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Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Watching, Waiting, Wanting
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Mark 13:24-37
The sermon was about Advent as antidote to Christmas commercialism. For four weeks we ceremonially slow down our culture's rush into all things Christmas. We ritually relive the world's long dark wait for the dawning of God's New Day, Israel's long antsy wait for Messiah to finally appear.
The writer of Psalm 80 surprises us by scolding God a little. (Is that like being pregnant a little?) Why isn't God doing something to redeem his sorry situation? "Wake up! Get up!" he chides. Imagine that.
Jesus says in Mark 13, hundreds of years later, that faith in God must include a fair amount of watching for God to stand up and act. Of waiting more or less patiently for God's way of working things out. Of wanting more than anything else for God to make the ultimate difference.
Advent is a perfect time to ask yourself what you are wishing God would get to doing these days. Where are the gaps of grace and peace in your life? What wounds or worries, what pains or problems, could use a little godly action right now?
In the Buckley family this first week of Advent, these themes pulse with timely meaning.
My daughter Sharon is due any day to give birth to a baby boy. All signs are very promising for a safe delivery, and for a healthy newborn child. For this we rejoice, in spades. Because a year ago Sharon and Victor's hearts were broken by the death of another boy at the five month gestation point. And so we fervently watch, and we wait, and we want for each new day -- this day -- to be the happy birth day.
I know that God is not asleep. Nor unaware, unconcerned, inactive. Of course not. Even so, I understand why the Psalmist seems to think otherwise.
Listen to the GODcast!
posted by Jack Buckley at
10:31 AM
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