Advent Second Tuesday 12/7

 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.

Psalm 85:8-13

I have been looking forward to the time I spend blogging each night.  Tonight I was especially looking forward to this time (probably because I knew it would be a break from studying Greek and writing a paper on psychoanalytic theory) where I stop and retreat to my room to read scripture (to read it out loud) and to reflect on it and write some thoughts. 

I realize that the passages I have pulled out recently have mostly if not all been about hope and peace but I guess that is where my mind is right now.  And I think it is worth pointing out that peace is mentioned more than we think in scripture. Besides it is Advent after all.

So with that being said, as I was reading through the 85th Psalm I noticed that it is translated (oh how I cannot wait to learn Greek and Hebrew...and people think I'm a nerd now, just wait) that these thing will happen.  God will speak peace to God's people, love and faithfulness will meet, and righteousness and peace will kiss each other. The LORD will give what is good.  

So I started thinking, what if (crazy idea)...what if God is speaking peace to God's people?  What if love and faithfulness are meeting? What if righteousness and peace are kissing each other? What if the LORD is giving what is good?  Are we really looking for these thing or are we too caught up in the days political maneuvers, the darkness of a troubled world, and the problems in our own life to even think that God could possibly be doing these things?  

We humans are not the best listeners in the world...so I am going to spend the next few weeks listening, looking for, observing, and trusting that God is at work doing a new thing in our midst...that God is speaking peace, that love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace are being achieved in our world.  It is worth hoping for, it is worth looking for.  What would the world look like if we were looking for and making these things happen?  

In Advent it is easy to get the warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling...what is difficult is looking the world in the eyes and saying that darkness does not overcome it because Christ came to bring life and light, and that life and light are still alive and burning today.  

Peace be within you,

KP

Caption: The picture is of my Chrismon tree...Living out on your own has its perks...like being able to decorate your tree however you want!! :-D

Advent Second Monday 12/6

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

I've noticed something the past couple of weeks, and that is this emphasis on peace from within, the law being within, and how these ideas are not just words on a page.  Rather these ideas are internalized by us as believers.

Before I looked at todays lectionary I was talking about this deep love of scripture that I have, and it is not a love from the surface.  It is not that I read scripture and feel all warm and fuzzy.  It is that when I am having a rough day, or week I catch myself not only quoting scripture in the things I say but I live scripture in the way that I place my trust in God and believe the words of scripture.  The law and the word of God are within my heart and because of that I delight to do the will of God.  

This internalizing of scripture, of peace, of hope, of joy, of love, of life, and of light makes us (well makes me at least) not only long for these things but I want to do everything in my power to be these in the world.  When we love and internalize scripture we begin to live the scriptures.  

I challenge you to not just memorize scripture so you can spout it off at the next person who challenges you, but I challenge you to internalize and live these scriptures that are a gift to us from God.  When you do, no one will be able to challenge you because you are exemplifying the fruits of the spirit and you are exemplifying Christ in the world around us.  God has given us this text and this law not to condemn us, only Christ can condemn us and Christ came for us, Christ died for us, Christ rose from the grave for us, and Christ will come again for us...We have this law so that we may live and delight in doing the will of God in the here and the now.  

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

Peace be within you,

KP

Advent Second Sunday 12/5

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears
 hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide
with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with
the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill
 the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and
 faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with
the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the
 lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall
play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand
 on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy
 mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:4-9

This is one of my favorite Bible verses.  It preaches itself for the most part. 

What I love about this passage is that describes a world that is peace.  I talk a lot about God being a God who created and loves this world but at the same time a God who yearns for this world to be whole again, to be at peace.  

This passage from Isaiah paints a picture of a world that is at peace.  A world that has peace from within (going back to one of my favorite passages from Psalm 122 and my soon to be new tattoo).  This passage paints my deep hope for the world.  This passage paints my prayers for the world, my cries for the world.  This passage not only portrays the way the world should be but it also points that our world has a long way to go in order to be at peace and therefore calls us into action.

This passage gives me hope that wars will cease, that children will be abused no more, that violence will have no place in this world, that oppression will end, and that peace and love will reign.  

Our job is not to sit idle and keep praying for these things, our job is to be peace, to be love, to work as Christ in this world because we are the body of Christ.  The world is a dark place, the world is a broken place, the world needs life and light that Christ brings.  

I long for the day I get to preach on this passage.  I long for the day when this passage is a representation of the world around us.  

Until then...Peace be within you.

KP

Advent First Saturday 12/4

A wise soul once said "Speaking of the 10 Commandments, you know the fourth one is a commandment not an option right?"

So Saturday's have become Sabbath.   And in keeping to that my Saturday Advent posts will simply be posting one of the lectionary texts.  

Psalm 72

Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king's son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
may they pronounce him happy.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Advent First Friday 12/3

Today I stray from the lectionary. I am spending the night in Louisville with my family. After hearing of my brothers desires to enlist in the military I thought I should come home and talk to him and be here with my family in a rather difficult time.

While talking to my brother I realized he is doing this. He has thought it through and feels like this is where he is going in life. Bible verses started running through my mind and I started sharing them with my brother.

I have to say that I am 100000% anti-violence, anti-war, and 10000000% prayer warrior for peace in our world.
BUT Knowing that this is what my little brother is going to do I want to be supportive so I shared with him these two verses...

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -John 15:13
We know that all things work together for goodGod makes all things work together for good, or in all things God works for good');" onmouseout="return nd();">^* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

In the John passage Jesus is giving a reminder of his commandment to love one another and says that there is no greater love than laying down your life for a friend. My brother whether I agree with him or not is doing something very noble, very loving for the sake of his country. He is willing to risk his life.

Before he finishes his enlistment we are going to get a tattoo together. Romans 8:28 and I'm going to remember him every time I see it. I will remember that God does work all things together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to God's purpose...My brother (again whether I agree or disagree) is doing what he feels called and led to do. And I believe 100% that my brother will be turning to God as a rock and as his salvation.
My brother is one of my best friends, he always will be. I love him and as much as I really...really...really don't want him to do this...I have to trust that God will work all things together for good, I have to trust that my brother will be okay (whatever that means) I have to trust that this is what is right for him, I have to...I have to.

Advent First Thursday 12/2

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
 On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

I'm having a rough day today.  I found out that my younger brother wishes and plans to join the military and wants to be in basic training by spring.  This is a complete shock to me and I can't help but worry.  I'm sad, I'm frustrated, and I don't want him to do this.  I spent most of the day pondering his decision, the decision to leave, to risk his life, to take a chance that he might have to take the life of another human being, and what for?  

I'm still frustrated and upset, but I'm going to be supportive.   My brother is someone I care about deeply.  Our relationship has grown since I've moved away to college and I respect his decision making...I don't like it one bit, mostly because he's my baby brother, but I love him and I will support him.  

So with my frustration I turn to today's lectionary.  I know that in all things I will be praying for my brother from the day he signs papers until the day he retires.  I know that God hears my prayers, God hears my cries, and God is still God.  My hope is in God.  My hope for peace, my hope for safety, my hope for life, all lie in God.

I've always kind of chuckled when I come to that line "I will not be shaken."  Mostly because on days like today I feel like the world has been shaken, but then I remember that my faith is not shaken, my hope and my trust are always in God, my roots are firm in Christ and nothing on this earth will shake that.

My refuge is in God. In realizing that today was a struggle, and that this week has been long and rough, I look forward to Saturday because it is my Sabbath.  It is the time where I stop and rest, it is when I take refuge where no one can get to me, I go to God and stay there.  I look forward to Sabbath this weekend more than ever because my body, my mind, my soul, they need it.  

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
  God is a refuge for us.

Pour out your heart before God...I think I've done that a couple of times today and I'm trusting in God, that my brother is doing what he should be doing, that he is thinking clearly, and that he remains safe.  God is my refuge and I am thankful for that.  

During this Advent season while I am waiting for Christmas, while I am anticipating the birth of my Savior...I will be thinking about my brother.  I will be thinking about his future and I will be doing my best to be supportive of him by being there for him, praying for him, and loving him.  Cherishing each moment we have together in the here and now and looking forward to his future with him (and throwing in a few prayers for world peace of course).

Peace be within you,

KP

Advent First Wednesday 12/1

Today we finally made it to December.  When I crawled out of bed this morning I looked out the window to see it snowing.  This made me happy and sad at the same time.  Happy because in one sense I really love the snow and how it covers the earth with this pure (well white, we wont talk about all the minerals and what not in snow that are bad for us) blanket of fluff, and sad because about this time every year it gets too cold to hike, the sun goes away, and it gets dark and gloomy.  I share this because as I pulled into my driveway this evening, it was dark, I was tired, maybe even a little cranky, but the Christmas tree in the front room was lit and it brought a deep joy to me to know that no matter how dark and gloomy it gets, no matter how tired and cranky I am, no matter how cold it is, the light of Christ shines on in the world to pierce the darkness and bring life to the world.

In today's lectionary I pulled out the verses from Isaiah 2 and then the beginning of the text from 1 Thessalonians 2...

Isaiah 2:1-4

  The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem.

   In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above
 the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall
come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the
house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we
may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
 and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between
the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more.


1 Thessalonians 2:13

   We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you
received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not
as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at
work in you believers.

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."  I think I have heard more than a handful of sermons on this text, and yet, even so each time I read this passage from Isaiah I feel as if I could listen to twenty more sermons.  Today as I reflect on issues of oppression, on issues of justice, on what in the world is going on in North & South Korea, as I look for hope, peace, joy, and love in the world, I look at this text and I see hope.  I see a future of peace. I am overcome with joy, and I can feel the love of God for the world to desire this peace for God's creation.  

I had a conversation early this week about this passage and was reminded at how our words can often become swords. Our actions can feel like spears when we attack others.  I was reminded that as a follower of Christ I too am called to turn my swords, my words, into plowshares or something that is used in planting a harvest, a tool that is used in providing food for a community.  My words should cultivate a love for Christ, my words should reflect my beliefs as a follower of Christ, and my words should be used to build others up in love not to declare war on others.  My actions should be more like a pruning hook than a spear.  I shouldn't be making stabs at people but I should be like a pruning hook that leads to the bearing of fruit.  My actions should bear the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...I hope you just sang them like you learned them as a kid).

It is when we learn to be plowshares and pruning hooks, that the world will see peace at work and learn war no more.  I don't believe that we are to sit back and wait for world peace to happen, I believe that God is working in, through, above, around and in between us to use each and every one of us to work for a world that lays its weapons down.  And I love that the passage from 1 Thessalonians 2 is in the lectionary alongside the Isaiah passage because Paul is getting at this notion of working in the here and now.

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you
received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not
as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at
work in you believers.

Paul uses this idea of accepting the word of God as God's word not human word more than once in scripture, and this is important.  It is important because when God's word is at work in us as believers it holds power. When God's word works in us we are able to do more than we could ever imagine.  Because God's word is at work in us, we become plowshares and pruning hooks today instead of years from now.  Because God's word is at work in us we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ bearing light and life to the world.

I love scripture.  I love scripture because each time I read it I learn something new and I see that God is working in the world, I see that God created and loves this world and yearns for it to be peaceful and whole again.  I love scripture because it brings the hope of unity and reconciliation to the world.  I love scripture because it is the word of God which is at work in me.  

Peace be within you,

KP

Picture: PAX is the Latin word for peace.  This is an ornament on my Christmas tree!