If we are to participate into the very heart of Epiphany, to the very soul of its meaning for us, we need to do more than hear the Scripture account of the Magi. We also need to participate in a meditative way in the entire service of worship into which this story has been placed because this piece of the unfolding mystery of salvation is the key to the shape of our spiritual experience between now and Lent. Even as our Christmas spirituality was shaped by the dominant theme of the incarnation, so now our Epiphany spirituality will be shaped by the overriding theme of Christ’s manifestation as Savior of the world. Even as the incarnation finds its continuation in us through our union with Christ, so the Epiphany of Christ is extended in us through the practice of Epiphany spirituality. Our Epiphany journey can start at no better place than the Epiphany service of worship. (Ancient-Future Time, p. 76)
Webber, Robert, Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year. Baker Books, 2004.
“A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.” 1
These are the first lines of a beloved (by me anyway!) poem by T.S. Eliot written after his conversion to Christianity. Simply titled The Journey of the Magi, Eliot describes the events surrounding their journey to greet the newborn king of Israel. I love these lines because they picture the hardness and courage needed for such a journey. Eliot’s poem is rich in metaphor and as the wise men come close to the end of this journey he writes of them coming into a temperate valley with flowing streams, and three trees on a hill.
Take a moment and put yourself into this place, even on those camels – where the journey is hard and cold, but the sweet smells of summer call – and you find yourself wanting to move faster and faster toward deliverance and salvation. They almost blew it – going straight to Herod to get directions because of course Herod would know where the new king would be. Surely, he too would want to meet the “consolation of Israel.” Almost frantic now, they left in a hurry and saw the star that would lead them to their end. Eliot says “and so we continued, and arrived at evening, not a moment too soon. Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.” From Matthew’s account (2:1-12) we see “they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
This was the first encounter (as far as we know) of Gentiles encountering the Christ. And for them it was such an epiphany, such a manifestation and a revelation of the salvation that would be for all the world it took them to their knees in worship. This is Epiphany and for the church it’s a time where we acknowledge all the ways that Christ has been revealed as Savior and Lord to us. For the wise men, it was a revelation of glory – and glory is so often linked with light in the Scriptures.
Consider these verses from John – and by consider I mean read them in a sacred slow meditative way. Light a candle, listen to a beloved song. (I highly recommend O Magnum Mysterium.) Even better, have someone else read them to you! Or you read them to someone else! I love, love it when I hear stories read aloud. I have had a crush on Garrison Keillor’s voice for a very long time. I loved it when Leanne Payne in the context of a teaching would tell a story from her own life that not only brought the teaching to life – it became an incredible way God revealed Himself to us who were there listening.
Sorry, I got off course – here are the verses from the gospel of John. Think glory, think revelation, think light.
John 1:4-5 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:9-10 – The true light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him., yet the world did not know him.
John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:18 – No one has ever seen God. It is God the only son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made Him known.
John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ( ESV)
What stirred in you in this reading? How did God reveal Himself to you? What phrases or words touched your soul? Scripture is alive! And God reveals Himself to us through His Word.
There are other miracles associated with Epiphany but I think I’ll stop here. In fact, let’s all stop and listen and look for and receive what God chooses to reveal to us. We too, along with the shepherds or the wise men, and Simeon, and Anna, can see Jesus – and bend our knees in worship. Corporately or in our own devotional times can pray as we come into God’s presence – “Lord, reveal yourself to us… in our struggles, in our suffering, in our joys, in our worship.” May the cry of our hearts perpetually be: “Make yourself known, Lord, this day and every day.”
“A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.” And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory, Lying down in the melting snow. There were times we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. Then the camel men cursing and grumbling And running away, and wanting their liquor and women, And the night-fires gong out, and the lack of shelters, And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.: A hard time we had of it. At the end we preferred to travel all night, Sleeping in snatches, With the voices singing in our ears, saying That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley, Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation; With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky, And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow. Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel, Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver, And feet kicking the empty wine-skins. But there was no information, and so we continued And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down This set down This: were we lead all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods. I should be glad of another death.
Happy New Year! I begin this year with what became a significant part of my formation in Christ over the last few years. As the title suggests, this practice is called a “rule of life”. Many people find choosing one word for the year helpful, others choose practices or resolutions. This idea of a rule of life is ancient going back to monasteries and convents early in the life of the church. In recent years this practice has become for many an alternative to the typical New Year’s resolutions. If you want to see what’s out there on this subject, google it and you will find several sites and/or books on this. I wrote on this practice in January 2024 and have included a link to that post.
Personally, it has been a rich encounter in prayer and dialogue with God and others. I am not good at setting what seem to be unrealistic goals or resolutions that by the end of January I am discouraged and end up setting the rules aside. I believe there is an actual name for that – called Quitters Day and it happens on the second Friday in January! The rule of life is a marker or signpost that takes me deeper into my Christian formation. Below are some very significant markers for me. Yours might be very different than these. But I encourage you to take this season and prayerfully consider where God might be leading you on this part of your journey.
Baptism
…that [I] may remain faithful to my baptism, living by it, making it always the source and the power of his life, a constant judgment, criterion, inspiration, “rule of life.”1
I bind unto myself today The strong name of the Trinity, By invocation of the same, The Three in One, and One in Three.
I bind this day to me forever, By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation, (Christ with us and in us) His baptism in the Jordan river, (his identification with us) His death on the cross for my salvation; (forgiveness of sin) His bursting from the spiced tomb; (new life) His riding up the heavenly way; (taking us with him into heaven) His coming at the day of doom; (his glorious return) I bind unto myself today.
Calling
My calling in this season of life is to share the wisdom God has carved out of me (carved into me) through His sanctifying work – whether in joy or sorrow, suffering or peace, absence or presence.
By identifying my calling in this season of life, I believe it provides a great signpost not only to my intentions but to the decisions I will make about how I spend my time, and my resources.
I have wavered on this calling so many times just in the last few years and have often believed I should stop doing something that’s so hard and makes me feel vulnerable. I had prayed about this many times and after a time of prayer with some very encouraging friends I went back to the Lord and this is what I heard in response to my cry! I will say, that I was very unsure about including this, because it is so personal and I feel very vulnerable sharing it. But I do so as an encouragement that God does speak to us when we have doubts or feel shame about what He is calling us to do.
Little one, I am not asking you to be special or profound – but to look at your life – all the crooked ways made straight by My grace and power. Dig deep and there you will find living water. Even the scent of water is enough to share. I am not asking you to share what I have done in someone else’s life. It’s your story that you’ve been given to share. Word from 10/29/23.
Prayer
(from last year’s post on rule of life, which I still find meaningful today.)
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour, that I may not be one moment apart from thee, but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought, speak in every word, direct every step, prosper every work, build up every mote of faith, and give me a desire to show forth thy praise; testify thy love, advance thy kingdom. I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with thee, O Father, as my harbor, thee, O Son, at my helm, thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
The Valley of Vision (a compilation of Puritan Prayers), Arthur Bennett.
My rule of life came out of dialogue not only with God, but also out of dialogue with my own soul and what I needed most. And if these things I’ve included in my rule of life are meant to characterize my life I must find ways that help me live that out. I’m allergic to the word resolutions (especially this time of year!) but they can help engage our wills as we seek to live out our desires. While I haven’t specifically included this in my rule of life, I have been convicted about how I love (more specifically how I don’t love) others in the holy and honorable way they deserve to be loved. For a talk I gave several years ago I put together a set of life together resolutions – and I realize how much that can help move me from “I would like to love better,” to actually finding concrete and specific ways to do so.
When I take Schmemann’s statement on baptism to heart, I hope it’s clear that I am not literally referring to my own baptism. Even though I was an adult, I have no clear memories of that time. That saddens me. I had only been a Christian a short time and it happened in a lake on my college campus. But our baptisms, (remembered or not!) picture so completely our formation in Christ.
Living out our baptisms was the way Leanne Payne talked about wholeness in Christ. It means as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Each day I believe we have the opportunity to die to self and sin, confess it, receive His forgiveness and grace and rise up as one who has been given the fullness of life! We know as Paul said in Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The inexorable hope of glory!
This version of St Patrick’s Breastplate is meaningful to me because it tracks the whole life of Christ and thus the whole life of the church as we live out the significant acts of His life. “I bind…” – I don’t just affirm, I don’t just agree… I take this truth to heart. The image I have is of Odysseus tying himself to the mast of the ship that he might not yield to the temptation of the sirens.
When we mark and honor all that happened in the life of Christ every aspect becomes a part of our daily confession. For those who follow the Orthodox tradition , “the focus is on a Person (Christ) and the life He lived – the arc of Christ’s life beginning with his taking on human nature, his birth, his growing up, his ministry and his teachings, his death on the Cross, his third day resurrection, his ascension into heaven, his sending the Holy Spirit, and his glorious Second Coming. ” 1
So, as often as I pray this version of this part of St Patrick’s prayer – I can see myself – tying myself to the mast of Christ’s work on my behalf – all of it. As I do that, in much the same way it helped Odysseus, I am strengthened to face the temptations and trials of this life.
Lastly, as I regularly review my rule of life in prayer – I am made more aware of my need to find spiritual practices that give me “boots on the ground.” I must align what I do with what I feel God calling me to do. So it impacts how I spend my time, my resources, my body, mind, soul and spirit! But how well I engage with the spiritual practices I feel called to is not the goal -simply part of the means to living out what God has led me to in my rule of life. Some of those practices include confession of sin (I have two lovely partners who help me with this!), lectio divina (sacred reading), study of the Scriptures, and of course prayer. There are other practices I might be called to in particularly difficult times.
I’ll end with what I wrote at the end of the post on rule of life that I wrote in January of last year.
May it start in us through the song God has sung over us through all our days. May it spring from a place of hunger, and a desire for transformation that can only result in our becoming like Him. May we be resolute in casting off any hindrance, any sin, any relationship that inhibits His sanctifying work in us. May we live out our baptisms every day. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep may we remember to take our place in His death and in His resurrection – through prayer, through confession, through practicing His presence, through virtue, and through love.
This week as we honor the gift of peace we have received through Christ’s birth, it might be good to take some time to look at what hinders that indwelling peace. I think we might agree that anxiety in our culture has reached an epidemic level. Two verses from the New Testament, I believe, help us turn to the One who gives us the peace that brings wholeness and well-being.
Paul in Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
And John then in 1 John 4:18 – “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
In the verse from 1 John, “perfected” might be better translated as completed or fulfilled. You could say John is saying – “freedom from fear is ours because God’s love for us has been fulfilled (in Christ!)” The context for this verse is found in the verses that preceded this – (and for that matter, the verses that come later). John is not talking about imperfect love as if there was something we could actually do to counteract fear in our lives. Looking at the verses that come right before verse 18 – I love what John says about this kind of love –
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.
1 John 4:16 (ESV)
I’ve included these two passages in this particular prayer of confession because anxiety breeds a lot of shame – and what we see in both Paul and John is that love is the antidote to fear. We are promised a Father in heaven – because of what Christ has done for us we now call him, Abba, dear Papa… And we are told in the passage from 1 John that the way through fear and anxiety is to receive the kind of love that leads to abiding in Him.
All this to say, that when we come to the prayer of confession in our theme of peace, I think it’s unproductive to simply say – “repent of your fear or anxiety.” I’m not saying there isn’t a need to repent of any attitude that keeps us from receiving all that God has done for us in Christ. I just don’t think that’s where we start.
As we look to the Holy Spirit to reveal our hearts let’s be open to seeing the ways our sins against others, ourselves or God keep us bound to anxiety. Here are some questions that might help us be specific in our confession and thus to go on to receive His forgiveness.
Are there ways you try to manage our anxiety through unhealthy practices? In our confessions of sin last week, I talked about defensive mechanisms that keep us numb. – over-using our phones, binging on shows (I do love my murder mysteries), scrolling through social media, over or under eating… These are all ways we might try to manage our anxiety. Here are a few others:
Do you compare yourself to others? This can almost be unconscious, because we do it so often. We walk into a room and immediately measure ourselves against others there. We’re better, smarter, cooler, whatever. Or we’re painfully aware of how we don’t measure up – we will never be that smart, good, cool, whatever…
Do you judge others harshly – out of an attempt to mask your judgment of yourself?
Are there self-destructive patterns of behavior you engage in while trying to mask anxiety?
Do you hold onto unforgiveness because you believe you could never measure up to what you “think” God demands of you?
Do you find that your thoughts spiral down in paralyzing ways?
Prayerfully consider these questions as you come into this prayer confession. Confess, repent, receive and then come back to a place where you can abide in His love for you! And let that assurance bring you the kind of shalom peace Christ has purchased for you. That kind of love and peace Christ gives us restores in us wonder and worship. There is no other god like our God!
…we cannot talk about sin for very long without being drawn into doxology. Were it not for the mercy of God surrounding us, we would have no perspective from which to view sin, for we would be entirely subject to it. That is the reason for affirming that wherever sin is unmasked and confessed, God’s redemptive power is already present and acting. Fleming Rutledge
Begin by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).
Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?
Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.
Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
Receive His assurance of pardon – 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ . (Eph 1:7-9 ESV)
And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His forgiveness ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. “Cast your burdens unto Jesus!” Friends, I couldn’t resist this video – I remember singing it often during Pastoral Care Ministries schools!
Please note here, I realize there often is a need to get professional help in dealing with anxiety disorders. I am not trivializing that by giving you “five points to freedom from anxiety.” Please know that God is deeply concerned about what you need. And whether it’s spiritual help or psychological help you need – please reach out to get the help you need!
“This is the place of my song-dream, the place the music played to me,” whispered the Rat, as if in a trance. “Here in this holy place, here if anywhere, surely we shall find Him!”
Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror—indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy—but . . . he knew it could only mean that some august Presence was very, very near. . . .
“Rat!” he found breath to whisper, shaking. “Are you afraid?”
“Afraid?” murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. “Afraid! Of Him? O, never, never! And yet—and yet—O, Mole, I am afraid!”
Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship. 1
This is from a wonderful children’s story called The Wind and The Willows. Kenneth Grahame, like C.S. Lewis, and George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton wrote often about childlike wonder. Lewis, in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, said of the Penvesie children when they heard that Aslan was on the move: “At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in his inside.” The name for this was awe – a biblical kind of fear. All four of these authors wrote for children and adults, but they captured awe and wonder especially well in their books for children.
What they are reaching for is to bring their reader into a grasp of the haunting otherness… either of God or of some other created thing. Lewis, writing in the preface to George MacDonald: An Anthology, said this of MacDonald: “The quality which had enchanted me in his imaginative works turned out to be the quality of the real universe, the divine, the magical, terrifying, and ecstatic reality in which we all live”. He, MacDonald and Chesterton (and others) knew that children are more awake to this glory than most adults. They draw us into the “weight of glory,” which is less like beauty or light, and more like weight and depth. (Glory in the Old Testament is related not to light, but to weight). Most children’s books, especially those written by those with a Christian worldview, are so much better at wonder than books for adults.
Yet, while I love the innocence of childlike wonder it’s old wonder that captures my heart. The kind of wonder that survives the groaning of time, of pain… I know Simeon should be saved for after Christ’s birth, but I just can’t help it. He is my Christmas hero. And the way Luke describes him! “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25). (But the whole account should be read! 2:25-35). Such beauty, such poetry and simplicity. A 500-page novel could be written from these few words. Picture if you will, this man (we think he is old, but we don’t really know that for sure) – a simple devout man, who came to the temple often. When did he come? Did he leave a wife and family at home every day? Did he travel the same path to the temple? Did he come with an expectation that this might be the day? We don’t even know if he was a priest, Luke only tells us he was devout and righteous; but the Holy Spirit rested upon him and told him things about the Messiah.
The reason I am so stuck on Simeon in this week, is that the virtue we celebrate this week is peace. Peace is what Simeon was looking for – but he uses a quite unusual word for it, “consolation.” Simeon was waiting for Consolation – His people were waiting for Consolation, a Messiah who brought a peace that would never cease, never end. This picture for me is not just comfort or solace – even though those things are needed! The picture of consolation conjured up for me is so fraught with the idea of deep sorrow, oppression, and suffering. When I think of consolation the first word that comes to me is inconsolable. I see someone wracked with sobs… not a dainty cry, but an ugly cry. The people of God in Simeon’s day were inconsolable because they had suffered for so long and were in such great despair and fear that their Messiah would not come. Simeon’s response to holding the infant Jesus is a kind of wonder that is not merely magical or hopeful – it is old wonder. It’s wonder that has walked a long distance and yet still has the capacity to say of God – “He has met us here… He is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6 ESV)
To embrace mystery (and so encounter wonder) means we are stirred by “otherness;” especially when it comes to God in Christ who was made man.
We can marvel at the baby in the straw because we know His glorious end.
We marvel not only at the strangeness of this, but with the knowledge that the Creator of heaven and earth, so loved us, that He sent his Son to die for us. Not even the noblest of humans could have done that. Wonder is all over the place in Luke’s narrative of Christ’s birth. The angel in Luke 2:14 cried – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Old wonder is a gift to those who have left behind their cynicism about the state of the world. It’s the capacity to stay in the grace of awe and worship in spite of hardships. We tend to sanitize the birth of Christ -through Christmas carols like “Away in a Manger” and yes, even “Silent Night.” There could not have been much quiet or sweet smells in a stable full of animals, and where a woman is giving birth in pain like any other mother. A cacophony (don’t you just love that word?) of noise, and the smells of wet sheep, trampled straw and the smell of birth. In only a short time, an unimaginable horror would take place – the slaughter of every boy under the age of two in the region of Bethlehem. This was the world that the “Consolation of Israel” was born into.
Longanimity is the virtue that allows us to hold onto wonder through long periods of suffering and pain. It’s what Paul calls long-suffering, and it enables us to endure by the power of the Indwelling Spirit of God…
It gives us what we need to stay the course, to press on to the “Day of the Lord” where we will once and for all leave behind our suffering and pain and take up our home where there will be no more tears. Longanimity is the grace that helps us look toward the end. – It’s a virtue that I believe Jesus called his disciples to, especially in the garden of Gethsemane when he asked his disciples, to keep vigil for him. Three times He asked them, and after one of those times, he asks Peter “could you not watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37). (Ugh, that pierces my often fickle heart). Simeon was a man who kept vigil well. He waited his whole life for the Consolation to come to his people. Again, longanimity is the grace to stay the course – to look not only to the end of our pain and suffering, but to Him who is our peace.
“Peace on earth” – this is the word of the Lord as it came through the angel singing over the shepherds. This is the peace that Consolation brings – not a truce between enemies, not a ceasefire in battle, but a deep abiding sense of well-being. The Old Testament calls it shalom – wholeness, right-ness, wellness and completeness.
Peace is not a gift that passes from Christ the giver to us the receivers. His peace is ours because he is ours, and the peace he is experiencing we are experiencing. Our experience of peace is his peace in us because he is in us.”2
John Piper
This is echoed by Elizabeth Goudge – “Peace had come down to dwell with men forever. No matter what the suffering, the fighting, the storms, the distress, nothing now could ever take from the lovers of God the gift of his peace. Men could never again doubt the goodwill of God toward them, for God had given his own Son to be born, to live, to die, for their salvation. God’s goodwill was incarnate now as a little child lying in a manger.”3
Old Wonder – Simeon’s words to Mary and Joseph were not words of the kind of peace that is conciliatory or cheap. Simeon knew he held in his arms the hope of the world, the entry of a radical new world, an upside world where finally, there would be peace. But he knew that there would yet be much suffering. As he gives the baby Jesus back to Mary, he says to her – “and a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the hearts of many might be revealed.” This is echoed in what Jesus later says, when he says, “34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mat 10:34 ESV). Wait, didn’t the angel just say – “Peace on earth, goodwill to men?” Jesus does not speak to any kind of peace which seeks merely the absence of conflict, or a weak truce between enemies. No, His peace is a peace that goes deep into the souls of His people, a shalom peace. In the gospel of John he says “peace be unto you,” seven times, three of which are after His resurrection and are meant as an encouragement to not be afraid of Him as He brings His resurrected body before them.
The image that comes to my mind of this kind of peace is of hands crossed over the heart, receiving what only God in Christ can bring. In fact, while the Holy Spirit only rested upon Simeon, He lives within every heart that calls Christ Lord. Take a moment, and simply do this: place your hands over your heart and welcome the shalom God brings to your life. Receive well-being, receive Him once again as the healer of all our pain and sorrow. Finally, receive Him as your eternal “Consolation.” And then, bow the knee in worship before Him.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Prayer is of course one of those spiritual practices that help form Christ in us. I started this particular practice last year because I wanted to keep the Lord’s Prayer fresh in my devotional life. I encourage you to do this as well. I simply wrote out the prayer from Matthew 6 and then asked the Holy Spirit to help me write my own with that week’s theme in mind.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father – You whose name is so holy that we cannot help but worship; we are in awe that we have a Father in heaven and not some distant or indifferent power. Who else is there but You – and if we have you, what more do we need? You lavish us with not only your blessed kingdom, but also what we need to satisfy our hungers. Yet, Lord, we ache for the fullness of a kingdom without hunger or thirst, a kingdom without fear or despair. Our sure and fast hope is that you will bring that kingdom to us, your beloved on the Day of the Lord. Turn our hearts away from our own willful ways to your will alone, and forgive us Lord. We do not take it for granted, and so out of gratitude for this wonder[ful] gift, we give you praise and honor. How can we then keep from those who have sinned against us that same grace and charity? Hide us, Abba, through your Holy Spirit that we might not fall into temptation, but stay true to you alone. May we persevere with hope until that day when you will make all things new. Keep from us all wiles of the devil or the world that we might for all eternity bend the knee to you for whom belongs all the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Advent is a way for us to remember the story of God as told through the Hope of His people. Hope (in what is not seen) reaps a reward – the reward of an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:4-5). Our Hope is a Person – not some watered down desire or wishful thinking.
Our hope is Christ in us – which is the glory of the mystery of the Incarnation…
Colossians 1:27
Our hope is a firm anchor; our hope is God himself, and this hope carries us through our longings, our failings, our disappointments or despair… Our Advent Hope speaks to three comings: the coming of Christ in the stable and at the Cross – the coming of Christ into every heart that proclaims him Lord; and the coming of Christ at the end of the age.
This week’s focus on hope gives us the opportunity to bring to Christ the ways that we have not held onto biblical hope. Perhaps there are places in our hearts that have held onto unmet expectations, unanswered prayers, or unhealed pain. Despair is the soul’s reaction to pain, suffering or disappointment, particularly when these are prolonged. It is so much more than sadness or depression. It’s a place in us where resignation lives, where all sense of hopeful future has died. It can show up in our lives in many ways – boredom (ennui), sloth, passivity or on the opposite end of that, restlessness or activism.
Despair is hope’s enemy, that effectually diminishes our capacity for wonder. Advent hope is what dispels the power of despair – but the path to that may be arduous and difficult. We were made for hope and when we discover or recover its power we can say with Mother Julian of Norwich – “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” As we ask God to show us what needs to be confessed in light of despair, I have not found it helpful to strictly focus on despair as the sin we need to confess. What I have found helpful is to ask God to show me any of the sinful ways I have tried to mask that despair, or even to grasp how much power it can have in us. In this day and age, we have right at our fingertips the tool that would repress our despair – our phones. There are other ways we sin or attempt to defend against our pain as well – binge watching, over-eating, not-eating, withdrawal from community… Yet, our Father in heaven has sent His Son to heal us and to restore us. He wants to restore our hope and joy. I believe as we confess these defensive patterns and name the sins therein and go on to receive His forgiveness we can begin to see Him lifting that despair off of our hearts. And the disenchantment of despair will lift as well. We see in new ways the wonder of our incarnate Savior – we can worship the Father and bow in awe because He has restored to us the hope of our salvation.
Begin by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).
Now let him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?
Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He gives you the grace to do this.
Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
Receive His assurance of pardon – 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ . (Eph 1:7-9 ESV)
And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his forgiveness ask him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).
Who is like a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression For the remnant of his inheritance He does not retain his anger forever, Because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers From the days of old. Micah 7:18-20
All of a sudden we just know: prayer is a conversation in which God’s Word has the initiative and we, for the moment, can be nothing more than listeners. The essential thing is for us to hear God’s Word and discover from it how to respond to him. His Word is the truth, opened up to us. For there is no ultimate, unquestionable truth in man; he knows this, as full of questionings, he looks up to God and sets out toward him. God’s Word is his invitation to us to be with him in the truth. We are in danger of drowning on the open sea, and God’s Word is the rope ladder thrown down to us so that we can climb up into the rescuing vessel. It is the carpet, rolled toward us so that we can walk along it to the Father’s throne. It is the lantern which shines in the darkness of the world (a world which keeps silence and refuses to reveal its own nature); it casts a softer light on the riddles which torment us and encourages us to keep going. Finally, God’s Word is himself, his most vital, his innermost self: his only begotten Son, of the same nature as himself, sent into the world to bring it home, back to him. And so God speaks to us from heaven and commends to us his Word, dwelling on earth for a while: “This is my beloved Son: listen to him: (Mat. 17:5) [1]
Psalm 146:5 – Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry…
Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, how).
Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.
Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?
Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?
[1] Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Prayer (San Francisco: Ignatius Press), 1986. Translated by Graham Harrison.
