On the Way to Wonder

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,

    and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,

    you mighty ones who do his bidding,

    obedient to his spoken word.

21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,

    his ministers that do his will.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works,

    in all places of his dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.  

We come to the end of the liturgical year.  We have eaten our turkey or special food for Thanksgiving and today we will officially start facing towards Christmas and the birth of the Christ child.  We will start from the very beginning with the incarnation, “it’s a very good place to start.”  We call it Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas Day.  But first let us finish with Psalm 103.

The psalmist concludes after all his listings of the many benefits from relationship with God that the proper response of the angels, Gods servants and all the hosts is to bless the Lord.  We are commanded to “bless.”

I looked up bless on the Internet and it said there are several ways it can be used. Blessing is also usually related to a ritual.So blessing is a way of making something “holy” as when we do our weddings in a church and ask for God’s blessing.  Blessing can also be related to asking protection as when we baptize our children and pray for his protection as the child grows. A praise service blesses. When our parents bless our marriages, they are approving.  We all pray that our person will be ”blessed” with an identifiable talent that blesses their life to be a blessing.  Sighhhh.

God wants us to be in relationship with him so that he can bless us with talents, protect us from evil, make us holy onto him and have his approval shine through us.  As I come to the end of my writing time with Bethany, my prayer is that we all commit to the rituals of faith that provide channels for God’s blessings to flow through our lives so we are a blessing to him and to others. Blessings as you head in to the next phase of ministry at Bethany.

The Lord works vindication

    and justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

    his acts to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 He will not always accuse,

    nor will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;

12as far as the east is from the west,

    so far he removes our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion for his children,

    so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

14 For he knows how we were made;

    he remembers that we are dust.

(Psalm 103:6-14)

Tomorrow is the big day, Thanksgiving, and we are focusing this week on our thankfulness for the God who makes the harvests of our lives happen.  We are looking at Psalm 103 and the second point of focus by the writer.

 Vindication and justice are the first thing that comes to the writer’s mind.  Certainly we look out on a world that cries for justice.  Wars are being fought by nations feeling justified in their claim to a piece of land. One group feels oppressed by another.  We know about those feelings whenever our ”wants” are not met.  Only God can bring about true justice.

God is slow to anger and abounds in steadfast love.  That kind of patience allows room to think and rethink situations and allows the person to defuse and offer mercy and grace,  Many of us can hang our heads and remember a time when we jumped or responded before we took time to think.  I think we call it “mouth in motion.”  God is not mouth in motion but wisdom that speaking to us.

Verse 12 is a favorite of mine.  “As far as the east is from the west” God removes our sins.  I suppose that wherever we are one way is east and one way is west.  I have often thought it meant that God “forgets” but perhaps he is the buffer zone standing between our sin and the forgiveness he offers. Any sin has to go through him and his forgiveness to come back to us.

The author ends with the word “compassion.”  I wonder if that word could be divided up to mean that he “comes” to us with “passion”, passion for relationship, a passion to forgive and restore us with his love.  He knows we are dust and he never forgets as he deals with us.

This thanksgiving let us thank God that he is working out justice and not us, that he is slow to anger seeing all sides, and that he stands between us and our sins, remembering that we are but dust.  He loves us.  Wow.  That is worthy of being thankful for.

1 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

    and all that is within me,

    bless his holy name.

2 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

    and do not forget all his benefits—

3 

who forgives all your iniquity,

    who heals all your diseases,

4 

who redeems your life from the Pit,

    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 

who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.  We have been talking about thanksgiving by using an acrostic of the word “thanks.”  Now we are going to switch to praising God through the eyes of Psalm 103.  The psalm admonishes us to bless the Lord.  I think that means praise.  Praise comes when I focus on the good in any situation and don’t focus on the negative.  So what does the writer focus on about God?

God forgives us our failures.  Surely we can think of ways we failed this year and fell short of who we wanted to be or whom we thought we were.

God heals our diseases.  Perhaps we do not have a medical condition that needs medicine but we all have moral problems that challenge us.  Perhaps we struggle with desire or despair, with low self image or pride.  God helps us in all our battles.

God redeems.  Redeems buying back that which might seem lost.   God not only helps us in our failures but he helps us learn from mistakes and turn them into victories.  It might be like learning from our mistakes so we finally pass that driver’s test or finally develop the stamina to run a marathon or maybe even learn to forgive that person who irritates us so much.

The psalm says we are crowned, not with material substances like gold and silver.  God crowns us with love and mercy.  When the day feels too long and too dark to cope with, we can remember that we are loved by God and he is merciful when we fall short of our goals.

Ultimately we are being renewed like an eagle.  Renewal hints of the promise of restoration.  Because of our relationship with God we have hope, hope for forgiveness, for healing, for redemption, for a crown and for restoration.  Those are for sure things we can be thankful for this Thanksgiving. 

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving.  This Sunday we worship on Christ the King Sunday.  We will listen to the Gospel text, the trial of Jesus, and hear Pilate question Jesus about whether he is king of the Jews.  The question of kingship challenges us to reflect on whom do we pledge allegiance to.  This worship song focuses on our response that Jesus is not only king of the Jews but also Lord of us all.

”Great is the Lord” was written by Michael and Debbie Smith, his wife.They would write in the evening, having picked a portion of scripture and meditated on it by candle light. One evening in 1982 they were drawn to Psalm 145:3 that talked about different attributes of God: justice, omnipotence, faithfulness, truth and love. Isaiah 58:1 encourages us to lift up our voices in praise.  Psalm 8:1 talks about how majestic is God’s name.  A new song was written.  Please enjoy as you prepare for Thanksgiving.

Great Is The Lord (with lyrics – 2015)

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise,
the city of our God, the holy place,
the joy of the whole Earth.
Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory,
he aids us against the enemy,
we bow down on our knees.

And Lord, we want to lift your name on high,
and Lord, we want to thank you,
for the works you’ve done in our lives;
and Lord, we trust in your unfailing love,
for you alone are God eternal,
throughout Earth and Heaven above.

Gravy is a “deal breaker” at Thanksgiving for me.  Season your turkey and put it in the oven and normally it turns out great.  I know only one disaster and that was not the cook’s fault.  Dressing gets perfected over the years and I love rice dressing.  Pie goes to the pie experts.  But gravy is just a challenge to get the ratio of juices, flour, water, salt etc. balanced right and served hot – not store bought.  Yes, my pride is at stake!  So where does gravy come from?

         One of the favorite questions my Kenyan friends would ask of me besides “How many wives did Solomon have?”, “Is birth-control a sin?”, was the question “Do Americans drink blood?”  Nomads in the desert, who live off their stock, will bleed their animals during the dry season, mix it with a little milk, and drink for building the blood and strength.  Anglos gagged at the thought and the Kenyans laughed at our ignorance of a tasty health drink but it always seemed to me it was another way to approach gravy.

         Merriam-Webster defines gravy as “ a sauce made from the thickened and seasoned juices of cooked meat” but it can also refer to the additional unexpected benefit from something – once we pay off the house, the rest is gravy, as we have no rent.  We also talk about being on the “gravy train.”

         Looking up the history of gravy I was surprised to see it first appeared in the Middle Ages in French and British cook books.  French tend to call it “sauce” but Brits talk about “gravy.”  So going back to the 14^th century, I am not the only one who needed help and instructions!  My friend last week could not stop ooohhhhing about the gravy that came with Kentucky Fried potatoes but which she poured over her biscuits and remembered her Southern influence from her mother.  Gravy is that extra that gets poured on meat, potatoes, rice, biscuits and anything else on the Thanksgiving menu.  Gravy brings extra flavor, juice, and delight to an experience.

         Jesus says, “¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)” Jesus’ goal is not just the potatoes or the turkey for our lives but he comes that we may also experience the gravy that comes from his grace and interaction in our experiences.

         As you anticipate Thanksgiving next Thursday, reflect on experiences that were “gravy”, unexpected blessings, in your life.  Perhaps passing a test you thought you’d fail.  Perhaps the dream of a certain house became true or a dreamed of spouse.  I do not think Jesus was talking about just material blessings.  I know he has made my life better as I am gifted with forgiveness, prayer and scripture and the promises of eternity are “gravy.”

20-21 In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.

(2 Timothy 2:20, The Message)

When we think of Thanksgiving we might well think of the Thanksgiving feast.  The feast or meal, though, is the final product of the work in many kitchens.  All the contributing food was prepared in someone’s kitchen.  Even that first Thanksgiving came from a variety of kitchens prepared by people with a variety of gifts and talents.

       2 Timothy talks about the church or body of Christ as a kitchen.  A meal of only turkey is not as much fun as a well rounded meal with a variety of pies, breads, veggies and salads.  A church where everyone is a leader and there are no workers struggles.  An intergeneration group of diverse people complementing each other and bringing out the uniqueness of the other is a healthier group.

      As a young child I wanted to have blonde hair like my sister, be skinny like my friend, be beautiful like some TV star and the list goes on.  One of the gifts of Thanksgiving is the affirmation of the different gifts from different kitchens that create a feast. One of the gifts of God is the variety and creativity of ways he creates us for his purposes. May we this Thanksgiving be thankful for the seasoning we bring to whatever group we will be with.  Blessings as you let your light shine.

The Little Children and Jesus

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  Luke 18:5-17

It is hard to think about Thanksgiving without thinking about family gatherings, the fun ones and the not so fun ones.  My sister remembers having to go around and greet the relatives with a kiss.  It is a bad memory for her as my grumpy old grandfather smelled of tobacco.  I will not talk about kisses.  One year my kids all brought their sleeping bags and strung out across the basement so they could rise early on Black Friday and check out the sales they heard about.  It is a fun?? family shopping day for many.  I also remember the adults sitting in the living room, possibly the men watching football and us cousins washing dishes together and then working on a jigsaw puzzle. 

We don’t hear about kids in the Pilgrim’s story but many movies have the school play with kids playing different parts and parents proudly applauding. When I think of faith and Thanksgiving and kids or children I think of Jesus speaking to the masses of people in the countryside.  Women brought their kids to be blessed.  The disciples refused the kids but Jesus reprimanded the disciples and said we must become like a child or kid to enter.  What are some of the adjectives you associate with children in Thanksgiving plays.  I think of joyful, loving, proud, and audiences with family.  Add a few of your own adjectives.  God values those characteristics in us and wants us to be performing for him in our lives on the stage of life.  Blessings as you play your part.  May you enter in with child-like faith. 

There are many “k’s” associated with Thanksgiving: kin or family, kindness, kissing folks as they arrive and probably more but I thought about kings.  Those first pilgrims traveled into an unknown future because they were fleeing the kingship of King George III.  For some it was a journey to find a place of religious freedom so they could worship God as they saw fit.  For others, I’m sure it was an adventure.  Some came as indentured servants.  Many died enroute.  The “Boston Tea Party” that later occurred was symbolic of the tension of a king far away imposing his will on the colonies – taxation without representation!  So, today we do not have a king but a President.  The country the pilgrims came to did not have kings but chiefs, I suspect a similar dynamic, and thus not only ethnic conflict but to some degree the battle over who gets to control what happens in “their kingdom.”

         Next Thursday we are to go to worship and give thanks for the bounty of this last year.  We might credit our President for some influence although we have been under two battling philosophies.  Many are not looking at bounty now but grieving loss on several fronts.  Others would for sure not think our “king” has much to do with our blessings but our own hard work.  We will feast, give an obligatory prayer if necessary, and shift to the TV and Christmas.  But the question still hangs in the air – on thanksgiving, whom do we acknowledge as the “king” in our life, to whom do we give thanks for our blessings, and to whom are we willing to bend our knee?

      All four gospels tell of the final trial of Jesus before Pilate, the Roman authority.  Pilate is astounded to hear that Jesus is being accused of being the king of the Jews.  He is accused of treason, deserving death.  Caesar who considered himself a god or a god representative anyway, was the ultimate authority all people in his empire owed allegiance to.  Pilate turns to Jesus and asks if he is a “king.”  Jesus answers that his kingdom is not of this world.  Pilate returns to face the crowd.

·      John 19:  “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

      So this Thanksgiving, who will you acknowledge as your “king”?  Who is the ultimate authority in your life?  Wow, there is a question worth pondering and what that allegiance implies.  Perhaps take a few minutes and list on a piece of paper five ways that you bow to the “king” in your life, and five benefits of being in that kingdom.  Blessings as you reflect.  But remember, we have representation.  Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father!

November is a full month on election years.  After all that intensity, the anticipation of the results and joy or distress at the results, it is good to step back and recalibrate, depresurize our hearts and think about lighter issues.  Thanksgiving is coming and we are reminding ourselves of our need for an attitude of gratitude to face the challenges of life so they don’t overwhelm us.  So we are using the words “thanks” as an acrostic to challenge ourselves.  We are up to the “n”.  We ended last week talking about nuts that come into focus at this time of the years. Nuts are treats and we know a few nutty people that challenge us.  Noses help us appreciate all the wonderful aromas that float in the air. Our prayers and sacrifices are like aromas floating up to God and pleasing him.  Our third “n” is neighbors.

Core to the Thanksgiving story is the presence of the indigeneous tribes and the pilgrims.  Even today we find ourselves in communities that are what have come to call multi-ethnic.  When we lived in Minneapolis the signs often were in four languages – English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong!!  School notices are offered in several languages and medical facilities offer translation services in many languages.

Jesus tells a parable in response to a lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”  A man is left to die, beaten by robbers.  Three men pass by without helping.  They were religious men we would have thought would want to help.  Then a foreigner comes and helps the injured man.  Jesus asks, “Who was the neighbor?”  The answer was the one who showed mercy.

Thanks giving is about the mercy that was shown to the pilgrims so that they survived that first winter in a new environment.  As we prepare for Thanksgiving, let us think of people who have shown us mercy and kindness.  Perhaps it was only a smile but perhaps it was more.  Who might we bless today? Thank you Lord for those who have shown us mercy.

First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

¹“At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. ²Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Psalm: Psalm 16

 ¹Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
  I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”
 ²All my delight is in the godly that are in the land,
  upon those who are noble among the people.
 ³But those who run after other gods
  shall have their troubles multiplied.
 ⁴I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods,
  never take their names upon my lips. 
 ⁵O Lord, you are my portion ^| and my cup;
  it is you who uphold my lot.
 ⁶My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;
  indeed, I have a rich inheritance.
 ⁷I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
  my heart teaches me night after night.
 ⁸I have set the Lord always before me;
  because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 
 ⁹My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
  my body also shall rest in hope.
 ¹⁰For you will not abandon me to the grave,
  nor let your holy one see the pit.
 ¹¹You will show me the path of life;
  in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are ​pleasures forevermore. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25

¹¹Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. ¹²But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” ¹³and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” ¹⁴For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. [¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
 ¹⁶“This is the covenant that I will make with them
  after those days, says the Lord:
 I will put my laws in their hearts,
  and I will write them on their minds,”
¹⁷he also adds,
 “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]

  ¹⁹Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Gospel: Mark 13:1-8

¹As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look,Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” ²Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
  ³When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. ⁶Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON  Share with the person sitting next to you about some experience that was very painful.

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

SERMON

​We are coming to the end of this church year.  Next Sunday, November 24^th, is Christ the King Sunday and then we enter Advent and return to focusing on the birth of Jesus.  We will change from looking at our faith through the Gospel of Mark to texts from the Gospel of Luke.  Last week our Gospel text looked at the poor widow who gave her last two coins to the Temple.  Today’s text is called the “Little Apocalypse” because it fortells the coming destruction of that very same Temple. Jesus and the disciples leave our widow and Jerusalem and they look back and admire the Temple. The Jewish people valued the Temple even as we value the White House as a symbol of the United States. But Jesus turns to them and predicts that the Temple will be destroyed.  Worship is on the verge of a birthing experience that will be very painful.  The Temple will be destroyed in 90 AD, synagogues and churches will develop and Christian believers will come to consider themselves as the temple of God.  Those major social shifts will happen even before Christians began to interpret the words in light of Jesus’ promise of return at the end of time as we know it.  

​Mark records Jesus predicting this masive upheaval and then saying, “This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”  Birth pangs are “regular, recurrant pains associated with giving birth.”  They are almost always mentioned in the plural.  Webster continues and points out that “birth pangs” have also become a way to talk about social upheaval.  It is a way of talking about the disorder and distress associated with a major social change.  For those of you who have not had the experience of child birth, I might suggest that because of the recent election we are going through in the United States a kind of birth pangs as certainly social reality will experience major social shifts as we change parties in power. No matter how we voted, we anticipate January 20^th and the new president’s first day in office with bated breath. Whether we are women who have birthed a child or not, we are all together as we face the upheaval of a new administration and all the predictions of what that will mean.

^“7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed…”

​When a pregnancy becomes a reality, people respond in many different ways.  Not all people are excited with joy at the prospect of another mouth to feed and clothe.  Some couples are not in committed relationships and so a pregnancy is a major “oops” that is going to force decisions about how to proceed.  Some parents realize they will face cross-examination from others because they are still nursing the last child.  A pregnancy is a major social change and Jesus accurately talks about the changes that are coming with the crucifixion/resurrection as birth pangs the disciples will soon experience.  Judas will betray Jesus. Peter will deny Jesus.  Thomsas will refuse to believe until he sees evidence. Those early disciples had varied resposes to the resurrection and had to decide what the Temple met to them in their changing world. 

​Jesus starts his prophesy with “when,” when we hear about a pregnancy or when we heard the election results we began to invision the future.  Martin Luther was criticized for not focusing on end times but hethought he was living in end times because the infedels were\ at the gates threatening Christian Europe.  He thought Christ was about to return. World War 1 and 2 looked like end times as war ravaged countries.  I imagine that Christians in Ukraine find comfort in these verses as they face not only rumors but the realities of war.  The persecuted church laments, “How much longer, Lord.”  For many it is their everyday reality and for us it is rumors.  We learn we are pregnant but until we feel the flutter of little feet, we are not quite sure if the pregnancy will grow to birth. 

​Women can also say that as the time to deliver the baby draws close, contractions are counted and the question of whether the pains are regular and recurrent is THE topic of discussion.  Is it time to go to the hospital?  The birthing bag with clothes and diapers is prepared and sitting by the door, ready for the social change that is approaching.  Names are picked.  Relatives are informed. Families, men and women, who go through the birthing process, do not really know what the future will look like.  They prayfor a successful delivery and a healthy baby.

​Jesus says that the birth pangs will be marked by false leaders claiming to be God and who will offer salvation.  Lamaze classes had me practice breathing as I labored but as we drove to the hospital, I told my husband, it hurts.  It is pain, not just labor!  We are not to be deceived. Only God knows the future.  Material security is not the same as eternal salvation.  All the health, wealth, and prosperity that is preached these days does not change the fact that there are wars in our lives that try to convince us that Jesus does not care.  It is so easy to dispair when we watch loved ones suffer with disease, when financial reverses complicate our lives, when children go astray, when friends betray, and it is so easy to become alarmed and to hear the Evil One whispering in our ears that Christianity is not the way.

​Jesus tells his followers, “do not be alarmed.”  That is often easier said than done.  God has provided supports for us.  The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter who walks within us during times of birthing pangs.  The fellowship of believers, at our best, is a support system when we are bombarded with the trials of life.  We can cry on each other’s shoulders.  We have Scripture and we have music.  We have the testimony of saints who have travailed before us.  Our Lutheran heritage was birthed out of the pangs of the Reformation.  World War 1 and 2 broadened our vision for the world.  This election will produce changes but we must hear the words of Jesus today that we need not be alarmed.  God walks with us into the future to create his Kingdom.  Take a moment and shake the hand of the person next to you in the pew and say again, “The peace of the Lord be with you.”

this must take place, but the end is still to come

​“THIS” must take place.  Birth pangs are necessary to the birthing experience.  These words throw us back to the Genesis story and foundational truths about our lives.  We often get tripped up on whether God created the world in six or seven days and we argue about the roles of men and women.  We might even disagree on whether babies are innocent and then learn to sin or if there is original sin. A lesson of Genesis, though,is that God designed life for community and caring. It is not good that we be alone.  One of the truths I carry away from the creation story is that God created us in a beautiful, productive environment and it was not his desire that we eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was not his desire that we carry the responsibility of knowing right from wrong. But it was also his desire that we not be robots and so he gave us choice. When sin entered death became necessary so that we would not need to live forever as fallen creatures.  Pain alerts us to realize something is wrong and needs to change.  Birth pangs must take place to alert us to prepare for the birth and change.  Pain and trials turn our hearts to eternal truths and our need for God.  We cry out and he saves.  I am not saying pain is good but it serves a purpose and must be because we live in a fallen world as fallen creatures.

​Dr. Paul Brand a famous British surgeon wrote a book titled The Gift of Pain.  I read it while working in a famine relief camp.  He talked about his discovery that painlessness is the root cause for the damage leprosy patients experience.  Because of the loss of feeling pain they cannot feel foot wounds or burns.  Today we talk about neuropathy.  Birth pangs are necessary to proceed a major change experience.  

​One of the beautiful promises we associate with eternal life is the promise found in Revelation 21:4, ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Birth pangs are necessary because God is creating the kingdom of heaven and wants to birth a new creation.  Birth pangs will pass away.

Birth…“Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

HOPE

​It is possible today to join the voices in the our world of wars and rumors of wars and to join the endless ponderings about the implications ofour elections, and to even debate about what our political stance should be given the dynamic at the border or the wars raging around us.  We canbecome concerned like the disciples with God’s timing.  We wonder, “When will all this happen?”  Jesus calls us back to the reality that God is building a kingdom that will NOT look like the beautiful buildings of the Temple, will NOT look like Rome enslaving the Jews, and will NOT be characterized by false leaders promising and deceiving us.  Jesus calls us to be people of hope.  We are only experiencing birth pangs because God is working to create a new kingdom that will be different from what we see. The baby does not look like the embryo growing but does have characteristics of its father and mother.  God’s kingdom will not look like a shriveled seed planted in dirt but will become a colorful flower or beautiful tree. We can be people of hope as we experience birth pangs.  It is but the beginning of something great.  We need not be alarmed.  The social changes we are going through must happen because God is working.  The goal of the birth pangs is new life, the birth of the kingdom of heaven.  Lord, help us to trust.

Let the people of God say AMEN! 

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