Musing: A Wing & A Prayer

Have you ever felt like your prayers weren't being heard? That they didn't even get past the ceiling of the room in which you were praying? I was reminded the other day of a story from one of the Gnostic gospels. It was about Christ as child. Some of the children in his home town were playing in the mud after the rains and made little clay birds. Jesus came by, touched the clay birds, and they came to life and flew off to the heavens!

George MacDonald, Scottish novelist, poet and Christian writer (1824-1905), wrote a poem based on that beautiful story:

My prayer-bird was cold -- would not away,
Although I set it on the edge of the nest.
Then I bethought me of the story old --
Love-fact or loving fable, Thou know'st best --
How, when the children had made sparrows of clay,
Thou mad'st them birds, with wings to flutter & fold:
Take, Lord, my prayer in Thy hand, and make it pray.

Musing: Casting Your Bread Upon the Waters

One never knows what may become of some simple, little project that is taken on at someone else's request. The project is conceived, agreed upon, completed and put out there. What happens next can often be very surprising. I just took a call from a dear lady in our church who had mailed her grandson one of the Advent Devotional booklets. He had entered the Marines in the fall of this year and is now in basic training. He called home today for ten minutes (his only allowed call) and said that he had been able to attend a Christmas Eve service, as well as a Christmas morning service. He then said, "What really made it feel like Christmas though were the readings in the Advent booklet you sent." He had called to say thanks. It is amazing, but true -- God's Word is living and active and does not return void when it is shared with others. Thanks be to God!

Musing: Immanuel - God with Us

Immanuel, we are told means God with us. What did it cost God to become with us? Christ had to consent (or as one hymn puts it, condescend) to enclosure. All the vastness of the creator God had to be enshrouded in that which was created. There had to be a "shrinking down" of infinity to finite-ness. Christ had to condescend and be enclosed by a womb, then...a manger, a family, a community, a people, a finite place in time and history. And He agreed!

What then is asked of us who would seek to become partners in this God-with life today? Enclosure? Do we allow ourselves to mindlessly be caught up in this world and all that it bombards our senses with from the time we rise in the morning until we go to sleep? Or, do we mindfully heed the call to enclosure and choose to rise up before the dawn and pray, to pull ourselves back from all the info-tainment, and seek that quiet place to hear that quiet Voice? If we are honest, we must admit that we feel crowded in by this call to enclosure. We want all this world has to offer. We are uncomfortable with what this God-with life has to offer. Our days are filled with noise, busy-ness, speed, instant gratification. We resist the call to quiet, simplicity, slowing down to meditate, delayed gratification. Humility, solitude, anonymity, service, devotion, meditation, scripture reading, prayer -- we hear the call to these things and yet run in the opposite direction, screaming I don't have time for this!

And then we have the audicity to wonder as we watch the endless stream of violence on the evening news, Where is God in the midst of all this chaotic world?! Where, indeed -- patiently calling us, lovingly wooing us to participate in the God-with-us life. Will we hear? Will we respond? Will we choose to be hidden in the life which is in Christ?

Musing: Magi-cal Christmas

The King said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods
and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries,
for you were able to reveal the mystery.”
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position
and lavished many gifts on him.
He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon
and placed him in charge of all its wise men (magi).

1,400 years later three magi pay a visit to a baby boy in Bethlehem. We wonder, “How did they know?” What’s amazing is that the Word of God is always found to be in perfect harmony with itself -- 66 books, 40 authors, written over a period of thousands of years, a single integrated message, a love story written in blood on a cross.

Daniel, the revealer of dreams, had been used by God to ready a people for the Good News that the Messiah would come, One who would bring salvation to all. Daniel, taken hostage as young teen by a Babylonian king, grew in wisdom and could interpret dreams and visions and so was made the chief magi in Babylon. He then used his God-given influence in a foreign nation and his knowledge of the Scriptures to instruct the magi regarding the signs that would point to the future coming of the Anointed One. The question today is how do we use our God-given influence and our knowledge of the Scriptures to create expectation and hope in the hearts and lives of those in our home, our neighborhood, our work, our larger world regarding the coming of Christ the King?

Musing: God's Patchwork Quilt

When I graduated from High School, my grandmother presented me with a beautiful patchwork quilt that she had lovingly made with her own hands. Not only were many hours of hand stitching represented in the intricate quilting pattern, but pieces of cloth that were familiar parts of my family history were used: scraps from one of my grandmother’s house dresses, my mother’s aprons, my father’s shirt, a dress I had worn in kindergarten, etc. Out of seemingly random scraps, memories were brought back to the surface, joy was experienced, and knowing smiles were shared.

God is at work in our world today through the loving hands of His children, carefully stitching together an intricate pattern of His love across the hearts of all tribes, nations, and peoples. We may not even know that we have had a hand in making this beautiful patchwork quilt, called the Kingdom of God. It has been said that God has written eternity in our hearts. We somehow intuitively know that we are made for more than the daily-ness of our life. Even though it often feels like we only have “scraps” to offer our Lord -- when we "sow" love and demonstrate the love of our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son, we share in the labor of love which results in His wonderful patchwork quilt.

One day, we will finally see the beauty created from our faithful love, caring, demonstrations of peace, mercy and justice that we passionately chose to practice here in this place and time. Then we will have memories brought back to the surface, joy will be experienced and knowing smiles will be shared. Who can you reach out to and share the love of Christ with during this Advent season? Then you too will one day hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the beautiful patchwork quilt Your people make, and for those who bring the Good News so peace can be proclaimed in our torn and hurting world. Amen.

Musing: Advent Adventures...

Having grown up in a denomination that did not celebrate Advent, I have learned as an adult to love the beauty of the season and to anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. This season is especially meaningful with the stories of so many dear people published in a personal Advent Devotional booklet. So many of the people who picked up a copy have said, "I know we are only supposed to read one devotional a day -- but I just couldn't help myself -- I read the entire booklet! I know too, that we are only supposed to take one, but I picked up some more to give to friends and family -- it is just too good not to share!" People who contributed a devotional story are telling me how blessed they have been when others come up to them and tell them how much they enjoyed reading their story and how they identified with it. It reminds me of the old song, It only takes a spark to get a fire going... or the scripture that says, How beautiful are the feet of them that spread the Good News. May we each share our stories this Advent season and keep the Fire going.