Glory (Lent A5)

JN 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

Leon Morris makes interesting observations on Johannine use of Glory.

"It means that the ultimate issue of this sickness would not be death. Rather it would be 'for God's glory' (…Haenchen remarks, 'God's glory does not consist in sparing the faithful life's difficulties')…. Jesus was seen to be at one with the Father, and many came to believe on him (v.45). But the true glory is in the cross and this incident led right on to Calvary (v. 50)."

Is there something in this Lenten period that we see the Glory of God, not in the bright and beautiful, but in the difficult and dark?

Life! (Lent A5)

Lent this year has offered us juxtaposition of life with and without the resurrection. Nicodemus comes in the night to discover new birth. The woman at the well came in thirst to the wilderness to find the Stream of Living water that would flow from her soul. The blind man received sight and proved those who reject Christ are in the darkness.

This week the very power of life overcomes death. Can you imagine standing at the tomb as Jesus cries "Lazarus come out!"? This man is dead, four days gone. We have mourned him, and out he steps. Let the power of that moment strike us this week. For John this is another sign Jesus is the messiah and those who believe in him though they die, yet shall they live.

For us Paul shows us the power of the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is in us! If we look to the flesh we are already dead. Through the Spirit, we know God and already enjoy a measure of that eternal life.

From dry bones to living sons, as we wait on the Lord, he restores us from the grave! Lord may it be in my congregation and in those of all who contemplate your life this week as we echo your voice!

Sight and darkness (Lent A4)

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley"

Where our sight fails, God's does not. He is our light, our day, and our beautiful eyes. He sees what we cannot and restores our sight.

Sleeper awake! We walk in the light of Christ now.

5:8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light-for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Let us learn to walk in the light of Christ, what does that mean to us? What does holiness require of us?

Flowing (Lent A3)

It is interesting that "living water" was used almost exclusively for water that flowed. No metaphysical attachment could be expected by the woman at the well.

As a metaphor for The Spirit, the image of flowing water is crisp. Bubbling, refreshing, overflowing, unending.

We Pentecostals sometimes forget to stand in awe of this truth. We see something like speaking in tongues as the evidence we are filled with this living water. It is all too easy to dry up while still remembering the syllables and sounds of a heavenly language. Filling is no one-time act, but rather like a flowing river or spring replenishes constantly so we should be receiving from the Spirit.

Flow River Flow!

living water (Lent A3)

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

The Jews worship what they know. They saw the mighty hand of God and still rebelled, they tasted the water he gave and still thirsted. In comes Jesus offering a living water. The Rock of our salvation gives water that satisfies and reconciles a people who test and try. He knows everything I ever did, could he be the Christ? Could he still reconcile me? While we were still the sinners he knows us to be, while we were still a people who test and try, he died for us.

Lord keep my heart soft to your voice, and refreshed by your water.

Promises and Spirit (Lent A2)

Abraham received a promise and believed. "So Abram went, as the LORD had told him." He is a God of promises. Perhaps we see the promises of God so plainly because his word is always true. For he does not need to attach an "I promise" for the force of those words to apply. It is the veracity of truth in his every word that causes us to hide in his shadow and declare I promise.

He declares that he is our keeper. As we gaze at the Word that is true, knowing that he does not lie, we are saved. Father Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness, and in the same way, the God of promises expects us to take him at his word.

Jesus affirms this to Nicodemus.
"Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Earthly sons of Abraham have no part in the kingdom except that they be born from above, spiritual sons.

This passage from John is rich and poetic.
"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Lord may we experience the breath of your Sprit. Remind us of the mystery of our own re-birth and give light to our wilderness.

Catholic First - Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

"Third Rule. The third: With cause, as well the good Angel as the bad can console the soul, for contrary ends: the good Angel for the profit of the soul, that it may grow and rise from good to better, and the evil Angel, for the contrary, and later on to draw it to his damnable intention and wickedness."

In this the rythem of consolation and desolation seen in the psalm and Jesus being driven into the wilderness meets the theme of temptation and sin head on. While desolation is a tool of God, where he hides himself from us, a tool that we all expereince even second Adam, it is part and parcel to temptation.

I don't think that it is only about testing and trying, but the temptation surely comes when we are in the wilderness of desolation.