On Time God

On Thursday, August 23, 8 students and 3 adults drove to St. Louis for the J2A Urban Adventure.  As they traveled down the highway gospel blared over the radio. In a deep alto voice Dottie People’s sang, “He’s an on time God, Yes He is, He’s an on time God, Yes He is. He may not come when you want Him, but He’ll be there right on time. He’s an on time God, Yes He is.” What does that mean? On time God? 

As the students rode, they decided that they were not sure what “On Time God” meant, but throughout the weekend, God’s timeliness manifested itself over and over again. A Dean who met us at the downtown Cathedral late at night, on time, despite the fact we had the wrong phone number for him. A wonderful experience of service at the Bridge St. Louis – a place that feeds breakfast and lunch to over 300 people a day, as well a resource and job center for many of St. Louis’ homeless. God gifted us with a living saint, Patrick, who had spent time on the streets of St. Louis and was now employed by the Bridge to give tours, lead groups, and talk about his experiences. Whatever was meant by “On Time God” our group was experiencing it. 

On the third day of the trip, we broke the students into 2 groups and gave them Amazing Race style tasks to complete. As the groups looked at maps and tried to navigate from point A to point B, the people of St. Louis demonstrated a tremendous sense of what it meant to be welcomed by God and neighbor. As the J2A kicked off their year of “Discovering God’s Welcome”, everywhere we turned members of St. Louis opened their arms to us. The housed and unhoused, black and white, and the rich and poor all stopped us on the street, welcomed us, introduced themselves to us, and pointed us in the right direction. My group ran into Barnabus, a Kenyan, who placed us on the right path. When he was finished helping us, he huddled us up in the middle of the street, laid hands on us, and prayed for us. The other group had a similar experience. After they were stopped by a man, after he helped them find their way, after he gave them advice, he closed with “I tell you what, our God is an on time God.” 

Our God was an on-time-God in St. Louis and our God is an on-time-God at Christ Church Cathedral. Everywhere I turn I see instances of people helping others by welcoming them, listening to them, and pointing them in the right direction. When we open ourselves to look for it, God’s welcome to us is always timely. Where have you experienced an on-time-God in your life this week?

Walking With Job

In recent weeks our Daily Office has been taking us through the story of Job, the Everyman of Scripture.  While the Old Testament gives us plenty of historical data by which we can date many of its characters, such as David or Solomon, we have no such data for Job.  His story is timeless.  We're all familiar with "the patience of Job."  We all hear Job's story as one of never-failing faithfulness to God. 

Yet this week we read of Job's pain, his agony, his cries of lament.  In chapter 29 Job longs for the life that he once had, the days when it seemed God was watching and blessing him.  In 29: 6 Job cries out, "...when my steps were washed with milk, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!"  These are images of blessing, for which Job longs. We speak of Job's patience, his love of God, but what of his longing, his pain?

To some extent we all know what it is like to feel like Job, to long for a time when things made sense, times when loved ones were still with us, times when God seemed much more present.  We, like Job, are often told by people that God has a plan, that we should not be upset.  But to deny our sadness or anger is to deny the very humanity that God has given us.  To bury our sadness deep down eventually poisons our souls.  Job is, in many ways, the most human figure in Scripture.  He cries and shouts at God in his anguish, knowing fully that God can take those cries and shouts.  

While at an Evensong in July I was surprised to hear a passage from this book introduced as "A reading from the prophet Job."  Never had I considered Job a prophet.  But perhaps he is.  For Job challenges us to be fully human, to give all of our emotions to God.  So wherever you are at this moment, whether mad, sad, glad, or scared, offer it up to God.  Offer your joy, but also offer your anger, your pain, your disappointment.  God wants all of you, even the parts we would rather bury.  Offer it up.  God can take it.