So go the lines of a fairly popular song right now. I ask that, if you know it, you sing along with the PG lyrics in your head. The desire to be rich is if not quite, almost, universal. Everybody - or, again almost everybody - would be able to rattle off what we would do if we had an 'extra' $100,000 or a million. Right, we all have things that we would do and stuff that we would buy, right now.
The pursuit of money is a tricky thing, however. {Warning: many of you have heard me say this before] John D. Rockefeller, at the time one of the richest men in the world, when asked the question 'How much money is enough?' Immediately responded, 'Just a little bit more.'
That is the rub with the pursuit of money, or the desire for the things that money can buy, there is never really an end to it. There is always 'a little bit more' money to be made, 'a little bit more' stuff to acquire. And so on. When we allow the pursuit of money or stuff to become our focus or even just 'a' focus, we succumb to that dirty word, greed.
This is where today's daily lectionary passages come in (which, as always can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/19/ )
The passage from Ephesians 5 begins by calling us to be imitators of Jesus Christ. Paul calls the Ephesians, and all of us, to the high and challenging life of following in Christ's footsteps. At this point Paul goes on to illustrate some of the things that imitating Christ isn't. There is to be no fornication or impurity of any kind. Different people will 'draw the line' of what is 'fornication' in different places, but for this discussion let us just agree that Jesus holds us - and himself - to a very high standard of purity.
Paul says that you can't have 'even a hint' of impurity and really be imitating Christ. And, of course, it is in imitating Christ that we are able to share God's love with others.
It isn't until the passage gets to a discussion of greed, though, that we get the bottom line reason as to why all of these 'impurities' must be eliminated from our hearts, minds and lives. In verse 5 Paul equates someone who is greedy with an idolater.
This is the point, when we allow things into our lives: sexual sin, desire for money and/or stuff, other relationships, anything that is not focused on God and our call to follow Christ and participate in the mission and work of God, we become idolaters.
That is an important understanding for us to have, and one that is easy to ignore. It is easy and even natural to say its only this little sin or 'everybody wants more money or more stuff', etc. But none of it is little. When we choose to allow anything into our hearts that is not of God we allowing that to - even if only for a moment - to become our God.
When our allow our hearts to lust, we are practicing worship of something other than God. When we become greedy - as opposed to gracious and thankful for what we have been blessed with - we let money become our God. When we give in to sin and impurity we make space for something to come between us and our God.
How do we move away from the sin, impurity and darkness in our hearts, minds and lives? We simply ask God to shine the light of Jesus Christ in our hearts, through our minds and in our lives.
May the light of Jesus Christ shine in your heart and mine. In your life and mine and may that light guide our minds and our actions. Amen.
Showing posts with label lectionary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lectionary. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
The heart of the matter
Jumping right into the lectionary thoughts today (as always, the lectionary readings can be found here:http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/14/ )
If you are like me and grew up going to church, Sunday school, church camp in the summer and youth group then the words from verse 10 of today's morning psalm (51) are very familiar to you: 'Create in me a clean heart, O God'.
I am pretty sure every single person of my generation that was in anyway involved in church as a child or youth has sung that song around a campfire, at least once (if not a thousand times).
Truth be told I don't know that I ever really thought about it. I don't know that I ever thought about just how important that prayer to God is. Below is verse 10 - 13:
What a powerful and essential thing a clean heart is. It is essential to the words and requests that follow it: 'cast me not away from your presence'; 'take not thy holy spirit from me' ; 'restore unto me the joy of your salvation' and 'renew a right spirit within me'.
It is only when we have a clean and pure heart that we are able to hear God's Word for us clearly.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we are able to be in the presence of God.
It is only when we have a clean heart that it is a suitable place for the holy spirit of God to dwell and live.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we can rejoice in the joy of the Lord and in the salvation that comes from God.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we can maintain a spirit of willing, grateful and faithful service to God's will for our lives and the world.
Our life of actually following God, walking in the path of Jesus Christ begins and can only continue when we have a clean heart.
I don't know about you, but I am not very good at keeping a clean heart. Anger, jealousy, lust, fear, pride. All of these things regularly stain and dirty my heart. Usually before I am even out of bed for the day.
How do we then begin to follow God? Is it a lost cause, a useless effort? Of course not.
The psalmist was no more perfect than me - but the key is that he knew it. The psalmist doesn't say, 'I have endeavored to make a clean heart for myself', but rather petitions God, asking 'create in me a clean heart'.
We are dirty, stained and imperfect, we are simply not capable of creating anything clean on our own. But this is why and what Jesus came for. In and through Jesus Christ we have access to a clean heart and a transformed life.
A clean heart is ready for me, if I would simply ask God for it. A clean heart is ready for you if you would simply ask God for it.
What a difference it might make if we started everyday with a clean heart. A clean heart centered on God's presence, filled with God's Spirit and overflowing with a willing desire to do God's will.
We can never begin to see that difference if we don't first ask God to create that kind of heart within us. It is a request, I suspect, that I will have to make over and over again. Probably several times a day.
May you - and may I be open to God's creation of a new and clean heart within us. May our clean hearts be filled with the Spirit of God and may a desire to be faithful to God's will and mission in our lives flow freely from the clean hearts God will create in us.
Amen.
If you are like me and grew up going to church, Sunday school, church camp in the summer and youth group then the words from verse 10 of today's morning psalm (51) are very familiar to you: 'Create in me a clean heart, O God'.
I am pretty sure every single person of my generation that was in anyway involved in church as a child or youth has sung that song around a campfire, at least once (if not a thousand times).
Truth be told I don't know that I ever really thought about it. I don't know that I ever thought about just how important that prayer to God is. Below is verse 10 - 13:
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
What a powerful and essential thing a clean heart is. It is essential to the words and requests that follow it: 'cast me not away from your presence'; 'take not thy holy spirit from me' ; 'restore unto me the joy of your salvation' and 'renew a right spirit within me'.
It is only when we have a clean and pure heart that we are able to hear God's Word for us clearly.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we are able to be in the presence of God.
It is only when we have a clean heart that it is a suitable place for the holy spirit of God to dwell and live.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we can rejoice in the joy of the Lord and in the salvation that comes from God.
It is only when we have a clean heart that we can maintain a spirit of willing, grateful and faithful service to God's will for our lives and the world.
Our life of actually following God, walking in the path of Jesus Christ begins and can only continue when we have a clean heart.
I don't know about you, but I am not very good at keeping a clean heart. Anger, jealousy, lust, fear, pride. All of these things regularly stain and dirty my heart. Usually before I am even out of bed for the day.
How do we then begin to follow God? Is it a lost cause, a useless effort? Of course not.
The psalmist was no more perfect than me - but the key is that he knew it. The psalmist doesn't say, 'I have endeavored to make a clean heart for myself', but rather petitions God, asking 'create in me a clean heart'.
We are dirty, stained and imperfect, we are simply not capable of creating anything clean on our own. But this is why and what Jesus came for. In and through Jesus Christ we have access to a clean heart and a transformed life.
A clean heart is ready for me, if I would simply ask God for it. A clean heart is ready for you if you would simply ask God for it.
What a difference it might make if we started everyday with a clean heart. A clean heart centered on God's presence, filled with God's Spirit and overflowing with a willing desire to do God's will.
We can never begin to see that difference if we don't first ask God to create that kind of heart within us. It is a request, I suspect, that I will have to make over and over again. Probably several times a day.
May you - and may I be open to God's creation of a new and clean heart within us. May our clean hearts be filled with the Spirit of God and may a desire to be faithful to God's will and mission in our lives flow freely from the clean hearts God will create in us.
Amen.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
How much do you really like these people?
Hey everybody and a quick apology for missing the past two days - snow days can effect even blogs it seems. Anyway. I don't actually have a lot (in length) to share today, but what the gospel passage from today's lectionary is both simple and important.
The lectionary passage (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/13/ ) includes the a gospel passage from Mark 2. This is one of my favorite gospel stories and it is a pretty well known one as well. It is a story of a miraculous healing - in this case the healing of a paralytic. But in a change from most healing or miracle stories this particular one is unique or interesting because how the man in need of healing gets to Jesus.
In the passage we find Jesus teaching in a house and the people gathered around to listen and hear are so many that the crowd spills outside of the house, likely crowded around doors and windows, struggling to hear what Jesus has to say.
Entering into the story are four friends of the paralytic man. They have brought the man to Jesus, hoping - and believing that Jesus would heal him. But they can't get to him. Undeterred, the friends climb up onto the roof of the house, bring the man up with them, and then proceed to cut a hole in the roof of the home and them lower him down to Jesus and, well we know the rest of the story.
As I say what I am about to say, it is important to recognize that it is clearly Jesus that does the healing and that is, obviously, the hard part.
But what I want to think about a little bit is the role the friends of the man played in his healing. Jesus did the healing, but his friends played a crucial role in getting the man and Jesus (literally) in the same room, as it were. There were lots of people that needed healing that came to Jesus directly or that called out to him as he passed by and so on. But some - this paralytic in particular, needed to be brought to or led to Jesus.
What is my point?
Simply that one of, if not the primary roles of a Christian is to bring our broken and hurting friends (those that need Jesus healing touch) to see Jesus. Nothing more, but nothing less.
We talk about all the different ways to do that, and they are all important: sharing Jesus with the way we live, what we choose buy, what we invest our time and money in, etc. But often, if not always, the path you take with someone else, leading them towards Jesus is only begun with a willingness to actually talk about Jesus.
Put simply, if we really believe that Jesus is the savior, and that in and through Jesus we can be healed and made whole - then how in the world can we not be willing to talk about Jesus, to talk about our faith and to share with those around us - not strangers, but our friends - the difference God has made in our lives.
For whatever reason, this is never as easy as it should be. I am a minister (so this is supposed to be what I am good at, right?), and it is often difficult or uncomfortable for me.
But it couldn't have been easy for the friends of the paralyzed man to get him to Jesus either.
I think it is our first challenge as Christians to begin to take seriously our call to live and talk intentionally in a way that can lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ
The lectionary passage (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/13/ ) includes the a gospel passage from Mark 2. This is one of my favorite gospel stories and it is a pretty well known one as well. It is a story of a miraculous healing - in this case the healing of a paralytic. But in a change from most healing or miracle stories this particular one is unique or interesting because how the man in need of healing gets to Jesus.
In the passage we find Jesus teaching in a house and the people gathered around to listen and hear are so many that the crowd spills outside of the house, likely crowded around doors and windows, struggling to hear what Jesus has to say.
Entering into the story are four friends of the paralytic man. They have brought the man to Jesus, hoping - and believing that Jesus would heal him. But they can't get to him. Undeterred, the friends climb up onto the roof of the house, bring the man up with them, and then proceed to cut a hole in the roof of the home and them lower him down to Jesus and, well we know the rest of the story.
As I say what I am about to say, it is important to recognize that it is clearly Jesus that does the healing and that is, obviously, the hard part.
But what I want to think about a little bit is the role the friends of the man played in his healing. Jesus did the healing, but his friends played a crucial role in getting the man and Jesus (literally) in the same room, as it were. There were lots of people that needed healing that came to Jesus directly or that called out to him as he passed by and so on. But some - this paralytic in particular, needed to be brought to or led to Jesus.
What is my point?
Simply that one of, if not the primary roles of a Christian is to bring our broken and hurting friends (those that need Jesus healing touch) to see Jesus. Nothing more, but nothing less.
We talk about all the different ways to do that, and they are all important: sharing Jesus with the way we live, what we choose buy, what we invest our time and money in, etc. But often, if not always, the path you take with someone else, leading them towards Jesus is only begun with a willingness to actually talk about Jesus.
Put simply, if we really believe that Jesus is the savior, and that in and through Jesus we can be healed and made whole - then how in the world can we not be willing to talk about Jesus, to talk about our faith and to share with those around us - not strangers, but our friends - the difference God has made in our lives.
For whatever reason, this is never as easy as it should be. I am a minister (so this is supposed to be what I am good at, right?), and it is often difficult or uncomfortable for me.
But it couldn't have been easy for the friends of the paralyzed man to get him to Jesus either.
I think it is our first challenge as Christians to begin to take seriously our call to live and talk intentionally in a way that can lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Why isn't this working and other dangerous questions
So a new year has begun and I am (finally) back at daily lectionary blogging here at the leaky pulpit. I am excited to be back to it as I have found the time I have spend engaging in the word here on this blog to be incredibly important for me, both in my individual faith walk with God and in how I am open to God using me through my vocation as pastor.
Anyway, lets get to it, shall we? There are many places to find the daily lectionary, but this is one of the easiest: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/5/
I actually started out writing in about 3 different directions this morning. First, from the Psalm, then from Joshua, but I finally settled on discussing the passage from John 15.
This passage is a fairly familiar one for many that are 'regular' church goers and it is one of the best descriptions of how we are connected to God in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us in verse one that he is the True Vine, that God the Father is the vine grower and that we are branches.
In our adoption into God's family we have been grafted onto the body of Christ. We are not just 'followers', we are not simply to be 'like-Christ', the very definition of 'Christian' instead we are called to be more than that. We are called to be part of - a living, breathing, working and loving part of the very Body of Christ.
That is pretty neat. And I might stop there. But that is not what I have been thinking about today. I have had a couple of conversations over that past week with people and one of the topics that has come up a few times is things (life, work, relationships,) just not going as expected or as we had hoped. This is, of course, just a part of life. We don't always get what we want, we don't always become who we hope and we don't always accomplish what we set out to.
But, as I was reading these passages this morning, I was struck with the question, why? Why don't we get what we want, become who we hoped, or do what we try to do. After all, look at these words: those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit (verse 5); If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (verse 7).
So, in light of that why don't we get what we want, become who we hope and do what we want? I think there are only two possible reasons - and they are not necessarily easy for us to hear or think about. And I say that as one who is both saying and hearing these words to and for myself.
Both reasons are simple and the first is, that we just aren't 'abiding' in Jesus. What does it mean to abide? To abide means to accept or act in accordance with. Have we really, I mean really accepted Jesus? I don't mean this as a 'salvation' issue, but have we accepted Jesus' Lordship over our lives? Have we invited and allowed Jesus to come into the center of every area of our lives? Our family life, or work and school life, our personal, when-nobody-is-watching life? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then we are not 'abiding' in Jesus. If we haven't truly and fully accepted Jesus then we can't live into the second part of abiding which is 'acting in accordance with'. When we fully accept Jesus into every area of our lives, then we can begin to act more like and be more like Jesus in those areas of our lives. So, if I am not who I want to be and if I am not doing and accomplishing what I feel like I am called to be doing - even what I was made for, before I do anything else, I need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide if I am abiding - accepting and acting in accordance with - Jesus Christ.
The second reason we may not be, do or become what we aim for is because we aren't letting Jesus and his words abide in us. Verse 7 contains this amazing promise that 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. You see, this isn't genie in a bottle time. Jesus isn't telling us to make a wish list and he will check it off. Except that he is, with one big footnote - 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you'.
If you have accepted Jesus into all areas of your life and are striving to act according to God's will in all areas of your life and you are engaged with the Word of God in such a way that you have accepted it and it lives in you - then your wishes and desires, through your relationship to Jesus and your acceptance of him will be sanctified and pure desires in line with God's call for your life and his world. If you haven't fully accepted Jesus and God's Word is not living in you then you may be hoping for and longing for, striving to become the exact wrong thing.
I don't think living a life of full acceptance of Jesus is easy - not at all. I think abiding in Jesus is a daily task that requires persistence, patience and humility. But it is also, the key to connection with God and it is the door to the storehouse of God's blessing.
May we learn to live our lives abiding in Jesus, accepting him into every area of our lives and may our hearts, minds and desires be sanctified by the Word of God living inside us.
Amen.
Anyway, lets get to it, shall we? There are many places to find the daily lectionary, but this is one of the easiest: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/5/
I actually started out writing in about 3 different directions this morning. First, from the Psalm, then from Joshua, but I finally settled on discussing the passage from John 15.
This passage is a fairly familiar one for many that are 'regular' church goers and it is one of the best descriptions of how we are connected to God in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us in verse one that he is the True Vine, that God the Father is the vine grower and that we are branches.
In our adoption into God's family we have been grafted onto the body of Christ. We are not just 'followers', we are not simply to be 'like-Christ', the very definition of 'Christian' instead we are called to be more than that. We are called to be part of - a living, breathing, working and loving part of the very Body of Christ.
That is pretty neat. And I might stop there. But that is not what I have been thinking about today. I have had a couple of conversations over that past week with people and one of the topics that has come up a few times is things (life, work, relationships,) just not going as expected or as we had hoped. This is, of course, just a part of life. We don't always get what we want, we don't always become who we hope and we don't always accomplish what we set out to.
But, as I was reading these passages this morning, I was struck with the question, why? Why don't we get what we want, become who we hoped, or do what we try to do. After all, look at these words: those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit (verse 5); If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (verse 7).
So, in light of that why don't we get what we want, become who we hope and do what we want? I think there are only two possible reasons - and they are not necessarily easy for us to hear or think about. And I say that as one who is both saying and hearing these words to and for myself.
Both reasons are simple and the first is, that we just aren't 'abiding' in Jesus. What does it mean to abide? To abide means to accept or act in accordance with. Have we really, I mean really accepted Jesus? I don't mean this as a 'salvation' issue, but have we accepted Jesus' Lordship over our lives? Have we invited and allowed Jesus to come into the center of every area of our lives? Our family life, or work and school life, our personal, when-nobody-is-watching life? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then we are not 'abiding' in Jesus. If we haven't truly and fully accepted Jesus then we can't live into the second part of abiding which is 'acting in accordance with'. When we fully accept Jesus into every area of our lives, then we can begin to act more like and be more like Jesus in those areas of our lives. So, if I am not who I want to be and if I am not doing and accomplishing what I feel like I am called to be doing - even what I was made for, before I do anything else, I need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide if I am abiding - accepting and acting in accordance with - Jesus Christ.
The second reason we may not be, do or become what we aim for is because we aren't letting Jesus and his words abide in us. Verse 7 contains this amazing promise that 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. You see, this isn't genie in a bottle time. Jesus isn't telling us to make a wish list and he will check it off. Except that he is, with one big footnote - 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you'.
If you have accepted Jesus into all areas of your life and are striving to act according to God's will in all areas of your life and you are engaged with the Word of God in such a way that you have accepted it and it lives in you - then your wishes and desires, through your relationship to Jesus and your acceptance of him will be sanctified and pure desires in line with God's call for your life and his world. If you haven't fully accepted Jesus and God's Word is not living in you then you may be hoping for and longing for, striving to become the exact wrong thing.
I don't think living a life of full acceptance of Jesus is easy - not at all. I think abiding in Jesus is a daily task that requires persistence, patience and humility. But it is also, the key to connection with God and it is the door to the storehouse of God's blessing.
May we learn to live our lives abiding in Jesus, accepting him into every area of our lives and may our hearts, minds and desires be sanctified by the Word of God living inside us.
Amen.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thanks , , , I guess.
So even though its Friday, there will be no 'running Friday' post today. Not much to report from today's run - 8 miles, not good but not bad either. No earth shaking insights either way.
Instead I thought I might share a brief thought about today's lectionary passage (which as always can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/11/12/ )
I don't really have anything earth shattering to say about the James passage, but the opening verses struck me as something I needed to be reminded of today and I thought that maybe the case for you to. So James 1:17-18 it says: 17Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
It is amazing how we can 'know' something but not apply that knowledge in our lives. I stand up in church every Sunday morning before the offering and say something to the effect of: 'All that we have is not ours, the result of our labor or even the hand of 'luck' but a gift from God'
I SAY THAT EVERY WEEK - OUT LOUD. And yet I think I live most of my life things just kind of happen and if something good happens I probably deserved it or worked for it. And if something bad happens I wonder, 'why me' or think about my bad luck.
I wonder though, how different would our lives be if we lived our lives like we really believed that all the good things that we have, that we experience and that we will ever know come directly from God as a gift of love and grace to us.
I think we would have no choice but to apply that knowledge in our lives by living with an attitude of grace and thankfulness that would be infectious - in much the same way a negative or bad attitude can be. I also think if we really forced ourselves to recognize each day that All the good things we have or that have happened to us were from God would move us to be actively involved in working and doing for others. When you have a real sense of what God has done and is doing for you, how can you not want to be more involved in the mission and work of God?
And this is not the point of this post - and I don't want to belittle the pain, suffering and grief we go through. But I really believe if we are actively recognizing and Thanking God for all that he gives us and does for us that is good and that we enjoy at the very least it changes the tenor of the discussion when we ask why something bad has happened?
Again I don't want this to be the focus of this post, but I think the way we think about God and why we are 'allowed' to suffer changes when the things that go wrong or are difficult to explain aren't the only things that we blame on God.
I needed this reminder today and so I thought maybe you did too.
Happy Weekend.
Instead I thought I might share a brief thought about today's lectionary passage (which as always can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/11/12/ )
I don't really have anything earth shattering to say about the James passage, but the opening verses struck me as something I needed to be reminded of today and I thought that maybe the case for you to. So James 1:17-18 it says: 17Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
It is amazing how we can 'know' something but not apply that knowledge in our lives. I stand up in church every Sunday morning before the offering and say something to the effect of: 'All that we have is not ours, the result of our labor or even the hand of 'luck' but a gift from God'
I SAY THAT EVERY WEEK - OUT LOUD. And yet I think I live most of my life things just kind of happen and if something good happens I probably deserved it or worked for it. And if something bad happens I wonder, 'why me' or think about my bad luck.
I wonder though, how different would our lives be if we lived our lives like we really believed that all the good things that we have, that we experience and that we will ever know come directly from God as a gift of love and grace to us.
I think we would have no choice but to apply that knowledge in our lives by living with an attitude of grace and thankfulness that would be infectious - in much the same way a negative or bad attitude can be. I also think if we really forced ourselves to recognize each day that All the good things we have or that have happened to us were from God would move us to be actively involved in working and doing for others. When you have a real sense of what God has done and is doing for you, how can you not want to be more involved in the mission and work of God?
And this is not the point of this post - and I don't want to belittle the pain, suffering and grief we go through. But I really believe if we are actively recognizing and Thanking God for all that he gives us and does for us that is good and that we enjoy at the very least it changes the tenor of the discussion when we ask why something bad has happened?
Again I don't want this to be the focus of this post, but I think the way we think about God and why we are 'allowed' to suffer changes when the things that go wrong or are difficult to explain aren't the only things that we blame on God.
I needed this reminder today and so I thought maybe you did too.
Happy Weekend.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Is your 'relationship' with God more like a one night stand?
So, if you are reading this blog, you probably know that I am a big Steelers fan. As I watched them last night on Monday Night Football, I kept comparing what I was seeing to examples of faith in my own life and in the Bible.
Lot's of people have 'religious' experiences watching football and to many in our country and around the world football or some other sport (like the 'other' football) are watched, played, followed and experienced 'religiously'. But that is not what I am talking about today.
So, in the game last night literally from the opening play the Steelers were dominant, creating a turnover and scoring a touchdown a few plays later. The game was a blowout and the Steelers were up 20 points with a little time left in the 3rd quarter. The game was, essentially, over. But, as these things go, it wasn't over. In fact in the end the Steelers won by just 6 points and needed a great defensive stand and a little bit of luck to stop a fourth down play inside their own 10 yard line with less than a minute left.
What happened? To most of us watching it seemed like the Steelers, like the rest of us, thought the game was won and that the fight was over. Their effort and their intensity was maybe not completely gone, but it was certainly no where near where it had been in the beginning of the game. They had worked hard for a big lead, and due to their complacency and lack of focus - they almost lost it.
So what does any of this have to do with us or with faith? Well, I think all throughout the Bible we see similar situations played out.
God calls his people to do something, usually something extraordinary or seemingly illogical - or both. Sometimes the people rebel, but often they respond with excitement and enthusiasm but when it doesn't go as quickly as they first thought they lose focus, fall away or just stop trying.
But God's call on our lives is not about a singular moment of decision - it may begin there, when we make a decision to accept Jesus. But what that means, or what that needs to mean is that we are making a choice to accept Jesus as the Lord, director and guide of our lives. The moment in time where we make that choice is a moment when we choose to begin to live your lives for God. The point is that that moment when we become Christians or followers of Christ is only really meaningful if it marks the beginning of a relationship with God and a journey towards greater faithfulness to God's call.
This is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 14, today's lectionary gospel passage (which can be read here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/11/9/ ) In the passage Jesus talks about 'picking up your cross and following him'. And then he immediately talks about how when you begin a building project you don't start unless you have figured out what it will take to complete the project and know you have enough to finish. An unfinished construction project, Jesus suggests, is a source of public ridicule.
The point is that our faith - if it is real is not about a moment in time that is located somewhere in our past. Our relationship with God is not a one night stand, but it is - it needs to be, if it is going to be pleasing to God - a long term relationship. That doesn't mean there aren't bumps and bruises, if you have ever been in a real, long relationship then you know there highs and lows but the point is that you are on the road together, headed in the same direction.
So where is your 'relationship' with God? Have you called lately? Spent any time together? Worked on the relationship?
Lot's of people have 'religious' experiences watching football and to many in our country and around the world football or some other sport (like the 'other' football) are watched, played, followed and experienced 'religiously'. But that is not what I am talking about today.
So, in the game last night literally from the opening play the Steelers were dominant, creating a turnover and scoring a touchdown a few plays later. The game was a blowout and the Steelers were up 20 points with a little time left in the 3rd quarter. The game was, essentially, over. But, as these things go, it wasn't over. In fact in the end the Steelers won by just 6 points and needed a great defensive stand and a little bit of luck to stop a fourth down play inside their own 10 yard line with less than a minute left.
What happened? To most of us watching it seemed like the Steelers, like the rest of us, thought the game was won and that the fight was over. Their effort and their intensity was maybe not completely gone, but it was certainly no where near where it had been in the beginning of the game. They had worked hard for a big lead, and due to their complacency and lack of focus - they almost lost it.
So what does any of this have to do with us or with faith? Well, I think all throughout the Bible we see similar situations played out.
God calls his people to do something, usually something extraordinary or seemingly illogical - or both. Sometimes the people rebel, but often they respond with excitement and enthusiasm but when it doesn't go as quickly as they first thought they lose focus, fall away or just stop trying.
But God's call on our lives is not about a singular moment of decision - it may begin there, when we make a decision to accept Jesus. But what that means, or what that needs to mean is that we are making a choice to accept Jesus as the Lord, director and guide of our lives. The moment in time where we make that choice is a moment when we choose to begin to live your lives for God. The point is that that moment when we become Christians or followers of Christ is only really meaningful if it marks the beginning of a relationship with God and a journey towards greater faithfulness to God's call.
This is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 14, today's lectionary gospel passage (which can be read here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/11/9/ ) In the passage Jesus talks about 'picking up your cross and following him'. And then he immediately talks about how when you begin a building project you don't start unless you have figured out what it will take to complete the project and know you have enough to finish. An unfinished construction project, Jesus suggests, is a source of public ridicule.
The point is that our faith - if it is real is not about a moment in time that is located somewhere in our past. Our relationship with God is not a one night stand, but it is - it needs to be, if it is going to be pleasing to God - a long term relationship. That doesn't mean there aren't bumps and bruises, if you have ever been in a real, long relationship then you know there highs and lows but the point is that you are on the road together, headed in the same direction.
So where is your 'relationship' with God? Have you called lately? Spent any time together? Worked on the relationship?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Starting and the beginning or first things first
Today's thoughts are at least loosely related to today's gospel passage from the daily lectionary (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/27/ )
In the passage from Luke 11, Jesus is railing against the Pharisee's and the Lawyers (who were not akin to lawyers today, but rather religious teachers - like seminary professors) And basically what is going on is that Jesus is accusing them of using their knowledge of the Scripture as a weight to drag people down instead of helping them. He is accusing them of keeping all the laws and regulations except the most important one(s) - Love and Justice. Essentially he is accusing them of missing the point.
Before I go any further, I think it is important to point something out because I feel like a lot of people either miss it or intentionally ignore it. When it comes to following the rules, rules of faith or laws or whatever, many Christians point to Jesus emphasis on love as an excuse for not following the rules or as license to dismiss the rules.
I truly believe this misses the point, albeit in the opposite direction, as well. People making these arguments (and I have often been one of these 'people') usually say something like, ' I would rather err on the side of love'. The point, I think, is that Jesus would rather you not err at all. Jesus isn't saying love - especially love however we choose to define it - is the only thing to be concerned with. Rather, Jesus is saying that love is the first step.
In following Christ and living into the lives that God has called us too, love is the essential first step. It is the beginning.
It is not where we are supposed to stop, however. Right there in Luke 11, Jesus makes this point clear, in his claim against the Pharisee's: 42"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.
It seems to me that 'without neglecting the others' is a pretty important part of what Jesus is saying here.
Love of God and the concern for God's justice that organically flows from that love is the starting point for our life with God, because without loving God then we can't begin to actually follow God or God's commands for our lives.
It is so disheartening to me when Jesus and 'love' get used as a reason for ignoring the way God is calling us to live. Why? Because I think when we do that - and I know I certainly do it sometimes. We come dangerously close to missing the 'point' completely. If we try to appropriate God's love as a license for approving any and all of our actions I don't think we have an understanding of that love at all.
If our love of God does not at least lead us to a desire to live a life more in line with the call and commandments of God, then maybe we don't really love God at all and maybe we are just rebelling against the Pharisee's rules and looking to replace them with our own.
That isn't just ''missing the point' it is not following God and exactly what Jesus was urging the Pharisee's and lawyers to repent from.
The interesting thing about the Pharisee's and the lawyers that Jesus indicts is that it isn't that they were wrong in trying to follow the rules they were upholding - its that they were vigilant for those laws for the wrong reason. God calls us to be vigorous in following him and his commandments because of our love for him and our desire to be faithful to him. The Pharisee's were vigorous in upholding the laws because it was a means to gaining and retaining power in the social construct of the time.
So 2000 years later we still have Pharisee's and lawyers and we still have those rebelling against their laws. The question for those on both sides of whatever issue is what are you after and what is your motivation? Are you looking to gain power or retain power in the social constructs of our day (either in our churches, our communities or our country) or are you actively seeking after God's love and the justice that flow from it?
Jesus calls us to love first. But the love that Jesus calls us to must naturally lead us to a desire and active attempt to be faithful in living a life according to God's call and commands.
In the passage from Luke 11, Jesus is railing against the Pharisee's and the Lawyers (who were not akin to lawyers today, but rather religious teachers - like seminary professors) And basically what is going on is that Jesus is accusing them of using their knowledge of the Scripture as a weight to drag people down instead of helping them. He is accusing them of keeping all the laws and regulations except the most important one(s) - Love and Justice. Essentially he is accusing them of missing the point.
Before I go any further, I think it is important to point something out because I feel like a lot of people either miss it or intentionally ignore it. When it comes to following the rules, rules of faith or laws or whatever, many Christians point to Jesus emphasis on love as an excuse for not following the rules or as license to dismiss the rules.
I truly believe this misses the point, albeit in the opposite direction, as well. People making these arguments (and I have often been one of these 'people') usually say something like, ' I would rather err on the side of love'. The point, I think, is that Jesus would rather you not err at all. Jesus isn't saying love - especially love however we choose to define it - is the only thing to be concerned with. Rather, Jesus is saying that love is the first step.
In following Christ and living into the lives that God has called us too, love is the essential first step. It is the beginning.
It is not where we are supposed to stop, however. Right there in Luke 11, Jesus makes this point clear, in his claim against the Pharisee's: 42"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.
It seems to me that 'without neglecting the others' is a pretty important part of what Jesus is saying here.
Love of God and the concern for God's justice that organically flows from that love is the starting point for our life with God, because without loving God then we can't begin to actually follow God or God's commands for our lives.
It is so disheartening to me when Jesus and 'love' get used as a reason for ignoring the way God is calling us to live. Why? Because I think when we do that - and I know I certainly do it sometimes. We come dangerously close to missing the 'point' completely. If we try to appropriate God's love as a license for approving any and all of our actions I don't think we have an understanding of that love at all.
If our love of God does not at least lead us to a desire to live a life more in line with the call and commandments of God, then maybe we don't really love God at all and maybe we are just rebelling against the Pharisee's rules and looking to replace them with our own.
That isn't just ''missing the point' it is not following God and exactly what Jesus was urging the Pharisee's and lawyers to repent from.
The interesting thing about the Pharisee's and the lawyers that Jesus indicts is that it isn't that they were wrong in trying to follow the rules they were upholding - its that they were vigilant for those laws for the wrong reason. God calls us to be vigorous in following him and his commandments because of our love for him and our desire to be faithful to him. The Pharisee's were vigorous in upholding the laws because it was a means to gaining and retaining power in the social construct of the time.
So 2000 years later we still have Pharisee's and lawyers and we still have those rebelling against their laws. The question for those on both sides of whatever issue is what are you after and what is your motivation? Are you looking to gain power or retain power in the social constructs of our day (either in our churches, our communities or our country) or are you actively seeking after God's love and the justice that flow from it?
Jesus calls us to love first. But the love that Jesus calls us to must naturally lead us to a desire and active attempt to be faithful in living a life according to God's call and commands.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Beware of large fish and shady trees . . .
Today we dive back into the daily lectionary (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/26/ ) and look at a passage from the book of Jonah.
Jonah, is in some ways the most interesting of prophets we have in the Old Testament because he is - at least for me - the one that it is easiest to relate to. Some of the prophets, like Isaiah or Jeremiah, are so good and so devout that I certainly look up to them, but I don't relate to them. I can't imagine myself being like one of them.
Jonah, on the other hand, is just like me. In the passage we have today. Jonah has already tried to run from God, been swallowed and spit out by a whale and is now at the gates of Nineveh, where God commands him to preach a warning and call for repentance. A call the inhabitants Nineveh heed. This greatly displeases Jonah - this is exactly what he expected to happen and why he ran from God's call in the first place. He knew God was gracious and forgiving and didn't want to see the Nineveh receive forgiveness.
[A little cultural/historical background here is helpful. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians were, to put it mildly really not nice. Not only were they a vicious and brutal people they aggressively attacked their neighbors at every opportunity. They had been enemies - bitter, hated enemies of the Israelites for centuries at this point. If you are having trouble finding a reference point for the Assyrians, try thinking of them as terrorists living in Iraq or Afghanistan.]
Understanding the historical and political context helps us understand where Jonah is coming from and helps us - or at least helps me - to identify with where he is coming from even more. Most of us really don't want anything for the terrorists that have attacked this and other countries that for them to 'get what they deserve'. Which is logical and understandable.
But the lesson God tries to teach Jonah is a lesson for us to learn as well. God uses the bush that gives Jonah shade as an object to teach that lesson.
When the bush withers and dies because of the worm Jonah is beside himself and bitterly upset. God asks Jonah why - he had nothing to do with the bush, he neither created it or caused it to grow, but yet he cares for it?
The point is that God did create the bush and cause it to grow, just as he created the Assyrians living in Nineveh. Just as he created each and everyone of us. Even the terrorists and those that consider us enemies and those we consider our enemies. God has created each and everyone of us and desires a reconciled relationship with each of his children.
That was a hard pill for Jonah to swallow, I think it is a hard pill for many of us to swallow as well. But it is a truth that we have to wrestle with and eventually submit to - God loves us and calls us into relationship with himself. If we accept that relationship and accept adoption into the family of God we take on the responsibilities of being a part of that family. The primary one being spreading and sharing God's love to all of God's children - even the ones we disagree with, even the ones that don't like us - even the ones we hate or that have hurt us.
If we want to live into the light of God's love, grace and acceptance then we must understand and accept that it isn't just for us and those that look like, think like or act like us. God's love is for everyone. God's grace is for everyone. God's acceptance is for everyone.
The story of Jonah doesn't really have an ending. The book ends with us not knowing how Jonah eventually decides to proceed. It is an open question or better yet, it is a story with a . . . to be continued at the 'end' We are the ones with the chance to continue the story. With a chance to be the next to reach out to those around us -all of those around us with the Good News of God's love and grace - or we can sit on the sidelines angry that God might extend to someone else the vary grace that we ourselves received and needed.
How will you continue the story?
Jonah, is in some ways the most interesting of prophets we have in the Old Testament because he is - at least for me - the one that it is easiest to relate to. Some of the prophets, like Isaiah or Jeremiah, are so good and so devout that I certainly look up to them, but I don't relate to them. I can't imagine myself being like one of them.
Jonah, on the other hand, is just like me. In the passage we have today. Jonah has already tried to run from God, been swallowed and spit out by a whale and is now at the gates of Nineveh, where God commands him to preach a warning and call for repentance. A call the inhabitants Nineveh heed. This greatly displeases Jonah - this is exactly what he expected to happen and why he ran from God's call in the first place. He knew God was gracious and forgiving and didn't want to see the Nineveh receive forgiveness.
[A little cultural/historical background here is helpful. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians were, to put it mildly really not nice. Not only were they a vicious and brutal people they aggressively attacked their neighbors at every opportunity. They had been enemies - bitter, hated enemies of the Israelites for centuries at this point. If you are having trouble finding a reference point for the Assyrians, try thinking of them as terrorists living in Iraq or Afghanistan.]
Understanding the historical and political context helps us understand where Jonah is coming from and helps us - or at least helps me - to identify with where he is coming from even more. Most of us really don't want anything for the terrorists that have attacked this and other countries that for them to 'get what they deserve'. Which is logical and understandable.
But the lesson God tries to teach Jonah is a lesson for us to learn as well. God uses the bush that gives Jonah shade as an object to teach that lesson.
When the bush withers and dies because of the worm Jonah is beside himself and bitterly upset. God asks Jonah why - he had nothing to do with the bush, he neither created it or caused it to grow, but yet he cares for it?
The point is that God did create the bush and cause it to grow, just as he created the Assyrians living in Nineveh. Just as he created each and everyone of us. Even the terrorists and those that consider us enemies and those we consider our enemies. God has created each and everyone of us and desires a reconciled relationship with each of his children.
That was a hard pill for Jonah to swallow, I think it is a hard pill for many of us to swallow as well. But it is a truth that we have to wrestle with and eventually submit to - God loves us and calls us into relationship with himself. If we accept that relationship and accept adoption into the family of God we take on the responsibilities of being a part of that family. The primary one being spreading and sharing God's love to all of God's children - even the ones we disagree with, even the ones that don't like us - even the ones we hate or that have hurt us.
If we want to live into the light of God's love, grace and acceptance then we must understand and accept that it isn't just for us and those that look like, think like or act like us. God's love is for everyone. God's grace is for everyone. God's acceptance is for everyone.
The story of Jonah doesn't really have an ending. The book ends with us not knowing how Jonah eventually decides to proceed. It is an open question or better yet, it is a story with a . . . to be continued at the 'end' We are the ones with the chance to continue the story. With a chance to be the next to reach out to those around us -all of those around us with the Good News of God's love and grace - or we can sit on the sidelines angry that God might extend to someone else the vary grace that we ourselves received and needed.
How will you continue the story?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Why bother?
Better late than never? I am not sure. but I mentioned in my earlier post that I would try and 'catch up' on the daily lectionary and that is what this post is about . . . sort of.
To be honest nothing really stood out to me in the readings for today. And really it isn't that surprising. I mean look at the choices.
We have talked about the Psalms before - there is really good stuff there, but a lot of times it reads and feels like poetry - beautiful words and nothing more. Today was one of those days. The passage from Micah is very similar to the passages from the Psalms. So more poetry but not much else.
Then we have the passage from Revelation. Confusing at best. Which left me with the passage from Luke 10, which was a continuation of the story that I wrote about this morning. So that was an easy path to take.
But then it got me to thinking, particularly about the Revelation passage. We had a Bible study at our church tonight and one of the passages was from Revelation - and at our church every time that book is mentioned someone mentions a member who 'hates' that book.
Now that isn't fair to her, but in truth it is a sentiment that many of us agree with. Either we 'hate' it or ignore it all together, which in my opinion is worse.
So what is the point?
The point is that, without getting into a semantic discussion about the Bible and what it is (I believe it is the inspired Word of God, but that isn't the point here), is to say that I really believe that what is in the Bible isn't there accidentally and as such in the words of Paul to Timothy (from 2Timothy 3:16): All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
That doesn't mean that all scripture is created equal in terms of ease of understanding, accessibility or scope of application. But it does mean that all of Scripture - even the parts that we might tend to skip over, like Psalms or Revelation, all of it is valuable for us and worthy of our time, our study and our wrestling with.
Some, like Revelation, may require us to look to outside sources to help us understand. Some, like the Psalms, might require us to listen with artists hearts and minds. Some, like the parables, might require us to think from different perspectives. But all of it is worth our time.
Amen?
To be honest nothing really stood out to me in the readings for today. And really it isn't that surprising. I mean look at the choices.
We have talked about the Psalms before - there is really good stuff there, but a lot of times it reads and feels like poetry - beautiful words and nothing more. Today was one of those days. The passage from Micah is very similar to the passages from the Psalms. So more poetry but not much else.
Then we have the passage from Revelation. Confusing at best. Which left me with the passage from Luke 10, which was a continuation of the story that I wrote about this morning. So that was an easy path to take.
But then it got me to thinking, particularly about the Revelation passage. We had a Bible study at our church tonight and one of the passages was from Revelation - and at our church every time that book is mentioned someone mentions a member who 'hates' that book.
Now that isn't fair to her, but in truth it is a sentiment that many of us agree with. Either we 'hate' it or ignore it all together, which in my opinion is worse.
So what is the point?
The point is that, without getting into a semantic discussion about the Bible and what it is (I believe it is the inspired Word of God, but that isn't the point here), is to say that I really believe that what is in the Bible isn't there accidentally and as such in the words of Paul to Timothy (from 2Timothy 3:16): All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
That doesn't mean that all scripture is created equal in terms of ease of understanding, accessibility or scope of application. But it does mean that all of Scripture - even the parts that we might tend to skip over, like Psalms or Revelation, all of it is valuable for us and worthy of our time, our study and our wrestling with.
Some, like Revelation, may require us to look to outside sources to help us understand. Some, like the Psalms, might require us to listen with artists hearts and minds. Some, like the parables, might require us to think from different perspectives. But all of it is worth our time.
Amen?
Can I trust you?
So, sorry that there was no blog yesterday - I think the lack of the blog wisdom probably was responsible for the stock market finishing lower, not to mention the flooding in Asia, all I can say is sorry. Seriously though, yesterday - for the first time that I can remember I just was not in front of the computer at all, all day. Nothing exciting or special involved just a day with other, non-computer tasks.
I did however read the daily lectionary and in this post will share a few thoughts from yesterday's passage from Luke 10. My plan is to do that now and then later today 'catch up' with thoughts on today's readings. We will see how that pans out.
Anyway, here goes.
As I was reading the Luke 10 passage, which begins with Jesus sending out 70 disciples to the surrounding regions to preach (with the words that 'the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few'), teach and heal in His name, I was particularly struck by the description of how they were sent out.
Here is what we have, starting at verse 3: 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.
What I find interesting here is two-fold. First, in the beginning of this passage it says that Jesus was sending these 70 out to the communities where he intended to visit - so in a way they were preparing the way for Jesus, getting the people ready to hear and experience Jesus. They were also going to gauge people's willingness to hear and receive the Word of God through Jesus Christ.
So, the point is that Jesus had something riding on how 'successful' the disciples were. He was not sending them out as some sort of exercise or practice, but as the precursor to Jesus himself drawing near to them.
So with that in mind, we turn to the second interesting thing about this: that Jesus sends them out like 'lambs in the midst of wolves.' What is most interesting here is that it seems at least like this is a choice. Jesus is instructing them not to carry a purse or bag or sandals. He isn't saying 'even though you don't have any of those things, go anyway'. He seems to be saying don't take all that you have at your disposal - just go as you are, all by yourself.
This doesn't really make sense, at all, right? Why would Jesus not want the disciples to be as fully prepared as possible? Why would Jesus not want the disciples to use every resource at their disposal to 'succeed' in their mission?
As much as this doesn't make 'sense', there is precedent for it in the Old Testament. God has Gideon send home many of his soldiers (sorting them by how the drink water from a river) before entering a battle where they were already outnumbered; God has Joshua and his men march around the city of Jericho with trumpets playing - announcing their presence and giving away any tactical advantage they may have had - and eventually literally bringing down the walls without any military action.
In all these cases, what is the point? Why does God act in the way that he does, in those cases doing things that don't seem to make military sense and in this case why does Jesus not want them to use all that they have at their disposal?
I think the answer is about trust. Simply put, God wants us to trust him. On a daily basis God wants us to use the gifts, talents and abilities that we have been given to the best of our ability. But God doesn't want us to judge our 'ability' to fulfill a task or succeed at a goal based on our resources, our gifts or our abilities. It is a bit of a trite saying, but it is one that is appropriate here: God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called.
The point is that the truth is that if God has called you to something, you have all need to be 'successful' because you have God. When we fail at things that God has called us to it isn't because God failed us or because we didn't have all that we needed to 'do the job', it is because we tried to do it on our own or relied solely on our own gifts, talents, resources and abilities.
Again, I am not saying we are not supposed to use what God has given us - quite the opposite - what I am saying is that to fully and 'successfully' follow God's call on our lives and live into our part of God's plan we must always begin with trust and faith in God.
In certain times and in certain situations God we may be asked to do something we simply don't have the skills or resources to do on our own or we may be called to not use all that we have (as Joshua, Gideon and the disciples were).
Why? Not to make it harder, but to make it clearer to us and to all of those around that what is happening is happening because of the power of God and God's Holy Spirit working in and through us.
Philippians 4:13 says 'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength' - I fully believe in the truth of this statement. If God has called us to do something, by definition we have what we need to do it. The question is are we willing to trust in God's strength enough to be faithful in trying even when 'we can't do it ourselves'?
The times in our lives when we are faced with great difficulty or great 'odds', I think are opportunities for us to grow in our faith and trust of God and allow God to use us and our lives to demonstrate to those around us the miraculous power of really, fully trusting in God.
The bottom line is that if we are willing to trust, really trust in God to be faithful to what we have been promised and live our lives according to that trust - it sets us up to witness and participate in extraordinary things, done in extraordinary ways. To live an extraordinary life - all for the glory of God.
We don't need to come prepared, we just need to be prepared to trust in the God who calls us.
I did however read the daily lectionary and in this post will share a few thoughts from yesterday's passage from Luke 10. My plan is to do that now and then later today 'catch up' with thoughts on today's readings. We will see how that pans out.
Anyway, here goes.
As I was reading the Luke 10 passage, which begins with Jesus sending out 70 disciples to the surrounding regions to preach (with the words that 'the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few'), teach and heal in His name, I was particularly struck by the description of how they were sent out.
Here is what we have, starting at verse 3: 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.
What I find interesting here is two-fold. First, in the beginning of this passage it says that Jesus was sending these 70 out to the communities where he intended to visit - so in a way they were preparing the way for Jesus, getting the people ready to hear and experience Jesus. They were also going to gauge people's willingness to hear and receive the Word of God through Jesus Christ.
So, the point is that Jesus had something riding on how 'successful' the disciples were. He was not sending them out as some sort of exercise or practice, but as the precursor to Jesus himself drawing near to them.
So with that in mind, we turn to the second interesting thing about this: that Jesus sends them out like 'lambs in the midst of wolves.' What is most interesting here is that it seems at least like this is a choice. Jesus is instructing them not to carry a purse or bag or sandals. He isn't saying 'even though you don't have any of those things, go anyway'. He seems to be saying don't take all that you have at your disposal - just go as you are, all by yourself.
This doesn't really make sense, at all, right? Why would Jesus not want the disciples to be as fully prepared as possible? Why would Jesus not want the disciples to use every resource at their disposal to 'succeed' in their mission?
As much as this doesn't make 'sense', there is precedent for it in the Old Testament. God has Gideon send home many of his soldiers (sorting them by how the drink water from a river) before entering a battle where they were already outnumbered; God has Joshua and his men march around the city of Jericho with trumpets playing - announcing their presence and giving away any tactical advantage they may have had - and eventually literally bringing down the walls without any military action.
In all these cases, what is the point? Why does God act in the way that he does, in those cases doing things that don't seem to make military sense and in this case why does Jesus not want them to use all that they have at their disposal?
I think the answer is about trust. Simply put, God wants us to trust him. On a daily basis God wants us to use the gifts, talents and abilities that we have been given to the best of our ability. But God doesn't want us to judge our 'ability' to fulfill a task or succeed at a goal based on our resources, our gifts or our abilities. It is a bit of a trite saying, but it is one that is appropriate here: God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called.
The point is that the truth is that if God has called you to something, you have all need to be 'successful' because you have God. When we fail at things that God has called us to it isn't because God failed us or because we didn't have all that we needed to 'do the job', it is because we tried to do it on our own or relied solely on our own gifts, talents, resources and abilities.
Again, I am not saying we are not supposed to use what God has given us - quite the opposite - what I am saying is that to fully and 'successfully' follow God's call on our lives and live into our part of God's plan we must always begin with trust and faith in God.
In certain times and in certain situations God we may be asked to do something we simply don't have the skills or resources to do on our own or we may be called to not use all that we have (as Joshua, Gideon and the disciples were).
Why? Not to make it harder, but to make it clearer to us and to all of those around that what is happening is happening because of the power of God and God's Holy Spirit working in and through us.
Philippians 4:13 says 'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength' - I fully believe in the truth of this statement. If God has called us to do something, by definition we have what we need to do it. The question is are we willing to trust in God's strength enough to be faithful in trying even when 'we can't do it ourselves'?
The times in our lives when we are faced with great difficulty or great 'odds', I think are opportunities for us to grow in our faith and trust of God and allow God to use us and our lives to demonstrate to those around us the miraculous power of really, fully trusting in God.
The bottom line is that if we are willing to trust, really trust in God to be faithful to what we have been promised and live our lives according to that trust - it sets us up to witness and participate in extraordinary things, done in extraordinary ways. To live an extraordinary life - all for the glory of God.
We don't need to come prepared, we just need to be prepared to trust in the God who calls us.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Who do you say that I am?
Hey everybody. Today's thoughts are short and sweet - well, short anyway. The lectionary passages for today (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/14/ ) include a passage from Luke 9. In this passage Jesus draws the disciples away and asks who people say that he is. They give a variety of answers, but he presses the question: who do YOU say that I AM?
Jesus then gets the answer that he is looking for and that is correct, from Peter, 'You are the Messiah of God'.
I believe this question is being asked of each of us this day. Who do you say that Jesus is?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you do your job or attend to your studies?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you treat the people you encounter in our service economy (fast food workers, store clerks, workers at the gas station or the grocery store)?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you treat and interact with your family?
Who do you say that Jesus is when you are all alone and no one is watching what you are doing?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you spend your time?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you talk with your friends?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you spend your money?
Why is how you answer this question (in all its varieties, in all these situations) so important?
Because who you say Jesus is maybe the only definition of Jesus that some may ever encounter. Will your answer intrigue them? Will your answer draw those around you into a relationship with Jesus Christ or will it convince them that Jesus isnt' worth the time, energy or the commitment?
Who do you say Jesus is?
Jesus then gets the answer that he is looking for and that is correct, from Peter, 'You are the Messiah of God'.
I believe this question is being asked of each of us this day. Who do you say that Jesus is?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you do your job or attend to your studies?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you treat the people you encounter in our service economy (fast food workers, store clerks, workers at the gas station or the grocery store)?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you treat and interact with your family?
Who do you say that Jesus is when you are all alone and no one is watching what you are doing?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you spend your time?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you talk with your friends?
Who do you say that Jesus is by the way you spend your money?
Why is how you answer this question (in all its varieties, in all these situations) so important?
Because who you say Jesus is maybe the only definition of Jesus that some may ever encounter. Will your answer intrigue them? Will your answer draw those around you into a relationship with Jesus Christ or will it convince them that Jesus isnt' worth the time, energy or the commitment?
Who do you say Jesus is?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
No one said it would be easy . . .
So it was with great interest that I read today's lectionary passage from Acts 27. It is the story of Paul and his companions and his captors/guards/escorts being shipwrecked on the way to bring Paul before the emperor. The daily lectionary can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/13/
I don't have a lot to say today(ha!). But I want to think about what this part of Paul's story can help us understand about God and our relationship with God. I said I don't have a lot to say because while I have some thoughts I think that mostly this is stuff for us to think about and wrestle with together.
So in the passage we have Paul's boat basically getting destroyed in a terrible storm (a northeaster, who knew they had those too?). Paul first reminds all of them that they are in the predicament because they didn't listen to him. Putting that aside, he goes on to say that he was told in a vision that the ship would be lost, but that all of them would survive, which is what ends up happening.
So what are we to take from this story, other than the fact that Paul might have been a wee little bit stuck up? I think we can take a couple of things from this story:
I don't have a lot to say today(ha!). But I want to think about what this part of Paul's story can help us understand about God and our relationship with God. I said I don't have a lot to say because while I have some thoughts I think that mostly this is stuff for us to think about and wrestle with together.
So in the passage we have Paul's boat basically getting destroyed in a terrible storm (a northeaster, who knew they had those too?). Paul first reminds all of them that they are in the predicament because they didn't listen to him. Putting that aside, he goes on to say that he was told in a vision that the ship would be lost, but that all of them would survive, which is what ends up happening.
So what are we to take from this story, other than the fact that Paul might have been a wee little bit stuck up? I think we can take a couple of things from this story:
- All kidding about Paul aside, God uses us as we are - in spite of (and sometimes through) our faults, personality quirks and 'issues'.
- Life following God's call isn't always smooth sailing - literally! God promises to care for us, but never does God make the promise of an 'easy' life or journey. An angel of the Lord came to Paul and promised that he would indeed stand before the emperor, but that the ship would be lost.
- Following God comes with a cost in this world. At several points on this journey if Paul would have just been willing to shut up about Jesus he would not have had to go through all of this trouble. But he would have been living a lie - and that is harder and heavier burden to carry than any amount of earthly trouble.
- In the moments of deepest trouble or darkest night - when you are literally unable to see where to go next - God will always come to you. In the passage, right before Paul's angel visit, the passage says that they saw 'neither sun nor stars' for days and that 'all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned'. All of the people with Paul were literally lost in the dark, being tossed and turned by the whims of a raging sea, and it was in that moment and in that situation that an angel of the Lord came to Paul bringing the assurance of rescue and safety.
- Finally, and this is maybe the best news, when you are fully trusting in God you are able to have peace regardless of your circumstances. Think about the story, the strangest, most unbelievable part of the whole story isn't what happens in Paul's dream (a visit from an angel) but that on a sinking ship in the middle of a raging storm Paul was able to sleep. Paul's faith in God and trust in God's care of him gave him a peace that allowed him to rest even when surrounded by fear, storms and danger.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Fight the power or don't rock the boat?
Some quick thoughts on today's daily lectionary passages (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/7/ )
As I was reading the lectionary passages today, particularly the Acts 24 passage, I was struck by what was going on in the exchange in the chapter.
To quickly sum up, Paul is (surprise, surprise) in jail with the Roman authorities and they are trying to decide what to do with him and they are listening, first to his Jewish accusers and then to Paul himself.
What really stuck out to me was this paragraph of the Jewish accuser's representative:
"Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. 3We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. 4But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.
I am not sure what the PC word is for what is going on there, but the vernacular is, kissing butt. Sure, he is trying to get in on the Roman judge's good side, but it is pretty ridiculous. Contrast it to Paul and his straight forward and unapologetic style. Paul, and Steven and other early Christians - just like Jesus before them, never provoke the authorities without reason. But they in no way shy away from the truth of the Gospel. The Truth they are committed to sharing with all of their strength, mind, body and spirit - in other words their whole lives.
Jesus, Steven (the first Martyr of the Christian Church), Paul and others understood that the highest authority was not whoever had worldly authority, but God. And even if that meant putting themselves in mortal danger and saying things they knew would be deemed as offensive and/or incriminating they never backed down.
What the Jewish accuser does is tempting for all of us - to play to the 'authorities' of the moment. To say and/or do the things that will ingratiate us to those in positions of power or authority - or even just the 'taste makers' of our community or society.
The point is this - whatever situation you find yourself in, no matter who serious the circumstances, don't give into the temptation to bow down to any 'authority' but the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In every and all situation, with every part of your life testify to the power of God's Holy Spirit working in and through you. Sometimes that may mean 'fighting the power/s that be' or sticking out from the crowd, but I want to challenge all of us to live up to the example of Jesus, Steven, Paul and the early church who never backed down fro proclaiming the good news of the Gospel, regardless of the circumstances or the consequences.
Fight the power . . .
As I was reading the lectionary passages today, particularly the Acts 24 passage, I was struck by what was going on in the exchange in the chapter.
To quickly sum up, Paul is (surprise, surprise) in jail with the Roman authorities and they are trying to decide what to do with him and they are listening, first to his Jewish accusers and then to Paul himself.
What really stuck out to me was this paragraph of the Jewish accuser's representative:
"Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. 3We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. 4But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.
I am not sure what the PC word is for what is going on there, but the vernacular is, kissing butt. Sure, he is trying to get in on the Roman judge's good side, but it is pretty ridiculous. Contrast it to Paul and his straight forward and unapologetic style. Paul, and Steven and other early Christians - just like Jesus before them, never provoke the authorities without reason. But they in no way shy away from the truth of the Gospel. The Truth they are committed to sharing with all of their strength, mind, body and spirit - in other words their whole lives.
Jesus, Steven (the first Martyr of the Christian Church), Paul and others understood that the highest authority was not whoever had worldly authority, but God. And even if that meant putting themselves in mortal danger and saying things they knew would be deemed as offensive and/or incriminating they never backed down.
What the Jewish accuser does is tempting for all of us - to play to the 'authorities' of the moment. To say and/or do the things that will ingratiate us to those in positions of power or authority - or even just the 'taste makers' of our community or society.
The point is this - whatever situation you find yourself in, no matter who serious the circumstances, don't give into the temptation to bow down to any 'authority' but the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In every and all situation, with every part of your life testify to the power of God's Holy Spirit working in and through you. Sometimes that may mean 'fighting the power/s that be' or sticking out from the crowd, but I want to challenge all of us to live up to the example of Jesus, Steven, Paul and the early church who never backed down fro proclaiming the good news of the Gospel, regardless of the circumstances or the consequences.
Fight the power . . .
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Are you a Christian Atheist?
So my thoughts today are at least somewhat connected to today's lectionary readings, so please check them out here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/6/
The reading that stood out to me was the reading from Hosea 7. The whole book of Hosea is the story of God calling Israel to repentance through his prophet Hosea.
Israel had fallen away from God in many respects, but maybe most critically, it had begun to think that they didn't need God - they hadn't stopped believing in God, but God no longer mattered to them and they didn't allow God and God's call on their lives to effect or change them.
So when I read the following passage from Hosea this morning it connected with a few other things I had recently seen and been thinking about. So, first the passage and then the other stuff.
One of the other things I was thinking about was a quote that Tyler Domske tweeted from Catalyst this morning, its from John Ortberg, and here is what he said:
"The world is not likely to respond to a gospel of transformation proclaimed by untransformed people"
And all of that combined with two phrases that I have come across recently, the first is the title of a new book by the pastor of lifechurch.tv, Craig Groeschel, and it is called 'The Christian atheist: believing in God but living as if he didn't exist' And the other phrase is one that is highlighting the same issue, 'functional atheism'.
I think this idea of a 'Christian atheist' or 'functional atheism' is exactly what had happened in Israel in the time of Hosea. They hadn't stopped believing in God but they had stopped living like God made a difference in their lives. They had stopped opening their lives to God and God's Holy Spirit to have their lives transformed.
So when we don't allow God access into our lives (and every area of our lives at that) then our 'belief' in God is functionally meaningless. And when we don't allow God access and control over every corner of our lives then other things - false idols of all shapes and sizes - will definitely move in and fill the void.
This is what God saw in Israel in the time of Hosea, the Israelites had closed themselves off from God and filled their lives with all sorts of things of their own making and their own design. Ultimately they are all things that fall short of our expectations and let us down.
So the question for us this day is are we living as functional atheists? Are we living our lives believing in God but not allowing God's Holy Spirit to transform them - so that our lives don't represent the transformative power of God?
And what would happen if we began to invite God into every corner of our lives and asked God's Holy Spirit to transform us so that we might be used to transform the world around us?
Let's find out.
The reading that stood out to me was the reading from Hosea 7. The whole book of Hosea is the story of God calling Israel to repentance through his prophet Hosea.
Israel had fallen away from God in many respects, but maybe most critically, it had begun to think that they didn't need God - they hadn't stopped believing in God, but God no longer mattered to them and they didn't allow God and God's call on their lives to effect or change them.
So when I read the following passage from Hosea this morning it connected with a few other things I had recently seen and been thinking about. So, first the passage and then the other stuff.
2Israel cries to me, "My God, we - Israel - know you!"3Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him.4They made kings, but not through me; they set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. 5Your calf is rejected, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? 6For it is from Israel, an artisan made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
One of the other things I was thinking about was a quote that Tyler Domske tweeted from Catalyst this morning, its from John Ortberg, and here is what he said:
"The world is not likely to respond to a gospel of transformation proclaimed by untransformed people"
And all of that combined with two phrases that I have come across recently, the first is the title of a new book by the pastor of lifechurch.tv, Craig Groeschel, and it is called 'The Christian atheist: believing in God but living as if he didn't exist' And the other phrase is one that is highlighting the same issue, 'functional atheism'.
I think this idea of a 'Christian atheist' or 'functional atheism' is exactly what had happened in Israel in the time of Hosea. They hadn't stopped believing in God but they had stopped living like God made a difference in their lives. They had stopped opening their lives to God and God's Holy Spirit to have their lives transformed.
So when we don't allow God access into our lives (and every area of our lives at that) then our 'belief' in God is functionally meaningless. And when we don't allow God access and control over every corner of our lives then other things - false idols of all shapes and sizes - will definitely move in and fill the void.
This is what God saw in Israel in the time of Hosea, the Israelites had closed themselves off from God and filled their lives with all sorts of things of their own making and their own design. Ultimately they are all things that fall short of our expectations and let us down.
So the question for us this day is are we living as functional atheists? Are we living our lives believing in God but not allowing God's Holy Spirit to transform them - so that our lives don't represent the transformative power of God?
And what would happen if we began to invite God into every corner of our lives and asked God's Holy Spirit to transform us so that we might be used to transform the world around us?
Let's find out.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Why do good things happen to people?
Today we head back to the daily lectionary (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/10/5/ )
In today's passage from Luke 7 we have two stories of Jesus performing miraculous healings.
In the rarefied context of Jesus' life that really isn't that unusual, right? I mean healing people and rising the dead and preaching healing and wholeness - a new way of life and of living is pretty much just what Jesus does and who Jesus is.
So the healings, per se, are not what I want us to think about and focus on. Rather I want us to think about and look at why Jesus healed the two people he did in this text, because I think it is central to understanding our relationship to God and our role in the good things that happen to us in life.
The first healing is of a centurion's'highly valued' slave. In the text we get the story that this centurion asks some of the local Jewish leaders to go to Jesus to see if he will come and help the slave. The Jews that come to Jesus implore him to help the centurion, talking about his treatment of their people, the fact that he built the local synagogue, and they focus on his 'worthiness'.
This sounds like a pretty compelling case to you and I - but it isn't what mattered to Jesus. Jesus agrees to go see the centurion and his slave, but makes no promises. When they are a little way's off, the centurion comes out to meet them and talks to Jesus - saying that he believes that all that Jesus has to do is say the word and the slave will be healed (with a neat comparison to the authority that he wields).
At this Jesus commends the centurion and lifts him up to all of those around as an example of great faith. And it is this faith that is the reason Jesus gives for the healing of the centurions slave. Faith, in fact, is a fairly common reason that Jesus states for healing and other miracles.
As they are leaving the centurion's home and headed into another city they pass a funeral possession - the funeral of an only child, the son of a widow. This is obviously a tragic situation, but in that socio-economic structure it is particularly devastating to the mother because not only is she now alone in the world, dealing with great loss, she has no means or ability to care for herself.
Luke says that at seeing this seen, Jesus 'had compassion' on her and tells her not to weep, stops the funeral procession, places his hand on the coffin and raises the child back to life, and then 'gives him back to his mother'.
I think that in these two stories we have the basis for understanding all of the miraculous work Jesus did as he walked on this earth and I think it gives us insight into how God's Holy Spirit works in and through our lives today.
It all starts with God's compassion. God sees the situation and feels for - identifies with - those that are suffering, grieving, and in pain. It isn't about what we have done or not done. It isn't about if what happened was 'fair' or not. And it isn't about if we are 'getting what we deserve' or if we have 'earned' the help we are asking for and only God can give. It begins with - and is only possible because of - God's compassion for us.
But there is a part we have to play. There is a way that we can open our lives up to the compassion and the miraculous work of God. The way forward for us is demonstrated in the centurion - we are to have faith.
Faith. literally trusting in that which we can't see or empirically prove. The way to open our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit, the way to make room in our times of need and in the desperate situations in our lives for God's miraculous power is simply to - even and especially in the most dire and difficult times - trust in God.
We are called not to earn God's love or God's intervention in our lives, but to have the faith and trust that God loves us and desires to care for us. We are called to believe that God loves us enough to want to be there for us, to help us in our difficulty and to comfort us in our sorrow.
It doesn't seem like much - it doesn't really even require us 'doing' anything, but that is the point. We can't do it, it is beyond us and the simple fact of acknowledging that, and giving up our attempts at control to trust in God has the power to transform our entire lives.
Trusting in God, really having faith in God creates room for God to work in us and through us in miraculous - and in - ordinary ways.
In today's passage from Luke 7 we have two stories of Jesus performing miraculous healings.
In the rarefied context of Jesus' life that really isn't that unusual, right? I mean healing people and rising the dead and preaching healing and wholeness - a new way of life and of living is pretty much just what Jesus does and who Jesus is.
So the healings, per se, are not what I want us to think about and focus on. Rather I want us to think about and look at why Jesus healed the two people he did in this text, because I think it is central to understanding our relationship to God and our role in the good things that happen to us in life.
The first healing is of a centurion's'highly valued' slave. In the text we get the story that this centurion asks some of the local Jewish leaders to go to Jesus to see if he will come and help the slave. The Jews that come to Jesus implore him to help the centurion, talking about his treatment of their people, the fact that he built the local synagogue, and they focus on his 'worthiness'.
This sounds like a pretty compelling case to you and I - but it isn't what mattered to Jesus. Jesus agrees to go see the centurion and his slave, but makes no promises. When they are a little way's off, the centurion comes out to meet them and talks to Jesus - saying that he believes that all that Jesus has to do is say the word and the slave will be healed (with a neat comparison to the authority that he wields).
At this Jesus commends the centurion and lifts him up to all of those around as an example of great faith. And it is this faith that is the reason Jesus gives for the healing of the centurions slave. Faith, in fact, is a fairly common reason that Jesus states for healing and other miracles.
As they are leaving the centurion's home and headed into another city they pass a funeral possession - the funeral of an only child, the son of a widow. This is obviously a tragic situation, but in that socio-economic structure it is particularly devastating to the mother because not only is she now alone in the world, dealing with great loss, she has no means or ability to care for herself.
Luke says that at seeing this seen, Jesus 'had compassion' on her and tells her not to weep, stops the funeral procession, places his hand on the coffin and raises the child back to life, and then 'gives him back to his mother'.
I think that in these two stories we have the basis for understanding all of the miraculous work Jesus did as he walked on this earth and I think it gives us insight into how God's Holy Spirit works in and through our lives today.
It all starts with God's compassion. God sees the situation and feels for - identifies with - those that are suffering, grieving, and in pain. It isn't about what we have done or not done. It isn't about if what happened was 'fair' or not. And it isn't about if we are 'getting what we deserve' or if we have 'earned' the help we are asking for and only God can give. It begins with - and is only possible because of - God's compassion for us.
But there is a part we have to play. There is a way that we can open our lives up to the compassion and the miraculous work of God. The way forward for us is demonstrated in the centurion - we are to have faith.
Faith. literally trusting in that which we can't see or empirically prove. The way to open our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit, the way to make room in our times of need and in the desperate situations in our lives for God's miraculous power is simply to - even and especially in the most dire and difficult times - trust in God.
We are called not to earn God's love or God's intervention in our lives, but to have the faith and trust that God loves us and desires to care for us. We are called to believe that God loves us enough to want to be there for us, to help us in our difficulty and to comfort us in our sorrow.
It doesn't seem like much - it doesn't really even require us 'doing' anything, but that is the point. We can't do it, it is beyond us and the simple fact of acknowledging that, and giving up our attempts at control to trust in God has the power to transform our entire lives.
Trusting in God, really having faith in God creates room for God to work in us and through us in miraculous - and in - ordinary ways.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
We will again today be taking up the daily lectionary (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/9/29/ ) But a few thoughts, that are at least some what related first. As I look back at the blog entries since I started blogging through the daily lectionary it seems to me that many if not most of the posts can be put in the 'challenging' category. I don't think this is bad or wrong, and I really feel like I can only share with you what the Holy Spirit has put on my heart, and I think it is clear that I hear (and need to hear) the challenge in Scripture more frequently than almost anything else.
Having said all of that there are times when the challenge of Scripture can seem daunting and more than a little bit unrealistic. There are times and days (and weeks, and months, and years) when what we really need is a little bit of encouragement to help us persevere and continue 'fighting the good fight'. I think all of us need that encouragement, and the good news is I think we can find it in the Word of God, if our eyes are open to see and our ears are open to hear.
Some days we need that encouragement more than others and, for no particular reason, today feels like one of those days for me.
So it was a real blessing for me when I opened up the daily lectionary and read the following words as the first taste of Scripture today:
1O sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
At first we might not pay attention to what this Psalm is saying or simply lump it in with all of the other psalms as full of flowery, poetic praise that is beautiful but that doesn't really mean anything to us. I think that would be a big mistake, because I believe that this psalm is saying something powerful and profound about how God views us and what God created us for.
The part that I want to really focus on is that first verse: 'O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.'
I spent some time this morning thinking about what that phrase means and the implications that has for how we understand ourselves and our purpose in this life. The phrase and the passage are pretty familiar ones, at least a one fairly popular song has the words in the chorus and they are words we hear in church as well. But today I think the Holy Spirit revealed to me a new and greater understanding of the meaning of those words.
The idea of a 'new song' is a really interesting one to me because I have sort of always prescribed to that other biblical quote (from Ecclesiastes): 'there is nothing new under the son'. Or in the words of the Bare Naked Ladies - 'its all been done before'. But while it may seem that way, and that is what the writer of Ecclesiastes has said (in a poetic lament, not to be taken literally) the Word of God for you and I says something entirely different.
You and I and in fact all of creation have been given a voice, a particular set of gifts, abilities, interests and passions, that resonate in us and through us in a wholly unique way. There has never been and there will never be another you. And for that reason you have the ability to sing a 'new song' of praise to God that only you can sing. You have the ability to write, play and sing a song that has never before been heard and will never be able to be heard again.
When we we join our voices together they too become a unique and new song of praise to the God that uniquely created us out of love.
Hear the good and encouraging Word of God: God has created you with a song that only you can sing and with an element of the melody or harmony that only you can contribute. All of creation is waiting for you to lift your life as a song of praise.
Let us sing a new song of praise to God thanking him for the unique gifts we have been given and for the privilege of sharing them together for the glory of God.
If you are using the gifts God has given you, if you are seeking to serve, praise and worship God by doing what you have been created to do you are in tune with God, singing a song that is pleasing to God and a blessing to others.
What does your song sound like?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What if God were one of us?
Today we are back to the daily lectionary (which can be found here: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2010/9/28/ ) After a few days off.
In the lectionary today there are some great Psalms, and definitely some interesting readings from the Hebrew Scriptures (Hosea, anyone?) and the New Testament. But what really caught my attention was two things from the Gospel reading in Luke 5.
The first is how Jesus took care of himself and responded to the pressures and situations he was in. I think most of us get that we are supposed to be 'like' Christ or at least that we are supposed to try to be as much like Christ as possible. But I think for many of us that it is hard to get at God's humanity in Christ and that leaves us pretty frustrated at just how far short we fall, not to mention that when we are thinking about Jesus as God, it makes trying to emulate him that much less tangible.
I don't feel like I am being very clear, but what I am saying is that when we are striving to be like Christ we have to remember that we claim that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. We often forget about the human part when we think of Jesus - and it is that part that we can actually relate to, understand and more closely approximate.
Why am I bringing all of this up right now? Because in this passage we here about how everywhere Jesus went people followed him - came from all over just to watch and listen to him, actually. Wherever Jesus went, people were watching him. Wherever Jesus went people wanted and expected something - miraculous things - from him.
I think that is something most of us can relate to. We may not have people following us around, per se, and we may not be well known, but I think most of us feel pressure to live up to what people expect from us. And the truth is, most people in our lives do expect something from us: our teachers, our employers, our friends & family, all of them have expectations of us and sometimes those expectations can weigh on us heavily. And I think this is important to note - if we publicly claim that we are Christians, whether we know it or not, people are watching us, looking at how we behave and interact with others to gain an understanding of what Christianity and Jesus is all about.
The weight of expectations can be incredibly heavy sometimes. Life is, even in the best of times, tiring. Meeting the expectations of those around you - and more importantly living up to and into the call God has placed on your life can be difficult and maybe even a little draining.
This is where watching Jesus and learning from him, in his humanity can be so instructive. In the Luke passage, verses 15&16, we have the summary of the weight of peoples expectations of Jesus and Jesus' response to them:
15But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
It may not sound like much, but there is the wisdom for how to handle the stress and weight of expectation and how to properly prepare and restore yourself to live the life you have been called to - find time and make space to be alone in conversation with God.
This is how we find rest. This is how we find peace. This is how we are prepared, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the call God has placed on our lives. Finding time and space to listen to God. Finding time and space to speak to God.
If we could do that and do it consistently, I believe that simply by living our lives those around us would be drawn into relationship with God because the lives were leading would be so different than the world around us.
I think it is worth a try.
Briefly, I wanted to just touch on the rest of the Luke passage, because I love the story of the friends carrying their crippled friend to see Jesus and be healed. When they can't get close to him, they dig a hole in the roof and lower their friend down to Jesus. It is a great story and I think it is a witness and model for us.
What faith these friends had, they trusted and really believed (to the point they were willing to physically carry their friend and then ruin a roof to bring him to Jesus) that Jesus had the power to heal their friend. That is the question we have to ask ourselves: do we really believe that Jesus Christ matters? Do we really believe that an encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ has the power to heal the brokenness in our lives and the lives of others? Do we really believe that following Christ makes a difference in our lives?
If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then why aren't we carrying our friends to see and encounter Jesus?
And if the answer to those questions is yes, then what walls are we willing to break down, what dangers are we willing to risk to bring our friends to meet and be healed by Jesus?
In the lectionary today there are some great Psalms, and definitely some interesting readings from the Hebrew Scriptures (Hosea, anyone?) and the New Testament. But what really caught my attention was two things from the Gospel reading in Luke 5.
The first is how Jesus took care of himself and responded to the pressures and situations he was in. I think most of us get that we are supposed to be 'like' Christ or at least that we are supposed to try to be as much like Christ as possible. But I think for many of us that it is hard to get at God's humanity in Christ and that leaves us pretty frustrated at just how far short we fall, not to mention that when we are thinking about Jesus as God, it makes trying to emulate him that much less tangible.
I don't feel like I am being very clear, but what I am saying is that when we are striving to be like Christ we have to remember that we claim that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. We often forget about the human part when we think of Jesus - and it is that part that we can actually relate to, understand and more closely approximate.
Why am I bringing all of this up right now? Because in this passage we here about how everywhere Jesus went people followed him - came from all over just to watch and listen to him, actually. Wherever Jesus went, people were watching him. Wherever Jesus went people wanted and expected something - miraculous things - from him.
I think that is something most of us can relate to. We may not have people following us around, per se, and we may not be well known, but I think most of us feel pressure to live up to what people expect from us. And the truth is, most people in our lives do expect something from us: our teachers, our employers, our friends & family, all of them have expectations of us and sometimes those expectations can weigh on us heavily. And I think this is important to note - if we publicly claim that we are Christians, whether we know it or not, people are watching us, looking at how we behave and interact with others to gain an understanding of what Christianity and Jesus is all about.
The weight of expectations can be incredibly heavy sometimes. Life is, even in the best of times, tiring. Meeting the expectations of those around you - and more importantly living up to and into the call God has placed on your life can be difficult and maybe even a little draining.
This is where watching Jesus and learning from him, in his humanity can be so instructive. In the Luke passage, verses 15&16, we have the summary of the weight of peoples expectations of Jesus and Jesus' response to them:
15But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
It may not sound like much, but there is the wisdom for how to handle the stress and weight of expectation and how to properly prepare and restore yourself to live the life you have been called to - find time and make space to be alone in conversation with God.
This is how we find rest. This is how we find peace. This is how we are prepared, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the call God has placed on our lives. Finding time and space to listen to God. Finding time and space to speak to God.
If we could do that and do it consistently, I believe that simply by living our lives those around us would be drawn into relationship with God because the lives were leading would be so different than the world around us.
I think it is worth a try.
Briefly, I wanted to just touch on the rest of the Luke passage, because I love the story of the friends carrying their crippled friend to see Jesus and be healed. When they can't get close to him, they dig a hole in the roof and lower their friend down to Jesus. It is a great story and I think it is a witness and model for us.
What faith these friends had, they trusted and really believed (to the point they were willing to physically carry their friend and then ruin a roof to bring him to Jesus) that Jesus had the power to heal their friend. That is the question we have to ask ourselves: do we really believe that Jesus Christ matters? Do we really believe that an encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ has the power to heal the brokenness in our lives and the lives of others? Do we really believe that following Christ makes a difference in our lives?
If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then why aren't we carrying our friends to see and encounter Jesus?
And if the answer to those questions is yes, then what walls are we willing to break down, what dangers are we willing to risk to bring our friends to meet and be healed by Jesus?
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