Monday, September 10, 2007

Joy and Expectation

Jim:

Philippians 1:1-11
Verses 3-5 caught my attention this morning. “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” What a wonderful sense of community is contained in these verses! To know that someone is praying for me “with joy” would be a wonderful gift, and would give me encouragement for the struggles I face every day. But I also need to be praying with joy for others, for the congregation I serve, for the prayer group I participate in, for the family that raised me in the faith and the friends I have gained over the years. But especially, on this my 19th anniversary, I pray with joy for my wife and children. Indeed, thanks be to God for each and every one of them. Amen.

Mark 15:40-47
Verse 43 says, “…Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” I like the term “waiting expectantly” because it demonstrates more attention being paid on the part of the one who waits, and more urgency in the waiting. It puts Joseph in the company of the wise bridesmaids who kept their lamps full of oil in Jesus’ parable. I hope that I am waiting expectantly for the kingdom, but I know there are times when I falter in my expectation, when I become distracted by other events in my life, other circumstances that are far less important, but which seem to gain my attention anyway. God’s people should all be “waiting expectantly,” lamps full of oil, bags packed for the journey, ready to welcome the kingdom of God in its fullness.

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