reflections and musings

Advent Reflection: When God Doesn’t Fix It

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

NativitySceneSermon today was on Luke 1:26-33, where the angel appears to Mary regarding the announcement of Jesus’ birth. I was particularly struck by this section of it;

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. (Luke 1:31-33).

This is what the prophets foretold, was it not? That the messiah would come and fix everything. Why? Israel had been in chaos then settled back into a Gentile run land, with no king and fading hope. But YET, here was the hope, the promised one, the eternal king who would reign forever. Hope had arrived in a manger.

And this is what the apostles were eager to see just before Jesus’ ascension, wasn’t it? He came down from heaven, revealed the fulness of the Godhead, put a permanent stamp on God’s eternal promises and set forth a new paradigm. He spoke of the new covenant through his blood and the promise of the Holy Spirit. They saw him die a brutal death but walk with him after his resurrection. But they just had to know, “Lord, is it at this time, you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Why did they have to ask that? The answer is obvious. The king had come and it was a new day, filled with new things for God’s people. But something still wasn’t fixed. Continue reading →

An Advent Reflection: God’s Perfect Timing

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

NativitySceneOne thing I’ve come to embrace in my Christian journey is the value of tradition. Having spent my earlier Christian years in separatist and fundamentalistic circles, then later in Charismatic circles there was this common rejection of tradition on various levels. Well tradition is important because it grounds us in something sure. It creates a continuity with the past and gives support to what the church has always believed. The more the past is rejected in favor of something new, the more likely we are to get things askew.

And what greater time to reflect on the Christian faith than the beginning of the advent season. The intersection of deity and humanity, in the form of the incarnation. The promised king, the awaited messiah, the one the prophets proclaimed who would rescue and redeem.

But I also consider the setting and timing. Israel waited so long it seemed like hope would have dimmed. Under Roman rule, the relinquishment of their land to Gentile authority, the loss of a reigning king and the only relief in found in temple teaching and law obedience. Was this the way it was supposed to go? I bet many asked this question. Where was the deliverer who would set everything right and re-establish promises that have faded in the backdrop of waiting? Continue reading →