This Is What Happens When You Procrastinate II
The Family Table Devotions
Truth be told, I did have this Family Table Devotion almost complete. During the editing process, it occurred to me that it may be clever (and humorous) and drive the point of our procrastination; hence Part One. Further disclosure: It was suggested that I continue the "procrastination" jest theme with a different screed and riff on Pastor Dan's "May The Fourth" devotion. For good or for ill, I am less of a nerd than Pastor Dan! Is that a Revenge of the Fifth reference?
Quite often in scripture there is driven a sense of immediacy. The fast paced Gospel of Mark may set the standard. In the first few verses, Mark uses " immediately" three times, this urgency carries throughout the entire book. We see this call to quick action in last Sunday's reading from Acts 8:
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is an isolated area.) So he got up and went. And there was a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was on his way home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit told Philip, “Go over there and stay close to that chariot.” Philip ran up to it and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet.
Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
The man replied, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Now the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will talk about his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.
The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet talking about—himself or someone else?” Then Philip began to speak. Starting with that very passage of Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. As they were traveling along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
He ordered the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they stepped up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away. The eunuch did not see him anymore, but went on his way rejoicing.
Philip, however, found himself at Azotus. And as he went from place to place, he preached the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208&version=EHV>
Contrast Philip's requisite fast paced engagements to the Ethiopian's sedentary contemplation of God's Word. I will just note that the whole interaction is set in the context of a moving chariot. The Ethiopian's move from sitting reading to urgently desiring baptism (and joining the family of God) to continuing his journey -joyfully- is a wonderful example.
How often are we carried along by life and circumstance? Who is running alongside us? Do we desire to join the family of God? Do we continue our journey joyfully? At times we are called to be like the Ethiopian. Other times we are called to be like Phillip. Wisdom comes from knowing the difference.
There are perils in asking "What if?" in biblical narratives; but hey, the Ethiopian asked Philip a question… What if Philip procrastinated? What if Philip waited for confirmation from another angel of the Lord? What if he casually strolled instead of running alongside the chariot? Do you see what I mean about asking the "What if?" question? We try to grasp the narrative, much like the Ethiopian!
We have arrived full circle! What happens when we procrastinate? I will quote St Luke from Acts 21:
We said nothing more except, “May the Lord’s will be done.”
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2021&version=EHV>
Trust the Promises,
Steve Skiver
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