Tea Anyone?

Do you have an opinion about the practice of reading tea leaves? I ask, because I have access to Google, and I know how to use it. I learned the ancient mystical art is called “Tasseography”. That is as much as I cared to learn about it. I mention it because it speaks to the fascination any person might have about consultation and connection to a power outside of ourselves. People might look into one or other practices out of a hope to be advised about life or choices.

We have our common ways of observing the matters of life and making choices: reason, memory, feelings, and hunches. Through the centuries people have looked further to outside and unseen authorities to advise them. We read the Bible, worship in church, pray, converse with other Christians. These can lead us to sense what God may be telling us. We look at Holy Scripture, traditional teachings of the church, and learning from reason and experience as reliable sources of authority, guiding us on matters of life.

I am not one to run to a practitioner of star charts, tarot cards, tea leaves, or crystal magic. What I do have in common with such interests and practices is that I do want the connection to the power beyond myself. I have by choice and faith identified that power as God, revealed in Jesus Christ, and present to us now by the Holy Spirit surrounding and indwelling in us. In this season after the Epiphany, we are tuning in strongly to how God manifests himself to us. That is the gist of the word, “epiphany”–the revealing or manifestation of God to our experience.

In our reading this Sunday, the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, we hear about Yahweh’s promise to keep connected with his chosen people through the agency of a prophet. The Holy One promises a prophet like Moses will be chosen from among them to be their conduit to God. In fact, they are warned in the section right before this one they are not at all to be bowing down to sun, moon, or stars, as though these creatures of the Creator had any divinity. They are not to be dabbling in any kind of divination or magic. They are not to consult ghosts or spirits, use soothsayers, augers, or sorcerers. So, we can all remove such consultants from our contact lists.

The provision God makes for his people in the record of Deuteronomy is the prophet. The Lord has precise expectations of the prophet succeeding Moses. The word declares if he does not heed what he is saying, if he does not walk the talk, the prophet will have to answer to God for that. If he tries to represent some other god or sends out word other than what God supplied—big trouble—the prophet will be terminated in a big way: take a look at the passage:

Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: “If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.” Then the Lord replied to me: “They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.”  —Deuteronomy 18:15-20

I want to emphasize here you have a connection to God that is real and continuous. The ultimate prophet given in the end is Jesus, the Son of God. This Anointed One is the once and for all time mediator between us and God. He was revealed to us in the record of the New Testament through his wondrous birth, baptism, disciple selection, teaching, and miracles. Obviously, this revelation culminates in his sacrificial death, wondrous resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit.

We will note in the Gospel Sunday that when Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum, the people exclaim he teaches as one with authority. He does not name-drop with citations about the law, he is authoritatively teaching from his divine heart, and people are astounded. When he commands the evil spirit to hush and to come out of the possessed man there, the spirit is existentially obliged to listen. Again, the witnesses report about the astonishing authority: “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”  —Mark 1:27

I will get into this more deeply in a missive coming soon. For now, I want us all to know: we are not disconnected from God but joined. Christ, through the Holy Spirit is closer to you than your own breath. You do not have to consult a palm reader, horoscope, psychic, Ouija board, or schedule a séance. In fact, I urge that you do not. We find in Romans 10:8, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:14, “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart”. That, my brothers and sisters, is for sure. Drink your tea. Enjoy it and do not worry about the leaves. Look inwardly to that little sanctuary of your own heart. Connect with God, your loving Savior.