Dear HBIC Family,

Last summer, as we were studying the book of Micah together, I shared about the author’s ability to shift the conversation to focus on the good in the book’s second half. First, there was weeping over the unfaithfulness of God’s people in Jerusalem and Samaria and all of Israel. Then, there was documented corruption of the people and by the people, of their leaders and by their leaders. All of this illuminated a dark, present reality in which Israel seemed to be without a hope and a future.

But, after this first picture was painted, the prophet found hope in the Lord. He moved on to sharing a whole new vision – one filled with hope for now and for the future, with God’s promised restoration, provision, and faithfulness. The turning point of the story is what writer J.R.R. Tolkien called the eucatastrophe. This word, created from Greek, highlighted a “good” (eu) but “sudden turn” (catastrophe). For Tolkien, the eucatastrophe, in essence, highlighted the point of the story where bad turns to good, dark to light, and a seemingly unconquerable situation turns to unforeseen victory brought on by grace.

This week as we continue our series Malachi: Faithfulness in Body & Spirit, we reach this prophet’s eucatastrophe. Malachi has outlined his people’s present struggle…unfaithfulness to God in life and worship, and unfaithfulness as God’s chosen people and as a holy royal priesthood. He has called on his people to come back to God, relying on God’s love and mercy, grace, and goodness. In coming back home, Malachi reminds his people that the faithfulness God desires and requires must come in body and spirit.

And now comes the hope. I love that amidst people questioning where God is, Malachi points to their hope. When they weary God by saying all who do evil must be good in God’s eyes and doing what is pleasing to God (with their evil), Malachi points them to the ultimate hope of the Messiah to come. And when they ask where the God of justice is, Malachi shares that God’s justice is not only coming, but it’s meant to be shared now. The injustice we see is also seen by God who will ultimately hold all accountable.

As you prepare for this week’s service, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Malachi 2:17-3:5 and also Micah 6:1-8. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:

Where are you crying out for God’s justice?

How do you reconcile when you see evil seemingly triumph?

Who have been messengers of God to you? How have they prepared you to hear from God?

How has God refined you over the years for the good of the kingdom and others?

If God were to put the church on trial today, what would we be most guilty of?

What is one message God has called you to share with your world?

Years ago, I led a youth ministry team from our church on a service trip to Haiti. We were blessed to see and experience God in a different culture and place. We were humbled with the mission and ministry of so many in Jesus’ name for the kingdom. And we were forever reminded that, for so many people around our world, things we take for granted are luxuries. We worked on building a latrine that would service many for the first time in that small village. We learned that water was a gift that had to be prayed for and cherished. We went as messengers but received God’s message – we are all called in the work of bringing justice to our world.

Sisters and brothers, for the people of Malachi’s day and ours, God responds to our call for justice by pointing to Jesus. In so doing, we have hope for the future to come. Until then, we are reminded of the work we ought to be doing now. As messengers of our God, we are to prepare the way of Jesus for our world. As children of the kingdom, we ought to be fighting the injustices we see now. And as members of God’s royal and holy priesthood, we ought to be our people’s eucatastrophe, empowered by the Holy Spirit to turn bad to good, dark to light, and the seemingly unconquerable into victory…by the grace of our good and faithful God.

God bless you all!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Hank (Malachi 2:17)