Today’s Readings: Psalm 9; Lamentations 5:1-22; Mark 13:28-37; Romans 11:25-36; Psalm 44
Featured Reading: Mark 13:28-37
Back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, one of my youth group leaders was very taken with the notion of the End Times. She was particularly fond of the work of Hal Lindsey. Consequently, she used every opportunity to literally put the fear of God in us as she would show us portrayals of what some predicted the End Times would look like. I couldn’t understand why such things fascinated her. Her single-minded focus on the End Times pushed many of the kids in our youth group away from God rather than toward God. As I look back now, I realize that a huge piece of her obsession with such things had to do with her desire to achieve certainty with her faith. She loved the idea of being able to predict exactly how and exactly when things would “come down”. Such an approach stands in stark contrast with what Jesus said in today’s reading from Mark. “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable” (Mark 13:32-33 from The Message). While we may not have the luxury of certainty – Jesus leaves us with something else: an invitation to live each day in a state of readiness. The next time you feel yourself craving certainty about those things you can’t control (tomorrow), remember Jesus’ words and focus on what you can control (today). Til next time…
Featured Reading: Mark 13:28-37
Back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, one of my youth group leaders was very taken with the notion of the End Times. She was particularly fond of the work of Hal Lindsey. Consequently, she used every opportunity to literally put the fear of God in us as she would show us portrayals of what some predicted the End Times would look like. I couldn’t understand why such things fascinated her. Her single-minded focus on the End Times pushed many of the kids in our youth group away from God rather than toward God. As I look back now, I realize that a huge piece of her obsession with such things had to do with her desire to achieve certainty with her faith. She loved the idea of being able to predict exactly how and exactly when things would “come down”. Such an approach stands in stark contrast with what Jesus said in today’s reading from Mark. “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable” (Mark 13:32-33 from The Message). While we may not have the luxury of certainty – Jesus leaves us with something else: an invitation to live each day in a state of readiness. The next time you feel yourself craving certainty about those things you can’t control (tomorrow), remember Jesus’ words and focus on what you can control (today). Til next time…
1 comment:
I'm not sure of much but I'm sure that I will have to get rid of a lot of baggage - a lesson in itself
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