Advent Lutheran Church

"Hope from the Prophets"

For those of you who can’t imagine what Jonah has to do with the season of Advent, let me share with you a translation you very rarely hear from me:  It is the old King James Version of Jonah 1:6.  With Jonah asleep, not in the belly of the whale, but in the “belly” of the ship… The verse says, “Awake!  Arise! Call on your God!”

 

Now there’s a great melodic strain for this year’s Advent reflections:  “Awake!  Arise!  Call on your God!”  What I love about the Jonah story is that this little gem of a scene lies in the middle of the bigger story – a push me/pull you struggle between Jonah and God.  No matter what Jonah does to escape God’s presence  God responds with rescue, with pardon, with love.  And isn’t that story about all of us, not just Jonah?

 

Awake!  Arise!  Call on your God!  It is the beginning of Advent: and there’s still time to choose how you will participate in this time of preparation:  (Unlike my friend who’s already feeling bad for not being in “the Christmas spirit” – and it’s not even December yet! )  There is still: 

Time to Awake! Focus on things most important to you.  Remove the unnecessary; the merely repetitive.  Spend time and energy on meaningful acts as wise and faithful stewards.

Time to Arise!  Take a stand for the poor and needy.  Be thoughtful with your resources.  Intentionally share from all of your abundances…Don’t just give because you can; give wherever God calls your heart.

Time to Call on your God.  This is the tough one, but I really mean it!  When was the last time you actually “called on” God, for more than a momentary “help me out” or “cure my friend.”  When was the last time you opened up your heart and cried out in surrender, asking for God’s answer because your answers made no difference?  When was the last time you joined the long line of saints who had lost hope in their own strength and called on God’s strength?

            King David – lamenting over the death of his son 

            Isaiah and Ezekiel crying out against the sins of their people

            Jonah – despairing from a big fish belly

Jesus – weeping over his beloved city, Jerusalem

 

Herein lies HOPE:  When we cry out, God ALWAYS comes:

            Thru the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt

            Thru the infant Jesus, born in Bethlehem

            Thru the cross of Calvary.

            Thru the waters of Baptism; and the Word, spoken     

            Through the bread, broken; the wine poured

                   God comes – over and over again

                        and places his very self - in human hands.

 

This God - who we can hold in our hands - is the One for whom we

Awake from our “autopilot” world

Arise to follow God’s unique call to us, and

Call upon our God – for the journey sometimes  finds us in the belly of a whale.  

AMEN.