May 13, 2015

“Seek the Lord while he wills to be found . . . 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways,' says the Lord.”
Canticle 10, The Second Song of Isaiah, BCP p. 86

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found . . . At first this seems a little odd.  It might imply God is hiding.  I don't think that is the case.  We seek out organizations we find interesting and in which we might want to participate.  We seek out people with common interests.  We seek out friendships.  In the same way, we seek out the Lord.  A few years ago, it was hip for churches to have “Seeker Services;” services that used different methods of attraction and were light on doctrine as a gateway into the larger church.  I tend to think that all of our services are “Seeker Services” because we are all seeking God.

And that line, while he wills to be found, might imply that there are times when the Lord doesn't want to be found.  But that isn't the case either.  We hear over and over how God looks to draw us nearer to him.  We hear over and over how God desperately wants us to be part of the kingdom.  As we hear in Eucharistic Prayer C, “Again and again you called us to return.”  While he wills to be found is an everyday occurrence.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways.  God does things differently than we do.  God does things differently than we would like.  God is continually calling those we consider less than, not as good as, or outside what we consider the norm.  God is concerned with those who live on the margins of society.  God cares for the downtrodden and those pushed aside by the majority.  We need to spend time paying attention to those things and those people whom God considers important.  We need to listen and discern what God is saying and where God might be leading us.

Seek the Lord – As with any activity or person in which we want to be involved, we need to spend the time seeking out that which we find important.

While he wills to be found – Again and again you called us to return.  God's will is to be found in all things and in all ways.  God is always willing to be found.

For my thoughts and ways are not your thoughts and ways – We need to spend less time telling others what God demands of them and more time listening for how God would like us to act.

All that to say, “Pray hard; listen harder.”

Amen.