"The holy seed is its stump" - December 7

Today’s Readings:
AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48
Isa. 6:1-13; 2 Thess. 1:1-12; John 7:53-8:11

While reading the passage appointed today from the prophet Isaiah, the familiar words rang clearly in my heart – it is often the Old Testament reading in priestly ordination services. Isaiah tells of his prophetic vision: seated upon a throne, the Lord was so large, the hem of the robe filled the temple. Winged seraphs hovered above the Divine and sang to one another the words we say during the Eucharistic prayer, proclaiming the holiness of God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Then the Temple filled with smoke. Isaiah voiced his disorientation and humility: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” One of the angelic attendants flew to Isaiah, toting a hot coal from the altar of the Lord. The seraph touched the prophet’s mouth with the burning ember and stated, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Isaiah heard the voice of God asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” He answered the Lord, “Here am I; send me!”

The faithful follower is cleansed, and in doing so, he is transformed into a prophet…this is his story of being and becoming.

In an ordination, like the one held at Camp McDowell last month during Clergy Conference, the Isaiah reading ends there, followed by more readings of Holy Scripture, hymns, and prayers. For this Old Testament reading today, we get to read what comes next – God’s response to a person of faith. The Lord told Isaiah to go to a people – the Israelites – and say, “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” God challenged Isaiah to help this people trust in the Divine so that they may repent and be healed…and that meant they needed to turn off their other sources of perception to pay attention to the Lord.

Isaiah asked how long this process would take, putting a mental goal in his own mind. God’s response was harsh – destruction and exile were forecast. “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; until the Lord sends everyone far away…” The trees would be brought down and only stumps left behind.

And yet, in that lowest of the low times, there was hope: “The holy seed is its stump.” New growth would come out of the ruins. God’s promise was not wiped away. Isaiah would continue to remind the Israelites of this during their years of exile in Babylon.

Perhaps there are days you and I need this reminder, too.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

How does Isaiah's story of being and becoming remind you of a story in your own experience? Who are the angels?

Who has been a source of inspiration and change for you?

Daily Challenge

Today is the day we remember the attacks on Pearl Harbor. There was much desolation, loss, and fear that emanated from those events in 1941. Sit in prayer to reflect on the pain inflicted by that tragedy. Read about the commemoration events happening today at Pearl Harbor.