On Omnipresence

Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (NIV).

Friends…  Remember that part when I’m fighting really hard against the temptation to be a liturgical snob?  I think I wrote about it a couple of days ago.  The struggle is still real.

I need to confess that I hid fake Lego Baby Jesus!  My intent was good.  I want Advent to be a time of intense waiting and anticipation, as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Christ!  However, I am concerned that I may have sent Kindergarten aged children into mass confusion regarding omnipresence…  Oops…

So here’s the thing.  Jesus has (of course) already come!  We can already celebrate that, and we should… Alpha… Omega… Beginning… End… Everywhere… All the time.  But here’s the other thing.  I was reminded (first on my podcast recording and then in my guest’s newsletter, found here) the other day that we probably shouldn’t get so wrapped up in the incarnation that we forget about all of the other time and space in the history and the future during which God has been, and will continue to be, present to us. 

It can be freeing to recognize that I have room to grow in my knowledge and understanding and expressions of faith (and liturgy)…

Humility matters.

I was deeply moved by these simple words (actually written twice) in the daily office, first found in Amos 3:7, “So the Lord relented…” (NIV).

As a human being, I fully admit that it is difficult for me to relent at times… particularly when I start to think I have it all together.  And yet, even God has been known to relent.  That probably says a whole lot about what our response should be!

I was also struck by the following words from Psalm 25:10-11, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.  For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” (NIV).

I don’t know if anything I’m currently processing falls anywhere near “iniquity” on the scales, but I do know that I want to be loving and faithful… that I want to keep the commands of covenant… and that I want to continue to be transformed, every second of every day, with better understanding and practice.

But I’m still keeping fake Lego Baby Jesus in hiding until the Christmas Eve service…

 
L.

This “Lame Duck” Week

Revelation 21:5-6, “…I am making everything new…  It is done…”

It’s been awhile since I have blogged here at “These Ordinary Days.”  How appropriate that they are now coming to an end.  I guess this page will need an Advent facelift for the next several weeks! 

As I went to read the daily office, this morning, I realized that I had left my Sacred Ordinary Days journal at home, so I clicked over to the “backup” site I use to gather the daily office Scriptures when I find myself in this predicament.  Strangely, it had already transitioned to the Year B readings, which apparently start on Thursday.  It’s Monday.  Is there no Scripture for Monday? 

Well, of course there is, but this all got me to thinking about how miserable we (ahem… I) do transitions and also about how this might be something of a “lame duck” week… sandwiched between everything ordinary and extraordinary… a place where we pause to think about how everything is over and everything is beginning again, but nothing is actually happening right now.  And since that is pretty much exactly what these phrases from Revelation (finally found the daily office) seem to indicate; I guess it’s true.

And yet, there is this one thing that remains… 

Psalm 117:2, “For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever” (NIV).

Is love and faithfulness enough to sustain us in times of seemingly nothing-else-ness (humor me, sometimes I have to create new words)?  I think so, but waiting is so hard… 

L.

Undivided

Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart” (NIV).

Everything I want to say, right now, is premature.  It’s making for a lot of short public posts and long private reflections. 

As I read further in Psalm 86, I felt compelled to open Psalm 139, as well.  It’s not a part of today’s lectionary reading, but don’t worry.  That’s OK.  We can read other stuff, too.  I felt particularly compelled, because a song is running through my mind, but it’s too old and obscure for YouTube, and most of my CDs are packed in boxes, so I figured the next best thing was to sing the song myself and read the Scripture.   

Psalm 139:1-6, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (NIV).

David then ponders where he might go to get away from God.  Friends… I have been there (and I’ve written about it, found here).  But not today.  Today I want to make sure I am completely wrapped in God’s presence, although it was incredible to have such posts to which to return, because the grace and mercy and healing that is evident in these pieces of history is astounding.

I’m legitimately sorry for all of the writing in riddles, this week.  It’s been quite personal, but I hope there are also some universal truths in which anyone could find some hope.  Let me leave you with this:

Revelation 2:3-5, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first…” (NIV).

Repenting… Returning…

L.