{"id":2284,"date":"2023-12-10T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/?p=2284"},"modified":"2023-12-14T15:57:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T20:57:13","slug":"were-still-waiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/2023\/12\/10\/were-still-waiting\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re Still Waiting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Year B (Advent 5- A 7-week Advent)<\/em>
 Isaiah 40:1-11
 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
 2 Peter 3:8-15a
 Mark 1:1-8<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May the words of my mouth O God\u2026  speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early 1965\u2026  the British group The Kinks\u2026  released their song Tired of Waiting\u2026  some of you may remember that the lyrics describe a woman\u2026  who keeps her boyfriend waiting\u2026  and as we journey through Advent\u2026  I’m reminded that this season is one of waiting\u2026  but like the singer in the song\u2026  I’m also tired of waiting\u2026  I’m tired of waiting for the kind of world in which I think we ought to be living to be realized\u2026  tired of waiting for humanity’s sense of peace and justice to be more in line with the kind of peace and justice which prophets like Amos and Micah described\u2026  tired of waiting for the Two Great Commandments which Jesus taught us to be written on enough human hearts… that the rest of us are pulled along by the cumulative draft which that creates\u2026  but it’s going to take some time\u2026  maybe a very long time before most people agree on what it means to love\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of actions which arise out of that understanding\u2026  a long time before most people agree on what it means to forgive\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of things we need to let go of\u2026  a long time before most people agree on what it means to care for the earth\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of environmental actions we need to perform\u2026  but that’s OK\u2026  well\u2026  it is and it isn’t\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve said before\u2026  it’s been two-thousand years since Jesus was here\u2026  and look at how things still are\u2026  but I’ve come to believe that this may be a forty or fifty thousand year program\u2026  and that’s understandable\u2026  because the more people we add into the mix\u2026  the more challenging it can be for us to reach consensus on how to solve all the issues we’re facing\u2026  oh we can create pockets of reconciliation\u2026  and restoration\u2026  and healing within our families\u2026  and the communities of which we’re a part\u2026  but until we stop believing globally that God’s diversity\u2026  is supposed to be used as a weapon for division\u2026  as it is in eastern Europe and in the Middle East\u2026  and until we\u2026  at every level\u2026  start holding ourselves accountable for the abuses of power and authority which we commit\u2026  we may as well use Einstein’s definition of madness\u2026  which many of you may know\u2026 is to keep doing the same thing over and over again\u2026  and expect a different outcome\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let’s be clear\u2026  it’s not because God is The Great Procrastinator\u2026  holding off on giving God’s own good to us\u2026  the way we sometimes hold off on giving our good to each other…  ]  God has already given us eternity\u2026  but until we choose to tip the scales in favor of these things\u2026  until enough people choose the Reign of Love over the American Dream\u2026  or the Reign of Love over their own denomination\u2026  or religion\u2026  or the Reign of Love over political expediency\u2026  or the Reign of Love over past hurts of so many kinds\u2026  we have to ask whether our goals are getting us where we want to be\u2026  and ask why it is\u2026  that we exert so much effort in resisting God’s gravity\u2026  whatever reasons we give\u2026  we’ll have to deal with the consequences and the reality\u2026  of not being quite there\u2026  just\u2026  yet\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now the herald of good tidings\u2026  is one who Gospels\u2026  and\u2026  John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness\u2026  proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins\u2026 <\/em> the wilderness is a place where there are few distractions\u2026  and it’s easier to remain focused\u2026  without the attractions or diversions of the city…  to remain focused on asking questions like\u2026  why do I believe what I believe\u2026  why do I think what I think\u2026  why do I feel the way I feel\u2026  why do I do what I do\u2026  and for whom do I do it\u2026  John’s baptism of repentance wasn’t intended to make all those who were coming to see him… to feel bad about themselves\u2026  it was intended to help them turn their lives\u2026  and at least the more significant things that they believed and thought and did\u2026  to do them not just for themselves\u2026  but for God as well\u2026 ]  and in what might be a counterintuitive conclusion\u2026  that would also be doing it for themselves\u2026  because baptism\u2026  isn’t just about the death of our old life\u2026  it’s about new life in Christ\u2026  which is new life in God\u2026  it’s a resonance with the passages of scripture\u2026  like today’s words from Isaiah\u2026  which reassure us that God wants us to be comforted\u2026  ] and in response to that redemption\u2026  we are called to fill in every valley\u2026  and bring every mountain and hill low\u2026  so that God and we can get to each other\u2026  and I know some of us\u2026  myself included\u2026  have had to fill in some low spots in our lives\u2026  and have had to come down from some pedestals\u2026 in order to better do this\u2026   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here’s where the Good News\u2026  emerges full throttle\u2026  let’s take another look at 2 Peter\u2026  where we’re reminded that\u2026  with the Lord\u2026  one day is like a thousand years\u2026  and a thousand years are like one day\u2026  and that God is not slow about his promise\u2026  as some think of slowness<\/em>\u2026  this means that God’s time\u2026  is not our time\u2026  ] and that establishing the Realm of Love\u2026  across our socioeconomic and geopolitical divides\u2026  is more complicated than simply apologizing for a word spoken in anger\u2026  but that’s a start\u2026  so let’s not be too impatient with ourselves or others\u2026  the work we are called to do is complicated\u2026  [ TC: ] and every collection of food and personal care items\u2026  every package of diapers that we distribute\u2026  every Angel Tree and Be a Santa to a Senior gift we buy and wrap\u2026  is another step in that direction\u2026  [ HT: ] and every Bonus Box of food we deliver\u2026  every sock-it-to-me sock that’s put on bare feet\u2026  every cap that’s knitted\u2026  is another step in that direction\u2026   So why do we begin each new church year with waiting\u2026  because each year we can start over\u2026  because there is hope in making the smallest of changes\u2026  and we need to prepare for change\u2026 we need to prepare ourselves physically\u2026  emotionally\u2026  psychologically\u2026  and spiritually\u2026  just as we prepare to move into a new home\u2026  or move into a new relationship\u2026  or a new job…] even for Scrooge\u2026  it wasn’t too late to start over\u2026  and in Is. 43:19\u2026    God says\u2026  See I am making a new thing new\u2026  I will make a way in the wilderness\u2026  and rivers in the desert<\/em>\u2026  so among the questions we may consider asking\u2026  are\u2026  how do we know when something really begins\u2026  and how do we know when a thing ends\u2026  I hope we never get tired of waiting for the answers\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Year B (Advent 5- A 7-week Advent) Isaiah 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026  speak your truth\u2026 In early 1965\u2026  the British group The Kinks\u2026  released their song Tired of Waiting\u2026  some of you may remember that the lyrics describe a woman\u2026  who keeps her boyfriend waiting\u2026  and as we journey through Advent\u2026  I’m reminded that this season is one of waiting\u2026  but like the singer in the song\u2026  I’m also tired of waiting\u2026  I’m tired of waiting for the kind of world in which I think we ought to be living to be realized\u2026  tired of waiting for humanity’s sense of peace and justice to be more in line with the kind of peace and justice which prophets like Amos and Micah described\u2026  tired of waiting for the Two Great Commandments which Jesus taught us to be written on enough human hearts… that the rest of us are pulled along by the cumulative draft which that creates\u2026  but it’s going to take some time\u2026  maybe a very long time before most people agree on what it means to love\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of actions which arise out of that understanding\u2026  a long time before most people agree on what it means to forgive\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of things we need to let go of\u2026  a long time before most people agree on what it means to care for the earth\u2026  and then agree on the kinds of environmental actions we need to perform\u2026  but that’s OK\u2026  well\u2026  it is and it isn’t\u2026 I’ve said before\u2026  it’s been two-thousand years since Jesus was here\u2026  and look at how things still are\u2026  but I’ve come to believe that this may be a forty or fifty thousand year program\u2026  and that’s understandable\u2026  because the more people we add into the mix\u2026  the more challenging it can be for us to reach consensus on how to solve all the issues we’re facing\u2026  oh we can create pockets of reconciliation\u2026  and restoration\u2026  and healing within our families\u2026  and the communities of which we’re a part\u2026  but until we stop believing globally that God’s diversity\u2026  is supposed to be used as a weapon for division\u2026  as it is in eastern Europe and in the Middle East\u2026  and until we\u2026  at every level\u2026  start holding ourselves accountable for the abuses of power and authority which we commit\u2026  we may as well use Einstein’s definition of madness\u2026  which many of you may know\u2026 is to keep doing the same thing over and over again\u2026  and expect a different outcome\u2026 But let’s be clear\u2026  it’s not because God is The Great Procrastinator\u2026  holding off on giving God’s own good to us\u2026  the way we sometimes hold off on giving our good to each other…  ]  God has already given us eternity\u2026  but until we choose to tip the scales in favor of these things\u2026  until enough people choose the Reign of Love over the American Dream\u2026  or the Reign of Love over their own denomination\u2026  or religion\u2026  or the Reign of Love over political expediency\u2026  or the Reign of Love over past hurts of so many kinds\u2026  we have to ask whether our goals are getting us where we want to be\u2026  and ask why it is\u2026  that we exert so much effort in resisting God’s gravity\u2026  whatever reasons we give\u2026  we’ll have to deal with the consequences and the reality\u2026  of not being quite there\u2026  just\u2026  yet\u2026 Now the herald of good tidings\u2026  is one who Gospels\u2026  and\u2026  John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness\u2026  proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins\u2026  the wilderness is a place where there are few distractions\u2026  and it’s easier to remain focused\u2026  without the attractions or diversions of the city…  to remain focused on asking questions like\u2026  why do I believe what I believe\u2026  why do I think what I think\u2026  why do I feel the way I feel\u2026  why do I do what I do\u2026  and for whom do I do it\u2026  John’s baptism of repentance wasn’t intended to make all those who were coming to see him… to feel bad about themselves\u2026  it was intended to help them turn their lives\u2026  and at least the more significant things that they believed and thought and did\u2026  to do them not just for themselves\u2026  but for God as well\u2026 ]  and in what might be a counterintuitive conclusion\u2026  that would also be doing it for themselves\u2026  because baptism\u2026  isn’t just about the death of our old life\u2026  it’s about new life in Christ\u2026  which is new life in God\u2026  it’s a resonance with the passages of scripture\u2026  like today’s words from Isaiah\u2026  which reassure us that God wants us to be comforted\u2026  ] and in response to that redemption\u2026  we are called to fill in every valley\u2026  and bring every mountain and hill low\u2026  so that God and we can get to each other\u2026  and I know some of us\u2026  myself included\u2026  have had to fill in some low spots in our lives\u2026  and have had to come down from some pedestals\u2026 in order to better do this\u2026    But here’s where the Good News\u2026  emerges full throttle\u2026  let’s take another look at 2 Peter\u2026  where we’re reminded that\u2026  with the Lord\u2026  one day is like a thousand years\u2026  and a thousand years are like one day\u2026  and that God is not slow about his promise\u2026  as some think of slowness\u2026  this means that God’s time\u2026  is not our time\u2026  ] and that establishing the Realm of Love\u2026  across our socioeconomic and geopolitical divides\u2026  is more complicated than simply apologizing for a word spoken in anger\u2026  but that’s a start\u2026  so let’s not be too impatient with ourselves or others\u2026  the work we are called to do is complicated\u2026  [ TC: ] and every collection of food and personal care items\u2026  every package of diapers that we distribute\u2026  every Angel Tree and Be a Santa to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[25,294,98],"class_list":["post-2284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sermons","tag-advent","tag-gods-time","tag-waiting"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Icon1-Advent-2B-smaller.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2284"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2286,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284\/revisions\/2286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}