On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Lamentations 3:22-33

 22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

 24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

 25The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

 26It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 27It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth,

 28to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it,

 29to put one’s mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope),

 30to give one’s cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.

 31For the Lord will not reject forever.

 32Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

 33for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

Psalm: Psalm 30

I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up. (Ps. 30:1)

 1I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up

  and have not let my enemies triumph over me.

 2O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health.

 3You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.

 4Sing praise to the Lord, all you faithful; give thanks in holy remembrance. 

 5God’s wrath is short; God’s favor lasts a lifetime.

Weeping spends the night, but joy comes in the morning.

 6While I felt secure, I said, “I shall never be disturbed.

 7You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”

  Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear.

 8I cried to you, O Lord; I pleaded with my Lord, saying,

 9“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?

  Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

 10Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; O Lord, be my helper.” 

 11You have turned my wailing into dancing;

  you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

 12Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;

  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. 

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

7Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

 8I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 9For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something—11now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. 13I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15As it is written,

 “The one who had much did not have too much,

  and the one who had little did not have too little.”

Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24So he went with him.

  And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32He looked all around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  In Mark 8 the apostle Mark tells us of a group of people who brought their blind friend to Jesus to touch.  Jesus took the man outside the village and spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him.  He touched him.  The man could see people but they looked like trees walking.  Jesus touched the man’s eyes again and they were opened and his vision restored. Many of us struggle with wearing glasses or decreasing vision as we age.  How does vision impact our ability to drive safely?

Let us pray:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Last Sunday Jesus and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee by night and got caught in a storm.  The disciples woke Jesus who was asleep in their boat, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  That question hangs in the air for all of chapter 5 of Mark.  Let’s be honest, even we are prone to ask Jesus in times of crisis, “Lord, don’t you care?”  Somehow we think he is asleep in the boat of our life.  With a word, he calmed the storm but they still had to row to shore.  The disciples were still catching their breath when they reached the other side and immediately encountered a man possessed by a Legion of demons.  Some days are like that.  While we are reeling from a surprise bill we had forgotten in our budgeting of our finances, we get the news that another major challenge is facing us.  We feel like “the chosen people ” but wishing God would choose someone else for a trial.  My mother used to say that bad news comes in threes.  After two gasps, I start anticipating the third.  I sometimes wonder if Satan is talking with God as in the first chapter of Job, “But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” In retrospect I realize I have taken my focus off God and have focused on how I would cope with one more thing.

 Today’s text is something like that.  Mark has moved from the challenge of a storm to a new level of challenge.  A 12 year old girl and a woman are sick, perhaps dying.  Whom will Jesus deal with? The text is moving closer to home, more personal.  Yes, we know about storms but when problems touch those we love, God has our attention.  We know about illness and medical problems the system can’t cure.  Stop for a moment and think if there is someone you know and care about who is facing a serious, life threatening diagnosis.  Thanks to FaceBook, cell phones and TV we are aware of many who face terrible terminal diagnoses. 

 “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come…”

      Our text this morning speaks of two “daughters,” two children of God, two people at the point of death.  Does it matter if they are male or female? I doubt it.  Gender is not the focus of our text.  I do note though that Jairus is a leader in the synagogue.  Jesus did not just deal with outcasts but he cared about all people. Jairus valued his daughter enough to go against Jewish leadership and seek help from Jesus, the healer.  I gather that Jairus was desperate.  His little daughter is 12 years old, enfolded in a loving family, valued, and cared for.  He pleads for her life.

Meanwhile another “daughter” from the opposite end of the social spectrum approached Jesus.  Jesus also calls her “daughter.”   She too is a daughter of Abraham but is invisible and seemingly has no man to speak for her. She has been sick for 12 years.  She is a social outcast as her continued bleeding made her “untouchable.”  Her resources are spent and I am guessing her social capital is spent too.  She dare not touch Jesus but only hopes to touch the hem of his cloak.

Where were you in 2012?  Now imagine that you had not experienced a human touch or hug up to today.  That is a kind of starvation that most of us do not know.  That is the kind of starvation that girls sold into human trafficking and people caught in addictions might know.  It is the objectification of your body so that you are only touched to satisfy someone else’s desire.  This second daughter is as close to death as the daughter of Jairus who fights illness in a loving environment.

      Let me repeat, Jesus addresses the bleeding woman as “daughter.”  In her helplessness, she actually is not alone, and it would seem that God has interceded for her.  Power has flowed from Jesus, not because of a plea like Jairus’ but because he knows and sees this woman in her social invisibility, in her helplessness, and God’s power flows out to her. Both women, the young and the old, are dying, in fact are “at the point of death.” One is embedded in a loving family and one is “untouchable.”

Few of us realize how close we are to death in all its forms. 

      The healing of the elder woman is described as “power has gone forth from Jesus.”  No mud is used as with the blind man. Jesus does not spit on her or touch her. No word of command is given as with the guy brought by his friends and lowered through the ceiling. No direct confrontation as with the wind and waves of last week.  God’s power flows from Jesus, even when Jesus doesn’t seem to be paying attention.  Sometimes he seems to be asleep in our boat or busy with important people like Jairus or focused on Ukraine or the Middle East, but he is aware of all that is going on.

Jesus knows what has happened but he also knows the woman is not totally healed. She is like the blind man who sees people walking like trees. She may be physically healed but is still socially invisible and condemned.  Jesus draws this shamed woman into speech and draws her back from social death into social life.  “Who touched me?”  Jesus asked and the woman spoke and became alive socially.  The woman became visible and important as Jesus called her forward.  It is good that we believe in the work God is doing in our lives but as we share our experiences something else happens.  But that is another sermon.

      Jairus’ daughter, on the other hand, is very visible, very visibly dead to all the people in the house.  They are wailing and weeping.  Jesus sends them away and has his disciples and the mother and father go into the room of their dead daughter.  Please note that the mother is included and not treated as a second-class citizen even though her husband is socially important.  Jesus speaks, “Little girl, get up!” and she does.

      Mark has gone from parables and the teachings of Jesus that the religious leaders question to experiences that demonstrate the reality of the power of Jesus and the presence of the kingdom of heaven in our midst.  Jesus is pushing the envelope of our understanding of the implication of the presence of God in our world.  God is not just up in heaven waiting for us to arrive.  We are not the victims of fate, of bad luck, of bad karma nor as Christians can evil touch us without God’s presence and awareness.  As Christians we are not alone in the midst of our trials. Our Savior, God, has power.  He is not just a teacher to be obeyed and followed.  He is God who reaches into our lives and circumstances and walks with us. Jesus walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death.

      Whether we have someone to stand with us in prayer as with Jairus’ daughter or whether we feel alone and abandoned by others as with the older woman, we have the God of the universe watching and caring for us.  Yes, God does not resolve all illness at the point of death by calling the person back from the brink but that is the truth about life.   For this sermon I want to affirm that we believe in a God who sees our plight and can act without an intermediary like Jairus.  Likewise whether in crisis illness or long drawn out draining circumstances, we are all at the point of death and on God’s radar screen.

“…lay your hands on her…”

         “Come and lay your hands on her” is Jairus’ plea.  We Lutherans might be a bit challenged here.  We use laying on of hands for rituals like baptisms and ordinations.  The calling together of the elders to lay hands on the sick is probably considered more a spiritual disciple Pentecostals practice that we don’t talk about too much.  In any case, I do think we are looking at the power of prayer.  Remember we are at the beginning of Mark and so Jairus probably did not acknowledge Jesus as God but he did know Old Testament stories of his faith tradition about the power of prayer to heal.  The Old Testament is full of God’s prophets healing the sick. 

      Elijah healed the widow of Zarephath’s son who died.

      Elisha healed the Shunaminte’s son who died.

      Naaman was healed of leprosy.

      The Israelites were healed by looking at the snake on the pole.

Prophets of God often healed people and so Jairus pleads, “Come.”  

      I note that this request is a bit open ended.  He wants his daughter to live and he looks to God for how that might look after the healing.  Faith seems to be a key element as Jesus commands them to keep believing.  “Don’t fear but believe.” I also note the faith of the little girl, unlike the older woman, is not an issue.  This text speaks to the importance of holding others in prayer.  James chapter 5 also speaks of calling the elders together to pray for the sick but James also links it with confession of sin.

      God’s presence makes a difference in any dilemma.  His presence does not guarantee the outcome we want but we call on him to enter the process of healing and often that calms our fear and gives faith room to breathe.  I do not know what situation is challenging your faith today, but may we take a moment and bow our heads and silently pray, “Come Lord Jesus!  Lay your hands on my life.  I leave it in your hands.”

“…so that she may be made well, and live.”

      Jairus continues, “so that she may be made well, and live.”  Jesus called the older woman out of invisibility, out of rejection, out of her illness and back into society and relationship.  I suspect that “living” is more than just being alive.  “Wellness” is more than the absence of disease.  The desire of Jairus’ heart for his daughter is here expressed.  He wants her to be well and live.  The elder woman is alive but she is not living.  She is somehow only existing.  The apostle John in John 10:10 quotes Jesus as saying, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Wellness is more than the absence of disease, it is maximizing our total potential as we are able.  I receive wellness checks for diabetes, not because it is out of control but to help me keep it in control.  Silver Sneakers gives us the privilege of exercising to stay well.  Jairus’ plea for his daughter is that she will be “well”, maximizing her life potential as she is able and that she will “live,” not just be alive.

So, let’s summarize.  All of us are somehow near death. We are all aging and our vision is not as good as when we were kids. We might be like our healed blind man seeing people walking like trees.  We just don’t know what tomorrow or the next hour will bring.  We all need Jesus to come and lay his hands on us that we might be well and ”live.”  That was Jairus’ request.  Perhaps you are like Jairus and have the confidence or desperation to go right up to Jesus and ask.  It may not be your daughter dying but we all have a friend who needs God’s help.  But then again you might be like the older woman who thought, if only I can get close enough to touch his clothes.  She would have been happy to see people walking like trees…but Jesus was not. He wanted her healed physically and socially. She did not believe anyone would care enough to intercede for her. But Jesus did. Bethany stands like Jairus, bringing the needs of our friends, our family and our world to the Lord in prayer.  But then sometimes Bethany is like the older woman, thinking if we can only be close enough to touch the hem of his gown, perhaps a miracle will happen.  It’s easy to think God is asleep in our boat or busy with important issues.  The lives of all at Bethany are seen by God and God cares.  Jesus’ word calmed the chaos of the seas and winds last week and this week his touch restores to wellness and life.  May we be faithful as we pray for the seen and unseen crises surrounding us.  When we cry, “Lord, don’t you care?” Let us remember he said,  “Do not fear, only believe.” 

Let the people of God say, “Amen!”

I Will Praise You Lord For You Have Rescued Me Psalm 30

Last Sunday our Gospel texts shared about the disciples waking Jesus asleep in their boat in the midst of a storm they thought would kill them all.  This Sunday, tomorrow, we will read about two women at the point of death, a 12 year old girl whose father Jairus pleads with Jesus to come, and an older woman who has been bleeding for 12 years, is untouchable, and has no one to plead her case.  Jesus, seeming asleep in the first reading, seeming involved with the known problems confronting people, still sees the older woman and heals her.  Our Psalm reading appropriately talks about the psalmist’s response of praise.  Whether it is the social protests in Kenya, the problems in Bolivia, the Presidential debates – God is there and with us in our challenges.  He sees and cares even when we are unsure of his awareness.  Thank you, Lord.  Have mercy on those in the grips of fear.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.

Ecclesiastes 8:14-17

One of the very impacting events in my life was as a young single, hitchhiking through Europe, visiting sites I had only read about in books.  I was running from a broken heart feeling betrayed by someone I thought I loved and facing a future that was yet to unfold.  One of the places I visited was the Holocaust encampment at Dachau and a museum attempting to answer the question, “How could this have happened?”  Evil seemed to have run havoc for years and how many innocent people cruelly lost their lives as victims of hate, victims of ignorance, and victims of the government that sent them to war.  It was a lose-lose time.  It is hard to see any good coming out of hate and war.  The Teacher sums it up with the word, “meaningless” in v. 14 of chapter 8 of Ecclesiastes.  We go through events when we feel like life has flip flopped and makes no sense.  A child dies while an elder holds on to life racked with pain and deterioration.  Life does not make sense.  Our sense of justice is that good guys should be rewarded and bad guys should be punished.

The Teacher concludes that enjoying each day, seeing its beauty and giftedness is the best way to live.  There is always someone else who seems to have more goodies of life than ourselves and then we wonder if somehow they are better than us. Those rabbit holes are easy to slide down and we end up in depression, questioning our value.  I have experienced great love and laughter in famine relief camps where we shared our corn and beans and I have also felt the emptiness of being present with glittery crowds and feeling invisible.

So the question worth meditating on today might be to ask ourselves what brings us “enjoyment” and secondly whom might we bless today with love.  Take a moment and list as many memories as you can of times that have brought you joy.  Thank God for those people and those times.  Lord, help us to be a blessing to someone else today.

Ecclesiastes 8: 1-8 (The Message) 

There’s nothing better than being wise,

Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life.

Wisdom puts light in the eyes,

And gives gentleness to words and manners.

  2-7 Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience. Don’t worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You’re serving his pleasure, not yours. The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, “What are you doing?” Carrying out orders won’t hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately. Yes, there’s a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. It’s true that no one knows what’s going to happen, or when. Who’s around to tell us?

8 No one can control the wind or lock it in a box.
No one has any say-so regarding the day of death.
No one can stop a battle in its tracks.
No one who does evil can be saved by evil.

Chapter 8 of Ecclesiastes, supposedly written by King Solomon, the Teacher, suddenly shifts topics in his investigation of wisdom.  He talks about our response to government.  Hmmm, these words are a bit challenging in our culture.  We live in a culture where we have social media that continually has commentaries on how government is governing.  The text feels “old fashioned,” and definitely on the side of the establishment.  I do not think that it is that we want riots in our streets and demonstrators protesting every government decision but we love our freedom of speech and our right to disagree.  The USA has a deep record of government protest back to “not taxation without representation.”  We could sidestep these verses by saying they were written to people who  like the Jews live under a kingship or a more totalitarian government.  Let’s not dismiss this though without thinking. We stand with some of the greats like Dietrich Bonhoffer, a Lutheran pacifist who had to grapple with his response to Hilter and a government that was doing wrong.  But before we get our feathers all kerfuffled, let us set up a little distance from a volatile topic of government protest by changing the question to asking ourselves about our responses to authority.

The Teacher’s first words of advice is to remember that our relationship to the authority we struggle with.  When we accept a job we know there will be bosses.  When we become parents we step into an authority position that someday will involve a tug of war with the wills between parents and children.  When we buy a car and take the driver’s test, we know there are laws.  There are stop lights and speed signs and we choose how to respond.  Obedience by it’s very nature does not depend on me liking what is asked of me but it is a confrontation with my will.  He sagely reminds us that “the man,” “the boss” has the power and the last word.  I remember the advice given to “pick your fights carefully.  Don’t spend all your social capital on trivia.”  

I am watching the Kenyan demonstrations going on over a tax bill passed this week that triggered massive demonstrations over the whole country.  Today the President “conceded” and said he will not pass the bill into law.  Wow.  He is picking his battles.  People were shot, though, demonstrating.  Authority is not always just nor fair but open confrontation with authority or government is dangerous and when we choose to resist, we must realize we are potentially facing consequences. 

  Maintaining relationship so there can be conversation is often a wiser choice.  The Teacher reasons that we do not know what tomorrow will bring and so patience and arbitration may be the needed approach.  The last verses point out that not only do we not know what tomorrow might bring if we can slow our roll and “count to ten,” or “sleep on it.”  The best decisions may not be made in the midst of an argument.  The Teacher could also add advice like – don’t jump to conclusions until you hear the other side of the argument, or talk to a wise person who is more neutral and can help you think through a dilemma,  or spend time in prayer.  I like to get in my car and drive to “my quiet spot” and sit and decompress, perhaps cry, or telephone a friend.

Authority is a reality of life.  Let us pray for our court system, our election coming up, for our leaders in churches and places of employment. Let us pray for those places in our world where there is open conflict and innocent people are caught in the cross fire.  Lord have mercy! Draw near to the oppressed and the struggling in crisis and conflict. Give us wisdom as we listen to the Presidential debates tonight.

27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

28  while I was still searching
    but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
    but not one upright woman among them all.

29 This only have I found:
    God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

Ecclesiastes 7:27-29

We finish chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes with the Teacher yet again pondering wisdom and folly.  He shares the bitterness of searching for faithfulness and loyalty in a people only to be disappointed.  He could barely find an upright person.   He laments that it is so easy to be ensnared by others as we search  in the wrong places.  All who have experienced divorce or broken promises and broken hearts know the pain of decisions made when we are blinded by passion in the search for real love.  In verse 29 the Teacher concludes that this is not the plan of God.  “God created mankind upright but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

It reminds me of the children’s song,

Leader:  God created people and said

Children:  They are good.

Leader:  God created flowers and said

Children:  They are good.

Leader:  Man created cars and 

Children: They broke.

So what are you searching for today?  What is the desire of your heart?  My heart is broken this evening as I watch the news reels from Kenya of the mass demonstrations and chaos about new proposed taxation .  We lived there for 25 years and experienced similar situations during elections.  The search for an affordable lifestyle is definitely a desire of many hearts.  I think of other countries engulfed in war.  On the flip side of the coin are the victory marches of the young and talented who have been chosen to represent their countries in the Olympics this year. The search for fame and glory is always with us.  We want our hard work and talents to be acknowledged.  Perhaps you enjoy watching the FB clips of AGT and other spin-offs of American Idol where undiscovered talent is applauded.  So what is your search?  Let’s take the word “search” and build an acrostic writing for each letter a word.  For example S is for security.

S is for ________

E is for ________

A is for ________

R is for ________

H is for ________

Let us spend a few moments praying over our desires but also praying for those who are caught in conflicts trying to make the wishes come true.  Lord have mercy.  Help us to be upright people.

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,

    or you may hear your servant cursing you—

22 for you know in your heart

    that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Ecclesiastes 7: 21-22

The Teacher, probably KIng Solomon and author of Ecclesiastes, continues in chapter 7 to ponder wisdom.  These two verses grabbed my attention.  I do not know if you have dealt with teenagers determined that they know what is best or have had to deal with people trapped in addiction who can throw the most horrible words at you as they remember your history differently or perhaps you have just plain had one of those horrible fights with a significant other and all of a sudden your mouth is out of control and unkind words are said. I’m sure I have fallen into all three scenarios.  I reminded my daughter that I had indeed gone to the senior high school prom and she replied, “Oh mother, that was last century!”  One of my sons just chuckles when I share my wisdom and says, “Mom, you drink your kool-aid and I’ll drink mine.”  These situations we might be able to dismiss as youth but there are other times when I find myself with a group of friends who are sharing their opinions about a political figure or even a missing friend or leader and I find myself remaining silent or slanting my truth in their direction.  The desire for group acceptance can color remarks.

The Teacher speaks into these sort of scenarios and advises us not to take what we hear too seriously.  He has warned us against being quick to anger and about the potential power and danger of words.  He warns against dealing in gossip.  A new popular TV series, Bridgerton, zeroes in on the elite in British society as everyone reads Lady Whistledown’s Society Paper about who is doing what in the “coming out” seasons for young ladies.  The newspaper ties the series together as all are wondering who the writer is and how she gets her information.  The Teacher warns that our lives can become a roller coaster as we are elated when we think we are valued and deflated when we feel misunderstood.  Our focus needs to be on the continual message of God who does not change daily like Lady Whistledown.

As we go through this political season when truth seems so slippery and as we daily exchange words with loved ones and friends, may our conversations be positive and affirming, looking for the best possible construction for our responses.

The Teacher in verse 13-18 of chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes resumes his pondering about life and wisdom.  He calls us to consider.

13 Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten
    what he has made crooked?

14 When times are good, be happy;
    but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
    as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
    anything about their future.

15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
    and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
16 Do not be overrighteous,
    neither be overwise—
    why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked,
    and do not be a fool—
    why die before your time?
18 It is good to grasp the one
    and not let go of the other.
    Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

We cannot predict the future.  Most of us have been T-boned by life at some point.  My husband died before me and yet he wanted to live to 100 and I was always told I would die young like my grandmother whom I was like.  Who would have predicted?  I am now reinventing myself as I face the future.  The stock market crashes or a recession enters and our saving shrink.  The routine tests by the doctor shows shadows.  The neighboring country invades ours and we are suddenly fleeing with our belongings on our backs. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.  The Teacher phrases it as if we are suddenly facing a crooked path that we thought was straight and we realize it is beyond our control and our understanding.  At crisis points like this we are faced with questions about the character of God.  How do we explain evil seeming to triumph when God has all power and cares for us?  The Teacher acknowledges that God has made good days and is with us in bad days.  Often though, his presence seems hidden.

Tough times challenge our faith.  We see good people, righteous people, people we care about and admire get hurt by life.  Young children die and women miscarry through no fault of their own. Meanwhile people who never acknowledged God or a higher power thrive and live to old age.  Wealth and long life does not necessarily favor “the good guys.”  I already feel cynicism clouding my thinking as I face the upcoming elections as “dirt” is thrown by all and wonderful promises are made by all candidates.

The Teacher advises finding a middle road and not tearing yourself apart by living in the extreme.  Hmmmm.  I do not think he is saying to avoid extreme sports nor is he encouraging not going hard after the desires of our heart.  Passion and convictions are important boundary guides on our journey.  But I do think the teacher is advising us to keep our focus and perspective.  Perhaps we are back to “turn, turn, turn” of chapter 3:1.  He advises we take a deep breath when faced with change, make time for more prayer and realize we do not see the whole picture of our lives nor of history.  That does not affirm evil but sometimes we need to remind ourselves that God will eventually bring justice as he says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord.”

Let us take a moment now and ask the Holy Spirit to shine its flashlight of truth on my soul and reveal if there are areas where we might be off center and need to be reminded to put the issue in God’s hands.  Let us pray for those who are truly fighting the battle with evil in the war zones, the environmentally challenged areas, facing medical challenges and for our upcoming elections.  Lord, have mercy and help us be agents of your peace.

 Psalm 107

Give Thanks to the Lord

by John Michael Talbot

Give Thanks To The Lord (Psalm 107)

Tomorrow’s Gospel text will focus on a time when the disciples were gripped with mortal fear.  They thought for sure they were going to drown in a storm.  Think of a time when you were truly scared.  Whether we are called upon to be involved in an environmental disaster, a violent attack, a near death experience or we have been with a loved one going through this, we know it is horrible.  Sweaty palms, high pulse rate and wild imaginings.

The interesting thing is that Jesus was asleep in the boat with the disciples.  He was there with them in the storm of life.    When they woke him “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He immediately calmed the storm with a word.

Jesus is in our boat.  The storms of our lives are not out of his realm of influence or awareness.  Let’s listen to the words today and thank God for his presence.

“Wisdom is a shelter

    as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

    Wisdom preserves those who have it.”

Ecclesiastes 7:12

The Teacher in chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes now looks at some factors that make the difference between how wisdom and wealth that both impact the direction of our lives are subtly different.  As he says in verse 12, both wisdom and money are shelters we can run to but that does not mean they are both meaningful.  They don’t both preserve our lives.

• extortion leads to foolishness and bribery corrupts in, both are a means to wealth but both do not truly shelter v.7
• End results accomplished are a better shelter than dreams and visions of success at the start v.8
• the flash of anger from a provocation leads to foolish decisions that destroy our shelter v.9
• Nostalgia for the past and impatience for the future both lead to dissatisfaction with our present shelter v.10

What ties these ideas together?

The first African proverb we were taught our first day in Swahili language school when we arrived in Kenya was, “Haraka, haraka haina baraka.”  It can be translated, “Hurry, hurry, has no blessing.”  My mother taught us a similar proverb as children, “A stitch in time saves nine.”  I think the Teacher is referring to the temptation to short sheet the present to force, or “help,” us get to where we want to go in the future.

Extortion and bribery are ways we try to force another or perhaps our hearts to apply pressure to our souls to convince us that cutting corners will get us to our dream.  Fudging on the income tax is ok because we are not part of the “rich” who live in a better house.  Agreeing to extended debt so we can “keep up” and get that better job or house or life draws us into taking on a burden we are not sure we can carry and that may easily lead to financial chaos.  My young teenagers used to try to convince me that they would have gotten their first million by the time they were 30.  That dream of the future grew discontent with their present.  Frustration leads to anger and then the mouth is out of control.  Yes, quickly, quickly can lead to problems.  The Teacher says patience is better than the pride that focuses on visions of who we think we might be.  Patience comes from realizing God is the unseen being walking with us through the challenges in the present.

So let us think for a moment about what frustrations are the quick sand in our day. What draws us to discontent and anger.  Perhaps it is the interruptions that slow us down like that little ole driver in front of us.  Perhaps it is when someone we respect disagrees with us.  Perhaps it is a detour as we head to our goal, be it work or weight loss.  I could mention those speed zones where an unseen authority might lurk. We all deal with frustrations and road blocks to our “I wants.”

The Teacher would say wisdom of realizing God holds our life is the attitude that “preserves” our life, not the wealth in our bank account.  Lord, I am afraid to pray for patience because I don’t want lessons that force me to learn the lesson.  May our hearts be aware of you as the unseen partner in our lives.

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

    but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.”

Ecclesiastes 7: 4

Chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes opens with some thought provoking opposites.  The author, the Teacher, whom many believe to be King Solomon compares: 

•  a good name to good perfume, 
• funerals to parties, 
• frustration to laughter, and 
• rebuke from a wise person to empty praise of a fool.  

At first glance we might choose the wonderful smell of perfume wafting through the air or going to a party or laughter or to hear words of affirmation.  We want to be loved, valued and affirmed. I should hear an “amen” here.  We want our faith to lead us to health, wealth, and prosperity – the good life.  The Teacher challenges us.

Perfume can be bought for a price – by the wealthy, but a good name, good character, or a good reputation cannot be   bought.  All people can receive a good recommendation for a life well lived or a job well done, even if they cannot buy expensive perfume.  Truly a good name is not something for the moment but for all time and places, sending ripples through life as a rock thrown in a pond.  May our name be remembered for our godly character based on our faith!

Funerals are times of serious reflection and very different from party frivolity. My husband would say funerals are “deep,” sharing memories of good deeds,  appreciation for the impact to our life paths due to the influence of the other, and times of hugging and reunion with people we have not seen for awhile.  I remember birthday parties as a child and hating the tie a balloon around your ankle and try and stomp your friend’s balloon.  I hated the loud bangs and the shoving.  I remember parties as a young adult agonizing over if I would avoid the spiked punch. At funerals, amidst the tears, memories of blessings and affirmation of relationships are shared.  Funerals can lead us to reflect on the hand of God in our lives and that happens for all people, not just the wealthy.

Frustration and laughter…hum.  Frustration forces me to grow as I seek to deal with a challenge.  Laughter is for the moment.  Rebuke verses empty praise.  No one likes to be corrected but no one likes to be deceived either.  I value my friends who will shoot straight from the hip and tell me what I need to hear.

The Teacher leaves us with an image,

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

    so is the laughter of fools.

    This too is meaningless. 

Ecclesiastes 7:6

Lord, we pray today for wise friends who speak to us in truth, who remember our character formed in the trials of life and who offer words of affirmation when we die.  We do not want to be perfume floating in the air for an evening nor quick burning thorns in the fires of life.  May our character reflect you.  Help us to not choose that which is meaningless.