In Days To Come
Stories
Object:
Contents
"In Days to Come" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Pilgrim Faith" by John Fitzgerald
* * * * * * *
In Days to Come
by Peter Andrew Smith
Isaiah 2:1-5
Jonathan opened the door and threw his keys and mail on the counter. He hung his coat on the back of the chair and opened the small fridge to take out the leftovers that would serve as tonight's supper. He sorted the mail as the time on the microwave counted down, putting the obvious junk mail into the box for recycling and leaving the bills for later. He grabbed a spoon when the ding sounded and sat in the lone chair at the small table that filled a good part of the bachelor apartment.
He looked around at the single room that served as his home. He used to think that the house he and Mary were raising the girls in was crowded and often complained that it would be nice to have somewhere he could be alone and enjoy some privacy. What he wouldn't give to hear the girls arguing or to see Mary trying to squeeze another year out of some pair of work pants by adding yet another patch to them.
He looked over at the clock. With the time difference they had already eaten and the girls would have then tried to convince Mary that they had no homework. He smiled. There was no way Mary would believe that and inevitably the twins would try to procrastinate and find other things to do. Mary though would not let them distract her and before long book bags would be opened up and the lessons for home would begin.
His phone buzzed and Jonathan wiped the wetness from his eyes. He looked over the text from the work site outlining yet another problem that no one had anticipated. He pushed his leftovers to one side and after some deliberation and calculations sent a possible solution for them to try. He put the phone down and resumed eating. A few minutes later his phone buzzed to thank him for his contribution. He couldn't say that they didn't appreciate him. There was always recognition for the way he contributed to the project, and they were always saying how they didn't know how they would manage without him.
Jonathan finished the last of his meal and put the bowl in the sink to wash later. He grabbed some cookies and a glass of water and sat on the pull out couch flipping through the channels on the television. He found the news and watched it for a few moments. His eyes wandered over to the clock and he found himself thinking about his family so many miles away. His chest ached as he pictured Mary and the girls gathered around the kitchen table. He missed them so much.
He wiped at his eyes again. When this job had come up he had jumped at it. Not of course that there had been that many options. No one was hiring where they lived since the plants began the layoffs and there were too many other people looking for work to expect to find anything there. So when the chance had come to earn a steady salary, Jonathan had jumped at it. He just never expected that it would be so hard to leave Mary and the girls. He never thought that he would miss them this deeply.
He picked up the well worn Bible that Mary had given to him when they were married. He had read from it each night with her and the girls and now that he was by himself he kept up that practice. He opened to Isaiah and began to read about the hope for a new day when things would be so different. He didn't have spears to pound into pruning hooks but he knew that his life needed the radical change that the prophet told the people God was promising.
Jonathan felt himself saying the words silently as he read the passage. He closed his eyes and prayed that God would give him the strength to get through another day and that soon he and Mary and the girls could be together again. He heard his phone buzzing but ignored it as he prayed for God to help him. He ended by praying the Lord's Prayer as he did each time he read the Bible.
He sat in silence for a few moments and then went over to the table to see what the new problem was at work. The text was three simple words "we love you" from Mary and the girls. Jonathan tapped "I love you too" and sent it to them with all his heart. He got himself ready for bed and turned off the lights. He went to sleep in the darkness hoping in the goodness of God and the days yet to come.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Pilgrim Faith
by John Fitzgerald
Matthew 24:36-44
This Sunday marks the end of our Thanksgiving weekend. It also begins the Advent season. Before we rush into Christmas preparations, it would be well to remember the Pilgrim Faith that began a tradition of Thanksgiving in our country.
Nearly 400 years ago, a few Englishmen left their homeland in search of religious freedom. They landed at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts. They sold their possessions and agreed to work for seven years to establish colony and to pay for their passage to the New World. The ship they traveled upon had no heat or plumbing. A main beam cracked when they were half way across the ocean. Storms raged and many became sick during the long trip upon a small boat. Despite all of this, after sailing on the North Atlantic for two months, this amazing band of 102 people arrived at Provincetown Harbor.
William Bradford wrote in his diary that the people fell onto their knees and thanked God for bring them safely to a new land. Shortly after their landing, sickness broke out, and in the first three months half of the Pilgrim community died. The seed they brought with them produced only a small harvest. Yet they never thought about giving up and returning to England.
The Pilgrims are credited with being originators of Thanksgiving in America. Above all else, this hearty band of faithful demonstrated a deep, unwavering religious conviction. The Pilgrims believed in Jesus Christ and his gospel.
The first Sunday in Advent is a time of renewing a tradition of Pilgrim faith and rediscovering Christ Jesus for our lives. What was the basis of Pilgrims conviction?
Our Pilgrim forefathers feared neither the king nor any man. They trembled only in the presence of God. This is so unlike our day when many people conduct their lives with little fear or reverence for anything. Folks today have no understanding of the God who pronounces judgment upon living and dead.
We live in an age of moral confusion and spiritual laxity. The Pilgrims had a morality ordered by biblical teachings. This Christian band possessed a spiritual fire that came from being in touch with the Holy Spirit.
This Advent season we seek a return to the example of our spiritual ancestors. The Lord Jesus can make our pathways straight as God's word makes clear (Mark 1:2).
Our scripture reading from Matthew's gospel suggests that Jesus expects us to live in his presence and power, which is akin to Pilgrim Faith. It is the reality of Christ who sustains us through all occasions, both good and bad.
The thrust of our Lord's teaching in this scripture is to have an expectant attitude. We never can know the exact moment when Jesus shall return to planet earth. But this gives no excuse for not being about the Father's business. Jesus expects us to be faithful in every season of life.
Far too often Christians conduct their walk as if Jesus is distant. We make up our own standards and revise scriptural teachings to conform with culture. The Bible demonstrates that Jesus is watching and one day will return in judgment.
The process of judgment becomes personal. As the scriptures say, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because we do not know on what day your Lord will come" (vv. 40-42). It is up to Jesus as to whether we or our best friend will be taken at Judgment Day.
Advent highlights this theme of making our life acceptable before Jesus. There is a lot of personal cleansing to engage in this season. Repentance and return to Christ are what God expects.
As we conclude Thanksgiving and enter into Advent, let's praise God for the model of Pilgrim fathers. May we take on the attitude of expectancy and reverence which were so vital to this valiant community. The words from Matthew 24 conclude with a fitting challenge for us, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 1, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"In Days to Come" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Pilgrim Faith" by John Fitzgerald
* * * * * * *
In Days to Come
by Peter Andrew Smith
Isaiah 2:1-5
Jonathan opened the door and threw his keys and mail on the counter. He hung his coat on the back of the chair and opened the small fridge to take out the leftovers that would serve as tonight's supper. He sorted the mail as the time on the microwave counted down, putting the obvious junk mail into the box for recycling and leaving the bills for later. He grabbed a spoon when the ding sounded and sat in the lone chair at the small table that filled a good part of the bachelor apartment.
He looked around at the single room that served as his home. He used to think that the house he and Mary were raising the girls in was crowded and often complained that it would be nice to have somewhere he could be alone and enjoy some privacy. What he wouldn't give to hear the girls arguing or to see Mary trying to squeeze another year out of some pair of work pants by adding yet another patch to them.
He looked over at the clock. With the time difference they had already eaten and the girls would have then tried to convince Mary that they had no homework. He smiled. There was no way Mary would believe that and inevitably the twins would try to procrastinate and find other things to do. Mary though would not let them distract her and before long book bags would be opened up and the lessons for home would begin.
His phone buzzed and Jonathan wiped the wetness from his eyes. He looked over the text from the work site outlining yet another problem that no one had anticipated. He pushed his leftovers to one side and after some deliberation and calculations sent a possible solution for them to try. He put the phone down and resumed eating. A few minutes later his phone buzzed to thank him for his contribution. He couldn't say that they didn't appreciate him. There was always recognition for the way he contributed to the project, and they were always saying how they didn't know how they would manage without him.
Jonathan finished the last of his meal and put the bowl in the sink to wash later. He grabbed some cookies and a glass of water and sat on the pull out couch flipping through the channels on the television. He found the news and watched it for a few moments. His eyes wandered over to the clock and he found himself thinking about his family so many miles away. His chest ached as he pictured Mary and the girls gathered around the kitchen table. He missed them so much.
He wiped at his eyes again. When this job had come up he had jumped at it. Not of course that there had been that many options. No one was hiring where they lived since the plants began the layoffs and there were too many other people looking for work to expect to find anything there. So when the chance had come to earn a steady salary, Jonathan had jumped at it. He just never expected that it would be so hard to leave Mary and the girls. He never thought that he would miss them this deeply.
He picked up the well worn Bible that Mary had given to him when they were married. He had read from it each night with her and the girls and now that he was by himself he kept up that practice. He opened to Isaiah and began to read about the hope for a new day when things would be so different. He didn't have spears to pound into pruning hooks but he knew that his life needed the radical change that the prophet told the people God was promising.
Jonathan felt himself saying the words silently as he read the passage. He closed his eyes and prayed that God would give him the strength to get through another day and that soon he and Mary and the girls could be together again. He heard his phone buzzing but ignored it as he prayed for God to help him. He ended by praying the Lord's Prayer as he did each time he read the Bible.
He sat in silence for a few moments and then went over to the table to see what the new problem was at work. The text was three simple words "we love you" from Mary and the girls. Jonathan tapped "I love you too" and sent it to them with all his heart. He got himself ready for bed and turned off the lights. He went to sleep in the darkness hoping in the goodness of God and the days yet to come.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Pilgrim Faith
by John Fitzgerald
Matthew 24:36-44
This Sunday marks the end of our Thanksgiving weekend. It also begins the Advent season. Before we rush into Christmas preparations, it would be well to remember the Pilgrim Faith that began a tradition of Thanksgiving in our country.
Nearly 400 years ago, a few Englishmen left their homeland in search of religious freedom. They landed at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts. They sold their possessions and agreed to work for seven years to establish colony and to pay for their passage to the New World. The ship they traveled upon had no heat or plumbing. A main beam cracked when they were half way across the ocean. Storms raged and many became sick during the long trip upon a small boat. Despite all of this, after sailing on the North Atlantic for two months, this amazing band of 102 people arrived at Provincetown Harbor.
William Bradford wrote in his diary that the people fell onto their knees and thanked God for bring them safely to a new land. Shortly after their landing, sickness broke out, and in the first three months half of the Pilgrim community died. The seed they brought with them produced only a small harvest. Yet they never thought about giving up and returning to England.
The Pilgrims are credited with being originators of Thanksgiving in America. Above all else, this hearty band of faithful demonstrated a deep, unwavering religious conviction. The Pilgrims believed in Jesus Christ and his gospel.
The first Sunday in Advent is a time of renewing a tradition of Pilgrim faith and rediscovering Christ Jesus for our lives. What was the basis of Pilgrims conviction?
Our Pilgrim forefathers feared neither the king nor any man. They trembled only in the presence of God. This is so unlike our day when many people conduct their lives with little fear or reverence for anything. Folks today have no understanding of the God who pronounces judgment upon living and dead.
We live in an age of moral confusion and spiritual laxity. The Pilgrims had a morality ordered by biblical teachings. This Christian band possessed a spiritual fire that came from being in touch with the Holy Spirit.
This Advent season we seek a return to the example of our spiritual ancestors. The Lord Jesus can make our pathways straight as God's word makes clear (Mark 1:2).
Our scripture reading from Matthew's gospel suggests that Jesus expects us to live in his presence and power, which is akin to Pilgrim Faith. It is the reality of Christ who sustains us through all occasions, both good and bad.
The thrust of our Lord's teaching in this scripture is to have an expectant attitude. We never can know the exact moment when Jesus shall return to planet earth. But this gives no excuse for not being about the Father's business. Jesus expects us to be faithful in every season of life.
Far too often Christians conduct their walk as if Jesus is distant. We make up our own standards and revise scriptural teachings to conform with culture. The Bible demonstrates that Jesus is watching and one day will return in judgment.
The process of judgment becomes personal. As the scriptures say, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because we do not know on what day your Lord will come" (vv. 40-42). It is up to Jesus as to whether we or our best friend will be taken at Judgment Day.
Advent highlights this theme of making our life acceptable before Jesus. There is a lot of personal cleansing to engage in this season. Repentance and return to Christ are what God expects.
As we conclude Thanksgiving and enter into Advent, let's praise God for the model of Pilgrim fathers. May we take on the attitude of expectancy and reverence which were so vital to this valiant community. The words from Matthew 24 conclude with a fitting challenge for us, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 1, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
