for Sunday, August 15 (Proper 15)

Full of God
Jeremiah 23:23–24

This is a week when listening closely may lead to confusion and even distaste. We adults have learned to focus, for instance, on the lovely image of the “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews, but reading beyond that line raises some fairly bloody stories to consciousness.

And one simple line from Jeremiah, v.23, comes out with drastically different meaning from one translation to another, because of English words that have had to be supplied to make the Hebrew read: “Am I ... near by ... and not far off?” God demands to know in KJV or NRSV, and Peterson reads “Am I not ... near ... and not ... far off?” The Tanakh’s reading of both/and seems more consonant with the following verse, on God’s omnipresence. So let’s go from the inside out.

• If your community is comfortable, this is a great opportunity to rehearse and renew baptism. You can let kids get their hands on the technologies they’ve seen used — fonts, aspergills — and talk about symbolism vs. magic. Put enough clear pebbles in your font for each participant who wants one, and cover them with water. I’ve also used blossoms, such as from azaleas, or loose petals.
• Only the very brave will explore the pockets of participants, especially young men.
• Play Hide and Seek.

Props: My favorite baptism talisman is a small, flat, clear pebble of quartz. My first was molded glass for putting in the bottoms of vases.