The text for today is Genesis 15. God comes to Abraham in a vision telling him that the promise that he made years ago will come to fruition. Not now - but eventually:
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”[a] 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and the Lord[b] reckoned it to him as righteousness.
This is an appropriate Advent message. We are people in relationship with God who are waiting and God is with us. Here are what are for me universal truths about the spiritual journey that I find in this text.
1. God speaks to Abram. In this passage it is a vision and in others it is a word. The UCC church has a slogan - God is still speaking. Whenever we talk about "relationship" with God it has to have within it the communication that is two way. We pray and speak to God and we listen and look and God does reveal Godself to us. In Luke the angel comes to Mary and tells her that she will have a baby. God also speaks through people, through writings, through thoughts, dreams, visions. This is basic. God speaks to Mary and to Abram and to us.
2. We are invited to respond. In Abram's case God's first words to him were recorded in Genesis 12:
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you
He was told to GO and he went. He left the familiar and went to the unknown. Similarly Mary assented to the angel -
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
She said yes and her whole life changed.
3. God encourages us during the waiting times. Abraham was given a vision and a reiteration of the promise. It was as if God said - it will happen. Wait in trust.
For Mary, the angel informed her that her cousin was also expecting a child and she went to receive support and a reiteration of the promise from Elizabeth.
Advent is an in between time - between the promise and the fulfillment of the promise. I think we all are living in Advent throughout our lives. That is why the Exodus story has so much meaning for us - the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. We have begun the journey out of slavery to the empire and we are on the way to the promised land. And God will give us signs of encouragement - like manna in the wilderness and water in a rock.
I think about what encourages me these days. It tends to be nothing very dramatic -a solo at a church service, a text from a friend, hawks flying over Hoover reservoir. It is as if God is saying to me - "I am here and sustaining you as you keep the faith and wait - for Christmas? For guidance? for strength?"
Here is a prayer by Maxine Shonk
May the God of ENCOURAGEMENT be with you,
helping you to embrace the darkness and pain of the journey,
calling you to stand in love with those who suffer.
May this God carve her fatihful love into your heart. May your inner self be transfromed so that you can see more clearly your own journey
as one of peace, hope and solidarity.
May the God of ENCOURAGEMENT be with you.
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