Devotional 11-30-10

Please read Isaiah 11:1-10

Our oldest son, Grant, is taking herpetology in high school. In case you have forgotten you list of –ologies, herpetology is the study of reptiles. As part of his work for the class, each six weeks he has the responsibility of caring for a different reptile. So far, all of these animals have been snakes.

If you are like me, right now you are saying, “EWWWH! Snakes!?” I don’t want to touch them. I don’t want to hold them. I don’t want to care for them. I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t exist in the world. I suppose it is a good thing that I am not the creator of the universe, or snakes would have to watch out — they would be on my “hit list.”

And yet, read this:

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6-9

We read this passage, and we are enchanted by its peaceful imagery. I wonder if we even consider what it means. What is this “peace” that Isaiah sets forth as a vision of the future kingdom? What is this vision that Christ gives us of loving one another and living in peace, together?

Lions and calves living together, children playing around the nests of snakes, wolves and lambs sharing the same table. When you think about it, it is unimaginable. Unreachable. Certainly, it is not the road God insists that we travel. Is it?

I imagine that, for the people of Judah, who were torn away from their way of life, from their land and their God, the idea of living in peaceful harmony with their enemy seemed not only radical, but impossible. Jonah would rather have been swallowed by a big fish than preach of repentance to the people of Ninevah. Imagine what Ananias, an early disciple of Christ, thought when God told him to head down the road and take care of Saul — Saul, who had been persecuting the followers of Christ. God’s vision of a future peaceful kingdom not only seems impossible for us, but probably is impossible for us, alone.

And yet, born in a stable, over 2000 years ago, was hope. Not just wishes, not just desires, but the hope of the world. Hope. It is the certainty that God exists, that he keeps his promises, and that he can make the impossible, possible.

We are called to love our enemies. Impossible. I would rather touch a snake. But when hope enters my life and fills my heart, the impossible is made possible. Forgiveness becomes a possibility. Grace brings light and love into the picture.

What impossible task is God calling you to do? What unimaginable relationship is now reachable because Hope was born in a stable, died on a cross, and now lives forever?

Kim Matthews

Devotional 11-29-10

A Little Child ...
Read Isaiah 11:1-9.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

It was trick-or–treat night in Huntington, and my three-year-old grandson, Landon “Scooby Doo” Lewis, had been looking forward to traveling from house to house with his father Jesse, filling his Halloween bag with delicious candy. What a great holiday!

As six o’clock neared, my daughter Anna helped Landon slip into his costume, kissed him goodbye, and prepared to hand out Skittles and Blow Pops to the neighborhood children. She noticed that the air had suddenly turned much colder and hoped that Landon would not get too chilly inside his fleece dog suit.

A quick half-hour later, Anna spied her husband, Jesse, with Landon on his shoulders. Landon had decided he had enough candy for one night. As Jesse took over handing out the candy to trick-or-treaters, Anna took Landon inside to check out his treasure.

When the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of a new trick-or-treater, Landon reached into his bag of goodies, ran to the door, and deposited a Snickers bar into the outstretched sack. At first Anna thought that Landon was just confused. “You don’t have to give away your candy! I have candy here for the other kids.”

Landon looked at her and then his bag of candy. “Mommy, I have lots of candy. We need to share!” And for the next hour, that’s exactly what he did, until his bag was completely empty.

Heavenly Father, each day we see children who are responding to the needs of others. Help us to be not childish but childlike in our giving, this season and all year long. In Your name we pray. Amen

Becky Warren

Devotional 11-28-10

Swords into Plowshares
Please read Isaiah 2:1-5

Hard as it is to believe, today is the First Sunday of Advent. During the next several weeks, you and I will be asked many times, and we’ll probably ask the question of others a few times: Are you ready for Christmas? The conversation that ensues will be about decorations, shopping, cooking, traveling, and visions of sugar plums. We will talk nostalgically of past Christmases, simpler times, less secular “holidays,” you know, the same stuff we gripe about every year.

But what about Advent? Are you ready for Advent?

Advent is the period of four weeks before Christmas. It is a time of waiting, of anticipating, the coming into being of God in the form of the Christ-child. Advent is pretty much reserved for church—the world hasn’t claimed it yet.

This year, I invite you to celebrate Advent. Ponder in your hearts, as Mary pondered in her heart, what it means that God would choose to be revealed in the Christ-child. What did it mean then, and what does it mean for us now that God has lived among us?

Are you ready for Advent?

As the words from this week’s lectionary text were percolating through my mind and heart this week, I had the privilege of participating in a telephone conference with several United Methodist leaders from other parts of the country who are planning an international, interfaith summit on peace. The planning committee has done this three or four times now, each conference with a specific focus on bringing about peace. They had gathered to begin planning the next conference, which includes as part of the working title or theme, Economic Justice for All God’s Children. My invitation to join came because I was recently elected as an officer in a national organization for United Methodist foundations. I am expected to suggest ways that charitable foundations might use our substantial collective resources to affect economic justice.

I was energized by the conversation. It is exciting for me to be a part of what feels like a grassroots movement among religious leaders—Christians, Jews, and Muslims—to begin to collaborate on ways we can be agents for change in the world. Some will roll their eyes at the notion—it’s too big an issue to be resolved by religious leaders. I wasn’t prepared for the question that came up during the call, however. One of the other participants questioned whether the idea of “justice for all God’s children” and specifically “economic justice” is too controversial. Would the notion offend some of our congregants?

At that point, I was glad I was only on the telephone so that no one could see my jaw drop and my hands raised in exclamation. Why would anyone be offended by justice, even economic justice, for all? Shouldn’t we be offended by the reality of injustice? Whether economic justice is offensive to some or not, I do not think we can ever have peace without economic justice. Victims of economic injustice will always fight for justice. When will we stop fighting against it?

I guess I’m pretty comfortable right here where I am. Not rich by any stretch of the imagination among my peers and neighbors. But by world standards I am among the very richest in the world. (Don’t be envious; so are you). Does economic justice for all God’s children upset our notion of fairness? Entitlement? Have we really earned it?

Justice, including but not limited to economic justice, goes hand in hand with peace. In today’s reading, the prophet Isaiah foretold of a day of peace when God’s people beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. He didn’t say swords into stained glass and spears into pipe organs. Isaiah foretold of a day of world peace, when the implements and resources used for war and destruction would be used for building community.

Are you ready for that day Isaiah proclaims? Are you ready for Advent?

Jeff Taylor