334 SE Tecumseh Road  P.O. Box 5  Tecumseh, Kansas 66542  (785) 379-5005  Fax - (785) 379-5061

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On the stump Isaiah 11:1-10  It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Only the fittest survive. Go ahead – make my day! It’s a man’s world, fit for real men - macho, brutal, emotionless! Yeah, right on brother! Last man standing! Killer’s instinct. Street wise. Lean and mean. Lady killer. Whip them into shape. Go for the gusto. Trash talking. My God will whip your God any ole day. Bring it on!  Don’t you just love all of that talk, those images? Just makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, doesn’t it? It’s hard, however, to somehow make that fit into the Christian life. The things Jesus offers seem very wimpy in the face of the cold, survival-of-the-fittest attitude so dominant in our daily lives. There’s not much about justice and righteousness in the lingo of our day, and yet – that is so critical to our lives in the faith. The visionary prophecy of Isaiah, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, speaks so eloquently to this vision of a world in which righteousness and justice will prevail in all things. The royal lineage of King David has been cut off by enemies of Israel, and unjust rulers have prevailed and ruled with ruthlessness and injustice. But a ruler will emerge whose rule will be God-like. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. (5) No longer will we view the world as a dog-eat-dog existence, where the only ones remaining are those who are the strongest and the meanest and the coldest. The King, you see, shall decide with equity for the meek of the earth. (4) The rich and the poor will come together, sharing the goodness provided by God. The strong will lift up the weak, and the street wise will use their skills to assist those who are afraid. Little children shall stand on street corners with signs that read “God loves me, and you too”. Women and men, all created in God’s image, will have mutual respect for one another. Citizens and aliens, all created by God, will learn not to judge by what their eyes see and what their ears hear (3), but see each other and hear each other as God would have them do. Trash talking will give way to love-talking, and ‘make my day’ becomes the lingo used to ask God to be in our daily lives.  Imagine all of that coming from that stump, which shoots forth this new life, this life of righteousness and justice. Wimpy? I don’t think so. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. (10) Prepare ye the way of the Lord.  - Pastor Piet - December 9, 2007, 2nd Sunday of Advent