Everyone, a reflection on Joel 2:12-13, 28-29

In verse 28, the Lord is quoted as saying, "I will pour out my spirit on everyone, so everyone can share what I can do" then in verse 29 lists categories that describe opposite kinds of people--old and you, rich and poor, employed or unemployed, male and female.

Who in your congregations now share their knowledge of God?

Whose visions are you likely to trust?

All means all, a Reflection on Joel 2:12-13, 28-29

As we move through Advent, we read this message (warning?) from Joel: Sound the alarm. The day of the Lord is coming, a day of darkness and gloom. (Read Joel 2:1-11).

Yet, even in the face of our deserved judgment, the Lord continues to beckon, "Return to me."

Let us heed Joel's reminder: Rend your hearts and not your clothing (13).

What do we need to give up (or to take up) that is our way of fasting, weeping, and mourning?

Keep reading.

In verse 13, we see the familiar doxology of God's mercy (Exodus 34:5-7). Then, in verses 28-29 comes God's promise to us, all of us--old, young, male, female, free, slaves. God's spirit will be poured out on all of us so that we can prophesy, that we can dream, that we can see visions.

Reflection on Daniel 6:6-27

Daniel's outstanding achievements were so outstanding that his competitors became jealous. They plotted a way to have Daniel thrown into a pit of lions. The Lord protected him. King Darius was so impressed that he had Daniel's accusers along with their whole families thrown to the lions.

Darius published a proclamation throughout his kingdom that the God of Daniel was the living, eternal, all-powerful God.

Reflection on Jeremiah 36:27-28

After the king had destroyed the scroll that told of God's words telling that repentance was necessary and would be beneficial to them, God told Jeremiah to get another scroll and rewrite the message.

Question arising from reading this passage: How many times do we have to hear before we're ready to listen?

Reflection on Jeremiah 36:21-23

The people of Jerusalem (and out of Jerusalem) had gathered at the temple. At the gate of the temple, Baruch read from the scroll that recorded the words that the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah. (Jeremiah was not allowed to speak there.) Although the king himself had not been in attendance, he got a report. When he heard the words that Baruch had read, the officials directed him to bring the scroll and read it to them.

When they related the words to the king, he began cutting off pieces of the scroll and threw them in the fire.

Back to us: When we are told what God wants us to do, and it's not something we want to do, do we react the way the king did?

reflection on Jeremiah 36:1-8

The Lord had told them over and over what they were supposed to do. Over and over they had ignored those commands.

Trying yet again, the Lord told Jeremiah: Here are your choices. Doing bad things results in disaster. But, if they repent, I'll forgive them.

Since Jeremiah himself was not allowed to enter the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, he commissioned Baruch to carry the message. "Write down all I have been told and read it in the hearing of all the people of Judah who have come to the house of the Lord."

Baruch did as he was told.

Questions that arise from reading this passage: How is God's word being communicated to us? Do we bother to repeat to anybody what we have learned?

An unclean prophet, a Reflection on Isaiah 6:1-8

Verses 1-4 describe an overwhelming sense of God's glory and the appropriate response to it. On a throne. A high and lofty throne. So large that just the hem of his robe fills the temple. Heavenly beings attend him. They sing, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts."

Verses 5, in contrast, describes the great contrast with this glory with the human condition. Isaiah realizes that he is unworthy.

Verses 6-7 give us reassurance. Since we are not worthy, God has a way of redeeming us, of overcoming our sin. Isaiah's guilt was removed.

Verse 8 reminds us why we need this redemption. We have a task. Isaiah accepted his call.
(much of this from or inspired by Isaiah 1-39, by Walter Brueggeman)

How much of this is repeated in a typical church service?
Do we recognize an overwhelming divine presence?
Do we recognize our own sinfulness?
Can we receive redemption? If so, what are we prepared to do with it?

Justice or Mercy? a reflection on Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah had warned Nineveh that God was going to destroy the city. Much to Jonah's disappointment, they had repented. So God's mind was changed. Jonah was not happy. He demanded of God, "Why did you forgive the Ninevites? The reason I had fled from the assignment to come to Nineveh was that I had thought of you as a merciful and compassionate God. Then when you forced me to come here anyway,  I expected you to demonstrate justice not mercy.  I give up."

Jonah waited to see what would happen next. God provided him with a shrub to give him shade to make him more comfortable while he waited. Then God sent a worm to destroy the shrub and followed that by sending a dry hot wind. Jonah was so angry that God had killed the shrub that he said he was ready to die.

God asked him, "Why are you so sympathetic to the shrub when you were so unforgiving of the people of Nineveh? Can't you see why I would pity those people?

Can we? Which is more important--justice or mercy? Can justice include mercy?

(influenced by Kelly J. Murphy in Women's Bible Commentary)

Amnesty for Immigrants

Compare Clinton//Trump stands on amnesty: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/10/helping_you_decide_where_trump.html

A proposed comprehensive immigration reform bill that was debated in the United States Senate creating a guest-worker program to help employers fill low-paying jobs:   https://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/amnesty.html

Resistance to amnesty
http://www.theamericanresistance.com/issues/amnesty.html

From the belly of the beast, Reflection on Jonah 2

In the first chapter of the book of Jonah, we are not given any hint about why the Lord had picked Jonah for the assignment. We are not given any hint that Jonah had ever sought out the Lord's attention for help or to give thanks.

Now, that Jonah's life is in danger, he finally does pray, "I called to you when I was in distress, and you answered. When I was dying, I remembered you; I prayed to you."

He appends to his prayer of gratitude a slam against false worshipers: "They forsake their true loyalty, but I will know and remember and announce by word and action that deliverance belongs to the Lord."

After his prayer, the Lord delivers Jonah from his plight. We're not sure whether Jonah's prayer was in response to things that God had done for him over and over in the past, or whether Jonah is anticipating this particular rescue, or whether the editors of the book were worried about chronology.