Job’s question is the most difficult part of faith.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Job gets it.  Job understands the frustration of not having an answer to this question.

But, his wife interrupts.  Curse God and die, she tells her husband.  Perhaps what we need is a strong woman to push us toward some reality that we are not ready to accept.  Perhaps her one-liner pushes us to “be real with ourselves and with God as we work through the pain of suffering that we do not understand.” [1]  And there’s so much that we don’t understand, isn’t there?  There’s so much that we don’t know what to do with.  There is so much that we don’t know how to draw when asked, what does your God look like?

While we hold the crayon limply in our hands and make puzzled faces toward the heavens, I thank God that we have Mrs. Job.  Not because she can teach us to create our image of God.  But, simply because Mrs. Job tells it how it is.  With her harsh words, she challenges Job to break free of his old notions.

I preached these words nearly 20 years ago in the church that would become my first call. I was candidating that Sunday (where we essentially audition our gifts and talents in worship to before an official call is extended) and I still remember writing this sermon.

I can’t see this text appearing in the Revised Common Lectionary without thinking about how I lamented what to call this unnamed woman all those years ago. The sermon ends with what I understood Mrs. Job to be doing at that time which was to see God at work in all our stories. All the time.

Inspired by Job 1:1, 2:1-10

Interrupt our stream of consciousness, O Wisdom.
While we are too busy convincing ourselves that we know best,
tap us on the shoulder and remind us that we are not alone. 
We might not seen the heavenly beings but they are there
and we pray that they are up to something
just as there is wisdom in our closest relationships 
reminding us what is possible. O Wisdom, forgive us
for our arrogance and our insistence to cling to our own understandings
rather than reaching out and listening to the wisdom that is all around us.
Interrupt us and reorient us, O Wisdom. Nudge us toward your grace again.

In 2024, this Sunday would be the same as World Communion Sunday. I recently wrote a new liturgy for this Sunday here but I wonder about adding this confession and then allowing the assurance to be offered in many different languages using perhaps very traditional words to remind each other of our forgiveness in Christ.

Or you might use this prayer in the weekly email after Sunday with an invitation to practice paying attention to when we are more keen to lean on our own wisdom than turn to the wisdom of others (including God).

I might still be looking for a way to celebrate Mrs. Job and all her heavenly beings still nudging us toward that grace. I believe there are a lot of her out there in the world.

[1] Center for Worship Resourcing of the General Board of Discipleship, Scripture Notes for Job 1:1, 2:1-10, in Preaching Helps for October 8, 2006 — The Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost, Year B, Available from http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=18208&loc_id=1,612,32,52 Accessed 1 October 2006.