Advent 14…The Starting Point

Todays reading are descriptive of suffering, of human shortcomings in the face of God's perfection. I was intrigued specifically by Psalm 90 at the beginning of the readings and Psalm 80 at the end.

I have a fundamentally different expectation of life than many, certainly from the expectation raised by our consumer culture--Martha Stewart in particular. For whatever reason, I don't expect "happiness" every day; I know trouble is part of daily life. I even accept that mind-numbing boringness happens--especially when one is vacuuming. At the same time, life is never really dull--there was that petrified biscuit that I vacuumed up out of a kid's closet one morning. Perfection is not even an option.

On the other hand, for whatever reason, our culture teaches that we can achieve happiness every day; perfection in job, home, and family; and, most significantly, that we can actually live without trouble or illness. "Salvation" to us seems to be this perfect, happy life. When we don't live it, it often seems we must give up faith, or the practices of faith, because clearly God is not doing God's job.

Psalm 80 reminded me of this today. God's people are in exile, praying that God will reclaim them and return them to their honored place. Literally, at the end they pray: "Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved." In the context of the psalm this seems to mean make our nation great again and we will be saved. They even bargain in the verse before: "But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name."  First fix things, God. Then we will be your people.

Psalm 90 hits a strikingly different tone.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations…                                          from everlasting to everlasting you are God." 

 The psalmist also understands judgment...

For all our days pass away under your wrath...

...human fragility and trouble.

The days of our life are seventy years,                                                                                 or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;                                                                                  even then their span is only toil and trouble;                                                                    they are soon gone, and we fly away.

But all this happens in complete trust that no matter what is happening in life, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. So, while we might pray that God will make our lives better, more blessed, less troubled (and I do), salvation is not coming when we are "fixed." Salvation is understanding and embracing that in our brokenness, we are God's.

Turn, O LORD! How long?                                                                                           Have compassion on your servants!                                                                             Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,                                                                 so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.                                                               Make us glad as many days as your have afflicted us,                                                      and as many years as we have seen evil.                                                                           Let your work be manifest to your servants,                                                                     and your glorious power to their children.                                                                        Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,                                                                  and prosper for us the work of our hands--                                                                         O prosper the work of our hands. 

Question for the day: What is our starting point? Must life be defined as we see successful to know we belong to God? Or can we start with from-everlasting-to-everlasting-God and live all of life's insanities knowing to whom we belong?