Tag: impatience

Embrace the Change, Slowly (Exodus 24:12-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Moses receives the law from God on Mount Sinai, by Unknown artist, 1877

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there; I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up onto the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come back to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.”

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the Israelites. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. (New Revised Standard Version)

The Lord graciously entered into a covenant with the ancient Israelites. Following this, Moses was summoned to come up the mountain into God’s presence. There he would receive the tablets of stone with the law and the commandment on it. Yahweh was providing the people with instruction on how to live in the covenant relationship.

The scene was set for the Lord to give an extended revelation to Moses. Moses ascended the mountain, into the cloud, so that the people did not see him. For the next forty days and nights, God’s law and commandments were relayed and taught to Moses.

What did not happen is God tossing some stone tablets containing the law to Moses and then going on God’s merry way. The whole encounter unfolds over an extended period of time. That’s because we are people; we need time to wrap our heads and hearts around new realities. Humans require the gift of slowness to learn and absorb.

Western society, however, does not operate that way. More, faster, and better seems to be our cultural creed. And it’s found everywhere around us. Speed reading. More money. Bigger stuff.

Hogs and chickens are raised on factory farms in large confinement buildings. They never see the light of day. Instead, they are given steroids and growth hormones to grow faster and bigger, so that they can get to the market more quickly and get a better price.

Churches and faith communities in financial trouble look for quick solutions and fast turnarounds by expecting pastors to work more, faster, and better. Sports teams hire and fire coaches with dizzying frequency, believing that if the athletes aren’t faster and better with more wins, then there’s something wrong with them, the coach, or both.

But we have no further than the end of our nose to look for change.

People are in control of very little in this world, and so, a great deal of life is the ability to respond in changing circumstances – both wanted and unwanted. Resilience and flexibility are needed.

Moses receives the Ten Commandments, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860

The Lord brought about the end of Egyptian slavery for the Israelites through a series of plagues against Egypt. God miraculously delivered the people from the Egyptian army by parting the Red Sea. And Yahweh graciously entered into covenant with them at the mountain. All of this was a major change of life.

It was the people’s responsibility to respond in faith and obedience to the actions and words of God. The Lord was allowing them the space and the time to come to grips with their new reality – which is one reason why Moses met with God for forty days and nights on the mountain.

The Israelites needed to spend their time adjusting to their new life, and contemplating the giving of the law, which was about to happen. Since we are privy to the end of the story, we know that the people did not do this. They became impatient, and experienced a failure of faith and obedience.

Aaron and Hur were the leaders who needed to step up and guide the people in the special opportunity of preparation for receiving the law. Whatever it is they did, it wasn’t that.

Murmuring, complaining, and arguing are the initial signs of impatience and wanting things to happen faster, even immediately. But faith is not forged this way. Faith is developed through dealing with adversity by looking to God, listening, and obeying. Faith knows that all things can be faced with joy.

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, NRSV)

Waiting, patience, and the stretching of faith is not typically what people sign up for. Whenever there are circumstances which warrant endurance and perseverance, it’s far too easy to become antsy and begin grumbling about the situation.

That’s what happened to the ancient Israelites. They had a stiff price to pay for their impatience and impertinence. Don’t be like them. Instead, decide now for encouragement, in and through, all circumstances.

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that none of you have an evil, unfaithful heart that abandons the living God. Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called “today,” so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception. We are partners with Christ, but only if we hold on to the confidence we had in the beginning until the end. (Hebrews 3:12-13, CEB)

May almighty God give you grace to persevere with joy, so that the Spirit may complete the work begun in you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On a Time Out (Exodus 2:11-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Moses in Midian, by Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe, 1972

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”

The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. (New International Version)

Faith is dynamic, not static. It flows and moves, waxes and wanes, strengthens and weakens. Faith isn’t like a kitschy trinket you buy in a quaint downtown shop, and then place it as a nice object in a prominent place of your house or office. Rather, faith is much more subjective, like taking an adventure down some whitewater rapids, not quite knowing what’s going to happen.

Moses needed to learn how to make healthy decisions of faith, just like the rest of us. Just because we stand at this point in history and can look back at what a religious titan he was, doesn’t mean that Moses was always a paragon of faith and patience. In fact, quite the opposite.

An eighty year old Moses became the human agent of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians, after a forty year stint in the backside of the desert. This tells us that it took him awhile to mature into being the sort of leader God wanted to bring God’s people out of slavery. 

Even though the forty year old Moses may have had a sense that the Israelites needed freedom from slavery and acted on that sense by killing a ruthless Egyptian, his method, maturity, and misplaced timing were off.

There is a time for everything, said the Teacher of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Wisdom – the ability to apply faith to concrete situations with appropriate forms – is often in the timing of things. To know when to speak and when to listen, when to act and when to wait, is an important facet of faith. 

The ancient Israelites were slaves in Egypt for a long time, 400 years. Moses knew they were suffering, and he acted in “good faith.” Yet, it was not yet time, and it was a rash action, in killing the Egyptian. Eventually, the Jewish cry of suffering arose to God, and God heard them, remembering the divine covenant. 

Questions of why God did not act sooner, or use Moses earlier, is information that is only privy within God, and likely will not be answered satisfactorily for us, this side of heaven.

In order to develop a strong and wise faith – with an opportune sense of timing – we need to rely on God. Trusting in ourselves, our own efforts, and our own gauge of how things ought to proceed, will usually not end well. We may, like Moses, find ourselves taking a “time out” from God in obscurity until we learn to wait on him.

Some might think of a “time out” as being negative, even punitive, such as giving a time out to a toddler because of naughtiness, or calling a time out in sports because the team is playing poorly. However, a time out can also be a positive experience. The following are some advantages of the “time out:”

Reflect

Little did Moses know at the time, but he would have the next 40 years to reflect on his life and actions in Egypt. Reflection is important. It gives us a chance to step back, learn from what happened, and adjust for the next time we experience a similar situation. Taking this time acts like a mirror, enabling us to gain some clarity on what we’ve said and done.

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. (Ecclesiastes 9:1-2, NIV)

Refocus

Upon taking the time to reflect, it then provides us with the opportunity to refocus our efforts with wisdom. To refocus means to come back around in giving close attention and concentration on what’s most important to us. The desire of Moses was admirable in being concerned about his fellow Israelites. He just went too far and needed to fix his eyes on the Lord and how to best go about freeing them.

We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. (Hebrews 12:2, GW)

Renew

Reflecting on the past and refocusing in the present are not quite enough to get us back in the game of life. We also need renewal. To be renewed involves fresh commitment to the things we have learned. I believe it’s best to renew our commitments with some sort of ritual, because rituals help us psychologically and spiritually to launch into the focused endeavors ahead of us. That’s why athletes always have a short ritual of breaking their huddle before returning to the contest.

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2, WEB)

Return

A “time out” is designed to be temporary. Eventually, a “time in” happens. We get back in the game. We return to what we were doing, hopefully with a better understanding and grasp of what needs to happen and how to go about it.

In the fullness of time, the Apostle Paul said to the Galatians, Jesus came, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). God knows what he’s doing, even though it might seem like the Lord is sometimes slow to act. Yet, God sees, and God delivers – and does it according to divine timing.

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:8-9, NIV)

Redeeming God, you control all things, including the clock. Give me wisdom so that my sense of timing might reflect your will and your way, through Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit reign supremely as one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-34)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Again he [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (New International Version)

Working with Seeds

I grew up on a rural Mid-West America farm. Working with seeds was our livelihood. Even though my farming father worried incessantly about the weather, there was one thing he was never anxious about: seeds.

My dad knew that when we planted seeds in the Spring, there would be a harvest in the Fall. That’s because he knew the seed already has within itself everything it needs to germinate, take root, grow, and produce a harvest. His role was simply to tend to it all by keeping the fields free of weeds, worms, and critters.

Since I was the youngest, I typically got the grunt work of our massive family garden. I was always excited when we planted things because I knew what was coming in a few months: some delicious veggies on my dinner plate which were fresh from the garden that I myself tended. I never wondered whether there would be food on the table, or not.

Seeds are, of course, small. If you think about it, they appear quite unimpressive. Yet, we know better. We understand that when planted, watered, and cultivated, those seeds turn into amazing plants. 

But it takes time. Even as dumb little kid, I clearly knew that my planting seeds would not result in seeing anything above ground the next day. I understood it would take a few weeks before new growth would break the ground.

Seeds and the Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God, Jesus told us, is like a mustard seed – a very small seed which can grow into a tree big enough for birds to nest. Unlike the mighty Roman Empire, or contemporary powerful national governments, the kingdom of God had humble beginnings. It grows, over a long period of time, to become a force greater than anything the world can produce.

While our world races forcefully on with the speed of the hare, Jesus is carefully and patiently building his Church at the pace of a tortoise. In the end, the kingdom of God will rule over all creation, while the kingdoms of this world shall no longer exist. 

Even though many of us now live in a society where quicker, faster, better, and stronger dominate everything, still the best things in life come as a result of tedious perseverance over an extended period of time. 

We are in such a hurry to accomplish our goals, make as much money as we can, and keep constant vigilance over our work. And for what purpose?

When we forget to slow down, or worse yet, believe slowness to be laziness and/or stupidity, there is a price to pay.

Lessons of the Seed

In graduate school, I typically read an average of 200 books per semester. Yes, you read that right. I had to keep up. I was on the clock with deadlines for papers and projects. In the factory, where I did a stent as a worker, I did piece work at the rate of 100 per hour for 8-10 hours. I had to go fast to survive and keep my job, let alone thrive. All of this, of course, impacted my mind, body, and emotions – in very uncaring ways. It was all done at the cost of my physical and mental health.

Indeed, our modern capitalist societies generate an unparalleled level of wealth and standard of living. But this has been achieved at the cost of devouring our planet faster than she can replenish herself. The stress we have put on mother earth we would never think of putting on our own mothers.

Even our attempts at leisure and self-care are anything but. We often end up racing to have as much fun and relaxation as we can cram into a few days or weeks of our “time off.” A return to the normal rat race has us telling each other, “I need a vacation from my vacation.”

There is such a thing as death by overwork. So, we desperately need to come back to the words and ways of Christ – to embrace the slow developing rhythms of grace. We need to age like a fine wine or an expensive bourbon, getting wiser as we get older.

Time is a precious gift given to us by a good and wise God. And that gift must be stewarded well. All the things that bind people together and make our lives worth living – family, faith, friendship, and community – all thrive on having copious amounts of time with each other (and God) in relational connection.

We are, I believe, in a pandemic of having no one to listen, of profound loneliness, and of incredible lostness of soul. The only real prescription for these debilitating maladies is slowing down and taking the time to be, and to be with each other.

Seeds are Slow

Instant gratification will not do the trick. We need to plant small seeds, and then take the time to nurture them and watch over them. While the rest of the world rages and roars on with their disease of speed, believers must carefully cultivate spiritual practices which foster healthy growth and development.

Whether we like it, or not, we serve a slow God. And what’s more, because slowness is built into the very nature of the world, decelerating our lives actually works. Life eventually becomes better, not worse.

You and I have the God-given right to determine our own pace and tempo – without anxious systems of power squeezing every ounce of speed and activity out of us, sucking our souls to serve a worthless idol.

I, for one, would not be opposed to creating a society known as “The Royal Order of Sloths,” or joining a group of slow walkers who label themselves as “Sauntering for Sanity,” or simply be straightforward with an organization known as “The Society for the Propagation of Slowness.”

That’s because the best things in life take time; and those things need us to slow ourselves enough to notice and enjoy them. Eventually, we shall find that the world is blessed because of our commitment to embracing the small and the slow.

Let us pray for all the world, and also for ourselves, knowing that what we ask in the name of the Lord, will be heard according to God’s mercy and patience.

Almighty God, we pray for faith, even as small as a mustard-seed, and for the love to nourish and nurture it, so that it may grow and flourish. We pray for the church throughout the world – that people of faith may work together in unity and in prayer to overcome evil and to promote true love among all people.

O Lord, you are the beginning of all our good, the wellspring of all our love and the source of all our freedom. Let your grace continue to work in us, that your will may be done through us, and that we may always rejoice in your presence. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Slow Down (2 Kings 2:1-12)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Not long before the Lord took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “The Lord wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here.”

Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Bethel.

A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”

“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don’t remind me of it.”

Elijah then said, “Elisha, now the Lord wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here.”

Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Jericho.

A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”

“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don’t remind me of it.”

Elijah then said to Elisha, “Now the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here.”

Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will never leave you!” So the two of them walked on together.

Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. When they got there, Elijah took off his coat, then he rolled it up and struck the water with it. At once a path opened up through the river, and the two of them walked across on dry ground.

After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the Lord will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”

Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”

“It won’t be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”

Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. At once, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel’s cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!” After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow. (Contemporary English Version)

“For fast-acting relief from stress, try slowing down.”

Lily Tomlin

In placing today’s Old Testament lesson of Elijah ascending to heaven in a whirlwind next to yesterday’s New Testament lesson of Christ’s ascension, the Revised Common Lectionary wants us to consider the relationship between the two.

What goes up, must come down. Two people ascending to heaven will eventually descend back to the earth.

But why all this elapsed time? If there’s something left yet to be done, why not just do it then? Or right now?

Ah, but there’s the issue. In asking such questions, I (we) betray our modern Western mindset of being governed by the god of speed.

The archenemy of faster is to be slow. And, believe me, slow is seen as a sin by most Westerners. For example, because I have a bum back, I tend to walk slow. More than once, I’ve walked from the parking lot into a store and had cars honk at me, and even some drivers swear and flip the bird at me – just for not hurrying along and making them wait a precious few seconds.

Or take the case of the stereotypical boss who is ready to pounce on an employee who shows up a minute late for work (of which I’ve observed a hundred times over my career). I’m sure you have your own examples.

In God’s kingdom, the slow will inherit the earth – not the speedy ones. That’s because God, at least from a human perspective, is slow. Yet, that’s more of a subjective matter and an issue of perspective. Christ ascended to heaven two thousand years ago. And still no Jesus, no Second Coming. What’s “up” with that? Because many people aren’t “down” with it.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)

Far from being a sin, slowness is actually a virtue. Spiritual maturity can only result with the element of time – lots of it. There’s no quick way to becoming whole and integrated. Bible Cliff’s Notes aren’t going to get you very far. Most things cannot be rushed – especially when it comes to our words. Running our mouths never ends well.

You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness. (James 1:19-20, NRSV)

Elijah will come. So will Jesus. In the meantime, we need to embrace being an Elisha character who learns the unforced rhythms of grace and discerns the power in slowness.

We are to take time in learning from a trusted mentor… time in sitting with difficult emotions, like sorrow, and time in allowing God to be God so that untimely shenanigans like pulling up the wheat when trying to rid the field of weeds doesn’t happen.

People have a job to do while we wait – to bear witness of the things we have seen and heard. Power is given to those who await God’s gracious gift. Pentecost is just around the corner. Be patient.

Gracious and patient God, slow me down so that I may see you in this fast paced life. Give us all a listening heart and contemplative eyes, so that we might hear your voice may see you in our active world, through Christ our Lord. Amen.