Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 38; Isaiah 1:1-9; Matthew 24:15-28; Revelation 1:12-20; Psalm 128
There’s no other way to put it than to say this morning’s readings aren’t a lot of fun to read. In Isaiah, for instance, you have words talking about the impending doom to be visited upon Israel; and in Matthew you have a disturbing apocalyptic vision of the future. Needless to say, not the most comforting words I’ve experienced in my daily times of devotion. Today’s first Psalm – Psalm 38 - did raise an interesting issue for me. In that passage, the psalmist cries out in verse 18: “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” This verse got me to wondering: is the psalmist troubled by his/her sin simply because of the consequences he/she’s received, or is he/she troubled by his/her sin because of the distance it’s put between him/herself and God? For some, this distinction might not seem significant. To me it is. The first option suggests a sort of mechanical relationship with God (“Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it so my life turns out the way I hope”) rather than a relational connection with God (“I’m deeply in love with you God and want to make choices that strengthen our relationship rather than weaken it”). How would you describe your approach toward God: is it mechanical, relational, or perhaps something else? Is your approach what you would want? During this season of Advent, I hope you’ll take the time to nurture the sort of connection with God that you feel called to create. Til next time…
There’s no other way to put it than to say this morning’s readings aren’t a lot of fun to read. In Isaiah, for instance, you have words talking about the impending doom to be visited upon Israel; and in Matthew you have a disturbing apocalyptic vision of the future. Needless to say, not the most comforting words I’ve experienced in my daily times of devotion. Today’s first Psalm – Psalm 38 - did raise an interesting issue for me. In that passage, the psalmist cries out in verse 18: “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” This verse got me to wondering: is the psalmist troubled by his/her sin simply because of the consequences he/she’s received, or is he/she troubled by his/her sin because of the distance it’s put between him/herself and God? For some, this distinction might not seem significant. To me it is. The first option suggests a sort of mechanical relationship with God (“Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it so my life turns out the way I hope”) rather than a relational connection with God (“I’m deeply in love with you God and want to make choices that strengthen our relationship rather than weaken it”). How would you describe your approach toward God: is it mechanical, relational, or perhaps something else? Is your approach what you would want? During this season of Advent, I hope you’ll take the time to nurture the sort of connection with God that you feel called to create. Til next time…
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