15 January 2023 - Epiphany 2

Theme

This week’s readings are a reminder that following Jesus invites us to be patient as we go through the many ups and downs of life. Isaiah laments that he is not seeing the fruit of his labour, but is reminded of God’s ultimate plan for his life. The psalmist acknowledges God’s faithfulness after waiting patiently on God. Paul encourages the Corinthian church by saying that God has given them every spiritual gift they need as they await Christ’s return. In John, the Messiah finally arrives which is what John the Baptist has been anticipating for many years.

Scripture Readings

  • Isaiah 49:1-7 - Isaiah laments that he has done so much work with no visible result. However, he is reminded that God knew him and chose him before he was in his mother’s womb and God will honour the faithful servant and bless the entire world through the prophet’s work.
  • Psalm 40:1-11 - The psalmist declares that God blessed him/her after having waited patiently. He/she then lists all the good things the Lord has done and declares the joys of those who trust in the Lord. Ths Psalmist declares to share news of God’s justice and power with the world.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - Paul offers greetings to the church in Corinth and gives thanks to God for the gifts that God has given them. He says that God has given them every spiritual gift that they need to remain strong until Christ returns again. God will do this because He is faithful and has invited them into partnership with God.
  • John 1:29-42 - John the baptist sees Jesus coming and claims that he recognizes him as the Messiah. As Jesus walked by, two of John’s disciples followed Jesus. When Jesus asked them what they want, they asked Jesus where he was staying and followed him. One of these disciples was Andrew who went to tell his brother Simon that they had found the Messiah. When Jesus saw Simon he told him that he will henceforth be called Peter (Cephas).

Personal Application

The Christian life, like all of life, is full of ups and downs. Some folk believe that after choosing to follow Jesus, everything good will fall into their laps and they will never face any hardships again. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A Christian is likely to face just as much suffering as anyone else, if not even more so. After all, Jesus himself walked one of the loneliest, harshest journeys of all humankind.

Our readings for this week remind us that God is faithful through the good and the bad. While God does not cause our suffering, God accompanies us through the entirety of life. When we remember God’s presence with us, we can be encouraged to remain faithful and patiently await Christ’s final restoration of the entire universe.

What are some things that help you to remain connected to God during challenging times? How can you best rejoice in God’s faithfulness throughout the highs and lows of life?

Communal Application

Our readings for this week remind us of the importance of creating safe spaces for people to worship in the mental space that they find themselves.

Our churches have a valuable role to play in offering these safe spaces for people to worship safely and genuinely. Too often though, churches seem to expect people to “pull themselves together” and put on a happy face before coming to church. When we do this, we portray the false notion that the Christian’s life is always going to be perfect and any sort of suffering is a result of unfaithfulness on the believer’s part.

On the other hand, when we offer safe spaces for people to come and worship just as they are (grieving, hurt, questioning, angry, etc), we remind them that God journeys with them through the many highs and the lows of life and they are encouraged to walk with God, even in the midst of their sufferings and not only their joys.

How can our churches best create safe spaces for people to “come as they are” to worship? How can we help other people feel comfortable and supported in our presence, regardless of what has been going on in their life and how they may be feeling at the moment?

Comments

Post a Comment