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Who are we to focus our anger and pain on?
Devotional/Discussion thought of the Day:
The cries of pain kept me up late into the night, as I remember the words on the radio, the comments on television, the wars of words that filled Facebook and twitter.Even as I struggle amid the realization that I cannot understand the evil that drove a man in Connecticut to act in such an.. evil.. way, the responses didn’t seem to want to diminish the evil but rather revel in hate. Even as I was starting to get to the point where I could pray, the news of another massacre in an elementary school, this one in China, filled my screens… Add to that the publicity-seekers, who rather then send their condolences private, but issued condolences via press releases, and those speculated on the why’s, and the how to prevent the next unpreventable tragedy.
For those who have been involved in such traumas, as I was in 2005*, the speculations and declarations are not something that is beneficial – the most hurtful are those that indicate God allowed such trauma because of this, or that. Indeed, the pain is only increased, the questioning of God that is part of the process of grief made even more painful. The people of God think that God is so petty that He would allow such trauma because we took prayer out of schools? Or that because we didn’t confront one sin directly. ANd then I realize – I am focusing my anger, as inappropriately as those I want to confront for their inappropriate focus….
I know we hurt, even those on the fringe, or who see the fears for their children lived out in the lives of others. We in our anger and pain want to strigke out – want to rail against the evil – we want to take on something. I understand that! I know that desire – to somehow focus all of our rage, all of our pain on someone….
There is only one place to focus that rage – to focus that pain, to focus the anger…..the place that God focused it – along with all His wrath – not just for this massive evil example of sin, but all of the sin we deal with…
We have to go to the cross – to pour out our pain, our anguish, our anger on Jesus Christ – as He lies there – a victim unlike any other – for He chose to be the victim – to take all of the wrath for such actions, to let such sin, and the grief it causes to be nailed with Him there to the cross.
It is there – that our reactions, which can in themselves be sinful and trauma causing and sinful.. can be poured out…. on Jesus, as the cross…
The prophet Isaiah put it this way…
1 Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought GOD’s saving power would look like this? 2
4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.Isaiah 53:1-5 (MSG)
And as you pour out your pain, your grief, and yes, your anger on Him, know that He endures it, even as He despises the shame… for the joy of knowing your healing.
God’s peace flood you life.. this day… and each…..
*( I was part of a team that ministered and counseled students dealing with a murder/multiple homicide – an entire family wiped out)
The Advent of Peace
Advent of Peace
Haggai 2:4-9
Grace and peace to you, the much-promised gift of God our Father, delivered in Christ-incarnate!
Do not fear, do not be anxious!
But How.. and when?
As I hear Longfellow’s poem set to music, (the sermon hymn was “I heard the bells on Christmas Day” – it is an incredible story- !) and the change that comes over him, as if a light is simply turned on, I want to find a way to dismiss his suffering, to dismiss his grief, and thereby, to stay in my own grief, my own negativity, my own despair, my own anxiety. The problem is I know the background of Longfellow’s poem, and my trauma, even and the trauma of our world is not comparable to his trauma, and the trauma of his time.
There is something in this time of year as well, as I talk to businessmen, and principals, other pastors and those who I come in contact with, there is a sense of pessimism, in this time where we should be eagerly expecting some of the greatest joy of the year. People are struggling – many of us are struggling…
I hear in the song, the words of the angels who visit the outcasts in the field ,
Do not fear! There is peace on Earth, and God’s will, His desire for men is good…good!
And my theologian brain comes into play and I justify my dweeling in the early part of the song with theological statements like this promise of peace is now..and not yet. It is fulfilled and yet I can’t really see it.
And I, with supposed justification slink back into despair, and bow my head in defeat.
And then comes Advent… and we have to come face to face with the promise, and we have to realize – that yes, this promise is true, as is the God who delivered that promise to a stable in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
But how do we make the change – from despair to joy, from thinking there is no peace, to glorying in it?
That is the challenge of Advent.
Look to His creation!
Look to the simple glory and know… the glory of Christ
And in the place where Christ is, glory and peace dwells
And that is in you.
In the words of the prophet Haggai, as his words, like the angels encourage us, I think I begin to see how to find the peace.
First the prophet reminds us of two of God’s promises by calling to mind His oath and covenant with us. That covenant was made when He delivered his people from bondage one, and assured them that He would always do so.. The second promise is there – next slide – when the Father promised, even back then, that the Holy Spirit would remain in the midst of His people – that God’s presence was there, even then, caring and comforting, forgiving and guiding, pouring out and establishing His peace..
There begins the source of our strength!
Less we doubt God being able to provide this care, this peace, the prophet is instructed to remind us of the incredible power of God – that He can, and indeed will shake the world, to separate and sift it, separating what is the treasure – what is the glory of those nations, that it may come pouring in.
God claims it is all His, that it all belongs to Him, that the glory of it will cause the glory of God’s abode to be greater than it ever was…
And then we realize, the gold and silver symbolize something, for while that may be where man’s treasure is, it is not where God’s is.
What is God’s treasures, that will out of the nations…
You and I are…
And when we realize that – the lights turn on… and we hear the glorious words, and we know that in this place, where we dwell with God, there is peace.
That’s the concept of advent – come and seen this newborn king – Come and adore Him,
Come and realize His promises are true – that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord.
Come, and leave the fears and anxieties behind – His spirit is present, His peace is present.
and as we look at our Lord, as we see the manger and the cross, and the empty tomb….
The light shatters the darkness, the love heals our brokenness, and we know, heart, soul mind and strength… that there is peace on earth, that there is God’s will coming complete in our lives…
Come and see – His peace is here… His Good will is here… and it is well…
The Blessing of Pain?
A favored quote from the Princess Bride:
“Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”
There is a lot of pain in the world, even as there is a lot of beauty in the world. There is no way to doubt that, and we can only deny it so long. Occasionally, we get a glimpse of something that is both, tied in a paradox that can be enjoyed and suffered through.
But let’s be honest – most pain sucks!
Rarely, do we see the beauty in pain, the glory of God revealed in trauma. It is very difficult, for the pain grabs our focus. It dominates us, it pushes us down, and yes it causes us to doubt. To doubt those around us, to doubt ourselves, to doubt God.
Yeah – it’s time to stop playing games – because of the levels of pain, it causes us to doubt God.
Even pastors, perhaps especially pastors.
Even apostles – hear how God had Paul reveal that in his own life.
4:7 Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. 8 We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; 9 there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. 10 At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. 11 Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus’ sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. 12 This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (TEV)
While I know I exaggerate the pain I have to endure, these words of Paul so incredibly describe some days I have. It can be my pain, but often it’s the pain that people I walk alongside develop. The pain endured by people struggling with the loss of a spouse, or losing a parent. The people who are dealing with job sresses, or dysfunctional family members and dysfunctional families. The pain due to lack of trust, the pain of betrayal, the pain of opposition as we try to bless those opposed to us.
As we are troubled, as we doubt, as we deal with enemies, as we are “badly hurt”, how can we say this can be what this same Paul promises (speaking for God) that “all things work for good, for those who love God?”
The ability to endure such times, is to know the difference comes from seeing, knowing the relationship we have with the God. TO begin to grasp the life that is united with Christ’s cross, which happened to us in baptism (see Romans 6:1-8)
Knowing that we endure in Christ (scripture talks about us as being hidden in Christ as well) we begin to look to Him in the midst of trauma, in the midst of pain. We find His presence, and we find it very dear – even when we can’t see the fulfillment of the prophecies, when we can’t find the joy in the journey.
But we begin to trust, even in the midst our doubt – ever more and more, His presence. We realize our pain can cause us to run to God, as we look to Him for some hope, some sense of peace… and that is when the miracle occurs…. Like the disciples in the boat, we realize the Lord is with us… and the storms don’t die down, the pain doesn’t always diminish. But God’s presence becomes the dominant part of our life, not the pain… we begin to find ourselves ministering to others when they observe the pain..we find our spiritual senses more attuned, and eventually trying to praise God ….for in the midst of lament, we find some of the most honest, most dependent worship there is….
And that is when pain….becomes a blessing.
When we realize HE IS HERE… when we realize the Holy Spirit is called the “comforter”, the One who comes alongside, for a reason…
HE IS HERE!
And that is more than enough…. even though we can never explain how….
