Meditations with Pastor Tom (8/26/20)

"Cursed be anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by observing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ ~ Deuteronomy 27:26     

            I once found myself in the company of a young man who was studying the Hebrew language.  I believe he wanted to teach Hebrew at a university some day.  Well, I don't often get a chance to talk to someone really conversant in this language, so I eagerly asked him this question: Does "amen" really mean "so be it" as I've always thought? 

            Well, I got a lot more than I bargained for.  First, I learned that there is a difference between modern Hebrew and the Hebrew of the Old Testament. Then I learned that "amen" can have four different meanings and none of them come out exactly as "so be it."  However, in the end, thinking of the word meaning "so be it" is very common and just fine. Thank God.  That was the answer I wanted in the first place. 

            But I recently came across another way of interpreting the word that I like even better.  I don't know if a true Hebrew language specialist would agree, but Emily Heath, in her book Glorify: Reclaiming the Heart of Progressive Christianity, says that "amen" means "truly," as in "I truly mean this."  I like that a lot.  When I say "amen" now, I am going to try to have this in mind: "I really mean this God." (I know the two meanings aren't all that different, but "I really mean this" hits me more powerfully than "so be it.") 

            But now it strikes me that I might get a lot more than I bargain for when I utter that seemingly harmless little word.  If I am going to truly mean what I am saying - "I really mean this God" - then I might just become intimidated.  I might just shy away a bit from asking God to inspire me to do things.  If I truly mean what I am asking, then I better be willing to step up when God answers my prayer.  After all, I said, "I truly mean this," and I don't want to be exposed as a fraud or a liar. 

            It also occurs to me that most of us, when we pray, do a lot of asking God to do stuff. We don't do much asking God to show us things we should be doing.  Maybe that's because we intuitively know when we pray that we are effectively saying, "I really mean this."  And maybe we know we really don't want to do some of the things God might ask us to do.   

            It is so easy thank God and praise God and ask God to heal, comfort, and provide.  It is not so easy to utter the words of one of my favorite hymns and really mean them: 

            Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?  I have heard you calling in the night. 

            I will go, Lord, if you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart. 

My prayer right now is that we will all be inspired to pray often for God to put us to service, to work.  I know, that's scary.  But I want us to pray that anyway.  I truly mean this, God.  

The Sermon this Sunday 

God will not let us go.