Expect the Unexpected

Amos 7:10-17

The book of Amos offers only a brief description of the prophet’s call from God. “Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel”'” (Amos 7:14-15). This is not a unique story in scripture. Moses was herding the flocks of his father-in-law when God called him (Exodus 3). Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) were minding their own business when the presence of the Lord burst upon them with work to be done. In the New Testament Mary was surprised to learn that she would bear God’s Son (Luke 1:26-38); Simon, Andrew, James and John were interrupted in their daily activities when Jesus called them to follow (Matthew 4:18-22); and Paul was stunned by Jesus’ appearance to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). These are just a few of the examples that scripture gives us.

Advent is a time for listening to God’s voice in our lives, for following where God leads us, for doing the unexpected. Few of us herd livestock, prune sycamore trees, or fish for a living. Even fewer—I suspect—are in the habit of persecuting Christians. That’s not the point of these stories. What we need to understand it that God sees in us gifts and skills that we may not readily see in ourselves, and God seeks to use those skills to serve God’s will. The tasks we find ourselves doing may be small or large, may cause us little discomfort or force us to completely change our way of life. Whatever the case, God’s people must always “expect the unexpected.” That may seem difficult during Advent when we think we know pretty well what is going on, but if we are really listening, really paying attention, then we will learn all sorts of things about God, about ourselves, and about the world around us.

Advent is a time for expectations, some of which are very unexpected. Be ready.

Prayer: Lord, keep us focused on what you are doing in our world, and give us the strength to respond when you call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Unity

Jim:

Ezekiel 37:21b-28
1 John 2:18-29
The words that really caught my attention in the Ezekiel passage were those in the last part of verse 22: “Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.” This brings to my mind the words of Psalm 133, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” Unity is something to be desired, to be worked for, to be prayed for, to be cherished, but not at any price. The congregation to which the First Letter of John is written has obviously experienced division, but in this case the ones who have left the community represent deception and lies, a faith which the readers of First John cannot accept as true. For this reason there can be no unity. But assuming that we all strive for the common good, that we seek justice and righteousness, what stands in the way of unity in our neighborhoods, our country, our world? It’s a question that perplexes us. Too often we see peoples united in evil, bound together in hatred or war. Too seldom do we see peoples united in love and compassion. Or if we see a shared, common purpose, as in the world’s response to tragedy, it seems to last only so long, and soon we are back to a state of disunity. Ezekiel promises that the people of Israel will someday be reunited into one nation. We should pray that such unity and harmony would come to us as well, that we might find common cause in our own nation, our own day and age. But clearly, if we do find such unity it will be a gift from God and something to be prized.