Shall we receive the good at the hand of God,
and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. [Job 2:10b]
As for me I will live with integrity; redeem me
O Lord, and have pity on me. [Ps 26:11b]
[Jesus] is the reflection of
God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all
things by his powerful word. [Hebrews
1:3a]
Truly I tell you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter
it. [Mark 10:15]
As we
begin the story of Job, his trials and sufferings at the hands of Satan** have barely begun but are nonetheless difficult. We find him
at the time between the daylight and the dark and it will become much darker
for him before the dawning of his release from this dread-filled game. The
Book of Job is far from easy to read, let alone to understand and receive
direction. It is at once a dramatic debate and/or dialogue between God and
Satan, Job and his wife, Job and his friends ~ it contains poetry, it is part
folk-tale, and it is extremely difficult to interpret. Judaic scholars suggest
that the Book has three main and interrelated points. First, which is Job’s
position throughout, that human suffering is not always deserved. We can bring
on our own by neglect of our health and/or, from a religious perspective, by
sinful behavior. But there are many things in life that cause pain and sorrow
for someone and is unrelated to anything they have done, such as the death of a
loved one. The second point, held by Job’s friends is that human suffering
is always deserved and they argue that Job is a sinner and has done something
to offend God. The third point, at once simple and complex, is that the
understanding of suffering is just beyond human comprehension. The conclusions
are inconclusive!
From
the opening of this Book, we can almost hear the music of doom playing in the
background ~ things will only get worse yet even now we are told In all
this Job did not sin... How would each of us fare against such
tribulation?
The
Psalmist has us asking to be tested, examined in heart and mind. Do I really
want to ask to be tried and tested? I'm absolutely certain that I am not ready,
nor willing, to be the next Job. Yet the mere thought brings me up short as I
reflect on my all-too- frequent sin of judging of others. I am, too often, as a
“friend” of Job at times (especially while driving 🤐).
In the
reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we are given some help by the
instruction to pay more attention to what God is telling us through all God has
done and especially through Jesus ~ who is the reflection of God's
glory and the exact imprint of God's very being.
And, as Jesus is tested by the Pharisees, he tells the disciples,
somewhat indignantly, to let the children come forward and be welcomed
fully and completely and with blessing. He is telling us to be as
these, feeling the peace and security of a child beloved of a parent ~
whether or not that is our lived experience ~ so that we may receive
the kingdom of God as a little child.
A
moment for self-reflection: Am I a cup half-full or cup half-empty sort of
person? Do I see the image above as a sunset or a sunrise? Am I able to imagine
and inhabit the mind and heart and innocence of a child who truly trusts,
adores, and clings to a beloved parent?
Let us seek to find and hold the ability to love unconditionally as does a
child. When we actively and consciously pursue the love and presence of God,
through Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will more easily accept and
work through all that life provides. Whatever the tests may be, the difficult
and the easy, whatever the twists and turns in the trials of faith, God is as
faithful to us as the Parent in Longfellow’s The Children’s Hour poem.
Let us be as faithful, loving children to our God, through the darkness and
light in each and every day, until we enter into the eternal Light of new life
in Christ.
And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!*
*~ The Children’s Hour, the last
stanza, from the poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
1807-1882, published in the September 1860 Edition of The Atlantic magazine. The
first stanza begins with Between the dark and the daylight, when the night
is beginning to lower…To read the rest of this poem click on: The Children's Hour
**An interesting aside is the concept of Satan who appears in the texts of Abrahamic traditions (primarily,
but not limited to, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) variously translated
as "The Adversary," the "Devil," or "The Accuser."
Click the links to read more and think about what you’ve been taught, what you
actually believe, or what you haven’t yet decided to believe.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ God of Grace and
Majesty, through all the darkness and pain, Job stayed faithful and did
not sin. Grant us even a small portion of Job’s deep faith and patience, and
greater awareness of Your presence and love, to live each day as Your trusting
and beloved children.
Creator
God Almighty
RESPONSE:
Have Pity and
Redeem us, O Lord
~ God of Grace and Majesty, release all who govern on this
Earth, in this Nation, and in this Community, from any hardness of heart or
evil intent, that through actions of integrity, equity, and generosity, they
may find their own moral substance in the well-being of all people. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
Creator God Almighty
Have Pity and Redeem us, O Lord
~ God of Grace and Majesty, give rest and hope to those
coping with persistent illness, being unhoused, hungry, or addicted, and
reinvigorate those who provide them with care. We now join our hearts to
pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Creator God Almighty
Have Pity and Redeem us, O Lord
~ God of Grace and Majesty, through the sacrifice of Jesus
in earthly death, we and all of our faithful departed may live again forever in
the light of Your celestial glory. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Creator God Almighty
Have Pity and Redeem us, O Lord
~ God of Grace and Majesty, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Creator God Almighty
Have
Pity and Redeem us, O Lord
~ God of Grace and Majesty, bestow extra grace upon our
anointed leaders in this congregation and everywhere in Your Church, as they
bring us Your precious Word, tell us of the signs and wonders of Christ, and
help us discover our own gifts from the Holy Spirit. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Creator God Almighty
Have
Pity and Redeem us, O Lord
The Celebrant adds: O God for Whom and
through Whom all things exist, kindle and strengthen us to accept all tests and
trials of earthly life, remaining faith-filled, thankful, and purified of
sin. We ask with a child-like heart through Christ Jesus, the Imprint of
Your Being; and the Holy Spirit, Grantor of Divine Gifts; who together with
You, are One God, eternal, infinite, limitless. Amen.
