As you read this newsletter, I’m making my way back from Scotland. I have been looking forward to detaching from the busy-ness of everyday life – yes! Even more, I hope to reconnect with God’s Spirit, to hear more clearly how God is speaking to me.
This passage from 2 Corinthians is one of the lectionary passages for this coming Sunday, June 9. We often read it at funerals. James Howell suggests that we might read it slowly and deliberately, as we prepare to preach, to write our sermons; I think it’s a wonderful piece to prepare our hearts to go to God in prayer and praise!
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
4:13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture–“I believed, and so I spoke” – we also believe, and so we speak,
4:14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.
4:15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
4:16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
4:17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
4:18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
If I were engaging in some Lectio Divina right now, as perhaps we are doing that together, I see great hope in the phrase “our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” There is more going on in each of us than that which is seen or even recognized by each of us. I see this pilgrimage walk as an opportunity to be inward-focused in the best of ways. While my senses will be delighted by the world around me – the unique-to-me sights, the springtime beauty, the wafting scents, and the calls of animals in the countryside – my inner person will be delighted with time to simply be.
When we have time to be, rather than work or worry or wither or want, we remember who we are: children of God, created in love, made to love and praise God. We are mindful that there is more than this life alone; we are lifted out of the “ills” of this life to see the beauty, blessing, and gift of Life, who and whom we are.
If you have never heard this story below, it will bless you as you prepare to hear the word of God. I first heard it in a sermon years ago. I find this story does what any good short story attempts to do: makes us think, keeps us on our toes, and causes us to reconsider what it is we think we know.
In Our Greatest Gift, his thoughtful book about dying, Henri Nouwen tells a story about fraternal twins talking with one another in the womb:
“The sister said to the brother, ‘I believe there is life after birth.’ Her brother protested vehemently, ‘No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing to do but cling to a cord that feeds us.’ The little girl insisted, ‘There must be something more than this dark place. There must be something else, a place with light, where there is freedom to move.’ Still, she could not convince her twin brother.
After some silence, the sister said hesitantly, ‘I have something else to say, and I’m afraid you won’t like that either, but I think there is a Mother.’ Her brother became furious. ‘A Mother!?’ he shouted. ‘What are you talking about? I have never seen a mother, and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have. Why do you always want more? This is not such a bad place, after all. We have all we need, so let’s be content.’
The sister was quite overwhelmed by her brother’s response, and for a while didn’t dare say anything more. But she couldn’t let go of her thoughts, and since she had only her twin brother to speak to, she finally said, ‘Don’t you feel those squeezes once in a while? They’re quite unpleasant and sometimes even painful.’ ‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘What’s so special about that?’ ‘Well,’ the sister said, ‘I think that these squeezes are there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our Mother face to face. Don’t you think that’s exciting?’
The brother didn’t answer. He was fed up with the foolish talk of his sister and felt that the best thing would be simply to ignore her and hope that she would leave him alone.”
We are here to get ready for another place much more beautiful than this, where we will see our Creator face to face. Don’t you think that’s exciting? I do! Blessings to each of you as you prepare . . . for preaching, for hearing the word, for living this life knowing we are all part of Life eternal. We are getting ready and we are living that eternal life presently.
I look forward to connecting with you upon my return! May the peace of Christ be with you all.
