Dreams I'll Never See?

Acts 2:17 (NRSV)

In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.

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Just one more mornin'
I had to wake up with the blues
Pulled myself outta bed, yeah
Put on my walkin' shoes,
Went up on the mountain,
To see what I could see,
The whole world was fallin',
right down in front of me.

Dreams by Gregg Allman from The Allman Brothers Band (1969)

Joseph's dreams were of a future no one could imagine, a time when Israel would be so large and so strong that Egypt would send them to their own land, and it all began with his brothers bowing before him. Acts speaks of the day the Holy Spirit was given to the church by the Lord. This advocate, the one who walks alongside us, was poured out upon all flesh at Pentecost. Since that time, the Lord has promised sons and daughters shall prophesy, and young men shall see visions, and old men shall dream dreams.

What ever could have been in Gregg Allman's dreams in 1969? Speculation can abound from people who were there at the time, and by those who weren't. Still, climbing the mountain just to see what could be seen, this is what we need to do everyday. But the mountain we are called to climb doesn't always require shoes.

We are called to climb the mountain and see what lies ahead of us. We can climb this mountain in prayer, seeking with the eyes of our souls-as well as our soles-to discern the will of God. We climb the mountain with fellow believers in discipleship, doing as we are called to do. We climb the mountain in service, doing as the Lord calls us to do.

Perhaps a part of our frustration is that we will never see God's work done. The Allman Brothers sang, "'Cause I'm hung up on dreams I'll never see." Still, we can live in confidence that as long as our Lord lives-and our Lord lives-these dreams will come to fulfillment. The reason why is that these are not our dreams; they're God's dreams. God has a way. God will see it through.

Looking Good, Feeling...

Genesis 37:3-4

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

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You gotta look sharp
You gotta look sharp
And you gotta have no illusions
Just keep going your way looking over your shoulder

"Look Sharp" by Joe Jackson

Leave it to Joseph, leave it to the one called "The Dreamer" that he would have illusions. Actually, come to think of it, he didn't have illusions. His brothers, his brothers who imagined that they could get him out of their lives--now they had illusions. Still, Joseph would have been served well to look over his shoulder.

Joseph was the eleventh of twelve sons of Jacob, who was also called Israel. He was the first son of his favorite wife Rachel. He was also "the son of Jacob's old age." Is it no wonder that Joseph got all the good stuff?

And is there any better way to tick off your brothers than stealing the love of your father?  You always knew your mother wasn't the favorite but now it's about you, not just the grown ups?  Little Joe had better keep looking over his shoulder.

Maybe this is a warning to parents: The kids know what's going on in the life of the grown ups.  They know something is going on.  It may be like the elephant in the room, and the kids don't know it's an elephant.  They may just think it's a big gray wall, but they know it's there and when they figure it out they'll be able to see it for what it is.

Joseph had illusions.  He had no idea the depth of his brother's hatred.  His brothers had some illusions, they thought they could be done with Joseph and his coat and his dreams.  Both Joseph and his brothers had to keep looking ove their shoulders.  But one thing we know from scripture is Jacob kept these things in the back of his mind.  In his own way, he was looking back as he looked forward.  The gospel says that's no way to live as a disciple of the Lord, but somehow it worked for Jacob.

You Silly Little Dreamer

Genesis 37:5-8 (NRSV)

Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

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If I could see something
You can see anything you want boy
If I could be someone-
You can be anyone, celebrate boy.
If I could do something-
Well you can do something,
If I could do anything-
Well can you do something out of this world?

Dreamer by Roger Hodgson from Crime of the Century by Supertramp (1974)

Joseph had dreams, oh my did he have dreams. He dreamed of his place in God's creation. He dreamed that his brothers sheaves of grain would bow to his in the field. Then he dreamed that the sun, the moon, and the stars were bowing to him. His father thought enough to remember these dreams. His brothers thought it was time the dreamer be taught what a nightmare would be like.

The story continues, Joseph is held by his brothers, sold as a slave, thought dead by his father. Joseph became a slave to the Captain of the Egyptian Guard, and jailed when framed for a crime he did not commit.

Joseph waits in jail for years, and interprets two more dreams. Years again later, he comes to the attention of Pharaoh as an interpreter of dreams, but Joseph knows that it is God who gives interpretation to dreams.

Joseph becomes what we would call the Prime Minister of Egypt where years again later, Joseph's brothers come, bowing before him, because they need what only he can provide.

In a way, to paraphrase Roger Hodgson, Joseph saw something, Joseph became something, Joseph did something out of this world. Faithful in the light of all that pressed before him, he went from favored son of Jacob to slave to the favored son of all Israel. Through this, Joseph knew what others meant for harm, God could use to redeem his nation.

His life was in danger, and he stood his ground, but only the ground the Lord put before him. He did a difficult job, but only the job the Lord called him to do. He saved many peoples, the peoples of Egypt, Israel, and presumebly a good many Egyptian trading partners.

Dreams can be the things of God which are glimpses of things to come. Roger Hodgson sings "You can see anything you want boy." The road can be tough, but when it is God's road, it is the only road to take. When it is God's road, it is the way to discipleship. The road to discipleship which prepares us not just for the trials of this world, but for something glorious. Again, Roger Hodgson sings, "If I could do anything-Well can you do something out of this world?" He's right, why would we want anything less?

Ladder of Dreams

Thanks Amelia!


Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place--and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

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Dream until your dreams come true.

"Dream On" by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry recorded by Aerosmith from their self-titled first album

Dreams, we all have them, particularly when we are young. There's something about age and experience that relegates our dreams to a place of nostalgia. At one time when you asked a young boy what he wanted to be when he grew up he would say a cowboy, and when you asked a young girl she would say ballerina. Well, we need more than cowboys and ballerinas in the workplace so some dreams deserve the mantle of nostalgia. Some dreams are still worth dreaming.

The dream known as "Jacob's Ladder" was a dream worth having. Jacob saw a ladder with angels ascending and descending. With the Lord beside him, Jacob is promised that his offspring will be as vast as the dust of the earth spreading to all corners so that all the families of the world will be blessed. Yes, Jacob and his family is to be a blessing to all the earth.

As a member of the many tribes of the gentiles, Christians are grafted into the tree of life and the family of Jacob through the blessings of Jesus the Christ. We are all, all children of the Lord our God and by the Lord we are to bless the world not to scourge it.

The place to begin this is to look again up the ladders of our dreams. What were our dreams? What are our dreams? What is more noble? What is more in accord with the words and acts of God and God Incarnate.

Remember, we are not God, we aren't even God on Earth, that job was taken over 2,000 years ago. What we are is the eyes, ears, tongues, hands, and hearts of God, we are the Body of Christ. So dream. Dream again your better dreams, dream again the dreams of peace and joy. Dream until you hear those wonderful words Jacob heard, "Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go." Dream, dream until your dreams come true and know God is with you.