Future in the present

I'm reading the last chapter of our Sunday school curriculum for Advent. I was interested in this sentence:

Hope becomes credible when it see the future in the present.

I thought this sentence was wise as well as true.

The author explains that Simeon, when he saw our salvation in a 40 day old baby, was seeing the future in the present. He would never see the young man preaching in the temple, the water turned into wine, the other miracles, the crucifixion or resurrection. And yet, in the present -- the baby in front of him -- Simeon sees the future.

Do we do that? I think we do. We look at our children and see who they might become. We see the men and women who will grow from these immature creatures who leave clothes on the floor and track dirt through the house.

Do we do it with our faith? Do we see a tiny ministry in our church and see what it could become? Do we look at the youth in our UMYF programs, and see future lay leaders? Future Sunday school teachers? Do we see insumountable problems and see their solution in God?

Do we have that kind of hope? Do we see the future in the present?

Image: Morning sky at the VA

The frustration of blessing

I'm reading the second chapter of the book that JtM and I are co-teaching -- Rejoicing in Hope. Several things stuck me about the chapter, but I wanted to focus on one in particular this evening.

And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Luke 1:28-30

The author of the books says:

Perhaps she knew the Old Testament well enough to know that being "blessed" is not the same as winning the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Thoughout Biblical history, being blessed is usually as painful as it is peaceful. Being chosen by God is is usually more dangerous than it is delightful.

Do blessings ever mean frustrations? Do we ever want to say, "Quit blessing me, God; I can't handle anymore of this."?

I received an email this week. It told a story that I'm going to paraphrase -- changing it just a little bit.

There was a man who listened to God. One day, God put a rock in front of the man, and told him to push on it. Being obedient and trustworthy, the man did as God told him to, and he pushed the boulder. It didn't move, but that didn't deter the man. Every day, he got up and pushed on the giant rock, straining and working very hard, but seeing no change.

Many months later, the man, who hadn't complained or questioned God, finally shared his frustration with God. "Father, I strain and I work, obediently doing what you have asked me to do, and pushing on this rock. Nothing is happening. The rock is not changed"

"My son, the rock has not moved, but you have changed. You are stronger, more obedient, more trusting. I don't care about the boulder; I care about you. And you have grown."

Sometimes our blessings bring us frustration. Sometimes we can see no results to what God asks us to do. God is love -- he can't help it -- it is his nature. He does nothing except out of love. When we trust him, and believe that he wants the best for us, we come to realize that even in the frustration of blessings, we are gifted.

Don't lose Jesus

Our Sunday school class met today to "Hang the Greens" in the Sanctuary -- garland, wreaths, tree with Chrismons -- traditional church decorations.

Our church has a papier mache nativity scene -- Mary holding Jesus, Joseph and the three wise men. The pieces are relatively large -- about 2-3 feet tall each. A few of us were setting up the scene today, and we made a "command" decision. We put Mary and Joseph out on the altar without Jesus. On Christmas Eve, we'll add Jesus, and then on January 6 (Epiphany), we'll add the wise men. As Shelly carried Jesus away, I joked, "Don't lose Jesus."

Do we do that? Do we lose Jesus in the Christmas season? We get busy and stressed, and I think we lose focus on what is important.

JtM and I are teaching Sunday school tomorrow based on the book Rejoicing in Hope by James Harnish. I was telling Steve about the lesson as we walked into Lowes, looking for Christmas trees. We were talking about how when the Advent season arrives, we get busy and we stop doing the disciplines that will lead us closer to God -- prayer, devotions. I mentioned that we were smart last year -- we made time for friends in the month before Christmas, and because of that, we had had a terrific advent season. Steve said, "And look what happened. That great Christmas gift of friendship was a gift that we got to play with all year (he can be very poetic). He's right, though.

We need to keep what is important ahead of what is not as important. The resulting hope is worth the rejoicing that it brings with it.