Looking Past the Book to See Someone Bigger

A friend of mine posted a blog post from The Huffington Post called "Worshiping God, Not the Bible." I really appreciate what the author, Matt Idom, has to say concerning how the Bible is viewed by some people, and how their view blinds them to deeper truths. It is funny, but his comments connect to some things I've been saying and thinking over the last few weeks.

Is the Word Inerrant?

I realize that I am about to tread on some people's toes. As with most of what I believe it has taken me a long time to work out my view of the Bible. I was raised by people who believed the scripture was inerrant, and that the King James Version was the everlasting version that Saint Paul himself toted on his missionary journeys. I remember lots of rumbling through my church during the seventies when newer, more modern translations were published. I also remember when I first took a look at the New International Version as a teen, and began to realize what "translation" meant and what this action entailed.Around the same time, I began college and started really learning about literature.   

A literature major who has a deep interest in scripture and belief is a dangerous person.

I was taught early on in my life that the Bible was God-inspired and that God told the authors what to write. What I came to understand as I grew up was that (1) the authors that my early educators taught me were the authors probably weren't and (2) that the scripture was rooted in a deep oral tradition, in other words, the stories of the Old Testament were passed on for generations by word of mouth. They were written down years or centuries after the stories were supposed to occur. Then they were translated to Latin, then German, then English, and then other languages.

Translation is not a perfect art. Words in one language don't line up with words in another. Sometimes translators have "agendas" and tell the story with "spin." Some ideas are left out, while others are emphasized.

Can something that has been through this kind of work be "inerrant?" I don't believe it can. God is inerrant, but people, being who we are, are not;therefore, what we write down, even if it is God-inspired, by default is not "inerrant." My friend, Julie, mentioned that she was taught that even though the translation is not exact, "God would make it right." I've also been told over and over again that if something in the translation doesn't make sense, then maybe it's a thought that is "not something we need right now."

Sounds like some serious avoidance of deeper thought to me.

So Does the Lack of Inerrancy Mean the Bible is Without Value?

I'm a literature major, so I will approach this question as such. I have read at least two translations of Beowulf, and three translations of Dante's Inferno. There are also the countless interpretations of Greek plays and stories, and other tales I've heard that are orally based. Despite the differences in wording, the basic stories, the basic themes are still at the core of the literature. The literature still has it's intrinsic value because the heart of the literature is still in place and still resonates, despite the wording.

The Bible is the same way. I could see a problem if the translation ignored the center of the Book, which is God, His journey with us as His children, and the journey man and woman kind has taken with Him. I haven't really ever seen a translation that does that. The words may be slightly different in each translation, in each telling of the Story, but the core song remains the same, and that is what gives it an eternal value.

An Honest Book

Idom says in his article:

 I must always remember, it is not through the bible that I am found. No, that is more about the one God I understand the bible to be revealing. And in that sense, it is more about honesty than anything else. God is the author of grace, not the bible. The bible reveals that grace, but can never dispense it. And as one reads the very real, very human struggles of biblical characters that, in all honesty, have the same failures and hang ups as the rest of us, we actually begin to see ourselves. Honestly.

I love this! When I read about the people in the Bible, whether they are historical (as some are) or not (I believe some are literary constructs), what I am forced to face is my own struggles, my own humanity, my own darkness. I am also given a place to see a God who loves me and the entire family of humanity, as well as a God who never gives up on us. Even when He says, "That's it. I can't stand it anymore," He ends up coming back, or we end up going back, or He ends up trying a new way to reveal Himself to us.

I find more comfort in what I see about God in the Bible, than in thinking that the Bible is inerrant. God and His grace and love is the center of this book that has been spoke, then written, then written some more, then cut and folded, translated, printed, digitized, and distributed to people in places all over the planet. That's what we need to focus on as we read. The scripture is our guide to see God and experience God. It is not a place to get bogged down in arguing over every word, jot and tittle. Rooms versus mansions, real events versus symbolics---when we focus and argue over such petty things, even if we read scripture every single day, we can't focus on God. . We miss a chance to share and be a part of the larger more important themes.

Welcome!

Welcome!: "This is your new Flavors.me page."

Thinking I Need a Dose of Faith...

Overwhelming...Yeah
A few weeks ago, the Atlanta-area had a huge ice storm. While most of us were being stressed out about the ice and snow and boredom, I was having a huge inner storm going on. The week of the ice storm and the week that followed were a challenge. My daughter was accepted to college, registered for a dorm, purchased her first car, and turned seventeen. Then the week after, I got her graduation pictures. This week she will take the test for her driver's license.

My baby girl is suddenly a young woman.

I should be fine with this, and I am fine with this. Except, not really...

The entire thing is overwhelming. I thought I had a few more years. Now, in less than nine months, she will no longer live with me. She will be driving around the Atlanta-area, going to school, and for all intensive purposes being a young adult.This is something I've worked toward since she was born. The time has come, and she is so ready it hurts. I need more time.

Being Fearful
The overwhelmingness of this period of her life leads me to fear. We're not talking the kind of fear that crops up in horror movies where the girl screams and faints. We're talking the kind that makes you freeze in the headlights and forget that you are a thinking, prayerful human being. We're talking the kind of fear that makes your inner self pull her legs to her body and rock back and forth.

Why am I afraid?

I'm afraid because she's very young and heading out into a new world that isn't always nice. I know she can manage that though. She is smart and fierce. I'm afraid because I know there are somethings I didn't prepare her for very well because I couldn't get past my own fears. I'm afraid, and I know that being afraid isn't very Christ-like, but it is very human.

Faith and Things Not Seen
I was contemplating this as I was driving to work this morning. I was thinking about how faith plays into dealing with fear. A friend of mine last week reminded me that I needed to have faith in my daughter and my parenting. Because my daughter left her coffee in the van, I ended up going back to her school, and then coming inside to deliver the coffee. Before I left, I had to visit the bathroom, and discovered something really beautiful inside my stall. I know this sounds bizarre, but look at what I found:

 

God hit me in the face with possibly the best definition in the entire world. This translation is priceless. 

The Reality of What is Hoped for...

The heart of faith is hope. When I get scared, it's hard to hope for anything. I focus on the scary stuff. The scripture reminds me that I have to look at the "reality" that is created in hope. My hope rests in God taking care of the things that make me want to curl up into the fetal position and cry. When we embrace hope, often the fear will go away, maybe not completely, but in a way that makes it more manageable. I pray for the reality of my daughter being safe and good at school. I pray for the reality of me no longer being so scared that I can't think of much more than "God she's growing up too fast."

Proof of What is Not Seen

Faith is really sort of a circular thing. We have faith in God and His participation in our life, even though we cannot see Him as Himself. Our faith and response to that faith proves His participation in our life. Some people would say that we're creating our own positive outcomes, and to some degree that works. There is a whole line of thought about how positive thought patterns and approaches to situations lead to positive outcomes. 

The "proof of what is not seen" is more than just positive thought patterns. It's our ability to see God's fingerprints on those things we have faith that He will care for and deal with. It's in those moments that are bigger than we are where we know that He is the one who manage things because we cannot. I have to know that despite being mortified to my core that my daughter is no longer a child that God will take care of me and her and the life she has chosen as her own. 

It's Still Not Easy

All of this still does not mean that I'm not terrified. I really dislike the idea that if we have faith, we will not know fear.  There have been plenty of times when I had faith that God was in charge, and still felt like I was in the front car of a wooden roller coaster with no seat belt anywhere to be found. Maybe I should feel guilty. Maybe people are right--my faith is not strong enough. I just don't think so. 

If we are in spiritual process, then it stands to reason that we are going to be afraid. We may have to pray for guidance and a strengthening of faith often. We are going to be afraid sometimes. The Holy Spirit is there to offer comfort in those moments. We just have to remember not to get so wrapped up in the fear that we can't hear or feel the Holy Spirit. We also have to remember that He loves us even when we are consumed with fear. When we remember these things, we open ourselves to a chance to walk though the fear and get to the other side. It's there that we can find that maybe the things we fear are not so awful after all.

God of Vocation

Today at Church

I went back to the local Methodist church again today, and attended the traditional service. Normally, my worship style bounces somewhere between contemporary and traditional. I love a good band, but I also love excellent choir music. Back in November, I attended the traditional service, and had a small, but controlled panic attack. There were so many people, none of whom I knew. Today was better. I sat with two dear friends, and I ended up seeing several people I've known since I was a tiny girl. It was still strange because the congregation is HUGE! Still, I managed to find connection and blessing, and I'm happy for that. 

Pastor Jim shared scripture from Matthew 4. This is the story of the beginning of Jesus's ministry. He went around Galilee, gathering the men who would become his disciples. These men went from fishing in the sea, to a lifelong service that is legendary. His point was that vocation was something more than just doing a job. 

Finding Vocation: My Story

He got me to thinking about what vocation means to me. The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word voca, which means calling. So, and Pastor Jim said this as well, when we consider vocation, we have to consider if what we are doing is something we have a burning passion for. It took me a long time to find what I can call a vocation. 

I have always wanted to write, and I write here and a few other places. My problem with writing is that I have a deep lack of discipline. I am passionate about writing, and am very happy when I can do it as often as possible. I truly believe it is one of my vocations, but not my only vocation. 

My other vocation is teaching. Teaching is not what I thought I'd end up doing. For a long time, I'm not sure I thought I'd end up doing more than attempting to be a pastor's wife who worked here and there to help ends meet. I was unhappy, and unfulfilled, but thought that if I just worked hard enough and pretended to be happy, I'd be ok.

It was far from enough. Deep down I knew this, but it took having my children to figure out I needed more. God used my divorce and my desire for education to lead me to a place where He could use me. The word "teaching" kept coming up as I worked for my first degree. I fought this. I was a writer. Teaching was scary. I couldn't get in front of a group of my classmates and present. How in the world would I get up in front of people I didn't know and teach them any thing at all?! 

God had other plans. 

After graduation, I was stuck in a job that I disliked, but couldn't seem to get out of. I interviewed for and got a job as an editor (or so I was told) at a local magazine (it ran apartment ad--very classy). I was going to make more money than I'd ever made. A week after I got the job, I quit. The head of the company thought he was God, and the office politics were thick. Oh, and the "editor" job was actually a receptionist job with very little editing involved. I crawled back to my old job and kept it a little longer. I did not understand why God would do this to me. Why would he gift me with a job, and then yank it away?

I kept getting the same question from people: "Why aren't you teaching?" I thought that teaching was basically equivalent to saying "I failed as a writer, so I have to teach." After four months of hearing "Why aren't you teaching?" and it's cousin "Have you considered teaching?" I started praying. I told God that if He wanted me to teach, He had to open a path for me because I really had no idea how to begin, and I wasn't sure I wanted to teach. It wasn't long before I got an email from a friend who was also an English major and a writer. She told me about a teaching opening at the local technical college. I emailed the contact, and was informed that I needed a Master's degree. I would have been upset, except my friend emailed me another opening at the same college for part-time tutoring. I contacted the school again, and got an interview. Soon, I was tutoring four days a week, and I left my less-than challenging job. 

I was stunned at how happy I was! Eighteen months after I started teaching classes part-time, I accepted a full-time position. Six-and-a-half years later, I'm teaching five classes a week, and although I am often frustrated, tired, and stressed, I find a deep contentment in my work. Students come to me and tell me that they fight to get into my classes. I make a difference. 

Pastor Jim pointed out today that part of vocation is knowing that we make a difference. What I love about teaching is that even if I can't see it, I make a difference. Sometimes, it's a tiny difference. Sometimes, it's a life-changing difference. God uses me to change other people's lives. That's pretty cool. 

Knowing Your Calling is Not About Being Prideful

I get nervous around people who state things like "Jesus told me that I should be doing this." I'm sure that there are people who have those experiences, but it seems like a lot of people who walk around saying these things just like flaunting what they believe is faith. For a long time I have hesitated to call my teaching a calling. It was something I was good at and enjoyed doing. It paid my bills (mostly) and I liked the hours. I didn't want to claim it as my calling because often I am doubtful that I do make a difference. How can I be called when I can't claim that I make a difference? 

Pastor Jim allowed me to realize today that what I was doing was a calling. I was first called to have a relationship with God. Then I was called to help people write better and use language better. It seems like a small thing, but apparently that’s what He wants from me. He gave me gifts, and He wants me to share them. My calling doesn’t make me better than anyone else, and certainly not better than those who are still getting to their callings. What it does do is allow me to work as God’s agent in an efficient and effective way. Even when I don’t know the outcomes with my students, I can be assured that God is there, working with me and through me. I believe that is what vocation is about—God using you to help others in all sorts of ways. I am thankful for the opportunity He has given me to serve. I also pray for those who are still in process toward finding their calling.

So, what’s your vocation?

Baptism: Symbol or Gateway

I attended a Methodist church not far from my house today. As many of you know, I am searching for church and working on figuring out some of my own God-stuff as I search. This church and I have history. I came to this church as a teen and found a home and a place to begin the final stages of growing up (I know, I never have really grown up, but humor me). I got married in what is now the chapel. This church represents a turning point in my life, so coming back is both a blessing and a real struggle. It is a blessing because I can see how much the church as grown and progressed since the mid-1980s. It's a struggle because so much the church I carry in my soul is gone and replaced by things that are unknown to me. As I drove the five minutes from my house to the church, I fought my flight response and forced myself to park my van and enter the building.

Today, I attended Transformations, which is what they call their contemporary service. I spotted a friend who is a member and we ended up sitting together. What a relief! I hate being in a service where I know nobody, mostly because I am natively very shy. The band was great, and I knew the songs, so it was easy to relax and begin to feel God.

The sermon, however, gave me pause. Before I go on, let me say that I really loved the service and will probably go back. I actually didn't mind the minister who led the service either. I know that he meant the best and did his best to present what was in his heart. That love is what is the blessing here.

I just am not sure I agree with his approach.

The scripture is familiar, but is still best if it is read: Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV). I love this story. There is something really special about Jesus wanting to be baptized. I see it as a story that shows us that Jesus wants to show us that He is fully participatory in all matter that concern us in our spiritual and human lives. It is a simple gesture of "this is how you do this." He could have told us, "Go, be baptized, show the world that you are different." Instead, he showed us what to do.

The minister, took a slightly different approach. His interpretation is that baptism is a moment that shows that you choose transformation. In a way, I totally agree. It is a symbol that you are taking a different direction to how you live. He asked us to remember our baptism and remember why we chose to be baptized and how we were transformed. At this point, I began to squirm a bit. This sort of thought assumes that baptism was a huge, transformative moment for every single person in that room. I have the same problem with assuming that every single Christian has a moment of transcendent change when they accept Christ into their lives.

When I was a member of the Baptist denomination, one of the things I heard over and over again was stories of people having what I call "Damascus Road Conversions." They were big, they were loud,they were aMAZing (yes, just like that). As a kid, that was a big deal, and it seemed like most of the adults valued that sort of conversion.

My conversion was not like that at all.

I was ten. We had been in revival all week long. In the mid-1970s, most churches had revival two times a year. Our church had revival in the early spring, usually right before Holy Week, and then again at the end of the summer when hell seemed more real than normal because of the heat. I came to Christ the Sunday after spring revival and was baptized on Palm Sunday of 1976.

I wish I could tell you that I chose to walk the aisle that Sunday because I wanted God to transform my life. The truth of the matter was a lot less exciting and a lot more of a child's decision.

I chose to walk the aisle that Sunday because I was terrified that I was going to die, go to hell, and never see my family again. I've talked before about being afraid to die. This is the root of that fear. That Sunday I was not thinking about how God could transform my life. That was too forward thinking for me. My confession and baptism, at age ten, was about making sure that I wouldn't be separated from my family and die. I have to think that a lot of Baptist children make similar decisions.

This is not to say that my baptism didn't matter. It did. I continued to learn about God, get in trouble for being that girl that dared question the ministers when they said things that were questionable. I studied and read and thought I knew all about how to be a Christian. I was raised to have all the answers at the my beck and call because I knew the scriptures and bore them as weaponry. While all that learning was good, I'm not sure I was really transformed. For me, my response to my terror was just a step in my ongoing connection to church. It was the natural order of things.

Moving Past My Roots
I was baptized again when I was seventeen. I became Methodist (at the very church I visited this morning). If I want to follow the minister's thoughts from this morning, I would say that this baptism is the closest to a "transformative" baptism.  Even so, it's not like my whole life was turned over and completely different. It was not like the end of one life and the beginning of another. It was a symbolic step that showed that my belief structure and thoughts about God were moving away from how I was raised. Still, once again, I consider it another step in my journey. It showed where I was with God in that moment.

I continued to study, and I learned that there were many ways to worship and be with God. I learned that scripture is not weaponry, but a tool to understand how to relate to God and how He relates to us. It's also not a rule book, but a lifestyle possibility. I also became open to the idea that God likes to laugh...a lot. I was transformed, but not in the moment of baptism. It took time, a lot of kind support (I can never thank Reverend Gus Koch enough for showing me God's love), and a lot of work. Even after all that, the transformation was not over.

Is Transformation Ever Complete?

I was baptized once more in my mid-twenties when my then husband and I joined the Disciples of Christ denomination. I wanted to be baptized as a sign of crossing from one denomination to another. There was no real thought of transformation, but more of a symbolic change in my way of worship. I wanted people to know that I agreed to be a part of this denomination and live the best I could. I feel like that has happened. I've learned so much about how much God wants me as I am, and that's I can say and question and examine God, the scriptures, and my life as I choose.

Transformation is an ongoing thing, at least as I've experienced it. I didn't come to Christ with the idea of transformation, but just salvation, at least initially. Baptism is a landmark in your journey (transformation), but not always the catalyst. I am different than that tiny ten year old girl who walked the aisle that Sunday in 1976. I am also different than that seventeen year old young woman, looking for a place to find God's acceptance. I'm even different than that twenty-six year old woman who came to the Disciple Church. I have transformed, but I am continuing to transform. If we're honest, I think many people are that way, and I think that's something that God intends, at least for some of us. Maybe there are those who find transformation in baptism. I just know that's not how I experienced it.

Megathemes: Part One-Education

I follow Diana Butler Bass, author of A People's History of Christianity, on Facebook. Today, she posted an article from The Barna Group, "Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010," which revealed some things that were observed through a survey that this group conducted over the last year. None of the six "megathemes" were really earth shattering to anyone who has been a part of a congregation anywhere in America in the last five to ten years.

Just so no-one thinks The Barna Group is some fly-by-night organization, let me tell you a bit about them. According to their website, this group was founded by George Barna and

is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research, produces media resources pertaining to spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. (www.barna.org)

This research has been going on since 1984, so these folk have seen a lot.

I found the first sentence of the article very telling: "Change usually happens slowly in the Church." As I finish Dr. Bass's book, I know that this is true. The Church has been slowly evolving (yes, a dangerous word) and changing since it's humble beginnings centuries ago. In the last twenty years, however, changes have come to the Church so fast that they are too much to process. Things that we took at face value have been questioned and shaken. Some might say that this is happening because of the Internet or television or our all-access exposure to all sorts of concepts and views of God that were once whispered but never really discussed. The Church has been playing catch up most of my adult life, and in some ways, I think it's not doing very well to keep up.

The first "megatheme" something I started figuring out when I would talk to my fellow Christians about scripture and they would give me blank looks. At first, this really stunned me. I grew up in a church environment rich with scriptural teaching and exposure. The first story I remember being told was the story of David and Goliath. While I cannot quote scripture precisely (I knew one minister when I was a child who could quote any verse in the Bible. It was a skill that was counted as exceptionally valuable in our denomination. I still feel a pang of guilt that memorization of scripture was not as important to me as I was taught it should be.), I know the stories, the people, the history, and the thematics of scripture. Many Christians, especially those of my generation (the article refers to us as Busters), however, do not. The article says something in regards to this weakness:

As the two younger generations (Busters and Mosaics) ascend to numerical and positional supremacy in churches across the nation, the data suggest that biblical literacy is likely to decline significantly. The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency.

I agree and disagree with this observation. Biblical literacy is most likely to decline significantly, and yes, it will bleed down to many Mosaics (generation born 1984-2002) because Biblical and theological education is not pursued in many local churches. I know of some churches that have almost completely abandoned Sunday school. Many Christians not only have no Biblical education but also have no idea about the history of the Church.  With the decline of Biblical literacy, I can see people depending more and more on those who are considered educated to deliver and interpret the information of the scripture. In a sense, we are coming full circle back to the Christianity of the Middle Ages where the very few shared the scripture with the very many who could not read. Ladies and gentlemen, we are voluntarily walking into a very dangerous place. As far as the "theological free-for-all" I'm not sure that will happen on a congregational level except amongst those who actually have education. How can one argue theology if one has no idea what theology is or what one's theology might consist of? I'm not saying that most Christians are stupid--that's not it at all. I'm just saying that one cannot argue what one does not know.

I do agree that the next decade is going to be a time of "theological diversity." I already see that in our churches and outside our churches amongst those who have rejected the church but not the faith or God. We are looking for new ways to see and know God. Some of us have and will run to scriptures and, hopefully, contemplate the words and the truths that undergird the words. Some of us will see the things that connect our faiths with the faiths of others. Some of us will want to redefine and respeak their faith. As far as the "inconsistencies," I'm not so sure that there haven't always been inconsistencies. This is where things like denominations rise. Whether we like it or not, people have all sorts of views of how to relate to God. Education will not pull us all into some sort of theological line where we are all made of the same cookie dough and spout the same platitude about God. Education will allow us to be strong and make our decisions about God, our personal relationship with God, our relationship to the rest of the Christian community,  and the communities we live in. Education beget personal theology which, hopefully, reflects the faith walk of the individual.
 

Part two will discuss out-reach and how the church seems to be less about out-reach and more about other things.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus: First Sunday of Advent

Lectionary Readings


Isaiah 2:2  In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Psalm 122: 8   For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
Matthew 24:44  Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.


And So...We Wait

Tomorrow begins my favorite season in the Christian calendar. For some reason, Advent turns me into a small child all over again. I always find my love of Advent rather ironic. I was raised Southern Baptist. We always had a Christmas play, Christmas choir service, Christmas parties, and Watch Night Services (this is where you sit up all night and pray and sing). We did not light candles, have an Advent wreath or even say the word Advent. I didn't learn about Advent till I became Methodist as a teen. The candles captivated me. The prayers and singing captivated me. It was, and still is, a moment of supreme happiness for me.

The word "advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, which means to come. It is a time many view as a preparation not only for the coming of the Christ Child, but also the second coming of Jesus the Messiah. This second meaning is not an idea I'd contemplated much till now. I've always seen Advent in terms of the Christ Child. The scriptures for tomorrow, however, focus strongly on the second coming.

Expecting Jesus

It seems funny. Humans have spent a lot of their time here on Earth expecting Messiah in some form or other. The Hebrew people predicted Him early on. Look at the scripture from Isaiah. He tells of a leader who will come and people will stream to Him. If we read the entire scripture for tomorrow from Isaiah, the prophet describes this leader as a man who shall  

judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)

I find this scripture interesting because by the time Jesus was born, the People of Israel seem to have forgotten this part of the prophecy. They awaited a Messiah who would lead them in war against Rome. Here, though, Isaiah indicates that peace shall reign under this king. He is not exactly what people think of as king, but then God never offers us the expected.

Jesus was unexpected. He was nothing like what His people wanted, but everything they needed. He attempted to re-teach what it meant to be with God. It's too bad they weren't ready for Him. I'm not sure we're really ready for Him now, two thousand years later.

He's Coming Again

This is where I may get into trouble. The scriptures in the Lectionary this week focus on the Second Coming of Christ. I was raised Southern Baptist, so that phrase has very strong, specific meaning. It conjures up visions of God on His throne telling people to go to hell. It's a time of fearfulness. Many people spend their lives waiting for this moment, predicting this moment, and thinking that this moment is the crux of our faith. Lots of us grew up afraid that we would be the goats instead of the lambs. What's interesting about the scripture in Matthew is that it basically we don't know when He is coming back, but we need to be ready. There are lots of interpretations about "be ready."

I am not really ready to embrace the fearful approach to this. I know a lot of people who skitter around in fear over this moment. I used to do this too. As I read this scripture tonight, and contemplate what it is trying to say, I have to admit, I feel a bit skittery about it too. I almost decided not to use it because of that feeling. Then it hit me--when we celebrate Advent, we are awaiting the Christ Child. We aren't afraid of Him. He brings salvation.

The One we await today--post resurrection--is the same Christ Child. He brings salvation, reconnection and love to us all. He is our Messiah. He teaches us to see God as He is, and to know that God sees us as we are. Matthew's "be ready" may well mean for our hearts to be open to the possibilities that the Christ Child is offering us as He returns.

As Charles Wesley says (and we sing [though not often enough]):

Come, thou long expected Jesus, 
 born to set thy people free; 
 from our fears and sins release us, 
 let us find our rest in thee. 

As we anticipate our Christ Child, let us contemplate and remember why He is coming (and why He is coming again).