Give Me a Break! or Hope: An Advent Reflection

So, every once in a while I am able to sustain a relatively consistent devotional life. In those times, my "devotional" of choice is "A Guide to Prayer for God's People," a great little resource published by Upper Room. It follows the liturgical calendar and has a basic pattern of invocation, a Psalm, a reflective reading, a daily scripture reading, reflective writing, intercessory prayer, a hymn, and benediction. The Psalm is the same throughout the week. This week it has been Psalm 80, and as I read it throughout the week I have been surprised (somewhat) by the things that have stuck with me.

Earlier this week, I reflected on how the psalmist really embodied human nature. He spends the entire Psalm basically saying, "Hey God, we're in trouble, but if you bail us out this time we promise to not mess it up again." In other words, making promises he, they (Israel), and we know that we are incapable of keeping in order to get some peace from the raging storms of life. This morning, though, I really began to see the psalm as a recognition by the psalmist that there is no hope apart from God, as well as a plea for God to "call off the dogs."

I could almost hear the psalmist in our modern vernacular crying out, "Enough already! We get it, we screwed up...again...but give us a break. Please!" It just reeks of a people needing some kind of relief. Boy, do I get that! I understand it on a global scale and I get it personally (as I'm sure you probably do too). Many are the times I've watched my friends or family members go through things and I just wanted to get in front of God and say, "Really?!?! Have they been that bad? (DIGRESSION 1 or CLARIFICATION 1: I, in no way believe that pain and suffering is determined by whether a person has been "bad" or "good". Sometimes bad things happen just because bad people exist, accidents happen, and sometimes others' decisions impact our lives in ways we wish they didn't] Does it really warrant all of this?!?! C'mon God, give them a break [DIGRESSION 2: I can't type this without hearing David Lee Roth saying, "One break, comin' up!" a la Van Halen "Unchained"]! They're broken. They need your face to shine upon them and give them rest."

How or why they hang on leaves us all astonished at the human capacity to survive. Yet, some of us - like the psalmist of Psalm 80 - know what drives that capacity. It is the same thing that drove Abraham, Joseph, and Israel in the wilderness. It is what has sustained people throughout history caught in the overwhelming circumstances of a broken world. It sustained the early martyrs, the victims of crusades, wars, disease, and natural disasters.

Hope.

It is the anticipation that things can and will change...and quite possibly in my next breath.

That, in essence, is the season of Advent for those within the Christian faith. It is a renewing of hope in the face of everything that says there is no hope. It is once again reminding ourselves, and others too overwhelmed by life, that there is coming a time (as it has already come), when all things WILL be made new; that God's face will shine upon us and give us all rest. Every person. Every creature. That's good news, indeed.


Even so, Lord...come quickly

Hope or An Advent Prayer.

You had it when you formed us from dust.
Abraham had it when you promised him children in old age.
Moses had it when he led your people out of captivity.
Israel had it in the height of captivity; when the world as they knew it seemed to end.
Mary had it when visited by the messenger of the LORD.
The poor shepherd had it when the heavenly hosts sang to them.
The wisest in the world had it when they went looking for you.
The disciples had it when they left everything to follow you.
The blind, sick, and lame had it when they cried out to you for healing.
The prostitutes, thieves, enemy soldiers, and tax collectors had it when they came to you for mercy.
The martyrs had it in the face of certain death.
Your followers throughout the ages have demonstrated it in their faithfulness to You and your Kingdom.
You have it in your people, the holy assembly called the church, to be a faithful image of you in the world.

Hope begins and ends with you.

May we, your people, continue to hope in your ability to create something beautiful out of the minuscule and insignificant.
May we hope in the face of the impossible.
May we hope in the midst of captivity.
May we hope in times and circumstance that appear to have no good outcomes.
May we hope in the miraculous.
May we hope in heavenly surprises.
May we hope in fulfillment of promises.
May we hope in the journey.
May we hope in your willingness and ability to heal.
May we continue to hope for mercy in our constant failings.
May we hope in the face of death.
May we continue to embody your promises as a witness to your everlasting faithfulness.

Amen.

Grace and Peace.

The Auger or Why Ask "Why"?

I think "Why?" is the auger of the lexical/grammatical world. It is one of those words, when paired with the ever-important question mark, that begs to drill down deep. People, including (especially?!?!) children, use it when they want or need to go below the surface of things. Sometimes it is spoken out loud and sometimes it is the quiet, inner engine that drives us to the subterranean depths of our everyday experiences. Some people are afraid to use it and others don't know when to stop using it. It has led some people to amazing new worlds, while others continue to dig endlessly in despair.

I wonder, sometimes, if it is encoded in our DNA (insert your joke about "why" chromosomes here). As soon as children come into the world, they begin collecting information about their existence. As they become mobile, they embody the "why?" as they stick things in their mouths, tear stuff up, and basically get into everything. Once they learn language, "Why?" comes shortly after the "momma", "dada", and "mine". "Why?" remains pretty prevalent until parents finally shut it down with "Quit asking "why?"! It is because I said so, that's why!" It only slightly deters children until they are teens, and then it re-emerges until it is quieted once again by threatened or exhausted parents, teachers, and religious leaders. Some survive, but others put away that ever-so-important tool and settle for life as it is handed to them.

I rediscovered "Why?" when I was in seminary. I was allowed/encouraged to use it. I was able to dig below the surface of so many things that I was once told or led to believe were off limits. I read things that I was told were unprofitable. I experimented with things that I was told belonged to other faith traditions that were "dead" or less spiritual than the one to which I belonged. I experienced pain and suffering in a new ways that required "why?" to get beyond the nice answers that good church folk generally give to aid and comfort the one in pain. "Why?" was my friend once again.

Post seminary, I tried to teach others to use it. I have since learned that not everyone wants to dig below the surface. Some because "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Others because it is just too painful or risky to go too far below the surface. Still others simply out of fear of what they will find...or not find. Asking "Why?" has a way of taking simple things and making them incredibly complex, which may be another reason why people don't like using it. While I can understand and respect that much better now, I couldn't then...Why? The reasons are too numerous to count.

One of the most natural places that almost all people do use "Why?" is in times of suffering or tragedy. Recently, I have been in close proximity to a lot of that: friends losing wives and children, relatives with cancers and inoperable tumors, good people losing jobs and visited by all kinds of undue hardships (mostly as a residual effect of greed in the upper echelons of our economic system...but that's another note at another time). "Why?" is one of those words that emerges from a deep place within us, much like a groan or whimper when we get hit unexpectedly. It is an honest and primal response that seeks to be answered. We turn to family, friends, and religious leaders for answers. We call upon God. Much like an auger drilling deep, the answer to the "Why?" that emerges in these times requires time. There are no simple answers, and sometimes the answer is at the surface (yes, God is in control...), but runs deep and takes time to get there (...but why did it have to happen to me?).

In time, you may find an answer...or you may find that that there just isn't an answer beyond "because." I have found, though, that "why?" has enlarged my world and engulfed me in the wonderful mystery of life. My faith has become more solidified, simply because it is just that: faith. I do not have all the answers (I think to have them would make me a god...or at least god-like), but find myself more enthralled by the possibilities that "Why?" uncovers. Maybe that is why "why?" is so important to me; not for the answers it finds, but the numerous possibilities and hope that can emerge just by asking.

Grace and Peace.

A Great Gift or The Season of Advent

I cannot believe that we are already in the Christmas season, with its onslaught of competitive bargaining for our spending. Despite the over-emphasis on "stuff", this is has always been my favorite season. I have so many great memories of Christmases past and the great effort my parents put into balancing the sacred and secular aspects of the season; that is, the birth of Jesus with the arrival of Santa Claus.

Every Christmas Eve, after all the festivities of preparing for the Big Day were completed, my parents would gather my sister and I for the reading of the Christmas story as a last event before bedtime. I never recall ever liking this part of the evening because I had heard the story so many times and it seemed like such a waste of time...I needed to get to bed so I could wake up early and open presents. After the story, we would take time to pray and give thanks for all God's bountiful blessings. Looking back, it is obvious this was my parents' way of reminding us all of why we celebrate in the first place.

When I was in seminary, I was introduced to another important way Christians throughout the ages have remembered and celebrated the birth of Jesus: Advent. I was not reared with this tradition because the churches we attended considered such things unnecessary and quite possibly affiliated with some aspect of idolatry (which, unfortunately, was pretty much their response to just about anything that did not have its beginnings within our tradition). Anyway, I discovered the importance of Advent for the church and for my life, and recognized it as an incredible gift from the church of old to the church eternal. It became a recognition that the birth of Christ, and subsequent return, requires more than one day of recognition and celebration. It was also a reminder that the church lives by a different calendar than the rest of the world.

Advent causes us to take a slow look at the lives of the original cast of characters and consider the immense ramifications of the incarnation. It bids us to reflect on the implications of such a radical event in human history and how that effects us today. It (re)focuses the church on the virtues of hope, faith, peace, and love. Advent calls Christians to not only remember the birth that happened so long ago, but also of the ongoing hope we are to maintain as we patiently await His return. It is the beginning of the new year on the Christian/Liturgical Calendar; the new beginning of walking in "real-time" the journey of Jesus and the history of the church.

While many of my church friends don't understand its importance, or just dismiss it as something that "other" churches do, this has been an incredibly important aspect of my formation as a Christian...just as it historically has been for most of the church (and all of the western church prior to the Protestant Reformation). I don't know if it is simply because it is something new to me, the incredibly powerful symbols associated with its celebration, the lengthening of reflection time on the story of the incarnation, or its link with the church that extends past the last 200 years, but the recognition and celebration of Advent has been one of the most important and meaningful gifts I have received in adulthood.

So, in this season of buying and giving, I find myself wanting to slowly wait. In the midst of hustle and bustle, I look for silence and stillness. As others seek the perfect gift, I want to reflect on the ultimate gift...and pray, as the church has traditionally done during this season, "Maranatha! Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!"


Grace and Peace.

A Psalm of Silence or A Meditation in the Midst of Trials.

Sitting.
Listening.
Waiting.
Crying.
You are present, yet so distant.
We call out to you on behalf of your creation who are suffering, sick, and in need;
For broken relationships, sick children, loss of loved ones, need of jobs.
We hope in the midst of your silence.
You call out to your creation to come and find rest, healing, and provision;
For broken relationships, sick children, loss of loved ones, need of jobs.
You hope in the midst of our silence.
You are on your distant throne, yet you are present.
Sitting
Listening.
Waiting.
Crying.

Redeeming.
Restoring.




Grace and Peace.

Fleeting Moments or Today (in honor of Kyle)

Today.
It began without our knowing it.
It is pregnant with sadness and laughter, celebration and tragedy, the ordinary and unexpected, despair and hope.
We, and the world around us, will be changed because of it.
It started slipping away before we realized it.
It will be over before we know it.

Embrace today.
Do not presume a tomorrow.
Experience each moment fully.
Breathe deeply.
Feel the sun on your face.
Feel the wind blowing against your skin.
In your pain, cry hard.
In your joy, laugh uncontrollably and without shame.
Slow down when you eat and taste the rich flavors that make up your meal.
Take off your shoes and walk slowly through the grass.
Be fully present to your friends and family.
Refuse to let the stress and demands of tomorrow rob you of this moment.
It is the only Today you and I will have.



Grace and Peace.

Redemption or Sometimes All You Can Do is Breathe.

A few years ago, I pastored a church. Yep...me. For many of my friends who knew me back in the days in SE Texas, this is one of those things that many of them would never have imagined for me or my life. Quite frankly, at that time...neither could I. God is funny that way. Anyway, in that church, there was one family that sat together that stood as my image of redemption. They were a unique mixture of exes, love children, and steps...that all sat and worshiped together; they came to the Lord's Table and broke bread together. It was weird (in a good way) and wonderful experience; it was the Kingdom of God right there in our midst. It was a picture of redemption.

Redemption, in my reading and limited understanding, is, in essence, God taking the broken things and using them for divine and eternal purposes; a re-making of all things into something new...like my life and the life of the family in my church. This is different from God "willing" something to happen, as so often many of life's tragic events are interpreted. It is more along the lines of God transforming the broken things and tragedies of life into something beautiful and new. It is stealing the "last word" from the things that try to destroy us and declaring that God is ultimately the beginning and the end; the Alpha and Omega, to borrow from the Bible.

Too often, in the pain that comes from existing in a broken world, we fail to realize this. We find ourselves wrestling with a God who claims to be the definition of love and goodness, but our experience(s) are to the contrary (this seems especially so in times of tragedy). Faithful followers of Christ try to offer words of comfort; most are true, just spoken at the wrong time. We want to hope and believe, but deep down inside we are dominated by fear and doubt. In those moments, I have always reminded myself (and others) to just breathe.

In breathing, we recognize that we are still alive. With each successive breath, we take one small step beyond the chaos seeking to destroy us. In breathing, we also can be reminded that the One who breathed life into creation at the beginning is the breath of life that will enable us to walk in our time of struggle...and create something beautiful out of our chaos; something more beautiful than our eyes have seen or our minds could conceive.

Redemption.


Grace and Peace.