Waiting

 

The readings for this Sunday contain a number of nuggets                                                  that can provide for us some real words of comfort and encouragement.

We all know that this has been a rough year.

Whether or not we or our family or someone we know has had COVID,

            we all have experienced separation from loved ones,

                        anxiety, probably some depression, frustration most definitely,                                     and longing for a return to some sort of normalcy,

            but what does normal look like now?

 

So let’s just have some time together this morning 

            letting the words of scripture wash over us

            with such imges as this from Isaiah 66:

                        with the comfort one feels when Mother draws us, her children,

                                    into her lap for a comforting embrace

                                    and a kiss on the cheek

                                    and encouraging words whispered in our ear.

 

From the lessons for today, we begin with Isaiah, chapter 40, 

            which is at the beginning of this second section of the book,

                        where the words turn much more frequently to comfort.

These are words written after the people have had their land taken over,

            their Temple destroyed, their beloved “church” building – gone – 

            and they had been forced into migration to a foreign country, exiled.

Isaiah speaks:

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

 

Those who wait for the Lord …

 

Yes, Lord.  We have done a lot of waiting in the last year.

            Waiting for the grocery store to restock toilet paper,

                        or sanitary wipes, or any number of other things.

            Waiting for quarantines to end, 

                        for shut downs of restaurants and various other places to re-open.

            Waiting for a hair cut.

            Waiting for the time when we can have a real funeral,

                        and not just the graveside committal for immediate family.

            Waiting for the vaccine is just the latest thing we have been waiting for.

And waiting till it is safe to gather again for worship.

 

Just as an aside I have to tell you

            that when we can come back into the building for worship

                        is a complex decision 

            with many moving parts

                        trying to balance making it safe for some

                        while not exclude others from the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.

And I personally am reluctant to endanger myself 

                                                until after I have been vaccinated.

            I want to be a good steward of this body 

                        so that I can continue to serve you here 

                        until we have completed the Calling Process.

 

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

            Yes, this is a spiritual truth.

 

Waiting prayerfully and trustingly is a spiritual practice;

            one might say it is even a form of meditation.

The strength that is renewed is often the strength of character,

                        the strength of patience, the strength of endurance

            to continuing waiting.

 

But the image that is given is encouraging:

        “they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.”

 

Once at the beach I inadvertently walked up to an eagle 

                        that was obscured by a large piece of driftwood.

            I got a very close look at the huge wing span of that splendid bird,

            and I could feel the powerful rush of air

                                                             as those wings propelled the eagle upwards.

 

        “they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.”

 

There is a promise there for us to wait,

            and we will be helped through it all.  

                                                Trust God’s word through the Prophet Isaiah.

 

Now, Psalm 147 – 

            There are some encouraging and comforting words here too.

2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted *
and binds up their wounds. …

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
there is no limit to his wisdom.

6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, * …

9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
and green plants to serve (hu)mankind.

10 He provides food for flocks and herds *
and for the young ravens when they cry.…

    12 … the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
        in those who await his gracious favor.

 

Waiting is trust, waiting is having faith, 

            waiting is realizing that it is God, the Creator, who is the actor here.

We can sit gazing at the stars, innumerable to us,

            but each known by name to God, 

                        and we realize that there is no limit to God’s creative wisdom.

 

Let’s go on to the Gospel story for today.

            It is a familiar story of Jesus healing.

It continues where last week’s reading left off.

After a surprising liberation from a demon of fear in the synagogue,

            Jesus attends to Simon Peter’s mother-in-law,

and so lively is the healing power that flows out of Jesus to her,

            that she immediately is up and fixing dinner for the lot of them.

 

And then a beautiful scene unfolds.

            It is evening, the end of the Sabbath, the next day by Jewish reckoning,

            so no one will get in trouble 

                        for asking Jesus to do the work of healing on the Sabbath.

The whole city gathered around the door.

            And all night long he ministered to them,

                        bringing healing and relief and hope and renewed faith

                                                and comfort and joy.

His earthly ministry had begun.

                                                This is this Sunday’s Epiphany moment.

 

In the night of our impatience, of our discomfort, of our frustrations and fears

            Jesus comes to the door and welcomes us

                        and no one is turned away,

                        and all healing needs are met.

 

That ministry, the earthly ministry of Jesus, did not stop at the crucifixion.

            The Resurrection Jesus continues that ministry through us.

The Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost

            is our empowerment, if we accept it, if we seek it,

                        so that we, once strengthened ourselves,

                        can in turn strengthen one another.

 

I see that in the example of one member of this congregation

            getting up in the middle of the night

                        to help another member of the congregation in need.

I see that in the faithful and tireless service 

                   of setting up for the Food Pantry on Tuesdays 

            or cooking dinners on Saturday evenings

                        and greeting the guests that come to the door

greeting with a joy in service 

                        that can be seen in the smile wrinkles around the eyes

                                    when the smiles themselves are hidden behind masks.

 

And there are many more examples than that, for sure.

 

So let us wait for the Lord to renew our strength,

            that we may continue the course of faith and not be weary,

            so that we may walk this COVID path, this exile path, and not faint.