Monday, December 14, 2009

December 20 -- The Lord is my Shepherd

This week's lectionary texts: Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 1:47-55 or Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10, and Luke 1:39-45.



Candy canes are omnipresent at this time of year, whether they're decorating Christmas trees, tucked into stockings, or handed out by Santas at the mall. But where did this delicious seasonal treat come from? According to one legend, the choirmaster of a German cathedral in the 17th century passed out sticks of sugar candy bent into the shape of shepherd's crooks to keep noisy youngsters occupied during Christmas services. More than 300 years later, candy canes are still a hit!

Shepherds, of course, are found throughout the Bible and in Christian imagery. The word "pastor" comes from the Latin pastorem, "to shepherd." Perhaps the most famous of all the psalms, Psalm 23 begins, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul...your rod and your staff -- they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-4).

Jesus himself calls himself a shepherd in the Gospel of John, saying,

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." (John 10:14-16)

This week's lectionary texts offer further reflection on the idea of relating God to a shepherd. As the prophet Micah exclaims, Bethlehem -- previously an unremarkable, small town -- would be the birthplace of the new ruler of Israel. Micah writes, "And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace" (Micah 4:4-5).

Meanwhile, the psalmist also utilizes the imagery of a shepherd to pray for the restoration of God's people. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel," he pleads, "you who lead Joseph like a flock!" (Psalm 80:1). Unlike in Micah's triumphant prophecy, the psalmist is expressing dismay: dismay that he and his people are "the scorn of our neighbors" (Psalm 80:6).

It seems that the psalmist is incredibly frustrated -- his people are in need of guidance and protection. That is, they are in need of a shepherd: someone to lead them through the harsh challenges of life and bring them lasting peace.

In Luke's gospel, the shepherds are the first to hear the glad tidings of the birth of Jesus. And Jesus, as previously noted, called himself a shepherd. So we can sometimes forget that shepherds were not exactly highly regarded in ancient times. They were often viewed as rough and dirty; they were constantly on the move and didn't have much money. Their lives revolved around their flocks.

At first glance, then, it might seem strange for Christianity to associate God with a shepherd. Surely, the creator of the universe ought not be compared to someone as seemingly unsophisticated as a person who herds sheep for a living? But the God we worship is all about overturning expectations and rooting for the underdog -- Jesus stands up for the oppressed and the powerless.

As Mary elucidates in Luke, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...[God] has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1:46, 52-53).

We live in a society where independence and individualism are highly prized. It can be hard to think that perhaps we are indeed in need of the guidance of a shepherd -- someone to show us the way when we feel uncertain, or to watch over us when we feel afraid. And God has certainly gifted us with free will, unique personalities, and the ability to create our own triumphs and make our own mistakes. But this Advent, let us also consider how wonderful it is that God is so full of surprises -- assuming and transforming the role of a previously scorned profession and shaking up the status quo, all out of God's infinite love for us.

Sources:

American Bible Society, "Shepherds"

Garrison, Webb. Treasury of Christmas Stories. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1990.


Photo credit here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

December 13 -- The Promise of Peace

This week's lectionary texts: Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, and Luke 3:7-18.



This famous peace symbol was created in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a British textile designer and conscientious objector during World War II. He created the symbol by combining two semaphore flags: N and D, standing for "nuclear disarmament." Now, more than fifty years after the peace symbol was invented, it still remains incredibly familiar and widely used.

This week's lectionary texts speak to us in a number of ways about the promise of peace. They tell us of the rejoicing that there will be when God's peace descends on the world, but also make clear that we are not to simply wait for peace to come to us: we must help to bring peace to our planet.

The prophet Zephaniah offers an exuberant call to praise, reminding his listeners to remember the victory and peace that God shall bring to them:

"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more." (Zephaniah 3:14-15)

God promises to restore God's people, explains Zephaniah, renewing them in love. Moreover, writes the prophet, God will pay special attention to the weakest and least powerful: "And I will save the lame, and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth" (Zephaniah 3:19).

Isaiah offers a similar reflection on God's goodness, writing, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2). God can be counted on; God will not forget God's promises to save and renew God's people.

Isaiah's words are full of beautiful imagery and calls to rejoicing: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation...Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously...Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion" (Isaiah 12:3, 5-6).

Zephaniah and Isaiah both are prophets, bringing the promise of God's redemption and peace to suffering people. Their words are filled with excitement and joy. But the words of John the Baptist in this week's passage from Luke seem far more sober. John, speaking to the men and women who have come seeking baptism, likely startles them by exclaiming, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7-8). John seems to be warning that no one is exempt from the call to carry out good deeds and repent from sin.

John then proclaims a message of generosity and peace, telling his followers that they ought to share their clothing and food, be honest in their dealings with one another, and refrain from extortion (Luke 3:11-13).

But not all of what John has to say about peace is warm and fuzzy. Speaking about the coming of Christ, he warns, "He will baptize you with the Holy Sprit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:16-17). And we also read in Zephaniah, perhaps troublingly, that God is coming as "a warrior who gives victory" (Zephaniah 3:17).

What does it mean that we are called to live as peaceful people, but that we also read that God can be portrayed as a warrior, or as someone who will burn the chaff with "unquenchable fire"? Perhaps the authors of these texts want us to know how strongly God hates injustice and oppression, and realized that intense, even warlike imagery is the best way to get that message across.

Whatever the case -- and however much we may struggle with what it means to try to bring about God's peace in a world fraught with seemingly never-ending violence and injustice -- the words of Paul in Philippians offer powerful reflection on the power of peace:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

In the fifty years since Gerald Holtom invented the now ubiquitous peace symbol, the number of nuclear weapons has peaked, and then fallen. But there are still over 30,000 nuclear warheads on this planet, to say nothing of the countless other weapons, wars, and scourges of poverty and famine. This Advent, let us remember that God has not only promised us peace through Jesus Christ, but has called each of us to actively work for a peaceful and just world in whatever ways we can.

For more information about the peace symbol, see
this article.

Photo credit
here.