When Expectations Don't Happen
Thursday, May 15, 2008 -- Week of Proper 1
Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 967)
Psalms 131, 132, [133] (morning) 134, 135 (evening)
Ezekiel 37:21b-28
1 John 2:18-29
Matthew 10:16-23
What do we do with expectations of God which do not materialize? What do we do when we get attached to particular outcomes and become convinced that God will accomplish what seems so consistent with God's will and purpose, but it doesn't happen?
Ezekiel has a compelling vision. The divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel will be reunified under a single monarch from the line of David. They will be established as one nation, and God will dwell in peace with them forever, presumably in a restored Temple. Ezekiel lived 26 centuries ago; two and one-half millennia have passed. After centuries of absence from the land, there is a state of Israel, but the divisions remain profound. There is only a wall remaining of the Temple, and even if it were restored, it is doubtful that animal sacrifices that Ezekiel would have expected would resume. There are no kings. It is clear that Ezekiel's literal vision will not come to pass. For the generations of the past 2,600 years it did not come to fruition.
"Children, it is the last hour!" cries 1 John. Matthew tells his readers to be of good courage when facing persecution, "for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." In chapter 24 he describes that coming like lightning flashing from east to west. Clearly the early church expected the imminent return of Jesus to establish the new age, God's reign in glory and peace. That was nearly twenty centuries ago.
For all of these centuries, some people have tried to create formula that would describe the literal fulfillment of these kinds of visions and expectations. Their descriptions are far-fetched and sometimes downright silly. They are best ignored. (You know the stuff -- "End Time Prophecies Fulfilled!!!" "Left Behind" The Schofield Bible)
Skeptics point to these unfulfilled prophecies and indict the whole religious enterprise as folly.
I prefer to see these visions as expressions of our human hopes, released to God within the context of our courageous faithfulness in our present circumstances. I cannot know the precise content of God's will for the future, but I can offer my hope to God, trusting the loving wisdom of the divine nature to provide today our daily bread, living with as much idealism, faith and hope as I can muster.
Today's Psalm 131 expresses it pretty well:
O God, I am not proud;*
I have no haughty looks.
I do not occupy myself with great matters,*
or with things that are too hard for me.
But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother's breast;*
my soul is quieted within me.
O Israel, wait upon God,*
from this time forth for evermore.
On my office wall I have this quote:
Have low expectations and high hopes. Have low expectations of people so you don't force them directly or indirectly to meet certain anticipations you might have as to how they should or should not respond to you and your actions. But have high hopes for them based on a ruthless faith in God that something good, something dear and beautiful will come of it if you are looking and listening with an open heart.
Forgive yourself and other people for their defensiveness. Being cautious is natural for faithless and hopeless persons -- and we all fall into this category more or less.
Be as open as possible to being surprised by the encounter. In other words, we must not look for our god and reactions that we feel would be important and right. We must position ourselves instead to see whatever we will see amidst the joy, pain, apathy, anxiety, peace, depression, or tension we experience. When we are truly open, we will be surprised by something in the encounter. And that surprise -- that unique presence of God -- can be called by another name: holiness.
(from Robert J. Wicks, "Living Simply in an Anxious World")
What shall we do with expectations that do not materialize? Have low expectations of people and deep hope in God, letting our soul wait quietly to see whatever we will see.
Lowell
_____________________________________________
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
Lowell Grisham, Rector
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 7:36 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Lowell, I am amazed at the number of issues you address in every blog. Thanks for stirring up AND settling down my soup this morning.
Pearl
Having "low expectations in people" bothers me somehow. It just sounds pessimistic. Experience teaches us that our high expectations in people will usually be dashed, and maybe that is what we get when we transfer our goals onto others. But if we lower expectations too far aren't we saying that people are hopeless? If we give up hope in people aren't we failing to see the Christ in them? Shouldn't we rather have high hopes that God will let us see His glory in each person as they try to live up to His high expectations? Perhaps this would be a better sentence to hang on the wall.
I only have low expectations of politicians, especially liberals. That seems to be what they have of "average" Americans like us lowly voters.
I am sure glad Lowell isn't a teacher, woops.
For me the power of "low expectations" is a helpful way to prevent me from forcing my expectations upon others and becoming manipulative or judging toward them. God told us humans "judge not." Judging and vengeance are divine prerogatives.
But Hope is grounded in God.
Since every person is created in the image and likeness of God, we can nurture an attitude of infinite hope toward every human being. You are created in the image of God -- imagine who you are!
Our Baptismal Covenant asks us to "respect the dignity of every human being." If we regard every person as a child of God, created in God's image, we tend to do less damage, I think. We don't treat them as other, but as brother or sister.
I know that I have such an unqualified love for my mother and for my sister, that I have deep tolerance for them and tend to live without controlling expectations of them.
My hope for us all is that we can become holy, live in union with God. That's what I've tried to address in today's Morning Reflection.
Lowell
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