September 20, 2022
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This week’s reading (Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15) focuses on the renewal of things to come. Jeremiah 32:15 declares, “Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” The waywardness that led to the lament and repentance of the Israelites is now leading to the hope of a new future in God.

Earlier in Jeremiah we were brought to the middle of a disaster: the earth was devoid of plants and animals; the sky was dark; quakes shook the earth; cities lay in ruins; and once-fruitful land had become a desert. Now, in this week’s reading God is saying that “Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” Renewal of earth and community is coming. The people left God, ignored God’s warnings, and disregarded reminders that they could still return. But once they experienced the desolation of life outside the covenant, they finally repented. Though the people took a long time to do so, God in eternal love accepts them back and pledges the renewal of their lives and the reestablishment of the covenant between them.

In the church right now, it is easy to feel like we too are in the midst of a time where our once-fruitful land has become a desert. While it’s easy to blame it on declining membership, an aging building, and a denomination in the process of disintegration, it’s important to remember why God may be putting us through this trial. What tempted the people of Judah tempts us too. We get bored, distracted, and more interested in our own comfort than the demanding work of loving God and neighbor. (This sounds simple, but we know it is not!). But just like God reveals to Jeremiah the renewal of things to come, perhaps if we also lament and repent, we, too, will witness “Houses and fields and vineyards again being bought in this land.

Your Brother in Christ, Rev. Ernest
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