Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind… ~Job 38:1 We are in something of a storm ourselves these days—whether we choose to acknowledge and address it meaningfully or not. Catastrophic weather events signal a climate crisis that is not going to go away by itself. We know these are not, as we used to call them, “acts of God” but weather patterns that have worsened as a result of human action. And there are consequences. We are already experiencing profound stress around immigration patterns, but these will only get worse with an explosion of climate refugees. And these will only be further exploited for politically manipulative ends. Our future is in question and wisdom seems scarce. It seems that God has waited patiently while Job and his friends have waxed eloquent about his own past, present, and future, considering, reasoning, arguing about the problem of pain. Finally, out of the torrent, God speaks: “Who is this [speaking] words without knowledge? … Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” What ever gave you the idea that this is all about you? Likewise, in Mark 10, James and John are ready to center themselves as they demand of Jesus that he make them his right and left-hand men as if that’s what’s needed in the present moment. Perhaps these ancient texts from another time and place have something to teach us not only about suffering, but about our own time and place, about our relationship to all that is holy and good, and about priorities and investments we must make as we seek to join God in mending the world. And to that mending, this Sunday we will take a little time to put these stories in context of our own, and of our mending and (hopefully) faithful response to what we see happening around us. We will take a more conversational tack this Sunday. Join us! Enter into worship. Readings: Job 38:1-7, 34-41 † Psalm 104:1–9, 24, 35c † Hebrews 5:1-10 † Mark 10:35-45 About the Art: Idaho Squall, Scott Anderson, 2021.
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