The homily offered at our Closing Eucharist, referred to the Ten Commandments as a covenant between God and the people whom God had chosen. Rather than seeing these as restrictions, such a view encourages us to understand them as signs of the relationship. The former Egyptian slaves were willing and eager to be united under the care and watchful eye of the God of Abraham. An old rabbinical story says they were not content with one law (“I will be your God and you will be my people”,) but asked for nine more.
When Moses goes up on the mountain, and the Ten Commandments are given him, he comes down the mountain to discover the whole molten calf thing and in his anger he smashes the stone tablets on which the commandments were written.
Later in the story, in Exodus 34, we learn that God calls him back up the mountain and that new stone tablets are inscribed with the Word of God.
In that 34th chapter, we hear a phrase often repeated in scripture, but too seldom reprinted on bumper stickers. It is a phrase which sums up God’s relationship with us. Here, the words are actually spoken by God, “The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
It is because of God’s mercy and grace that those former Egyptian slaves are given a second chance. It is because of God’s mercy and grace that Christ comes among us. It is because of God’s mercy and grace that we are able to extend love and kindness to one another. It is all possible because of God’s mercy and grace.
What a fitting thought to end our year together. As we conclude the academic year and prepare for summer, might we retain as our mantra, “The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Might it govern our actions over the summer; might it give us impetuous to return home and reconfigure the relationship of our childhood into adult relationships. And above all, might it provide the assurance we need in order to live lives confident of God’s presence in our lives. Let us strive to take on those Commandments, as a way of illustrating to the world that God is our god and that we are indeed one of God’s children.
I have benefited greatly from these electronic exchanges. I pray that they might have opened the way for God to have blessed your life, too. I will return to writing when school resumes, that date is August 18.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Chris
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Devotion - Wednesday, April 28
Matthew 5:17-20, contains what is most often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has spoken the Beatitudes, now he is offering comments on righteousness. He says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
How can anyone disagree with Jesus? And yet these words must be reconciled with the affirmations made by Paul and the whole Church that “we are justified by grace, not by works, lest anyone should boast.”
Righteousness, righteous living, is living according to God’s Word. It means following God’s law. To be righteous is to walk in the way of our Lord. Our righteousness is rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection; this does not mean that I cease to examine my steps and evaluate whether I am living according to God’s Word. Our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees because it is rooted first and foremost in my dependence upon Jesus. It in Christ that I trust, not in myself. Our righteousness exceeds that of the aforementioned persons because it has this giant head start.
Realizing our position, we strive even more diligently to hold on to what has been given us. We are righteous, in order to show our appreciation for what Christ has done.
The righteousness of Christ’s followers should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. How can it not? We have been set ahead and we have the greatest of all possible motivations to remain faithful and true.
How can anyone disagree with Jesus? And yet these words must be reconciled with the affirmations made by Paul and the whole Church that “we are justified by grace, not by works, lest anyone should boast.”
Righteousness, righteous living, is living according to God’s Word. It means following God’s law. To be righteous is to walk in the way of our Lord. Our righteousness is rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection; this does not mean that I cease to examine my steps and evaluate whether I am living according to God’s Word. Our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees because it is rooted first and foremost in my dependence upon Jesus. It in Christ that I trust, not in myself. Our righteousness exceeds that of the aforementioned persons because it has this giant head start.
Realizing our position, we strive even more diligently to hold on to what has been given us. We are righteous, in order to show our appreciation for what Christ has done.
The righteousness of Christ’s followers should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. How can it not? We have been set ahead and we have the greatest of all possible motivations to remain faithful and true.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Devotion - Tuesday, April 27
Exodus 32 contains the story of the molten calf. Moses has gone up on the top of the mountain, to receive from God the Word by which the people are to live. He is gone a long time, and the people become impatient. They come to Aaron and ask him to make of them a god of gold. Aaron collects their gold and “fashioned it with a graving tool, and made a molten calf.”
God sends Moses down the mountain, to see what the people are doing. When he confronts Aaron, the story changes. In describing what happened, Aaron tells it this way, “they gave (the gold) to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”
We often retell events in a such a way as to minimize our role. It is tempting to re-interpret what happened in order to take some of the bite out of our transgression.
There is no indication as to whether Moses investigated further and discovered the discrepancies between Aaron’s story and the realities of Aaron’s role. If he didn’t, a reader might develop the notion that Aaron “got away with it.” But did he, really?
We turn to God in order to be forgiven. We confess to God in order that our guilt might be taken away. But that confession is empty unless it is open and honest. If we only “sorta confess,” then God can only “sorta forgive.” Aaron does not get away with anything. He misses the opportunity to be absolved.
There is a prayer which reminds us that “God is more willing to forgive than we are willing to ask.” Do not miss the opportunity, to acknowledge your shortcomings, and to receive the assurance that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
God sends Moses down the mountain, to see what the people are doing. When he confronts Aaron, the story changes. In describing what happened, Aaron tells it this way, “they gave (the gold) to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”
We often retell events in a such a way as to minimize our role. It is tempting to re-interpret what happened in order to take some of the bite out of our transgression.
There is no indication as to whether Moses investigated further and discovered the discrepancies between Aaron’s story and the realities of Aaron’s role. If he didn’t, a reader might develop the notion that Aaron “got away with it.” But did he, really?
We turn to God in order to be forgiven. We confess to God in order that our guilt might be taken away. But that confession is empty unless it is open and honest. If we only “sorta confess,” then God can only “sorta forgive.” Aaron does not get away with anything. He misses the opportunity to be absolved.
There is a prayer which reminds us that “God is more willing to forgive than we are willing to ask.” Do not miss the opportunity, to acknowledge your shortcomings, and to receive the assurance that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Devotion - Monday, April 26
I spend most of my days with students, but there are some spent primarily in the company of faculty.
Friday, it was students. We gathered at Abernathy Park for an end-of-the-year cookout. As opportunity presented itself, I would ask the standard questions for this time of year: “How many exams do you have? Which days? When do you get to head home?” Such questions inevitably lead to comments about the persons administering the exams. “If so-in-so had given me credit for this or that I would have the grade I need and not have to face the final.” Or “I would really have to bomb the final to affect my grade, so I don’t know why he/she is making me take it.”
On Saturday, I got the other side of the coin. Operation In As Much provided me with the opportunity to work with Sundeep Samson. Math instructor, he and I talked of the final exams he had to prepare and administer. “The students sometimes forget that while they may have done well on each of the sectional test, the final is cumulative. Sometimes it is only the final which illustrates whether they can integrate all the information.” Saturday evening, Laura and I joined Peter Cohen and Wilene for a celebration of Peter’s birthday. Dr. Cohen took a quick look at his email, before we left their home, and commented, “These are from all the students begging for a better grade.”
This is not a battlefield, but sometimes it seems that way. The faculty are not pitted against the students, though some comments would imply they are seen this way.
This morning I read from Colossians 3: “Let your speech always be gracious.” And I thought of the temptation to speech in an ungracious way about those on the other side of the exam week phenomena. None of the comments I heard the past couple of days were overly critical, but they might move further in that direction as the week progresses. Let us, as a community of faith involving students, faculty, administrators, and TA’s remember that everyone is about the same goal – the building up of the children of God for the purpose of service in the world. Let our comments be gracious; and may we encourage others to “let (their) speech always be gracious.”
Friday, it was students. We gathered at Abernathy Park for an end-of-the-year cookout. As opportunity presented itself, I would ask the standard questions for this time of year: “How many exams do you have? Which days? When do you get to head home?” Such questions inevitably lead to comments about the persons administering the exams. “If so-in-so had given me credit for this or that I would have the grade I need and not have to face the final.” Or “I would really have to bomb the final to affect my grade, so I don’t know why he/she is making me take it.”
On Saturday, I got the other side of the coin. Operation In As Much provided me with the opportunity to work with Sundeep Samson. Math instructor, he and I talked of the final exams he had to prepare and administer. “The students sometimes forget that while they may have done well on each of the sectional test, the final is cumulative. Sometimes it is only the final which illustrates whether they can integrate all the information.” Saturday evening, Laura and I joined Peter Cohen and Wilene for a celebration of Peter’s birthday. Dr. Cohen took a quick look at his email, before we left their home, and commented, “These are from all the students begging for a better grade.”
This is not a battlefield, but sometimes it seems that way. The faculty are not pitted against the students, though some comments would imply they are seen this way.
This morning I read from Colossians 3: “Let your speech always be gracious.” And I thought of the temptation to speech in an ungracious way about those on the other side of the exam week phenomena. None of the comments I heard the past couple of days were overly critical, but they might move further in that direction as the week progresses. Let us, as a community of faith involving students, faculty, administrators, and TA’s remember that everyone is about the same goal – the building up of the children of God for the purpose of service in the world. Let our comments be gracious; and may we encourage others to “let (their) speech always be gracious.”
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sermon - April 25, 2010
4th Sunday of Easter - Year C
John 10:22-30
Take Time to Listen
I am not a shepherd, and I have never tended sheep. So I really don’t know how, over time, a shepherd feels toward the sheep. I don’t know how Jesus feels about the sheep (or potential sheep) with whom he interacts in today’s Gospel lesson.
I do know that sheep are not the smartest of domesticated animals. They have hardly any ability to look out for themselves. Unless they are lead to green pastures, they will starve. Unless they are shown still waters, they will perish. When they get lost, they lie down and wait for the shepherd to come find them. I wonder whether, over time, a shepherd grows to be exasperated by this. I wonder if it is possible, over the long haul, to remain understanding and patient with a flock whose needs are so great.
I think we can understand both sides of this coin. It is a bit like our experience, here in Clemson. They don’t baa or need to have their fleece trimmed each season, but the University students are sort of like sheep. They are perpetually young; doing the things that young adults do; this flock making the same mistakes as the ones who have gone before. Our church home suffers from the leftovers of weekends gone wild; and yet the congregation understands and realizes how essential it is for us to remain in the heart of town. It is tempting, to loose patience. But, we haven’t, and let us pray that we don’t. For, while the wonderings of 20 year olds seem endless, they remind the rest of us that unless there is a shepherd’s voice we too become lost.
Jesus is in Jerusalem, he is in the temple, when some of those who teeter on the edge of being lost ask him why he won’t tell them plainly whether he is Messiah. Jesus’ response seems, at first, to express frustration. His reply is that he has already told them, but that they won’t believe. He seems to scold them for their inability to hear. But the tone changes very quickly and his words become an invitation to leave behind the helplessness which dominates the lives of all sheep. He reminds them they don’t have to be able to do all things; they only need to be able to do one thing. They don’t have to know it all; they only need to know the sound of the shepherd’s voice.
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”
This may not be the best advice, as you start to take final exams. Nevertheless, it is the advice I will give you this morning – forget everything else and concentrate on learning to recognize and follow that voice.
I realized, in preparing for this morning, how confusing it is that “sheep” is the same whether one speaks in the singular or plural. That is confusing, but it helps to make one of the points toward which I am driving. A sheep, an individual sheep, becomes one with the rest of the flock of sheep. It is only when the sheep is in trouble (like being lost) that it is off on its own. The rest of the time, it is one sheep among all the other sheep.
This is a concept which runs afoul of most of what our culture values. We celebrate the rugged individual; we are congratulated for standing out from the rest; we go to the career center in order to learn how to distinguish ourselves from the others. No wonder the Sunday morning message attracts so few. It is more than a desire to sleep in, it may come from the realization that everything we have worked so hard for during the week is being challenged every time we join in the chorus and speak collectively of “Our Father.”
But, it is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one learns to recognize the voice of the shepherd. It is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one develops trust and the ability to follow the shepherd’s instructions. I used to say that it is really hard to do this on your own. Of late, I have started saying that it is practically impossible.
In the past couple of weeks, I have been involved in three conversations with alumni. In each, we talked about how tough it is to be a young adult – a recent college graduate. In far too few congregations will you find a place to fit in. No longer a college student, campus ministry isn’t really for you. While congregations may be open to inclusion, there aren’t programs for young adults – particularly those who are not in a life-long relationship or having babies. Falling away from going to Sunday worship is an easy thing to have happen. It may only be later, when one finds oneself a bit lost, that they realize what falling away has really cost them. On their own, it is tough to feel the care and compassion of the shepherd’s voice.
This illustration is applicable whether you are 20-something or 50-something. A lone sheep is a lost sheep.
In the flock, the sheep who have learned the shepherd’s voice, are not always aware of the impact their ability to recognize and follow has on the newer members. I don’t think the Mama sheep tell their offspring, “Hear that voice? That is the one you want to follow.” The youngens pick up on this, as they observe the mother following. It is in following that one generation passes on to the next the ability to believe and to trust. So, it isn’t what you say or even what you teach which matters most – it is what you do.
What we do – what we need to do – is be very intentional in listening to that voice, and we need to be more forthcoming in allowing others to see how that voice directs our lives.
It is another wonderful coincidence of the lectionary that these lessons fall on our LCM Farewell and Godspeed Sunday. They may often seem cocky and boisterous, but for the most part young adults are still becoming adults. What young adults need, what many young adults are willing to acknowledge, is the continued presence and support of those who have gone before. We have said it before but it bears repeating: the advantage is to a parish-based campus ministry is the opportunity for college students to participate in a community where there are eighty year olds, as well as eighteen year olds. The stages of faith formation are greatly aided by seeing and interacting with those who have had decades to learn to listen to the shepherd’s voice. But, they are inexperienced in establishing adult relationships. And, so it is very awkward and difficult for them. You, the regular members of this congregation, have so much to offer the students who come here seeking something but not knowing how to find it. You do God’s work when you befriend them and allow them to observe, up close and personal, how it is that you have learned to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. This is a challenge issued to all of you who are on the University campus. It is a challenge for every one who calls University Lutheran their home congregation.
Students – you understand all too well the pressure to fit in or be accepted. And, you know the pain associated with being left out or ignored. We can’t change the culture, but we can tell you that there is a place where you are most likely to find persons willing to admit how much they need each other. And that place is the Church. It may not be as easy as we hope it has been here, but go. And keep going. And don’t be shy. Stand in the narthex of that congregation in your new home, and announce – “I am here and I am new and I want someone to notice me and love me and support me and help me. Because I already know that life can be tough, very tough.” And, if you want to say that, but can’t bring yourself to say that, I have on my hard-drive the basic structure of a letter which I will be more than happy to send to that new congregation, encouraging the pastor to look out for your arrival. Just send me the name of the church and the letter will be in the mail.
We are like sheep. Together, in the community of faith, we have been lead to the green pastures. Together, our souls have been revived. Let us dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.
Amen.
John 10:22-30
Take Time to Listen
I am not a shepherd, and I have never tended sheep. So I really don’t know how, over time, a shepherd feels toward the sheep. I don’t know how Jesus feels about the sheep (or potential sheep) with whom he interacts in today’s Gospel lesson.
I do know that sheep are not the smartest of domesticated animals. They have hardly any ability to look out for themselves. Unless they are lead to green pastures, they will starve. Unless they are shown still waters, they will perish. When they get lost, they lie down and wait for the shepherd to come find them. I wonder whether, over time, a shepherd grows to be exasperated by this. I wonder if it is possible, over the long haul, to remain understanding and patient with a flock whose needs are so great.
I think we can understand both sides of this coin. It is a bit like our experience, here in Clemson. They don’t baa or need to have their fleece trimmed each season, but the University students are sort of like sheep. They are perpetually young; doing the things that young adults do; this flock making the same mistakes as the ones who have gone before. Our church home suffers from the leftovers of weekends gone wild; and yet the congregation understands and realizes how essential it is for us to remain in the heart of town. It is tempting, to loose patience. But, we haven’t, and let us pray that we don’t. For, while the wonderings of 20 year olds seem endless, they remind the rest of us that unless there is a shepherd’s voice we too become lost.
Jesus is in Jerusalem, he is in the temple, when some of those who teeter on the edge of being lost ask him why he won’t tell them plainly whether he is Messiah. Jesus’ response seems, at first, to express frustration. His reply is that he has already told them, but that they won’t believe. He seems to scold them for their inability to hear. But the tone changes very quickly and his words become an invitation to leave behind the helplessness which dominates the lives of all sheep. He reminds them they don’t have to be able to do all things; they only need to be able to do one thing. They don’t have to know it all; they only need to know the sound of the shepherd’s voice.
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”
This may not be the best advice, as you start to take final exams. Nevertheless, it is the advice I will give you this morning – forget everything else and concentrate on learning to recognize and follow that voice.
I realized, in preparing for this morning, how confusing it is that “sheep” is the same whether one speaks in the singular or plural. That is confusing, but it helps to make one of the points toward which I am driving. A sheep, an individual sheep, becomes one with the rest of the flock of sheep. It is only when the sheep is in trouble (like being lost) that it is off on its own. The rest of the time, it is one sheep among all the other sheep.
This is a concept which runs afoul of most of what our culture values. We celebrate the rugged individual; we are congratulated for standing out from the rest; we go to the career center in order to learn how to distinguish ourselves from the others. No wonder the Sunday morning message attracts so few. It is more than a desire to sleep in, it may come from the realization that everything we have worked so hard for during the week is being challenged every time we join in the chorus and speak collectively of “Our Father.”
But, it is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one learns to recognize the voice of the shepherd. It is in the flock, among the other sheep, that one develops trust and the ability to follow the shepherd’s instructions. I used to say that it is really hard to do this on your own. Of late, I have started saying that it is practically impossible.
In the past couple of weeks, I have been involved in three conversations with alumni. In each, we talked about how tough it is to be a young adult – a recent college graduate. In far too few congregations will you find a place to fit in. No longer a college student, campus ministry isn’t really for you. While congregations may be open to inclusion, there aren’t programs for young adults – particularly those who are not in a life-long relationship or having babies. Falling away from going to Sunday worship is an easy thing to have happen. It may only be later, when one finds oneself a bit lost, that they realize what falling away has really cost them. On their own, it is tough to feel the care and compassion of the shepherd’s voice.
This illustration is applicable whether you are 20-something or 50-something. A lone sheep is a lost sheep.
In the flock, the sheep who have learned the shepherd’s voice, are not always aware of the impact their ability to recognize and follow has on the newer members. I don’t think the Mama sheep tell their offspring, “Hear that voice? That is the one you want to follow.” The youngens pick up on this, as they observe the mother following. It is in following that one generation passes on to the next the ability to believe and to trust. So, it isn’t what you say or even what you teach which matters most – it is what you do.
What we do – what we need to do – is be very intentional in listening to that voice, and we need to be more forthcoming in allowing others to see how that voice directs our lives.
It is another wonderful coincidence of the lectionary that these lessons fall on our LCM Farewell and Godspeed Sunday. They may often seem cocky and boisterous, but for the most part young adults are still becoming adults. What young adults need, what many young adults are willing to acknowledge, is the continued presence and support of those who have gone before. We have said it before but it bears repeating: the advantage is to a parish-based campus ministry is the opportunity for college students to participate in a community where there are eighty year olds, as well as eighteen year olds. The stages of faith formation are greatly aided by seeing and interacting with those who have had decades to learn to listen to the shepherd’s voice. But, they are inexperienced in establishing adult relationships. And, so it is very awkward and difficult for them. You, the regular members of this congregation, have so much to offer the students who come here seeking something but not knowing how to find it. You do God’s work when you befriend them and allow them to observe, up close and personal, how it is that you have learned to recognize and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. This is a challenge issued to all of you who are on the University campus. It is a challenge for every one who calls University Lutheran their home congregation.
Students – you understand all too well the pressure to fit in or be accepted. And, you know the pain associated with being left out or ignored. We can’t change the culture, but we can tell you that there is a place where you are most likely to find persons willing to admit how much they need each other. And that place is the Church. It may not be as easy as we hope it has been here, but go. And keep going. And don’t be shy. Stand in the narthex of that congregation in your new home, and announce – “I am here and I am new and I want someone to notice me and love me and support me and help me. Because I already know that life can be tough, very tough.” And, if you want to say that, but can’t bring yourself to say that, I have on my hard-drive the basic structure of a letter which I will be more than happy to send to that new congregation, encouraging the pastor to look out for your arrival. Just send me the name of the church and the letter will be in the mail.
We are like sheep. Together, in the community of faith, we have been lead to the green pastures. Together, our souls have been revived. Let us dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.
Amen.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Devotion - Thursday, April 22
Colossians 2:7 is the concluding verse in my Epistle reading for the day. It seemed an appropriate verse, continuing a thought shared during last night’s Eucharist. The theme of the sermon was to look upon God’s Commandments as a source of liberation; to understand that we take on changes in our behavior in order to demonstrate to the world (and to God) our appreciation for the relationship into which we have been welcomed.
Colossians 2:7 reads: “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
The last word is the place to start – Thanksgiving. How often it is that we allow our prayers to be prayers of intercession; we ask God to come to the aid of those languishing in disease or despair. But when we consider what it means to us to be a member of God’s family we quickly realize that thanksgiving is the dominant emotion to be shared.
The earlier phrases address another shortsighted reaction – we receive our Lord, but fail to root our lives in him and/or build up our lives in such a way as to make his presence in our lives known. Being a Christian is much more than accepting a few thoughts or teachings. Being a follower of Christ means living (as closely as we can) to the way that Christ lived. We receive our Lord, and then we live in him.
In writing to the church in Colossae, Paul seeks to aid them in putting on the full armor of Christ. The initial receiving of Christ into one’s life is a start, but it continues as we look for those ways in which we can illustrate to God (and to the world) that our lives are dedicated to the one who has set us free.
Colossians 2:7 reads: “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
The last word is the place to start – Thanksgiving. How often it is that we allow our prayers to be prayers of intercession; we ask God to come to the aid of those languishing in disease or despair. But when we consider what it means to us to be a member of God’s family we quickly realize that thanksgiving is the dominant emotion to be shared.
The earlier phrases address another shortsighted reaction – we receive our Lord, but fail to root our lives in him and/or build up our lives in such a way as to make his presence in our lives known. Being a Christian is much more than accepting a few thoughts or teachings. Being a follower of Christ means living (as closely as we can) to the way that Christ lived. We receive our Lord, and then we live in him.
In writing to the church in Colossae, Paul seeks to aid them in putting on the full armor of Christ. The initial receiving of Christ into one’s life is a start, but it continues as we look for those ways in which we can illustrate to God (and to the world) that our lives are dedicated to the one who has set us free.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Devotion - Wednesday, April 21
I have been reading through the middle chapters of Exodus. I know what it coming, the giving of the 10 Commandments. If I didn’t, I could suspect something important. In Exodus 19, God gives Moses elaborate instructions with regard to their approaching the mountain. Moses is to up the mountain, in order to speak to God. The people are to stay away from the mountain, on fear of death.
The details recorded for us in this section of scripture underscore the significance of what is about to happen. The Decalogue does more than outline the morality of God’s people; it is the covenant between God and the people of Israel which symbolizes their selection. The buildup ensures that no reader will miss the significance of what it about to happen.
At the same time, it underscores what everyone should remember with regard to God, or coming into God’s presence. To encounter God is a mighty thing. To encounter God is an overwhelming thing. To encounter God is a matter of life and death.
God always welcomes us into His presence. God is forever prepared to receive our prayers and our meditations. As I stated in yesterday’s offering, it is our time with God which gives purpose to life and brings calm to our day. However, coming into the presence of God has the potential to expose all those parts of ourselves which are not of God. It has the potential of changing us and changing our self-understanding. Encountering God is a risky thing.
I am not warning anyone to stay away – far from it. I am reminding us all that God is God and therefore time with God has the ability to create something totally new. Time with God changes things; changes those things God sees the need to change. Coming into God’s presence means that we are opening our lives up to that change. As we approach, we need to be prepared for what it is that God might do.
The details recorded for us in this section of scripture underscore the significance of what is about to happen. The Decalogue does more than outline the morality of God’s people; it is the covenant between God and the people of Israel which symbolizes their selection. The buildup ensures that no reader will miss the significance of what it about to happen.
At the same time, it underscores what everyone should remember with regard to God, or coming into God’s presence. To encounter God is a mighty thing. To encounter God is an overwhelming thing. To encounter God is a matter of life and death.
God always welcomes us into His presence. God is forever prepared to receive our prayers and our meditations. As I stated in yesterday’s offering, it is our time with God which gives purpose to life and brings calm to our day. However, coming into the presence of God has the potential to expose all those parts of ourselves which are not of God. It has the potential of changing us and changing our self-understanding. Encountering God is a risky thing.
I am not warning anyone to stay away – far from it. I am reminding us all that God is God and therefore time with God has the ability to create something totally new. Time with God changes things; changes those things God sees the need to change. Coming into God’s presence means that we are opening our lives up to that change. As we approach, we need to be prepared for what it is that God might do.
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