When God Says No: A reflection on Matthew 26:36-46

"My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way." Matthew 26:42, The Message

Even though it's Christmastime, my devotional reading from the Bible these days is coming from the latter end of Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 26 would be a chapter to read during Easter Week as opposed to the days leading up to Christmas. For most of that chapter concerns the last night of Jesus' life on earth.

It's the high holy days in Jerusalem and the city is full of pilgrims from all over the then known world who have come home to celebrate Passover, the feast the Israelites have celebrated time out of mind of their deliverance by God from generations of slavery in Egypt. As he eats the sacred meal with his disciples he changes the meaning of it. Instead of looking backwards with thanksgiving for their redemption from the Egyptians for now on they will eat together “the Lord's Supper” speaking of a greater deliverance from the bondage of sin. He then drops something of a bombshell: one of them, his close circle of students and friends, will betray him before the night is out and he will be arrested, tried, tortured and killed. It's a lot of information to process and all the disciples in shock reject that they will deny him. Judas is among them and before the meal is concluded he quietly slips out to make a bee line to the Temple guard to reveal where Jesus is.

Having concluded their Passover meal, Jesus quitely leads his group of friends back into the night, across the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives. There's a quiet olive garden that Jesus likes to visit when they have opportunity to visit Jerusalem. He is going there to
pray. The way Matthew tells it, he is the only one in their party who has a clue as to what is about to go down. He knows that even now a

Judas and his posse

party of soldiers led by Judas is heading their way to arrest him within the hour. And he knows what will follow once they take him into custody. He tells his disciples to keep watch with him and then he steps further into the grove and begins to pray as he has never prayed before. He doesn't revel in the idea of torture nor at the prospect of a violent death and so he prays: "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. Do it your way" (26:39, 42, Msg). So, "if there is any other way to redeem mankind get me out of this...but if not, I'm ready to see this through regardless of what it will cost me."

All of us have prayers that have yet to go unanswered. I know I
certainly do. I have prayed for people who are seriously ill for God to heal them and they have died anyway. I continue to pray for people I know who do not profess faith in Christ or walk with him and they seem about as far away from him as they always have been. My wife and I have been praying for our adult children to find life partners and they all remain years later very much single. Who doesn't love the story of Daniel in the lion's den (Daniel 6) when Daniel, because of his loyalty to Yahweh, is thrown to the lions? The next morning, however, he comes out of the pit without even a scratch on him because God shut the lions' mouths. But there are other people throughout history who have been just as faithful as Daniel was and when it's their turn to be thrown into the lion's den God doesn't shut their mouths. They become breakfast, their prayers and faithfulness to the contrary. It is truly a mystery sometimes trying to figure out just what God is up to. I'm sure all of us who think on these things can relate.

If you're a Christian you probably have run into the phrase, “All things are possible”. It's taken from Matthew 19 and is a quote of Jesus, yet only part of it. As he's teaching his disciples how difficult it is for a man who loves riches to enter heaven, his disciples reply: “Who then can be saved?” to wit Jesus replies: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v. 26). In other words, when any person regardless of what they're carrying turns to the Lord anything is possible be they a rich dude or a poor addict. It doesn't mean that if we pray hard enough, believe hard enough, trust hard enough we will get the things we hope and pray for. Whatever that is it's not love and trust which is what our relationship with the Lord is meant to be.

Jesus asked the Father for a way out – if there was another way that fulfilled the meaning of his life. After all to do the Father's will was his primary desire and goal. The writer of Hebrews says this about that moment: “...he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb 5:7). So he was heard as he cried out to the Father in the garden but the answer was still 'no, there is no other way.' One guy put it this way:

Jesus had prayed, 'If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done' (42), and the Father took him at his word. The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane shows that we can be close to God, live a holy life, and pray with faith, earnestness and expectancy, and yet not get what we ask for. It is a profound mystery before which we must bow. Michael Green

Jesus' life was one of love and obedience. He is our example to follow when heaven seems to say 'no' to our prayers, even when prayed with the most sincerest of attitudes. Or the answer may be 'not yet' for reasons that are not ours to know. Both the 'no' or the 'not yet' require us to trust him all the same. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him...” (Heb 5:8-9). So we pray on, submitting ourselves to God's will for our lives. 

Through my chaplaincy at the Barron County Jail I have prayed with a number of inmates who are hoping for an Alternate To Revocation (like being sent to a center for treatment). Instead, the judge sends them to prison. As a pastor I have also felt the heartbreak of a spouse whose partner does not want to be reconciled to them as they file for divorce. A job falls through or a house that seems a sure thing is sold to another and on the list goes, one disappointment after another. In those moments of 'no' can we believe that though the answer we have is not what we sought it is an opportunity to learn obedience and trust and have our character transformed even further as submit ourselves fully to Him?

 

Tidings of Great Joy: An Advent Meditation

 "Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure?"

"I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough."

"Come, then," returned the nephew gaily. "What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You're rich enough."

Scrooge, having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, "Bah!" again; and followed it up with "Humbug!" (from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

It has, it seems, been a year for the history books: rioting in major cities across America, division and rancor across the Union that hasn't been felt in at least a generation, a disputed election, and the flotsam and jetsam of a global pandemic that continues to polarize people into various camps which divide along the virtues of wearing face coverings or not, of worshiping in person or doing the same virtually, of elected officials ordering shut downs or private citizens defying the same. Who is right and who is wrong depends largely upon what circles you run in. But no matter what with the kind of year it's been, it's all too easy for the dormant Scrooge within us (or the Grinch if you prefer) to be decidedly sour and obnoxiously loud as we approach the twenty-fifth of December.

What do we have to be merry about? When the CDC is recommending we all stay put this Christmas and avoid travel, when the President-elect plans to issue a federal mandate to wear a mask “for 100 days only” on the first day of his administration, when Covid continues to creep and crawl all around us now infecting people we know as well as ourselves, its all too easy to shout Scrooge's reply to his nephew's seemingly pollyanish view of the world: “Merry Christmas! What right have I to be merry?...”

Except this: Once upon a time in Bethlehem in Judea, Jesus the Christ was born. God became flesh and blood and “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message) for one purpose and one purpose only: to save us from our sins.

If we're honest, the world has always been a pretty dark place (I think the last 100 years of history speaks loudly to that fact). There have been wonderful moments to be sure but there seems to be no end to the cruelty and ugliness that we humans can think up or mete out on one another. Despite the fact that there are a lot of nice people in these here parts, the verdict of heaven is that we are utterly and completely lost and cannot fix ourselves (our best efforts to the contrary).

But at Bethlehem, God entered the mess our world is and came near to us in Jesus. Years later Paul the Apostle would describe Christmas in this way: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV). In ways that are difficult to quantify, Jesus imposed limits on his divine nature for a season and became one of us for the purpose that we might become sons and daughters of God through faith in him. His sacrificial death on a Roman cross paid the debt of sin we could not pay off in a million years and he offers us life eternal in exchange for our simple trust in him.

What right have we to be merry? Here are reasons enough! So on the days leading up to Christmas should Scrooge rear his ugly face and scream his sarcastic accusation we have every reason to smile and say back to him what his nephew retorted, "What right have [I] to be dismal? What reason have [I] to be morose? [I'm] rich enough."

No wonder one of the words found in the lexicon of heaven regarding Christmas is “joy”. As the angel spoke to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem that night, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11-12, KJV). That's good news, maybe the best news, and should give us reason enough to rejoice in God's goodness and love for us as we wish all we know or meet Merry Christmas!

What do I want the Lord to do for me? (A meditation on Matthew 20:29-34)

“As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, 'Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!' The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, 'Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!'”

“Jesus stopped and called over, 'What do you want from me?'

Matthew 20:29-31, The Message

Jesus is on his way up to Jerusalem for the very last time. The way Matthew tells this story (Mark and Luke tell it too), he's been on the road for the last few chapters heading up, up to the city that is renowned for rejecting and killing those who dare to speak truth to her, up to Gethsemane, Golgotha and a borrowed tomb.

The road is crowded with not only his entourage but also fellow

pilgrims on their way up to celebrate Passover as has been their custom for time immemorial. While passing through Jericho, two blind men learn that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. His reputation as a miracle worker has preceded him and with opportunity knocking they begin to scream his name in hopes of gaining his attention and becoming yet another amazing story of his healing power. Much like they tried to keep little kids from pestering him (Matthew 19), now his handlers want to move him through Jericho as quickly as possible. And when they are told to pipe down they scream all the louder. After all, this may be their last chance to experience a touch by the Son of David.

Their efforts are rewarded. Jesus stops, looks in their direction and very directly asks them, “What do you want from me?” Because we've read the story before we know already how they're going to respond – they're going to ask for their eyes to be opened – but the question itself is worth contemplating. As Michael Card puts it:

“It is a harder question than you might imagine. For years I have placed myself in the story, in Bartimaeus's [named in Mark's version of the story] shoes. When Jesus asks me, “What can I do for you?” to this day I have not come up with an answer.” (Matthew: The Gospel of Identity, p. 181.) Honestly, I'm not sure how I would answer myself.

I think of Solomon shortly after becoming king. God appears to him in a dream and says to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:4-15). He could have asked for anything – wealth, power, influence, fame – but instead humbly asks:  “Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil” (v. 9, Msg). For such an answer he gets what he's asking for – and then some.

Would I ask for wealth so I'd never sweat the small offering ever again? Would I ask for health so that cancer nor COVID-19 could ever touch me? Would I ask for long life, fame, “big” church prestige or ramble out the odd assortment of items on my bucket list? Somehow all those things ring hollow. Hezekiah, when informed by Isaiah that he was going to die, begged God for more time. God gave him what he asked for and during the remaining fifteen years of his life a son was born to him – a son so profane who would live to undue everything he had done during his mostly distinguished reign. In retrospect would it have been wiser to stoically resign himself to his death? Fame and fortune are relatively fleeting things, here today, gone tomorrow and I'm told that many of those folk who enjoy such things also enjoy more stress and anxiety as well and seem to do if the tabloids are even partially true

At 58, I think of my life and I'm thankful that I'm married to a woman who still loves and cares for me 34 years into our marriage, that our four adult children all walk with Jesus and are engaged in meaningful work that they are well suited for and are active participants in the fellowship they belong to. For nearly 29 years I have had a place to work out my calling and along the way have learned to wear other hats like coach, chaplain, teacher and mayor. I don't have everything I want but I certainly can say I have everything I need.

So what do I want? What can the Lord do for me? The best answer I can come up today (who knows? I may come up with a better answer tomorrow) is:

11 Teach me your way, Lord,

    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

(Psalm 86:11-13, NIV)

Lord knows, I want to be a good pastor, mayor, coach, husband and father. But more than success at any and all of these endeavors I do so want an undivided heart that in all things I will demonstrate faithfulness and love to Him who formed me and called me and placed me on this earth to do some good.

Can you really ask for anything more?

Tell me a story and other good reads: A reflection on our most recent Sharing Circle Sunday

“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” 

This past Sunday was a “Sharing Circle” Sunday at Refuge. For us, a “sharing circle” looks like this: we put the chairs in the sanctuary in a circle and the main event for that particular Sunday morning gathering is people come ready to share. Ever since we got rid of our pews and invested in chairs back in the early 2000s, new panoramas of experiences have opened up to us as a congregation because now we can place the chairs however we like. That's one reason “Thanksbringing”, our annual service of thanks-sharing, came to be. Since that time we have used that same formation for similar kinds of services.

For this particular gathering the week before I gave everyone an assignment: that they should come ready to share about a book they have recently read that has given them life; a book that has helped them grow in their walk with Christ. Of course, not everyone likes to read. And others don't take time to read. But in every group there's always those who are voracious readers and if you ask them they are only too happy to let you know what they're next best read currently is.

Kale & LeAnne were our worship leaders that morning and as they played the opening song people drifted in. By the greeting time that followed most of the folk who were going to be there were on hand including some infrequent guests and a family being exposed to Refuge for the very first time (but not to most of us). When the chairs are lined up in rows there is a level of security that most people create especially the further away from the platform they sit. They can “hide” in plain sight, especially if they've had a bad week. But when you put the chairs in a big circle Pangea opens up and it potentially could expose you to eye contact from the pastor. We've done this kind of format enough, however, that most of us know how the gathering will roll and, in many cases, welcome the change.

Following announcements and the weekly passing of the plate, we got right to it. While normally our gathering lasts two hours the deacons had requested that we conclude by 11:30 a.m. as immediately following the gathering we were planning a “Meal of Sharing” (which is code for “potluck”). So with all the preliminaries out of the way it was 10:30 and since we also had communion to partake of, we had potentially 45 minutes worth of sharing before we had to transition to the meal.

Here are the books that were presented during the sharing time that followed:

Run With the Horses: The Quest For Life At Its Best by Eugene H. Peterson.

(myself)

I've read pretty much everything that Eugene wrote. He vicariously mentored me as a young pastor through his writings. This book, however, brought into the life of Jeremiah the Prophet and chapter 12 (“To All the Exiles”) gave words to the feeling that was in my heart when I read this book for the very first time in 1993. Jeremiah 29:7 - “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” - has become my ministerial philosophy for my life. Everything I do as pastor, as coach, as mayor, and as substitute teacher flows through this verse and I have Peterson to thank for helping me discover that.

The Way of Life: Experiencing the Culture of Heaven on Earth by Bill Johnson.

(Dan Grotberg)

Dan is an electrician. Johnson is all about every part of our lives being used to build the kingdom and glorify God.

They Said It Wasn't Possible: True Stories of People Who Were Healed from the Impossible by Karen Hurd.

(LeAnne Turney)

LeAnne has struggled with a physical condition for many years. Karen's book has encouraged her and the diet she prescribes has helped create real change in her life.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis.

(LeAnne Turney)

LeAnne shared a portion of her favorite chapter from this book (Chapter 7: “How the Adventure Ended”) that's all about the “un-dragoning of Eustace Scrubb” and read that portion to us. It's my favorite portion, too.

“The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off….Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off – just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt – and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker and more knobbly looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me…and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again…after a bit the lion took me out and dressed me – “

“Dressed you. With his paws?”

“Well, I don’t exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes.”

Jesus saves us but growing into his character often hurts. In fact, if it doesn't we may be trying to “scratch” our own skin off instead of allowing his claws to do their work.

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt.

(Randy Waterhouse)

This is a book that Randy will tell you changed his life. He took it with him while elk hunting out West once. He didn't bag an elk but God got a hold of his heart.

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana with Abigail Pesta.

(Randy Waterhouse)

It's the story of how a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who survived a massacre, emmigrated to America and overcame the wounds of her past. Both Randy and Renee have read several books of survivors of tribal massacre in East Africa and how they have found life through forgiveness.

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh.

(Linda Martin)

Linda is an introvert. She doesn't care to chit-chat with a lot of people after the weekly gathering. For years she has struggled with guilt because of this. This book has assured her that being an introvert is one of the many beautiful things about her. And – as the secondary title has suggested – it's helped her to find her place at church.

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times by Max Lucado.

(Linda Martin)

Sandy shared this book with Linda last fall and it was a real God-send in her walk these past few months dealing with losing her job and other factors out of her control.

Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst.

(Linda Martin)

Linda will tell you that in the last month or so this book has helped her process more than anything else some of the interior dialogue that she has been experiencing. It has truly been life-giving to her.

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer.

(Christine Martin)

First of all, whenever two introverts (i.e., Linda and Christine) speak up at a gathering like this eager to share the books that have helped them grow, the rest of us should take note. Shirer's book has really helped Christine grow in her attitude with prayer and she highly recommends it.

Radiant: His Light, Your Life for Teen Girls and Young Women by Priscilla Shirer.

(Emily Holmbeck)

Immediately after Christine had finished sharing Emily was eager to share about her favorite read lately. Shirer's words have been catalytic in Emily's and Christine's lives.

The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren.

(Jessica Hanson)

“This book changed my life”. That's what she said. Everything they have done as a family – adopt five children, live two years in Guatemala for ministry purposes, serve at the Pregnancy Help Center – has grown out of reading Warren's book.

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone.

(Lara Turney through her mother, LeAnne). Lara (a first grader) likes this story because it's about Grover (of Sesame Street fame) and the things we're afraid of.

The Dodo: Pumpkin's Story by Aubre Andrus.

(Kaylee Turney through her mother, LeAnne). Pumpkin is a real miniature horse whose legs don't work to well and how she has found help. Kaylee (a fourth grader) is really enjoying this story as it's about unconditional love.

By the time we got to Reader #8 people were warmed up and I could tell if I had let it go on we would have heard a few more “book reports”. But I wanted to honor the deacon's request of

concluding the gathering at 11:30 a.m. so I closed the sharing time. Kale & LeAnne then led us in another song and then Michael, one of our deacons, led us in the serving of the Meal. For the record we concluded at 11:34 a.m. but I also happened to know we didn't start until a few mintues after 10 so, all things being equal, we pulled it off.

One of the things I loved about Sunday's gathering was that it was a true group effort. While I facilitated the gathering, the Body participated – worship leaders led, people shared from their life and then one of our leaders took us to the table of Jesus to partake in his supper.

Following the gathering those of who could stay moved downstairs for what we're calling a “Meal of Sharing”. A few weeks ago the elders and deacons had met together to converse about how we could, among other things, foster a greater sense of community. During that part of the conversation someone suggested we try a community meal on the first Sunday of the month at least for the immediate future. Those who can stay will stay. Those who have to go should feel free to do so. The story Stone Soup is all about making much out of little by sharing together. Instead of coordinating who would bring what we simply had instructed people to bring what they would and trust that together it would amount to a feast. In the event it didn't, of course, people could always go home and eat there.

If any of us were worried that there wouldn't be enough that worry was for nought. There was more than enough and with left-overs. People stayed, moved about, shared with one another and did what a healthy faith community is supposed to do – encourage one another.

It was a fun day and memorable. I heard of at least one good book that I will put on my list to read. I tried something (i.e., picking the topic of our sharing time) I hadn't before and it seemed to work. The two ideas that had come out of the leadership team meeting a few weeks before worked as well – create opportunities for leaders of our fellowship to grow in their communication abilities and foster a greater sense of community through a common meal on a regular basis. I would say for our fellowship this past Sunday was a win all the way around and something we'll reference time and again.

Kids these days: An Advent meditation

"About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant."

"While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel."

(Luke 2:1-7, The Message)

What do you think of teenagers these days? To you are they overfed, under-worked, and otherwise a fairly self-absorbed lot? At times, I think the same thing. But I just think that means I'm getting older for from time to time I catch myself muttering about kids these days with their phones, their ear-buds and their snap-chatting. 

And then as I re-read the story of Jesus' birth I'm reminded that it was through teenagers that God inaugurated a new age for Planet Earth. Of course, nobody really knows how old Mary and Joseph were when Jesus was born. The Gospel writers Matthew and Luke who were the only ones to write about Jesus' Nativity didn't think that was relevant to the story so we're left to grasp at possibilities.

We live in a wonderful time for women in particular. Never before

Currently running for President

has the door been so wide open for a woman's career aspirations. Do  you aspire to be a scientist? an astronaut? a professional athlete? The sky seems to be the limit. Currently there is a female former Air Force pilot running for President - and certainly one day in our time our chief executive at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will be a woman.

But not in Mary's day. In those times once a young girl began her monthly cycle it was time for her to settle down, get married and start raising a family. Life expectancy was a lot less in those days and it was important to get down to business and keep the family name alive. So, depending on who you read, Mary might have been 13 or 14 years old when the Holy Spirit came on her to conceive Messiah. Among our fellowship's ranks are a set of triplets who are currently in the 7th grade and 14 years old. That the idea of one of them being a bride and with child is downright creepy reminds us how far we've come in two millenia.

Mary could have looked young like this

Joseph, on the other hand, could have been as old as 30 (he was, after all, already established in his trade) but I just read a commentary the other day who speculated that he may, in fact, have been as young as 18 years old. In Joseph's day, there was none of this thought of allowing a lad "to sow his wild oats" before he settled down. After all, as the Torah so eloquently puts it, "It's not good for a man to be alone" (see Genesis 2). Better to get a young man married early to channel his normal desires in a healthy way.

Granted there were a lot of things different back then. A 14-year old young woman and an 18-year-old young man back then were, by comparison to kids today, most likely way more mature. But as I reflect on God's great undertaking to save the human race the fact that he chose two young, godly and yet inexperienced kids to steward his son until he was of age is, to me, remarkable.

When I think of most Nativity sets I've seen, our own included,

This is how we're used to seeing them

Joseph always looks so old and wise with a full beard and Mary so very maternal as if she's an old hand of bringing kids into the world. But what if they were, in actuality, kids in their teen years? What did they know about parenting? It's weighty enough to bring a child into the world but to bear Messiah, the hope of their nation, and then raise him as a son of the Covenant? That's a tall order for any couple let alone a newly married young one? 

Just think the stories that might have been murmured behind closed doors in Nazareth about how quickly the two finalized their wedding plans before heading south on account of the Census. But as far as we know they bore this all in dignified silence knowing they were part of something way bigger themselves.

Earth's mightiest heroes in the MCU

But it's just like God, isn't it?  As much as I enjoy all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies of Avengers saving the planet from aliens and a demi-god with a serious ego problem by comparison God's way seems so frail, so flimsy, so weak. Ask a young couple to shoulder the burden of parenthood and then send them out on their own heading south to register for the Roman census while Mary was nearly at term. Yeah, he chose as he always seems to choose - "the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:27-28, NIV).

For the record the fact is I know a LOT of good teens who are well on their way to becoming fine men and women and participants in God's salvation story that He is still writing. Thank God for them - and kids like Mary and Joseph who were willing to "step off the map" as it were and take God at his word when He called on them to do so. They played a key role in the saving of the human race.

These heroes were the real deal

Keeping watch: Reflections from an evening's intercession

We have this monthly practice at Refuge that I call “Wait & See”. On the first or second Sunday evening of the month those who can gather in the sanctuary to wait upon the Lord. The first half hour or so we find a quiet place in the sanctuary to read the Scriptures or still ourselves while either sitting or kneeling. We're encouraged to pay attention to Scripture or thoughts that come to mind while we wait. The second half hour, then, we circle up and share what Scripture or impressions we experienced and then see if we can discern a common thread or “word” that the Holy Spirit is bringing to mind in helping us to pray. Admittedly, it's more art than science but it seems more often than not to work for us. This is a reflection based on December 2019's gathering.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” Luke 2:8-18, NIV

While kneeling at the altar and trying to still my scattered thoughts a seasonal verse comes to mind: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night”. Just what did it mean to 'keep watch' over the flock? My assumption is they were staying awake and alert to ensure their sheep remained safe from predators that may slink into the herd unawares or that none of them wandered off from the flock of their own accord. The night the angel showed up was, as we say today, “just another day at the office.” It was an otherwise normal night suddenly and terrifyingly interrupted by a messenger of heaven announcing the dawn of a brand new age. Have shepherds in those days or really in any day ever commanded the respect of their contemporaries? Bottom-dwellers the lot of them living on the outskirts of society caring for critters that are renowned for their skittishness and stupidity. But at the moment that the angel stands before them and announces the birth of Messiah in nearby Bethlehem they find much to their surprise that they are on the proverbial 50-yard-line of God's new thing he is beginning in the little town just over yonder ways.

In response to this heavenly visitation they head into town to get a look-see themselves and discover that, just as the angel had said, here was a young couple holed up in a shallow cave and their brand new baby boy lying where livestock would normally find their feed. I like how The Message translates that moment: “Seeing was believing” (v. 18). They saw it and then whooped it up and told everyone they met just what they had heard and later seen with their own eyes: at long last the days of Messiah had begun.

First witnesses of Messiah

The handful of us gathered in the sanctuary tonight have not come seeking an angelic visitation. We're just here to seek God's face and wait upon Him. And if he should speak to us then it will be our job to let others in on what he has said allowing them to judge themselves whether or not it's a 'word' from God – or not.

In a way, we too are keeping watch over the flock (there are never many of us at these gatherings but those who do come are usually the elders of our fellowship). We are “guarding the flock”, “overseeing them” for their own welfare, on guard against predators and against their knack to wander off and drift apart. While kneeling and thinking about these things a few more verses come to mind:

Acts 20:25-31

Paul, on his way to his “rendezvous with destiny” in Jerusalem, meets once more with the leaders of the Church of Ephesus:

Paul says farewell

“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV)

Peterson translates 28-31 in this way:

“Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.” (Msg)

“I know that as soon as I’m gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard.”

So the need for vigilance in the exercise of pastoral oversight is necessary not because we want to control people but exercise good spiritual care for them.

1 Peter 5:1-3

“I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. (Msg)

There is something real to this shepherding-thing which requires diligence on the part of pastors and elders whom God has placed in places of authority.

So this night, kneeling at the altar waiting upon the Lord I, too, am playing the role of a shepherd keeping guard and praying God's protection upon the flock of God who gather at 724 Leonard Street. These people, with all their virtues as well as their flaws, “God himself thought they were dying for.”

As I kneel there different faces come to mind of individuals who while once part of the “festive throng” of our regular gatherings (Psalm 42:4) have now become inactive on account of being overwhelmed by life. While no longer “here” nor seemingly able to contribute in any meaningful way to the fellowship they are still part of us and require my encouragement and prayers for the protection of their souls. I sincerely believe that just like the earth is made up of huge tectonic planes slowly moving infinitesimally across the globe so our souls do the same. Why else would the writer of Hebrews warn: “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (Hebrews 2:1, NIV)?

Nothing is static. Everything is in movement.

So, we guard. We watch. We wait. We pray. We intercede. We visit. We encourage hoping to strengthen those who have become weary in well-doing.

Sharing notes

Later as we gather in the “couch corner” of the sanctuary to share our thoughts and impressions, Duane shares of old Zechariah, while burning the incense in the holy place in the Temple, Gabriel appears before him and announces: “Your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:12ff). How many years had he prayed that prayer? After all he was an old man and his wife, Elizabeth, was way past her prime.

Don't doubt God's messenger

When was the last time he had prayed that prayer? He questions the veracity of Gabriel's announcement and, of course, for his trouble is struck mute and has to watch the wonders of his elderly wife's growing abdomen until the day she gives birth to their son. What Duane feels that we need to hear is that God hears our prayers and while not everyone is answered in a timely way – if at all – it's important to remind ourselves that this regular gathering together is not just a waste of time. God is watching, listening and nearer than we suppose. And should he decide to send a messenger to inform us that our prayers for our fellowship are heard we best not ask too many questions.

Randy is the only real shepherd in our bunch. He owns and cares

for a small flock of them on his and Renee's hobby farm. He laughs as he thinks about his flock and how after a recent snowstorm a large pile of snow had dropped from a tree near the feed trough. This mass of frozen water crystals set them all on edge and they refused to approach the trough hungry though they were. Randy had to get out there and move the snow pile or they would have starved themselves for fear of the big white mass that stood in their way. Good thing they had a shepherd who was “keeping watch” over them.

Lois shared how she found herself reflecting on the prayer of Ezra. Ezra is the scholar and priest sent to re-establish the regular routines of Temple worship and life in Jerusalem following seventy years of exile. He's a bit of a crank and exercises a firm hand but to be fair a firm hand was needed. The people were back in the land but already were engaging in spiritual compromise, intermarrying with folk who were not God-fearers or followers. Did they learn nothing from exile? In chapter 9 he prays:

“And now this, on top of all we’ve already suffered because of our evil ways and accumulated guilt, even though you, dear God, punished us far less than we deserved and even went ahead and gave us this present escape. Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your commandments by intermarrying with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the point of wiping us out completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? You are the righteous God of Israel. We are, right now, a small band of escapees. Look at us, openly standing here, guilty before you. No one can last long like this.” (Ezra 9:13-15, Msg)

Let's admit it: there's plenty to be riled up about today

Lois is a grandmother and an elder in our fellowship. She is a very loving person but she struggles with what she sees as the Church – big “C” - seems to more and more reflect our culture (increasingly pagan by the year) rather than the other way round. “No one can last long like this”. Or, we will last but we will cease to represent Him.

So these became our prayer points for the evening, our intercession for the flock of God here at this fellowship prone to wander because of busy-ness and inattention, for those we know and love who are doing just what the writer of Hebrews warned them not to do – fall out of the habit of meeting together (see Heb 10:25) – and for Christians of the Church of Jesus in our area that we repent and align ourselves with His rule and standard as opposed to whatever messages we are receiving from our culture of what is “right” and “normal.”

Before the end of our gathering we didn't receive an angelic messenger to assure us that “our prayer has been heard.” I guess we didn't need that because the things we prayed for and about lined up with what God has clearly spoken in his Word. We trust that he did hear us and that somehow our gathering together and intercession mattered for these people that he thought were worth dying for.