Go Tell It: Watching

This Epiphany we are looking at the carol Go Tell it on the Mountain, an old Spiritual. Last week we looked at the refrain and how mountains are important in our interaction with God and in spreading the Good News.

This week, we find the shepherds who “kept their watching/Over Wandering flocks by night/Behold throughout the heavens/There shone a holy light.”

The shepherds were going about their daily work of tending their flocks. They were not expecting anything unusual to happen. We can imagine them around their fires after the sheep have been herded safely into the night enclosure. Probably they were eating and talking about family. Perhaps they were sharing a concern about some sheep who was limping or had been caught in a bush during the day.

There are lots of things we might watch for. If company is coming, we watch for their arrival. Like the shepherds, we can watch over our children or families. We may watch over our co-workers or our own work to be sure it is done correctly. Perhaps we need to watch what we say or how we do something so we don’t make a mistake.

In the Book of Habakkuk in the Bible, he says, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved.” (Habakkuk 2:1) Proverbs 16:17 notes, “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who watches his way preserves his life.”

In Hebrews, we are told, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17) Jesus warns "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (Matthew 24:42-44)  

It seems then, that one very important thing to watch for is the will of God. We should keep watch over our own and one another’s souls, and be alert for the coming of the Son of Man. We are admonished to keep watch for what God will say and be watchful on the highway of life. Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? Luckily, we don’t have to do it alone. God is right there beside us, via the Holy Spirit, to help us keep watch.

Jesus himself promises that he will be there to guide and protect. “I am the gate for the sheep…I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me." (John 10:7, 9, 14)

Like the cat in the image (by John Henley) sometimes we have a very limited scope of vision. That is when we need to be most alert, and also the time when we can most fully depend on God’s guidance and protection.

The Shepherds in the carol, while going about their nightly duty of watching their flocks saw “throughout the heavens there shone a holy light”. We don’t know what we might see as we keep watch for God’s action in our lives and in the world. That is part of the adventure. Let’s keep watching! Then when we see what God is doing we can ‘Go tell it on the mountain”!

Scripture Scrapbook- W and Y

MEANS: look at or observe attentively, typically over a period of time; keep under careful, protective, or secret observation; observe and guard in a protective way; follow closely or maintain an interest in; exercise care, caution, or restraint about; look out or be on the alert for; be careful.

FROM:  Old English wæcce watchfulness;’wæccende ‘remaining awake’

BIBLE VERSE: Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37)

THOUGHTS: This verse is familiar from the Passion narrative of Jesus in the garden before his arrest. He asks Peter, James, and John to watch and pray with him, but they fall asleep. Some churches hold an all-night vigil sometime during Holy Week (usually from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday) to commemorate this scene and allow us to sit and pray for an hour, or more. It is a moving time. Sitting in the silence of the church or chapel, you do find it hard to remain focused and prayerful. How much more would the disciples have found it hard to stay awake after the Passover meal and Jesus’ unusual words. “This is my Body…this is my Blood.” Weighed down by emotion and food, they slept, only to be roused by the Master’s sorrowful words, ‘could you not keep watch for one hour?’

If you have the opportunity to keep vigil with Jesus this Holy Week, I encourage you to do so. You might take the time to sit with the words we’ve looked at since January; and ponder what they mean in light of your life this Holy Week.

PRAYER:  Blessed Jesus, help me to watch with you and walk with you this Holy Week along the path to the cross. Let me not fear my own cross, but to gladly follow you to victory.

o    MEANS: produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product); produce or deliver (a result or gain); generate (a specified financial return); give way to arguments, demands, or pressure; relinquish possession of (something); give (something) up; cease to argue about; give way under force or pressure

FROM: Old English g(i)eldan ‘pay, repay,’ of Germanic origin.   

BIBLE VERSE:  Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7)

THOUGHTS: As we come to the end of the alphabet and this series of meditations (there being no ‘x’ or ‘z’ words), I invite you to consider whether the discipline of looking at a few Bible words and citations has yielded any results in your heart. Is there any ‘payment’ of a new insight or two? Is there a new ‘crop’ of ideas to ponder going forward?

The citation says that the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop. In the same way, our Lord patiently waits for our faith to produce something, and that requires yielding ourselves to God's leading.

There is a story called the "Daffodil Principle" that encapsulates how small, daily efforts can result in great beauty. This is the story of one woman's quest to beautify a hillside, one daffodil at a time. It concludes by saying "It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?' "

PRAYER: May my heart be planted with your word to yield new life each day.

SCRAPBOOK PROMPTS:

You might jot down thoughts that come as you keep vigil with God.

Draw a field or garden of flowers, and label some of them with the fruits you bear.

Consider how these words and others in this series have given you insight into yourself or God.

Advent, week 1

This first week of Advent has been predictably busy. Taking time to find an image to match the word of the day has helped me pause slightly and think about the word and what it means to me. I wonder if it did the same for you, if you are doing this challenge.

On Sunday, the word was “Look” and as I shared, the image that I thought of was the hawk that recently visited the church garden, because if we are not taking time to Look Up we miss the little surprises God sends. If I had not looked up at just that moment, I’d have missed my visitor.

On Dec. 1, the word was “Remember” and I was drawn to recall my teen age solo of Panis Angelicus not long after I joined the church. It seems a lifetime ago (well maybe it has been). That solo was one of the first times I felt affirmed by a church family.

The image on Dec. 2 is of Canyonlands. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to “Imagine” all the ages that have rolled past that formation. How many animals, storms, people, and changes has that plateau seen?

I asked myself how do we “Thrive” on Dec. 3. The answer is we are planted in the good soil of God’s love and thrive. That’s related to the ducks on Dec. 4, who, like us “Abide” in God’s presence while paddling on the crystal pond. And sometimes like the ducks, we do a lot of paddling below the surface while looking placid on top!

The words for Friday and Saturday: “Notice” and “Watch” are similar. When we watch we notice things and when we notice things, we are apt to watch more closely. However a radiant sunrise always helps me Notice the Glory of God and Watching what is around you can bring surprises like the moose and calf.

Next week the list continues and there will be more images and thoughts about these words. Remember, you can subscribe to the feed or participate by posting photos to the national site.