Face to Face…Or Not

Exodus 33:1-23

What a fascinating account we find in our reading from Exodus for today. “Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And [the Lord] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, 'The LORD'…But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ And the LORD continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen’” (Exodus 33:18-23).

Add this encounter to the list that includes Abraham’s meeting with God by the Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18), Isaiah’s experience in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-8), Ezekiel on the bank of the River Chebar (Ezekiel 1), and the stories from Eden when God walked in the garden in the cool of the evening and sought out Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8f). Only in this case God’s glory is too great for Moses to bear, so God will place the divine hand over Moses’s face until God has passed at which point Moses may see God’s back. God’s hand…God’s back…God’s face! Let that sink in for a second.

What great comfort is to be found in the thought of God’s presence in the midst of humanity calling, leading, teaching, correcting, judging, nurturing and so forth. Time after time God is willing to be encountered and comprehended by men and women. In the fullness of time, of course, God took the form of Jesus Christ and became fully immersed in human life. In Jesus we continue to see God at work calling, leading, teaching, correcting, judging, nurturing and so forth. Only in this case we need not divert our eyes, even from the light of Easter morning.

May each of us have the opportunity to know the presence of God today. May each of us be guided by God’s will as though by the divine hand. May each of us follow in God’s footsteps and know God’s love as a present reality. Does God really have a hand, a back, a face? That’s not really the point. The point is that God is real, and close, and able to be known. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, may we see you today as you would be seen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God’s Geography

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-34

Before leaving for Egypt to be reunited with Joseph, Jacob experienced a vision from God. “Then (the Lord) said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt…’" (Genesis 46:3-4a). God’s promise to Jacob is to be with him and to watch over him even as he travels to a foreign land. As is always the case, God is not bound by human geography or politics. God transcends the lines that human beings are so fond of drawing.

In our own day we are quite fond of labeling each other. Words such as liberal or conservative are thrown about like slurs or insults. We find it far too easy to except the worst stereotypes of one another based on race, culture, or language. And then, once we have put our boundaries in place we expect God to see things our way. This has never been the case. God has never been confined to the promised land (Genesis 12:1-9), never been stuck in the temple (Ezekiel 1:1-3, 28b), never been relegated to heaven (John 1:14). God, like the Spirit, goes where God wills, chooses whom God chooses, blesses whom God blesses. This is God’s geography, God’s way of interacting with the world. If we would be of service to God (and the world) we should learn to see things God’s way and not expect God to see things our way.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we try to control you or confine you. Instead, help us to be open to what you are doing in the world. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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.