Today's three readings:

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45
Genesis 21:1-7
Hebrews 1:8-12

The Psalm begins with the Abraham story and tracks through to the end of the Exodus story, albeit mighty quickly.  The lectionary writers omit the middle chunk, so we get a very upbeat take on the story.  It felt to me a bit like the experience of so many Christians who celebrate Palm Sunday then go away and come back for Easter Sunday having missed the drama and pain of Holy Week.  So, I'm not focusing on that reading today.

The Hebrews passage is short and centred on the exaltation of the Son of Man.  Again, it's very upbeat.  It's a lovely passage but to ponder it would be to loose the thread of our journey with Abraham and Sarah.

Today we have this:

The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised.
Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.  Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.   And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.  Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.  Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me."  And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?  Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Genesis 21: 1- 7 NRSV

I could, I suppose, major on the theme of laughter that runs through this story... Abram's guffaws when God tells him he will have a son, Sarah's giggles when the visitors are overheard saying the same.  Sarah's embarrassment at having been heard chuckling, and then the irony of giving birth to 'laughing boy', who will bring hearty laughter for Sarah and all her neighbours.  I could, but it's an avenue I've wandered before, many times, and I want to epxlore a little path I only spotted today...

"The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised."

Oo-er.

The LORD dealt with Sarah.  What does that mean?  To be honest, I'm not sure.  There is nothing in the previous chapters to suggest she has done anything that needs to be dealt with.  Maybe it is necessary to see what other translations have to say:

GNB          The Lord blessed Sarah...

CEV          The Lord was good to Sarah...

KJV           The Lord visited Sarah...

NIV           The Lord was gracious to Sarah

Message    God visited Sarah

Clearly a good deal of interpetive licence here!  From what amounts to gynaecological intervention via kindness to speical favour.  Hmm.

The LORD did for Sarah as he had promised.  This feels a little softer, kinder.  Rather being 'done to' Sarah has something 'done for' her.  Her childlessness is taken away, her sense of failure, of being incomplete is removed.

But there does seem to be a link... the 'doing to' achieves the 'doing for'.  I think maybe this has something to say to us.  It is no good asking God to do things for us if we are not willing to let God do things with or even to us.  God is not a benevolent genie, we know that, but it seems too that for God to act, we have to be up for God's transformative work within us.  We probably think we are, but I suspect we aren't!  Yesterday's "taking up of crosses" and the concept of kenosis seem to connect here.

Allowing God to 'deal with me', to 'do unto me', to 'visit' me... to take control from me... that's something I constantly need to revisit.  And then to recall that with the 'dealing' comes the 'promise'

LORD, you dealt with Sarah

At least, according to the NRSV,

You intervened somehow

You changed something

You made a difference

But, LORD, you made Sarah -

You knew she was barren

You knew she had longed for a child for decades

You knew the stigma she endured

So, LORD, what changed your mind?

What made you visit her,

Be good and gracious to her,

What made you bless her?

LORD, you made me

You know exactly who and what I am

Dare I ask you to deal with me

To fulfil your promises in me, through me?

Do I laugh at the preposterous nature of what you suggest?

Do I try to deny the sense of ridiculous I feel?

Visit me afresh with a sense of wonder

A clear conviction of your call

Renewed confidence in the outworking

Of your work in me

Do with me, do to me, what is needful to fulfil your promise for me...