Angels in the Wilderness

Today's readings: Psalms 5, 145; Isaiah 40:12-24; Ephesians 1:1-1; Mark 1:1-13

"Jesus in the Wilderness" Charles de la Fosse, 1690

Imagine that on your first day of work the boss introduces you to everyone by proclaiming how proud he is of you. Immediately, as a reward for whatever it was you did that earned such enthusiasm, you are assigned an extended gig at a remote branch to address a disgruntled former employee who now runs the competition. Per the opening chapter of Mark, that pretty much summed up Jesus' first day on the job: John baptized him, God announced his favor from the heavens, "and the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness" where he spent forty days grappling with Satan.

That's the way life goes though. Just as we finally screw up the courage to make that change, or earn that promotion, or have that baby, we discover it comes with a new set of problems we weren't anticipating. We may start asking if we weren't better off before we got what we wanted. It doesn't seem fair that doing everything right leads to more work. But if Jesus - in whom God was "well pleased" (Mark 1:11) - was sent to suffer temptation in the wilderness, maybe we need to realign our expectations and definition of success.

Doing good work - especially doing God's work - does not guarantee ease. To the contrary, the Jews as God's chosen people suffered tremendously, and Christian history is full of martyrs. Our own trials vary in difficulty, but all are real. Some say trials are tests from God, but God does not act to push us away. Accepting accountability - to our boss, our children, ourselves or God - enlightens us to the brokenness in the world, and how much of it we are called to heal, prevent or bear witness to. The Spirit didn't send Jesus into the wilderness alone: angels waited on him (Mark 1:13). We also have support available - our fellow Christians who share the same accountability. When times are tough, we remind each other why what we do is important. We help carry each other's burdens. We listen. We cry. We are angels to each other.

Faith doesn't bring on suffering. It does put us in touch with the suffering that already exists. We can count on our God - and our angels - to see us through it.

Evening readings: Psalms 82, 29 

Advent, Week 1: Dusting Off The Hope Diamond

Today's readings: Ps 102, 148, Amos 5:1-17, Jude 1-16, Matt 22:1-14

The first week of Advent is traditionally the week of Hope. That being the case, today’s scriptures may leave us thinking: “… Really?” The psalmist is so distraught he is feasting on ashes and slaking his thirst with tears. Amos addresses the many injustices experienced by the poor and the nearly invisible status of the hungry. Jude warns the recipients of his epistle they are surrounded by false teachers and Christians who pervert the Gospel to serve their own appetites. And Jesus’ parable about a wedding banquet? The guests not only don’t show up, but they murder the bearers of the invitations. And the poor guy pulled in off the street is tossed into the outer darkness for not wearing the right outfit. These readings seem to offer little if anything to inspire us.

Suffering. Injustice. Hunger. Bad religion. The collapse of civil society. Sound familiar? If these and other problems still dog us two thousand years after the messiah showed up, what cause is their for hope?

Plenty, it turns out. These things are addressed in the scriptures because God weeps and rages with us that the world is so broken. We can have hope because God doesn’t want us to remain in this brokenness. Our own dissatisfaction with the present world, mirrored in these scriptures, tells us God is bursting through in our own hearts and hopes for a better tomorrow. Who doesn’t appreciate a good inspirational story? Hearing how someone has transformed her life by refusing to let go of hope connects with us on a deep level because the God at our center promises the same for all of us. Jesus is not the savior of the never-been-broken, but of those needing resurrection. Jesus comes back for the one lost sheep.

Hope is a precious resource, but like diamonds it may require a lot of time, pressure and digging to emerge. Unlike diamonds, it can be found by anyone. When we dust off hope and polish it up, it shines not just for our own enjoyment but as a light to the world.

Comfort: Even buried hope can be recovered.

Challenge: Pick an inspirational movie to watch and discuss with family and/or friends.

Prayer: God of Hope, may others find hope in my example.

Evening reading: Ps 130, 16

Discussion Question:When and how has hope carried you through difficult times? Please comment.

Prepare Ye...

Today's readings: Ps 78:1-39; Est 5:1-14; Acts 18:12-28; Luke 3:15-22

When our lives are going well, we are quick to thank God for our blessings. When they are going poorly, we can be equally quick to ask “why me?” and pray for deliverance. But what if things seem to be going poorly precisely because God is blessing us?

Though she doesn’t phrase it in spiritual language, Queen Esther feels the pull of a larger force which calls her to help her people. She responds by risking her life and approaching the king, who will either favor or kill her. She had no guarantee which would happen. How often do we say “God sure blessed me by putting me in harm’s way!” It takes a strong and mature faith to accept that serving God faithfully does not always mean a happy ending for us, at least not in this life.

Consider John the Baptist. He has been busy preparing the way of the Lord. Through baptism and preaching, he has been proclaiming the arrival of Jesus, whose sandals he humbly declares he is not worthy to untie (Luke 3:16). By preaching an alternative that will turn Roman imperialism upside down, John risks his life every day. He speaks truth to power, especially to Herod Antipas, who is in an adulterous and incestuous relationship with his niece. At the end of today’s passage, John is jailed for speaking too much truth. Jesus tells us “blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matt 5:11), but do we really embrace that idea? Anemic “feel-good” Christianity teaches us to expect only rewards for strong faith, but Jesus is more honest with us. Persecution is not a sign God is not with us – and it may be the sign we are right where we are supposed to be.

Esther first risks her life, then invites the king to a banquet as part of a slowly unfolding plan. John risks his life and freedom to usher in the incarnation of God’s kingdom. They both teach us success depends on properly laid groundwork. The struggle for peace, justice and truth is slow and sometimes dangerous. When we are unjustly persecuted for righteousness’ sake, we must not give up because God has abandoned us, but persevere because God is depending on us.

Comfort: The groundwork we lay leads to someone else’s deliverance.

Challenge: Think about times you have given up too soon.

Prayer: God of strength, I trust you even when I am persecuted.

Evening readings: Ps 78:40-72

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 119:97-120; Est 6:1-14; Acts 19:1-10; Luke 4:1-13

That's It?

Today's readings: Ps 61, 62; Job 41:1-11; Acts 16:6-15; John 12:9-19

This is what we’ve been waiting for: the penultimate chapter of the book of Job, wherein God is about to conclude his explanation of all Job’s suffering – and maybe the explanation of all our suffering. He’s told us about the majesty and wonder of creation that he alone is capable of. He’s made it clear we as mortals can never be righteous or wise enough to comprehend all he has seen and done. His final words of wisdom to Job and those present… are thirty-four verses about what may or may not be a super-crocodile. Huh?

That’s it, folks. That’s all the author(s) of Job had to offer. Perhaps, in the end, the subject matter was beyond anyone’s ability to address. Maybe there simply is no good justification for a God who devastates someone’s life to win a bet. Maybe – and this is a conclusion about the book’s portrayal of God, not necessarily our own understanding – God is an all-powerful jerk who couldn’t just say “Sorry, that was a rotten thing to do to you.” No matter what the explanation, we can’t help feeling God just sidestepped the whole issue.

And some of us may be asking, “Did I just waste my time? Why is this book in the Bible anyway?” Well, we haven’t wasted anything. We’ve spent time pondering the human condition. We’ve been appropriately outraged about injustice, and equally outraged by inadequate – even unloving – efforts to explain it away. We have inquired into the nature of God, and found the conveniently packaged answers lacking. In other words, we’ve done what serious Old Testament scholars have done for years: wrestled with our faith. With its lack of a satisfying resolution, Job may seem like the world’s first post-modern piece of literature, but – intentionally or not – it does its job (no pun intended) by leaving us with more questions than answers.

We are always and will always be seeking meaning in our lives. The characters of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, Job and even God represent points of view we work through in our search. Like Job, the best answer we get in life may be: “I’m God – you’ll never really understand.” And we’ll keep searching, because the search alone holds meaning.

Comfort: The mystery of God is worth exploring our whole lives.

Challenge: Write your own response to Job’s questions.

Prayer: Compassionate God, thank you for your comfort when I suffer.

Evening reading: Ps 68

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 72, Job 42:1-17; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26

The Impatience of Job

Today's readings: Ps 26, 28; Job 13:1-17, 21-27; Acts 12:1-17; John 8:33-47

Have you ever heard someone described as having “the patience of Job?” Where do we suppose that came from? Job is not at all patient. He rails against his miserable condition and demands answers from God. He rebukes his friends’ attempts to explain his situation by declaring “What you know, I also know. I am not inferior to you” (v 2). He, God and we readers all know he hasn’t done anything to merit such punishment. Patience may be a virtue, but lazy thinking and theology is not.

Lots of people – televangelists, authors, ministers – make their livings by telling other people what God is all about. Even more people – people like Job’s friends – offer the same service for free. Members of both groups often have the same problem as Job’s friend Zophar: they parrot answers that don’t fit our experience of the world. Jesus taught us about God mostly through parables and questions. We should be wary of any spiritual leaders who offer pat answers, especially when they lean more toward legalism than grace.

We should trust our instincts about God. This doesn’t mean we should create an image of God from scratch, or that we shouldn’t question, modify, and grow in our beliefs as warranted. It doesn’t mean God must want us to do and be exactly what we already are. It does mean when someone, even someone in authority, claims to know something about God, we should test that claim against our own truths. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tell us “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”

By the same token, neglected instincts can grow dull. We have an ongoing responsibility to educate ourselves and critically evaluate what we learn and experience in matters of God and faith. We can’t say “I am not inferior” in these matters if we haven’t done the work, but any one of us is as capable of a deep relationship with God as anyone else. Keeping our own instincts sharp will help us determine whether someone is speaking the truth, or speaking eloquently and confidently – but falsely.

Comfort: God is more trustworthy than our words and ideas about God.

Challenge: Meet regularly with a group of friends to discuss what you have learned (and unlearned!) about god.

Prayer: God of life, thank you for the mind you have given me.

Evening readings: Ps 36, 39

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 38; Job 14:1-22; Acts 12:18-25; John 8:47-59

Holy Arguments

Today's readings: Ps 20, 21; Job 10:1-9, 16-22; Acts 11:1-18; John 8:12-20

I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”
- Psalm 116:10 (from this evening’s readings)

On Wednesday we considered the importance of being silent and listening for God. True spiritual silence is an achievement that doesn’t always come easily, especially when we are upset. Sometimes we first need to clear our heads by venting our anger and negativity. Even anger at God needs to be expressed. The psalmist knew this, and Job knew it when he said “I will give free utterance to my complaint” (Job 10:1).

Job accuses God of setting him up with a great life so his fall will be even harder. Do we ever feel like God has set us up to fail? Or like God is testing us? A popular cliché says “God never gives you more than you can handle.” Job would certainly seem to disagree. With its framing narrative of a wager between God and Ha’Satan, the Book of Job can easily be misunderstood to promote the theology of a God who is constantly testing us, a God who virtually hunts us, “bold as a lion” (v 16). Rather, it is a poetic exploration of our relationship with God and suffering. At one time or another we all feel we’ve been treated unfairly by life or God, and Job says the things we think at those times.

Arguing with God has a long tradition among the faithful. Jacob/Israel literally wrestled with God, and a nation was named for him. Every year during the Jewish High Holy Days from Rosh Hashanah (sometimes called Jewish New Year) to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), people of great faith are held accountable for their actions during the year – and they also hold God accountable. Only by speaking the truths held most deeply in our hearts can we fully express our faithfulness. God already knows what is in our hearts, so doing this is a matter of showing trust in a God loving and great enough to handle whatever we have to dish out.

We tend to think of arguments as negative events, but they are inevitable when we are building any deep relationship. Sometimes an argument is a sign that a relationship is worth fighting for.

Comfort: God accepts our whole hearts, not just the happy parts.

Challenge: Find and read some articles on having healthy arguments.

Prayer: God of truth, I open my whole heart to you.

Evening readings: Ps 110, 116, 117

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 148, 149, 150; Job 11:1-9, 13-20; Rev 5:1-14; Matt 5;1-12