Walking with the Duchess

"'Be what you would seem to be' -- or if you'd like it put more simply -- 'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'" - The Duchess, "Alice in Wonderland"

7.06.2005

Expectantly tapping my feet

Continuing query: Are meetings for worship held in expectant waiting for Divine guidance? Are Friends encouraged to share spiritual insights? Are special gifts of ministry recognized and encouraged?

Additional queries voiced in the comments: How do we who are released help release others to do as you're talking about? How do we join in together? How do we teach each other about living in day to day reality with Jesus? And, is there anyway to combat that expectation? Do we who are in released ministry contribute to the very problems we try to fight?

You know, I'm not good at waiting: in fact, I'm lousy. I dated my husband for about a year: we were engaged for two months: we got pregnant six months later. If I was going to do the whole "family thing," then I was going to jump in with both feet . . . and drag the others along with me!

But it's part of my American culture to demand instantaneous results. BK - have it your way. Pizza places that promise delivery within the half hour. Amazon offering overnight shipping of the next Harry Potter. Self-checkouts at the grocery stores so I don't have to wait in line - it might take just as long, but at least I'm busy doing something (and it has bigger isles so I don’t have to wrestle knick-knack junk away from my squirmy baby).

The Israelites had to wait . . . for a loooong time. I'm not too up on my OT timetable (though I did only miss three on my Bible Literacy test given as part of an object lesson in church on Sunday. Yes, it was given by my old man; no, he did not give me the answers; yes, my mom scored higher than I did - she always does), but I'm thinking between the time of Joseph and the time of Moses that a significant period of history passed. Like a couple hundred years. They had the promise from their old old man Abraham (who put in his time twiddling his thumbs waiting for God to "show him the money") that they would be a great nation - and yet they were enslaved in Egypt. I don't know that they necessarily recognized Moses' miracles as signs from God; I don't know if they had given up on God. But looking at the history of Israel, it's apparent that God doesn't always work on our time schedule.

Am I expectantly waiting? Nope: I think I've given up. If God was going to move, wouldn't He have done it already? With big fireworks? And grand pronoucements? With lots of conversions and testimonials and confessions and with folks rallying "Onward Christian soldier" like they did at camp? . . . . though most of those folks have gone back to their mundane ways. Since I haven't gotten it "my way", I figure it's not going to happen.

What would it look like if I expected something to happen? My dad's explained faith as a circle consisting of three actions (hope I get this right!): faith is *knowing* what God says is true, *believing* it, and then *acting* on that belief - if any element is missing, the conduit of power is broken. Do I have faith that the Holy Spirit is present, moving among us, guiding our worship, infusing us with God's love and light, prompting us to share messages, bringing us into wholeness?

Lord, you promised to send us a Helper, the Holy Spirit. You also have told us that you do things on your own time. Abba Father, would You awaken a spirit of "expectant waiting" in my heart? I know that you move among us - I believe it - and I will wait faithfully, acting when prompted, expecting Your will and love and light to be known in my worship gathering. And I promise not to tap my feet . . . or at least to try and hold them still. :)

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