Isaiah 58

Reality Show

Posted on by Betsy

Do you remember television before the onslaught of reality shows? There were a lot of lighthearted programs that focused on family issues like Full House and The Waltons, game shows like Jeopardy and The Price is Right and a fair amount of first responder shows like NYPD Blue and ER. The story telling was predictable and safe. Then came “reality” television where people are thrown into a situation and we watch them as they encounter one another in real life. I think there is a lot of coaching by the producers to get the kind of content that sells, but when reality takes over, tempers flare, and the true self is revealed (see any of the Housewife iterations).When the true self comes out it is painfully truthful, but at least it is real. And we can’t stop watching.

Our passage today is the same one we looked at on Ash Wednesday. Our focus then was to think about our Lenten fasts. Did you choose something to fast from? How did it go? But today we will focus on the type of worship and relationship God desires from us. You will quickly see that God is not interested in a shallow pretense of adoration and empty ritual but seeks the real thing from us.

Isaiah 58 (Common English Bible)

Shout loudly; don’t hold back;
    raise your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their crime,
    to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 They seek me day after day,
    desiring knowledge of my ways
    like a nation that acted righteously,
    that didn’t abandon their God.
They ask me for righteous judgments,
    wanting to be close to God.

God called out their hypocrisy in seeking him out while they only pretended to act righteously. Indeed, they abandoned God while faking a desire for knowledge and righteousness. Then they brought their bitter complaints that God hadn’t answered their selfish prayers and faux fasting. God’s response was swift: Your fast was meaningless. By continuing to oppress their workers, by fighting violently with each other, and by pursuing self-satisfaction on fasting days, they had simply offered God a shallow semblance of worship, not the real thing.

3 “Why do we fast and you don’t see;
    why afflict ourselves and you don’t notice?”
Yet on your fast day you do whatever you want,
    and oppress all your workers.
4 You quarrel and brawl, and then you fast;
    you hit each other violently with your fists.
You shouldn’t fast as you are doing today
    if you want to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I choose,
    a day of self-affliction,
    of bending one’s head like a reed
    and of lying down in mourning clothing and ashes?
    Is this what you call a fast,
        a day acceptable to the Lord?

True worship and adoration of God includes setting free all those who are downtrodden and oppressed, acting decisively to break the yoke of injustice, and providing sustenance for the hungry and homeless. Only then will our lives be filled with light and blessings.

6 Isn’t this the fast I choose:
    releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke,
    setting free the mistreated,
    and breaking every yoke?
7 Isn’t it sharing your bread with the hungry
    and bringing the homeless poor into your house,
    covering the naked when you see them,
    and not hiding from your own family?
8 Then your light will break out like the dawn,
    and you will be healed quickly.
Your own righteousness will walk before you,
    and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.

The challenge is before us. God desires a deep, pure, and real response to the goodness and good news what we have been given. God deserves more than our faux fasts. We are charged with setting aside our performative religion and getting right with God. May we pray the prayer of confession from our communion liturgy every day in a real and wholehearted effort to make things right:

Merciful God,
we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (United Methodist Hymnal, page 8)

Amen.

With Our Whole Heart by Kathy Schumacher

Faster

Posted on by Betsy

Today is Ash Wednesday and many believers will commit to a form of fasting for the next 40 days of Lent. (Sundays, being the celebration of the Resurrection, are not counted in Lent.) Some might fast from food or drink. Some might fast from Social Media. Some might fast from behaviors or actions that are harmful and unproductive. Are you a Lent faster? What are you giving up this year?

Today’s lectionary passage is a fascinating look as what God desires in our fasts. The people were complaining that God did not honor or recognize their fasts. Here was God’s response. Read it through: I think you will be surprised.

Isaiah 58 (New Revised Standard Version)

Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”

Wowzers. All the chocolate/fast food/alcohol fasts have no place on this list. Are you surprised? I think God’s mandate is clear here. Surely that’s not to say that giving up a fixation isn’t valuable, good for you, or a proper response to the call to practice disciplined self-sacrifice. Those types of commitments have great value. But focusing on these things in addition to your usual Lent habits would surely honor the type of fast God desires.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.

Acting decisively to remove the yoke of oppression and injustice. Feeding the hungry. Tending to the needs of the afflicted. Bringing the homeless poor into our homes. Clothing the naked. Stop pointing the blame finger at others. Ceasing evil talk, gossip, and hate speech. These are the things that would please the Lord this season.
11 The Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your needs in parched places
    and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water
    whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to live in.

May we have a holy Lent together and heed Isaiah’s words, making a real difference in our communities and our world for the next 40 days. Are you in?

Queen Anne’s Lace by Becca Ziegler

Here Am I

Posted on by Betsy

What do you think God wants from you? Loyalty? Obedience? Worship? Adoration? Action?

The early Israelites struggled with this question. That struggle continued into New Testament times as Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, and others tried to form sects structured around their notion of what God wanted from them. They were hung up on things like fasting, class distinctions, sabbath regulations, piety, and a plethora of laws. Jesus brought absolute clarity to the question, but well before his arrival on the scene the prophet Isaiah beautifully articulated what God wants from his people.

The people had chosen to fast from inconsequential things. (You know, like when you give up donuts for Lent but you don’t really like donuts.) God had something entirely different in mind:

Isaiah 58 (New International Version)

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?

For example, the modern church puts a lot of effort, resources, energy, and activity toward worship. But notice that worship doesn’t make the top of the list. Worship is always a life-giving necessity, but breaking the chains of injustice and setting the oppressed free seem to rank higher, according to Isaiah.

Maybe worship comes next on the list…

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Nope, not yet. Sharing food with the hungry and providing shelter are listed. Clothing the naked is important, too. It seems that God is more interested in social justice issues than whether the altar candles should have wax, wicks, or oil…which is actually a dilemma that altar guilds have lost sleep over.

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

We would do well to listen to Isaiah. Serving the needs around us is akin to light breaking through upon the people of God when they engage in acts of righteousness. People who serve God in this manner find wholeness and healing, and God himself comes alongside to assist.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

When we are following God’s call, there is never a time that he is not with us. Not. Ever. So if your only interaction with God is once a week for an hour on Sundays, think that through again. God is more interested in your treatment of his people throughout the week than your attention for an hour.

In other words, you are not called to just hear the word. You are called to go out and BE the word.

So go be the word today.

Be the Word by Karen Warlitner

I Know Him!

Posted on by Betsy

The tradition of Santa Claus is a rich and storied one. Many countries have their own version, but the American tradition began with an idea that came across the ocean with 17th-century Dutch immigrants. They were moving to New York and brought with them a story of a kind benefactor known as “Sinter Klaas.” Author Washington Irving wrote about the Dutch version of St. Nicholas in 1809, who was said to arrive on horseback every year on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas to distribute presents in the villages.

The Dutch-American St. Nick was immortalized in Clement Clark Moore’s poem published in 1823 entitled, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “The Night Before Christmas.”

The St. Nicholas legend stems from a real third-century A.D. monk named Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna (Izmir). He was a wealthy man who delighted in throwing presents to poor children through the windows of their homes. He traveled the country giving away all of his wealth and helping the poor and the sick.

The Catholic Church honored St. Nicholas as the patron saint of children and seafarers. In England, the tradition of Father Christmas has been observed for centuries, and the French have their own Pere Noel.

What all of these variations of Santas have in common is a reputation for giving to the poor, showing compassion to the marginalized, focusing on the needs of the children, and assisting those who have very little. Sounds just like Jesus.

Santa, in essence, is a giver, with his roots in the sacred traditions.

Isaiah 58 (NIV)

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

7  Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8  Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

And in turn, WE respond, here I am Lord. Send me. I have no proof, but I imagine that the original St. Nicholas said exactly that when God called him to a life of generosity. In doing so, he evolved into a secular icon that speaks of the sacredness of giving. We have to give Santa his due, as he points to the generosity of spirit and kindness to all.

Perhaps the best way to honor the tradition of St. Nicholas is to do what Isaiah is calling us to do: share our food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter, clothe the naked, and especially to not turn away from our own family members.

How will you respond? Where is God calling you to give of yourself in a new and fresh way this Advent season?

Whatever it is, DO IT. God promises to be your rear guard, and your light will break forth in your generosity. And that light, like the light of Christ himself, dispels all the darkness of the world.

My uncle has been blessed with a pure white beard, a jolly temperament, and a particular call to exemplify the compassion and generosity of Santa. He has worked for years as a professional Santa, which comes with a lot of guidelines. For example, Santa can’t promise anything, but must respond with “I’ll put it on my list” when a child asks for something. Uncle Chuck tells of some sad moments in his career, such as the time when a little girl sat on his lap and asked only for a new pair of shoes. His greatest joy in this role is that it has allowed him to be “the spirit of love and compassion.”

Isn’t that what all of us should be doing this season?

Embodying the love of God and the compassion of the babe in the manger is a job of Santa-like proportions. Where is God calling you to embody that spirit today?

See the Santa? Be the Santa.

Photo courtesy of Georgianna DeCarmine and The State College Magazine

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