Notes for the Week Second Sunday after the Epiphany January 19 2020

Dear friends,
You have probably figured out by now that I’m a big Fred Buechner fan, because I often quote him sermons or occasionally in these notes.  Carl Frederick Buechner is in his nineties now, after writing at least 30 books over the course of his life so far.  An ordained Presbyterian priest, Buechner has won many prestigious awards for his various writings: his articles, essays and stories, his poetry, theological works and his novels.  His quotes are among my favorites, and this is probably one of his most famous:
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladnessand the world’s deep hunger meet.”
The quote is used a lot in the church, especially around stewardship time, when we are called to examine our priorities around our spending habits and our faith.  But I think the meaning of the quote can get easily lost as does its significance at any other time of the church year.  God calls us to a place, not of obligation but to a place of deep gladness.  For God’s faithful, the giving away of time and money is not a box to be checked in the name of mere duty or even kindness.  It isn’t a box at all. It is a way of thinking, a direction toward self-lessness, a possibility to escape from the trap of thinking only about oneself and one’s preservation.  It is a concept of giving in order to receive deep pleasure, rather than pride.  It is the place we are all called to take as the people of God. It is God’s place.  A place of awareness of the other and the other’s needs, beyond our own.
Those of us who come together as people of God are called to take stock of our priorities, our attitudes, our openness, our trust in God and each other. To undermine any of these is to lose our way in discipleship.  We are called to give as much of ourselves as we dare, bringing our passions and gifts, our very reasons for living, and lay them before God so that we can, with God’s help, find our purpose for the life we have been given.
As we still stand perched on the edge of this new year, perhaps we can re-examine any New Year’s resolutions we might have made.  What is the underlying motivation beneath them?  For instance, do we want to lose weight just to look better, or to be more fit and able to do God’s work in the world?  Maybe we should resolve to examine all our resolutions in order to find the ones that cannot past the test to further God’s work in the world and toss them out on their ears.  Perhaps we can replace them with resolutions that will bring us joy in serving God’s people, will fill us with gladness for the opportunity to feed and fulfill bodies, minds and souls.
Where will your deep passion for God’s Kingdom lead you this year?  Which is the one, meaningful resolution wherein which you may have included God?  In which place, and where, will you find deep gladness in serving those who hunger for loving care and sweet survival?  When called to serve, to whom will you turn, and will God be there?
We journey together,Mother Esme+
“The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you.” (Frederick Buechner)