Dearest e-votees-
Our appointed Old Testament text for this coming Sunday (the 9th Sunday after Pentecost) is full of promise and hope. May your life be blessed today by the deep and abiding promises and hope that comes from the steadfast and generous hand of our God.
Peace,
Karl
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For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 55:10-13, NRSV
I remember well meeting a pastor one time who confided in me that after serving in the church for many years he still couldn’t manage to eat breakfast on the mornings he was preaching. His nerves and his digestion couldn’t seem to get along on such mornings.
While I don’t struggle with being able to eat on days I preach I do know the trembling of holy fear as I prepare to speak to God’s people on any given Sunday. What if I spend too much time afflicting the comfortable—too much law? What if I spend too much time comforting the afflicted—too much gospel? (as if that could ever really happen) What if I speak something that doesn’t pass theological muster? What if I try to engage people in a way that isn’t engaging? What if I empty myself from the pulpit and people leave even emptier than when I started? I cringe at the thought that I am wasting people’s time and people’s lives and squandering holy moments.
The problem with all the “What if…?”s is that they are focused too much on the messenger and not the message. They are too tightly wound around my own abilities or shortcomings and not nearly tightly enough around the deep promises found in the Isaiah verse above. Scripture—words that come out of God’s mouth—does not return empty. It accomplishes God’s purpose in God’s timing through God’s ways. God’s word will succeed.
If God can speak through inanimate things like water and bread and wine then God can speak through us too—particularly if we are willing to be like John the Baptist and decrease that God might increase in us. If God can speak through the donkey of Balaam (see Numbers 22:21-33) and bring deliverance then God can surely speak through people like us. If God can bring hope and restoration to people like the ones Jesus ate with and lived with then God can bring hope and restoration to and through us.
The point of all of this is that it is God’s work—not ours. God’s work doesn’t come up short. God’s promises are rock solid. The joy and the peace are for many including us. God’s provision is for many including us. Hope and salvation are for many including us. We can join the ovation of the trees of the field for our good and faithful God.
God, speak to us today by whatever means necessary. Speak through us today to a world that—like us—doesn’t always recognize your message as well as we should. Send your word into and through our lives to water and to bring forth and help sprout. Give us hearts to praise you with the trees of the fields. Amen.
Our appointed Old Testament text for this coming Sunday (the 9th Sunday after Pentecost) is full of promise and hope. May your life be blessed today by the deep and abiding promises and hope that comes from the steadfast and generous hand of our God.
Peace,
Karl
----------------------
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
I remember well meeting a pastor one time who confided in me that after serving in the church for many years he still couldn’t manage to eat breakfast on the mornings he was preaching. His nerves and his digestion couldn’t seem to get along on such mornings.
While I don’t struggle with being able to eat on days I preach I do know the trembling of holy fear as I prepare to speak to God’s people on any given Sunday. What if I spend too much time afflicting the comfortable—too much law? What if I spend too much time comforting the afflicted—too much gospel? (as if that could ever really happen) What if I speak something that doesn’t pass theological muster? What if I try to engage people in a way that isn’t engaging? What if I empty myself from the pulpit and people leave even emptier than when I started? I cringe at the thought that I am wasting people’s time and people’s lives and squandering holy moments.
The problem with all the “What if…?”s is that they are focused too much on the messenger and not the message. They are too tightly wound around my own abilities or shortcomings and not nearly tightly enough around the deep promises found in the Isaiah verse above. Scripture—words that come out of God’s mouth—does not return empty. It accomplishes God’s purpose in God’s timing through God’s ways. God’s word will succeed.
If God can speak through inanimate things like water and bread and wine then God can speak through us too—particularly if we are willing to be like John the Baptist and decrease that God might increase in us. If God can speak through the donkey of Balaam (see Numbers 22:21-33) and bring deliverance then God can surely speak through people like us. If God can bring hope and restoration to people like the ones Jesus ate with and lived with then God can bring hope and restoration to and through us.
The point of all of this is that it is God’s work—not ours. God’s work doesn’t come up short. God’s promises are rock solid. The joy and the peace are for many including us. God’s provision is for many including us. Hope and salvation are for many including us. We can join the ovation of the trees of the field for our good and faithful God.
God, speak to us today by whatever means necessary. Speak through us today to a world that—like us—doesn’t always recognize your message as well as we should. Send your word into and through our lives to water and to bring forth and help sprout. Give us hearts to praise you with the trees of the fields. Amen.
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