Sermon - 10/11/20

<p>I am really exhausted by the chaos, the perpetual lies, the brokenness, the dysfunction, the hatred, the stoking of racism and white supremacy, the despair, the gaslighting, the lack of care for neighbor, the abuse perpetrated on the American people, the grief, the sorrow, and the increasing number of deaths from this virus, all of which seem endless as they impact our lives on a daily basis.  So, I found the readings we are given on this day to be medicine for my soul as God again breaks into our present reality with a message that can <strong>only</strong> come from God.</p> <p>In our first reading from Isaiah, the prophet shares this vision of <strong>another</strong> reality, the final future, God’s final future.  Isaiah was writing to people who were suffering and experiencing despair.  Writing after or close to the end of Israel’s tragic exile to Babylon, he presents this apocalyptic vision of hope to weary people. Isaiah describes a future messianic banquet that is all about God and God’s love for <strong>all</strong> people. </p> <p>I think mealtime is always an important event, and meals are a vital component of celebrations. Meals are integral elements of milestones such as weddings and funerals, which involve life’s <strong>larger</strong> story, changing life’s direction and meaning not only for those most intimately involved but also for the wider community.  Thus, mealtime is so much <strong>more</strong> than just food.  And, throughout scripture, the table, the meal, the banquet, and the party repeatedly serve as metaphors for God’s activity in the world.</p> <p>Isaiah shares this marvelous vision of God’s final future and does so by describing a feast.  He describes this <strong>universal</strong> banquet that will take place on God’s holy mountain. This extravagant feast is for <strong>all</strong> peoples. <strong>All</strong> nations will gather together as <strong>one</strong> for this magnificent celebration.  And, what a feast it is! It features the very <strong>best</strong> foods and w