Growing Weary

 Isaiah 40: 28-31

Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?

    The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the creator of the ends of the earth.

    He doesn’t grow tired or weary.

His understanding is beyond human reach,

     giving power to the tired

    and reviving the exhausted.

Youths will become tired and weary,

    young men will certainly stumble;

    but those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength;

    they will fly up on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not be tired;

    they will walk and not be weary.

If you would, read the passage above more carefully.  A few items that caught my eye.

1. The Lord does not grow weary.  An excellent faith to remember.
2. However, youth and young men, undoubtedly the most energetic among us (unless you consider young women🙂 ), will grow weary.  They will stumble and become tired.
3. God will give them strength.

Please don't read this passage and think it means that we should ignore our weariness.  God knows we grow weary and tired.  That we stumble and fall.  Do remember that only God does not grow weary, and we are not God.

We can rely on God to renew us, to lift us up, and help us to fly again, but we should not think that our weariness or stumbling actions are weakness.  They are not - they are humanity.  We are designed by God to need to rest.  The only sin here is to think we are God, and that we will not grow tired.  

Hope in a Bird Sighting

Western Tanager
Pixabay.com

On Twitter the other day, I saw a tweet about a bird (haha) in New York City.  The person who posted (Warren Lieght) saw a crowd gathering on a sidewalk and was worried that something awful was happening.  As he approached, he noticed everyone was looking up into a tree.  In the tree was a Western Tanager.  As the name suggests, it is rare to see this bird in New York City- one hadn't been seen for 4 years in the city.  Leight wrote, "I felt great relief that all these folks had gathered - not to witness another 2020 loss - but rather to see a rare bird.  How lucky I was that a street full of New Yorkers reminded me that if you keep looking up, you might see something rare and wonderful."  It was so unusual, that a Manhattan Bird Alert had gone out on Twitter, which explained the crowd. 

What struck me though, as I read through the tweets, was how much joy and hope this bird had provided to those who saw it.  Other people replied with their rare bird stories, too. 

We should not forget that joy, delight, and hope can arrive when they are least expected (even in a pandemic year).  We have to be watching - we have to be willing to see and notice.  What small thing will bring you joy today?  What seemingly small act can you do to bring joy to someone else?

"Hope is a thing with feathers that perches on the soul."  (Emily Dickinson)  Read the whole, delightful poem, here.

Merry Christmas!

 

Happy Christmas to all!

Unexpected Restoration

 

1 Samuel 2:1-10

 

Before reading Hannah’s Prayer, imagine Hannah’s life.  She was one of Elkanah’s two wives; his other wife, Penninah, had children, but Hannah did not.  Penninah bullied Hannah, and though Hannah’s husband loved her, he did not protect her from this ridicule. 

 

Hannah prayed that God would give her a son.  Why was this so important to her? As a childless woman (in her time), she feels unworthy and useless.  These feelings are only amplified by Penninah and by the society in which Hannah lives.  She is asking for a son, but she is also asking God for restoration.

 

In chapter 2, Hannah prays about the difference God has made in her life.  God has turned her life upside-down.  God has changed everything.  In her prayer, she says, “The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.”  And “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.”

 

Hannah cannot do this on her own.  The gift of restoration that God has given her was grace.  Unearned, and truly a gift.   Who or what in your life needs to be restored? Where do you need God’s grace? How can you follow in Hannah’s footsteps and release to God what is broken?  The result of God’s grace may not be what we expect, what we ask for, or even what we can imagine, but God is worthy of our trust.

 

Have you noticed? Do you remember? God turns water into wine, sinners into saints.  God uses tax collectors to spread the word of Life throughout the world, and God turns our own hands into God’s own.  God brings life from death.

 

Prayer: Creating and sustaining God, in my hands is what I cannot release.  Open my heart so that I can release to you what I cannot restore myself.  Open my hands with your grace and change my world.  In the name of your redeeming son, amen.

Note: Also published in the West Virginia Annual Conference Advent Devotional 2020.

Silent Song

Silent Song

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever...

But,

We're not supposed to sing.

Our sanctuaries are quiet,

either because we are not there,

or because so few of us can be there,

and those who are there cannot sing.

And yet,

We know of your steadfast love, O God,

and our silence is evidence

that we love our neighbor.

Our absence is our witness

that your love has changed us.

Forever.

With my mouth, I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.

But,

Our mouths are covered by masks,

and we are not with each other.

How can we proclaim your faithfulness

to our empty rooms?

And yet,

We know of your faithfulness, O God,

Our masks are evidence of the faithfulness

you show to us and teach us.

We stand apart, with the trust that your faithfulness

will take what we can offer

and change it to proclamations of your love.

To all generations.

I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;

your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

Your children declare it with their masks,

with their distance,

with their absence.

They declare it through Zoom, and the telephone.

They proclaim with their donations to feed people

and with their smiling eyes at the store.

They tell of your love

with silenced song,

with virtual teaching,

with online worship,

and with missed communion.

And best of all, God is with us.

Inspired by Psalm 89:1-2

 

Perspectives: Propped up

 I hope I haven't share this image before, but if so, I apologize.  It just seems fitting right now.  As we move through this pandemic, the needs of our communities will change.  Will we prop up old ways of doing things? Or will we reinvent who we are, so that we stand strong and capable to do the work God has given us?

An Angel on my Desk

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Last year was the first Advent and Christmas season that the United Methodist Foundation (where I work) spent in our new office space.  We enjoyed decorating the space and planning for an Open House to welcome people into our space for cookies and tours.  Along with the Christmas tree, wreaths, and greenery, I set up a small nativity scene on a bookshelf.  It was in a conference room - the open house came and went, and I forgot about the nativity.  One day in January I noticed it and packet it up to take it back home.

A few weeks later when we were setting up for a meeting, I noticed that I had missed the packing away the angel. I sat her on my desk, meaning to take her home so that she could join the rest of her set.  But I forgot, and then I started to enjoy having her below my monitor, so I left her there.

And then, in February, we started hearing about a novel coronavirus.  By the middle of March, we were eating lunch in the office instead of going to restaurants.  By later March, we were working from home.  The world had begun to change.  We stopped traveling and started wearing masks.  We worshiped in our living room with our cat and didn't get to see Josh graduate from the University of Alabama.  

We did eventually return to our office, but there are no longer large meetings in the conference rooms.  We meet with each other via Zoom, and when we are together, we stay apart and wear our masks.

And an angel sits on my desk.  She is now a reminder that even when the world changes, God will quiet us with his love.  Even when we feel lost, God will find and save us.  Even when we cannot sing together, God is singing over us. 

An angel is sitting on my desk, and she will stay there to remind me that God is with us.

Logos: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

 

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.  (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

These two verses follow a passage in Thessalonians which is probably familiar to many:  

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (verses 16-18).  

I'm not sure we often bring verses 23 and 24 to mind, but today they struck me. 

Verses 16-18 tell us how to live - these are some of the means of grace - rejoice (maybe worship?), pray, give thanks.  By doing these, we draw closer to God. These actions are gifts from God than help us to know grace better.  And yet, when you read verses 23 and 24, I think we are reminded that grace - for that is what sanctification is - is a gift from God.  It isn't something WE do; sanctification - making us holy - is something that God does for us.  Entirely.  It isn't the actions we do - the rejoicing and praying and thanksgiving - that purifies us, and makes us more like God.  It is God who does that. 

And I don't believe that God sanctifies us because we have rejoiced or prayed or offered gratitude.  We don't earn grace by our actions.  I believe God is sanctifying us WHETHER WE DO THOSE THINGS OR NOT.  Christ died for our sins.  God has forgiven us.  God has forgiven us even for the sins we have not yet committed, I think.  We are a forgiven people.  The problem is that we don't remember it.  We don't live like we are.  And so, here are means of grace.  If we practice them, then perhaps we will be made more aware of the action of God in our lives and in the lives of those around us.  If we practice them, then maybe the choices we make will reflect the work of God in our lives. 

The truth is that God is faithful, and God will do this.  The grace is that God's actions don't depend on our faithfulness.  That's love.  Unconditional love.  Perhaps when we remember it, we will change how we live. 

Perspectives: Perspective

This is our cat, Sprocket.  He actually has a normal sized front paw, even though in this image it looks huge.   This is a reminder that what we see and what is true may not always be the same, and we need to apply our experience and common sense to what is in front of us.

Turning Around

A few weeks ago, Steve and I were traveling in West Virginia, visiting State Parks. We have a goal to visit them all. Almost all of the parks we visit are new to us, so we are often following a GPS or a map to try to find the park entrance - they are not always obvious.

On this particular Sunday, we were traveling to Audra State Park, and we missed the turn. The road to the park is a two lane road and there weren't many places to turn around. We ended up at the top of the mountain, and we found a little white church - Bethel United Methodist Church. Across the road from the church was a gravel parking lot, and that is where we turned around. 

 As I think about that, I am reminded of one of the scriptures from last Sunday's lectionary. Mark 1:4 says, "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." 

Repentance. It means to turn around. To change direction. Steve and I were going the wrong direction, and we were grateful the church was there to provide us a place to turn around. 

Do we do that as churches? Do we provide safe places for people who are going in the wrong direction to turn around? To repent? To find forgiveness? Not in a judgmental way, but in a way full of love and caring?

Logos: Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our god; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion - to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. (Isaiah 6:1-3a)

The Year of our Lord 2020 has been a doozy, hasn't it? Think about where we stand right now. There are those among us who are mourning the lose of loved ones - to the virus, to violence, to hatred, to negligence, to illness. There are those among us who are homeless, jobless, hopeless. There are those among us who are oppressed, alone, lost. The world needs the spirit of the Lord.

And not only Israel, but we are anointed by the Lord. To do what? Just look around? How can you change the year to one that is the Year of the Lord's Favor? How can you bring good news? Bring justice to the oppressed? Heal broken hearts? Proclaim freedom? How can you, today, bring comfort to those who are crying for the loss of those they love? How can you bring your neighbors out of the ashes? What can we do to offer gladness and a healing balm? Where can we offer praise?

We are anointed for this work.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom desks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

We are anointed. We are equipped. We are blessed so that we can love our neighbors.

Integrity Demands It

I was listening to the radio this morning, and someone said - and truthfully, I don't know who she was - that her integrity demanded it. That phrase caught my attention. What is it that our integrity demands that we do?

That approach to decision making has several implications:

1. If our integrity demands it, then the opinion of others takes a back seat. If integrity demands it, then popularity (or ridicule) takes a back seat. I think about the politics in the world right now. I don't think many politicians are acting as if "their integrity demands it." Not to get into the political realm too much, but the members of Congress have taken an oath to protect the Constitution. Stepping back form affirming an election - even when in private they say they know Biden won - in order to keep their follows or placate the President is not an example of decision making based on "my integrity demands it." But moving past politics, how often do we make decisions without influence of what others will think of us?
2. If our integrity demands it, then we may have to set aside our previously held beliefs or opinions. We may have to explore the decision to find the truthful information that will help us to make a decision. If our integrity demands it, then our strongly held opinion has to step aside.
3. If our integrity demands it, then our decisions may make us uncomfortable, or even have consequences we would rather avoid. I think about Chris Krebs, the administration officer who was in charge of CISA - the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency - who worked with his department to keep our elections safe, and then dared to stand up and say so. He lost his job, and I doubt this was a comfortable outcome for him. I think about the pastor I knew who walked in Birmingham in the 60's and then faced harsh reactions in the church he served. Not a consequence he would have chosen.
4. If our integrity demands it, then our decisions belong to us. We can't blame others for them; we have to take responsibility for the choices we have the power to make.

If our integrity demands it, then we have to work to develop and hone our sense of integrity. It needs to be an integrity that isn't cold and calculating, that is shaped by what Jesus taught us is most important - that we love God and love each other. The simplest definition of integrity I have heard is that integrity is doing what you have said you will do. We are baptized and confirmed. We say we are followers of Christ; integrity is acting like it.

And I fail at that probably every day.  

 

Advent Matters

 Advent.

A time when we light candles,

Sing about Emmanuel.

Prepare our hearts and minds

For the coming of Christ.

 

What does it matter?

Is it only about candles, and song?

Only about preparing ourselves?

What does it matter?

 

It matters because

I make mistakes.

I sin.

Every. Single. Day.

Without fail,

my day is punctuated

with those things I do not plan to do

and yet do anyway.

Like Swiss cheese,

my day is full of the holes

where my good intentions have failed.

If it weren’t for advent,

if it weren’t for the coming of Christ,

I would live in the pain

of my faults, my mistakes, and my sin.

Without hope.

 

Advent matters.

 

It matters because

the world is divided.

We hurt each other

Every. Single. Day.

Without fail,

our days are riddled

with the hate we pour on each other.

With the blank stare of indifference

to the hunger and sickness of others.

Our world is filled with the noise

of arguments and judgment,

of the cries pain of the oppressed.

If it weren’t for Advent

if it weren’t for the coming of Christ,

we would live in the hatred

of our divided world.

Without love.

 

Advent matters

 

It matters because

death is inevitable.

People die

Every. Single. Day.

Without relief.

our lives are lived

with the knowledge that we are dust,

with the grief of loss,

with the aching heart

of missing those we love.

Our world is filled with mourning,

with the loss of family

and of ourselves.

If it weren’t for Advent

if it weren’t for the coming of Christ,

we would live in the darkness

of a casket in the cemetery.

Without life.

 

Advent matters.

 

Because Christ has come,

because Christ is coming,

we light candles of hope, love, and life.

We sing of Christ with us.

our hearts are filled.

our lives are changed.

our future is eternal.

 

Advent matters.