Simply Soul Searching
HOW IS GOD LOVING ME – AND WHERE IS GOD LEADING ME?
Promises of Hope- Sunday, December 1st
HOPE: THE PROPHECY CANDLE
Hebrews 4:1-3a (NRSV)
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
The Bible is filled with prophetic messages from the complete books of seventeen prophets from Isaiah to Malachi, as well as from other prophets quoted elsewhere. The Old Testament prophets spanned hundreds of years- from about 760 BC until 450 BC- so their messages differed according to the situations of their time. Still, we find their messages are relevant today, as they encourage and embolden us to work for justice and equality, to care for the oppressed, and to obey God faithfully.
In my review of several resources, I was reminded that the prophets felt called to speak for God only as the deliverers of God’s message. Their words were from God and not their own, and often shared reluctantly. They were challenged to first speak realistically and critically of the brokenness of the current situation- and sometimes even of the further hardships that would result because of this brokenness- but then to always offer the gift of hope found in God’s promises for a better future.
The prophet has a tough calling. I would much rather just jump ahead to the hopeful, brighter future than to point out the realities, challenges, or brokenness around and within us. But think of people who were prophets for you. Perhaps you had a parent who disciplined your misbehavior but also demonstrated unconditional love and a better way to move forward. Perhaps you had a teacher who graded a paper critically but encouraged you to keep working because you demonstrated talent. I think of Dr. Phibbs, who had to tell me the harsh reality of my cancer, but followed that with the hope-filled steps we would take to heal me.
As people of faith, there are times when we too, are called to be prophets. There are times when we must speak up in defense of the oppressed, to name injustice, to point out wrongdoing. To remain silent is to contribute to the problem. Like the prophets, we must first address the issues by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), but we must also speak of the hope that is to come, the hope that has already come to live among and within us. We must help everyone to keep looking and moving to a brighter future.
Light the First Candle, the Prophecy Candle.
Today we especially think about the prophecies that were made long ago, promising us of a coming Savior. We now know that the promise came true with the birth of Jesus! Jesus came as a Savior not only for the people of his time, but for all of us. We thank Jesus for his continuing promises to us- his promises to always be with us through the Spirit, to give us all we need for each new day, and to grant us life forever.
PROMISES OF HOPE
The prophets spoke both truth and hope so many years ago;
Their promising yet painful words still resonate today.
What do the prophets say to us? God, help us to know
How we may listen, learn to grow-
And follow in your way.
Prayer: Holy God, in our time of Advent waiting, help us to listen. Reveal to us what we need to change, remind us of the future we have in you, and inspire us to be messengers of help and hope for others. Your grace-filled love is our greatest hope. Amen.
Advent- A Time of Preparation
INTRODUCTION
“Let every heart prepare Him room!”¹
The word “Advent” means to come, and beginning on Sunday we will be preparing our hearts and souls for the coming of Jesus once again. But how might we prepare? Let’s imagine we are preparing for Jesus as we would prepare for any other guest…
First, we extend an invitation. Jesus is always present, always inviting us to be with him. Advent gives us the opportunity to answer his invitation with our intentional invitation for him to be with us! Our invitation is an open heart that asks him in and encourages him to stay.
We wonder how much has changed since the last Christmas- not in Jesus, of course, but in us. Have we grown in any way? Have we learned any new ways of being or serving? Did we make a few missteps here and there? We take time to reflect on our past year, bringing our moments before the light of God for clarity and discernment.
We joyfully recall our previous times together. As we reflect on the past year, we also name our many blessings. We remember our God-moments and gratefully notice how much God has helped us along the way.
We make space for Jesus. We set aside time in our busy schedules to have space for his presence. We get rid of the clutter in our hearts by confessing and ridding ourselves of all that distracts us from him. We decorate his room- our hearts- with all of the things he loves, such as kindness, generosity, patience, and humility.
We think of gifts we can give him. Would he like more of our time? More of our love? More of our effort? All of the above?
We eagerly watch for his arrival. We turn on the porch light. We wait at the door. We run out to greet him even before he reaches the sidewalk. We fill our souls with expectation for the One who is to come.
May our Advent be a rich time of preparation. The four weekly themes for this year are:
Promises of HOPE – the Prophecy Candle
Places of the HEART (LOVE) – the Bethlehem Candle
Perceivers of JOY– the Shepherd Candle
Presences of PEACE – the Angel Candle
We will have Advent wreath candle-lighting devotions each day, ending the week with some personal reflection questions. It is my prayer that each theme will bless your Advent journey.
Your Friend, Karen 🙂
¹Lyrics are from the Christmas Hymn, “Joy to the World,” by Isaac Watts
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Happy Thanksgiving
On Saturday, November 30th, I will offer an Introduction that begins a daily blog series for Advent. I hope these will bless your Advent season.
But today, may we all breathe deeply and thank God for this wild adventure, this meaningful experience, this incredible journey of life we have been given.
May we thank God for the people we love and for those who love us. May we thank God for the people who challenge us in our loving, too.
May we invite God to give us generous spirits and gracious kindness to share with everyone.
I am thankful for you, dear readers.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Writing in the Sand
(As I continue to work on a blog series for Advent, I am sharing some thoughts I wrote years ago. This one is from April, 2011.)
John 8:2-9 (NRSV)
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
When Jim and I read this passage for our morning devotions, the image of Jesus writing in the sand reminded me of something my counselor taught me. He said that “for every action, there is a reaction… but between the action and reaction there is a space. That space gives us time to best determine what our reaction will be.”
I wonder if that’s what Jesus was doing. The Pharisees were trying to test him, hoping his answer would justify an accusation of wrongdoing against him. Before Jesus answered their question, he stopped to write in the sand. Could it be that he was thinking and praying about his response? Could it be that he was showing the crowd that this matter wasn’t urgent, that everyone should stop for a moment to thoughtfully consider? Could it be that he felt the magnitude of their intention, and so he took a moment to breathe and turn to God for wisdom and peace?
I love how even the small details written in the Bible can provide insights for us. In his writing in the sand, Jesus gives us an example to follow. How might we “write in the sand” more often these days?
When we are listening to someone’s words, we would do well to pause before replying. When we are observing someone’s actions, we would do well to pause before reacting. When someone is confronting us, we would do well to pause before countering them. We can then use that space to ask God to give us wisdom, to guard our tongues, and to guide our thoughts. We can ask God to show us what we might be missing or misjudging. We can use that space to center ourselves and offer more peaceful and insightful responses, instead of hasty or rash reactions.
When we write in the sand, we allow space for the inner voice of the Spirit to become our own.
Three Sunrises
(While I am writing blogs for Advent, I am sharing a few of my past writings. This one is from August, 2010.)
Day 1: On my morning walk, I was eagerly anticipating and watching for the early morning sunrise. However, my timing was off and the sun crested while I was walking in a neighborhood filled with homes. I kept glancing between houses, watching for the bright orange glow- but I was also moving quickly, trying to burn calories. Just then, I came upon a space between the houses and caught a glimpse of the sun coming up! But as I thought, “I should stop and savor this moment,” I remembered that my goal was to move quickly and burn calories. I kept going. That particular sunrise would never come my way again.
How many moments like these do we miss each day? More importantly, how many times has God touched our lives- in experiences, in people, in thoughts- and we miss this touch of God? God is here. God is now. We don’t have to wait until heaven- for heaven is here among us. We simply have to notice.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)
Day 2: Fully aware of what I had missed the previous day, I walked with my full attention toward the morning sky. This time, I stopped and thanked God for the beauty and the splendor of the sunrise. It was GLORIOUS! The clouds encircled the vivid orange globe, creating streaks of deep blue and violet throughout the surrounding sky.
God is a God of second chances. It is never too late. There are always “do-overs,” chances to begin again. The grace in all of this is that our second chances may be more beautiful than the ones we have missed- because we experience them with new awareness and appreciation.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19 NIV)
Day 3: This morning the clouds covered the sunrise. Yet, even though I couldn’t see the sun, the clouds were strikingly tinged with the bright orange from its glow behind them. It was a beautiful morning, but in a different way.
An additional blessing from God’s love is the hope we are given, the hope we can carry with us in all circumstances. Even when clouds cover the sun, we know the sun is right there behind them, perhaps making a more glorious scene than before. Isn’t this the hope that we should be sharing with others?
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have… (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)
Thoughts on a Rainy Morning
(I wrote this post back in November, 2013. The message newly resonates with me today, and so I share it with you.)
The weather app forecast stated, “rain showers will arrive at 8:45 a.m.,” so I was surprised to feel raindrops on my 7:00 a.m. walk!
But I found a blessing in the reminder that weather forecasts are wrong at times. Even with teams of trained meteorologists, advanced technology, and “interactive Doppler radar” working together to provide an accurate forecast, we are still often surprised by the actual weather.
There is a freedom found when we apply this to our lives. We try to live our lives well. We make plans and have dreams. We want to be a blessing to others. But at the end of the day, we often find that we haven’t lived as perfectly as we’d hoped. The early rain is a reminder and a blessing that we don’t have to be right or flawless. We CAN’T be right all the time, or live without making mistakes. Weather forecasts will still be wrong sometimes- even with the training, expertise, and sensitive technology- even with a team of people actually working to do this one task.
Like the weather, life presents us with so many variables, every moment of the day. A major setback or even a minor mood change, unexpected news or old experiences, joys or sorrows; any one of these can divert us from living rightly or perfectly. We do our best, but we aren’t the best.
That humble realization is as it should be. Let’s embrace the honest freedom of knowing that we aren’t perfect or flawless, and we will never be. But we are loved anyway. And let’s remember to extend that same grace to those we encounter on this ever-surprising journey of life.
Photo by reza shayestehpour on Unsplash
Some After-Halloween Observations
Twas the day after Halloween,
and out on the street
Karen found remnants
of the night’s Trick-or-Treat.
(This trash did not make it
into the garbage bins-
but before we get critical,
read ‘Those “Unknown” Sins’)
I found wrappers and boxes
run over by cars.
Then what should appear
but whole candy bars!
But first, I have news that
we all need to hear:
“Spidey” was Raptured
and yep… we’re still here.
So I offer some wisdom
since we’ll be here next year.
(I hope you enjoy
this Halloween cheer.)
1. One person’s trash is another one’s treasure. Or blog inspiration.
2. In a random sample of the whole pieces of candy left behind (unwanted), chewy fruit candy beat chocolate by a ratio of 19:4. Stick with chocolate.
3. All that glitters isn’t gold- or edible.
4. Some things are better left behind.
5. Fruit is a much healthier choice, if it is actually eaten.
6. Remember how much a smile can brighten someone’s day. Unless you’re a skeleton.
7. Smartees are everywhere. It may be best to ignore them sometimes.
8. Always look for the gems in every circumstance.
(I found two pennies- my symbolic reminders of God’s loving presence.)
9. God is in everything, if we only notice.
I hope this Nerdy blog writer made you Snicker today!
Radiant Splendor, Gentle Surrender (Autumn #5)
This poem was written in 2011, when a tree seemed to speak of the hope and purpose found in complete surrender.
BARRENNESS
It is autumn.
I stand tall and proud,
dressed with leaves ablaze
in a glorious array of golds and auburns.
It is autumn
and I delight in my purpose:
brightening the sky
and enchanting the earth
with my royal robes
of rich color and hue.
It is autumn
and I wave a colorful blessing
to those who walk below
while I gradually carpet
the path before them.
But suddenly the storms of life-
fierce, angry winds,
unexpected frosty snaps,
constant chilling breezes-
snatch most of my leaves
in fits of rage
before it is my time
to willingly surrender them.
I stand, barren and alone,
stripped and exposed,
while those around me-
still wearing their seasonal clothing-
are joining together
in a celebration of color.
It is autumn.
But suddenly my purpose
and my glory have been lost
as I become
the mere and only signpost
of the impending winter.
Yet, I feel the gaze of a walker below.
Why does she pause
and pensively consider
my outstretched limbs,
gray and empty against the sky?
Could it be that she sees
a different beauty?
Could my leafless form
be speaking to her soul?
What is it that has her pondering?
It is autumn.
Perhaps these empty branches
reveal a new story:
one that speaks of
seasons,
surrender
and strength.
A story that affirms
this searching soul.
It is autumn.
My dignity has been stripped…
or perhaps- yes-
it has actually been exposed.
Yes, it is autumn
but I am living an early winter.
The beautiful display is gone.
Strength and integrity
are all that remain.
With nothing left to shed,
the storms and winds
can no longer buffet me,
but simply pass freely through
my unencumbered limbs.
With my mantle of color gone,
could my empty branches
and my barren limbs
show strength in their reach?
When there is nothing left,
could my empty branches
and my barren limbs
allow You to shine through more freely?
Radiant Splendor, Gentle Surrender (Autumn #4)
THE FREEDOM FROM OUR WORRIES AND FEARS
Isaiah 43:1 (NRSV)
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you… he who formed you: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Matthew 6:34 (NRSV)
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Philippians 4:6 (NRSV)
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Of all the burdens Jesus wants to take from us, it seems the burdens of fear or worry are foremost in his heart. All through the Bible we are told, “Do not fear,” and “Do not worry,” and Jesus repeats this quite often. Jesus and the biblical writers certainly know us well. I know how worry or fear can so easily creep into my thoughts- and how they love to linger there!
I drew a simple (“crude” 😀 ) flowchart to help illustrate the impact of worry on our lives and why worry is unhelpful. Think of our lives as a flowchart from birth to death. If we were to assign one day to each cell, we would see how all of our days leading up to today (the cell with the “T”) form a single chain of cells, each day singularly following the previous one. Whatever each cell contained- whether sadness, joy, delight, anger, love, frustration, life, health, or death- we have endured, embraced or enjoyed. We lived each cell one at a time, doing the best we could all the way to today.
But when we look beyond today and begin to worry about tomorrow, the individual chain quickly divides and expands into two chains, then three, four, and more. We may have a difficult day and start to worry if life will improve or worsen. Or we may have a great day but then worry that our good fortune won’t last. We tend to mentally chart every possibility in an attempt to control all we can. Our simple “one day at a time” expands into all of tomorrow’s possible outcomes, then all the ramifications of those outcomes, and then into further scenarios like this flowchart- extending and dividing. Tomorrow suddenly becomes way too much to handle!
And so Jesus says, “Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
At first this doesn’t sound too comforting, does it?! And yet, Jesus makes sense once again. Jesus knows today may be very challenging, difficult, confusing or sad. We may have plenty of trouble today- but these troubles are the certainties. Our fear and worry come from the unknown that lies ahead, not the reality before us. Today’s troubles are issues we can begin to do something about. Jesus doesn’t tell us not to grieve, or not to work to make a difference, or not to heal. He simply says not to worry about all the unknowns and uncertainties that lie ahead. Jesus knows we can deal with every present moment, because he himself is ever-present, offering us his strength, help and guidance.
No matter what concerns tomorrow may hold, we may hold the gifts of peace and hope. What is certain about today is Jesus’ presence and love. What is certain about tomorrow is Jesus’ presence and love. We especially have peace and hope when we trust that, no matter where our future cells take us, all the paths and extensions and winding routes will end at the very first cell of our eternal days. Whatever we experience in the cell before, the last cell in our earthly flowchart will be the cell of eternal joy.
May the radiant splendor of Jesus’ presence and eternal joy help us to gently surrender tomorrow’s worries.
Radiant Splendor, Gentle Surrender (Autumn #3)
THE FREEDOM FROM OUR WOUNDS, GRUDGES AND RESENTMENTS
Psalm 103:8-12 (NRSV)
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
Matthew 18:21-22 (NRSV)
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
Years ago I learned about the wonderful blessing of the recycle bin on my laptop. I had accidentally erased a document and believed I had lost it forever. I was thrilled when Jim showed me that I could find the document and restore it from the recycle bin! Since then, I am less anxious about deleting items- documents, emails, photos- because I know I can still find them if I need them.
Recently I have been comparing the practice of forgiveness to the recycle bin. Jesus came to free us from the burdens of grudges, resentments and wounds that we carry. Jesus frees us through the healing practice of forgiveness. Jesus frees us from our sins, and so we are to forgive others. In doing so, we find that we are further freed from these burdens of hurt that weigh us down! Forgiveness is a gift for the wounder and the wounded.
But how often is our act of forgiveness like the initial and superficial deleting of a file? We remove the transgression like a document from our regular files, but we feel the need to store it away in case we need it in the future. And when another transgression comes our way, we quickly go back to the recycle bin and restore all the old transgression files we once deleted!
When Jesus tells Peter that he should forgive someone seventy-seven times, my first thought is that I should forgive someone even if they hurt me seventy-seven times. Could Jesus be saying that it might take us seventy-seven times (or more) to fully forgive ONE transgression? Jesus knows our tendency to dredge up the past hurts again and again. Jesus knows about our personal recycle bins. Jesus understands, but he shows us a better way.
My laptop recycle bin is getting quite full. I know I need to empty the bin, and yet there is that anxiety about losing something forever. Right now, the full bin isn’t a problem; I still have plenty of storage space on my laptop. However, I would be motivated to empty the recycle bin if I happen to find a helpful or exciting new file that needs the extra data storage space.
Maybe that’s how we can foster the emptying of those recycle bins of our resentments, hurts and grudges. We first imagine how we might fill the emptied storage space with good files. We could decide to completely delete the wounds in order to make space for joy and healing. Or completely delete the grudges to make space for openness and creativity. Or completely delete the resentments to make space for intellect or beauty. We can choose to empty our recycle bins in order to refill them with something better.
God shows us through Jesus that we are FULLY forgiven. Our transgressions have been deleted AND the recycle bins have been emptied. The deleted files have been replaced with files of grace, love, mercy, kindness. Jesus wants us to love, forgive, and live that way, too. May our spaces be filled with radiant splendor… as we choose to forgive in quiet surrender.
Simply Soul Searching 