Pastor’s Pen

 “5 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord their God; 6 who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; who keeps promises forever; 7 who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger. The Lord sets the captive free.
 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 
 9 The Lord cares for the stranger; the Lord sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked.
 10 The Lord shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah!”  - Psalm 146:5-10

Psalm 146 is the Psalm for the 3rd Sunday in Advent and reminds us of the hope that we have in the coming of Jesus-God in the flesh.  In a world like ours, where chaos reigns, these words offer us a sense of hope in the midst of our chaotic lives.  In the midst of questions of our health, our economic viability, our involvement, or uninvolvement, in the politics of the day we rediscover the truth about God’s desire for the world.  Who does God care for? The scripture seems pretty straight forward on this one.  Those who are oppressed, hungry, displaced, captive, a stranger (alien,) the orphan and the widow, find delight in the Lord.  If we find ourselves opposed to this list then where do we land?

Advent is a time of waiting, wondering and pondering the coming of Christ.  How do we use this time?  The good news of the gospel is that while we wait, we can also join with Christ in the daily work of justice and mercy.  We can be God’s hands and feet in a world that sorely needs to hear this message of love from a God who deeply cares for all of creation.  I invite you to pause, reflect and ponder, but I also invite you to begin a new journey forward walking in steps of justice and mercy.

Thanks for letting me walk with you.

Peace,

Pastor Tim