August 11th, 2007

Mouthes Wide Open

Read Luke 1:26-38

"For nothing is impossible with God." vs. 37

This summer I was given the opportunity to spend 3 nights at church camp with 1st and 2nd graders. It was an interesting 3 nights to say the least. But I realized during that time how much we can learn from children. The speaker for the camp would catch the attention of the children with little magic tricks. He would pull things from hats, out of his sleeve, blow on things and make them disappear. Quite entertaining honestly...But what I remember was how utterly amazed the children were. The adults were mildly impressed, but the kids were in awe of this man. They would watch him so intently, jump out of their seats to volunteer for his tricks, and talk about him all the way back to their rooms. There was something so innocent and simple about their amazement as they stood with their mouthes hanging wide open.

How much of that amazement is lost on us as adults. How little do we set back awed by something that has just taken place. We are too rational, right? We jump to explanations and logic, stepping right over the innocence and simplicity of amazement. Jesus says to us still today...unless we become like the little children we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Now, I understand there are many implications to that statement...however, I have to believe that until we can begin to accept the actions of a God who takes the divine initiative to upend impossibility and out of nothingness offer us gift as a child would, with mouthes wide open, the Kingdom is lost on us.

Our story speaks of a God that shows up, terrifies, and amazes. Zechariah is amazed by his encounter...there's just no explaining it away. Mary is amazed by her visit...but there is no logic that will reduce her encounter to anything less than the amazing act of God. When God shows up with a gift, our host of characters is taken back...unsure of what to do with it. They, in that moment, lose their senses and become like little children. And...in Zechariah's case, his voice is stolen from him until he lets go of his logic and accepts with innocence and simplicity the awe-full-ness of God's initiative.

Where has that gone for us today? God has been domesticated by our reason. God has been limited by our logic. We no longer stand utterly amazed by our encouters with his grace. We immediately jump over innocence and simplicity and head right toward explanations. There must be some logical explanation for the impossible to become possible, right? In fact, many would explain away the Virgin birth as an ancient myth...but that's because we have been accosted by observable data and scientific fact. We have forgotten that God transcends our formulas and observations. We have forgotten that "nothing is impossible with God."

Yesterday, we asked the question "How must we live in response to a God that gifts humanity out of impossibility?" We respond with mouthes wide open. We respond as children to stand back before the awesomeness of God and ask ourselves..."How'd he do that?" Allow the grace of God to help your capture again the innocence and simplicity of a child. In doing so we become disrupted by a God who again is freed to be God...