It's Never That Easy

Today is one of those days that I can believe in a wrathful God. I don't really like the idea of a wrathful God most of the time. Most of the time, it really doesn't work for me. But then, you hit a crisis. You hit a moment when you become absolutely uncertain about everything, and you can't help but resort to old theological pitfalls like a wrathful God. But, I still can't really get my head around the idea of a wrathful God -- so perhaps a trickster God. A God with a cruel sense of humor.

For you see, I forgot to say thank you. I was overwhelmed with the wonder that a church (a church that I love) wanted me that I forgot to say thank you. Instead of saying a little "Praise Jesus," I said stupid things like, "Wow, That was really easy" and "Can it really be this easy?" So today, I find myself facing a trickster God. I didn't say thank you and suddenly it's not so easy. Something went wrong. The perfect church where everything just seemed a little too wonderful presented itself with a problem. So, now I have to decide if this is the right choice. I get the luxury of affirming the "yes" that I have already given.

See, it's never that easy. That's what I heard this morning at Judson Memorial Church. It's terrifying when it seems that the preacher seems to be speaking just to you. Somehow, the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper seemed to preaching just to me. She reminded me that none of us like change. Finding some loose grounding in the Parable of the Tenants (Mt 21) and the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Mt 22), she preached about last things. She preached about how we look to the ending for a result. And while on the way, we hope that nothing bad will happen. But, we can't do that. We can't hope that nothing bad will happen. Bad things will happen, whether or not we stop to give thanks. Whether or not it's too easy, bad things will happen. What Rev. Schaper did not answer for me is what we do with thesebad things. They most certainly happen. But, what do we do? And what shall I do?