Shoots...... and new life

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.   Isaiah 11: 1

A stump. You’ve seen one. What once had been a mighty oak,  a graceful elm, or a winsome ash became sick and died. And people with chainsaws came and carted away what was left, leaving only a stump. Ignorable. Inert.

But God promises us that what is dead will provide sustenance and shelter for that which is being resurrected.

              “A shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse,                                                              and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”

In you, what has died? And what shoot, what quiet idea, is silently gestating in the deepest part of your heart?                            

What is longing to be born?

God promises all new life. 

Advent

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!   Isaiah 2:4-5

This Sunday, after we eat our Thanksgiving dinners and face the pandemonium that is Black Friday, we will enter into the season of Advent.  Advent means “before the coming” in Latin and it is the season of the church year where we consider Christ’s promise that He will come again.  To dismiss Advent as simply a “countdown to Christmas” or “four candles and a wreath” would be a grave mistake.

During Advent, the Church considers how the world will change when Jesus returns. We are called to self-examination and repentance as we think about how ready we are to stand before Christ upon His return. But it’s not all about dread; Advent calls us to glorious hope as well. We wait with joy and hopeful expectation because He promises that, when he comes again, wars will stop, dissension will cease, and an era of  peace will ensue. How ready are we for a dose of peace and an end to dissension?

His Law is Love and his Gospel is Peace.  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 

Light Bearing

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace. The Song of Zechariah

Light over Galena       L.Meade

God promises to bring relief to the tormented, the poor, the oppressed; to “shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

Those lines, somehow, are grafted into my synapses and mysteriously appear in my consciousness when things get rough;  a balm to my soul when my heart is troubled. This week. I’ve been wondering what it might be like to be the agent of such blessing. What would be like for me to bring such light into another person’s life? To carry the lamp of tender compassion into another’s distress or grief? 

And then I realized, it is most always another traveler who brings the light to me when mine has grown dull – often someone regular and rather unremarkable; often someone just like me, being God’s agent at work in the world. God uses regular folk, folks just like you and me, to bring a guiding light to others when they’re in darkness. God’s funny that way.  

Just regular folks like us. 

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent-- its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.  Isaiah 65: 24-25

None of us are perfect. There is no perfect candidate, no perfect government, no perfect solution. And we have a new President-elect this day; and neither is he perfect. The letter to the Colossians reminds us that there is no perfection except in Jesus Christ.

So whether you are celebrating or grieving today, let us remind ourselves that the goal is God: relationship with Jesus Christ, love for one another, and that we are all beloved of God. Perhaps the greatest challenge will be to live into the prophesy of Isaiah: the promise that the wolf and the lamb will come together, perfectly, in Jesus Christ. That is my prayer. 

Praise

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song; *
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. 

Psalm 149:1

An abbreviated Whispering this week, because I am on vacation.

As I've been traveling through the Rocky Mountains and the desert Southwest these last two weeks, I've seen God in many faces and in many skies and I've whispered "Hallelujah!" many times.  We're called to that; called to praise and sing songs to the Lord.

What does praising God feel like or look like to you?  What are your songs? And do you have any NEW ones?

Thanks for your prayers. May the peace of God bless each one of you this week.
Liz+