Isaiah 55:1-9
Introduction
“Social media has redefined human connection, especially if you’re part of the Millennial or Gen Z generation. It is so deeply interwoven into every aspect of our lives that it’s almost impossible for us to withdraw from our digital devices. Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and other such platforms are everywhere, allowing us to communicate and connect with people from all over the world. But there’s another side to social media, one about which mental health experts have been sounding the alarm for years: how our social media consumption compares to cocaine or alcohol addiction. And how it’s contributing to a growing mental health crisis.”
This is what journalist Louis Velarde, of the Washington Post wrote earlier this year. He further says, “This is the subtle way habits will often develop and work in our lives, and often we don’t notice the effect until much later, and even then we are in danger of missing the effects. Consequently, we have crafted a drop-in/drop-out/miss-out culture. We drop-in our social media feeds dozens of times a day, to be immersed into the ‘somewhere else’ which means we are drop-out of the world around us dozens of times a day causing us to miss-out on the ‘where we are.’”
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“We have crafted a drop-in/drop-out/miss-out culture…”
What do you think? Is this true? Partly true even? When confronted with the question, and when we are completely honest, how do we answer? Some of you might be answering with an easy, “No. Not true for me at all.” And if so, well done. But let’s ask that question outside of the social media focus. And let’s ask, if we have crafted a drop-in/drop-out/miss-out culture when it comes to our spiritual life. Does the answer change now?
A drop-in/drop-out/miss-out culture is a momentary feeling of satisfaction, but if that’s all we ever have time for in our lives with God, then it’s a false comfort, because it’s a habit that will keep us from going deeper with God. Growing in our relationship with God is not going to happen if we are only dropping-in now and again when we have a few moments to spare. God has something much different in mind, a different vision for our lives—a vision that is far deeper, richer and more fulfilling than a drop-in/drop-out/miss-out culture.
Move 1
The prophet Isaiah presents this different vision for growing our relationship with God, a vision where we are invited to embrace the abundant life in the presence of God. He writes, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! … Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”
What this suggests is not “drop-in” and “drop-out” discipleship, but a “come and see” and “stay-awhile” discipleship. Notice the imperatives Isaiah uses for such discipleship:
“Come”. God sets the table, but we have to pull up the chair. The disciple has to respond to God’s faithfulness by taking action of her own. “Buy”. Or buy into. Commit. Take the step, the leap, the plunge into deep waters of divine possibilities. “Eat”. Partake. Experience. Taste. Savor the goodness of God. “Listen”. Pay attention. Be attuned to the voice of God, and tune out competing voices—whether cultural, secular or the voice of entertainment and peers. “Hear me”. Change the spiritual characteristics so that the voice of God can be heard. Get rid of the noise and interference that can drown out the voice of God. Dig out the spiritual earwax that reduces the voice of God to a muffle. “Seek the LORD while he may be found”. Pursue single-mindedly, search diligently for. Make the presence of God a priority. Take advantage of the opportunities to walk with God while you still have them. “Forsake”. Abandon whatever doesn’t work for your relationship with God. Decide what is holding you back, and let these things go. “Return to”. After letting go of the bad, grab the good. Turn to what is right, good and positive. Turn to God for forgiveness and mercy.
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Isaiah acknowledges this is countercultural. That’s why we are reminded in verses 8-9 that the way we live life is based on a different paradigm. The heart of what Isaiah is getting at is: If we order our lives according to conventional wisdom, then we never fully arrive at the place God would have us get to. But if we “come” and “buy” into a higher reasoning, a different way of doing business, one that is of a divine wisdom, we will align our lives with God’s divine purpose and we will get to that place God created us for—a place where the things of this world are enjoyed yes, but where lasting joy is found in God and God alone.
Isaiah is inviting his listeners to consider the choices they have before them. How will we come to God’s presence? Will we come as those who have short attention spans—looking for something to catch our attention for a few minutes? Or will we come as those ready and able to perceive God goodness that surrounds us?
Move 2
Next Sunday is Thanksgiving Sunday. The Sunday after is Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday in the liturgical year. The Sunday after is the beginning of Advent—marking the beginning of a new liturgical year. All of which gives clear indication that the holidays are upon us during which we will talk about waiting and preparing for the birth of our Savior. And every year we say the holidays start earlier and earlier, complaining that they do. But I say fine! Let our preparations for the coming of the Lord begin early. By starting early, we are making ourselves ready to rejoice, give thanks, and fully embrace the miracle of our Savior’s birth.
Making the choice to prepare early, and fully to come before Christ is not a bad practice. It is faithful, for sure. But it is still important to ask if that is what we are doing when we start the holidays earlier and earlier? Because often we start early so we can get to the happy parts of the holidays—nonstop Christmas music. We start early to get great deals for those on our gift list, or even for ourselves. But it’s not those preparations that bring forth the true joy we are seeking—and we know this. Which is why maybe we do need to start our preparations early.
Move 3
Starting in the next week or so—starting with our Thanksgiving preparations— and then all the way into the New Year, we will engage in everything Isaiah is calling for. We will “come” to all kinds of places. We will certainly “buy” and most certainly we will “eat”—far more than we should. We will “listen” and “hear.” We will “seek” out and “find.” We will “forsake” and we will “return”—(especially whatever it is our mother-in-law gives us for Christmas.) But how will we do all that we are about to do? Will we do it as those who are preparing to align our lives with divine purposes? Or will we do it as those who complain the holidays start too early and Thanksgiving gets overlooked; as those who end up missing Christmas because we are so stressed, frantic, and worried about how we will pay for all we feel we have to buy.
Will we, over the next month and a half, simply “drop-in” to see how preparations for Jesus are coming along, then duck back out, only to rush back in just in time for the climatic ending? Will we come to the table God is setting, and buy into and commit to being fully present, so we can eat what is good, while listening and hearing again the Good News? Will we over the next month and a half seek the Lord so we can say thank you and then walk more closely with God. Will we be countercultural over the next month and a half? Or will we just follow cultural norms?
Conclusion
The life God invites us into, and wants us to have, is not a “drop-in” relationship, or one that involves a few minutes here and there whenever it happens to be convenient. The mature life of faith with God is one that feasts on the riches of a deep and abiding relationship with God. This kind of deep maturity with God means spending the necessary time pursuing this relationship; the kind of time one would give to any pursuit that is worthy of our full attention. This way of life is not impossible, as it might seem. This way of life is not so countercultural that we must give up everything we know and love. This way of life is easier to achieve than we might think because it comes down to answering a simple question: How will I come? How will I come before God? Do I want to come before God half interested, for a few minutes or seconds? Or do I want to come before God fully invested and fully present? That’s the question we must ask, and answer, throughout the upcoming holiday season, and really throughout all seasons of life.
It’s a choice we make every day. How will I come before God… every day? The choice is always ours. God invites us to… Come, buy, eat, listen, satisfy, forsake, and return—all of which are opportunities for deeper, fulfilling, life giving, restorative relationship with the Divine. So what is our answer? How will I come before God…everyday? Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, November 12, 2023
Eternal God, we know and give thanks for the blessings of knowing when we walk with you, when we have you front and center in our lives, when we permit you to guide our steps, our thoughts, our actions, and our words—then our spiritual walk is faithful in all ways you would have it be. But we know also that we must confess the truth that we often fall short of walking in such a way.
And because we do, we know we need our hearts challenged O God. We need to be confronted with a challenge that demands we look at our hearts, our choices and ask ourselves if in response to the very best you give to us, if we are giving to you our best.
We know O God, that so often what keeps us from experiencing your presence as blessings, is ourselves.
We take pride in our righteousness, forgetting it is you alone who makes righteousness.
We revel in the good we do, forgetting our purpose is to glorify you and not ourselves.
We boast about our good motives and impugn to others the worst of motives.
We are quick to display our piety before others, but are remiss in developing a private, closet piousness where we are alone with you.
Forgive us Lord. Forgive us for walking a walk not always led by you. Forgive us for squandering opportunities to draw closer to you.
Then give us the courage to know, once again, the power of your grace that can not only restore us, but will guide us in remembering how we can forever find our way back to you.
Hear now the prayers we share from our hearts, to you, in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”