Living in Hope

Isaiah 62:1  For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2  The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4  You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5  For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 6  Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest, 7  and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout the earth. 8  The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink the wine for which you have labored; 9  but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather it shall drink it in my holy courts. 10  Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. 11  The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, "See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." 12  They shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD"; and you shall be called, "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken."

This passage is a statement of hope. Those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have been carried off into exile in Babylon. But the Prophet Isaiah speaks of the hope that  “You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; ...for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married”. As a sign of their confidence that God will restore their land, the people who remained in the land are to “prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples.” While their new world is not yet visible – they are to act as if it is on the way.

Ever since then the people of God have appropriated this passage to their own historical context. Each generation has reclaimed the hope that we are not abandoned by God but instead we can look forward to “the end of the earth” and our salvation as “the Redeemed of the Lord”. This is not to be confused with those who call for the destruction of this planet in favour of a human transplant to heaven elsewhere. Instead, this captures the intention of Isaiah – God will save his people from oppressive, cruel Babylonian governors. And the people are to live as if this is a present reality.

This Advent offers yet again a promise of renewal: the Saviour is coming who will enable his people to throw aside the Babylonian chains of injustice and establish the rule of God. So let us begin preparations that express this as a confident hope:

·         Nationally we will live lives of integrity in the midst of corruption and greed

·         In Community we decorate our homes in defiance of those who would tear them apart through robbery or violence against women and children, and the inner demons of jealousy and disrespect.

·         Personally we will speak words of love and joy in the face of cynicism, anger and despair

For Thought

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 

Be Thou My Vision is a traditional Irish hymn attributed to Dallán Forgaill, the sixth century Irish poet. The music is based on the music of the Irish folk song 'Slane' which is about St. Patrick defying the pagan King Lóegaire of Tara by lighting candles on Easter Eve.

First Sunday in Advent

2. Preparing the Way

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 20.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

The Rule of God has come near....

Matthew 3:1  In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3  This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" 4  Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5  Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6  and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7  But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8  Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9  Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10  Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11  "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

John the Baptiser lived at a time when the leaders of his people betrayed their integrity in the reckless pursuit of wealth and power. They openly collaborated with the Roman oppressors:  Herod was granted the title of "King of Judea" by the Roman Senate, and enjoyed the support of Caesar Augustus. Joseph Caiaphas was appointed High Priest in AD 18 by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus in exchange for his loyalty to Roman rule. And the merchants of Jerusalem readily lined their pockets with the proceeds of lucrative fish and corm contracts with the Roman military.  In response to this John offered his nation’s leaders an opportunity to renounce their greedy ways through baptism. No longer could they claim their proud Abrahamic lineage. New behaviour was needed - they should “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”  

This resonates deeply with the world I inhabit:

Like John, my world is led by leaders who are greedy for wealth and power.

·         Internationally Vladimir Putin grasps at the Ukraine and Benjamin Netanyahu does all he can to avoid sharing the land with the Palestinian people.

·         Nationally Jacob Zuma refuses to admit that he stole state money to build his personal home, and surrounds himself with government leaders who enrich themselves at tax-payer’s expense.

·         South Africa has one of the biggest pay gaps in the world - with CEOs of the JSE's top listed companies earning as much as 725 times their workers' average salary  

Advent is an opportunity for people of Christian faith to take up the unfinished task of John the Baptiser. We are to invite the greedy leaders of our world to renounce their grasping ways and begin again – because “one who is more powerful” is coming into our world. South African leaders need to hear again the words of Scripture: To paraphrase the words above: Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Nelson Mandela as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Mandela”.

And if we discover the lust for wealth and power within our own souls, let us ask the Christ of this Season to baptise us with new values and fresh vision.

Prayer for Advent:

O God: Guide me in these weeks to what you want to show me this Advent. Help me to be vulnerable enough to ask you to lead me to the place of my own weakness, the very place where I will find you the most deeply embedded in my heart, loving me without limits. Amen

Creighton University's Online Ministries

First Sunday in Advent

2. Preparing the Way

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 20.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Go therefore......

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

This is the conclusion to a story about Jesus written to an audience of Jewish-Christian people who lived in Roman Syria. Its purpose was to persuade them to discover the call of Jesus to share their Religious life with “all nations” – this through inviting people to baptism, through teaching, and through an assurance of the spiritual presence of Jesus.

This “Great Commission” can be lifted from the First Century to become our call to prepare for Christmas:

·         our modern Christmas is especially seductive in its quest to focus us on the gluttony of food, alcohol and acquiring possessions. Let us turn away from our self-absorption and be baptised/immersed in the cause of Jesus

·         let us teach our families and our communities the real values of Christmas – values such as love, and generosity, and compassion;

·         let us open our eyes to look for the presence of Jesus – which will ask us to turn our greedy eyes away from the things we desire and see those who live in “the manger” of poverty and exclusion.

“Go therefore..........”     

Prepare the Way of the Lord....

Luk 1:5  In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ......

Luke 1:57  Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

 Luke 1:67  Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

68  "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.69  He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, 70  as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71  that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72  Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73  the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74  that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75  in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77  to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78  By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, 79  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, is born to prepare the way of the Lord by giving knowledge of salvation, forgiveness, light to those in darkness, and guidance in the way of peace.

As we enter the season of Advent, we too are invited to “prepare the way of the Lord”. Instead of allowing shopping malls, ‘end-of-year-specials’ advertising and Christmas jingles to become the stuff of our preparation – let us choose the way of John: forgiving those who have hurt us; bringing light to those who face their darkest fears at this time of the year; and working for peace in our communities.

For thought: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
(Isaiah 40: 1-3)

Georg Friedrich Händel  MESSIAH (1742)
A Sacred Oratorio

Awake, thou that sleepest

Ephesians 5:1  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2  and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God..........

8  For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light-- 9  for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10  Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12  For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13  but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14  for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15  Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16  making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17  So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18  Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19  as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20  giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Sunday 4 April 1742 John Wesley preached to the students of Christ Church, Oxford. His text was Ephesians 5:14: "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."  He preached a three point sermon, beginning with those who are asleep, calling on them to wake up, and promising that Jesus would give them light.

Wesley, preaching to a chapel filled with Church of England members, invited them to want more than just their Church baptism: Seek more, seek the Holy Spirit within you. True religion, he says, is to have the life of Christ living within you. This will lead to holy living, and happiness, and peace. If we do not have these then we fall short of true Christianity.    

So here is an invitation for us to be driven by a life of passionate faith – a life that is awake to songs, thanksgiving, and light; a life of holy living.  

Ordinary 31

53 God Can Change Lives

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 323.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

turn away from evil and do good

1Peter 3:8  Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9  Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a blessing. 10  For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11  let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

 It is thought that the Apostle Peter wrote this letter from the city of Rome in about 67 A.D. [1] This was the time of the outbreak of the persecution of the Roman Christians by the Emperor Nero, and the subsequent scattering of the followers of Jesus. This letter is written to "the exiles," or "the strangers in dispersion:" (1 Pet 1:1b-2a) to encourage them to remain faithful to all they have learned from Jesus. Despite their suffering they are instructed: “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse.... repay with a blessing”;  In spite of the violence and fear  “seek peace and pursue it.” Jesus followers are to “desire life and desire to see good days”.

A passage such as this does not need me to add to it. This is inspirational.

Clearly it is also difficult – if it was easy it would not have been written down. But at the same time this resonates with our deepest longing for a life driven by the values of Jesus.

Let us live the Jesus-life to the very best of our ability, refusing to give up the values of love and justice for the grubby impulses of revenge and bitterness.    

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you

So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

Casting Crowns “Love them like Jesus”

Ordinary 30

52 True Humility

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 317.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] Peter says he wrote it from Babylon (5:13) – a term that was commonly used by the Christians of that century to refer to Rome, 

Obey your Rulers?

Romans 13:1  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2  Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.3  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4  for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5  Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6  For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing. 7  Pay to all what is due them--taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8  Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9  The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

These words must have been very hard for the Jesus-followers in Rome to hear. Paul is asking them to “be subject to the governing authorities”.  He continues by pointing out that “whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed”.  The prospect of obedience to Caesar and the Roman Empire was particularly unpleasant, because the Empire persecuted the followers of Jesus.  Paul is asking the followers of Jesus be respectful of the Emperor, even though the circumstances were extremely difficult. This is not condoning the cruelty of the Emperor, but is asking the followers of Jesus to be circumspect in their dealings with the Empire. They were to live lives of personal holiness, and so fulfil the law - but not challenge it.  This is probably because the Christians in Rome were an extremely small and vulnerable group, who would do best in setting personal examples of love.  

These words resonate through history as amongst the most abused in the Bible. Oppressive governments – such as the Apartheid government of Dr Verwoerd and PW Botha – use these words to solicit obedience to their evil laws.  It must therefore be said that while we note these words of Paul, we do not live in Rome. Neither are we a struggling minority religion. We are therefore not obliged to follow Paul’s advice to remain out of sight. We live in countries that allow Christian belief and practice, and where the Christian voice is often powerful and influential. We are challenged to find ways of living faithfully within political systems / states / empires that are often wicked and ethically irresponsible. Paul’s suggestion that followers of Jesus ought to live holy lives is a useful suggestion.

At the same time Paul adds that rulers are “God's servant for your good.“  This then becomes the obligation of those who govern – to represent the goodness of God. It therefore follows that when rulers stop being “God’s servant for your good" they forfeit the right to rule. And at this point, the followers of Jesus are to use every vote, all their political influence, all the social pressure they can muster, and the collective power of their prayers to remove rulers who refuse to serve God for the good of the people.  

Let us be good citizens – of the Kingdom of Heaven.

For thought

Tyrant thrones and idol shrines,
Let them from their place be hurled;
Enter on Thy better reign,
Wear the crown of this poor world

Empires, temples, scepters, thrones,
May they all for God be won;
And, in every human heart,
Father, let Thy kingdom come

Lyrics:   John Page Hopps 1834

Ordinary 30

52 True Humility

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 317.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.