Listen: 1:37
This saith the Lord of Hosts:
Reflection: Biblically, we've made a leap here from Second Isaiah (right in the middle of the Babylonian Exile) to two different post-exilic prophets, Haggai and Malachi. The single, powerful baritone voice taking center stage, brings our attention to the surprising--even shocking--nature of God's coming to dwell among us.
Haggai is a key player in the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. He comes at a time when the people have already been back in Jerusalem for almost 20 years, but the temple still is not rebuilt. They are slumping into complacency and despair, when Haggai comes along as a powerful cheerleader for the rebuilding of the temple.
Malachi, on the other hand, is not only the final book of the Old Testament, but may have been one of the last written. His words come at a time when the temple has already been rebuilt, but temple worship has become a matter of "going through the motions." People are not giving a tithe to God, as commanded, and sacrifices are not made with care. Malachi warns that God will suddenly show up in the temple in a dramatic way. More in this to come...
I think anyone who has ever been part of a religious community, or a choir, or any group with a common identity and purpose for that matter, must be familiar with the kind of malaise these two prophets have dealt with. I will fervently defend the notion that if you're committed to something, you keep showing up, no matter how you feel about it. If a choir gave up on a performance, or a church stopped doing ministry, or a community organization gave up on a goal, just because they weren't all that excited about it one day, our world would be in even more trouble than we are today.
But still, we need prophets like Haggai and Malachi now and again, to remind us that God can, and often does, show up unexpectedly, with just the kick-in-the-pants we need, to remember we are engaged in holy work, and our advocate is the one who made the heavens and the earth, and who is more than willing to shake them up a bit to awaken us.
Prayer: God, shake the heavens and the earth today. Show up in our holy places. Remind us who and what we stand for. Stir us from complacency. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
1) I know we say Jesus is present whenever two or three are gathered in his name. But what might happen in the average American Church, if Jesus suddenly showed up personally and visibly? How would he react to our worship? And how might worshipers react to him?
2) When was a time when God shook your world and gave you a necessary wake-up call?
This saith the Lord of Hosts:
Yet once, a little while,
And I will shake the heavens and the earth,
The sea and dry land,
And I will shake all nations,
And the desire of the nations shall come. (Haggai 2:6-7)
The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple,
Ev'n the messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in,
Behold he shall come,
Saith the Lord of Hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
Reflection: Biblically, we've made a leap here from Second Isaiah (right in the middle of the Babylonian Exile) to two different post-exilic prophets, Haggai and Malachi. The single, powerful baritone voice taking center stage, brings our attention to the surprising--even shocking--nature of God's coming to dwell among us.
Haggai is a key player in the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. He comes at a time when the people have already been back in Jerusalem for almost 20 years, but the temple still is not rebuilt. They are slumping into complacency and despair, when Haggai comes along as a powerful cheerleader for the rebuilding of the temple.
Malachi, on the other hand, is not only the final book of the Old Testament, but may have been one of the last written. His words come at a time when the temple has already been rebuilt, but temple worship has become a matter of "going through the motions." People are not giving a tithe to God, as commanded, and sacrifices are not made with care. Malachi warns that God will suddenly show up in the temple in a dramatic way. More in this to come...
I think anyone who has ever been part of a religious community, or a choir, or any group with a common identity and purpose for that matter, must be familiar with the kind of malaise these two prophets have dealt with. I will fervently defend the notion that if you're committed to something, you keep showing up, no matter how you feel about it. If a choir gave up on a performance, or a church stopped doing ministry, or a community organization gave up on a goal, just because they weren't all that excited about it one day, our world would be in even more trouble than we are today.
But still, we need prophets like Haggai and Malachi now and again, to remind us that God can, and often does, show up unexpectedly, with just the kick-in-the-pants we need, to remember we are engaged in holy work, and our advocate is the one who made the heavens and the earth, and who is more than willing to shake them up a bit to awaken us.
Prayer: God, shake the heavens and the earth today. Show up in our holy places. Remind us who and what we stand for. Stir us from complacency. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
1) I know we say Jesus is present whenever two or three are gathered in his name. But what might happen in the average American Church, if Jesus suddenly showed up personally and visibly? How would he react to our worship? And how might worshipers react to him?
2) When was a time when God shook your world and gave you a necessary wake-up call?
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