Power

•January 7, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Psalm 29

We seem to have had more than our fair share of storms in recent weeks.  They serve as a reminder of the awesome power of nature in its rawness.

This Psalm points us to the power of God – an awesome power.  Though whilst we feel powerless against the storm, we are reminded that God in his power, gives us his strength and his peace.

Psalm 29 (CEV)

(A psalm by David.)

The Voice of the Lord in a Storm

29 All of you angels in heaven,
    honor the glory and power
    of the Lord!
2 Honor the wonderful name
    of the Lord,
    and worship the Lord
    most holy and glorious.

3 The voice of the Lord
    echoes over the oceans.
The glorious Lord God
thunders
    above the roar
    of the raging sea,
4     and his voice is mighty
    and marvelous.
5 The voice of the Lord
    destroys the cedar trees;
    the Lord shatters cedars
    on Mount Lebanon.
6 God makes Mount Lebanon
    skip like a calf
    and Mount Hermon
    jump like a wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord
makes lightning flash
8     and the desert tremble.
And because of the Lord,
    the desert near Kadesh
    shivers and shakes.

9 The voice of the Lord
makes deer give birth
    before their time.
Forests are stripped of leaves,
    and the temple is filled
    with shouts of praise.

10 The Lord rules on his throne,
    king of the flood forever.
11 Pray that our Lord
will make us strong
    and give us peace.

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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My Servant

•January 6, 2014 • 7 Comments

In our time and place, we probably think of having a servant with bad connotations.  It takes us back to a time when people with too much money had people, who they kept well and truly in their place and subservient, doing tasks that they were quite capable of doing themselves.  We only have to think of programmes such as Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs to see people being dressed, having their meals brought to them and served or generally being waited on hand and foot.

But a servant, in its most basic form is

a person who performs duties for others

And so Isaiah introduces us to The Lord’s Servant

Isaiah 42:1-9 (CEV)

The Lord’s Servant

42 Here is my servant!

    I have made him strong.
He is my chosen one;
    I am pleased with him.
I have given him my Spirit,
and he will bring justice
    to the nations.
2 He won’t shout or yell
    or call out in the streets.
3 He won’t break off a bent reed
    or put out a dying flame,
but he will make sure
    that justice is done.
4 He won’t quit or give up
until he brings justice
    everywhere on earth,
and people in foreign nations
    long for his teaching.

5 I am the Lord God.
I created the heavens
    like an open tent above.
I made the earth and everything
    that grows on it.
I am the source of life
for all who live on this earth,
    so listen to what I say.
6 I chose you to bring justice,
    and I am here at your side.
I selected and sent you
    to bring light
and my promise of hope
    to the nations.
7 You will give sight
    to the blind;
you will set prisoners free
    from dark dungeons.

8 My name is the Lord!
I won’t let idols or humans
    share my glory and praise.
9 Everything has happened
    just as I said it would;
now I will announce
    what will happen next.

Here is One that God has chosen to do a task for him.

Not a menial task, or something that he could easily have done himself had he tried, but the one that God has selected as the bright light to bring his hope to the world; to ensure God’s justice and freedom is seen.  This isn’t someone who is going to create a lot of noise or wreak damage, he isn’t going to destroy tiny flickers of light, he is going to work for God – and he won’t give up until the task is complete.

Of course, Isaiah is prophesying about The Messiah, God’s Chosen One – Jesus.  And we recognise all that he came to do within this passage.  But, we too are called to be God’s servants – to be people who perform duties for him.

We too are asked to protect the weak, bring life, shed God’s light, seek justice and set free those who are held down.

That is my task in the world, what God is calling me to do.  Wherever I am, whatever pattern or form my life takes, that is my basic calling – to work for God in my place.

Lord,
I know that there is work to be done,
your work.
I want to work for you,
to do the things you ask of me;
to be someone
who bring life and light
where I go,
to protect the weak,
serve the vulnerable,
work for justice
and bring your freedom.

None of this I can do by my own,
so as I acknowledge that it is your work,
I pray for your strength,
your wisdom,
and your equipping power

We are called to be servants

Posted in bible, faith, God, Jesus, Lectionary, life, Religion, theology
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Another Way #adventbookclub – Day 37

•January 6, 2014 • 13 Comments

Matthew 2:12-15, 19-23 (CEV)

12 Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road.

The Escape to Egypt

13 After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.”

14 That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, 15 where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I called my son out of Egypt.”

The Return from Egypt

19 After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt. 20 The angel said, “Get up and take the child and his mother back to Israel. The people who wanted to kill him are now dead.”

21 Joseph got up and left with them for Israel. 22 But when he heard that Herod’s son Archelaus was now ruler of Judea, he was afraid to go there. Then in a dream he was told to go to Galilee, 23 and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “He will be called a Nazarene.”

The visitors from the East had to return a different way.  The journey they had planned was not to be.

Joseph had to take his family to a different place than he intended.  He could not return to his home – at least not yet.

There journeys were not what they expected.

We’ve all had unexpected journeys.  One’s we weren’t expecting to make, ones that didn’t quite go to plan.  I suspect many of us could write a whole book about them!  They are usually incredibly stressful, not what we had planned.  But as I mentioned at the start, our eldest son’s philosophy is that that is all part of the fun.  Each delay is an opportunity, especially if it demands a detour to get to where you were going – or perhaps to end up somewhere else altogether.  (Personally, I can do without that kind of excitement when trying to get somewhere – maybe I have something to learn)

As we come to the end of this #adventbookclub, and Maggi’s excellent book, how has our journey been?  Has it taken us where we expected?  Or have we learned new things, had different experiences?  Heard God tell us things we never imagined?

And what about the journey onwards from here?  For the end of the book is the beginning of the rest of our journey.  And as Maggi reminds us (p166), we can never go back once we have encountered Jesus.

Where will we go?  What will God show us?  Where will he take us?

Are we ready to hear and to follow?

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O Jesus I have Promised

Thank you to everyone who has shared this journey, brought new insights, suggested different paths, shone the light so we could see the way ahead.  And especially thanks to Maggi for writing the book.

This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it.  Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below.  If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.

Posted in Advent Book Club, bible, faith, follow, God, Jesus, Religion, theology
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