Lectionary: 501
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| Miniature A-frame at the Minnesota State Fair |
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, "Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."
I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
He said to me, "Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."
I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
The young nurse smiled helplessly as the Veteran made a great show of tasting and gagging over the awful taste of his medicine. After two or three of these outlandish demonstrations, with several minutes of whining and complaining in between each sip, he had made virtually no progress against the small 8-ounce glass of liquid. But the nurse maintained her pleasant smile through it all.
A few minutes later an older nurse, unsmiling, entered the room. She handed him the glass and he drank it -- with no apparent ill effects. Sometimes the prophet with the sour disposition is the one who delivers the goods.
Some Christians think they should be cheerful, happy and joyous all the time; but sometimes the prophet has a sour stomach and a sourer disposition -- not from what she ate but from what she must say. There are some things that cannot be said with a smile.
It’s not easy to be a prophet. At first the invitation may sound wonderful. It is a great privilege to know the Lord and to claim Jesus as one’s Friend, Savior and Lord. It is good to be a member of God’s prophetic people, the Church.
But it’s not easy or fun. Nor should it be.
A young fellow asked me once about my ministry as a hospital chaplain, “Is it fun?” I was floored by the stupidity of the question.
The training of the prophet involves many difficult and hard looks at oneself. It requires availability to the push back of others. There criticisms may be hard to take but they must be acknowledged gratefully. I must see that my love was, in fact, lust or arrogance or envy or fear. My desire to help was my need to control. My advice was judgment. If I want to take the splinter from another’s eye I must acknowledge the log in my own.
The call to prophecy is not a guarantee of righteousness. It is not that uniquely American commodity -- personal salvation. It is not about me. It is a calling to endure a sour stomach with the Christ who drank his cup of suffering to the dregs when he spoke the truth to us.
Ah, yes. To the young everything must be fun. I hope their definition of fun is different than mine, because just because it is fun doesn't mean I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your hard working ministry. It is important ministry.
I am bothered by the harshness of your response to the young man's question. While his choice of words lacked sophistication, he was asking if you enjoyed your work. A caring and curious question - not stupid.
ReplyDelete"Stupid" is a strong word. Perhaps you'll be glad to know I didn't say it to the young fellow. But I couldn't really imagine where he was coming from. And you're right: he was asking if I enjoyed my work, a very good question for a person starting out.
ReplyDelete