Teach Me Your Ways

Advent Day 10

Second Tuesday in Advent

December 6, 2011

Reading: Isaiah 2:2–3 (NRSV)

² In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. ³ Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Theme: Teach me your ways

Reflection:

It is hard to pray, “Lord, teach me your ways.” In Burger King style, we want to have it our way. We are a people used to getting what we want. The Baby Boomers grew up as a treasured generation, loved by parents who were happy to return to some sense of “normalcy” following World War II. The relative prosperity of the Baby Boomer’s parents meant that they were given a great deal of both attention and material things. In turn the Baby Boomers showered their Gen X and Millennial children with nearly everything their hearts desired. We, who live in the 21^st century in the US, want and expect it our way!

Most likely, God’s way and my way are not necessarily going to converge. I don’t have the vision or insight (nor could I) to understand God and God’s plan. Any attempt that I make to understand God is simply an attempt to cut God down to human scale! My way is based on my limited ability to see what is that I want, while God’s immeasurable vision can comprehend the entire world and what it needs. God’s way uses God’s vision and takes into account a world that I can’t fully see or understand.

In this Advent season, as I pray “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!”, my prayer means that God will send Jesus on God’s terms, in God’s timeframe and in God’s way. Part of the Advent preparation of getting ready for Jesus to come means realizing that my way needs to be set aside. I have to get my “own way” out of the way, if I am to hear and learn God’s way. I have to hear God’s way before God can help me walk in God’s paths.

Prayer: God of wisdom, give me the strength to put aside my way, hear and learn your ways and walk in your paths. Amen