Ash Wednesday service

Apparently one of the criteria for becoming the subject of a story in the Bible is thinking that God possesses questionable judgement. In this week’s reading Peter has a vision that includes direct instruction from God, and he argues with God. Moses, Abraham, Job, Gideon, and Peter are among the most notable figures that openly verbalized their disagreement with God. God consistently responds to these critics with grace and patience, but continues to press the issue at hand. When I encounter these stories, my first inclination is to shake my head and cluck my tongue at the foolishness of these people. The natural question is, “How can they presume to know better than God?” But those stories are more of a mirror than a window. Part of their purpose is to preserve and reveal the events of which they testify. More than that, they confront me with all the ways that I argue with God. I argue with God through the things I do that God has revealed are evil and destructive. I argue with God through all the things that I I fail to do which are good, compassionate, self-sacrificial, and righteous. Yet, the mirror isn’t meant to just bring about shame, rather God’s expectation is when I see my disobedience I will repent and make amends. God believes I’m capable of obedience, if I am willing to move toward faithfulness.

Many things effect the way we view our world and our lives. This shapes our perspective. How we were raised, the decisions we made in the past, negative turning points in our lives, positive turning points in our lives, all of these things play a part in our day-to-day decisions. Our perspective is very important, and God is constantly calling us to change our perspective of the world and see things the way God wants us to see the world. In Philippians 3:12-15 Paul talks about pressing on towards a goal. God has a plan for us and this world. How cool is it that we get to be apart of it! The problem is many of us do not have God's perspective in mind, as individuals and even as whole church communities sometimes. When God shifts our perspective this can be a shift in our hearts, it can be a shift in our actions, or it could literally be a shift in our location. God always has a plan for us, plans that are ultimately for His Will and glory. Where is God calling you to shift?

When I served as a hospital chaplain I would sit in on continuity of care meetings. These were daily meetings in the nurse’s station of each area in the hospital. The meetings brought together hospital administrators, social workers, spiritual care workers, and doctors or nurses. The nurse or doctor would discuss each patient under their care with the rest of the team so that all the patient’s needs could be addressed. In those meetings I learned the significance of the term, “Presenting Problem.” The Presenting Problem was the thing that caused a person to seek medical attention. Presenting Problems are often fairly common health issues; a fever, a persistent cough, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and so on. While those Presenting Problems are typically insignificant to a person’s overall health; in these patients those small things where clues to much more significant health issues. Sometimes a persistent cough is a result of a cold, or allergies; but then sometimes it is a result of pneumonia or lung cancer.

As the people of God, we see people’s pain; it may be emotional, relational, financial, existential, or something else. As people empowered by the Holy Spirit, we becoming increasingly aware of the pain experienced by others. We have a tendency to see that pain and work to bring relief. We give money, offer encouragement, say a prayer, or try to help. But, if the person’s pain in a Presenting Problem of something that is very significant, the result is like us offering a cough drop to person with lung cancer.

We need to be able to “Shift” our ability to see pain. The people of God are called to go beyond the Presenting Problems and go deeper into peoples lives and circumstances, so that health and healing may be brought to the whole person, and transformation brought the root causes of those Presenting Problems.

I remember bringing our first child home from the hospital. I was terrified. Anne and I were loaded down with gifts and supplies. We signed some forms and were shuffled out the hospital doors. The only thing the nurse insisted we prove before we left was that we knew how to strap Micah into his car seat. Other than that, we were left to our own devices. Yes, we had the support of friends, family, and co-workers, but ultimately this was our responsibility, and I felt woefully under prepared. Micah just turned 13, he survived.

In life we face intimidating circumstances and insurmountable situations. We find ourselves responsible for more than we can manage, and are terrified. The prophet Isaiah found himself confronted with the greatness of God and was tasked with confronting Israel with this revelation of God. He was convinced he was not up to the task, but God used him anyway. When you find yourself in the midst of something that seems beyond your capacity; you may find that God will use you anyway.

"Please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight." This, or something similar to it, is the message we hear after our flight lands and we begin to gather our belongings. "Heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight." The shift in our items wasn't intentional, but because of the motion of plane, the take off and the landing, or maybe even some unfortunate turbulence, none the less, the items may have shifted.

As we shift our relationship with God, suddenly we begin to notice other areas of our lives begin to shift. It might not be intentional, or maybe it is, but as we change our relationship with God, even in a way that is a slight alteration, other areas are altered as well. This week we will take a look at how our relationship will shift as we shift our relationship with God.

In this series we will be looking at things in our lives that need to be shifted. What needs to move? A shift isn’t a removal or relocation or a dramatic change. Rather a shift is a slight alteration. But a slight alteration to accomplish a specific goal or accomplish something specific.

In this series we’re not going to be asking that we consider huge changes in life and faith. Rather, we’re going to be looking at what in our lives and faith needs to be adjusted, tweaked, and reexamined. What needs a SHIFT?

There is an old legend told by Abraham Cohen. A Rabbi was standing in a market-place and the prophet Elijah appeared to him. The Rabbi asked Elijah, “Is there anybody in this market-place who will have a share in the World to Come?” Elijah answered no; no one in the market would participate in the World to Come. As they spoke, two men happened to pass by them. Elijah said, “Those two men, they will have a share in the World to Come!” The Rabbi hurried to the two men anxious to know what was different about them. The Rabbi asked them, “What is your occupation?” The men answered, “We are merrymakers; when we see men troubled in mind we cheer them, and when we see two men quarreling we make peace between them.”

Jesus said the peacemakers where the Children of God. Paul opened each of his letters with a blessing invoking the peace of God. The Hebrew prophets envisioned the coming of God’s reign as a yet undiscovered peace on earth. The peace of God isn’t only the absence war between nations. It is unity with God, intimacy with our neighbors, and contentment in our own souls.

The coming of Jesus brings with it an announcement of peace on earth.

What is God’s primary disposition toward you?

We generally know, or have a strong sense of how people feel about us. You know if your boss doesn’t like you. You know that a teacher is gracious toward you. You know if your significant other appreciates you. You know if your sibling is angry with you.

One of the most fundamental truths about humans is that we are social beings. A significant part of our ability to meaningfully navigate life is dependent on our capacity for understanding and interpreting our relationships with others. That includes our relationship with the divine.

So the question begs an answer; what is God’s primary disposition toward you?

Frustration? Hate? Anger? Jealousy? Exasperation? Indifference? Sympathy? Kindness?

Love?

What if God’s primary disposition toward you is love? Unconditional, generous, self-less, humble, unflinching love.

What if God isn’t just predisposed to love you, but what if the most accurate description of the divine is that, “God is love”? What if Love, loves you?

This, the second week of Advent, is the week of love.

It is often said that Martin Luther King Jr. followed in the tradition of the biblical prophets. He called a nation to repentance through reminding us all of God’s justice, and giving a vision of God’s good future. Many of us are familiar with his closing paragraphs of his “I Have a Dream Speech.” King described a vision of a nation free of the chains of racial oppression and bigotry. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” These are eloquent words that inspire hope. But before King brought inspiration with his dream, he delivered a warning of judgement. “There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship right. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright days of justice emerge.” Like the biblical prophets, King believed in both God’s justice and God’s grace.

The biblical prophets spoke of God’s futures for his people. That’s right, God had more than one future for Israel. There was the future defined by God’s justice. If the nation continued in to sin; oppressing the poor, perverting worship, lusting for wealth, seeking power, and ignoring the needs stranger in their midst, then God would bring redemptive justice to bear. If the nation repented and embraced their Covenant as the people of God in the world, then God would be gracious, he would heal the people and their land. The prophets consistently put two futures in front of Israel. Even with these two futures, there was always hope. Both futures were defined by the hope that God would eventually bring about restoration and reconciliation. Because God is faithful, good, gracious, and loving there was always hope.

In Advent we hope that the faithful, good, gracious, and loving God will be revealed. We hope for the forgiveness of our sins, and the transformation of our character. We hope for a future defined by joy, love, and peace.