As the global Church enters into the penitential season of Lent, we at M25i desire to walk with Jesus and be shaped by His heart for justice, mercy, and for those overlooked among us. For the next forty days of Lent, we invite you to come with us on a journey to discover the heart of God as revealed in Isaiah 58: true fasting.
Won’t you join us?
Rend Your Heart, by Jan Richardson
Lent Day 2: God's Kingdom Heart
"To be a responsible person is to find one's role in the building of shalom, the re-webbing of God, humanity, and all creation in justice, harmony, fulfillment, and delight."
Cornelius Plantinga
Isaiah 58:6-12 welcomes us into “the air of the kingdom.” The atmosphere of God’s love is expressed in society, in his design for the flourishing of all. The message of scripture is consistent. Worship and action cannot be separated. If we know the true God, then we live in a way that reflects his heart both individually and collectively. And his heart is all about shalom. As we live in trusting love and surrender to his good ways, we experience shalom. (v 8-9, 10b-12).
There is no such thing as worship without care, without contending for the shalom of others, especially the vulnerable. The message of all the prophets is, “You were once vulnerable and outsiders and blocked from flourishing. You could be again at any moment. Don’t allow anybody to be blocked from flourishing. Cultivate environments where those struggling can receive care and strengthening.”
Flourish: (of a person, animal, or other living organism) to grow or develop in a healthy or robust way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment
Flourishing: (intransitive verb) to grow luxuriously
Many who teach this passage describe the if-then dynamic as descriptive; in other words, “If you wish to get wet in the rains of this blessing, then you need to step outside.” Additionally, Old Testament scholars such as Daniel Carroll Rodas argue, “It is appropriate for God to have demands on his people. Relationships come with expectations; for example, in marriage, it is right to have expectations of each other and to challenge when not met.”
During Lent, we will be unpacking the “if” part of this Isaiah passage. Of course, we will merely be able to highlight six arenas in our weeks together, but the goal is to educate, equip, furnish our imaginations, and put specificity around concepts, issues, and numbers.
Followers of Christ have always done this work. Anglicans have always done this work.
Anglicans doing this work are reminding us of "the kingdom air" -- the kingdom atmosphere and climate -- that pulls us into the beautiful “thens” that we long for.
Shalom: refers biblically to a state of wholeness, completeness, and well-being in all aspects of life—personal, social, economic, and spiritual. It is both individual and the ecosystems around each person. Biblically associated terms are mishpat and (k)hesed, which are richer words than our English translations of compassion and mercy. These words in scripture connote a richness of vision and a vigorous thriving into that vision.
Read the passage below in this structure, as an invitation to step outside into the rains of love, mercy, and shalom that is God’s heart for all of us, whether vulnerable and not-as-vulnerable, all of us dependent on his rescue. This is what true worship of this true God means. This is the word of the Lord.
