St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, MI

St. Gregory’s Abbey, Three Rivers, MI

Benedictine monasteries pray all of the psalms over the course of one week, beginning with matins in the wee hours of the morning, through lauds, terce, sext, none, vespers and ending with compline before going to bed.  I have wanted to experience this for some time, just had to wait till I could find the right place and the right time.  I was happy to be able to block off three full days, Jan. 2-5, to spend at St. Gregory’s Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan, an Episcopal monastery.  Seemed to me like a good way to start the New Year.

I went bearing all of my electronics, cell phone, tablet, laptop computer and a full agenda of all I would accomplish during this time.  I also went with a bad cold that had started New Year’s Day so my retreat started with a long nap after lunch.  Not a bad way to start.  After my nap, I discovered:  no phone, no internet.  Despite being close to Three Rivers, there was limited to no service from my provider in this area.  So there was nothing to it but to sleep some more, going to bed at 8p.m. after some reading.  So much for all the work I was going to accomplish.

It was good to sleep and be free of all of the gadgets and noise that dominate my life.  I did discover that I could use my phone outdoors, standing in the cold.  I also found a spot in the vestibule of the guest house where I could get limited internet access, enough to know there was no emergency going on that I had to take care of, no impending deadline that had crept up unbeknownst to me that had to be addressed, enough so I could turn it off confident that the world was turning just fine without me.

Meals at the abbey while I was there were vegetarian, however long on carbohydrates and short on fresh fruits and vegetables.  I was here for the total monastic experience and that included the food.  At lunch full plates of carbs were placed before you.  It felt wrong to not clean the plate, not just because that was how I had been brought up, but because this was the brothers’ food and, in my mind, not to be wasted.  Also, who knew what dinner would bring.  I had to eat enough to make it to the next meal.   No snacking between meals or sneaking to Three Rivers for a quick burger. 

The brothers weren’t entirely vegetarian.  I had been told that I had missed a feast on New Year’s Day – ham and white zinfandel wine.  Other times their fare was very simple and inexpensive.  They had had a very good cook however this brother has since died with no comparable replacement.  Made me realize just how important good cooks can be.  We don’t appreciate them half enough until we are some place without a gifted cook. 

Breakfast was self-serve, cereal, toast and juice.  The only fruit in the fruit basket was a lone green apple until Wednesday after Mass when I was surprised by an abundance – bananas and red delicious apples, and Thursday morning grapefruit.  The main meal was at noon with a lighter fare at night.  All meals were eaten in silence.  During lunch and dinner a brother read aloud from The Beautiful and the Damned, a book about India.  I found my listening skills were not very good, as attuned as I am to watching rather than listening.  The brothers laughed at the humorous parts which went entirely over my head.

Tuesday night we were greeted by three sandwich halves.  Inside were chunks of cheese that only covered half the bread, green leaf lettuce and ketchup (our vegetable).  I surreptitiously peeked into the bread trying to figure out what was inside.  Sitting next to me was a friend who had joined me for the day.  Across were a newcomer and an associate member of the community, the person who had informed me about Sunday’s dinner and the cook situation.  I managed one half sandwich and half of the second when to my relief I saw that others around me felt no compunction to clean their plates.  They tore off pieces of bread to get to the parts that actually had cheese.  I did the same then finally proceeded to pull out the remaining cheese and lettuce, wiping off the ketchup before eating them. The newcomer managed to slog his way through all three sandwiches, going slower with each bite.

The food appeared and disappeared, locked away between meals.  Plates were set ahead of time for lunch and dinner and quietly whisked away the minute they were clear of food.  We stood for the blessing before we started then when everyone had finished a bell was rung, the reader stopped and we all stood for prayer.  After the celebration of Mass each day, the celebration continued with cookies and coffee.  This was the only resemblance to dessert provided. 

The silence and solitude were wonderful.  I enjoyed the prayers, though I only made it to Matins one time during my stay.  The first night I had been wiped out by cold medicine and just made it to Lauds at 6a.m.  The third and final morning I had been wiped out by attending all seven services the day before, amazing how tired one can get just from praying.

In contrast to the food we were receiving, daily Mass truly seemed a veritable banquet.  I hesitantly joined in some of the chanting, singing an octave low to hide my female voice in the all male chorus.  The idea of chanting was that voices were to blend into one voice with no single voice standing out from the rest.  For the most part I simply followed along, remaining silent. 

A highlight of the prayer time was a half-an-hour in silence with the brothers after Vespers.  I didn’t stay the first day as the Guest Master had indicated that if I didn’t think I could stay for full half an hour better to leave after the service lest I disturb the silence for others.  With my coughing and sniffling I thought it better to leave others to their silence.  As my cold was better by Tuesday night I decided to stay for what was a wonderful experience of prayer and silence.  The silence was no burden, rather speaking was a burden after such an experience.  It was as if the very effort to move my jaw and formulate words was just too much for me.

Silence and solitude are wonderful gifts, for in them we discover ourselves.  I found I was quite self-conscious at first.  I wasn’t sure what to do.  I didn’t want to disrupt the brothers’ life in anyway.  Not speaking meant I had to watch and follow their lead in situations where I would have asked questions under other circumstances.  I found myself imagining all kinds of criticism being leveled against me, the sole woman in a male environment, and in return I found myself being critical of the brothers. 

On Wednesday evening compline was prayed in the church.  The other two nights the brothers had prayed this alone in their cells.  As I joined in the prayers, especially the confession of sin, I thought, what sin could these men have to confess, living such a secluded life of prayer.  Before compline had begun the Guest Master had said goodbye to me since I had told him I would be leaving immediately after Mass so there would not likely be time the next morning.  From compline to Mass was the period of the great silence when none were to speak.  He asked me to pray for them.  I thought, how ironic and yet how true, that brothers who spend so much time in prayer would need my prayer.

Prayer can be a dangerous, risky business.  We so often think of monasteries as places of peace and tranquility, yet for those who live there, they are beset by the same challenges all of us face, perhaps even greater ones, spiritual dangers. There is no evil in the world which doesn’t exist to a greater or lesser degree in each individual.  The noise and rush of society can help us block this reality out but in solitude it comes forth.  There is nothing to distract, no-one to blame but ourselves.  So easy to fall prey to jealousies, envy, judging, lust, especially in silence.  To judge the monk who takes the last piece of bread or who sings louder or shows a display of greater piety as showing off. 

I realized that the judging I was experience in my head was precisely my own inner critic leading me to judge myself and then judge those around me.  What others in the community thought about me was of no consequence.  It was my own inner demon that needed to be confronted.  And no sooner was one demon confronted then others emerged.  Such is the life of the monks and as such they need our prayers and they need to confess every night.  In a society that would make fun of men in habits, that one minute romanticizes, the next berates, theirs is a hard vocation.  Still no harder than any vocation if truly from God.  I don’t have that call, yet I greatly appreciate the gift of these days, the opportunity to enter a whole new world, a different culture, a counter culture.  One does not have to travel to faraway places to experience a totally different culture.  One only need go as far as Three Rivers.

Robertson Copyright January 2012

Bird by Bird - Psalm by Psalm. Welcome New Readers

Bird by Bird – Psalm by Psalm

I’m still in the beginning stages of this venture through the Psalms.  When I look at the entirety of the book, I am overwhelmed.  So many of the same themes are repeated over and over, how will I ever come up with new sermon material for each one?  Was this a crazy idea from the start?  Who would blame me if I quit before beginning?  Who would know?  But then, how does any preacher keep coming up with sermon material week after week, Sunday after Sunday, basically repeating the same message of God’s love?

Anne Lamott in her book on writing, Bird by Bird, tells the story of how her ten year old brother was brought close to tears when confronted with the enormity of writing a report on birds, one he had put off for three months and was due the next day.  Her father sat down next to him and said, “Bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird.” 

If I look at this task as a whole, it is impossible, so I will take it bird by bird, one psalm at a time.  Time passes all too quickly.  I blink and ten years have gone by.  Not that long ago I had started my position as chaplain at Vista Grande Villa.  Hard to believe over eleven years are already gone.  Hard to believe that my children who were just starting high school at the time, are done with college and married.   Hard to believe it has been eight years since I started writing my column for the Jackson Citizen Patriot – who would have thought I would have lasted that long.

If I take it one day at a time, one Psalm at a time, before I know it, four years will have passed and I will be done . . . far too soon.

For readers of my column who are checking out my blog for the first time, welcome.  While the primary purpose for this blog is to share the preaching series I am doing, I will periodically write shorter reflections like I have for the paper.  I hope you will come back and keep coming back.

Robertson, copyright 2012

Psalm 72, A Vision of a New Social Order, Epiphany 2012

Epiphany, 2012, Jan. 8                        Psalm 72 – Vision of a New Social Order

Isaiah 60:1-6               Psalm 72          Ephesians 3:1-12         Matthew 2:1-12

“A man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”  Robert Browning 

What are you reaching for, hoping for, working for?  Perhaps a world at peace?  A better world for your children and their children?  What are your dreams?

Our psalmist for today has a dream, a dream of a better world, a better social order, a world ruled by a king who is truly righteous and just.  Psalm 72 is a coronation psalm; it contains prayers for a new king, prayers that he might lead well, with God’s justice.  Not only that, that his son might be righteous as well, with good reason.  Many a good king has been followed by less than exemplary children.  The fact of being born into the household of the king does not automatically make the person right for leadership.  And so it is wise to pray for the king and his son. 

The writer prays for a king who will judge with righteousness and bring justice to the poor, an important role for kings of those days, role of judge.  He prays for prosperity for the people, but especially he prays that the king will be a defender of the poor and needy.  He prays not just for long life for the king, but stability.  The many blessings sound like a toast at a dinner party, yet they are more than that.  The poet prays that the king provide order in four different areas:  moral, social, political and economic. 

Verse 5 refers to the king as the symbol and vehicle of moral stability.  “The basic element of a moral order is its timelessness; any suspicion that it may be subject to the caprice of man or the exigencies of group life destroys its power to command contain behavior.  As it is put here, righteousness will flourish only if it is as durable as the moon.  Another striking observation follows:  the moral order which the king symbolizes rest not alone on an absolute and immutable base; it is characterized by a spiritual quality presented in the simile of falling rain.” (Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 4, pp. 382-383)  This brings to mind, Portia’s statement on mercy in the Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1  “The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath.  It is twice blest:  It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown.”  So the king is to be first and foremost a righteous man, concerned for the poor of his country, providing justice tempered with mercy.   

Upon the base of this moral order the king builds a social structure, one based on gentleness and care for his people.  Such a social structure will have an impact far beyond the national level, or the realm of the kingdom, resulting in alliances with other kingdoms, building political security on an international level.  Vss 8-11 describe the new king’s dominion.  His enemies bow down before him, even the kings of Tarshish and Sheba and Seba bring him gifts.  Vs. 9 does not mean abject groveling of defeated enemies, to lick the dust refers to the homage ordinarily given to a king.  Nations do not bow down to him because of military conquest but because of his just and merciful ruling of his country as we see in verses 12-14, he delivers the needy, has pity on the weak.  This implies that the way to true political security is not through war but good example, focusing on right governance of your own country.  In this way, all will be drawn to the goodness present.

The result of all of these, moral, social and political order, is economic security, shown in vs. 16 as an abundance of grain and growth in population.  The poet then ends with a benediction, blessing God, as the conclusion not of Psalm 72, but of Book II of the Psalter, Psalms 42-72.  Verse 20 is an addendum perhaps to separate “Davidic” psalms from those by “Asaph.”

We can see in this psalm, an early effort to dream of a world order of peace and righteousness.  The poet uses the social structure of the time, kings and kingdoms, to envision this reality.  He dreams of a king who will do all of the above and more so that the world would experience peace and prosperity.  The need for some type of organization, ways to order our lives together, has been present from the beginning, going from a tribal structure to kingdoms to democracy.  As one commentator states,  “Despite man’s doubtful success in creating a world order and administering it, the dream and the effort to achieve it are very ancient and engaging.” (p. 380)  This dream of a world order that works has been around for a long time.   That it needs to be based on sound moral order has also been around for a long time.  A commentator writing in 1950 wrote:  “.  . . that our own disordered society will not return to security and peace except by rebuilding the moral bases that in recent years have been everywhere shaken and in some places reduced to rubble.” (p. 385) Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  Seems I’ve heard the same comments recently.    People for ages have longed for a world of peace, a world where it is easier to be good than evil, where righteousness prevails and the poor and vulnerable are protected. 

Throughout the centuries people have sought to create new social orders. They have utopian visions of communities where all shared equally, like the early Christian community which we know only lasted for a short time.  Still a beautiful dream while it lasted.  In the 4^th century the desert fathers and mothers sought to grow closer to God through communal life in the desert.  Different religious communities have formed over the years, each with their own rules and order for their life together.  I recently returned from a retreat at St. Gregory’s Abbey in Three Rivers, MI, an Episcopal monastery following the rule of St. Benedict.  The community of brothers meets together for prayer seven times a day, beginning with matins at 4a.m.  In prayers and chants their voices blend together so that none stick out, a form of unity within community.  I’m sure like all communities they have their differences and disagreements, however it’s comforting to know that  there are communities of people getting up during the wee hours of the morning when others are sound asleep or just getting to sleep after a night out, in order to pray for the world.   I don’t believe it’s a matter of finding the right “rule” or way to order a community for it seems to be part of our fallen nature to disagree.  Still we strive for that ideal vision.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the coming of the three kings to Bethlehem.  It isn’t the end of the Christmas season but rather the beginning of a new season, the season of Epiphany. An epiphany is a manifestation of God.  During the season of Epiphany we reflect further on the light of Christ that shone in the darkness, the light that continues to the present day, the light that Isaiah speaks of in our passage today, the light of Christ that the three kings, three dreamers, recognized in a small baby.

Our psalm is often attributed to the Messiah, the one true king, under whose reign, there will be peace on earth.  The three kings came from far away, following a star, in hopes of seeing this great king.  What they find is a baby, yet they recognize this baby for who he was, the Messiah, the one true king who will bring lasting peace to the earth.  In Isaiah we hear how nations will come to the light of God; all peoples shall bow down before our God and king.   Paul works to bring the good news of salvation, the light of Christ, to the Gentiles.  All people, Jew, Gentile, bow down before the one true king.

The problem with all social systems lies not in the structure but in the people.  There is no magical structure or set of laws or form of governance that will bring about a true and lasting peace to the earth; all are flawed because we as people are flawed.  This true and lasting peace is dependent on a just king, the one and true king, Jesus.  If we are to someday have that dream of peace, then we must first begin with ourselves, to live lives of peace, devoted to our God, then we, too, shall be a light to the nations.  Others will be drawn to us because of our goodness, so that someday all will live in peace under the leadership of our God. 

What began in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago continues to this day.  We are a part of and a continuation of this dream.  Our reach exceeds our grasp as we build upon a foundation others started and future generations will continue.  This is a dream worth devoting your whole life to, a dream for this life and the next.

     

Robertson, copyright 2012

Psalm 148 - All Creation Praise the Lord - Happy New Year!

New Year’s Day, 2012

Isaiah 61:10-62:3        Psalm 148        Galatians 4:4-7            Luke 2:22-40

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Why is it so hard to let go of “stuff.”  I’m not a hoarder, my house is not a fire trap due to excess newspapers, magazines, collectibles, gathering dust.  One can easily walk from room to room with only an occasional pile of books to step over.  Still I have boxes of stuff in my home, the accumulation of a lifetime.  I have toys, odds and ends, homemade cards, stuff I’ve written from my childhood stored away in an old roll top desk, memories of a person I can hardly recognize, much less remember.  I have papers written in college that impress me at how smart I once was.  That person is long gone.  I have college textbooks along with a small library of books I’ve collected over the years.  You never know when I might want to pick up Mandarin Chinese or see if I can resurrect the Russian I studied all through college.  Have to keep those books.

And then there is my children’s memorabilia.  Not just pictures and cards they made for me, but each has their own store of treasures, kept at my house.  I’m as loath to throw these out as I am to throw out my own.

What is it about these that has me trapped, keeps me from letting them go while others pitch and toss with no regrets?  Perhaps it’s because of the memories attached to each item of a forgotten childhood and youth.  Memories that only come back when I pick up a memento or read the words, memories that were forgotten. 

It’s so easy to forget, seems to get easier with each passing year.  You swear you will never forget, only to forget the swearing.  Years pass and with each year come more memories.  You have to let go of some in order to clear away space in your brain for the new.  I hang on to memorabilia in the hopes of hanging on to the memories, with the thought that someday I just may need this tidbit, maybe as part of a story, or a memoir. 

Another reason I find it so hard to throw out, is my dislike for waste.  I don’t like to see food wasted so it sits in my refrigerator long past the sell by date until I am finally reassured it needs to be thrown out.  I don’t throw out clothes I rarely wear, appliances I no longer use, out-dated electronics, thinking someday, they may prove useful again. The minute I get rid of something, I find I need it!  I abhor waste, even wasting time.  Time is far too precious to waste.  And worst of all, a wasted life.  I don’t know where this dislike for waste came from, I just know it is strong inside me.  I don’t want to waste any minute of this life God has given me.

Each year, at the beginning of a new year, we sing, auld lang syne, old long ago.  We ring in the old, ring out the new, and ask the question:  should old acquaintances be forgot?  The implied answer is, no, we should not forget old friends, times gone past, even as we welcome in the new, but it is a question worth asking.  When is it time to let go of the old for the new?  Can we have it both ways?  Can we treasure the past while embracing the future?

And I wonder, what would Jesus say about my boxes of memories?  They aren’t of value to anyone but me.  Should I pitch and toss?  What does Scripture say?

Our psalm for today is a psalm of praise, the third of five Hallelujah psalms that conclude the book of Psalms.  The writer calls for all of creation to praise the Lord, all creation in heaven, on earth and under the earth.  It is divided into two parts.  The first part deals with the heavens, angels, sun, moon and stars, all praise the Lord.  Where heathen nations worshipped the sun, moon and stars as divinities, they are clearly under God’s command for God created them (vs. 5).  Section ends with a refrain, vs. 5-6, sung by the choir in response to the call for praise.

The second part deals with all earthly creation, including the depths of the earth and sea and all that arise out of them, fire, hail, snow, frost and stormy winds (vs. 7-8). They, too, are under the Lord’s command and acknowledge him.  Then the earth (vs. 9-10), mountains, hills, trees, animals; finally all people, kings and queens, the high and mighty, the old and the young (vs. 11-12), all praise the Lord.  This section concludes with a second refrain (vs. 13-14). 

The order of praise follows the order of creation in Genesis 1.  The attitude of the writer parallels that of the Genesis 1, with the earth, all creation being good, very positive psalm, all the world is under God’s command.  This would be a psalm of orientation based on Walter Breuggeman’s definition.  However, we know that not all of God’s creations give proof of God’s goodness.  Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, all wreak havoc on creation, destroying life, creating waste, and bringing into question the goodness of our God.  The psalmist doesn’t deal with these questions, focusing only on the importance of praise and in doing so reminding us that our blessings outnumber our problems, that we owe to God that which is rightfully God’s, our praise.  As one commentator states, “The blessings far outnumber the trials.  There is a problem of pain, and the facts of life continually remind us of it.  The problem may become most acute when we seek to lift up our hearts in praise.  The contrast between the realities we see and feel and the praise we offer is too obvious.  Yet as praise continues, a sense of indebtedness overwhelms resentment and complaint.  We may even reach the point at which we give thanks for our sorrows, our disappointments, our losses (II Cor. 12:9b).”  (The Interpreter’s Bible, volume 4, p. 756)

Passage from Isaiah is another call to praise; God is praised for restoring Israel, bringing forth justice and praise to the earth.    In 61:10-11, the prophet moves from praising God for his personal salvation to hope that one day salvation will be completed.  In 62 he calls upon God to fulfill his promise of salvation to Jerusalem.  Israel that once was called “forsaken” and “desolate” are now “my delight” and “espoused.”

Gospel- we hear story of Jesus early years, his presentation in the Temple, how he grew in wisdom and grace.  In the temple was a righteous man, Simeon, who had been told he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.  God’s spirit was strong in Simeon; the spirit guided Simeon to the Temple that day and revealed to him that this small baby was the one he had been waiting for.  His response was one of praise and thanksgiving, thanking God for his salvation through the birth of the Messiah.

Paul tells us in Galatians, that in the fullness of time, Jesus came, no sooner, no later, at the right time when humans were ready.  Simeon had spent his whole life waiting for this day.  Now that it had happened, he was ready to go, his life had been fulfilled.  All of our readings remind us of God’s salvation, God’s saving power and the ultimate expression of this in the birth of a baby, Jesus.  It is precisely this which saves our memories, saves our lives and our world from waste.  With God, no life is wasted, not the unborn, not lives lost in natural disasters.  God knows us all by name, we are part of his creation, and God saves all of us.  God restores our memories as well, all that is important to remember, all that God wants us to remember, they will all be restored if not in this life, then the next.

And so, as another new year begins, we are called to both let go of the past, and treasure our memories; we are called to let go of the “stuff” of life, material possessions, while not wasting for all of God’s creation is precious.  We are called to both/and rather than either /or, to join with all creation in praising our God who saves us.  Happy New Year!

Copyright 2011, Robertson

Psalm 97 - Repetitions that Delight - Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011             Repetitions that Delight

Isaiah 9:2-7          Psalm 97              1 Titus 3:4-7                  Luke 2:1-20

When my son, Dan, was a baby, he had one book he wanted me to read over and over and over, Busy Timmy, to point where he had it memorized at 1 year.  Needless to say, I grew tired of this repetition much quicker than he did.  When we like something, we tend to want to repeat the experience over and over, whether watching a favorite video, reading a favorite book, eating a delicious dessert, or listening to music.  Good stuff of life bears repeating. 

Some repetitions are annoying, scales on the piano by the beginner, the refrain “Are we there yet?” while undertaking a long trip with children, muzak on elevators.  I recently traveled to New York for the weekend.  Riding on the subway, I quickly tired of refrain, “stand away from the door,” at every stop.

Some repetitions never fail to delight, a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a starry sky at night, the Harvest moon, that first cup of coffee in the morning to greet a new day, the great works of literature, Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoi and others, love stories – we love a good love story, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl, vice versa, and every variation thereof.  That’s why there are so many books, movies, songs about love.  We never tire of them.

Psalm for today states nothing new or unusual, nothing we haven’t heard before, some might say why even include it in the book of Psalms, could easily be eliminated or condensed into another psalm, like a Readers Digest condensed book, yet it is worth keeping, worth repeating.

It is a psalm of praise of our God, the wonder of God, that God reigns as king forever.  It isn’t the words themselves that are so wonderful or unique, but the passion for the subject by the writer.  These are words written by someone who knows his subject, loves his subject, and that makes all the difference.

The psalm follows a traditional format, three parts.  First verse introduces the subject, the theme for the psalm.  Verses 2-6 speak of the cosmic power of God enthroned in heaven.  Traditional terms for a theophany are used, showing God in nature, with dark clouds and lightning. Verses 7-9 contrasts the shame of idolatry with rejoicing of Zion, God’s people.  Verses 10-12 exhorts the faithful to hate evil and rejoice in the Lord.

Every good story has conflict and plot twists, true of this psalm.  The conflict seen in verses 2-6 is our desire to know God, yet God is covered with a veil of mystery.  The darkness is lit up from within by blazing fires and lightning, glimpses of God, but more often than not our path is dark, we don’t know our future, don’t know our God, don’t even know ourselves all that well at times.  While on this earth we walk in darkness, yet walk we must.  We get glimpses of God, moments of clarity when the way seems clear, but those are short lived.  This causes conflict, yet the conflict creates interest in knowing how it will turn out. 

The other conflict in the psalm is between believers and unbelievers.  We are reassured that our God guards the lives of those who are faithful, that right will prevail, we need only remain true to our God.

Our Gospel reading for today is the beginning of the greatest story ever told, a great love story, the continuation of the story of God’s love for his people which echoes in the Old Testament and starts anew in the New Testament with the birth of a baby, something new and unique, never before seen, never to be seen again.  The story is repeated every year, yet never gets old.  Well worth the repeating.  With years of life the story is enriched by memories, memories of Christmas’s past, Christmas’ yet to come, full of nuances, light and dark.  Not every Christmas memory is pleasant.  The first Christmas without a loved one at the table can be very difficult, yet the story goes on,

God so loved the world.  God’s love for us goes on; we need to keep repeating the story, through good times and hard times.  So much of our life is darkness.  We need to treasure these moments of light when God’s presence reveals itself to us through the darkness.  Treasure this time when the people who walk in darkness, all of us, see God’s light.  They are all the more precious for being few and far between.

And so, as we gather here today on yet another Christmas, let us relish the story of that first Christmas long ago; let us remember other Christmases in our lives, not so long ago.   

This Christmas, may we be a light in the darkness to others during difficult times.  May our light shine before others, showing them the way to our God, leading them to Jesus.  And may we never tire of repeating the story, the story of God’s great love.

Robertson copyright December 2011

Psalm 126, Great Expectations

December 11, 2011                 Great Expectations!

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11                  Psalm 126        1 Thes. 5:16-24          John 1:6-8, 19-28

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens, author who in his writing on Christmas, The Christmas Carol and others, did more to save Christmas from a neglected, little observed celebration than any person of his time.  Would be interesting to hear what he would have to say about our current observance of the holiday and the excesses associated with it  . . .

This time of year can seem like the best of times and the worst of times, a season of extremes, highs and lows, exacerbated by lack of sleep, excessive eating and drinking and parties.  It can be both a wonderful time and terrible time depending on your life circumstances.  Something about the holidays makes the highs higher and the lows lower.  It also is a time of “Great Expectations” to use the title of one of Dickens’ novels.

Psalm 126 is very appropriate for this season of strong emotions.  Whereas Psalm 85 encompasses past present and future, Psalm 126 embraces the whole realm of human emotion in 8 verses.  As J.E. McFadyen says, the psalm passes swiftly through the “vicissitudes of human life—its laughter and tears, sorrow and joy, dejection and exaltation, exile and redemption, spring and autumn, the beautiful dream, and the cruel reality; but the sorrow of it all is swallowed up in the lovely vision with which it ends.” (Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 4, p. 664)

This short, beautiful piece of poetry is from the post-exilic time, a time after the return of the exiles from Babylon in 537 BCE.  Poet remembers this time as a time of wonder, an idyllic time, golden age with so much laughter and joy that unbelievers, the heathen nations, were inspired to say, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (vs. 2)  Psalm is considered a lament, following the form of a lament, yet it is so full of hope and joy that it doesn’t strike me as sorrowful at all.  It is meant to be studied with Psalm 85, both of which psalms were structured for liturgical use to keep hope alive in the people.

The psalm provides a beautiful image of this time of return.  The destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the countries key leaders made a tremendous impression on the Hebrew nation   It was a significant turning point in their history, as significant as the Exodus experience.  It forced them to change their theology, challenged their understanding of their role as God’s chosen nation and the role of the Temple.  Their religion which had centered on Jerusalem and the Temple had to make a profound shift in order to survive, a shift to a focus on the law, Torah.  Families had been scattered, some had died while in exile, others had been born and only knew about Jerusalem through what they had been told.   When they were finally allowed to return, the psalmist describes that return as if they were walking in a dream; they could hardly believe their good fortune.  Dumb with astonishment and wonder at first, then their mouths were filled with joy and laughter as they were reunited with old friends.  What a welcome there must have been by those who had been left behind amidst the rubble.  A wonderful occasion, as wonderful as the Exodus when God brought them to safety through the Red Sea and when God brought them into the Promised Land, an idealized time, however short lived.  The Jerusalem they had returned to was not the Jerusalem they had left; there was much work to be done to rebuild the city and the Temple.

The second section of the psalm , vs. 4-6, turns from the remembrance of the past to the present, a time of unhappiness and difficulty.  Poet uses image of dried up river beds, the wadi beds of the Negeb, to illustrate that Israel has become barren of life and hope.  The wadi beds in this region were waterless, dry and arid most of the year until the rainy season when God sent down streams of life giving water.  The people ask God to restore their fortunes like he restores the river each year.  Psalm ends on a note of hope that those who sow in tears shall reap with joy, a proverb the some believe was based on a primitive belief that “one must not laugh when he sows, lest he weep when he harvests.” (Leslie, Psalms, as found in Interpreter’s Bible, p. 666.)  Time of sowing was hard work; it was an anxious time for sower knew not all seed would bear fruit.  People would pray for a good harvest as reward for the hard work of sowing seed.  Certainly life on this earth can be hard as well with many reasons for tears, but the writer of this psalm believes in happy endings; that we are born not for tragedy but for some ultimate good.  Israel was currently experiencing a time of tears, yet a joyous harvest is predicted based on God’s actions in the past.  This is reason for confidence.

Note that confidence is in God and what God has done, not what people had done.  Their return from exile was seen as an act of God, showing God’s goodness.  In verse 3 the people echo back the words of the heathen nations saying, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.”  The writer is confident that this will be the case in the future.  This shows the importance of praising God when praise is due, focusing more on our blessings than our complaints.  As one commentator states:

“If instead of complaints we gave praise where praise is due, there would be fewer family disagreements ending in family tragedies.  If instead of taking favors for granted in national life we gave credit to leaders and public servants and remembered how much we owed to the past, there would be greater joy in adding to the common stock and less temptation to demand more than we deserve.  Churches too would be transformed if they taught people in all circumstances to dwell upon the mercies they have received instead of multiplying their troubles.  If God did anything for us in our early days, if he has supported us through difficult years and comforted us in bereavement, let us not be silent.  Let us tell people not only by the words we speak but by the radiance of our lives.  So much of the distress in the world springs from the fact that we want to tell what we have done, not what God has done for us.  Afflictions we may keep to ourselves.  Blessings we should share.  They are neither few nor mean.”  (Interpreter’s Bible, pp. 665-666)

Our passage from Isaiah is from third Isaiah; the call of a third prophet following the tradition of Isaiah.  This prophet speaks during a time of reconstruction after the return from exile.  While second Isaiah spoke words of comfort to people in exile, third Isaiah speaks words of encouragement to people rebuilding after the destruction of Jerusalem.  His is a message of hope based on conviction that God will bring forth justice just as surely as the earth brings forth plants.  This is reason for rejoicing.

Reading from Thessalonians picks up on theme of rejoicing, saying “Rejoice always . . .give thanks in all circumstances.”  Surely our hope is in the Lord who turns sorrows into joy and gives us reason for rejoicing.

Gospel we hear John the Baptist’s testimony.  John clearly attributes to God what belongs to God. He is clear about his identity, that he is not the Messiah but just someone who points the way to the Messiah, an important lesson for all, to recognize who we are and give to God what is rightfully God’s, not setting ourselves up as a false god as John so easily could have given his popularity. 

    

Advent is a time of Great Expectations, highs and lows, children look forward to Christmas with expectations of toys they shall receive from Santa, as adults we may be looking forward to holiday gatherings in great expectation of a Hallmark Christmas only to be disappointed when those expectations are dashed upon the rocks of reality; when our dreams fall short.  Those who are missing loved ones may find the holidays and the idyllic pictures of family gatherings very painful as they remind us of all we have lost. 

In light of broken expectations and losses we may be tempted to lower our expectations out of fear of being disappointed yet again, but Advent is a time for great expectations.  It isn’t a matter of lowering expectations but examining where we place those expectations.  If we focus on the things of this world, even on good things like family and friends, we will undoubtedly be disappointed for all humans have feet of clay, we all have our share of disagreements, we all misunderstand and are misunderstood at times, leading to disappointment.  But if we build our expectations firmly on God, trusting in God based on the good God has done in the past, we will not be disappointed.  Not only that, the final reality will exceed our expectations in ways we can’t begin to imagine, beyond our wildest dreams.  Then we, too, shall be like those who dream.

So, let us not be afraid to have Great Expectations this Advent for our God will not disappoint.

Robertson, copyright December 2011

Psalm 85 - Now and Future Salvation

December 4, 2011                   Now and Future Salvation

Isaiah 40:1-11             Psalm 85                      2 Peter 3:8-15a                        Mark 1:1-8

Advent begins a new year for the church – out of sync with secular society which celebrates beginning of new year on January 1.  The church is also out of sync with holiday celebrations that are part of this year as they rush to Christmas, forgetting Advent.  Personally glad for a respite from celebration, enjoyed Thanksgiving, but needed a break before Christmas celebrations began, experiencing the letdown after a good party.

So here we are at the beginning of another church year.  New year begins with end times, not the birth of Christ but the second coming of Jesus.  Jesus has already been born, is already present in the world.  What we celebrate is the anniversary of the birth.  God does not repeat himself, always new.  The unique event of Jesus’ birth will not be repeated.  Jesus will come again but not like the first time; Jesus will come at the end of time.  Readings remind us of this, remind us of the need for salvation for our lives are not meant to last forever, nor is the world going to last forever.

Psalm for today considered a lament by some, a prophetic liturgy by others.  Beautiful psalm that transcends time, encompasses past, present and future within the lines of poetry.  Verses 1-3, begin with past, recalling the “good old days,” a time past when circumstances were better.  Recalls how God restored the fortunes of Jacob - the nation, not the man.  Psalm could be referring to any number of incidents, in this better time God restored them to physical prosperity by restoring the land; God forgave their sins and restored their relationship with God by withdrawing his anger.  It was a golden age romanticized in remembrance as we so often do when thinking about the past.

Verses 4-7 refer to the present, a time of some danger.   The people stand before God in their need and plead for God to once again restore their fortunes, reflecting on how God restored their fortunes in the past.  “Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation,” they say, pleading for salvation, a restoration of relationship with God.

Verses 8-13 take us to a future time.  God responds to his people and the poet bursts forth in beautiful poetic images of a time in the future when all will be restored, order will be restored.  At times this passage is considered eschatological referring to end times, the glories of heaven, but it is also situated on earth, God’s glory shows forth on earth.  It is a both/and situation – vision of heaven and of heaven on earth.  It is a time when love and faithfulness will meet once again, righteousness and peace will kiss.  Implication is that these natural pairs have been unnaturally separated in this world but will now be brought back together.  Faithfulness will spring up from the earth, righteousness come down from heaven and join together in perfect harmony, between heaven and earth.  Earth will finally live in accord with God’s will, how God intended earth to be and God will give what is good. 

We see in this psalm past, present and future held together in a way that transcends time, a new sense of time that encompasses all time.  All those of you who are older understand how this can be.  There is a new sense of time that can come with age, which has been termed gerotranscendence, or climbing over age.  Memories of past events from our childhood seem like only yesterday, are as real now as when they first happened.  You can hold the past and present together in a new way you couldn’t before.  The veil that separates this life from the next gets thinner as we age and grow closer to our ultimate future.  Time takes on a whole new meaning as we are caught between this world and the next.

Isaiah passage, beginning of second Isaiah, includes the first words of Handel’s masterpiece, the Messiah.  We hear the beautiful oracle – “Comfort, give comfort to my people.”  God is calling the prophet to speak words of comfort.  First Isaiah is dominated by words of warning, calling upon the people to repent, return to their God, to true worship of God, before it is too late.  Second Isaiah speaks words of comfort to a people in exile.  The Hebrew people did not listen to God speaking through the prophets; their country was overthrown by Babylon and their people were taken away.  God lets them know through the prophet that their time of exile will soon be over.  God will make a path for them in the desert.  God will clear the way for them, lowering the mountains and raising the valleys to make the way smooth for God’s people.  There is a sense of an immediate, soon to happen, future, as well as a distant future, foretelling the return of the exiles as well as foretelling a much more distant future when all nations shall be gathered together under the one Shepherd.  Such is the beauty of prophetic passages, they can apply to a concrete situation as well as another future time, the end time.  The events in this passage have happened and yet haven’t happened: another situation of both/and, both are true.

In the passage from Mark, we have the beginning of the story of Jesus, Christ, Son of God.  John the Baptist prepares the way.  Just as God prepared a way in the desert for the Israelites, John is preparing the way for Jesus, who proclaims the kingdom God.  Jesus’ birth inaugurated the kingdom so that we live in the kingdom while anticipating the kingdom, it is both present in the here and now and for the future.

2 Peter reminds us of the last days, end time.  Thanks to Jesus, we are already living in the end time; God’s kingdom is present yet not complete as we work for the fulfillment of God’s word in this world.  A thousand years are but a day in God’s time and so we wait for God’s time, staying ready, prepared for Jesus whenever he might come again and busy about the work of building God’s kingdom.

Our psalm for today is all about salvation, a plea for salvation.  We already have salvation and yet we need to be busy about salvation.  Jesus was born, walked this earth and died for us, to save us.  Like God’s kingdom, it is now, ours already, and yet for a future time.  In our psalm, peace is related to salvation.  God will speak peace to his people, his salvation is at hand, not only is at hand, is here and now because of Jesus.  Certainly that is reason enough for feeling a sense of peace, the peace that the world cannot give, that only God can give, a peace based on justice, doing what is right, God’s justice.  Wherever there is injustice, there is no peace, which is why there is so little peace in our world.

So what are we to do, we who are living in these end times? Sometimes we can wonder about our lives, have they had meaning, have we made a difference, does it matter that we walked on this earth, a hundred years from now, who will remember, who will care, for we like grass will die and our memories fade from the land as the prophet reminds us.  Advent is a good time to wonder about these, a good time to ask what remains undone in my life, what do I need to be busy about in order to be ready for Jesus when he comes for me?  Advent is a good time to wonder about salvation.

C.S. Lewis tells us in Mere Christianity, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.  The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.  It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.  Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.  It seems a strange rule, but something like it can be seen at work in other matters.  Health is a great blessing, but the moment you make health one of your main, direct objects you start becoming a crank and imagining there is something wrong with you.  You are only likely to get health provided you want other things more –food, games, work, fun, open air.  In the same way we shall never save civilization as long as civilization is our main object.  We must learn to want something else even more.”

And so what are we to do?  Conduct ourselves in holiness and devotion, as Paul tells us, thereby waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord.  We need to be busy about building God’s kingdom, busy about our own salvation as well as the salvation of the world, building a world of true peace based on righteousness.  We need to be ready when Jesus calls just as the Hebrew nation had to be ready to return.  Perhaps they had gotten accustomed to Babylon, made a new life there, might have been hard to leave, but leave they must just as we must when called.  We need to both prepare the way for ourselves and for others and be ready to take the way whenever Jesus calls.

Copyright December 2011, Robertson