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+ 

Invited Guests

Jesus was passing through Jericho. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him   Luke 19: 1-2

Zaccheus -- Cover Art for the groups Day Four

A CHIEF Tax Collector!  Big, powerful, rich, but short in statre. Oh, how I love this story!  The crowds knew Jesus by this time. He was famous; a traveling celebrity. And even those who were not particularly religious, even those whose temple membership dues had probably lapsed wanted to get a glimpse of the traveling Galilean, Jesus.

Zacchaeus has become the darling of Sunday School lessons because the he was short. So short, he had to climb up in a tree so he could get a decent look at Jesus. It’s almost comical, and yet youngsters are captivated by Zacchaeus because they can relate to being short and they can relate to climbing trees.

What we don’t remember from Sunday School, however, is that Zacchaeus was very rich and he was a tax collector and it is those details to which we must attend.  A rich tax collector: despised by the locals, shunned by the religious authorities, and envied by all. And this is the man Jesus stops and talks to. This is the man Jesus chooses to eat dinner with. Scandalous! Can you imagine the rolling eyes? The murmuring? The belligerent sniffles?

That’s how it is with Jesus.  Jesus doesn’t just pay attention to those who are sitting right in front of him, clamoring to walk right next to him. Jesus looks around – up into trees even – to spot the ones who might not deserve an audience with him. 

The Jesus Prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.  Luke 18: 13

                     "Mercy"             Jackson Jim-George

There is a prayer going around retreat and spirituality circles over the past decade or so. It’s called “The Jesus Prayer” and it goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, a sinner.” You may have used it on a retreat, or when trying your hand at the Anglican Rosary, or whenever you’ve needed a quick centering prayer, but the genesis of this prayer come from Luke’s Gospel. And in its original form, it did not address Jesus at all; it addressed Yahweh. It is the simple prayer of a Jewish tax collector who has become aware of how far he has strayed from his Creator. His prayer is simply this: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

It is in that closeness, when we sense the presence of the Divine, that we realize our own brokenness and our need for God’s mercy. It is in facing Love Itself that we realize how deeply our attachments to worldly things have confiscated our attention. The Celts call these encounters “thin spaces” where the veil between the heaven and earth is lifted, if even for a moment. And it is those times when we simply must face Love Itself and whisper, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Use it. Use it at the communion rail. Use it when you notice something beautiful or something disturbing or something that angers you. God longs for us to utter these words. Draw close.

Anger as Sad's Bodyguard

For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.        2 Timothy 4: 3-5

"Anger"           Aaron Paquette

I am sad today. Sad that truth is so often swept under the rug. Sad that our country is in such distress that we are all angry with each other, calling each other names, and showing intolerance for those closest to us. The phrase “accumulating for themselves teachers to suit their own desires” – while true – is less problematic for me than the phrase which follows it, “they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” Therein lies the sadness I feel.

When we stop listening, we are on dangerous ground. We gather up all sorts of “spiritual books” and accouterments to prop up the lies we chose to believe, but doing so only pulls us deeper into mythology of untruth. Untruths become one’s truth, one’s reality. Perhaps that is what makes me so sad today.

And yet, we have Paul’s sensible advice to Timothy to cling to. We may not change the mindset of those who fabricate truths for themselves and wander away.  We must simply be sober, endure the suffering these myths bring upon us, do the work of Jesus, and carry on.  And so we will.

Pray for us. 

Seeking Joy

Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing the glory of his Name; sing the glory of his praise.  Psalm 66:1

Joyful Noise             Nii Teiko Aryeetey - Ghana

As the long days of summer shorten, and the leaves on the trees begin to change colors, and the night air begins to feel crisp, we know we are facing change. The fact is, some people cannot bear this beautiful time of year and the gorgeous fall colors because they live in dread of the onset of winter with all its associated inconveniences. But the Psalmist reminds us to keep the rite of joy in our hearts always.

“Be joyful in God, all ye lands,” the Psalmist pleads, for God has created this mysterious cycle for us. Embrace all aspects of it. Look with wonder as the leaves transform themselves into the brilliant auburn colors without dread. For if you live in dread of winter, you will miss the show of fall.

Be joyful in God when the snow encapsulates us in our homes and brings us close together before the hearth, because we are made for each other. Be joyful in God when the ice begins to thaw, and the first tentative crocus reveals itself as a testimony to God’s plan: that new life will always emerge from death.

Seek after joy and it will surprise you. And in that instant, that instant where you discover it, look up, and thank God for this unfolding, ongoing, eternal joy that God has created for our pleasure. It is there. It is there waiting for us, inviting us into the eternal embrace of the Holy Trinity.

Be joyful in God. 

Enough Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

                                                        Luke 17:5

Mulberry Tree      Vincent VanGogh

One of the subjects most often raised with clergy is the subject of faith. People will either ask questions such as, “How do I grow my faith?” or they will make comments like, “I wish I had your faith.” It’s an interesting conversation starter, because of what our Lord teaches about faith in this passage from Luke. Jesus says that if we only had an itty-bitty speck of faith (the faith of the tiniest mustard seed), you could make a mulberry tree uproot itself from the field where it grows and replant itself in an ocean far far away.  On other words, we have enough faith if we have any faith at all. 

Faith can’t be quantified. The issue isn’t about how much faith we need; it’s about God. It’s about believing that God can accomplish the unimaginable. It’s about whether we believe that God is great enough, powerful enough to accomplish miracles. We do not have to wrestle about how much faith we have; we only need to allow God to use what we have and offer it up willingly.

What is God asking you to do or be for the Kingdom this week? 

What's in yoru bowl?

There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.  1 Timothy 6:6

We come into this world alone, and we leave it alone. What matters, is what we do between those two events: birth and death. Think of an empty bowl. That’s what you arrive with: nothing. During our lifetimes, we add stuff to that bowl. Things like relationships, money, possessions, children, cars, experiences, and probably lots more stuff. 

Our bowl will ultimately be empty again as our lives here draw to a close. It matters what we put into our individual bowls. Relationships matter. Experiences matter.  Ultimately, we must make an accounting. What’s in your bowl? Is it filled with nourishment or an ever-increasing pile of superfluous clutter?

And where is God in your bowl?

Blotted Out

Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be swift to meet us; *
for we have been brought very low.  Psalm 79:8

Simon Berger

“Remember not our sins, O God; let your compassion be swift to meet us.”

How often do you think about your own sinfulness? Have you ever wondered if you’re “good enough?”  It seems that, in spite of trying to live a good life, we often succumb to sinful thoughts, behaviors, and actions. It is why we say a confession every Sunday during celebrations of the Eucharist. Having that time to confess, to take stock, keeps us in relationship with God. Our sins are forgiven whenever we return to God and face the truth about ourselves. Scripture tells us that every sin, except one, can be forgiven.*

God’s love is that complete; God’s compassion, boundless. So no matter where you are, no matter how far you have strayed, no matter how many relationships you have broken, you can be pretty sure that when you decide to mend your ways and turn back to God, God will be right there beside you waiting with outstretched arms.

It’s not too late. Return. You are loved. You are safe. You are God’s. 

* ·        For the unpardonable sin, see Matthew 12: 31-32.   

Rejoice

 `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.   Luke 15:6-7

The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a story of  God’s love. It reminds us that even when we have strayed and fallen, sinned and sinned again, God will pursue us.  God is not so much interested in judging us as God is eager to welcome us home. God follows us, waits for us, and celebrates with profound joy when we return.

God does the same for those the world deems incorrigible:  the really lost, the really corrupt, the really hateful.  As Christ’s hands and feet in the world, we welcome them too.

Who craves our attention?  Who silently longs for it? Who does not deserve it?
For I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.