I love listening to Garrison Keillor’s Tale of Lake Wobegon…a place where "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." As Keillor weaves his story, there is always a hint of grace, and the scent of goodness, even in the most awkward or difficult situations. I guess what keeps me glued to my radio is there is the glimmer of hope in this mythical town that somehow translates into hope as I turn the radio off and turn my attention to the world as it is, not as I would want it to be.
Hope looks for what is good. Hope seeks the patches of green which sprout up in the most unlikely places. Yancy cites the amazing patches of green that appeared after the devastating Mt. St. Helen’s blast in 1980. I remember that event well, as I’d spent time around this majestic mountain that had been compared to Mt. Fuji, but had actually made the trek to the summit. With that unbelievable blast, all that changed as the east side of the mountain blew out leaving what looked more like a moonscape than the verdant green which had surrounded the mountain before. By the next growing season, patches of green appeared and spread.
The hard work of grace requires us to be looking with anticipation for those patches of grace-full living that unexpectedly pop up in the midst of the grace-less landscape around us. Rather than people who look for the worst, grace transforms us into people who are on the lookout for the best. Instead of being “the glass is half-empty” people we become “the glass is half-full” people. Our perspective is changed so that we know God is on the move in this world in ways we can’t always see clearly, and where God is, patches of green life appear. The kingdom of God is present, so be on the lookout for the evidence of God’s reign breaking into this world.
That’s the promise and hope Jesus announced when he told these two similes: He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Matthew 13:31-33)
When I’m discouraged, I get judgmental, critical, and generally miserable. Discouragement takes God out of the equation, and without God as the active ingredient in the mix, there can be no hope. When I’m discouraged, I’ve made it all about myself and left out the possibilities of God. Elijah got discouraged, and complained bitterly that he was the only faithful one left in all of Israel, to wit, God gently reminded him there were seven thousand faithful people. (1 Kings 18-19 is a good read. Note Elijah’s warped view of reality which led to his losing all perspective and trust.)
To borrow Yancy’s book title, what is so amazing about grace is that God’s grace changes EVERYTHING. Nothing remains the same when grace is present in our lives. I can’t create, produce, or sustain grace. But can and will if I let Him. God can and will do for me what I can’t do for myself. This Sunday we’re going to wrap up this great series as we celebrate God’s hope and presence in our lives.
Now for what’s on my desk…
Thanks to Jacque Scott and Deborah Patterson for their wonderful help in putting together our 50th birthday party last week. And three cheers for those of you who made it possible to pay off our mortgage on the church building. What a great day it was!
Remember we have an opportunity to share in a wonderful Romanian meal together immediately following the second service. During our meal, we’ll hear how the kingdom of God is changing the mix in Romania, and how we have been and hope to be a part of that.
The Community Thanksgiving service will be held at Faith Lutheran this year, Thanksgiving morning at 10am. It’s a great way to put grace into our Thanksgiving celebration. I know the service is a little different in that it is interfaith. But God is in the mix, and where God is in the mix, good things are happening. All of us can benefit from a time of mutual thanksgiving with our neighbors.
Now you know what I know.
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