blog | rick morley

innocence lost: proper 14, year a

July 23, 2011

by rick

Mattie Morley playing with an elephant fountain in southern Manhattan. Photo by Rick Morley.

A reflection on Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, the Old Testament lesson for Sunday August 7, 2010 according to the Revised Common Lectionary. A reflection on the Gospel lesson for the same day is available here.

Isaac had two boys, and one conspired to lie and cheat his way into a blessing that, by birth right, belonged to the other.

Jacob had twelve boys, and ten of them conspired to kill one of their brothers–and probably would have if one lone brother hadn’t spoken up and talked them into merely selling him into slavery.

Ah, the joys of family…

Functionally, the story of Jacob’s deceit serves as a demonstration of the power of God: he chose Jacob above and beyond the societal norms of choosing an elder brother. (A similar effect is found in the choosing of David to be King, as he was the youngest of his brothers.)

moved in grief: proper 13, year a

July 19, 2011

by rick

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Gospels / Lectionary / New Testament

Bust of Marsyas by Balthasar Permoser (1651-1732), at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Rick Morley.

A reflection on Matthew 14:13-21, the gospel lesson for July 31st according to the Revised Common Lectionary. There is also a reflection for the Old Testament lessons for this same day here.

He had just received word that John the Baptist was dead. Beheaded.

Their families were close. Their mothers had gotten together when they were pregnant with each of them. They were both servants of God, sent to preach the Good News.

Jesus had been baptized by him.

And now he was gone. And it was a grizzly end.

Jesus’ reaction is the same reaction that many of us might have when we hear such news: we retreat. We need some time alone to process it. To weep. To pray. To remember times gone by—better times.
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book review: REWORK by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

July 19, 2011

by rick

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book review

I have this theory…and if I ever do that Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development (after my PhD in New Testament and penning the great American novel…) my dissertation will be on my theory.

Here it is: The collapse of the mainline denominations began in the middle of the last century when clerics became “professional managers” and churches started being run as businesses.

I could say a lot about how churches absolutely positively shouldn’t be run as businesses…but the crux of my theory comes down this this: clergy make lousy businessmen and businesswomen. Or, at least most of us do. Read More

changing by the Jabbok: proper 13, year a

July 17, 2011

by rick

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Lectionary / Old Testament / Pentateuch

Langon Chapel at The Cloisters, NYC. Photo by Rick Morley.

A reflection on Genesis 32:22-31, the Old Testament lesson for July 31st according to the Revised Common Lectionary. A reflection on the Gospel lesson for the same day can be found here.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

Jacob sent everything and everyone away. Across the Jabbok. They were gone.

He was alone. But, he wasn’t.

One of the basic precepts that I insist on, is that God isn’t there to just learn about or be acknowledged. God is there to be experienced. God wants to know us, and be known by us. Read More

Book Review Part 3: Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans

July 14, 2011

by rick

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book review

I forget when it was that I first stumbled on Rachel Held Evan’s blog. But, I do remember when I was hooked on it. During those strange days in May when every one was joking about it being the end of the world she wrote an amazing commentary on Harold Camping and his misguided predictions. It was just head and shoulders above anything else I had read previously on the issue—and it not only shifted my perception of the non-event event, but it convicted me.

It wasn’t long after that that I downloaded her first book Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions to my Kindle. I’ve read it through twice now, and I’m on my third pass through it (albeit a little quicker now). As I’ve been digesting her book, and subsequent blog posts on her excellent site, I’ve also been going through the continuing discussion of salvation (that the church-at-large seems to be simultaneously shouting about and resisting with all it’s might), regularly preaching (I do have a day job), and penning the first few chapters of my next tome.

The themes of Evolving in Monkey Town have colored my perception and thought throughout all of that, and I’m pretty pleased about it. Read More

splashing water on the floor: proper 12 year a

July 14, 2011

by rick

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Gospels / Lectionary / New Testament

"Silhouette." The Abbey Ruins at Whitby, Yorkshire, England. By Rick Morley.

A reflection on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, the Gospel Lesson from the Revised Common Lectionary for July 24, 2011. I also have a reflection on the Old Testament lesson for the week.

“What’s a tsumami?,” my seven year-old daughter Zoe asked. She had just walked into the family TV room and caught a glimpse of the morning news of Japan’s horrific earthquake before I could change the channel. She had asked what had happened, and we decided we’d be as truthful as we could.

After explaining how far away Japan was, and that Basking Ridge wouldn’t probably have any tsunami’s, we then had to try and explain the physics of a tsunami to her. After stammering through a few sentences on tectonic plates, it was clear I wasn’t getting anywhere.

So, I took a breathe and began again: “It’s like what happens in the bathtub when you and your sister splash around so much that water gets on the floor…It’s like being in the tub and you all of a sudden moving your legs very fast, up and down—wouldn’t that make the water go back and forth?…It’s kind of like when you see someone dive into a pool and they make a big splash.”

That, she understood. Read More

Tech Review: The Bible in 90 Days in YouVersion’s Bible App

July 14, 2011

by rick

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Tech Review

YouVersion Bible App This past Lent I didn’t “give up” anything, other than time. For, the Lenten spiritual discipline I chose was to read the entire Bible, cover-to-cover in 90 days. The “90” days thing was handy, in that the season of Lent is 40 days and the season of Easter is 50 days—so, voila! 90 days.

I know that there’s a resource which you can buy [The Bible in 90 Days: Cover to Cover in 12 Pages a Day (New International Version)] to do this, but instead I used the free Bible app by YouVersion on my iPhone and iPad.

I LOVE this app. It’s with me everywhere I go, and I use it several times a day. It’s easy to navigate, includes a ton of translations to choose from (I even had the need to use one of the several Portuguese translations a few weeks back…) and notes and progress sync between the applications on the two devices. In the app there are several reading plans to choose from, and when you select one it walks you through the readings for each day. Read More

Book Review Part 2: Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans

July 12, 2011

by rick

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book review

This is part 2 of 3…

More and more I’m a believer that when we talk about salvation and damnation, heaven and hell – what we’re actually talking about, right there under the surface, is the character of God. What we believe happens to the souls of humanity after death says a lot about what kind of God we believe in.

And, when we’re talking about hell and damnation, it’s maybe a little easier to think about nameless, faceless people going to hell. It’s a lot harder when those people become individuals. With names. With mothers who love them.

With tennis shoes on their feet.

In Part Two of Evolving in Monkey Town Rachel Held Evans talks about one name and face in particular which forever changed her understanding of God, and God’s character: Zarmina. Zarmina was the young woman in Afghanistan who was executed in a soccer stadium in 2002 after a kangaroo court found her guilty of a crime she didn’t commit. Footage of the gruesome execution found its way onto CNN, and citizens of the world got to witness the atrocity for ourselves. Read More

what the… proper 12, year a

July 12, 2011

by rick

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Lectionary / Old Testament / Pentateuch

A "lomo" rendering of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. By Rick Morley.

A reflection on Genesis 29:15-28, the Old Testament lesson from the Revised Common Lectionary for July 24, 2011. I also have a reflection on the Gospel lesson of the same day.

Like countless liars before him, and countless liars after him, Laban stood there and bold-faced-lied to Jacob. And, like countless victims throughout the ages, Jacob bore the full brunt of the deceit.

Seven whole years of his life had been spent working to earn the right to marry his beloved. And then after being tricked into marrying the wrong girl, he had to work seven more years.

Fourteen years to marry the woman he loved.

And yet…it’s not like Jacob is just an innocent victim here. Remember why he had run away? Read More

a rocky night: proper 11, year a

July 8, 2011

by rick

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Lectionary / Old Testament / Pentateuch

A few stones of the standing stone circle of Lochbuie on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Photo by Rick Morley.

Last summer my parish had an evening discussion group (wittily titled “Caffeinated Theology”) which looked at “The Kingdom Experiment,” by The House Studio. The concept was simple enough–each week you look at one of the beatitudes, and then choose an “experiment” through the rest of the week to explore living some aspect of the beatitude in question.

I think the week was “blessed are the poor,” because for my experiment I chose sleeping on the floor–like most of the world’s poor do. I’ve done quite a bit of hiking and camping in my life, so I didn’t think it would effect me too much.

But, it was hard. (Pardon the pun.)

I could never get comfortable. I woke up in the night often. I had a hard time getting back to sleep. My hips hurt. My shoulder blades hurt. The back of my head hurt.

But, maybe the worst part was that I felt the effects throughout the day.

I realize that as I write this, I’m saying it like it was a bad thing. I actually tried to use those painful moments to repeat the week’s mantra, “blessed are the poor.” If nothing else, the events of the week helped keep that verse in my thoughts and mind repeatedly. Constantly.

With every throb and wincing joint I was reminded of God’s blessing. And who God blessed.

So, when I hear that Jacob laid down one night and cuddled up with a rock…it takes me back and makes me wonder…how good did he sleep that night? And, for how much of the following day and week did he ‘feel’ it.

Did it help infuse the following day, and week, and month, and lifetime with the life changing events of the night? Did that rock help with constant reminder?

Could he feel the blessing of God in his joints, and shoulder blades, and skull?

Maybe.