an uncertain future

"These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon...It said: ⁴Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ⁸For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,^* for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord.
For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,⁴I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile." Jeremiah 29.

Unsettling and unsettled.  These words describe how I have been feeling for awhile now.  Not just since the presidential election, which really intensified these feeling and thoughts.  I have been feeling like this for some time because life in American culture is unsettling today. 
My wife is a full-time teaching in a public school position that is stressful and exhausting emotionally, mentally, and physically for her.  My boys are growing up.  My oldest son is in middle school now.  Changes are happening with him that we anticipated, but feel ill equipped sometimes to address.  We want out kids to be well-adjusted, feel safe and secure, have good friendships, learn new and challenging things, and have activities they enjoy.  We want to them to feel successful in school and we want them to be compassionate and caring toward others.  We are well-intentioned parents, but sometimes feel like we don't devote enough time to the project of forming healthy adults.  We feel like we are still maturing, changing, learning, and struggling too.  And there are a lot of moving parts in daily life---Caring for ourselves, maintaining a calendar of activities, nurturing relationships outside our home and family, doing meaningful work, and maintaining a house are time- consuming and leave little room to pause.  We also don't want to project our anxieties and frustrations on our kids.  We want to breathe in peace and breathe out love.  We want to be consistent in our actions and show devotion to things and people we care about.  And sometimes we just want to check out.  We want our home to be a sanctuary and it sometimes feels like a production factory.  I see work every where I go.  Time set apart for reflection, rest, and relationship-building is hard to find.  I suspect we aren't alone in all of this.
Alongside these things, we are attempting to live in community with others who are called to be church, the people of God following the way of Jesus.  And not in a traditional congregation.  I am a mission developer helping a 128 year old congregation give birth to a new expression of Christian community.  And we are at a point in our development where both communities feel a little unsettled, uncertain, and tentative about their futures. Some people are moving on. Some people are experiencing life changes and challenges. Some people come and go.  Some people are finding their way, tentatively, into the community that gathers around an open table of welcome. It all feels very loose, unstable, and unsettling.  What if nobody comes to dinner church?  It sometimes feels like it could all just end.  And then it sometimes feels like its just getting started.  Its hard to know if we're on a right heading sometimes.   
Then I read this text from the prophet Jeremiah.  It is a reminder to me that when I feel unsettled, uncertain, and anxious I can trust that God is near.  I can trust that we will have what we need when we need it. I can trust that God has a future planned that I cannot see.  I can trust that God is at work to bring about that future. I can trust that I am where I am because I was sent, planted, exiled, and moved here by God for God's mission.  Though I sometimes feel like uprooting my family and moving on, I hear these words and trust that this is home.  For now.  And for now, that will be enough. 
  
 

the one after the election

Based on Isaiah 65:17-25 and Luke 21:5-19. 

In these weeks of November, we hear stories about the destructive ends of things as they have been and the promise of new beginnings.  A dying and rising, a decay and renewal motif embedded in the scriptures we read in the public assembly.  I think we would do well to pay attention to them as they pertain to our life together in America today. 

Tuesday was election day and it was not the end of the world.  Nor was it the beginning of a new day of peace, prosperity, and justice for all.  No President will embody the hopes and needs of all the people.  The vision of Isaiah does not rest on the shoulders of Donald Trump.  Talk of unification, the wolf lying with the lamb, is hardly to be anticipated after the inauguration.  Far from it.  This campaign season was not benign.  It revealed an ugly underside to our political life, a dark cynicism, that we have not seen.  Clearly many people are not happy, are indeed angry with our leaders and the direction we are going.  No hopeful vision, but rather collective grievances elected our next president. I get that some people just thought he would do a better job. But we all have to admit that the campaigns were polemical, mean-spirited, negative, and sought to bring out the worst in us.   Both sides demonized the other and their supporters.  There needs to be a way for healing, reconciliation, and peacemaking.

This has been a confusing week in our country.  For some of us, the outcome of the election was a joyful surprise.  For others, a frightening and devastating sadness.  I have heard from neighbors who are afraid of what will happen to them or their loved ones. I have heard from others who think those people are overreacting.   This election season has revealed deep division in our country, in our communities, even in our own families.  No matter who won the Presidency, about half of the country would have been angry, concerned for the future, and dejected.  It betrays a dark reality in which we find ourselves as Americans.  These divisions were not only about big versus small government, or taxes, or the economy, or international relations. Something else played a role in polarizing the electorate. We all have thoughts and feelings about this election.  But what do we believe?  This is what matters.  What do we believe? Where is God present?  What is God doing?  Separation of church and state is not separation of God and politics. Separation does not mean that church has nothing to say about or to the governing authorities.  We bring our faith everywhere, even into the voting booth.  So what do we believe?  I can only point us to the Word to seek the heart and mind of God. 

First, I want to say that the demonization of minorities, women, Muslims, people of color, immigrants, and refugees is not ok.  The law of God commands Israel to welcome and serve the widow, orphan, and resident alien in their midst.  And the way of Christ calls us to welcome the stranger, care for the most vulnerable among us (Women and children), serve ethnic and religious minority groups, indeed love the neighbor and the enemy alike. 

Second, public speech and the use of language matters.  As a public speaker, who is called on to say a word every week, I think it is important to be careful about what I say and how I say it.  And the intention is far more than to avoid offending people.  In fact, I expect people have been offended by what I have said.  I myself have been offended by what I have said.  I am called to listen to the judgment voice of God, too.  God’s law offends us.  Jesus’ call to discipleship offends us.  Love is offensive in the face of hatred and fear.  Mercy is offensive in the face of abusive power.  But we must publicly denounce hateful speech and abusive language.  It is not ok for anyone to speak the way Mr. Trump spoke.  I don't want my sons to think it is ok to speak about anyone the way he spoke about women, minorities, Muslims, or immigrants.  We have to be accountable for what we say.  Words have power and meaning.  They inspire behavior.   
This is why Jesus foretold that his followers will be dragged before the authorities on account of their relationship with him. Not because they were blowing things up, but because they were healing the sick, feeding the poor, speaking the truth to power, and pledging allegiance to a crucified Jewish Rabbi.  In effect, they declared in their words and actions that Jesus was their King, not Caesar.  As a Christian, our primary allegiance is to Christ.  Not to a political party or any elected official.   Not to any nationality or human system of governance.  We are called to pray for, respect, and help our elected leaders so that they rule justly, wisely, and mercifully.  We are called to stand, speak out, and act against policies, laws, and ideologies that exclude, punish, and reject minorities and vulnerable peoples.  We advocate for protection and care for the earth.  We advocate for adequate and affordable health care for all people.  We advocate for excellent public education for all children. 

Jesus reminds his disciples that they must not put their trust in wealth, in institutions of power and privilege, or in any political leader.  These things will pass away, fall down, fall apart, self- destruct. Wars and earthquakes destroy the things we build. Instead, they are to trust God alone.  They will indeed go before Kings.  And they will suffer for the gospel, for what is right and good and true.  And by their endurance they will gain their souls. Faithful endurance characterizes the church’s work in the world.  We are not called to private hopes in evacuation from the world.  We are called to endure the world for the sake of the gospel and in the name of Jesus. Isaiah reminds us that a time will come when the healing of the nations and the peace of God will reach all people.  This vision, however, came to Isaiah after 70 years of Jewish exile from their homeland.  In which they were displaced refugees, foreigners in Babylon.  They must endure hardship before rescue. Because there is no real privilege. All will be thrown down.  Exile precedes homecoming.  Suffering precedes salvation.  These days signal that tumultuous change is afoot in public life.  But this is not the end of the world. It is a call to public witness.  This is not a time of silence nor of random acts of kindness to counter act bullies, hate, and fear.  This is a time of public witness when the church is called to be the church.  To declare the intention of Christ---healing, economic rights of the poor, release of prisoners, love for enemies, an end to malice, bitterness, and violent means of problem-solving.  This is the time when we say evangelical Christians are those who stand with undocumented immigrants and Native Americans fighting for their land.  Evangelical Christians stand with African Americans suffering under the weight of invisible, structural racism baked into American culture in ways we often fail to see and understand.   Evangelical Christians proclaim good news for the poor, not for the rich.  We follow Jesus to halls of power and we hold them accountable for the ways they use power to threaten and hold down the weak among us. We cry out in prayer for justice, freedom, and peace for all people.  And we work tirelessly toward the day that is promised when all God’s children will come home, enter the promised land, and be saved. Our hope is in Christ the savior.  May he come soon and find us faithful.  Amen.