Meditation for the First Sunday in Advent

                                        "Deliver Us From Evil" 

                        Isaiah 64: 1-9; I Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37    

I don’t know why I hesitated.  But I was glad later that I did.

     Jim and I had just pulled up in front of the Renville Post Office.  I had letters to mail and my hand was on the inside door handle of the Mini Cooper ….

    When we both saw it…The creature.

    We watched as it made its way across Main St. to the sidewalk in front of us—the one where the blue mailbox and my destination stood.

     Jim got out the words first, “What…is…that?!” he exclaimed.

    “That is a rat,” I said, dread washing over me.

    Now since this conversation, Jim and I have talked to others about the creature.  And we have looked on the Web. We have come up with a list of what it was not:

    It was not a muskrat.  Not a possum.  Definitely not a mouse.

    It had the body shape, head, and tail of a rat, but if it was a rat, it was the biggest rat we have ever seen.

   Seriously.  

   And it was walking down the sidewalk without fear, like it owned the place. 

    A young man in front of the lounge caught sight of it and crossed the street and walked toward it, laughing and making shooing motions with his arms. 

    The creature slowly turned, and began waddling in the opposite direction of the man.  As if it had simply changed its mind. 

    Jim said, “That is the most domesticated rat I have ever seen.”

   And I, ever the silly one, said maybe it was a pet. Ralph the Rat of Renville. 

    I still waited, though, till the creature was far away from the post office before I darted out to the mailbox, then back to the car, slamming the door shut. 

     Because I knew, deep down, this ugly thing was nobody’s pet.  In fact, there was nothing good about this disease-spreading rodent strolling through our small town in the daylight, showing no fear of human beings.  

     In a word, this thing was evil waiting to happen.  Nothing good comes from a rat.  And there is never just 1 rat!

    I don’t know why Jim and I were so surprised to see a big rodent here. 

     Rodents live just about everywhere, so why not in town where there is a grain elevator and dumpsters full of tasty morsels for a rat?

     Yes, it was logical that rats would be here.  But we certainly don’t want to see them.  We don’t want to know they are here.

   Thinking about the rat, I can’t help but shudder.

   Rats where children play and elderly people walk.  Evil waiting to happen.

***

   When I first read the Mark and Isaiah scriptures for today—the first Sunday in Advent, I thought, no way do I want to use lectionary scriptures for preaching this week.

     They seemed too gloomy for this joyous season. And it would be OK if I didn’t use lectionary if I felt the Lord was leading me elsewhere.  That happens.

   But the more I read them, the more I realized that I just didn’t like them because they spoke of evil – and not just the devil kind of evil, out there somewhere. They spoke of the evil within human beings.

     And how we should be watchful and alert because the Lord is returning and the end of the world as we know it is coming. That’s pretty scary stuff.

   We don’t like to think about evil and definitely not ourselves as evil.  Our pride keeps us from wanting to admit our own weakness and sinfulness.

     We want the love and acceptance of God, without the knowledge of our own depravity and unworthiness.

    But it’s true. We only have to turn on the news to hear about murders, greed, and violence in the world to be reminded that evil is alive and well… wherever people are.  It’s not just in the big cities.

    It is here, too.

    Evil is as bold and unafraid as a huge rat strolling the streets and sidewalks of Renville.  

     So, my brothers and sisters, you might be wondering why we need to talk about evil during Advent.  Because here’s the thing.  All of us would rather skip right to Christmas and the birth of our Savior.

     We want the beauty of transformed lives, without the reminder of what we used to be, or what we would be even now, without the Spirit’s intervention.

     And if we skip right over Advent, a time of anticipating not only the celebration of our Savior’s birth, but also the hope of the Second Coming, then we skip over the part about why Christ had to come in the first place. 

     And why He had to suffer and die.

    To appreciate God’s sacrifice and what He has done for us, we have to know how bad and how helpless we are to make things right on our own.

     That’s why Jesus taught us to pray every day for our Heavenly Father to give us our daily bread, forgive us as we forgive, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

     Because evil surrounds us and tempts us every day. Even in small towns like Renville.

   But here’s the promise we can count on. Paul in First Corinthians tells us that God’s grace has been given to us in Christ Jesus.

    So we can dwell in dark places and not be overcome by the darkness.

    We are not lacking any of the spiritual gifts we need, Paul says, as we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    So do not fear; God will strengthen us to the very end. 

    And there’s more good news. Because of the death and resurrection of His Son, God sees those who love Christ and humbly seek forgiveness in Him as blameless!

     Christ’s sacrifice took the penalty for our sins, past, present and future.

     Therefore, God doesn’t see us as the big ugly rodents we would be without Christ and the Spirit transforming us into new creatures. 

     That means we don’t have to fear the end of the world and Judgment Day because for those who believe on Him, it will be like a joyous wedding feast. 

     God is the faithful potter and we are His clay.

    We can anticipate, long for, and hope on our Lord’s return, knowing He will deliver us from evil. 

    We are the work of His hands, forever in His hands.

Let us pray.

Holy and merciful God, let us never forget what you have done for us through the sacrifice of your Son.  Give us humble hearts that seek your Will for our lives and praise you all of our days. Guide us to walk in faith as the new creatures you want us to be.  Help us trust that you are working in us and that we are merely clay in the security of our loving potter’s hands. Keep us from the temptation to skip right past Advent to Christmas, without acknowledging our sinful state and our need for a Savior. Help us to be like Jesus and be lights in the dark places of this world, without fearing the evil that surrounds us.  In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

Strangers Among Us: Meditation on Ruth 2

     My friend, Gloria, called me this past Sunday afternoon. And though she speaks only a little English and I speak only a little Spanish, I was able to learn that she was in Colombia, South America, the place of her birth. She had gone home because her adult daughter, Lorena, was recovering from surgery in Bogota.  Gloria hadn’t seen Lorena in 3 years.

      Gloria is from Medellin—a city known for drug cartels, violence, and unemployment.  Around 45% of Colombians live in poverty. Even so, Gloria recalls fondly her birth country as the land of “eternal spring”-- tropical climate, white sandy beaches, and beautiful flowers, including wild orchids.    

     Medellin isn’t anything like York, Pennsylvania, where she and I met a year ago September. No sandy beaches, wild orchids or eternal spring there. But in York, Gloria’s younger daughters Cami and Dani learned English, graduated high school and went on to college, something their mother had hoped for when she came to America 6 years ago.

       Gloria says she has much to be thankful for. Cami graduates from Penn State with her bachelor’s on December 17.  And all the family will be together at Christmas for the first time in years.

      As I spoke with Gloria, I realized, once again, how grateful I am to have her for a friend.  Friendship is truly a gift from God. But I didn’t count on friendship when I went through training to be an adult ESL tutor.  I just wanted to help someone learn English and serve God with my gifts.

       Gloria was passionate about her Catholic faith, so I bought her a Spanish/English Bible. To our mutual delight, our English lessons included Bible reading in both languages. We also had lessons about everyday things, such as clothing. I brought in half my wardrobe one day so she could learn scarf, blouse, pants, jeans, mittens, hat, coat, sweater and so on. We laughed as we read easy children’s picture books, such as “The Jacket I Wear in the Snow.”   Even the word snow was new.

       Soon she was trusting me with many details of her personal life. She called me her “grand teacher” and her pastor. During our entire time together, she was working with immigration lawyers to try and get her Green Card. She also lost her job. She found work at one factory, only to be fired on the first day because she couldn’t speak English well enough.

     I remember her anger.  Because, you see, she was very proud of how much English she had learned with me.  She felt as if it was an insult to my teaching.

     I felt as if I had let her down.

     Months passed, and we spent more time together, but not just for formal lessons.  She and her daughters came to our house for Thanksgiving. A week later, she returned to help me decorate our Christmas tree. She now knew words like “angel,” “present,” “stocking,” “tree” and “ornaments.”  We made Christmas cookies together – something she had never done before. Her English and our friendship were growing stronger. 

         Gloria and I are very different people.  She likes the city life, dancing and parties.  I like the quiet and open space of the country, intimate dinner gatherings, and walking in a garden.  But we have many things in common, including our love for our family and hope in Jesus Christ.

      When Boaz meets Ruth, he notices she is different. And this wealthy farmer, who greets his workers with a blessing, reaches out to Ruth, going way beyond what the law of Moses requires for providing for “the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.” His motives are pure.  He doesn’t ask for anything in return. When she asks him why he is kind to her—a stranger—he says it is because she has been good to her mother-in-law and because she has turned to the God of Israel for refuge. He allows himself to be an instrument of God’s peace and justice when he offers protection—telling her not to glean from any other field.  Hasn’t he told the men on his fields not to touch her? He looks after her well-being. He tells her to drink from the water jars that the paid male laborers drink from!  He invites her to eat with him, pours grain for her, and offers her oil and wine to dip it in.  What I find most touching is when Boaz tells his workmen to give her more sheaves without being obvious about it, as if they had dropped to the ground by chance.

         When I learned in July that I would be moving to Minnesota, I knew that it would be hardest to tell Gloria. I hated to see her so distressed.  She had counted on me—her teacher, her pastor, her friend.  And now I was leaving. 

       I tried to tell her that I would miss her. She stared at me blankly, tears streaming down.  She did not know that phrase and I couldn’t explain it better.  I said goodbye with an empty feeling inside.  Why would God call me to a ministry of kindness to a stranger, only to separate us so soon after we became good friends?  But I was sure that it was not by chance that Gloria and I met; just like Ruth did not just happen to be in Boaz’s field when Boaz showed up.  Both relationships were in God’s plan and were for God’s purposes. God had brought Gloria and I together during her time of great need and my time of formation and preparation for parish ministry. 

     Ruth and Boaz eventually marry. Ruth was David’s great grandmother and is in the family tree of Jesus Christ.

       The story of Boaz and Ruth confirms our calling as a people of faith to be kind to the strangers among us, the people God brings in and out of our lives in order to accomplish His purposes. What God desires is relationships, not just random acts of kindness.  Giving money, clothing and food to people in need is important, but God requires even more. He asks us to care for the stranger as if they were our own kin.

       In Christ, God is reconciling the world to Himself and human beings with each other. That means in Christ, loving relationships with all people are possible. In Christ, we are all known, understood, forgiven, and cherished, no matter the language we speak, the church in which we worship, and the place we call home. 

       It had been about a month since I had heard from Gloria when she called this past Sunday. We laughed together, still close despite the many miles between us. I told her we had some snow, and she joked that I needed to wear my bufanda—my scarf.

         While saying goodbye, she asked me to wait as she asked Lorena for help with her English. She said to me then, “I miss you.” 

         I was so surprised, I couldn’t respond at first.  So she said it again. Louder.

         That simple phrase brought me such joy. It was as if God was reassuring me that He was still taking care of her. She would be OK… and so would I. And our friendship would continue on.

         I answered, “I miss you too!” And added, “God be with you!”

         I knew He already was.

Let us pray.

Dearest Lord, we give thanks with a grateful heart for the many blessings we have.  Too often we ask for more; too little we give thanks for what we have.  We are so blessed for having so much, for family, for friendships, for the many worldly things that you have loaned us, and for the food before us each day.  Open our eyes to the strangers among us, Lord, the people you bring in and out of our lives to accomplish your purposes.  Open our hearts to the needs and vulnerabilities of the stranger. Show us how to give of ourselves and form relationships with people who seem different from us.  Teach us to love as you love, Lord, unconditionally, and forgive as you forgive, over and over again.  We pray with thanksgiving, in Christ, knowing that what we request according to thy Will will be done.  We pray as one people of faith.  Amen.

"The Shoebox Story”

Message on The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-29

     There once was a little church named Starview. It had never been a large church but it had been there in the rural village of Starview, Pennsylvania, for more than 100 years.  The building was well kept, but it needed some updates.  Bathrooms were located in the basement and weren't handicapped accessible.  Most people who attended lived in the village or just outside the village.

      The people who came to Starview were like a family.  They had known each other all their lives. It was a loving church. The people liked to stay a while after worship to drink coffee and swap stories. They couldn’t imagine what church would be if they didn’t have their church. With fewer than 20 people left, and all of them retired, there wasn’t much money to pay a pastor.  The church had little hope for growth because older folks were passing away and younger folks weren’t coming to fill in the gaps. Younger people who moved to the village, if they were churchgoers, were willing to drive a distance to attend a nondenominational church—one that offered programs for children, had numerous pastors on staff, a lively music ministry that sounded professional, and spacious, comfortable facilities. 

       Starview just couldn’t compete with that. 

       So one Thanksgiving, oh, about 10 years ago, they called the religion reporter at the local newspaper.  That was me. Their denomination, the United Methodist Church, had told them that they would be closing by Christmas. They were sad, but they were determined to be a church for as long as they were together.

     They were excited about their shoebox ministry. They wanted me to write a story. This was my first experience with Operation Christmas Child, a program of Franklin Graham's Samaritan’s Purse.  This is the same ministry the youth of our church and Presbyterian Women decided to get involved with this year.  Youth met Nov. 13 at First Lutheran in Renville to fill old shoeboxes with gifts of toys, mittens, school supplies and personal care items.  The shoeboxes will be shipped to children living in poverty in this country and overseas.

       Starview showed me their stack of boxes that a handful of elderly people had filled, using up all the money they had in their mission fund and adding a whole lot more of their own. The stack was more like a tower.  We are talking more than 100 boxes filled with presents!  Inside each one, they had tucked a signed Christmas card with a personal message for a child. Starview wanted to be found faithful serving the Lord right up until the end. They wanted Christ to say to them when He returns, “Well done, good and faithful servants. … Enter into the joy of your lord.”

****

     Our gospel lesson today is known as the Parable of the Talents.  And it is one of the most confusing and misunderstood passages in Matthew.  First of all, it is a parable or allegory, meaning we interpret the story symbolically and not literally. Second, the word Talent doesn’t mean how we use it today, such as being a talented actress or musician.  A Talent was back then an extraordinary amount of money, equivalent to about 6,000 denarii, which would take 20 years for a day laborer to earn!  In today’s language, then, if a laborer makes say $25,000 a year, then giving him a Talent would be like giving him half a million dollars.

        Here’s what makes this parable even more confusing.  The message isn’t about money at all.  The message isn’t that we should work hard and "grow" our money or else what we have will be taken from us.  No—that is certainly not the message of the gospel! Later in Matthew 25, Jesus will scold his disciples, “for I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink.  I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me….  In as much as you did not do it to the least of these people, you did not do it to me.” 

     Jesus, in the Parable of the Talents, is just using the language of commerce to reach his audience. It’s what they know. Jesus is really talking about the more precious gifts that God has given us—gifts of grace, forgiveness, and love.  These are gifts that we can’t possibly earn. They can’t be bought with any amount of money. The most precious of God’s gifts is the gift of eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

     The lazy servant who buries his one Talent has turned his precious life-giving gift into a possession. He hides it and hoards it out of fear that he might lose what he has.  He protects it out of fear of the one who has given it to him—when the one we serve is a God of lovingkindness, generosity, and mercy.  This servant doesn’t even know whom it is he serves when he says, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man…  And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours!”

     This parable is about what it means to be Christ’s disciples.  We are bearers of the Good News. We have many spiritual gifts and material resources that God has given us. We are laborers for the harvest of souls until our Lord returns again.  And here’s the thing. We don’t know when He is coming back.  We just know that He is. And when He comes, we want Him to find us busy and faithful—like little Starview. They had every reason to whine, complain and hoard what little money they had.

     But they didn’t.  And know what?

     Christmas came and went, and they kept on meeting in the church every Sunday.  They kept on putting money in the offering basket and enjoying one another’s fellowship. The denomination never shut them down. They just kept right on going. And I have a feeling they are still filling shoeboxes to give to needy children.

      Brothers and sisters-- let us join together in compassionate ministry.  I urge you today—if you are just thinking about it—now is the time to share your gifts and creativity. May the Lord find us busy serving Him, using the gifts and resources He has given us.  Let us be ready to hear Christ say those words we long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servants…Enter into the joy of your lord.”  Amen.