Sabbath Jubilee

I went to church today and it was not a Jubilee.  I am fond of the people at my church. I care about their lives and I believe they care about mine.  But we did not celebrate.

The Psalmist said, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”  My heart longs to hear the Joy of the Sabbath, the Good News of Salvation, the Gospel preached from the pulpit.  I long for a fellowship of believers to rejoice in the awesome power of the Creator and share the everyday miracles that we are witness to.  I would like to be challenged to walk in Christ’s footsteps; to treat Jews and Samaritans, rich and poor, and the leprous untouchables with dignity and grace.  He rose with healing in his wings.  Teach me how to provide compassion and healing for those broken by sorrow and regret.  He died to give us freedom, certainly we must honor that in the way we talk about and treat those that choose to believe and live differently than we do.  I did not find any of that at church today.     I did not find God.  My heart remained empty.

The sermon today was on the law of God.  The preacher admonished the faithful to do better while reminding us that we are indeed better than the homosexuals, abortionists and Sabbath breakers out there; a swift kick in the butt followed by a little pat on the back.  It’s a tired formula.  It made me sad and a little angry.   

God’s law is perfect.  It is the Eden we have lost, the Heaven we hope for.  That’s the beauty and the joy of it.  It is not a mighty stick to beat our friends and neighbors with.  It is not a lofty platform to look down at the world from.  Our church is not the perfect expression of the law.  We are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”  We are foolish to think we are somehow better.  “Behold I stand at the door and knock”, Jesus says in the next verse.  “I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”*  In spite of our sad and miserable state of affairs we are invited to a Sabbath banquet.   Why do we settle week after week for merely a Sabbath observance?

*Revelation 3:17 & 20

The Importance of Being Important

I had to travel out of town this week for business and met up with an old friend for lunch that I haven’t seen in a while.  It didn’t take me long to remember why I cherish his friendship.   Rob exudes joy, sheer joy, irrepressible childlike joy and a wicked sense of humor.  Rob is interested in everything and everybody.  But mostly he is interested in making sure you have a good time.  He suggested lunch at a famous restaurant overlooking the city and requested a table with a river view.  While we waited for our meal I asked him how many buildings he had clients in.  My friend is really good at what he does.  He’s captured most of the city skyline.  

After lunch he offered me a ride in his Porsche (I told you he was good at what he does) and we took a fast tour of the city as he pointed out several points of interest that he thought I might want to check out while I was in town.  We spent four hours together and it will probably be several years before we see each other again.  Rob said he cleared his schedule when he heard I would be in town, although I certainly didn’t expect him to.  Rob is generous that way. 

What does Rob do for a living?  He notifies people that they don’t have a job anymore.  I’ve had to accompany him on a few assignments and the thing about Rob that makes him so good at what he does is first of all his undivided attention but secondly and most importantly his rock solid conviction that his clients are going to be OK.  In the midst of falling apart he reminds them of who they are and treats them as successful professionals able to exert control over their own destiny.  If you lost your job would you rather have someone who sympathized with your misery or someone who treated you as if you had already succeeded in overcoming this particular bit of nastiness?  I know who I’d rather have.  So do his clients.  There are not too many Robs’ in the world.  I find that most people are like me, more focused on having a good time than giving somebody else a good time.  More concerned about setting the stage to make a good impression than setting the stage to make some else look important. 

In my personal Year of Jubilee I would like to take a page from Rob’s book and spend a little less time on being important and a little more time making others look and feel important.  It seems to be working for Rob!