Isaiah presents such an inspiring image because the reality of what he and his people were living was so miserable. King Ahaz was corrupt and evil, the land was overrun by enemy armies, families were divided and there was no reason for hope. Maybe because things were so bad, the prophecy was so good.
At my exit interview with the Ministry and Personnel Committee, we discussed a number of topics regarding my time with Glencoe-Appin Pastoral Charge and wondered about the future. Some things can’t be sugarcoated and most people would see that it looks bleak. I’m not eloquent enough to match Isaiah’s vision for this community, but I will be bold enough to make some practical connections to an ancient dream.
All those things he mentions happen in the future, the temptation is to wait and see if the promised glory will arrive and to grumble when it doesn’t. Everything that is mentioned is set in the future. Except for one set of verses.
"Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness. Tell everyone who is discouraged, 'Be strong and don't be afraid! ..."
Are these more of the prophetic vision, or requests to God to do these things, to strengthen failing hands, make sturdy weak legs, offer encouragement to those with fear and anxiety? Or is it a call for us in the here and now to do those things. We have the ability to do that much and I don’t mean orthopedic surgery or antidepressants.
When we help others, ease pain, offer help, we make the conditions right for personal strength and wellness of body, mind and spirit. Much of what Isaiah is speaking about is making use of what is available and extending that beyond to new ways and places.
The seaside plain of Sharon, the lush, mountain-effected rains in Carmel and Lebanon were famous pockets of abundance and growth. The conditions were right, moisture in the air from the Mediterranean Sea rained on the leeside of the mountains and the coast made for fertile land in a desert nation. To this day, freshwater rights and distribution is an underlying but significant aspect of the conflict between Palestine and Israel. The desert could bloom; we have the irrigation technology to do so. It is a matter of making the political and economic conditions right for such an effort to be made.
Closer to home, the conditions are ripe for something big to happen in our churches. In addition to my departure in the coming weeks, there is change approaching all around us [with a number of nearby congregations facing upcoming vacancies in the next couple of years].
There are many balls up in the air, and the conditions may be right for some real and significant solutions to be found. Middlesex Presbytery and London Conference staff will name the southwest Middlesex area a priority for this reason. With great flexibility and adaptability possible, casting the rural regional network a bit farther afield, a new plan that is a genuine solution and not a band-aid strategy could be made.
There is the possibility that everyone can keep their own buildings, there is discussion of new configurations and relationships, of ministry teams with clergy, lay ministers and lay worship leaders serving a broad geographic area. But the expectation is that each congregation will contribute to the solution that would work best for them, and others.
Isaiah puts forward a promised return to Israel, the northern kingdom a sure and safe passageway, guaranteed that even fools could find their way. Such a vision was another prediction set in the future, and eventually the northern exiles did come home. Maybe the conditions are right for such a journey to happen again: the communities of God’s people would find assurance and protection as they move forward in the desert of our time, finding pockets of life and sustainability. May it ever be so. Amen.
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