Isaiah 23

As I read Isaiah 23 tonight, a couple things standout to me. One is that God has no use for pride whatsoever. In verse 9 we read that It was the Lord All-Powerful who planned this. He decided to make these powerful people unimportant...And the other is that in the God has a way of using all things....and making suit His purpose. In verse 17 we read that after 70 years God will deal with Tyre and again it will have trade....Tyre will not keep the money she earns but will give them to the people who serve the Lord.

On the latter note, seeking God's Purpose is a neverending journey. Even in times of sin, God has a way of using our lives for His glory. Its amazing to think that even at our worst times we serve a God who drawing things together so that He might be glorified. As I read chapter 23 it seems to tell us that God has no use at all for our prideful ways but every situation even the ones involving sinful behavior will all be useful to Him and He will direct us to suit His Purpose.

Isaiah 22

Isaiah the oracle says: Vs. 4 "Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people."
Isaiah asks only that he be allowed to grieve for what he sees as the coming death of his people being brought by the hand of God. God is asking for obedience and all he is getting is joyful disrespect. "Let's eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." His chosen people are looking only at the now, and seem to have no respect for God and the life He has given them.
The Old Testament lessons are hard to accept coming from the loving God we know through His Son. We look around today at the world we live in and can see the work God needs us to do, yet find it hard to get away from the reality of our daily struggles. We all need to satisfy the demand on our time of our families, our friends and our employers. Our culture stresses that we need to provide for ourselves and our families, money makes the world go round they say. Are we seeing some of what Isaiah saw in his people today in the callus actions of others around us?
Maybe we should simply paying attention and recognize what God really needs us to do; He has a way of placing his work right in front of us, on a daily basis, never making it more than we can handle. All we need to do is love boldly and take action, which is can be easy to say and hard to do.

Isaiah - 21

Our refuge comes from the Lord. The suffering described by Isaiah is palatable. Isaiah's third verse describes his gut wrenching pain with the knowledge of what is to befall Babylon and its people. All power is from God, the Father, everything else turns to dust and so this is the case with this mighty city. Their riches and idols could not keep them safe from this fate. When God sent Jesus to save us He once again showed how infinite His love for us is. Through His Son there is nothing to fear and all suffering is vanquished, Christ's death for our sins and resurrection by the Father is the ultimate victory. Praise God!

Isaiah 20

Despite the history that humanity has been able to record, history does repeat itself!  Isaiah 20 is short, but there is a clear message.  Trusting in society and culture and believing that those things are a sign that God is behind you or even worse that those things are greater than God is a good way to bet caught with your pants down.  Do we trust in our culture more than Our God?

Isaiah 19

God wants total obedience to him from the Egyptians. In reality he wants this from all of his people. When his anger is turned toward us we should be mightily scared. I marvel at the people who have no faith, who follow their own human wants and needs. I can understand those who have never heard of God, who are not Christians, but those that have heard, and know of his power and his glory. Who have read the bible or have at least heard the stories.

When people ask me why I believe or why I have Faith I often fumble for an answer. It is hard to put into words why I have Faith and believe in God. I grew up in the church is most often my first response. But then I go on to explain how I marvel at all of the wonders of our world and how could you not believe that there is a higher power who created all of this and who continues to take care of this planet? To me it is just logical, not so to others.

So when I read in the bible about these ancient people who did not believe and who worshipped many other Gods I can understand why God would treat them as he threatens to. Especially when he showed his power to these people and they stil refuse to believe.

I think it is even harder for us today to keep our Faith strong. Thousands of years have passed since Jesus. Yet there is something there that keeps us faithful and keeps us coming to worship him. My belief is that God is working through us and in us to keep us close to him. Thank you God for sharing your love with us so that we remain faithful to you and to Jesus.

Isaiah 18

"Just before harvest, after the blossom has turned into a maturing grape, he'll step in and prune back the new shoots, ruthlessly hack off all the growing branches."

Who's harvest is it? God's.

Who gives the growth? God.

Who holds the pruners? God.

Who directs the growth? God.

What is our role? Trusting that no matter how painful the pruning is, God is helping us to grow up and produce fruit.

"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing."

Happy Easter!

Isaiah 17

Sorry - Bit late today!

As I read the chapter, I was struck by the fact that Damascus will be destroyed -- even great power is temporary.

As we celebrate the resurrection, I am struck by the fact that all things earthly are temporary. God's reign is eternal....but even Damascus sees its end.

While the end of the chapter ties this destruction to unfaithfulness, I don't think it's really necessary. The message to me today is that all things will end.

As we celebrated this morning with more people than seats - I am reminded that all institutions will end. This congregation points to the eternal, but it is not eternal itself. There will be a day when the doors will close - in 100 years, 500 years - we are not about insuring the eternity of our earthly reality.

So what will we do while we have time together?

Isaiah 16

As we prepape for Easter Sunday tomorrow I think its only natural my eye was drawn to the line in today's text (in verse 4) where it says "the enemy will be defeated". Although this text is referring to the people of Moab it holds special relevance to me on Easter Weekend. Easter really is all about the enemy being defeated. How blessed are we to serve God who sent His only Son to defeat our enemy? The blessing gets even better when we read that we are saved by grace thru faith! What an awesome thing to know that our enemy has been defeated and the beautiful power of redemption has set us free from our sin. I am so thankful this Easter weekend for the sacrifice God made by sending His only Son to die for our sins so that our enemy will be defeated!

Isaiah 15

Today is Good Friday - Holy Friday - the day the church commemorates Christ being crucified on the cross. Today we know that this day leads to Easter, the day we celebrate Christ being reborn, that his death was a payment to God for our sins and that if we believe in Him and repent our sins are forgiven. How convienient we know the whole story, that Good Friday is the beginning of Christs resurrection and our joy. I can only imagine that on the day of Christs death on the cross His followers and family did not see the future and they went up to the high places to weep, they wailed from the rooftops and public squares, were prostrate in their anguish, much like "A Prophecy Against Moab".

Isaiah - 14

The Lord has no equal. We are all subject to His judgement as well as His love and grace. He will protect the weak and poor and give them refuge. The Israelis have found favor with God but at a cost. That cost is glorifying Him. Who can stand against God? He is our loving Father and we are his needy children.

God's wisdom isn't definable by our standards, we're human, He's the Creator. His love has no boundaries.

We have been given the promise of eternal life through His Son's death on the cross for us. How can you measure that?

Isaiah 13

I guess it is back to doom and gloom.  The other day I was half-heartedly watching a Discovery Channel show called "Apocalypse How."  The end will come at some point, but HOW??  Nuclear armageddon, super volcanoes, asteroids, aliens and even black holes hurtling throw the universe could do us in.  Surprisingly, hyenas and jackals were not mentioned.  But if you watch Discovery enough you will learn that feral hogs might just get us too.

The prophecy of the destruction of Babylon came true.  So far, I think the Discovery Channel is just guessing...

Isaiah 12

This chapter made me think of the plans we are making for this coming Sunday. We will meet in the garden and praise God's gift to us, Jesus, singing out our favorite Easter songs and saying ALLELUIA, HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!!

Our God is a wonderful God who loves us no matter what we do. Yes he can become angry and we may feel this anger at times. But there is always forgiveness. Holy week is always the time that I really reflect on God's gift to us in the form of Jesus. Amid the busyiness of preparing for Easter it is important for us to reflect on the pain and suffering Jesus went through for us. Are we worthy of this gift? All we can do is keep trying to be.

Isaiah 11

I was just going to say that I wasn't sure I could take 39 chapters of judgment. This chapter is very hope-filled.

Palm Sunday is celebratory. Including the Passion in it already seemed to take the mood of triumphal entry away a little too quickly. I hadn't even preached yet and Jesus was dead. I know I won't be preaching on Good Friday for the foreseeable future, but skipping over Maundy Thursday doesn't sit well with me. Between the footwashing and the meal, it's my favorite day of the church year (with the exception of Easter).

For the past decade, Easter for me has been, "He is risen...time for a nap." Holy Week is so exhausting. But no matter how exhausted I am, words about a green shoot sprouting up from Jesse's stump get me going.

I'm meeting with a couple of families this week regarding baptisms/new membership. On Easter and many times in May and June, I will be praying that the Holy Spirit be poured out upon our newest sisters and brothers in Christ, the "life-giving Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, gives direction and builds strength, instills knowledge and Fear-of-God (the Fear-of-God being all our joy and delight)".

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Isaiah 10

"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees."

I've always struggled with the interplay of the church and politics. I'm not comfortable there, but my wiser self can see that God's message is for all of society. And our mission as church is to spread that message to all people and all society - to speak the good news.

I've had the "separation of church and state" drilled into my American head so much that I forget that the church is free to speak its opinion (God's viewpoints) in the public arena as much as anyone else.

When I was in college, my cousin worked as a lobbyist for the church in DC (She's currently clergy in the UCC, so I think that's the denomination she worked for.) to the best of my knowledge, every major denomination has some form of a lobbying arm in the US. The Pastors I worked with during my internship were ardent about social justice -- they participated in marches on the Massauchesetts capitol building, wrote letters to and called political leaders, and preached social justice often.

This week, we all received an email from a member of our own church advocating political action in Massachusetts because it is in accordance with the word of God and our mission as God's people - calling for increased stewardship of the earth.

I've never been the person who speaks loudest on social action...it isn't my call, my identity, my passion. But I have grown to deeply respect it. In a church where we are so often afraid to tell others of the Good News, to Evangelize, there are still those among us who call the whole of society to God's justice.

Isaiah 9

Make no mistake about it, most of Isaiah 9 tells us how angry God is with Israel. When He is upset, He has a profound way of making it known. As much as God is angry when we are unfaithful and put other gods before Him, God is also equally loving and forgiving to those who choose Him above all others. Its the simplest choice we could make really. The choice is simple and the decision is yours....who comes first?

Fear God

13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, 14 and he will be a sanctuary; This chapter brings back memories of my childhood attending the Congregational Church we belonged to, with my mother singing and the Pastor preaching the fear of the Lord. The Sunday School lessons were that God loved me and that Jesus died on the cross for my sins but sometimes as a child I cried.

Isaiah - 7

This chapter's imagery encompasses an incredible amount of events. King Ahaz is fearful of being overtaken and Isaiah is instructed by the Lord to go to him and assure him that He alone controls the peoples destiny. God expects nothing less than faith in His love and guidance to assist in the direction of the people.
God goes as far as to give Ahaz the opportunity to ask for a sign that He will conquer all who stand against him but the king stops short of testing God. This isn't good enough and the Lord chooses the sign himself, the birth of His Son, the Savior of the world! This sign is hundreds of years prior to coming to fruition in human time but a blink for God. But even with this glorious
news there will be much tribulation and despair by the people and inevitably they will suffer greatly for many years.
Nothing of value comes without effort. There is a need for delayed gratification with respect to
all things. God's people during Isaiah's time as with much of the human race today, myself included, don't like the way life transpires. It's either not what we wanted or expected or doesn't fit what we deem as an appropiate time schedule. God's not concerned with our time schedule,
He's not wearing a Timex keeping track on when things will fit our liking. We must have faith
and do what we can with our days to better serve what He would have for us to do. At Faith there are incredible opportunities for this and I am grateful I count myself among those involved
there.

Isaiah - 6

The first time remember singing "Here I Am Lord" it was at my church in Philly, St. Michael's.  Vivian Anderson was singing the verses and the congregation responding with the refrain.  Vivian is a blind, African American women with a beautiful soprano voice.  Her seeing-eye dog would walk with her up to the lectern for her solo.  Listening to her sing the words "I the Lord of Sea and Sky.." moves me even today. 

The Word of God may not come to us in the form we expect.  And sometimes we are the vessel for it.  We need to see so that we see and hear so that we hear and sometimes just be open to being moved.  Is it I Lord?

Isaiah 5

This chapter seems to me to be about coveting what we have. In the beginning of the chapter it talks about a vineyard and how hard the person worked to grow good grapes but got only bad. It is compared to the people of Israel. God loved them yet they showed no love for God just disobiedience.

The reading goes on to warn us of coveting our big houses, partying too much, and disregarding Gods deeds. Don't we do this all the time? Many of us are so concerned with making money, buying new cars, clothes, bigger TV's etc that we forget to thank God for the gifts he gives us. Many of us also just struggle to live day to day, put food on our table or like our homeless man survive another night outside. How do we make God real in our lives today? How do we put him first?

The good thing is that God is always there, encouraging us, sending us subtle messages, filling us with his love so that we can start each day new. How lucky are we that he does not expect us to be perfect, he knows we cannot be. All he wants from us is to keep trying.

Verse 18-19 warns us not to ask God to hurry up. We may not see or understand the grand plan that God has laid before us but it is there and we need to be patient and wait for it. We all have a purpose and it will be revealed to us if we listen and follow Gods direction. I can feel a shift in the thinking of our church lately. We are talking more about outreach and helping others. This is good and where we should be focusing. We are a church afterall put here to fulfill Gods plan for us not our own. I pray that God continues to speak to us and we continue to follow his plan.

Isaiah 4

I have to admit this passage has me confused. What exactly is going on here? have read it over numerous times, gone back to the last chapter to find some thread of a story. What I have finally decided is that God has dealt with the people who have been defying him and only the holy are left. They are given a beautiful city to live in, take care of and worship God. God is going to take care of these people and protect them from harm.

A philosopher might argue that this is a prophesy of things to come. Should we be wary of these words? Maybe they are directed to us today. Our world is full of tragedy, despair and evil. What are we doing about it? We can help the people who are struggling in so many ways we just have to take the first step. Janet's sermon of 2 weeks ago really spoke of this very theme. What is Faith going to do about reaching out to the larger community and world as people of God?

There are quite a few of our Youth who are being called to serve. They need encouragement from the grownups around them to continue on this path. Can we as a church stand behind these kids and move them forward? I think we can we just need to step up and work alongside them to show them that this is as important to us as it is to them.

Isaiah 4

"God's Branch will sprout green and lush. All the discards and rejects will be reclassified as 'holy'. God will mark everyone with his glorious presence."

How do we get in on this thing? God has been growing a branch through David's line. Jesus is that branch. The Christ says, "I am the vine. YOU are the branches." We are grafted onto this holy branch. When we are marked with the cross in baptism, we are re-classified, no longer to live only for ourselves, but now also for others.

"Love one another as much as you love yourself." We prayed for Bob last night. Adi wanted to know where he was going to be sleeping. I told her, "Father Bill's." I hope I was right. I am now even more committed to that ministry of housing all of the homeless on the south shore.

Isaiah 3

I first stepped up to the role of "Pastor in charge" of a very small church a few months after my 24th birthday. I spent a good deal of those first few years fighting to be taken seriously despite my age. I lived off the words that Paul spoke to young Timothy encouraging him. And the verses near the end of Isaiah where the "young men see visions." And all of the "least likely" people that God has called - David the shepherd, Moses the stutterer, Deborah the woman (gasp!), Joseph the carpenter.

As I read chapter today, I am struck by the fact that I am no longer "the young" in the story. When did that happen? I read these verses, and I fully understand why it is a threat that God will "make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them...young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored." (vv. 4-5).

Today's chapter seems more in line with the conventional wisdom than the unexpected "Godly wisdom." Which makes me wonder....what sort of threat is this?

God is threatening/warning the people that the expected ways will be upended and the unexpected will step forth. The speaker never lets us doubt that this is supposed to be a bad thing. But the bulk of Biblical history makes me wonder.....is it? Is the exile punishment, or God's new opportunity?

Isaiah Chapter 2

As I read Isaiah 2 tonight I was thinking about the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 8 tells us that their land is full of idols. And what I really get from the rest of the chapter is that the idols are in the way of their relationship with God....and they get punished for it. I see a parallel to modern times because anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God is really an idol. Maybe for some of us its work, maybe its a particular sports team, or a hobby. Or maybe even something like Facebook. The bottom line....what are we doing to remove the idols from our lives and put God first? Later in chapter 2 we find the people of Judah and Jerusalem getting punished for their idolotry and sin. I'm happy to say the story doesn't end there! We are so blessed to serve a God who loves us, all we need to do is put Him first in our lives.

Isaiah Chapter 1

The Vision: Verse 2 & 3 A Rebellious Nation

Hear O heavens ! Listen O earth !

For the Lord has spoken:

"I reared children and brought them up,

but they have rebelled against me.

the ox knows his master,

the donkey his owner's manger,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand."

How many times have we either heard of or witnessed a lament by a father (or parent) about how as his children grew they turned from his teachings and rebelled against him. If you have had the pleasure of raising children through their teen years and have tried to set rules and boundaries you will discover that the common accepted rite in our society is that they will act out and separate themselves from their parents.

Your children will rebel !

God loves the people of Israel, they are his chosen people. What pain he must feel to make this opening statement. I am sure today is no different; God is crying out, are we listening?

Job 42

Job takes full responsibity for his words against God. He humbles himself before his Savior realizing that God's wisdom is without error. In his suffering Job has triumphed because in the end he turned it all over to his Savior. He was restored countless times over and in the end lived a complete and fruitful life. Trust in God always, He will never abandon us!

Job 41

The Leviathan, the gatekeeper of hell.  If you can't beat him, you can't beat God.  Case closed.  Your move, Job.

Job 40

God really lays it out for Job in this chapter. He dares Job to do his worst and challenges him to show his power. Poor Job is going to have to admit that he is powerless in the face of God.

This really makes you think about your fraile human being. We really are powerless and puny before God. What can we do in the face of his power? I think the answer to this question lies in what will we do for God's glory on earth. If we are working for God and only for God won't we have the power to change our world? Isn't this what the bible tells us?

As has been Matthew's theme for a while working together we are stronger than working alone. We just have to figure out what we are working towards.

I know that in 10 days 13 of us will be working towards helping to feed starving or hungry children and adults all over the world. During our famine we will also be packaging meals that will benefit our local food pantries. Working together we can do so much more than working alone.

Job 39

As God continues to give it to Job, he talks about mountain goats, a doe and her fawn, the wild donkey, the wild buffalo, the ostrich, the horse, the hawk, the eagle...what about us?

I have learned a couple things over the years:
1. We are insignificant in the whole scheme of things. God and his creation are so big. This humbles us.
2. We are valuable beyond compare. We are the pinnacle of God's creation, its stewards. We are made in God's image to love and serve others. This empowers us.

God's will in revealed to us in community. "Where two or three are gathered, I am there among you," Jesus says. We need to keep coming together to discern God's will for us as Faith. His will for each of us individually will become more clear as we live out his will for us together.

Job 38

Here, God speaks from the storm.

In 1 Kings 19, God was not in the storm, not in the earthquake, not in the fire - but spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice.

Many times in my life, I have wished for more certainty. I struggle and bumble through what I think God wants, and have wanted a clear voice that says "KELLY, DO THIS" or "KELLY, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THIS"

Maybe waiting for that clear voice isn't such a good idea. Because I can be sure that whatever God says is not going to be easy or comfortable. And hearing God from a storm sounds terrifying. Even God's speech to Job, which really doesn't contain any new information in this chapter (Job knew God's power and the wonder of creation) was scathing and overwhelming.

Maybe God speaks to us quietly for our own benefit, so we don't crack or break. I wish for more clarity - but am grateful that I have not heard God voice in the whilrwind.

Job 37

As I read Job tonight, one verse that jumps out at me is verse 14: Job, listen to this: Stop and notice God's miracles. I can really relate to that....being a mother to a 17 month old who runs more than she walks I don't often take the time to stop and notice God's miracles. Take the snow today, how many of us New Englanders were saying....ugh,more snow??? Job 37:6 reminds us that He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth' and after all that slush this morning I like that Job 37:10 reminds us that The breath of God makes the ice, and the wide waters become frozen. God's miracles are really all around us aren't they? Even as we trudged thru the slush on the way to work this morning the daffodils and the crocuses are getting ready to make their big debut. Looking at my daughter every day reminds me of the God's miracles. To think how much she has grown and learned in the course of 17 months is something I can hardly wrap my brain around. That is surely a miracle of God. And getting back to the winter weather....how amazing is it to think that the breath of God made the ice? Definitely a new way to think about winter! (Well spring in today's case!) I don't know about you but the next time I see winter weather I will still think its a pain in the neck but I'm also going to remember that it too is a miracle from God!