"Wake... Salvation Is Nearer."

I ask for the grace to be centered and focused.  I ask for the grace to attend faithfully to the stirrings of the divine.  I ask for our hearts to be moved to know and trust and pursue something new.


Romans 13:11-14
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹²the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; ¹³let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.


1) "...you know what time it is; " "...wake from sleep;" "...salvation is nearer;" "...the day in near;" "...put on the armour of light;" "...live honourably;"


2) A timely text as we prepare for the first Sunday of Advent.  I'm terribly grateful for sunshine today.  The fist we've seen in a while.  In this part of the world, even when the Sun is up, it is behind dark rainclouds.  The Coquitlam is running fast and high.  I do like that.  It's exhilarating walking next to it... and it no longer smells of rotting fish.  Paul is pointing out that "the time" is just short of Jesus' immanent return, "salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers."  It is the time for living honourably.  How honourably do we live?  Sometimes, not so.  We don't like being woken us.  Slumber is so much more comfortable, and being shaken awake from deep sleep is not prone to make us behave honourably.  It occurs to me that I'm not waking well these days.  I used to be much better at waking in the morning.  But the last month or so... maybe since I've returned from Nova Scotia?  My mornings are later, slower, less enthusiastic.  My morning practices are more sporadic.


3) What is the invitation in all this? To seek to behave honourably, even when being rudely awakened.  Maybe seek to waken more "sharply."


"Holy One, Wake us from sleep."


Breathprayer: "wake... salvation in nearer."

"Owe No One... Love One Another."

I ask for the grace to experience presence and to be present.


Romans 13:5-10

⁵Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. ⁶For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. ⁷Pay to all what is due to them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due.

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

1) "...conscience;" "...respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due;" "...Owe no one anything, except to love one another;" "...the one who loves another has fulfilled the law;" "...Love your neighbour as yourself;" "...love is the fulfilling of the law;" "...love is the fulfilling of the law;" "...


2) For Paul, the end is near.  Jesus is coming back.  The expectation is in this lifetime.  So Paul is not interested in overturning the social order.  He's interested in living peaceably within the social order until the coming of the Risen Christ.  So he will affirm the social conventions of slavery and the Roman client/taxation systems, but he will expect them to be lived out with love and not abuse.  The Commandments apply to how one is to treat slaves.  He doesn't challenge the ownership of people, but he asserts a behaviour/attitude change.  "Love your neighbour as yourself."  Had he known we'd still be working things out 2,000 years later, would he have thought differently?    Jesus certainly challenged us on "who is my neighbour."  Love is the fulfilling of the law.  Love is the fulfilling of the law.  Love is the fulfilling of the law...


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To enquire, what would love do?


"Holy One, guide us on the way of love."


Breathprayer: "Owe no one... love one another."

"Do What Is Good..."

I ask for the grace to remain present and mindful, to be productive and inspired.


Romans 13:1-4
13Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; ⁴for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.


1)


2) Wow... where did this come from?  Given the previous texts I'm feeling a little smacked out of left field.  Which Authorities is he talking about?  The Roman Authorities?  The Church Authorities?  "Governing Authorities"  "for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God."  This sounds like a recipe for disaster, frankly.  I understand "due order."  "I recognize the discipline of the presbytery."  In our world, people have been given authority that certainly doesn't come from God.  Paul has just given us a list of "Marks of a True Christian" perhaps I would be most willing to honour the authority of someone who manifest these marks?  With congregations, I often talk about three kinds of Authority: Military (do what I tell you or else), Negative (I tell you what to do and you do the opposite), and Relational (I wouldn't think of making a major decision without talking it over with my loved ones first, they don't tell me what to do, but they contribute to my decision making).  I try to emphasize a notion of relational authority with scripture, I sit with it every day and it forms me, but it doesn't tell me what to do.  When I apply that kind of authority to this text, it is a little easier to digest...


3) What is the invitation in all this?  to continue to build relationships, to trust the authority of relationship in making decisions.


"Holy One, Help us forge relationships that can be authoritative when discerning you will."


Breathprayer: "Do what is good..."

"Rejoice... Overcome Evil with Good."

I ask for the grace to be present and to experience Christ's presence in this time of prayer and meditation. 


Romans 12:14-21
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;^* do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;^* for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ ²⁰No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


1) "...do not curse;" "...live in harmony with one another;" "...do not be haughty;" "...do not claim to be wiser than you are;" "...leave room for the wrath of God;" "...overcome evil with good."


2) I want to argue that this is so much easier said than done!  How often does a false humility keep me silent in the face of evil?  I am silent in the face of bad behaviour because I fear speaking out will name me as complicit, or as a hypocrite, so I let it be.  But then when I do speak out, I do so vengefully, when I've simply had my fill and my ego is sufficiently bruised that I won't take any more.  It takes tremendous faith to believe that good can overcome evil, the temptation to be overcome by evil, to think I can fight evil with evil, is huge... impulsive.  It is one thing for me to desire and attempt to "live peaceably with all,"  but those I'm living with are not always peaceable.  Today I am so grateful for the Boston Declaration made yesterday.  I really have difficulty leaving room for the wrath of God... It comes out, "If I believed in hell, you'd be burning in it."  But I do believe that those who refuse to invest in kindness, don't experience kindness and kindness is a truly good thing, a horrible thing to deny ourselves. I don't even want to imagine what it is like to live in the head of someone who seems pathologically incapable of showing genuine kindness.  But I acknowledge that the limits of my kindness are perhaps closer than I wish they were.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To trust that good can overcome evil without using evil methods.  To take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.  To leave room for the wrath of God.


"Holy One, strengthen my resolve not to curse anyone today."


Breathprayer: "Rejoice... overcome evil with good."

"Rejoice in Hope... Persevere in Prayer."

I ask for grace and presence as I prepare for a full week.  Advent begins for us with the Church Bazaar and a half dozen meetings this week.  Praying for those who are sick, and those who are grieving this week.  May we proceed with Holy Manners, holding one another in our hearts as stress, and non-sequiturs increase.


Romans 12:9-13
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.^{* 12}Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.


1) "...let love be genuine;" "...hate what is evil;" "...hold fast to what is good;" "...love one another with mutual affection;" "...outdo one another in showing honour;" "...be ardent in spirit;" "...rejoice in hope;" "...be patient in suffering;" "...persevere in prayer;" "...contribute to the needs of the saints;" "...extend hospitality to strangers;"


2) I was thinking this list was looking familiar and it is the beginning of the list we have used for our "Holy Manners."  It's a good list of how to be with one another.  I think the challenge comes in discerning "what is evil."  Why is it so hard to keep this list?  Why do we refuse to hold these commands at the centre of everything we do?  Why is it so easy to raise voices in anger?  Why do we hold fast to what is unjust, uncivil, unsustainable?  Why do we have such odd, non-sequitur, notions of what it means to show 'mutual affection'? And why do we race to outdo one another in showing pride, rather than honour?  I'm not sure we are always committed to serving the Lord, our egos are way more important.  I'm reminded of a quote from Richard Rohr in an interview with Oprah in which he says that the true self is never offended.  If we feel offended, it is the false self.  I'm offended a lot.  Especially by how some people are so offended by minutia.  What does genuine love look like?  Because, I feel like I tolerate a lot of non-sequitur.  Where is the balance between genuine love and suffering the non-sequitur? 


3) What is the invitation in all this?  to "be patient in suffering," and "persevere in prayer." 


"Holy One, hold us in prayer."


Breathprayer: "Rejoice in hope... persevere in prayer."

"Holy... Acceptable."

I ask for the grace of focus and presence as I prepare to lead worship this day. 


Romans 12:1-7
12I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,^* by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual^* worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world,^* but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.^*
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.


1) "...the mercies of God;" "...living sacrifice, holy  and acceptable;" "...spiritual worship;" "...be transformed by the renewing of your minds;" "...good and acceptable and perfect;" "...no to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think;" "...sober judgement;" "...one body in Christ;" "...individually we are members one of another;" "...gifts that differ;" "...I appeal to you;" "...spiritual worship;" "...be transformed;" "...discern;" "...what is good and acceptable and perfect;"


2) Where is the line between genuine and false humility?  That which builds the body up is genuine, that which pulls the body apart is false.  Sounds like a lot of trial and error is needed.  For Paul, "spiritual worship" is worship that increases the wellbeing of the community of faith.  There is a gift in being able to discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.  There are so many people who think they are better than others at discerning the will of God.  That's why the very next line is "not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think."  So to whom is it assigned to have sober judgement?  I'd like to think that with 5 years of seminary and training and 15 years of ministry experience, its me.  But there are a great many people who would like to challenge me on that.  How do I hold my responsibility responsibly?  How do I claim "the grace given to me" without thinking more highly of myself than I ought?  It would be so much more simple if God just struck down bad people with lightning on the spot.  But then, we'd all be crispy fritters.


3) What is the invitation in all this? To be transformed.  And to humbly accept that being transformed is an incomplete activity.  And we are all transforming at our own time and pace.  It's never done.  To be present to each moment of transformation, and to be open to and encouraging of the transformation of others.


"Holy One,  help us each discern and accept our part in the whole body of the living Christ."


Breathprayer: "Holy... Acceptable."

"Unsearchable... Inscrutable."

I ask for the grace of focus and the ability to be fully present.  To receive what I need to do what I need to do this day.  As I read sacred text, I pray for the Abbotsford Police Department and a family, grieving their loved one.  I pray for so many victims of violence this week.  I pray for the Syrian family we are trying to sponsor to resettle to Canada.  I pray for the clients who make use of our extreme weather shelter, and the volunteers and staff who make our extreme weather shelter happen.  I pray for those who are left outside during cold days and nights.


Romans 11:33-36
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!
³⁴ ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?
   Or who has been his counsellor?’
³⁵ ‘Or who has given a gift to him,
   to receive a gift in return?’
³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.


1) "O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God;" "...how unsearchable are his judgements;" "...inscrutable his ways;" "...who has  known the mind of the Lord;" "...from him and through him and to him are all things;" "...to him be the glory;"  "O the depths;" "...riches and wisdom and knowledge;" "...unsearchable;" "...inscrutable;" "...all things;" "...unsearchable;" "...inscrutable;"


2) "Unsearchable" and "inscrutable."  I don't even like calling what God calls "judgements."  "Judgements" are a human valuation.  If God's ways are indeed, "unsearchable" and "inscrutable" we need to exercise extreme caution when talking about "judgements."  Funny how Paul takes with one hand and gives with another.  It's like he talks out of both sides of his face.  "We can't search the mind of God, but by God, I know God has judged you!"  Of course, I do want to say I know something about the "ways" and "judgements" of God. God's ways are ways of empathy, justice, compassion, peace that isn't just an absence of violence, but an affirmation of all creation.  God does not approve of violence, selfishness, greed at the cost of the wellbeing of others.  God longs for our wholeness, healing and reconciliation, but I can't say specifically what that looks like for anyone without extended dialogue.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To exercise extreme caution when contemplating "God's judgments."


"Holy One, instill in us a sense of you unsearchable, inscrutable ways."


Breathprayer: "Unsearchable... inscrutable."