The face of love

Let all mortal flesh keep silence

and with fear and trembling stand

ponder nothing earthly minded,

for with blessing in his hand

Christ our God to earth descending 

comes full homage to demand.   

ELW 490

Watching, waiting, silence, peace, patience, yearning, hope.

These are the words of Advent - the season when the future comes to meet us now.

We are comforted that our God chose to walk our walk.

God comes down with blessing not lightning in his hand.

The blessing of wanting to forgive more than we want to confess.

The blessing of calling us daughters and sons.

The blessing of love.

In the beginning, that love looked like this.

No peace at all

Years ago I was taking a walk with a neighbor and her two year old.  The little one wanted a piece of gum.  "Piece, piece!" she begged.  Mom said, "I have no gum." The little one was nothing if not persistent.  "Piece, piece" she cried.  Mom answered, "I have no piece......no peace at all."

Being the Mom of a two year old often feels like that.....no peace to be found anywhere.  But then I think that being a teacher or mechanic or retail clerk or town highway worker....or a thousand other places that demand, demand, demand from us sets us up for a moment of longing for peace.

Even so, we know that the longing for peace is much larger than our day to day frustrations.  It has something to do with our dog eat dog world and with greed and hunger for power.  It has something to do with our fear of strangers and struggle to protect ourselves and our own.  It has something to do with those who have and those who have not rubbing up against each other.  Somewhere under our normal activity is a tension and pressure that keeps us from relaxing into a state of peace.

Jesus came so we might know peace but he wasn't naive about the work it would take to separate us from all the stuff we have and all the habits we have developed.  Jesus knew that achieving peace among nations and peace among peoples and peace within families would be a great deal like ripping off a bandaid.  There is no way to do it that it isn't going to hurt.

But we need to discard the old bandaid so real healing can happen and wholeness can be experienced.  We will  come to realize that we cannot have our cake and eat it too - we cannot live with one foot committed to 'the way things are done now' and one longing for God's vision of peace for all.  As long as we dither, we will have no peace.....and until Christ comes again, the world will not truly know the joy that is life in God, the creator and maker of all peace.

Are you looking for peace?  Seek Jesus.

Disturbing the peace

"Do not disturb."  Hotels give you this convenient little door hanger to alert the staff that you want no interruptions.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had just such a discreet way of signaling the world - or our family - or the person sitting at the next desk - that we would prefer to be left alone?

Please don't interrupt the flow of my work.  Please don't waste my time with pictures of your grandchild.  Please don't bring around holiday goodies that I can ill afford to eat.  Please don't come with your fresh cup of coffee to talk football, politics, shopping horror stories or to complain about your boss, wife, mother-in-law, neighbor.  Please don't.....just go away.

We want a little peace.

Or do we?  Is it possible that what we want is for folks to stop questioning our lifestyle, habits, intentions or actions?  Could it be that we are happy, happy, happy with our life and really don't want to know about anyone else's?  Might it be that we are not seeking some level of calm, but rather insulating ourselves from everything that makes us uncomfortable?

Real peace can only be built on truth and justice and so requires a great deal of disturbing - disturbing complacency and smug contentment, disturbing greed and hoarding, disturbing power structures and systems.  The prophets knew this; Jesus died to change this.  Peace is not a lack of conflict; rather it is conflict reconciled.

This Advent take up the work of disturbing the peace for the sake of your neighbor.  It's your calling.  It's the only path to true peace.

A quiet yearning for peace

"World Peace" has become the punch line in too many jokes, especially comedies about beauty pageants.  You and I know that world peace is no laughing matter, even as it seems an impossible goal, a wild and crazy dream, even an oxymoron.  As the picture tells us, world peace will mark the dawning of a new age.

Cosmic peace has been both the image and goal of God's creation from the very beginning.  The prophet Isaiah speaks about this cosmic cessation of violence, retribution, competition, and imperialism.
                    Isaiah 2.4 "they shall beat their swords into plowshares"
                    Isaish11.6 "the wolf shall live with the lamb"
                    Isaiah 25.8 "'the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces."

Here in Syracuse I hear too many reports of violence and violent death.  There are too many families torn apart by domestic violence.  Workplace violence has become too common for anyone's health.

It is no wonder that in this Advent season, so many of us are quietly yearning for peace. But Isaiah's picture of cosmic harmony must wait for God.  Until then, if you want peace, do justice.  That is what we are called to do.

Prayer: the sound of silence

Silence.

Sometimes expectant.

Sometimes hostile.

Very rare in 21st century America.

Often the most powerful moments of corporate worship are the all too short and infrequent silences.  Devoid of speaking or singing or moving, these times allow the Word of God to sink in, to find its way beyond our exterior into the places where we make decisions and form hopes.

Here is the classic story of the great silence:

The prophet Elijah had been a great champion for YHWH against the priests of Baal, a cult which competed with YHWH for the loyalty of the people.  Elijah had danced around the 450 prophets of Baal, taunting and criticizing.  In the end, YHWH demonstrated the power that resides with the Creator of the Universe and Elijah was vindicated.  All 450 prophets of Baal were put to death.  Then he had to run for his life. (1 Kings 18.20 - 19.18 This is such a grand story you might want to read it for yourself).

On Mount Horeb, when Elijah and God are about to meet, a great wind passed Elijah by, but God was not in the wind.  Then there was a great earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but God was not in either of those.

Then there was the sound of sheer silence.  That was where Elijah met God. 

 It is often where we meet God as well.  

Add silence to your spiritual life.  Seek that place of silence so profound that only God can fill it.  You will be blessed.

Monday, Monday......

There has never been a Monday like this Monday - just passed.  I'm not sure I can get it right...it's all kind of a blur.

M...stopped by to see if we had a tent for the Homeless Sleep Out.  Sorry.

T...needed help to get to his Mom's in Pulaski.  His Dad died recently and his Mom is not doing well.  I helped him get to Pulaski.  Does everybody's Mom live in Pulaski?  It's a very common story.

S...stopped by worried about his truck.  "The battery's dead and I know you wanted it out of here by Monday."  We'll store his truck a little longer.  Not to worry.

R...called while I was on the phone.  I don't know R...and I haven't gotten back to him yet.

Then the pol;ice called, "No, we didn't call the police, sorry."

Walking into the Amos Lounge, S...was having a coffee.  I was getting one and she was on the phone.  I know her from Hot Dogs in the Kingdom.  T-shirt, shorts, and bag of potato chips she was busily eating, she turned from the phone in the Lounge and asked me for $5.  "Why do you need $5?"  "I'm suicidal."  "Oh."

And at that moment a Syracuse Police Officer appeared behind me.  His care and compassion for her was excellent.  Superior.  He asked her name and offered a ride up the hill to St. Joe's.  "No, to Upstate," she said.  "Do they know you at Upstate?"  "Yes."  "Is that all you have with you - that bag of chips?"  "Yes, the chips."  And off they went.

It's noon now, and there has never been a Monday morning like this in the history of the world.

Do you think?  Really?

Into what world, I wonder, do I expect the Savior of the world to come?  I guess another way to ask the same question is from what mayhem and craziness would God chose to be excluded?

And our God, this God of Monday morning madness, comes at an unexpected hour, so be ready.

Sure, a week without a Monday like this one might be nice, but it would be a fantasy.  And you know it's not just about Monday.  It's also about the diagnosis on Tuesday or the news on Wednesday, the thrill on Thursday or the all out failure on Friday.

Norman Rockwell painted lovely pictures and Hallmark sells a ton of cards, but often enough the world we live in bears little resemblance.  It's this world, and no other, into which the child comes.  the King arrives. The Shepherd walks.

And we are called to watch and wait.

This past Monday, maybe I learned again, maybe I learned for the first time, that this extraordinary thing that is about to happen, the Advent of our God, is matched only the extraordinary moment just before it happens.

Advent is the name of that moment.

In the midst of the madness and the mayhem, in the instant the exclamation "Oh God, what next?" becomes the prayerful plea, "Oh God, what's next?" you can feel the beating of your heart as you take a
breath and hold it.

And the world does too.  This world and no other.

                                                  Peace to all      Pastor Craig Herrick +

Prayer: first thing, every morning

OK, the first thing after you hit the alarm clock to stop its ringing.

Let's start with a confession.  Routine is not my strong suit.  The discipline of following a regular pattern is not mine - I'm usually good for 3 weeks at best.  So keep that in mind as we talk about praying first thing in the morning.

I tried it after a particularly transparent presentation on the struggles, disappointments and joys of being a priest and bishop by a retired Catholic bishop.  He was so genuine; I could see the man wrestling with his faith, his pride, his wants and needs.  He spoke as an 'insider' having served the Church for 45 years and much of what he said fed me.

He ended his time with us by asking us to pray for him.  Not because he was sick, or because he had a particular challenge ahead.  No, just, pray for me because I know I am strengthened by the prayers of others.  So I did.

I began praying for him every morning, and once I had mentioned him I included several other folks I knew could use prayer or whose names just popped into my head.  Nothing special needed to be said, although I often used a prayer I learned in seminary.  It changed the tone and tempo of my day.  The prayer pushed away the 'to do' list until I at least got my feet on the floor, and it framed my day in God.  It was a good practice.

It lasted about 4 months (which for me is quite long).  Then I fell out of the practice.  Today I am trying to fall back into it.  All the benefits are there - for you, for your family, for those who you include.   And there are so many who need our prayerful support.

So try it.  Maybe something as simple as "Lord remember Robert and Judy and Matthew today.  Be present to them.  Thank you for this day and all that it will bring."  Or you can use the one I often use which comes from Morning Prayer ELW p304.

"Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day.  Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity.  In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN"

I know you will be blessed.  God be with you all.