Wait for the Lord

The Song of Simeon from Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer

Maundy Thursday is still 57 days away—can you tell our staff had an all-day, 18-month calendar planning meeting today? Why bring up Maundy Thursday? Well, because that day during Holy Week when we remember Jesus’ commandment to love and his last supper with beloved friends taught me much about waiting.

Generally, I am terrible at waiting. Standstill traffic unleashes a beast within me. Some people believe I naturally took to Centering Prayer, but partially I practice it because it challenges my desire to go, do, and accomplish that often removes me from moments where relationships are formed. I am much more Martha than I am Mary, do-er rather than be-er. The Maundy Thursday service at St. Andrew’s, Birmingham where I grew up taught me how to wait though.

At the end of the Maundy Thursday service the lights are dimmed, all signs of the cross are covered, the altar is stripped, and the church is left bare. Once all of this ritual takes place at St. Andrew’s the congregation keeps watch. The entire night parishioners pray in the side chapel as they join Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. My family would take an early watch, then go out for pizza afterward. Inadvertently or perhaps intentionally, my mom was incentivizing waiting. I learned to like waiting and watching, even if I got easily distracted.

When I went off to college Sewanee had a Gethsemane watch as well. Wanting to be a “cool” college kid I would take one of the late night/early morning spots each year. Waiting and watching does not come easily to me, nor does staying up to ridiculous hours. This practice gave me a tiny glimpse though into the life of Simeon who we read about in today’s Gospel lesson.

We are celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord this evening. This moment when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to be purified as was in the Law of Moses. They offered the sacrifice. Then, they handed Jesus over to a man who had spent his entire life waiting. Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel. Simeon waited for the coming of the Messiah. Simeon waited for Jesus. I have a difficult time imagining the patience that Simeon possessed. He waited his whole life for this one tiny, shining moment! Perhaps even more remarkable was that he knew it when it happened.

Simeon understood, as this child rest in his arms that this was the moment he had been waiting for his entire life. On top of his great patience was his ability to recognize. He was aware enough to see that though this was a child he was the Messiah. All of this patient observance wrapped into one person definitely deserves celebrating. Maybe this is why we say or sing the Song of Simeon in Evening Prayer and Compline. His words serve as a reminder that we are all called to wait and watch for the Lord, and just maybe we have caught a glimpse of Christ in our midst this day.

The youth in the Diocese of Alabama have a particularly beautiful setting of the following words:

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
   to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
   whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *
   and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, 135).

When I sing these words and think about what Simeon did, I find myself marveling at the opportunity that lay ahead of all of us—right here in the present moment. Each of us is called to be like Simeon. Even if we are bad at waiting, even if we have to bribe ourselves with pizza to learn how to wait better, even if we think it will kill us we are called to wait and watch for Christ coming to us.

Simeon shows us that a lifetime of servanthood waiting and watching is worth it. As we wait may God give us freedom, peace, eyes to see a Savior who will enlighten the whole earth! Let us wait for the Lord and may we see God coming to us.