“Do not fear,” so says our reading from Isaiah. ( Click here to listen to the sermon ) The book of Isaiah as we have it can be divided into three parts. The first part deals with the Babylonian exile. Our reading from today comes from the middle section, a collection of materials around the themes of hope, divine comfort, and an end to the exile. The period of punishment is over, and God will redeem Israel. The God who created them, the God who calls them by name, makes a promise to bring them home. It is a forward-looking and hopeful message emphasizing God’s actions, and affirming God’s nearness and compassion. The book of Isaiah is part of the biblical prophetic tradition focused not just on the historical prophet, but also on how the living tradition remained applicable across generations. So if you find yourself in the wilderness of our modern world, it might be helpful to look to Isaiah. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and the r...
You're just trying to show me up, with your planningy-wanning. Well, it's working.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better, my planningy-wanning is very wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey.
DeleteFezes, however, are cool.
ReplyDelete