October 10, 2009

World Communion Sunday

Genesis 2:18-24

Psalm 8
Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

This week, I have to admit, there have been a lot of things going on around in my head and my heart.  I have been praying for Hayley Kudro.  I have been preparing for the new Bible Study in Hebrews.  I have been wondering how this Craft Show would turn out.  But one thing that has been on my heart for a good part of this week was something that a former classmate has written on her Facebook page. 

She wrote, "Be still, and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10. 

I remarked how it seems more and more difficult for us to slow down and acknowledge God.  With the kids in school, Jen's new job, and me, still learning the ropes around here, I know that my time becomes quickly filled.  I do cherish my times of devotion and personal praise. 

I was surprised by our classmate's response.  She has been struggling with turning things over to God.  Now, she did not go into details of her specific situation, but that she has been trying to make things happen in her life.  When things have not gone the way she wanted, it has hurt her greatly. 

I suppose that this is common to all of us.  We look at Adam and Eve.  God created the man and saw that it was not good for him to be alone.  So he created the woman.   They would have each other, and everything they needed.  But they were tricked by the serpent.  They lost their innocence and the beautiful relationship they had with God.  I seriously doubt that this was exactly what they wanted.  But humanity continued on...and God continued with them. 

I know that this can be a bit of struggle for us.  God has created us.  He loves us and watches over us, but we want to be in charge.  We want to make the decisions in our lives, and then we are disappointed with the results.  Even worse, we wonder how can God continue to love us after our blatant failures. 

Kind David felt the same way when he wrote Psalm 8.  He wrote: When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

In light of all of creation, God has a true soft spot for the humanity that he has created.  He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to the earth in spite of our failures...because of our failures and because he loves us.  Our lives are the most difficult when we start looking more at our struggles and less at the God who has created us.

As we discussed this week in our Bible Study, the people to whom the Book of Hebrews was written...they were a struggling people.  They were believers.  They had faith in Jesus Christ, but they were torn by their conflicting feelings.  Friends and relatives were trying to draw them back to their old religion and others were being led astray by other faiths and angel worship. 

The author of the book of Hebrews reminds the people...and us...what God has done for us.  How God became man.  We all know how God sits in heaven on his throne so far above everything and everyone.  But in Jesus, God gave up some of his power.  God gave up some of his control.  God gave up perfect divinity and took on the form of broken humanity. 

^6b "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? ⁷ You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor ⁸ and put everything under his feet."

In a world in which we seek to grab a hold of the reins and become God, God surrendered his ultimate most powerful place in heaven and came to earth as a human.  It is a true paradox.  The God, who created man and woman, came to earth as a man.  Lower than the angels, ⁹ he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

You see.  This doesn't make sense to the world we live in today.  God in heaven became man on earth. But why?  Why would God do this?  Because he wanted to...because he loves us.

¹⁰ In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. ¹¹ Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

God understands what we are going through.  As the God of creation, he knows how our desire to become like God has always been our downfall.  However, as Jesus the Son, came to earth, he endured our temptations, felt our pain, and suffered our death.  In order to die for us, he had to live as one of us. 

When he did, he allowed us to become his brothers and sisters.  He opened up the gates of heaven so that we may enter into his Father's house.  God came down so that we might be lifted up.  God's dominion was surrendered that our salvation might be secured.

But now, it is up to us.  There is nothing left for us to do, but believe.  Believe and follow.  Yes, we still have our heartaches.  Yes, we still have more than our share of temptation.  For the most part we still want to run the show that we call our lives, but we don't have to.  We can give up that struggle when we give Jesus our hearts...not just parts of it...but all of it. 

Today is World Communion Sunday.  This morning, we gather to share in Communion not only with each other, but also with all those around the world who are doing the same.  On every continent and in every nation, there are people like you and I.  People who might be holding on to tightly.  People struggling with their faith.  People trying to make things happen on their own.  But today we come together as one family.  In faith, Jesus is not ashamed to call us just that.  In him...

We have a common creator

We have a common birth.