Faith and God's Time - August 13, 2010

Daily Lectionary for August 13, 2010
Psalms 69:1-15
Judges 14:20-15:20
Acts 7:17-29
John 4:43-54

Psalm 69:1-15
Here are two thoughts in one prayer that could put some pressure on one another.  To feel that one is "sinking in mire" and needs to be "delivered from deep wather" while concerned that the "flood sweep over me or the deep swallow me up or the Pit close its mouth over me" on one hand while on the other praying, "At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me".  What seems alarmingly immediate at times often is not; that does not make it any easier to pray for God to act in God's time rather than in my time.

John 4:43-54
A royal official whose son is dying tracks Jesus down to seek his help.  He asks Jesus to come and heal his boy and Jesus says, "Go, your Son will live."  The story says "the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way."  One wonders where that level of faith showed up from.  What kept the man from saying, "I believe you and everything, but maybe you could come with me just in case."  Maybe it was Jesus demeanor or his tone of voice.  Or maybe, in that moment, the officials faith was just that strong.  In a way this connects to the Psalms passage - we offer our prayer asking God to act in God's time and then we are left to believe, to have faith that God will act in God's time and that it will be for the best.  This is not a "keep your receipt in case you are unhappy with your results" kind of faith.  It's a faith that requires us to place ourselves in God's presence and then leave ourselves accepting that God's outcome will always be preferable to our own.

Friday the 13th
I am no fan of Friday the 13th, but it's not the day specfically - it's the number 13 in general.  I will do what I can to avoid it.  In college working in the Boone Tavern Dining Room if I was asked to set up a party of 13 (which did happen on more than one occasion) I'd set the table for 14, figuring the extra place setting couldn't hurt and that I was probably doing the reckless party a favor.  Hoping your Friday the 13th seems just like a Friday the 12th or 14th.