, when Jesus’ mother and brothers ask to meet with him, Jesus ignores their request and preaches to his followers that they are his mother and brothers.

Families are messy. Families are complicated. Most don’t reach the extremes of slavery and prison, or the Corinthian behavior that sounds like a Jerry Springer show. But the emotions underlying the passages are still common and recognizable. My extended family is nearly as good as Joseph’s at turning sibling rivalry and disagreements into life-long rifts. Or I think about the gospel passage from Mary’s point-of-view, as she is faced with such a stark reminder that her child is now a man leading his own life, with no need for her input. I know I have made decisions in my life that my parents were not comfortable with, but had no power to alter. And I find it disconcerting sometimes to look at my teenage son, as he’s learning to drive the car, and see in him the man who will someday steer the direction of his own life, without me in the passenger seat reminding him to slow down.

Jesus’ message in the gospel that we are part of a larger family, that of his followers, is very fitting. In some ways, such as modern disagreements between Christian denominations, those family dynamics are just as messy and complex and prone to ugly rifts. But no matter how much baggage we associate with the notion of family, we often find a great deal of comfort in being part of a spiritual family whose members care for and pray for one another, and support one another in our efforts to follow Christ.

God, thank you for all the blessings of our families, in all the different families we are part of, and please give us guidance to meet any challenges we face as part of those families. Amen.

~Sharon

Psalm 57

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (v. 1; KJV).

“In the shadow of thy wings”—an image of solace, comfort and protection.

I felt that God abandoned me when I was a child, and I have been wandering around the edges of faith for some time searching for answers. This Psalm spoke to me and became a turning point for me. As I read, reread and contemplated the Psalm, I began to understand that God did not abandon me, but instead rescued me— in Her timeframe, not mine.

“For my soul trusteth in thee.” Trust—to have confidence in, to have faith, hope and certainty. A gift from God.

Ruth 2:12 reads, “may the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

May we feel God’s love and compassion as we continue our journeys. May
we recognize God’s mercy and blessings. May we offer praise and thanksgiving and glorify God especially during times when we are struggling. In Jesus’ name we pray.

~Dorothy

This fall, members and friends of WCUC gathered to connect to scripture through creative writing.  You can read more here and by picking up a packet of other pieces at church.

God will be the sure foundation for your times. Isaiah 33:6

The bud stands for all things
Even those that don’t flower
~Galway Kinnell

Times? These times?
When a family splits. When dreams dash. When fear grips.
When confusion visits. When joy transports.
Something to stand on, solid, firm, non-corroding. Sure.
Something to build on, move from, come back to.
Foundation, at the start,
Are we always building?
Roses budded in my garden,
Sweetly fragrant on October,
Start and start again.
The bud stands for all things
Even those that don’t flower.

 ~Barbara

Matthew 17:1-9

“[Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (v. 2).

Peter: Do you see what I see?
James: It looks like Jesus, but…
Peter: What’s happening?
John: Let’s get out of here!
James: No, wait, there’s Moses and Elijah.
Peter: What in the world?

We won’t ever know what was really said that day. Matthew tells us that Peter, ever practical, offers shelter to the three who appear before him. It seems a strange reaction. If I had been there, I would I have been so blown away to be speechless. If I had been one of Jesus’ three BFFs invited up the mountain, I would have anticipated a quiet, private chat, maybe sharing a cup of wine, some bread and cheese, a chance to check in and pray together. Like the other times when we had gone off to get away from the crowds. But, wham, all of a sudden my friend and teacher turns into what looks like a blazing fire. I have to shield my eyes from the bright light of his face. I’m terrified! Is he going to burn up right in front of us?

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the vision evaporates. Jesus is himself again and, as he has at other times, warns us to keep quiet , at least for a while. I still don’t understand all that just happened to Jesus up there on the mountain, but I think that something has happened to me as well, and that I, too, have been changed.

~Polly

Mark 2:23-3:6

This passage exemplifies to me both the difference between Jewish and Christian Sabbath traditions as well as the overall approach of Jesus in eschewing tradition in order to do good. In the first section of the passage, Jesus disputes with the Pharisees about the meaning of the Sabbath. When Jesus’ disciples pick corn on a Sabbath, which is not approved of by religious law, the Pharisees confront them. However, he rebuts them with an example from the old testament and with his own philosophical view that “the Sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath.” In this case, while religious traditions such as the Sabbath generally benefit people, this does not mean that they have to be followed even in cases where it is harmful. They are a tool to help mankind rather than a proscription against what can be done.

This is even more clear in the second part of the passage when Jesus chooses to heal a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees refuse to acknowledge that he has a right to heal the man. This is symbolic for the larger conflict between following religious traditions and attempting to do greater good.

Pope Francis is such a popular pope because he too is focusing less on tradition and more on good deeds. Overall, while religious laws are certainly intended to be followed, the point Jesus makes is that is not why they were made. The laws were made by God in order to help people, not just in order to be followed, and this should always be kept in mind when applying the law. This is not moral relativism but instead just looking at the individual moral rules in the context of overall absolute morality. Jesus shows it is best to apply the laws so that they will do the greatest good, above all focusing on helping people, not just obeying. If one must choose between healing the sick and using a justification to do nothing, one should do as Jesus does, and heal the sick.

God, let us have the courage to do good rather than do nothing. Amen.

~Mark

Genesis 40:1-23

Egypt’s Pharaoh was angry with his chief cupbearer and his chief baker and he sent them to prison. It is unknown what they had done. They were looked after by Joseph, also a prisoner. Both the cupbearer and the baker had dreams with different meanings. The men called upon Joseph to interpret their dreams: the cupbearer’s dream of a vine with grapes pressed into liquid into Pharaoh’s cup meant that within three days Pharaoh would restore him to his position; but the baker’s dream of three cake baskets of bread on his head eaten by birds meant that in three days he would hang on a pole.

To me it is unclear and troubling why one man’s outcome is good and the other man’s outcome is poor, based not on evidence of behavior but on the interpretations of their dreams. It raises thoughts of random misfortune that I and others are vulnerable to as well as random good fortune.

What was God’s role in the interpretations? Before Joseph gave the cupbearer and baker the dream interpretations Joseph said, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” Why would God have an unfair outcome for one man and not the other?

Dear God, help me understand the unexplained inconsistencies in life and still find trust and comfort in your care.

~ Rosalie

Mark 2:1-12

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk?’ ‘But so that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic—‘I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.’ And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never say anything like this!’”

Jesus was just beginning his ministry and he needed to establish credibility about his authority as God’s Son. He had been telling the many people who are following him important lessons about God and the need for them to love God and to follow God’s wisdom. But Jesus was preaching a new direction and new lessons for the Jews to follow. Many were skeptical and reluctant to change. I believe Jesus was showing the crowds that the few who wholeheartedly believe in Jesus’s message will find favor with God. Jesus did not have much time to let the truth of his message grow in people and build their belief in him. I believe the most direct way for Jesus to show God’s love for those who believed in, and acted on, his message was to perform dramatic miracles that cured the sick or lame.

In this passage, the four men who brought the paralytic believed in Jesus so strongly that they even cut a hole in the roof and lowered down the paralytic’s pallet for Jesus to notice. On the basis of their faith, Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins. But skeptics did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and had the authority to forgive sins. They needed a healing miracle to convince them that what he had been preaching was authentic and true. Jesus needed to attract attention to get his message across, and by healing the paralytic whose friends showed both faith and a willingness to take dramatic steps based on that faith, he demonstrated his authority and convinced receptive people of God’s power through his message.

Jesus, help me to see the miracles that happen through God’s grace every day around me, and help me to believe in the good news that you brought to all of us. Amen.

~John S

Mark 1:29-45

“See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people. But he went out and began to talk freely about it and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.”

The first chapter of Mark talks about the many miracles Jesus performed as he healed people. As a medical person I do believe in miracles. I have seen people healed and we could not find a valid scientific reason why they improved. I also firmly believe that as we care for people we can definitely “heal” a person without “curing” the disease or condition. A smile, a touch, a conversation, a meal, a prayer or just being with someone can make a world of difference to a person who is ill or hurting. I cannot explain Jesus’ miracles but I do not feel that I must understand exactly what happened to the leper or Simon’s mother-in-law. Jesus healed these people with love and caring which is much more powerful than drugs or surgery. Why did Jesus want to keep his miracles quiet? Was he overwhelmed with crowds and illness? Was he tired and exhausted? Did he feel that preaching was more important that healing? Although he chose the country instead of towns, people still came. At this point, I see Jesus as a man, tired and desiring rest. He can no longer move about freely. His path has taken an unexpected turn.   In our daily lives, our direction in life does not always work out as we had planned. Hopefully, we will find contentment in the new direction as we follow Jesus’s plan.

Gracious God, Give us guidance, give us direction, and fill us with love and mercy as we attempt to follow the example of your precious son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

~Ann