November 30, 2020--God remembered....

 November 30, 2020 --Monday in Advent, week 1

Genesis 8:1-19

 

Our reading for this Monday, the first week of Advent is a familiar story to both young and old.  It is the story of Noah and God’s deliverance of God’s people with Noah’s obedience and the ark.  Our reading begins as Noah, his family and all the wild and domestic animals are with him on the boat while there had been forty days of flood water, a long time as the water covered the mountains of the earth and there was much death. 

I can imagine what Noah was thinking, or at least what I imagine I would be thinking and feeling if honest.  I know God, you told me this would happen and I built the ark, but really—how much longer?  In Genesis 7:24 it reads, “And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days.”  God, have you forgotten about us?  Where are you?

Verse 8:1 reads “but God remembered Noah…”  God remembered, even when Noah had to wonder if God had forgotten.  God causes the wind to blow over the earth and the waters subside, and the heavens close—no more rain!  And at the end of 150 days, the water was abated, and in the seventh month the ark rested on land.  The waters continued to abate, and on the first day of the tenth month they could see the tops of the mountains.   

Noah opened a window and sent out a raven, to see if the water was dried up on the earth and the raven flew back and forth.  Then he sent a dove to see if the water had subsided but the dove didn’t find a place to set foot and it returned.  Noah waited seven more days and sent the dove again.  This time the dove returned with a fresh olive leaf, so Noah knew the water had subsided.  He waited another seven days, sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return. 

Eventually the water was all dried up, and Noah removed the covering and saw the drying ground.  God told Noah to go out, along with all living things, be fruitful and multiply.  And so Noah went out.

I don’t know about you, but I can sometimes feel like I am cooped up in the ark, I can’t go anywhere.  It seems I see the same people over and over again, and in my case mostly on Zoom.  Just when we start to get an idea that things are getting better, there is a setback, and I wonder again how long?   When will this end?  God, do you remember us?

I know I am not the only one who wonders this, when we are honest with ourselves.  This morning as I was talking to people, it was a common theme.  We are tired, lonely, maybe physically healthy but mentally not so good.  Some of the people we know and love have died, some related to Covid and some not—but all affected by Covid in the limitations set for us.  I came to grips with missing Easter worship but it was not in my thoughts that we could not worship in the same place together for Christmas as well.  The thought of a Christmas dinner without family and friends, like the Thanksgiving many of us had sucks the energy right out of us.

Here in scripture, we hear these words, but God remembered—we are not forgotten.  God is with us in this “ark” we find ourselves in, is with us in the isolation and limitations we must abide by, not by the law, but out of love.  It is in this hope that we will get through this, and I have to say, we might find that God uses this to make us even better!  Pastor Julie Winklepleck quoted Emily Dickenson in her sermon yesterday, “Hope” is the thing with feathers -That perches in the soul…”  (“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314) by… | Poetry Foundation)  Pastor Julie W is more cultured and read than I am!  But it is a beautiful poem and understanding of hope.  Hope is what we hold onto inside, because we know the nature of God, that God does remember and love us, so much so that God sent Jesus to earth to be God with us, Immanuel. 

What a perfect scripture and reminder as we enter deeper into this Advent season, as we wait with hopeful longing for that day when Christ comes again.

 

Reminders:

Tonight we start a 4 week Bible Study—God with Us on Monday’s at 7 p.m.  Contact me to receive Zoom Invite.

Tuesday Bible Study at 11, reading Colossians.

Wednesday at 7 p.m.—Advent service of reflection and prayer.  On Facebook Live.

Together or apart, we are the church!