Stumbling

Jesus said, “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:1-15

Stumbling. It is something I do all the time as I try to walk again after months of being in a wheelchair. I still use the wheelchair most of the time, since I am very weak and cannot stand or walk but a few steps without falling. When we are young, we stumble and easily get back up. When we are old, we stumble and struggle to get up. The stumbling Jesus is talking about is not really physical, thank goodness. He's talking about us losing hope, losing faith and letting hurt and anger swallow us up. His promise for all of us is a steady shower of love, an unending strength and the holy spirit to give us peace in troubled times. We all get discouraged, yet we do not let it rule our hearts, for the love of Jesus in within and without, surrounding us in our very waking and sleeping.

Precious Creator, you know our weakness

we stumble in the dark of our failings

yet you blanket us with love unending

and breathe new life into our old bones.

We are like lost sheep wandering around

crying out for help and getting stuck

yet you intervene despite our foolishness

and always lift us from the pit of despair.

Come, Holy Spirit and take residence today

help us to never get weary in loving others

help us to get up when we fall into fearfulness

and let us be joyful vessels of your presence today. Amen.