Calling in the Context of Collapse

Exegesis –

 Both of these passages are from the Lectionary – which we rarely use

 Most have never heard of Baruch – 1st time New Roots has read from the Apocrypha

 The book attributed to Baruch, son of Jeremiah’s scribe, Neriah.

 Scholars challenges the historicity of the book, but is writing about the Babylonian exile

 Focus of this book = Israel - repent for your sins which are: Not putting God at the center

and worshipping other things and not taking care of each other like God said

 But - if you repent God has a vision for peace and restoration

 Reminder of last week’s points

- Our God has seen tough times before.

- Our people have seen tough times before.

- We have hope in knowing that what God has done before – God will do again.

 Luke starts w. Herod son of the king who tried to kill for Jesus at birth and Pilate who

tried to kill Jesus at the end. Caiphas who plotted against him. Jesus’ life wasn’t peaceful.

 John also calls on folks to repent for similar sins.

 And again gives a vision of peace

 What do these say about God’s peace and vision

o It begins with crying out in repentence

o Those at the top are humbled and those at the bottom are filled

o Things that are off are put right and those things that are hard are made smooth

PRACTICES THAT HELP US LEAN INTO REAL ADVENT PEACE

1. Lament - Cry out to God – In Baruch 4:20,21 the writer says – “I will cry to my everlasting all of my days. Take courage my children and cry to God.” Luke in quoting talks about the voice in the wilderness crying out. These writers know that sometimes before God can move mightily in your life, in your family, in the world – God needs to hear from us that we are broken hearted, that we are longing for God and that we need God to intervene. Being honest about our situation and the fact that we don’t have it under control is a first step in making the way for God.

2. Celebrate God w/Gratitude & Joy – Lean into the fact that the God you serve is amazing and awesome, that God created the universe and has been taking care of people since the beginning of time. Remember all the ways that God has been faithful to you.

3. Embody God’s Vision - In these scenarios the truth is that God does the big lifting and delivers the people. However, what the people are called to do is to be a vision of God’s perfect plan. In Baruch it says that God will take down the enemy but the people will be a vision of God’s splendor.

Truth is that I think people don’t believe that what God calls for in these verses is possible. To often they think they will never get ahead or that justice will never be. They don’t think that we can build a multi-racial, multi-class world where everyone has what they need from food and water to love and belonging. This last step of embodying God’s vision is a call to all Christians, to all people, but I think it is specifically a call to us in this time and moment – how can we be that vision in real time. But we can’t get there just because we hope for it – we do have to go through these other steps, but this is the end goal. It is what Jesus showed us when he wasn’t deterred by the challenges of his birth or even the deep trauma of his death. Even death could not crush God’s restorative vision. How can we commit to individually a collectively show that neither a pandemic, or the mental health crises brought on social media malaise, nor the outcome of the last election can crush the Spirit of God within us. We don’t have to deny that we are

pressed but we also have to stand firm in the belief that things will not have the final say.

Reflection Questions –

1. Have you given adequate time to really be honest about where you are heartbroken about loss or the state of the world. Are you able to keep it real with God about how you feel stuck in your grief, anger or shame? How can you be real and lament before God as a first step towards true peace?

2. Is it time to move out of a lament cycle and lean into gratitude and joy? How can you take time, especially in this season, to recognize how amazing God is in the world and in your own life? What practices will allow you to do that?

3. How are you/we called to be an embodied vision of God’s plan? What concrete steps can you/we take in this season to show God’s peace in a lived way?