Tuesday, December 8, 2015

My Words won’t wear out!



A centering prayer video reflection




This is video is not very centering it is really kind of disturbing as it takes us from 1949 to 1989 there is a newer version by another artist that goes from 1990-2012 and still another that goes from 2000-2014. What is interesting is really it looks the same, the pictures are different, and yet it all looks and feels the same. The point is in the midst of terrorism threats, black Friday shopping sprees, and a moment of silence after we have set up our tree… can we just stop? Stop to remember what this season is about? What this first day of advent symbolizes which is hope? Even In the midst of a horrible terror attack there is Hope of survival, there is hope that humanity will respond. When all else fails us as humans there is always hope and our hope lies in knowing to whom we belong we are all beloved Children of God and it is in that knowledge and hope that we strive to better ourselves, care for our neighbors and heal the planet. Amen.


Luke 21:25-36 from the message



25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.


27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”


29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.


34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”



My Words won’t wear out!







“It will seem like all hell is broken loose…” Hey stop right there…well greetings from the sacred text to you too. I thought this was supposed to be the good news??? Everyone in a panic the earth and sea in an uproar? When was this written? I thought this was supposed to be an ancient text? As in our centering moment today evidently we did not start the fire.

So the writer goes on to say that once all of this has started and you see all these signs stand up and stand tall for then you will see “the Son of Man” welcomed in Grand style!” I can’t help but wonder how many Times the Son of Man has come and no one noticed. I mean if these are the signs they were happening then, they have happened in our recent histories and they are happening now.

Again what does the scripture say? “When you see things happen, you know God’s Kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too – these things will happen, sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.” My words won’t wear out…Christ words will continue to inspire and nurture those who listen.

I would add Christ said Sky and Earth will wear out I would add human spirit as well. We become weary of the pain and suffering of the world, we get tired of the wars, impending wars, the possibility of war. We get tired of people hurting and hating each other in God’s name. We are worn out! yet we are reassured, My words won’t wear out. We are called ot go one reaching out, living in Christ’s love, teaching Christ’s way and welcoming the stranger in Christ’s name. Because God’s kingdom is about here!

You know what is funny from God’s perspective it is so true. lets use a metaphor that some of you may have heard before to put it in perspective.

Look at the dial of a clock. Imagine that the 12 hours showing on the dial are equal to earth’s history of four-and-a-half billion years. Now, this is how the earth’s evolution happened…


                                                 

We are Only 10 Seconds Old [Illustration by Shinod AP]

“We know very little about what happened in the first three hours of the earth’s existence. The first signs of life appeared in the form of bacteria when the earth was four hours old.

Then came the first vertebrates (animals with skeletons). They were born when the earth was 10 hours and 35 minutes old. The huge dinosaurs arrived at 11 hours and 25 minutes and birds and mammals at 11 hours and 50 minutes.

And guess what. In this 12-hour life span, humans arrived only half a minute before 12! This means that the entire human history is just 10 seconds old – because the chain of evolution from the great apes to humans actually took up 20 seconds!

Clocking human folly

Let us look at this in yet another way.

Compress earth’s existence into 100 years. This means that the dinosaurs came and left the earth about one year ago. Man arrived only two weeks ago. Humans started burning fossil fuels, like coal and petrol, only five minutes ago.

However, in these five minutes, human actions have upset more than 99 years of the development of the earth’s environment.

And, if we want to save the environment from irreversible destruction, we must act in the next four seconds…”[1]



One of my favorite quotes is form Xanadu when the Gods are speaking to Kira as she argues to go back to at least say goodbye to Sonny we hear the female heavenly voice say; “maybe Just one moment , darling. To which the Male heavenly voice replies; “well, maybe just one moment. Or forever. I keep getting them mixed up, too.”[2] Our urgency, our panic, our lives are just a flash. Human history is but a scratch on the surface of the Earth. Though, we have become quite an irritating scratch!



Jesus goes on to say; “keep your sharp edge of expectation.” He is saying in Luke is be prepared for the kingdom for it is here and now, right upon us, and it is yet to come. I do not see this as a conflict it is not an “if then” situation. If the kingdom should come then I am ready. It is a “both and” situation. The God’s kingdom is always at hand and it is coming.



We are told this is how we should live and this is how we need to act every day. Jesus often said God’s Kingdom is at hand the prophecies are fulfilled. This is what we anticipate during advent and what we celebrate at Christmas. Yet when I do research on the Kingdom, and what does it mean, I often find language that doesn’t comply with what I have learned and hopefully what many here have come to understand.



One problem for us in general is this concept of Kingdom. The ancient concept was one of a Ruler who make decrees and see that all his subjects were treated fair and equal and there would no longer be a need for conflict for we would all be united under this rule.



The problem I have with this image as it has never truly been experienced by any community let alone globally so it is truly a foreign concept. The better image is what Christ taught and lived. How to be the beloved community. How we are to care for each other and especially the stranger. How we are to love and support each other. How we are all children of God and therefor none is above the other.



The concept of a loving kindom, where we are all related, where we are all kin, and as children of God and should treat each other as such is something I can wrap my head around. Yet this may still be problematic. I mean how any here have brothers or sisters. Did you get along every day? Some never really deal with their immediate family at all and find even this concept hard to accept. Human language gets in the way of God speak.



If the kingdom of God is at hand why is this place such a mess if the kingdom of God is yet to come why it doesn’t just arrive already and take over for we are just making a mess of things!! We get angry, we get frustrated, we use and abuse. We are human and we are frightened. We are frightened of our own kind let alone the quote “Stranger”.



Am I the only one who has thought these thoughts? Has anyone ever been in a moment of despair over the constant battle that seems to be raging in this world? If we are not fighting someone else we are fighting nature herself. Just making it from day to day can sometime seem like an overwhelming task. So what can we do? Where is the assurance? “My word don’t wear out!” The reminder right there in the Gospel. For over two thousand years those words have not worn out. In our comparative few milliseconds of existence those words do not wear out. For extra assurance Christ gives us directions on how to survive it all. “Pray constantly!”



Unceasing, incessant prayer is essential to the vitality of your relationship to the Lord and your ability to function in the world. But exactly what does it mean to pray without ceasing?

The first time someone hears about the concept of praying without ceasing it may conjure up the image of Christians walking around with their hands folded, heads bowed, and eyes closed, bumping into things. While certain postures and specific times set aside for prayer have an important bearing on our communication with God, to "pray at all times" obviously does not mean we are to pray in formal or noticeable ways every waking moment. And it does not mean you're supposed to devote yourself to reciting ritualistic patterns and forms of prayer.

To "pray without ceasing" refers recurring prayer, not nonstop talking. Prayer is to be a way of life--you're to be continually in an attitude of prayer. It is living in continual God-consciousness, where everything you see and experience becomes a kind of prayer, lived in deep awareness of and surrender to Him. It should be instant and intimate communication-not unlike that which we enjoy with our best friend.

To "pray without ceasing" means when you are tempted, you hold the temptation before God and ask for God’s help. When you experience something good and beautiful, you immediately thank the Lord for it. When you see evil around you, you ask God to make it right and to use you toward that end, if that is God’s will.[3]



John Macarthur is telling us here how this constant prayer makes God’s Kingdom truly at hand. Truly here and now. If we are all living in a way that we can see, appreciate and know God immediately. In this way so is the kindom immediate. The Kindom is At hand. God’s Kindom is here and now. My words won’t wear out.



Christ words to us. Christ teachings on how to live and love in life fully. Christ also warns us , in this season of Christmas and, as they used to say, making merry. Be sure not to “get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.” In other words do not let the day to day get in the way of the here and now.



I know Christ was not saying not too enjoy the season, heck this is the guy who turned water into wine and not cheap wine either! He enjoyed the company of people, friends and strangers alike. To those who criticized him and his lot for being drunkards and breakers of the law …snakes and viper brood! Often it was the hypocritical religious leaders who condemned Christ and the followers for their actions all God ever said was this is my beloved in whom I am well pleased!



As we look to this holy season of reminders to prepare the kindom. Reminders to make sure our hearts are ready for the coming of Christ. The best way to prepare is to know that Christ is here, in our hearts. Available to us every day if we just take the time to seek God’s spirit in our lives.



There used to be a T-shirt that said Jesus is coming look busy! “Tony Campolo used to say that when he was growing up the preachers used to scare the kids by warning them that Jesus could appear at any time, and woe betide them if he turns up and finds them at a movie theater! Tony says he grew up with a constant fear, every time he went to the movies, that Jesus would return during the feature and he’d miss the end of the movie.”[4]



Sometimes when we look at the world around us it can feel just as scary as a kid afraid he will miss the ending of a movie. We busy ourselves with our lives and forget to live. To live means to be in that constant prayer. To live means to be present to God in our lives and to see God in the other.



So I pray may our hearts and minds be open to God today and every day and especially during this advent season. This first Sunday of advent, this Sunday of Hope, I pray we carry that Hope that Christ promises everyday as well. amen.




[1] Ajay Dasguta, Planet Earth for Kids, 2015, accessed November 28, 2015, http://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/planet-earth-for-kids/all-human-history-is-just-10-seconds-old/.


[2] Robert Greenwald director and Lawrence Gordon producer, Xanadu (Originally published as United States.Universal (1980 ;), United States: MCA Home Video, 1984), Digital eBook.


[3] John MacArthur Jr., Alone with God, MacArthur study series (Originally published as United States.Universal, Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books, 1995), Digital eBook.


[4] David Smith, Jesus is Coming!, December 1, 2006, accessed November 28, 2015, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/jesus-is-coming-a-sermon-for-advent-sunday-david-smith-sermon-on-christmas-eve-113715.asp.

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