There are probably lots of folks in the USA right now claiming that there are clear signs of the end of the world as we know it. Hurricanes hitting New York City followed almost immediately by a snow storm, not to mention the fact that Barack Obama was elected to serve a second term as president. I've seen some posts on Facebook that make it clear that some folks think that Armageddon is upon us. (I would like to point out that many of these same people would have claimed that God had ordained Romney for the job had he been elected, but when Obama is elected, then the morality of America is called in question. I would like to point out the hypocrisy of that, but I'll keep it to myself.)

Etna Volcano Paroxysmal Eruption January 12, 2011 by gnuckx

From the first disciples, folks have been expecting the end to come any day now. Over the centuries we have used all kinds of natural disasters or political situations as evidence that the day is just around the corner. I guess growing up in the south means that images of the apocalypse are ingrained in my psyche from early on. I remember quite vividly a dream I had when I was a teenager. I was riding in a car with someone and we came to the top of a big hill on the street on which I lived. My house was supposed to be on the other side at the bottom of the hill. Instead as we approached the peek of the hill, the car stopped and we looked out onto a world that had been destroyed. The road was gone. The houses were gone. Our church was gone. Our home was gone. Beyond that hill, there was nothing other than flames of deep red fire bubbling and burning like lava from a volcano. Sounds like many descriptions of the End Times that I heard growing up. I suppose if I were to analyze the dream, it would have had to do with the fear I felt as a teenager who was worried about screwing up so bad that God would leave me to burn.

You may be wondering what this has to do with the texts this week. Well, the Mark text is that one where Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple, where he warns the disciples that the things of the dominant culture are coming to an end, "where nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines" Yep, must be right around the corner!

Earthrise from NASAimages.org

Here is what sticks out to me, though. Jesus goes on to say that these things will be just the beginning of the birth pangs. Birth pangs. From Hannah praying for a son whom she would ultimately give over to Eli to raise as God's servant to the very earth upon which we live, this week is all that while there is pain in giving birth, the new life that comes is worth every minute of it. Though there are all kinds of questions about the end of the world as we know it, though keeping awake and ready is a good idea, though the dominant culture in which we live will come crashing to the ground, what Jesus is telling his disciples then and now is that we live as people of hope because these signs that often feel scary and confusing are really the birth of new life, of a new heaven, of a new earth. Just like Hannah dedicating her son's life to God, we dedicate our own lives to God's work in this world because in and through that new life is born again and again.

In Job's text this week, Job responds to God's smack-down. Remember last week's text? "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Job is reminded of who is ultimately driving the car. In the passage for this Sunday, we are told that Job's fortunes are restored and that he went on to live a happy, healthy, and wealthy life. The restoration that seems more important, though, is that Job was brought to a place of saying, "Yep, that's right, God. I forgot for a minute, but I'm back on track now. I know that there is nothing that you can't do."

The Jeremiah text points us toward restoration as well with promises from God about gathering the Israelites together and restoring them to a home where water will flow and the paths will be straight. And, of course, the Psalms go hand in hand with their lectionary counterparts with praises sung to God for caring for God's children and songs of praise about Zion's restoration.

In Hebrews we are pointed toward a restored Christ, a high priest that will have no need of a replacement. And, Mark leads us to the story of Blind Bartamaeus who is literally restored from blindness to sight. Of course, we know that there was much more to this restoration than meets the eye (pun intended). Bartamaeus was told to shut up, to leave Jesus alone. They tried to push him to the sidelines, keep him an outcast on the margins. But, he didn't believe them. He had the audacity to believe something that no one was telling him. He had the audacity to believe that Jesus would listen to him too. He had the audacity to believe that Jesus could restore him. And though everyone around him tried to keep him quiet and along those margins, he called out. Not only did he call out, but Jesus stopped and called to him too. Bartamaeus threw off his cloak - rid himself of all that was old, all that was keeping him in the gutter - and ran to Jesus. Jesus restored his sight. But, Jesus also restored his life, his meaning in society, his value as a member of the community.

Bartamaeus, though the one who was physically blind, was able to see that things must change. Those following Jesus couldn't see it and tried to keep the status quo by telling him to be quiet. But, this blind beggar could see better that a reformation needed to happen in order to have restoration in his life. I haven't listed the texts for Reformation Sunday, but that is upon us once again. Certainly, Martin Luther had visions of restoration as he nailed those 95 theses to the door. Certainly, he saw a community in pain and a Church who was blind and he sought the power of Christ to restore her. Today it may be important to look at ways we need to continue to restore the Church Universal, to seek unity where there is none, so that we will truly be the One Body of Christ on earth. In other words, did we protestants protest too much? Can we restore the Church to unity?

Where do our congregations need to be reformed? Where do we need to be restored. May we call out to Jesus from wherever we find ourselves along the journey. What a glorious moment it will be when he stops and calls to us too.