Nov. 4, 2009 The Journey Continues ...

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One of my favorite sections of the Bible is the journey of God’s people from Egypt to the Promised Land. Inside each story is a consistent and crazy reality – the chosen people just don’t get it. They witness the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea only to grumble about not being fed well less than a chapter later. They lose patience with Moses’ absence and begin to melt down gold and construct idols. They exhibit a lack of trust in God’s direction and send spies into the land to determine whether or not it can be conquered. At every point in the story they have an opportunity to trust in the amazing presence and undeniable care of God, only to put their total focus on their own limited resources and answers.

Sadly, this same tendency exists when the story shifts from the Old to New Testament. Given the choice of depending on the Lord’s provisions or trust themselves, one person after another demonstrates a shallow lack of faith: a prodigal who spends his father’s inheritance, a rich young ruler who chooses his own wealth over an opportunity to follow Jesus, and a disciple who denies that he knows Jesus and later hides in shame. The list goes on and on. And through it all, we choose our own resources, ideas and solutions over the offer God consistently makes to be our advocate, guide and savior.

At The Great Escape, our annual clergy retreat, I was handed a basket with questions submitted by those in the crowd. One of the questions was, “Given all the bad news we have been hearing lately, give us some ‘good news.’”
It’s an interesting question, especially given the reality that the story of God’s people in the Old and New Testaments is our story as well. Why? Week after week I hear reports from our district superintendents on decisions being made in our local churches – decisions not to move forward, but to retreat and hold on instead; decisions to not make substantive changes that will bring growth, but to continue in a pattern that will ensure inevitable death; decisions that bear witness to the reality that we put more stock in our human solutions and resources than in the presence of the one who can give us life, hope, and possibilities that we can in no way  imagine.

So, given the reality of our human condition, what IS the ‘good news?’

The good news from the Old Testament is that God consistently said and demonstrated to the Israelites that “I will be your God and you will be my people.”

The ‘good news’ from the New Testament is that Jesus consistently said such things as, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The good news from then until today is that God has never given up on us, never (as Bill Cosby put it) whistled us out of the pool, never signaled an end to the game.

Is there good news today? If you seek affirmation of human choices or a good word about our resources or creative ideas, you might be disappointed. But if you’re willing to look beyond our human limitations and frustrations, then listen to this:

• We are called, claimed and loved in spite of ourselves

• We have been blessed beyond compare and given an awesome opportunity to be a blessing to others.

• We have been set on this earth in the midst of one holy mystery after another and have been told that even after life on this planet ends, where is a promise of something more

• We may, on some occasions, be lonely, but in Christ we are never, ever alone.

Times are tough. Challenges abound. Choices are limited. And we are tempted to make decisions based on all of those grim, human realities.

Concerned about how you will be fed on the back side of a miracle? God will provide the manna.

Tempted to melt down your gold and build an idol or reluctant to walk boldly into the future? God will still lead you through the wilderness.

Tempted to go your own way? Reluctant to sell everything and follow? Afraid to stand up and proclaim your faith?

That’s not ‘good news.’

But God’s love for you in the midst of it all is. Thank God!

The Journey Continues ...