|
|
| (click on picture) |
Among the most powerful forces we experience in life are expectations. Often, the most influential expectations are the ones that go unsaid. And the source of some expectations may be hard to define. We allow our lives to be determined by a powerful yet indefinite group we call "they." "They" expect this or that of me, and we feel compelled to satisfy them.
What are God's expectations of us? God expects from us a harvest. He does not expect us to earn our salvation, to close up the gap between God and us. That has already happened. Christ has won salvation for us. He has closed the gap between us and God. What God expects from us is that Christ's victory will become fruitful in our lives. God does not want the tremendous seed planted in us to fail to bear fruit. God looks for the harvest, both in our hidden depths and in the wide world around us.
Some expectations we experience are just, others are unjust. God does not place on us an expectation we cannot fulfill. God does not simply demand fruitfulness from us, but provides all the conditions by which this can happen. God cares deeply for his vineyard. It is on this basis that he looks for the harvest. This expectation is not a demand; it is a longing to be a witness for Christ.
As I begin my new ministry at St. Thomas, I know God has a wonderful future planned for us. With God’s guidance and our fervent prayers, His harvest at St. Thomas will be good and plentiful. God bless and I look forward to seeing you soon. Amen
Fr. Jim Taylor