Hope Comes First

Isaiah 64:1-9

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:24-37

         Hope. Joy. Peace. Love. The four weeks of Advent. Each a reminder of the life desired of and expected for each of us. In the back of my mind I have wondered why the themes were in their particular order. This past year cancelled any argument I might make for any other order.

2014 has been the year of doubt. Hard doubt. The kind of doubt that either eliminates faith or refines it to its purest form. The questions began forming during Lent and reached a crescendo Easter Sunday. My rage from reading Scripture AND the news made it almost impossible to type my thoughts; something didn’t add up. Either the Church was seeing something in Scripture I could not find or the Bible was a fantasy that not even churches built on it could maintain.

My thoughts centered on two main questions: 1) Was Jesus real and was He the biological Son of God through the immaculate conception, and 2) even if Jesus was not real on either count, does it matter? The remainder of the year focused on coming to answers. My answers, at the moment, are 1) yes/probably not, and 2) no. I will explain more as I come closer to my final thoughts. 2014 is not over. I took a break from regular posting while I wrestled with the questions. Writing and meditation did not stop – only the posting of it.

As Advent approached I was drawn back because it has been my favorite season since I understood the liturgical calendar. My eagerness does not come from its ending at Christmas but in spite of it. The season calls us to examine our faith in light of the four traits. It calls us to live the fulfilled lives God wants for us.

So why do I agree that hope comes first? Hebrews 11:1, my mantra, says, “Faith is the substance (manifestation) of things HOPED for; the evidence of that which we have not seen. All year, despite the persistence of doubt, I hoped Jesus was real. I hoped Jesus was the Son of God. I hoped that fact mattered. It is hope that gets us to the place where we can examine the others. Even when God seems far away – hope maintains a link.

Happy Advent!

September 1 - Ordinary Time

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14

Today’s Reflection: The start of school brings students to new schools with the challenge of finding their place. Unfortunately schools copy greater society with a social hierarchy and everyone finds, or is put in, their level. One new girl sat by herself the first few days. She was clearly shy as she hardly responded when I greeted her as I made my way around the tables. I make it a point to speak to every lunch table so no one feels left out and every student has some access to me each day. On the fourth day, I noticed a group of girls approach her table and invite her to join with them at lunch. They quickly engaged in “getting to know you” banter and asked the girl why she changed schools. She shared her story of being bullied and always left alone. The girls assured her she was safe with them. They, knowingly or not, lived Jesus’s directions for interacting with one another as found in the scriptures today. The Old Testament passages from Jeremiah and the Psalms relate times when the people’s relationship with God failed to live up to the covenant. God right away challenges the people to name the fault their ancestors found in him knowing there was no such fault. Nevertheless, the people in the time of the prophet Jeremiah had fallen far from the covenant by adopting gods and a culture taken from other peoples. Their actions took them away from God’s plan. God laments the direction of his people as they live in ways that do not honor him or lead to a prosperous nation. The people of Israel, just like the Christians today are challenged to keep the right relationship with God. One reason keeping the right relationship with God is such a challenge is because as Christians, we are called to reflect that relationship through the way we treat others. The Hebrews and Luke passages direct us to care for all people no matter what their circumstances - actually focusing on the care we should show for others in spite of their circumstances with mentions of those in prison, those being tortured, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Despite the class system that so quickly sorts people in society, we are to ignore that system and carefully consider how we value ourselves against the standing society has determined. God is consistent and his promises are true. The passages direct us to care for those who have needs greater than our own for that care directly reflects our faith in the promises of God. While at first glance the focus of the Old Testament passages and the New Testament passages seem to have a completely different focus, upon reflection we see how closely tied our relationship to God is with our relationship with all people. When we lack faith in God, it becomes quite easy to ignore our duty to the poor, the ill, and the imprisoned for we ourselves fear becoming one of “them.” When our relationship is right with God, we live with the certainty that even if we become one of “them,” God’s promise to meet our needs remains, so we can meet someone else’s needs with joy.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

December 11 - Advent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Psalm 126 Isaiah 19:18-25 2 Peter 1:2-15

Today’s Reflection: Yesterday, the passage in Isaiah prompted the question, “Who am I that God would know me?” The passage in 2 Peter today answers that question, or rather refines it to “Who should I be…?” and it adds perhaps a more important question, “How do others know who we are?”   2 Peter 1:5-7 outlines a series of personal qualities that define the believer. Faith. Goodness. Knowledge. Self-control. Endurance. Godliness. Mutual affection. Love. As important as these words are, the word that comes between magnifies their power. None of the qualities exists in isolation, but each connects to the others. The connecting “with” increases the effect of the others. We cannot reach faith without love.   These qualities answer both questions. God knows us through our faith and the world knows us through demonstration of the qualities that bring us to God. The more we live these qualities, the more we effectively and fruitfully accomplish the works God has set for us to do. God knows who I am through my faith. The world knows who I am through my actions.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org