December 21, 2005

A Talker

Hebrews 1:1-4

God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. Hebrews 1:1

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God has not been silent. God's a talker. This truth is basic to the Christian faith. Had God remained silent, our situation would be desperate. Our reading from Hebrews reminds us that God spoke through the prophets, but we also know that God speaks through the touch of a caring hand at a bedside, the voices of a choir, and the beauty of art. God also speaks through the cries of the hungry, the lonely, and the sick. God's a talker. Someone remarked that every person lives in loneliness. I don't know what it is like to be you, and you don't know what it's like to be me. We talk to make connections with each other, to be in communion. When I ask couples why they wish to marry each other, they often say, "Because we can talk." It's a precious thing. If God is a talker, then we had best be listeners. Philosopher S?ren Kierkegaard once observed: "A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening." Hebrews adds, "But in these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son." The "but" suggests a momentous shift. Yet this does not mean that what God said earlier is now false; rather, it means that all God said is now fulfilled. We know God, and he knows us. We can talk.

O God, may all that exists speak to us of your power and wisdom, and may Christ's coming tell us of your great love. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

About the author — Jack Roeda

Rev. Jack Roeda is the senior pastor at Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and an adjunct professor of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary. He is married to Carol Sue Kok, and they have three children and two grandchildren. Pastor Roeda has served two previous churches: Exeter (Ont.) Christian Reformed Church and Calvary Christian Reformed Church, Holland, Michigan.

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