Scripture Text (NRSV)
Proverbs 1:20-33
1:20 Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her
voice.
1:21 At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city
gates she speaks:
1:22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long
will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
1:23 Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I
will make my words known to you.
1:24 Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand
and no one heeded,
1:25 and because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none
of my reproof,
1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic
strikes you,
1:27 when panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like
a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
1:28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will
seek me diligently, but will not find me.
1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the
LORD,
1:30 would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,
1:31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way and be sated with
their own devices.
1:32 For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools
destroys them;
1:33 but those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease,
without dread of disaster."
Comments:
Refusal to heed the call brings misfortune indeed. I am reminded of
Joseph Campbell's many books of the journey of the Hero/Heroine and
the inner call of that "god within" that we all are given but few risk
listening. An extremely timely message for the day in that relying on
external motivations or total dependence on technology as guides
rather than aides on the road to discovery of the Christ within, will
usually lead us to a panic driven state. How can we hear Wisdom's call
to listen to the inner voice calling us to more adventureous life and
awareness of God within. Any thoughts out there re: references and
further ways to enhance this line of exegesis? BB in IL
A month or so ago I read an article in the "New Yorker" about the
difference between "choking" and "panicking." The author used the
following as an example of choking. When a tennis player, I believe it
was Lindsey Davenport, was a young, inexperienced player she was
within a point of winning a tennis game with an experienced,
professional player (I can't remember who). But she blew the game
because she began thinking too much. When we do physical activities
over and over our bodies learn the activity so we no longer have to
think about what we're doing any more. When she realized she was about
to win her first tournament, she choked and began to think about every
move she made and in essence, her body was no longer in control as it
should have been. She missed shot after shot until she lost the game.
Choking is different than panicking because when we panic we forget to
think. The author used as an example a scuba student who was
descending for her final dive before passing her test for
certification. She was to descend to the ocean floor with her partner,
take out her regular mouthpiece, and replace it with her spare,
emergency air mouthpiece.
When she took out her regular mouthpiece, reached around for her
spare, and took a breath, she got a mouthfull of salt water instead.
She panicked and although all she needed to do was to reach back down
for her regular mouthpiece, she couldn't think what she should do and
because the only thing within her sight was the air mouthpiece of her
partner. Her first reaction was to reach out to grab that.
I thought that was an interesting distinction and description of those
two human responses to danger or fear.
How true it is that wisdom seems to mock us when we panic (or choke)in
the face of danger or fear or clamity. How true it is that we should
listen for wisdom in our lives.
Shalom, sp in mass.
In these verses Wisdom is personified as a woman. Here wisdom is a
gift of the Lord, rather than human achievement. Though Wisdom offers
her hand to those who scoff at her, they have spurned all such
counsel. That they come to ruin is predictable.
I went to my church while on my dinner break this evening and read the
Scriptures aloud. The phrase "How long ..." kept ringing in my ears.
And I started to think about the martyrs around the throne crying out
"How long ..." And then I began to hear an old Michael W. Smith song,
"How Long Will Be Too Long":
How long will we grovel at the feet of wealth and power How long will
we bow down to that golden calf How long will be too long How long
will we curtsy to the whims of new religion How long will we water
down the truth, 'til truth is no more How long will be too long
(CHORUS) The power of faith and love Can change the stuff we're made
of But still we wait How long will be too long
How long will we drink from the chalice of indifference Neither be hot
or be cold Can a sober soul know How long will be too long
(CHORUS) Is there not more to us Than cursed dust to dust I feel my
hope fading How long will be too long
How long will we travel from the ways that God intended Won't it all
tumble down if His Holy wrath comes How long will be too long
(CHORUS) The power of faith and love Can change the stuff we're made
of When will it be too late How long will be too long How long will be
too long How long will be too long
Some very challenging lyrics from a pop artist. (This was fairly early
in his career.)
I wonder if those in our congregation sometimes wonder, "How long ..."
Early thoughts from PastorBuzz in TN
Sorry if the lyrics run together. Forgot to change line breaks to
paragraphs. PastorBuzz
Early thoughts from PastorBuzz in TN This makes a pretty good call to
worship. I'm sorry my bulletin is done. Nancy-W
I am plaaning to preach on Wisdom and want to make the connection with
the Mark passage. The disciples do not understand the concept of a
suffering messiah - it is not conventional wisdom. In what ways do we
deny Jesus or not take up our cross when we follow conventional wisdom
instead of divine Wisdom? I plan to use both the Proverbs and Wisdom
of Solomon passages. It will probably be a teaching type sermon. Any
suggestions? Blessings LGB
LGB- I am trying to do this but also using a bit from the Wisdom of
Solomon. I am asking the question what informs your wisdom, The prayer
at the begining goes like this so far... work in progress remember..
Will you pray with me, Holy One, you whisper you haunt us in the
proverbs with your wisdom, In James you again call us to
accountability, and in Mark, you tell us to be careful what informs
our wisdom. Help us to connect your wisdom to our lives. May the words
of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in
your sight. Amen.
The quote I am building around is:
Brennan Mannings wrote the prelude to dc talk's "Jesus Freak" CD, in
which he says, ""The greatest single cause of atheism in the world
today is Christians who profess Jesus with their lips, then walk out
the door and deny him with their lifestyles. That is what an
unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."
I am using the image of the mirror from Wisdom of Solomon and ask
people to reflect on their own life.
Thats about as far as it is. Nancy-Wi
My early 3-point outline
1) The CALL of WISDOM (20-23)
2) The CALAMITY of WAYWARDNESS (24-32)
3) The COMFORT of WISDOM (33)
(Yes, I'd like to find a different word in the last point, but ... I
love alliteration.)
Peace,
JG in WI
This is kind of in response to the question about how to connect this
to Mark's passage and Jesus' teaching about suffering as a not at all
welcome bit of wisdom...
I just finished reading the article in Christian Century titled,
"Middle-earth truth's - Frodo's Faith." In this article (which is an
excerpt from Ralph C. Wood's upcoming book -"The Gospel According to
Tokien") the author lifts up the wisdom of Gandalf and Bilbo and Frodo
and Sam.
At the heart of their "wisdom" is pity, mercy, hope, faithfulness, and
love for enemy. Wisdoms which are not wisdoms of the world but are
otherworldly, are spiritual, are divine. Much like suffering is a
wisdom which is not of this world. In Tolkien as in the gospel the
wisdom and experience of suffering frees the soul and brings the soul
closer not only to itself but to its creator.
Jesus cries out in the street, how long, how long...
Mark in WI
An earlier poster made this comment:
We are accustomed to asking, "What is wisdom?" This passage has us
asking, "Who is Wisdom?"
In the reading from Mark, Jesus asks similar questions: "Who do people
say that I am?" "But who do you say that I am?"
It seems a good connection between the two passage are those questions
Jesus asked and their connection to who wisdom is. Who do people say
Wisdom is? But who do you say Wisdom is?
Mark in WI
Wisdom calls for consistency. One must listen to wisdom, not in a
moment, but in a lifetime. We often think of a "wise man" as someone
with a long grey beard. While this is not necessarily the case (that
every wise person has such a beard, nor that everyone with such a
beard is wise), the analogy follows. G. K. Chesterton once wrote, "A
man cannot grow a beard in a fit of passion." So, too, a person cannot
become wise "on the spot." It takes a commitment - the kind of
commitment a beard takes. Daily time listening to the words of wisdom
(sometimes over and over again) is what builds wisdom in an
individual.
"Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will
make my words known to you," not just in a moment, nor in a "fit of
passion," but every day.
I have a practice of reading the book of Proverbs every month (the
book has 31 chapters - most months have 31 days - read a chapter a
day). I've been doing this now for about six years. While I have never
seen the change in myself, many others have. It's a practice some in
the congregation have taken up and the change is showing.
JG in WI
