Life in the Deep End

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”  So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
– Matthew 27: 65-66

It must have been the scariest of times. Tensions rising and dreams crushed as the people who followed Jesus watched everything unravel. Pilate is responsible to keep order. Joseph of Arimathea offers a grave and Pilate grants his request.  Mary and the “other Marys” keep watch across from the tomb, silently staring into the depths of their grief.  The disciples who were so close to him have retreated, perhaps attempting to comprehend what they are supposed to do now. Everyone is doing whatever they can or whatever they know just to walk through the hours and days following the crucifixion. Pilate’s soldiers warn him of the pending possibilities for harm.

We do all sorts of things when uncertainty is high. We are a people who take particular pride in being prepared, planning ahead and executing well in the right time. After all, we are a developed society, we have experience and resources.  But life still unravels and gets out of control. And sometimes, everything we planned or thought would be… is not that way at all! An isolated situation or a bizarre turn of events, like a global pandemic, for example, sends the dominoes falling and everything is quickly out of control. One thing leads to another; it doesn’t seem to stop.

So we retreat. We grieve. We offer a helping hand. We do what is in our power to do to keep order. We pray. We go numb. We act normally and strangely and everything in between.  God doesn’t do any of those things.

When things begin to unravel in our lives, the Spirit of the LORD reaches out with a hand of grace and says, “grab my hand…let me pull you from the sinking sand; I’ve got you.”  When life runs out of its safe boundaries – the ones that keep everything operating in status quo, and we don’t know what to do; the Spirit of the LORD announces:  Do not be afraid. I am with you. And my kingdom is being fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.

A stone can be placed to cover our sin. A seal can be secured to protect us from healing. Even a guard can be placed over our hearts. But the Spirit of LORD has never been halted by our barriers and our seals. No guard can stop the love and grace of Christ from reaching into our tombs and calling us out to live again. Our failures cannot stop it. Our attitudes and strategies cannot divert it. When the God of heaven acts, when the Spirit of the LORD rolls the stone away – we will breathe again! Do not be afraid.

Prayer
God we all get into places that feel like tombs. Our mistakes and even sometimes our successes get us there. Our fear keeps us locked up inside. We cannot imagine a way out or a way through. We know you are different. We know your ways are far more powerful than our seals and guards.  Please free us from whatever hinders us from breathing again. Thank you, Jesus, for loving us enough to break the seals we have secured around our hearts. We love you and we trust you. We place ourselves in your hands again. Breath of life…help us rise now.  Amen.

A Living Hope by Phil Wickham
https://bit.ly/34bwzDR

The day and evening have slipped by
breezes blessed the walks at sunset
reminding our heart of the gifts that come
at day’s end.
We come before sleep
to leave at your throne, Jesus,
all that was this day.
We leave our joys, our sorrows
our questions, our anger,
the pending dreams.
We leave them safety and humbly with you.
YOU who know us better than we know ourselves.
YOU who love us the same on our best and worst days.
YOU who do not stop…you never stop
inviting us into your peace; your presence…
where there is fullness of joy.

We come at the end of evening
before sleep
before the hours of not sleeping.
We come to you
And we humbly and boldly ask at this late hour:
Father, give us peace for this night
refresh our spirits to meet the morning
with the same love and grace you have so generously
offered us tonight.
We love you, LORD, and we trust you completely.
We leave all that we love in your hands
There is no safer place for rest tonight.
Amen and Amen.

‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;  for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ – Matthew 25:34-39

‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of one of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
– Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew 25:40

Everyone Jesus mentions in this parable is in a very vulnerable situation.  On the surface it sounds like there is a group of people who are lacking something critical; they are in need of the very basics of life. But actually, there is more. The group of people named as “blessed” or “righteous”, are also in need of something critical: their inheritance in the kingdom of God.  The need from both groups is mutual and when the two come together, it is life changing.  There is a caveat: they have to come together to recognize it.

The “righteous” are named and invited to come for the blessing, an inheritance waiting for them. Others in the parable are weighed down by the difficulties of life.  All stand in need of what the Father offers:  the kingdom of God.  And where the kingdom of God is present, there is sustenance for abundant life:  food and drink; the hospitality and welcome of another; clothing to cover us in the most vulnerable of moments, care of the body, care of the spirit.

These are not things you buy at the grocery store or manufacture in a factory. These are human needs that require the eyes and spirit of another human to see and touch.  The situations named are not projects to begin and end, nor are they to rewards and accolades to seek. These are places of vulnerability where our deepest human needs are met by the love and presence of another.  And where the presence of the other opens us to the kingdom of God. This is where Jesus is spending his time and love.  This is where the Spirit equips us to serve one another. Whether giving or receiving; it is the shared need that helps us experience the Holy that transforms our lives.

Have you found yourself missing the presence of God lately?  In the full parable (read it here:  https://bit.ly/39RYZUn ) neither the righteous nor the unrighteous recognize the moments where Jesus is present. Neither the righteous nor the unrighteous seem to know that their encounter with another person was actually a pathway into the kingdom of God.

The longing to experience God is real and it is a yearning we all share. When we are hungry, that yearning may be first expressed by a need for food.  When we are well fed, that yearning is for a much deeper need that feeds our spirits and redeems our lives.  In either case – and in many unnamed here, Christ meets us and offers what is needed.

COVID19 has disrupted human interactions all over the world. Racial unrest is peeling back the layers of our shared history and revealing more to us about our lives together than we have known. Our economic challenges stretch us to share what we have with many whose work has decreased or even disappeared.  Still, the resurrected Christ continues to show up and offer each of us the grace, mercy and love we need in our journey of becoming whole. The presence of Christ persists.

Where are you encountering Jesus in the situations you experience?  Sometimes life is so beautiful it’s hard to know who is giving and who is receiving. I pray God gives you that glimpse of the kingdom today.

A parable gives us something to ponder.  A deep truth rests way the below the surface. It is available when we dive in for it. It is rarely found when we remain on the surface.  Keeping everything safe and at a distance will often hold wisdom and freedom far away as well.  When we find ourselves longing for something that has more meaning; another way to see this life, it may be an invitation to go a little deeper. You may find the resurrected Christ there waiting for you. It’s safe for diving.

Oceans by Hillsong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

Prayer
Holy God open our eyes to your presence with us and in us today. We love you Lord and we trust you completely.  In your presence there is fullness of joy! Amen.

One night, Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.  Then the LORD called Samuel.  Samuel answered, “Here I am.”  – I Samuel 3:2-4

Eli and Samuel are in two different stages of life. Eli is old and his body his weakening. Samuel is young and growing – both physically and spiritually. They are both in their “usual places” when the LORD interrupts their routine with a call.  The Scriptures say that this was a rare occurrence in this time (I Samuel 3:1)

Nothing really feels like “usual” right now. In fact, everything seems highly UNUSUAL.  And yet – there are places and roles and responsibilities that remain intact and need tending.  Leaders still have to shoulder the weight of decision making. Students still need to learn so teachers will be teaching. Law enforcement officers begin their shifts prepared to protect and respond. Parents have children dependent upon them for love and care. Friends still need each other. Marriages still need attention.  Homes still need order and peace – however that needs to be offered. Nurses and lab techs and teachers and accountants, pastors, contractors, custodians… you get it: all of us have our “usual places”.

The way we live into our responsibilities right now looks very different. And it may be easy to get knocked off track or for us to find ourselves wondering so much about what’s ahead that we don’t see the importance of today.  The steady faithfulness of our most basic responsibilities is one of the ways we navigate these days.  Start there. If your “usual place” has been removed or changed dramatically just ask: “what is most important right now? How do I serve today?” The question helps us dig deeper. And maybe…like Eli and Samuel, while you are doing that usual thing…like sanitizing the building or working from home, perhaps even pulling weeds in the garden…God will speak.

Eli and Samuel were doing what they always did in those days.  Being attentive and available for the service of the Lord was their daily task. It was while they were in their usual place that God called out with something they needed to hear. It’s Monday. What is your “usual place”?  How is God calling you to serve in that role today?

God please help us all see you in our usual places today. Thank you for the surprising ways you show up when we least expect it!  In the name of the resurrected Christ, Amen.

Hallelujah by Wauauquikuna

When August rolls around we all know what to do. School starts. Sports begin. Summer play returns to the order and familiarity of how we do life. Except when there is a global pandemic and a cure is not yet found. Except when our nation is roaring with protests and division and angst. Except when we are isolated from the very people we need and love.  With jobs changed or missing, and bank accounts shrinking nothing looks anything like “normal”.  Our lives are still disrupted! Tensions are high! The layers of our comfort and stability are peeled back one by one, and sometimes chunk by chunk. What do we do now?

When everything is shaking underneath our feet and it feels as though stability is much too far away… it is a time to stop and THINK.  When life is spinning out of control and what we thought or imagined would be our summer, our fall or the year just vanishes from view… it is a time to stop and BREATHE.  When our daily task is creating something we’ve never seen or innovating in ways that feel awkward and exhilarating all at once…it is a time to TRUST.

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;  for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
– Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew; Chapter 11 verses 28-29

It is totally normal to long for what “was” because it is the most familiar and we know how to do it. It is our default to have packed schedules, building and lives. COVID19 requires us to empty what was filled. It is our default to gather in numbers (more always considered “better”) and sing at the top of our lungs. COVID19, when present, spreads illness like a wildfire at the raising of our voices. It is our default to order life around school schedules, sports, music and community events. COVID19 suggests that life within households, neighbors and small circles is life-giving for now. It is our default to “go” somewhere else to serve and COVID19 reveals the need to serve with each other wherever we can be today.

Trusting God is an intentional practice in the moments when we cannot see or imagine how to take the next step.  “Hope is hope for that which is unseen….”   So just before we claim it is all too much, too late or too wrong:  THINK. BREATHE. TRUST and ask for help from our Creator and Redeemer.  God is faithful.

Prayer
God, we need your help. Please come, Holy Spirit, and guide us through these days. Show us the way you are making that is something we have never seen or done before. Please offer each of us and all of us the wisdom we need right now.  We will follow your nudges. Thank you for filling in the gaps we will never be able to fill.  We need you, Lord, and we trust you. We are at your mercy; help! We pray in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Way Maker by SINACH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM8jQHE5AAk

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25

Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them behind; and I will never again hide my face from them, when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 39:28-29

The people of God have been exiled in Babylon and the prophet Ezekiel is with them. He warns them of things coming but he is also given this word of hope. Ezekiel shares the word that God will restore the people; the house of Israel. It must have been such a welcome hope; their time in exile was about 70 years.

Exile comes for us in lots of different ways. It may be individual decisions we make that land us in consequences of pain and sorrow.  Or it may be deeper and harder to see, like when It comes for families and groups; even nations. We are all eventually connected to one another’s joys and sorrows. When one of us goes into exile (chosen or forced), there are always others who go as well.

When our actions and choices lead us into consequences of pain or sorrow, we know that even there Jesus shows up.  In the most difficult of places – this Savior who is not at all foreign to suffering and temptation, this Jesus who knows well our disappointment and anger; he shows up and leads us out of the darkness and into the light.  There is a pattern in the stories. It is the pattern of our Creator who allows life to unfold with our full engagement but is always making a path back home.

My life too bears the pattern. Maybe it’s familiar for you as well: walking away from what I know is most true and grounding, to follow fleeting distractions that feel better in a moment but can quickly leave scars behind. And even then, the LORD refuses to leave me damaged and wounded. Instead, the pattern repeats: gathering me up, pieces and parts, and restoring me to wholeness again.

The wounds we experience in life become pillars of strength over time. In seasons of exile we can be certain that the God of hope is making a way for us to get “home”.  And more often than not, those seasons of exile are offering us blessings we need right in the middle of the sorrow.  Our scars bear the marks of a faithful God; a Creator who never stops gathering and restoring to wholeness that which the LORD brought into being. Whether it is within the hour or day; even when it takes a lifetime. Even when it takes generations.

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
– Psalm 139:7-12

Questions to Carry Today
What scars on your body or soul are marks of a faithful God?
What hope is God whispering in your ear today?
What is God restoring in you? In us?

Prayer
God, for any one of us and all of us that find ourselves in exile, please let your word of hope plant firmly in our minds and spirits today.  Thank you for the gift of the resurrected Christ that stands in the middle of exile and restores us to new life!

Together by King and Country

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,
while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
– Genesis 1:1-3

In the middle of the chaos when you think the pieces will never land…
God speaks new life into being.
In the silence of the night when sleep refuses to remain;
when you wonder why the yearning…
You are not alone; God knows your name.
When the day flashes by without warning and looking back
it makes no better sense…
God is holding you, making certain
Christ’s love is a sure defense.

Before the morning dawns – God is preparing for you.
Before the sun begins to set – your Creator is holding tomorrow.
Breathe. Keep walking. Trust.
Listen for the voice of the One who loves you:
“I have called you by name, you are mine.”

– Vona Rose Wilson
06/25/2020

Question to carry today:  How is God reminding you that you are named and loved?

Breath Prayer:
“Lord, keep holding me; keep holding us. We trust you completely. Amen.”

Lauren Daigle – Remember
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9TE8D5Vs8k

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
– Isaiah 43:1-3

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
– Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 28:20b

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.  Colossians 3:12-15

Repentance is a word we use within the ritual of confession, pardon and peace. It weaves itself into the rhythm, we cannot escape it. Peace does not come without it. Nor does confession or pardon. Repentance (the Greek word is “metanoia”) is a change of mind and a turning toward God. It is choosing to move forward in a different direction.

When I moved to Tennessee I worked first in the city while I waited through the process of obtaining a TN Paramedic license. My research of EMS systems in the area helped me identify where I wanted to work; it was in Williamson County.  After I had my TN license in hand all I had to do was drive a few miles south and find out what was there.  Every day on my way home I passed by the split: one going south on I-65, the other on the same path I traveled each day to and from work.  My mind was made up: the EMS system I wanted to work with was in Williamson County.  I wanted to grow, and this was the place that could help shape me as a provider of emergency medical care. There was no doubt. Still, I procrastinated taking action.

I remember the day I made a quick lane shift and finally chose that sound bound turn on I-65. My heart was beating fast. I’m a small-town girl but the city had become familiar as I worked there each day.  This road was new. I’d never been to Franklin. I knew no one. It felt like a great big risk into something I couldn’t control.  You would think after moving to Nashville from a small Western Kentucky town that a short drive to Franklin, TN would be easy; but it wasn’t. That day I decided to align my actions with my mind and spirit. It felt like a huge step!

Change of direction is scary. Choosing to step into the unknown, even when you know it is the direction you need to go is difficult.  I got off at the Franklin exit on Highway 96 and pulled into the first gas station I saw.  I asked where I could find the local ambulance station. They pointed me in the right direction and the rest is history.  There is no way I could have ever imagined all the things that would come with that one turn in a different direction.

Sometimes we think of repentance as a guilt driven process where we realize how wrong we’ve been, we make confession and “change our ways”.   What if it is much more? What if turning toward God is deciding to turn toward the most amazing life we could ever imagine?  What if we just make that turn and then humbly allow the miracle of grace to unfold in our lives? What if repentance is a faithful act of turning toward the one who knows exactly what we need even before we need it?  We choose to walk in the direction of the God who brings beauty out of ashes; order out of chaos; hope out of despair. That is what we are turning toward when we practice repentance. We do something different. We do something that walks us into wholeness, one moment at a time. We take risks!

A lot of people in our communities and across our nation are doing different things right now. In some moments it looks like a national confession that things need to change; that we all need to change. On other days it looks like total mayhem as destruction follows what started out as peaceful, even if painful, expressions of desperation.  It would be easy to dismiss it all and shrink into our shells. But what if something new is happening?

What if something new is bursting out from within us?

If this is a national confession where people are saying, “our life together must change!” then there will be pardon and forgiveness in that ritual.  There may be a change of mind for all of us.  There will be a rhythm of peace that is offered; a peace that can change the course of our nation.  Peace is not offered with destruction and condemnation. It comes with humility and grace and courage. It comes by way of doing something different.

Jesus came that we might have life that is abundant and whole. We are created in the image of God. We begin there, each one of us. And we can get back there. But it will require a change of mind; moving in a different direction.  It is definitely a risk to step toward anything new God may be doing in us. We have to let go so our hands are empty enough to receive the new.  And yet, if we are turning toward the God of heaven, we know that whatever is ahead will bring true healing and peace.

What is your something different today? What is your conscious, intentional choosing to turn toward the God who created you and loves you more than you can imagine? Just do that. One step at a time. Each movement is step in the rhythm of peace.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. – John 15:10-11

Prayer
God we need you. We have oppressed and condemned people that you love. We have shouted judgements in the face of those who risk their lives to serve and we have held back our voices while our brother and sisters are pushed down, aside and out. We have failed to love each other as you love us – the primary command you have gave us. We have relied on power structures in this world instead of depending on you. We need a change of mind and in so many ways we find ourselves unable to take a step toward anything different. Please assist us. Please grant us the gift of your divine wisdom and peace.  Lead us, Lord; make haste to help us. Amen.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

The pardon that comes from God is complete.

“In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!”  These are the words that follow confession. These are the words we proclaim to one another every week in worship. It is the continued witness that Christ has covered our sin.  The mercy of God has been present from the beginning. Jesus made it visible for us in human form. Jesus lived God’s mercy right in front of the world for all to see. From the beginning of his ministry until the very day he took his last breath on the cross – Jesus was pardoning and forgiving and pouring out the mercy of God.

The forgiveness of God is complete. “It is finished” are the last words Jesus utters at his crucifixion. When we encounter him again – he is free; resurrected and fully alive!

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
– Isaiah 55:6-8

The mercy of God is the thread of love that is written throughout the Scriptures. When Jesus arrives on the scene it is his mercy and forgiveness toward so many people that disrupted the order of the day. Forgiveness and pardon are radical.  Forgiveness and pardon disrupt the systems of judgement and condemnation that we use to keep people in “their place.”  Sometimes, including ourselves.

Jesus spent a lot of time forgiving and healing people that were sinking in the crushing weight of condemnation. He forgave rulers and servants; soldiers and dishonest tax collectors…whoever was seeking.  Every facet of society was within his heart. There is no stone he cannot roll away and say, “come out!”  Jesus wants to roll away our stone too. Whatever is keeping us locked up and locked down – confession brings it to the light so that it can be removed.

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
– Micah 7:18-19

It can be pretty hard to live each day believing our sins have been removed; erased by this radical love of our Creator. But time after time Jesus makes this clear.  So why do we hang on so tight to our guilt and shame? Why do we rely on ourselves rather than falling fully into the arms of mercy as the grace of God takes the weight, takes the guilt and sets us on a path of peace?   Perhaps it is time for us to stop this madness.  Confession begins the rhythm and forgiveness is immediate; pardon is complete. We cannot earn it. It is a gift of God’s amazing grace.

Maybe we need to practice receiving this gift of forgiveness and pardon.  

Prayer
Holy God, thank you for hearing our confessions.  Thank you for the gift of Christ who removes the weight of our sin and leads us in paths of peace.  Help us to live out of your forgiveness and pardon, so that we are more ready to extend it to others. Thank you for setting us free! Amen.

If you want an encounter with Jesus to ponder as you think about forgiveness and pardon, check out this story from Matthew’s gospel.  https://bit.ly/3fv3LJ7

We The Kingdom – Free Amen

Coming up next: Rhythms of Peace: Part III “Peace be with You”
The practice of Confession-Pardon-Peace helps us integrate a different rhythm into our lives; a rhythm grounded in the peace of Christ.