From the Pastor…
     Everyday we stop to pray to our God, the God that Jesus taught us about.  It's very important to worship and serve the right God, and that is why we keep reading the Gospels.  What kind of God did Jesus reveal to us?  What does God look like when we "lift up our hearts to God" in prayer?
     One of the best descriptions of God was written by a woman mystic, Julian of Norwich (1342-1416?).  She described God this way:  "Completely relaxed and courteous, he was himself the peace and happiness of his dear friends, his beautiful face, radiating measureless love, like a marvelous symphony; and it was that wonderful face shining with the beauty of God that filled that heavenly place with joy and light."
     Julian describes God as smiling and relaxed.  Wouldn't Jesus agree with that description?  It's too bad that most Christians can't or won't agree with it.  Why do people believe that the God of Jesus has to be a mean, demanding, punishing God?  This is true of liberals and conservatives who call themselves Christians.
      In conservative religious circles, God is now the God of orthodoxy.  This God doesn't smile, but frowns at the human race.  The group tells us that God sees an immoral, lazy, confused and sexually promiscuous human family.  Does this God ever cheer up? 
     But the God of religious liberals isn't much better!  Their God is still frowning and whining because of our lack of a social conscience and being politically incorrect.  This God is always worried about some issue, and if a particular issue isn't your issue, God is worried and upset with our selfishness and lack of concern.
     Neither contemporary religious liberals or conservatives really get it right!  Go back to the God of Jesus for the right image of God.  Jesus, as a good Jew, knew the story of creation.  God looks at creation twice; after each day God says, "It's good." And, when it was completed, God says, "It's very good."  Despite sinfulness and evil in our world, God still blesses creation, including creatures made in God's image and likeness.
     Jesus was conscious of God's love for creation.  After his baptism, God says, "This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased."  Jesus was aware of God's love and smile, not only for himself alone, but for all of us who would become "adopted" sons and daughters.  God sees us as God saw Jesus.  Hard to believe?  Just read the gospels where Jesus calls the poor, the hungry, the weeping blessed.  All of us are blessed by God, not cursed.  We need to wake up to our blessings!
     Jesus of Nazareth was the perfect human being.  He had what all of us need--good self-esteem and self-love.  Jesus had within him a concept of God who was relaxed and smiling and blessing all of creation, and that includes all of us.  Jesus could look at us and could see something worth smiling at.
     God keeps calling us into the future, a future with a loving, smiling and relaxed God.  As we enter into 2001, I hope we learn to smile and relax occasionally because Julian reminded us:  "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and every manner of being shall be well."
     
Fr. Bill