Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
John 20: 19-20
"Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you'. When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord."
****************************
We have great joy today! Alleluia! Prophesy has been fulfilled; the story of centuries past, the promise of a Redeemer has come! Alleluia!
The pain we experienced these past few days is now gone. Christ has arisen triumphant over death. The grave has no ability to hold us. His sacrifice has secured for us the gift of eternal life with God, our Father, in Heaven. Alleluia!
Is this the end of the story? Of course not. We see the risen Christ visit his friends, giving them directions to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. He offers proof to Thomas that He is actually Jesus, back from the dead. He tells them they will cast of demons, speak in tongues, heal the sick. He instructs them to feed His lambs and tend to His sheep.
After He does all of these things, our Lord, resurrected, is received up into Heaven and seated at the right hand of God. Alleluia!
In the Church Calender, for the next ten weeks, we get to experience the joy of living in the light of the Risen Christ. Through Ascension Day and Pentecost, we hear exciting stories of the Apostles' work in the world as the go out and follow the instructions given to them by their Lord Jesus Christ. After the dry, sorrowful time of Lent, when the word 'Alleluia' has left our vocabulary, we can't seem to say it enough: Christ is risen - Alleluia! The Lord is risen indeed - Alleluia!!! It is truly a time of celebration as Spring breaks forth in its full glory. The world is reborn and renewed. We shed our winter shells, turning our faces to the warm sun, feeling its energy giving us strength. We are awake and alive with joy!
When we arrive at the celebration of Pentecost at the end of May, we hear about the Holy Spirit coming into the world. The early church is then charged with spreading the Good News and given the ability to do it via the gift of the worlds' languages bestowed upon them.
About ten years ago, when as an adult I first became aware of the full Church Calendar, I thought, "Man...Pentecost is so long!" We go from the excitement of Advent, to Christmas, to Epiphany, to Ash Wednesday, to Lent, to Holy Week, then to Easter...all in a matter of about four months. Then, we have to wait 8 months to start the fun all over again. Why can't they do something to make the church year be more "exciting" for the bulk of the year? We have all these interesting things, keeping us going for a few months, then, a big dry spell.
But, my friends, our life in Christ is this way too. The Church Year is a microcosm of our lives in the Spirit. Our debt has been paid, our salvation assured. We have been given all the tools we need to keep us going through the long years ahead until Christ returns. The Holy Spirit is there for us to quench our thirst, keep us strong, to help us lift up others and provide support. We have received all of the things we need to live a life of joy in knowing we will all be together again one day with our Lord in Heaven. It is up to each of us to decide: what will we do? Will we keep the Joy, the Light, the Love, the Word, the Living Water all to ourselves? Will we keep the secret or will we shout it out with Joy, Light and Love in our hearts? If we are the Body, our feet should be moving, our hands should be healing and our hearts should be loving.
So, begin today. There is work still to do. Through your prayers, request discernment of what you will do to keep the Living Water of the love of Christ moving through you, into the world around you. The work is one of great joy and of great reward!
Brothers and sisters, I end these writings with a prayer for each of you.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in His Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of
your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!!!
The Lord is risen indeed!! Alleluia!!!!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Apr 11 - "Is Hope Lost?"
Matthew 27: 59-60
"And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. "
*****************
You have followed Him for 3 years, listening to His words.
You saw the Holy Spirit come down, like a dove, when He was baptised in the Jordan as God's voice thundered from Heaven.
You have seen Him preach to to thousands and to individuals. You have seen Him give sight to the blind, heal the lame.
You sat and listened as He spoke with the high and the low, the rich and the poor.
You stood with your friends as you saw Elijah and Moses come down from above and stand next to Him.
With each word, each gentle hand of healing, each peaceful prayer of encouragement, your belief that Jesus of Nazareth was Messiah grew each day. Although you had given up all of your possessions to follow him, your life has been enriched beyond your imagination.
But today, He is dead.
He lies in a tomb.
What happened? Wasn't He supposed to have beaten Death? The power and healing you witnessed these past years, where are they now?
With each step from Jerusalem to Golgotha, you waited for Him to throw off the Cross; break it into pieces and rise up, triumphant, healed and whole, the crown of thorns turning into one of shining gold and precious jewels, befit a king.
You are broken today.
You faith crushed.
Your head buzzes in abject astonishment of what has happened.
You have shed every tear in your body.
You are unable to mourn because you cannot believe what has happened.
You are dizzy and weak.
There is nothing left.
What now? What should you do? All that is left to do is to pray. Ask God for peace, for guidance, for hope. It seems impossible that it will come, but, He will grant it.
So, today, pray. Remember the power of weakness. Rest assured that in your time of deepest need, God will provide.
"And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. "
*****************
You have followed Him for 3 years, listening to His words.
You saw the Holy Spirit come down, like a dove, when He was baptised in the Jordan as God's voice thundered from Heaven.
You have seen Him preach to to thousands and to individuals. You have seen Him give sight to the blind, heal the lame.
You sat and listened as He spoke with the high and the low, the rich and the poor.
You stood with your friends as you saw Elijah and Moses come down from above and stand next to Him.
With each word, each gentle hand of healing, each peaceful prayer of encouragement, your belief that Jesus of Nazareth was Messiah grew each day. Although you had given up all of your possessions to follow him, your life has been enriched beyond your imagination.
But today, He is dead.
He lies in a tomb.
What happened? Wasn't He supposed to have beaten Death? The power and healing you witnessed these past years, where are they now?
With each step from Jerusalem to Golgotha, you waited for Him to throw off the Cross; break it into pieces and rise up, triumphant, healed and whole, the crown of thorns turning into one of shining gold and precious jewels, befit a king.
You are broken today.
You faith crushed.
Your head buzzes in abject astonishment of what has happened.
You have shed every tear in your body.
You are unable to mourn because you cannot believe what has happened.
You are dizzy and weak.
There is nothing left.
What now? What should you do? All that is left to do is to pray. Ask God for peace, for guidance, for hope. It seems impossible that it will come, but, He will grant it.
So, today, pray. Remember the power of weakness. Rest assured that in your time of deepest need, God will provide.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Apr 10 - Good Friday - "A Prophesy of Love Revealed"
Isaiah 53: 13 - 53:12
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
************************
The prophet Isaiah was pretty good at his job. At the time he prophesied these events to come, centuries before they occurred, it was unknown as to how accurate his foretelling of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection would be.
Today, Good Friday, is a day of immeasurable sadness. On this day, our Lord, our Redeemer, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Branch from the root of Jessie and David, dies a horrible death. I wonder how Isaiah felt, when revealing this story. Was he sad? It must have been hard for him to serve as the vessel of bringing God’s Word into the world. I imagine people must have doubted this prophesy. Why would God bring our Savior into the world as a man, to be crushed and broken? Why would God not bring His Son into the world as a triumphant warrior, destroying death and pain with a mighty hand? Why would God have our Savior oppressed, afflicted, carrying our disease, bearing our sins and led to the slaughter like a helpless lamb? Why?
Because of one thing and one thing only: Love.
How much do you love your spouse? Your children? Your grandchildren? Your parents? Nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends? When I think of the love I have for our three beautiful daughters, I cannot imagine a love greater than this. It fills me up. It consumes me. It is a thing which is greater than myself.
What would I do to show this love or to fulfill its promise? Would I give away health to restore one of theirs? Would I give away all my material possessions so that they could prosper?
Would I give my life in order for one of theirs to be saved?
For each of these questions, I would answer, as I’m sure would all of us for those we love, with an absolute, unequivocal, emphatic “YES!!”.
When I think about how much I love each of my daughters, I imagine it is like the love God has for me. Yes, it is close to that. But not quite. God’s love for me is greater. And infinitely so. How do I know this? What evidence do I have of this? The expanse of His love was revealed in his gift to me and to us all. The sacrifice of His Son, our Lord, for our sins.
As great as my love for our daughters is, would I give one of them to forgive the sins of someone else?
Would I give one of their lives in order that another’s life may be spared?
I hope I am never faced with that choice. But it is exactly the choice which God made for us. He gave is only Son over to death, so that each of us might live. That is how amazing and infinitely expansive God’s love is for you, for me, for all of us.
So today, relish in the pain and sadness of Christ's crucifixion. Because on Good Friday, through the death of Jesus Christ, that gift of love is given to us and Isaiah’s prophesy of love revealed is fulfilled.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
************************
The prophet Isaiah was pretty good at his job. At the time he prophesied these events to come, centuries before they occurred, it was unknown as to how accurate his foretelling of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection would be.
Today, Good Friday, is a day of immeasurable sadness. On this day, our Lord, our Redeemer, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Branch from the root of Jessie and David, dies a horrible death. I wonder how Isaiah felt, when revealing this story. Was he sad? It must have been hard for him to serve as the vessel of bringing God’s Word into the world. I imagine people must have doubted this prophesy. Why would God bring our Savior into the world as a man, to be crushed and broken? Why would God not bring His Son into the world as a triumphant warrior, destroying death and pain with a mighty hand? Why would God have our Savior oppressed, afflicted, carrying our disease, bearing our sins and led to the slaughter like a helpless lamb? Why?
Because of one thing and one thing only: Love.
How much do you love your spouse? Your children? Your grandchildren? Your parents? Nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends? When I think of the love I have for our three beautiful daughters, I cannot imagine a love greater than this. It fills me up. It consumes me. It is a thing which is greater than myself.
What would I do to show this love or to fulfill its promise? Would I give away health to restore one of theirs? Would I give away all my material possessions so that they could prosper?
Would I give my life in order for one of theirs to be saved?
For each of these questions, I would answer, as I’m sure would all of us for those we love, with an absolute, unequivocal, emphatic “YES!!”.
When I think about how much I love each of my daughters, I imagine it is like the love God has for me. Yes, it is close to that. But not quite. God’s love for me is greater. And infinitely so. How do I know this? What evidence do I have of this? The expanse of His love was revealed in his gift to me and to us all. The sacrifice of His Son, our Lord, for our sins.
As great as my love for our daughters is, would I give one of them to forgive the sins of someone else?
Would I give one of their lives in order that another’s life may be spared?
I hope I am never faced with that choice. But it is exactly the choice which God made for us. He gave is only Son over to death, so that each of us might live. That is how amazing and infinitely expansive God’s love is for you, for me, for all of us.
So today, relish in the pain and sadness of Christ's crucifixion. Because on Good Friday, through the death of Jesus Christ, that gift of love is given to us and Isaiah’s prophesy of love revealed is fulfilled.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Apr 9 - "Break Bread Together"
1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:27-32
"Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."
*********************
Today is a special day (aren't they all?). On this day of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper. We remember the simple meal Christ shared with His friends. We experience the words He gave to them and to us which encourage us, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, breaking bread and partaking in wine, to remember Him and His example to us.
Could you imagine being there? How would it have be to be sitting with Christ around a humble table? I have to believe at this meal, there was not a lot of laughing. If anything, it was probably a solemn occasion. The air must have been thick with tension and fear. The Disciples knew that their Rabbi, Jeshua, was about to be taken into custody. They had to know it would not end well. Could it be any less comfortable? It becomes so. Jesus, the Christ, God incarnate, kneels to the floor and removes the sandals from each of His friends and washes the dust of Jerusalem off their tired feet. Is there a better example of servant leadership? Could there be a better way to show humility and sincere care for your friends?
When we think about the wonderful times with family we have had around a table, sharing a meal why are they so often such happy and joyous memories? I remember many times as I was growing up...and still today...sitting around a big table with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins, nieces and nephews...all of us laughing and truly loving being with one another at that moment. Some of my most fond memories are of meals at Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings and, yes, funerals. I smile just thinking about these times!
As a race, we humans most often celebrate special occasions by breaking bread with one another. Even in the business world, lunches, dinners, breakfast meetings...all of these represent times when we can be together in fellowship. But why do they seem so special? Is this because of the shared memories each of us have around these meal times? It is merely the celebration of holidays and special occasions, the joy of which just overflows to the meals at these events? Or, is it something else? Christ said, "where two or three are gathered together, I will be with them." Could this be the reason? When we sit around the table and give thanks for the food and the fellowship, is He not with us? I think so. I believe Jesus is sitting right there at our table. He laughs with us...cries with us...shares our joy and our love for one another.
So, on this day, Maundy Thursday, celebrate the sharing of a meal with friends, as Jesus did with His. If your church offers it, participate in the ceremony of foot washing. For in all of these things...breaking bread, sharing wine, serving each other humbly...we remember Him who died for each of us in the ultimate gift of love.
"Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."
*********************
Today is a special day (aren't they all?). On this day of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper. We remember the simple meal Christ shared with His friends. We experience the words He gave to them and to us which encourage us, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, breaking bread and partaking in wine, to remember Him and His example to us.
Could you imagine being there? How would it have be to be sitting with Christ around a humble table? I have to believe at this meal, there was not a lot of laughing. If anything, it was probably a solemn occasion. The air must have been thick with tension and fear. The Disciples knew that their Rabbi, Jeshua, was about to be taken into custody. They had to know it would not end well. Could it be any less comfortable? It becomes so. Jesus, the Christ, God incarnate, kneels to the floor and removes the sandals from each of His friends and washes the dust of Jerusalem off their tired feet. Is there a better example of servant leadership? Could there be a better way to show humility and sincere care for your friends?
When we think about the wonderful times with family we have had around a table, sharing a meal why are they so often such happy and joyous memories? I remember many times as I was growing up...and still today...sitting around a big table with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins, nieces and nephews...all of us laughing and truly loving being with one another at that moment. Some of my most fond memories are of meals at Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings and, yes, funerals. I smile just thinking about these times!
As a race, we humans most often celebrate special occasions by breaking bread with one another. Even in the business world, lunches, dinners, breakfast meetings...all of these represent times when we can be together in fellowship. But why do they seem so special? Is this because of the shared memories each of us have around these meal times? It is merely the celebration of holidays and special occasions, the joy of which just overflows to the meals at these events? Or, is it something else? Christ said, "where two or three are gathered together, I will be with them." Could this be the reason? When we sit around the table and give thanks for the food and the fellowship, is He not with us? I think so. I believe Jesus is sitting right there at our table. He laughs with us...cries with us...shares our joy and our love for one another.
So, on this day, Maundy Thursday, celebrate the sharing of a meal with friends, as Jesus did with His. If your church offers it, participate in the ceremony of foot washing. For in all of these things...breaking bread, sharing wine, serving each other humbly...we remember Him who died for each of us in the ultimate gift of love.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Apr 8 - "Think On These Things"
Philippians 4:1-13
"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
**********************
Running a very close second to the opening chapter of John's Gospel, these verses in Paul's letter to the church at Philippi are my very favorite in all of Scripture. I love these words of encouragement!
We live in an interesting time. While on one side of the equation, we are prosperous as a people in ways greater than anyone hundreds or thousands of years ago could have imagined. On the other, there are people hurting deeply all around us. Technology and other modern marvels have allowed us to lose some of our ability to be in relationship with one another in a direct way. There are the burdens of a sagging economic climate. People have lost jobs, livelihoods and years of savings. While advances in science have taken away many of the things we used to have to think about, we have different, more complex burdens to bear in order to survive in today's world.
When dwelt upon too much, all of these things can allow us to end up in a state of fear, sadness, hurt and depression. If you read the entirely of the verses in Paul's letter, you will see he is trying to encourage the people in the new church at Philippi. They have been through tough times, facing a divide in their young congregation. Paul's words are of support and encouragement. You can almost hear him saying (as our teenager Maddy would say), "Chill-ax! Don't worry about these things. Think about better things!". What's amazing about these words? Paul wrote them from prison.
At all times in our lives, we have things going on for which we should be deeply thankful and rejoice in the bountiful blessings we have received. But, there are also things at the very same time with which we struggle deeply; trouble, trials and tribulations which cause us sorrow, stress and pain. Paul says, simply, think about the good things, Rejoice in them! Turn the things which cause sadness and hurt over to God. Christ can carry this burden for us.
So, I will end today in Paul's words. They are perfect and do not need my feeble attempt at finding additional meaning. Every time I read them, peace and joy enter me. A smile shines on my face.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Awesome!!!!
"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
**********************
Running a very close second to the opening chapter of John's Gospel, these verses in Paul's letter to the church at Philippi are my very favorite in all of Scripture. I love these words of encouragement!
We live in an interesting time. While on one side of the equation, we are prosperous as a people in ways greater than anyone hundreds or thousands of years ago could have imagined. On the other, there are people hurting deeply all around us. Technology and other modern marvels have allowed us to lose some of our ability to be in relationship with one another in a direct way. There are the burdens of a sagging economic climate. People have lost jobs, livelihoods and years of savings. While advances in science have taken away many of the things we used to have to think about, we have different, more complex burdens to bear in order to survive in today's world.
When dwelt upon too much, all of these things can allow us to end up in a state of fear, sadness, hurt and depression. If you read the entirely of the verses in Paul's letter, you will see he is trying to encourage the people in the new church at Philippi. They have been through tough times, facing a divide in their young congregation. Paul's words are of support and encouragement. You can almost hear him saying (as our teenager Maddy would say), "Chill-ax! Don't worry about these things. Think about better things!". What's amazing about these words? Paul wrote them from prison.
At all times in our lives, we have things going on for which we should be deeply thankful and rejoice in the bountiful blessings we have received. But, there are also things at the very same time with which we struggle deeply; trouble, trials and tribulations which cause us sorrow, stress and pain. Paul says, simply, think about the good things, Rejoice in them! Turn the things which cause sadness and hurt over to God. Christ can carry this burden for us.
So, I will end today in Paul's words. They are perfect and do not need my feeble attempt at finding additional meaning. Every time I read them, peace and joy enter me. A smile shines on my face.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Awesome!!!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Apr 7 - "Living Water"
Philippians 3:15-21
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself."
***************
Have you ever been humiliated? Or maybe just embarrassed? I'm not necessarily talking about events from our childhood, where a cruel joke was played; or the time we cut our own hair and the kids at school had a laugh. I am also not speaking of the humilation Michigan State fans feel today after the beating they took from North Carolina last night. Most likely, as adults, we have not experienced a deep feeling of humiliation; being ridiculed for something we are or we believe. In today's politically correct society, it is rare for another individual to make an open and brutal mockery of another, except on "reality" TV or when accosted by an over-served bar fly.
One of the main reasons we may not suffer such abject humiliation is because we rarely put ourselves in situations which would expose us to such treatment. We move along through life, not putting ourselves "out there" most of the time. We temper our strongest beliefs lest we offend, or be called to task on justifying what we feel.
As I considered starting these writings back at the beginning of Lent, I did hesitate even letting people know I was doing this. But at some point, I knew posting them on the web, putting a link on my Facebook page, telling people about it was what God had written on my heart to do. For many years, I have thought about the things God speaks to us as words not necessarily meant just for our own ears. Things become more real when you speak them out loud; write them down.
One of my favorite concepts written about in Scripture is the Living Water. Christ is described this way, as is His counterpart within the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Think about water. When a crisp, clean spring-fed stream flows down the side of a mountain, it has life. It bubbles, it falls, it moves...it brings life to the things it touches. God's Word is like this; as it comes to each of us, it brings life. It changes that with which it comes into contact.
Eventually, the mountainside waterfall ends in a beautiful pool. Calm, peaceful and lovely. But what happens if that same water, so full of life, stays in the pool? It stops moving, and without movement, water can become stagnant. As it stands still, it can become bitter, almost poisonous. The Living Water is like this too. If we do not share it, open ourselves to the chance of it not being received in a welcoming way, it too can loose its life and become stale.
So, risk humiliation and embarrassment. Take the Living Water in, drink deeply of its cool and nourishing freshness. Allow it to refresh you. But, don't let it become stagnant. Move it along; keep it full of life by passing it onto your friends, family, anyone. For by moving God's Word on to others, we allow new Living Water to come into us, and to be refreshed again and again.
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself."
***************
Have you ever been humiliated? Or maybe just embarrassed? I'm not necessarily talking about events from our childhood, where a cruel joke was played; or the time we cut our own hair and the kids at school had a laugh. I am also not speaking of the humilation Michigan State fans feel today after the beating they took from North Carolina last night. Most likely, as adults, we have not experienced a deep feeling of humiliation; being ridiculed for something we are or we believe. In today's politically correct society, it is rare for another individual to make an open and brutal mockery of another, except on "reality" TV or when accosted by an over-served bar fly.
One of the main reasons we may not suffer such abject humiliation is because we rarely put ourselves in situations which would expose us to such treatment. We move along through life, not putting ourselves "out there" most of the time. We temper our strongest beliefs lest we offend, or be called to task on justifying what we feel.
As I considered starting these writings back at the beginning of Lent, I did hesitate even letting people know I was doing this. But at some point, I knew posting them on the web, putting a link on my Facebook page, telling people about it was what God had written on my heart to do. For many years, I have thought about the things God speaks to us as words not necessarily meant just for our own ears. Things become more real when you speak them out loud; write them down.
One of my favorite concepts written about in Scripture is the Living Water. Christ is described this way, as is His counterpart within the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Think about water. When a crisp, clean spring-fed stream flows down the side of a mountain, it has life. It bubbles, it falls, it moves...it brings life to the things it touches. God's Word is like this; as it comes to each of us, it brings life. It changes that with which it comes into contact.
Eventually, the mountainside waterfall ends in a beautiful pool. Calm, peaceful and lovely. But what happens if that same water, so full of life, stays in the pool? It stops moving, and without movement, water can become stagnant. As it stands still, it can become bitter, almost poisonous. The Living Water is like this too. If we do not share it, open ourselves to the chance of it not being received in a welcoming way, it too can loose its life and become stale.
So, risk humiliation and embarrassment. Take the Living Water in, drink deeply of its cool and nourishing freshness. Allow it to refresh you. But, don't let it become stagnant. Move it along; keep it full of life by passing it onto your friends, family, anyone. For by moving God's Word on to others, we allow new Living Water to come into us, and to be refreshed again and again.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Apr 6 - "Back Seat"
Philippians 3:1-14
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
******************
There are parts of the Bible where we see examples of people dropping everything, relinquishing all that they own, in order to follow God's call. Even Jesus tells us, on multiple occasions, to leave the worldly things behind, take up a cross and follow Him. These are pretty high standards to meet.
When I think about a situation where I would do this, it has more consequences than I am willing to accept. What about my family? As the "provider" for our livelihood, what would happen them, to our daughters, if I made the decision to give up all material possessions and follow Christ?
Sometimes, the answers we receive to prayers for guidance on what direction we should take can be uncomfortable ones. In today's reading from Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, maybe there is a different, more "comfortable" message. He speaks of the things he possessed as a man, the things he achieved, that they did not matter any more. They were important things in the world which brought him along a certain path, allowing him to come to the place he was at the point where he accepted Christ as his savior. But now, he had "given up" those things and counted them as rubbish. By focusing on the things which were of God, the other things had been relinquished and mattered no more. Maybe it's just a matter of prioritization.
So, think about how you prioritize the things of this world and the things which are of God. Recognize that, although the money we earn in our jobs, the homes in which we live with our families, the cars we use to drive our kids to activities which hopefully enrich and strengthen them are vital, but they should always take a back seat to the things which are truly important. These things...being in relationships with each other founded in love and support...being in relationship with God and recognizing His majesty...knowing that Christ died for you that you are freed from sin and will have eternal life...these are the thing to keep and treasure.
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
******************
There are parts of the Bible where we see examples of people dropping everything, relinquishing all that they own, in order to follow God's call. Even Jesus tells us, on multiple occasions, to leave the worldly things behind, take up a cross and follow Him. These are pretty high standards to meet.
When I think about a situation where I would do this, it has more consequences than I am willing to accept. What about my family? As the "provider" for our livelihood, what would happen them, to our daughters, if I made the decision to give up all material possessions and follow Christ?
Sometimes, the answers we receive to prayers for guidance on what direction we should take can be uncomfortable ones. In today's reading from Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, maybe there is a different, more "comfortable" message. He speaks of the things he possessed as a man, the things he achieved, that they did not matter any more. They were important things in the world which brought him along a certain path, allowing him to come to the place he was at the point where he accepted Christ as his savior. But now, he had "given up" those things and counted them as rubbish. By focusing on the things which were of God, the other things had been relinquished and mattered no more. Maybe it's just a matter of prioritization.
So, think about how you prioritize the things of this world and the things which are of God. Recognize that, although the money we earn in our jobs, the homes in which we live with our families, the cars we use to drive our kids to activities which hopefully enrich and strengthen them are vital, but they should always take a back seat to the things which are truly important. These things...being in relationships with each other founded in love and support...being in relationship with God and recognizing His majesty...knowing that Christ died for you that you are freed from sin and will have eternal life...these are the thing to keep and treasure.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Apr 5 - "Triuphant Joy!"
Zech. 9:9-12
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
**********************
What a great day! Victory! No, I am not talking about Michigan State beating UConn last night. Although, Spartan fans get a double-dose of joy today, knowing they are going to the national championship game tomorrow AND celebrating Jesus' glorious arrival into Jerusalem as a king.
Today is a day to celebrate! Imagine you are Jesus' friends and family during His time on earth. You have seen his humble, yet majestic birth; watched Him run through the streets of Nazareth as a boy; perhaps you were with Him at the wedding in Canna, tasting the delicious wine of His first miracle; you have seen Him talking to friends as a small group, or to 5,000 people; you stood in the temple with Him as He argued with the Pharisees. You have been on a wonderful journey. You know in your heart that He is Messiah!
Now, you stand at the gates of Jerusalem, waving palms in His honor, welcoming Him into this great city as a king!
What if you skipped forward, one week from now. Easter Sunday! The glory you feel upon seeing evidence that Jesus, the Risen Lord, is Messiah makes the joy of Palm Sunday seem infinitely small in comparison; He is God incarnate!
Are you one of those who like to skip to the end of a book? Watch the last scene in a movie before you sit down to enjoy the whole thing from start to finish? Celebrating Palm Sunday today, then going right to Easter Sunday is like this. There is much of the story yet to be told in the next six days: the simple meal of the Last Supper, where Jesus breaks bread with His friends; the beautiful scene of Jesus, our servant, washing the feet of His disciples; the quiet pain and pleading of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane; the false trial; crucifixion; death. All of these things help us see the whole story. Each of the things we experience during Holy Week deliver to us the full flavor, the rich bouquet of Christ's last days with us as a man.
You Spartan fans, is it as fun to watch the first game of the season, perhaps a "win", and then skip to what might be the national championship without watching the ups and downs of the entire season? Is the victory as special?
So, dear friends, I encourage you to experience all that Holy Week has to offer in the coming days. Pray with Jesus at the dinner with His friends; weep with Him at the Garden; mourn His death. Experience the whole story, that the coming greater joy will be much more sweet.
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
**********************
What a great day! Victory! No, I am not talking about Michigan State beating UConn last night. Although, Spartan fans get a double-dose of joy today, knowing they are going to the national championship game tomorrow AND celebrating Jesus' glorious arrival into Jerusalem as a king.
Today is a day to celebrate! Imagine you are Jesus' friends and family during His time on earth. You have seen his humble, yet majestic birth; watched Him run through the streets of Nazareth as a boy; perhaps you were with Him at the wedding in Canna, tasting the delicious wine of His first miracle; you have seen Him talking to friends as a small group, or to 5,000 people; you stood in the temple with Him as He argued with the Pharisees. You have been on a wonderful journey. You know in your heart that He is Messiah!
Now, you stand at the gates of Jerusalem, waving palms in His honor, welcoming Him into this great city as a king!
What if you skipped forward, one week from now. Easter Sunday! The glory you feel upon seeing evidence that Jesus, the Risen Lord, is Messiah makes the joy of Palm Sunday seem infinitely small in comparison; He is God incarnate!
Are you one of those who like to skip to the end of a book? Watch the last scene in a movie before you sit down to enjoy the whole thing from start to finish? Celebrating Palm Sunday today, then going right to Easter Sunday is like this. There is much of the story yet to be told in the next six days: the simple meal of the Last Supper, where Jesus breaks bread with His friends; the beautiful scene of Jesus, our servant, washing the feet of His disciples; the quiet pain and pleading of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane; the false trial; crucifixion; death. All of these things help us see the whole story. Each of the things we experience during Holy Week deliver to us the full flavor, the rich bouquet of Christ's last days with us as a man.
You Spartan fans, is it as fun to watch the first game of the season, perhaps a "win", and then skip to what might be the national championship without watching the ups and downs of the entire season? Is the victory as special?
So, dear friends, I encourage you to experience all that Holy Week has to offer in the coming days. Pray with Jesus at the dinner with His friends; weep with Him at the Garden; mourn His death. Experience the whole story, that the coming greater joy will be much more sweet.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Apr 4 - "Forgive and Forgive Again"
Jeremiah 31:27-34
"The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD."
**************
How many times should you forgive someone for doing wrong to you? This is a hard question because as humans, we have certain predilections where, if allowed to "misbehave" on multiple occasions, the forgiver can be seen as an enabler of the "misbehaving".
In Matthew's Gospel, Peter asks Jesus how often we should forgive someone who has wronged us. Peter suggests seven times as a good amount. But Jesus says, no, you should forgive "seventy times seventy" times; a pretty big number. In relation to today's reading, Jeremiah is delivering a prophecy to the Jewish people of the time saying, even though they have sinned and forsaken God over and over and over, He will forgive them, bring to them a new covenant in time and "remember their sin no more."
One of the things I remember my parents telling me time and time again as I was growing up was this: "Scott, dear son, there is nothing you can ever do to stop us from loving you. There is not a thing in this world you could do, no matter how terrible, which could ever cause our love for you to go away." What a message! Some people could take this as a sort of carte blanc, using this as an opportunity to take actions without consideration of their effect. Does this message from loving parents mean there was never punishment for poor behavior? Did it mean a life of choices without consequence? Not at all.
As a child, I often wondered how this was possible. Really, nothing? Not one thing? I could live a terrible life and they would still love me? To me, the message became one not of a right to misbehave to my heart's content, but one of an immense responsibility.
As an adult, with my own children, I can understand the wonderful message of love they gave to me. It is a message Greta and I have passed along to our own three daughters. I know in the deepest part of my soul, this message of love and infinite forgiveness is absolutely true.
So today, forgive. Forgive again. And then, forgive some more. Because, in forgiving, you are not only showing a deep love for the forgiven, but you are giving and given a glimpse of the love God has for you and for all of us.
"The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD."
**************
How many times should you forgive someone for doing wrong to you? This is a hard question because as humans, we have certain predilections where, if allowed to "misbehave" on multiple occasions, the forgiver can be seen as an enabler of the "misbehaving".
In Matthew's Gospel, Peter asks Jesus how often we should forgive someone who has wronged us. Peter suggests seven times as a good amount. But Jesus says, no, you should forgive "seventy times seventy" times; a pretty big number. In relation to today's reading, Jeremiah is delivering a prophecy to the Jewish people of the time saying, even though they have sinned and forsaken God over and over and over, He will forgive them, bring to them a new covenant in time and "remember their sin no more."
One of the things I remember my parents telling me time and time again as I was growing up was this: "Scott, dear son, there is nothing you can ever do to stop us from loving you. There is not a thing in this world you could do, no matter how terrible, which could ever cause our love for you to go away." What a message! Some people could take this as a sort of carte blanc, using this as an opportunity to take actions without consideration of their effect. Does this message from loving parents mean there was never punishment for poor behavior? Did it mean a life of choices without consequence? Not at all.
As a child, I often wondered how this was possible. Really, nothing? Not one thing? I could live a terrible life and they would still love me? To me, the message became one not of a right to misbehave to my heart's content, but one of an immense responsibility.
As an adult, with my own children, I can understand the wonderful message of love they gave to me. It is a message Greta and I have passed along to our own three daughters. I know in the deepest part of my soul, this message of love and infinite forgiveness is absolutely true.
So today, forgive. Forgive again. And then, forgive some more. Because, in forgiving, you are not only showing a deep love for the forgiven, but you are giving and given a glimpse of the love God has for you and for all of us.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Apr 3 – “In Pain and Lost”
Psalm 22
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,
and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?”
******************************
Have you felt ever forsaken? Do you feel forsaken right now, at this moment? Has there been a time, or do you presently feel that God is not with you?
A week from today we will experience, in the celebration of Good Friday, a short time without our Lord Jesus Christ. In our remembrance of this day, we see the young man Jeshua given a false trial, beaten, dragging a cross through the streets, brutally nailed to this cross, dying a horrible death. As He is hanging on the rough-hewn boards, bleeding and broken above the barren landscape of Golgotha, He cries out to God. He asks His Father, his Abba, “Why? Why have you forsaken me?”.
While on the cross, Jesus makes a journey of loss. He moves from the question of why; being parched with thirst; to asking forgiveness for those who have persecuted him; to comforting his mother; to the recognition of the end of his earthly life; to the peace that comes at the time of death, commending His spirit to God in Heaven.
You may wonder, if Jesus was God incarnate, omnipotent, fully God, how could He experience the pain, loss and feeling of being lost that He did? Wouldn’t He have known that His pain and death was only temporary? Why would He ask for the cup to pass from Him? The reason…not only was He fully God, but He was also fully Man.
When we are in pain, when we feel loss or lost, we go through the same emotions as Jesus on the cross. We wonder why this thing is happening to us. We experience deep pain. We weep. We ask for the hurt to go away. All of these things are a part of us being human and perfectly acceptable emotions to feel. We should never be hard on ourselves for wondering why. At no time, should we think that pain, hurt, anger, feeling lost are in any way a sign of being somehow less than we should be. All of these things are a natural part of how God created us.
So, if you are experiencing pain, if you have had loss, if you are in a place of questioning and hurt even today, know that this is just a part of our story. Pain and loss is the crucible in which we are refined, like gold. Do not be hard on yourself for feeling apart from God at times. Recognize that even Jesus felt this pain. He felt deserted. But, we also see Jesus at the end of His time on earth, forgiving, comforting and in peace. As He was fully Man, so are we. We can be comforted in knowing that pain is not permanent, it will pass from us as surely as we will pass from this world into the joy of our eternal life in Heaven.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,
and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?”
******************************
Have you felt ever forsaken? Do you feel forsaken right now, at this moment? Has there been a time, or do you presently feel that God is not with you?
A week from today we will experience, in the celebration of Good Friday, a short time without our Lord Jesus Christ. In our remembrance of this day, we see the young man Jeshua given a false trial, beaten, dragging a cross through the streets, brutally nailed to this cross, dying a horrible death. As He is hanging on the rough-hewn boards, bleeding and broken above the barren landscape of Golgotha, He cries out to God. He asks His Father, his Abba, “Why? Why have you forsaken me?”.
While on the cross, Jesus makes a journey of loss. He moves from the question of why; being parched with thirst; to asking forgiveness for those who have persecuted him; to comforting his mother; to the recognition of the end of his earthly life; to the peace that comes at the time of death, commending His spirit to God in Heaven.
You may wonder, if Jesus was God incarnate, omnipotent, fully God, how could He experience the pain, loss and feeling of being lost that He did? Wouldn’t He have known that His pain and death was only temporary? Why would He ask for the cup to pass from Him? The reason…not only was He fully God, but He was also fully Man.
When we are in pain, when we feel loss or lost, we go through the same emotions as Jesus on the cross. We wonder why this thing is happening to us. We experience deep pain. We weep. We ask for the hurt to go away. All of these things are a part of us being human and perfectly acceptable emotions to feel. We should never be hard on ourselves for wondering why. At no time, should we think that pain, hurt, anger, feeling lost are in any way a sign of being somehow less than we should be. All of these things are a natural part of how God created us.
So, if you are experiencing pain, if you have had loss, if you are in a place of questioning and hurt even today, know that this is just a part of our story. Pain and loss is the crucible in which we are refined, like gold. Do not be hard on yourself for feeling apart from God at times. Recognize that even Jesus felt this pain. He felt deserted. But, we also see Jesus at the end of His time on earth, forgiving, comforting and in peace. As He was fully Man, so are we. We can be comforted in knowing that pain is not permanent, it will pass from us as surely as we will pass from this world into the joy of our eternal life in Heaven.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Apr 2 - "Bad News"
"Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, 'It is the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.' "
***************
Jeremiah had a tough job. For the past couple of weeks, the first reading in Morning Prayer has been from the the book of Jeremiah. This prophet had the "unfortunate" job of hearing some pretty dire news from God: the Jewish people of the time were about to be taken into captivity in Babylon and lose everything. Not only did he have to hear the news from God, but, as a part of his job description as a prophet, he had to deliver the news to those around him. And by the way, when they heard his message, the people in the kingdom of King Jehoiakim at the time wanted to kill Jeremiah.
When I think about the love God has for me and for each of us, it is hard to read the story of this prophet. Basically, God tells Jeremiah that His people have been going on and sinning, forsaking God for too long, and now it is time for them to be punished. Over the centuries, God has brought His wrath through a Flood, pestilence, plagues...lots of not very fun stuff. Now He is going to have them all taken into captivity and slavery to see if that helps them get the message. As always, He does give them an 'out', though. God tells Jeremiah that maybe His people will listen to the words of the prophet and change their evil ways.
Delivering bad news is no fun. All of us at times have had to share not-so-good information in a family, work or personal setting when we knew those receiving the message would not like it. Our fear of delivering the news comes from lots of places; will we experience anger from the receiver of the message? Resentment? Will we even run the risk of being cut off in some way from someone with whom we want to maintain a relationship? All of these are hard and painful things. Jeremiah, too, was fearful of delivering the message. Surely he knew that he might be ignored, ridiculed or even put to death. But God spoke to him, assuring him that this was a message which needed to be heard. Jeremiah put his faith in God and he was protected.
As I reflect and write daily on scripture, I do recognize there are times when there are some not so nice messages to be heard. I will admit, I have purposefully avoided dwelling on some topic which might "turn you off" from the larger messages of Love, Mercy and Grace that I find so much more often...and more fun to share. Hearing yet another person tell you about sin, hatred, punishment and death may not be what you are seeking. It's also not what is on my heart to share...I think... But, sometimes, it's just what needs to be done.
So, think about something which has been weighing on your heart. Is there something that needs to be said? Know that you don't have to do it alone. Pray for God to help you with the right way to say it. Pray that, even though the message may be a tough one, God's perfect will may be fulfilled through you stepping out of your comfort zone and delivering some bad news.
***************
Jeremiah had a tough job. For the past couple of weeks, the first reading in Morning Prayer has been from the the book of Jeremiah. This prophet had the "unfortunate" job of hearing some pretty dire news from God: the Jewish people of the time were about to be taken into captivity in Babylon and lose everything. Not only did he have to hear the news from God, but, as a part of his job description as a prophet, he had to deliver the news to those around him. And by the way, when they heard his message, the people in the kingdom of King Jehoiakim at the time wanted to kill Jeremiah.
When I think about the love God has for me and for each of us, it is hard to read the story of this prophet. Basically, God tells Jeremiah that His people have been going on and sinning, forsaking God for too long, and now it is time for them to be punished. Over the centuries, God has brought His wrath through a Flood, pestilence, plagues...lots of not very fun stuff. Now He is going to have them all taken into captivity and slavery to see if that helps them get the message. As always, He does give them an 'out', though. God tells Jeremiah that maybe His people will listen to the words of the prophet and change their evil ways.
Delivering bad news is no fun. All of us at times have had to share not-so-good information in a family, work or personal setting when we knew those receiving the message would not like it. Our fear of delivering the news comes from lots of places; will we experience anger from the receiver of the message? Resentment? Will we even run the risk of being cut off in some way from someone with whom we want to maintain a relationship? All of these are hard and painful things. Jeremiah, too, was fearful of delivering the message. Surely he knew that he might be ignored, ridiculed or even put to death. But God spoke to him, assuring him that this was a message which needed to be heard. Jeremiah put his faith in God and he was protected.
As I reflect and write daily on scripture, I do recognize there are times when there are some not so nice messages to be heard. I will admit, I have purposefully avoided dwelling on some topic which might "turn you off" from the larger messages of Love, Mercy and Grace that I find so much more often...and more fun to share. Hearing yet another person tell you about sin, hatred, punishment and death may not be what you are seeking. It's also not what is on my heart to share...I think... But, sometimes, it's just what needs to be done.
So, think about something which has been weighing on your heart. Is there something that needs to be said? Know that you don't have to do it alone. Pray for God to help you with the right way to say it. Pray that, even though the message may be a tough one, God's perfect will may be fulfilled through you stepping out of your comfort zone and delivering some bad news.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Apr - 1 "The Light"
Luke 1:68-79
"In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
********************
Light.
Think of all the things light does and can do. It illuminates, warms, nourishes, pushes back fears, brings color to a dim landscape, heals.
One of the more difficult theological concepts to understand, in my opinion, is the nature of the Trinity. How can God be three things in one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? We're not polytheists, right? Are we not worshipers of the One True God, not three gods? Some may not even care about the nature of the Trinity, which is fine with me. It is certainly not important to understand this concept in order to have faith.
But for those who do desire to understand this and struggle with it, I can share how I look at it.
Think of the Sun. A massive engine, a giant source of power and energy. We cannot look directly at it or our eyes will be burned. Now, think about the light that travels from the Sun through space to our planet. The waves of light cannot be seen as they travel. But we know the they are there. We do not see the rays of light until they actually touch an object, until they land to provide light and warmth. But the light does not stop there. It changes whatever it touches. It causes plants to grow, it colors and warms our skin. The light comes into us and into all things, it moves through us and creates a newness.
The Trinity is like this: God is the powerful source of all things; Jesus is the warmth we feel on our skin, the light to our path; the Holy Spirit moves through the world and us, changing things in every way, especially as we pass this change along to others.
So today, turn your face to the sun. Feel the warmth...your eyes closed...a smile on your lips...knowing that the One True Light is there to heal and warm you, illuminate your path and show you the way.
"In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
********************
Light.
Think of all the things light does and can do. It illuminates, warms, nourishes, pushes back fears, brings color to a dim landscape, heals.
One of the more difficult theological concepts to understand, in my opinion, is the nature of the Trinity. How can God be three things in one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? We're not polytheists, right? Are we not worshipers of the One True God, not three gods? Some may not even care about the nature of the Trinity, which is fine with me. It is certainly not important to understand this concept in order to have faith.
But for those who do desire to understand this and struggle with it, I can share how I look at it.
Think of the Sun. A massive engine, a giant source of power and energy. We cannot look directly at it or our eyes will be burned. Now, think about the light that travels from the Sun through space to our planet. The waves of light cannot be seen as they travel. But we know the they are there. We do not see the rays of light until they actually touch an object, until they land to provide light and warmth. But the light does not stop there. It changes whatever it touches. It causes plants to grow, it colors and warms our skin. The light comes into us and into all things, it moves through us and creates a newness.
The Trinity is like this: God is the powerful source of all things; Jesus is the warmth we feel on our skin, the light to our path; the Holy Spirit moves through the world and us, changing things in every way, especially as we pass this change along to others.
So today, turn your face to the sun. Feel the warmth...your eyes closed...a smile on your lips...knowing that the One True Light is there to heal and warm you, illuminate your path and show you the way.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Mar 31 - "Weer Uall Gawan t' Chech"
Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
********************
When we lived in Florida, one of our fellow parishoners at the Chapel of St. Andrew was from New Zealand. He told us a story one time about when he was a little boy. Often, on Sunday mornings, he and his siblings would argue with their mother about having to go to church. All of the kids knew that their dad did not like going to church, so they would often appeal to him for relief. But, regardless, when the arguing would reach a fever pitch, his dad would say, "We're all going to church!" Only, he would say it with the strong Kiwi accent. (Read the title of this writing today and you will be speaking like you are from New Zealand). The whole family, including dad, would then trek off to church, mom's will in tact.
Why go to church?
A common theme of the my musings these past 30+ days has been about what God does and does not require of us. He certainly does not need us to go to church. God would still exist whether or not there were people worshiping Him in multi-million dollar cathedrals or tiny grass huts on the savannah. Many times we feel the "Sunday Morning Guilt" when we are sitting at home, working in the yard, playing golf or doing any other thing besides sitting with friends in prayer and thanksgiving at our local place of worship. Do we feel it because God is upset with us or dissapointed in some way? Not at all.
There are plenty of excuses to not attend worship services each week: busy family obligations, those annoying people who are "too churchy", a pastor/minister/priest who does not "speak" to our needs... But, all of these things exist in the world outside of church. We find ways to fit in lots of activities; there are people at work and in social settings who drive us nuts; we are at times surrounded by leaders who miss the big picture. But, think of it this way, there are lots of people in the world making counterfeit currency, but we haven't given up on using money...
Being a member of a local church is about one thing: spending time with a community of people who are believers in the power of Christ working in the world today. Spending time with people who will be available for you when you are in need, and likewise, to whom you will be available when they are in need. This does not happen overnight...or by going just one Sunday and giving up. It takes finding the right place, spending time, meeting people and knowing them.
So, this Sunday...or Saturday...or Friday...whatever day, go to church. Be with friends. Worship together. Fullfill and be fullfilled.
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
********************
When we lived in Florida, one of our fellow parishoners at the Chapel of St. Andrew was from New Zealand. He told us a story one time about when he was a little boy. Often, on Sunday mornings, he and his siblings would argue with their mother about having to go to church. All of the kids knew that their dad did not like going to church, so they would often appeal to him for relief. But, regardless, when the arguing would reach a fever pitch, his dad would say, "We're all going to church!" Only, he would say it with the strong Kiwi accent. (Read the title of this writing today and you will be speaking like you are from New Zealand). The whole family, including dad, would then trek off to church, mom's will in tact.
Why go to church?
A common theme of the my musings these past 30+ days has been about what God does and does not require of us. He certainly does not need us to go to church. God would still exist whether or not there were people worshiping Him in multi-million dollar cathedrals or tiny grass huts on the savannah. Many times we feel the "Sunday Morning Guilt" when we are sitting at home, working in the yard, playing golf or doing any other thing besides sitting with friends in prayer and thanksgiving at our local place of worship. Do we feel it because God is upset with us or dissapointed in some way? Not at all.
There are plenty of excuses to not attend worship services each week: busy family obligations, those annoying people who are "too churchy", a pastor/minister/priest who does not "speak" to our needs... But, all of these things exist in the world outside of church. We find ways to fit in lots of activities; there are people at work and in social settings who drive us nuts; we are at times surrounded by leaders who miss the big picture. But, think of it this way, there are lots of people in the world making counterfeit currency, but we haven't given up on using money...
Being a member of a local church is about one thing: spending time with a community of people who are believers in the power of Christ working in the world today. Spending time with people who will be available for you when you are in need, and likewise, to whom you will be available when they are in need. This does not happen overnight...or by going just one Sunday and giving up. It takes finding the right place, spending time, meeting people and knowing them.
So, this Sunday...or Saturday...or Friday...whatever day, go to church. Be with friends. Worship together. Fullfill and be fullfilled.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Mar 30 - "The Crag"
Psalm 31
"In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O LORD, O God of truth."
***********************
Just over a year ago, my wife Greta and I took a leap of faith. We had a whole series of events pointing us toward the fact that leaving Chicago and moving to live closer to family was what we were being called to do. It was a big risk. The real estate market was starting to turn sour and my company was in a major state of transition, which put our livelihood in question.
Nonetheless, we put our faith in God and He provided. When we started talking to friends about our decision to move, one of our neighbors made an offer on our house. At work, when I spoke to the head of my company about working remotely, he told me many of our executives were going to do the same thing to save on headquarters real estate costs and he supported my decision. When we came to Indianapolis to look for a place to live, we found our dream home at the very last stop on our list. We had been climbing along for quite a while, we put our faith in God and He gave us a place of rest. God is glorious!
When I read this Psalm, the word which speaks most directly to me is ‘crag’. A funny word, but one which brings to mind a beautiful, but dangerous picture of climbing up the face of a mountain. I imagine this…
…you start your climb at dawn. The morning light coming up brings your challenge into view. The low angle of the orange sun shows the stark contrast of rocks and ledges over which you will crawl in the coming day. You can almost see the path you will take: straight up here; angle to the left, then up over there; sideways to the right for a few feet, then up some more. Your heart beats quickly in anticipation for this journey, but you feel strong and sure.
As you progress, through the morning, your arms and legs start to feel the strain of the climb. With each pull to the next set of rocks, your arms quiver from the strain. Your fingertips are raw from gripping sharp edges. Your legs, fresh and strong just hours before have now become liabilities, shaking as your toes grasp onto tiny outcroppings. You have to keep moving up. You can’t stop because there is nowhere to rest, no easy place to recover.
At one point, you pull yourself to the next rock and realize, you’ve taken wrong path. Without knowing it, you have climbed into a spot which does allow you to easily move back down and head a different direction. The climb above you is almost straight up. Your arms and legs are shot and you can barely hold on. It would be easier to give up and let go… You pray for help.
But wait, out of the corner of your eye, you see a break in the sheer face on which you have been climbing. You crane your neck to the right and can see it. Could it be a place to rest, or is it a mirage? Have your weakness and desire combined to create something which does not really exist? You inch your way over and up just a bit more, using your last bit of strength. And there it is. A crag. The rocks have been split to form a resting place. You climb into the opening and drop in, exhausted. Your arms and legs finally are able to stop the constant push and pull. There is clean, cool water dripping from a spring in the rocks. Your thirst is quenched and you rest. God has provided.
So, as tough as life may seem at the moment, look for the strong rock; seek out the castle or the crag in which you can crawl to safety. It is likely within your reach, maybe just out of sight, but if you hang on, move forward just a bit more, He will be there for you. Put your faith in God and He will provide a place of rest and respite, before you have to move on, refreshed and renewed, to continue your climb.
"In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O LORD, O God of truth."
***********************
Just over a year ago, my wife Greta and I took a leap of faith. We had a whole series of events pointing us toward the fact that leaving Chicago and moving to live closer to family was what we were being called to do. It was a big risk. The real estate market was starting to turn sour and my company was in a major state of transition, which put our livelihood in question.
Nonetheless, we put our faith in God and He provided. When we started talking to friends about our decision to move, one of our neighbors made an offer on our house. At work, when I spoke to the head of my company about working remotely, he told me many of our executives were going to do the same thing to save on headquarters real estate costs and he supported my decision. When we came to Indianapolis to look for a place to live, we found our dream home at the very last stop on our list. We had been climbing along for quite a while, we put our faith in God and He gave us a place of rest. God is glorious!
When I read this Psalm, the word which speaks most directly to me is ‘crag’. A funny word, but one which brings to mind a beautiful, but dangerous picture of climbing up the face of a mountain. I imagine this…
…you start your climb at dawn. The morning light coming up brings your challenge into view. The low angle of the orange sun shows the stark contrast of rocks and ledges over which you will crawl in the coming day. You can almost see the path you will take: straight up here; angle to the left, then up over there; sideways to the right for a few feet, then up some more. Your heart beats quickly in anticipation for this journey, but you feel strong and sure.
As you progress, through the morning, your arms and legs start to feel the strain of the climb. With each pull to the next set of rocks, your arms quiver from the strain. Your fingertips are raw from gripping sharp edges. Your legs, fresh and strong just hours before have now become liabilities, shaking as your toes grasp onto tiny outcroppings. You have to keep moving up. You can’t stop because there is nowhere to rest, no easy place to recover.
At one point, you pull yourself to the next rock and realize, you’ve taken wrong path. Without knowing it, you have climbed into a spot which does allow you to easily move back down and head a different direction. The climb above you is almost straight up. Your arms and legs are shot and you can barely hold on. It would be easier to give up and let go… You pray for help.
But wait, out of the corner of your eye, you see a break in the sheer face on which you have been climbing. You crane your neck to the right and can see it. Could it be a place to rest, or is it a mirage? Have your weakness and desire combined to create something which does not really exist? You inch your way over and up just a bit more, using your last bit of strength. And there it is. A crag. The rocks have been split to form a resting place. You climb into the opening and drop in, exhausted. Your arms and legs finally are able to stop the constant push and pull. There is clean, cool water dripping from a spring in the rocks. Your thirst is quenched and you rest. God has provided.
So, as tough as life may seem at the moment, look for the strong rock; seek out the castle or the crag in which you can crawl to safety. It is likely within your reach, maybe just out of sight, but if you hang on, move forward just a bit more, He will be there for you. Put your faith in God and He will provide a place of rest and respite, before you have to move on, refreshed and renewed, to continue your climb.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Mar 29 - "The Prize"
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
"Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified."
********************
I never knew Saint Paul was a runner. Although I had seen these verses before, I'm not sure I ever attributed them to Paul. But now I love him all the more, knowing that he shared the desire set a plan and push himself each day to new levels of achievement. I wonder what kind of shoes he wore?
A few years ago, before I became I runner, I had committed to myself to pray the Daily Office each day for one year. The Daily office is a set of prayers and scripture laid out in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. But, this form of prayer is not limited to the Anglican tradition. It, of course, draws its form or runs in line with both the Judaic and even Islamic traditions of multiple prayers on a daily basis. As you may remember, the scripture reflected upon in these writings each day comes from either the Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer for that day. These daily times of prayer were a hard thing to get used to. Getting up each morning and starting with prayer...remembering to end each day with prayer in the evening. Sometimes, even praying Compline...a peaceful set of prayers intended to be said right before bed to ensure peaceful rest.
This cycle of prayer, at the time, represented for me a way to become more familiar with Holy Scripture as well as spend time in communion with God each day. I will admit that at this point in my Walk, I thought it was one thing I could do to help me obtain my salvation. I thought of it as a way to show piety and discipline to God. I believed that praying each day in this way would help God realize I was worthy to be a member of His eternal kingdom someday. This was the Prize I desired. Little did I know, I already had the salvation I sought. But, God drew me to this discipline nonetheless, for another Prize was in my reach, even though it was not the one I thought I was working to obtain.
For runners who have a deep and true love of running, the time we achieve at a particular race is not the goal. Our true measure of a successful race is our PR (Personal Record). Yes...a top 10 finish in your age group is some sweet icing on the race cake, but it's really all about finding out how hard you can push yourself, how you are able, through discipline, to take your body and you mind to new places which had not been possible before committing to the discipline of training.
Then, when Paul speaks of the Prize and about winning the race, is he not referencing the Prize of an eternal life with God in Heaven? If not for a first place ribbon, a gold medal, eternal salvation...what is all of this for? I believe discipline, this act of purposefully replacing one thing for another, something for nothing, is the Prize itself. Pick your analogy..."it's the journey, not the destination...", "virtue is its own reward."
So, in what thing will you have discipline? What is the small thing, the one item that by following its regimen each day (or hour, or week, or month) will allow you to obtain the Prize? Recognize that the act of discipline itself is a wonderful prize. But most importantly, what is the Prize you seek? Look around you...it may already be in your possession.
"Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified."
********************
I never knew Saint Paul was a runner. Although I had seen these verses before, I'm not sure I ever attributed them to Paul. But now I love him all the more, knowing that he shared the desire set a plan and push himself each day to new levels of achievement. I wonder what kind of shoes he wore?
A few years ago, before I became I runner, I had committed to myself to pray the Daily Office each day for one year. The Daily office is a set of prayers and scripture laid out in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. But, this form of prayer is not limited to the Anglican tradition. It, of course, draws its form or runs in line with both the Judaic and even Islamic traditions of multiple prayers on a daily basis. As you may remember, the scripture reflected upon in these writings each day comes from either the Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer for that day. These daily times of prayer were a hard thing to get used to. Getting up each morning and starting with prayer...remembering to end each day with prayer in the evening. Sometimes, even praying Compline...a peaceful set of prayers intended to be said right before bed to ensure peaceful rest.
This cycle of prayer, at the time, represented for me a way to become more familiar with Holy Scripture as well as spend time in communion with God each day. I will admit that at this point in my Walk, I thought it was one thing I could do to help me obtain my salvation. I thought of it as a way to show piety and discipline to God. I believed that praying each day in this way would help God realize I was worthy to be a member of His eternal kingdom someday. This was the Prize I desired. Little did I know, I already had the salvation I sought. But, God drew me to this discipline nonetheless, for another Prize was in my reach, even though it was not the one I thought I was working to obtain.
For runners who have a deep and true love of running, the time we achieve at a particular race is not the goal. Our true measure of a successful race is our PR (Personal Record). Yes...a top 10 finish in your age group is some sweet icing on the race cake, but it's really all about finding out how hard you can push yourself, how you are able, through discipline, to take your body and you mind to new places which had not been possible before committing to the discipline of training.
Then, when Paul speaks of the Prize and about winning the race, is he not referencing the Prize of an eternal life with God in Heaven? If not for a first place ribbon, a gold medal, eternal salvation...what is all of this for? I believe discipline, this act of purposefully replacing one thing for another, something for nothing, is the Prize itself. Pick your analogy..."it's the journey, not the destination...", "virtue is its own reward."
So, in what thing will you have discipline? What is the small thing, the one item that by following its regimen each day (or hour, or week, or month) will allow you to obtain the Prize? Recognize that the act of discipline itself is a wonderful prize. But most importantly, what is the Prize you seek? Look around you...it may already be in your possession.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Mar 28 - "Food and Drink?"
John 6:52-59
"The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink."
****************
There are times when we read a section of the Bible and say, "Hmm. Not sure I really get that one. Should I take it literally?"
In these verses from John's Gospel, Jesus is speaking at the synagogue at Capernaum. The message he delivers is a very literal one. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood? That sounds a little odd. In trying to make sense of these verses, I looked at 9 or 10 different translations of the Bible to see if there were any different takes on the original Greek for the words 'eat' and 'drink'. There were no differences. Every single one of them used 'eat' and 'drink'; no variation. Even a Spanish version used conjugations of 'comer' and 'beber'; 'to eat' and 'to drink'...as well as 'carne' (meat) for 'flesh'.
What are we to make of this? In one of my earlier posts I talked about the Catholic tradition which believes that, during the Eucharist, the wafer and the wine actually become Christ's Body and Blood...not symbols of these, but the real thing!
Why do we eat and drink? Lots of reasons, for sure: the basic need for daily nourishment; after hard exercise, to replace what was taken out of us; when together as family and friends, a means to have fellowship. I suppose Jesus must have chosen to deliver His message in this way to make sure there was no confusion in how we should bring Him into our lives. We should take Him in and by doing this, He will be in us...and us in Him. For when we take in food and drink, they become a part of us. The bread and the wine become a part of each cell of our bodies. Flesh and blood mingles with our own and those things which were separate and distinct, become one.
It is likewise with the Holy Spirit. When thinking about the concept of how the Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the Father and the Son, comes into us, my love for the power and meaning of "words" is manifested. One of the many 'names' for the Holy Spirit is the Greek word 'pneumos', which means 'wind'. There are many prayers which ask for guidance "by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit". Inspiration...a fun word, once again. It can mean "to breathe in" (like the 'wind' of the Holy Spirit...get it?) or to be "inspired"...'motivated', for lack of a better word. Either way, this is all about taking something, bringing it into us and using it for our benefit.
"The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink."
****************
There are times when we read a section of the Bible and say, "Hmm. Not sure I really get that one. Should I take it literally?"
In these verses from John's Gospel, Jesus is speaking at the synagogue at Capernaum. The message he delivers is a very literal one. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood? That sounds a little odd. In trying to make sense of these verses, I looked at 9 or 10 different translations of the Bible to see if there were any different takes on the original Greek for the words 'eat' and 'drink'. There were no differences. Every single one of them used 'eat' and 'drink'; no variation. Even a Spanish version used conjugations of 'comer' and 'beber'; 'to eat' and 'to drink'...as well as 'carne' (meat) for 'flesh'.
What are we to make of this? In one of my earlier posts I talked about the Catholic tradition which believes that, during the Eucharist, the wafer and the wine actually become Christ's Body and Blood...not symbols of these, but the real thing!
Why do we eat and drink? Lots of reasons, for sure: the basic need for daily nourishment; after hard exercise, to replace what was taken out of us; when together as family and friends, a means to have fellowship. I suppose Jesus must have chosen to deliver His message in this way to make sure there was no confusion in how we should bring Him into our lives. We should take Him in and by doing this, He will be in us...and us in Him. For when we take in food and drink, they become a part of us. The bread and the wine become a part of each cell of our bodies. Flesh and blood mingles with our own and those things which were separate and distinct, become one.
It is likewise with the Holy Spirit. When thinking about the concept of how the Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the Father and the Son, comes into us, my love for the power and meaning of "words" is manifested. One of the many 'names' for the Holy Spirit is the Greek word 'pneumos', which means 'wind'. There are many prayers which ask for guidance "by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit". Inspiration...a fun word, once again. It can mean "to breathe in" (like the 'wind' of the Holy Spirit...get it?) or to be "inspired"...'motivated', for lack of a better word. Either way, this is all about taking something, bringing it into us and using it for our benefit.
Maybe I get it. Jesus wants us to literally take Him into us. And, by taking Him in, He becomes one with us...a part of our being to the core.
So, today, when you think about Jesus and His teachings, His love and His sacrifice...eat heartily...drink deeply. Take in His Body and Blood, make them a part of your being and be nourished!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Mar 27 - "Hard to Believe"
John 6:41-51
"Then the Pharisees began to complain about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
*******************
During the time of Jesus' ministry here on earth, it must have been a pretty exciting to be with Him . Imagine being one of His disciples, walking around with Him, witnessing miracles. So cool! You would be given fresh evidence hour-by-hour, every day, of the fact that you were in the presence of God incarnate.
But, despite the evidence shown repeatedly to people of that time, there were still those who could not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They would hear His words, as we see in today's scripture reading, as say, "Wait a minute. This guy did not 'come down' from heaven! I remember seeing him running around the streets of Nazareth as a little boy. I saw him that one time with his brothers when they let the goats out of the pen and they were running all over town. This man can't be the Messiah!"
Evidence. We seek it every day as a part of the all too cynical people we have become. Maybe it is because there is so much false information out there every day; infomercials making claims which aren't true; celebrities or sports figures lying about their past behavior; business moguls defrauding people of their money or cooking the books. All of these situations create in each of us a demand for the truth as well as a constant sense of doubt. These experiences over time make it harder and harder for us to believe things which are at times, simple truths. Was it the same for the people of Jesus' time? Perhaps.
There was a time in my life when I lost my Faith. I remember distinctly standing outside the funeral for my young cousin, Josh, in utter disbelief that God could allow him to be taken from us. Why did he have to die? A God which would allow this to happen was no God for me. Forget it...I am done. He cannot exist. I decided from that point on that, even though I would try to continue to live my life as a good person, I was not going to put my faith in something that could cause so much pain.
At that point in my life, it seemed there was plenty of evidence which pointed me to the conclusion that God did not exist. Or, at least if He did, that it was something of which I wanted no part. I sought out, through classes in college, other things to believe in; I became a Post-Modernist in the truest sense of the word, believing there was nothing new to be learned, no new thoughts to be had. All things were just a "recycle" of what others had already created or thought up. I decided to live a life without God in it.
The flaw in my approach was, that instead of seeking out evidence in a balanced way, I sought evidence to prove that God did not exist. I looked to the things which confirmed what I had come to believe. By taking this approach, it seemed everything around me supported my belief. It was a long, sad time in my life. Sure, there were plenty of happy times too, but overall, something was definitely missing.
Oddly enough, I don't remember when I started to Believe again. Even as I think about it now, I can't think of a moment or event which moved me back into the loving arms of Christ. (Truth is, I never left them...I just didn't know they were there). I do remember, looking down into the crib of my brand new baby daughter, Maddy, and thinking, "There must be a God. Look at this perfect beauty! Greta and I are so blessed!" I still think this every morning, when I sit on Maddy's bed to wake her up for school.
So, dear friend, is there something keeping you from believing? Are you looking for the wrong type of evidence? What is the thing that does not allow you to open your heart completely? No doubt, it is hard to believe at times. I know this firsthand. But, if you open your eyes and your heart, if you allow yourself to see the evidence around you each day, God will show you, in every thing, that He is with us.
"Then the Pharisees began to complain about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
*******************
During the time of Jesus' ministry here on earth, it must have been a pretty exciting to be with Him . Imagine being one of His disciples, walking around with Him, witnessing miracles. So cool! You would be given fresh evidence hour-by-hour, every day, of the fact that you were in the presence of God incarnate.
But, despite the evidence shown repeatedly to people of that time, there were still those who could not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They would hear His words, as we see in today's scripture reading, as say, "Wait a minute. This guy did not 'come down' from heaven! I remember seeing him running around the streets of Nazareth as a little boy. I saw him that one time with his brothers when they let the goats out of the pen and they were running all over town. This man can't be the Messiah!"
Evidence. We seek it every day as a part of the all too cynical people we have become. Maybe it is because there is so much false information out there every day; infomercials making claims which aren't true; celebrities or sports figures lying about their past behavior; business moguls defrauding people of their money or cooking the books. All of these situations create in each of us a demand for the truth as well as a constant sense of doubt. These experiences over time make it harder and harder for us to believe things which are at times, simple truths. Was it the same for the people of Jesus' time? Perhaps.
There was a time in my life when I lost my Faith. I remember distinctly standing outside the funeral for my young cousin, Josh, in utter disbelief that God could allow him to be taken from us. Why did he have to die? A God which would allow this to happen was no God for me. Forget it...I am done. He cannot exist. I decided from that point on that, even though I would try to continue to live my life as a good person, I was not going to put my faith in something that could cause so much pain.
At that point in my life, it seemed there was plenty of evidence which pointed me to the conclusion that God did not exist. Or, at least if He did, that it was something of which I wanted no part. I sought out, through classes in college, other things to believe in; I became a Post-Modernist in the truest sense of the word, believing there was nothing new to be learned, no new thoughts to be had. All things were just a "recycle" of what others had already created or thought up. I decided to live a life without God in it.
The flaw in my approach was, that instead of seeking out evidence in a balanced way, I sought evidence to prove that God did not exist. I looked to the things which confirmed what I had come to believe. By taking this approach, it seemed everything around me supported my belief. It was a long, sad time in my life. Sure, there were plenty of happy times too, but overall, something was definitely missing.
Oddly enough, I don't remember when I started to Believe again. Even as I think about it now, I can't think of a moment or event which moved me back into the loving arms of Christ. (Truth is, I never left them...I just didn't know they were there). I do remember, looking down into the crib of my brand new baby daughter, Maddy, and thinking, "There must be a God. Look at this perfect beauty! Greta and I are so blessed!" I still think this every morning, when I sit on Maddy's bed to wake her up for school.
So, dear friend, is there something keeping you from believing? Are you looking for the wrong type of evidence? What is the thing that does not allow you to open your heart completely? No doubt, it is hard to believe at times. I know this firsthand. But, if you open your eyes and your heart, if you allow yourself to see the evidence around you each day, God will show you, in every thing, that He is with us.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mar 26 - "Why? Part 2"
Romans 8:12-27
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."
**************
In today's reading, maybe we get a little answer to the question of "why?" posed yesterday. It's not a happy answer, but perhaps an answer, nonetheless.
At this time, our extended family is blessed with some babies on the way. Both my sister, Jessica, and my cousin, Kristen, are expecting little ones in the Fall. All of us are so excited!! For Kristen and Jessica, there is the forward-looking joy of these two babies coming into their lives, but they will not arrive without some pain. I won't ever pretend to profess to understand the pain which can be experienced while being in labor and then giving birth to a child, but I have to imagine it's not very pleasant, even with the modern gift of an epidural.
Would the joy of holding your newly born child in your arms be as sweet without the pain of childbirth? If your baby arrived in a neat little package via FedEx with an instruction manual, would you love him or her more?
I have found, through lots of trial and error, that the things in my life I value most, the treasures I hold dearest to my heart, took a LOT of work...and sometimes pain...to achieve or receive. Conversely, most often that thing which came easily has less value and is not as important to me. When the easy thing is lost, are we not less sad? Easy come, easy go.
I do believe we experience hardship, sadness, loss...the groaning of labor pains...as an integral part of the joy we will know later, after those things have gone. Maybe part of understanding the answer to yesterday's question of "why?" is not being focused on why God could choose to allow sin, evil and pain to exist in the world, but rather, looking to the end result of experiencing these things.
So, today, if you are experiencing pain, consider this: is there a greater joy this pain may bring later? Think about the hard work, anguish, consternation, frustration of a current situation. Is there a reward at the end? Maybe the joy or reward to come is yet to be revealed to you, but find comfort in the fact that God does not allow suffering in the world for it's own sake. Perhaps He allows us to experience all that life in this world has to offer...both pain and joy, for they are at times inexorably linked...in order that when we come to be with Him and His Son, the joy is that much sweeter.
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."
**************
In today's reading, maybe we get a little answer to the question of "why?" posed yesterday. It's not a happy answer, but perhaps an answer, nonetheless.
At this time, our extended family is blessed with some babies on the way. Both my sister, Jessica, and my cousin, Kristen, are expecting little ones in the Fall. All of us are so excited!! For Kristen and Jessica, there is the forward-looking joy of these two babies coming into their lives, but they will not arrive without some pain. I won't ever pretend to profess to understand the pain which can be experienced while being in labor and then giving birth to a child, but I have to imagine it's not very pleasant, even with the modern gift of an epidural.
Would the joy of holding your newly born child in your arms be as sweet without the pain of childbirth? If your baby arrived in a neat little package via FedEx with an instruction manual, would you love him or her more?
I have found, through lots of trial and error, that the things in my life I value most, the treasures I hold dearest to my heart, took a LOT of work...and sometimes pain...to achieve or receive. Conversely, most often that thing which came easily has less value and is not as important to me. When the easy thing is lost, are we not less sad? Easy come, easy go.
I do believe we experience hardship, sadness, loss...the groaning of labor pains...as an integral part of the joy we will know later, after those things have gone. Maybe part of understanding the answer to yesterday's question of "why?" is not being focused on why God could choose to allow sin, evil and pain to exist in the world, but rather, looking to the end result of experiencing these things.
So, today, if you are experiencing pain, consider this: is there a greater joy this pain may bring later? Think about the hard work, anguish, consternation, frustration of a current situation. Is there a reward at the end? Maybe the joy or reward to come is yet to be revealed to you, but find comfort in the fact that God does not allow suffering in the world for it's own sake. Perhaps He allows us to experience all that life in this world has to offer...both pain and joy, for they are at times inexorably linked...in order that when we come to be with Him and His Son, the joy is that much sweeter.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Mar 25 - "Why?"
Genesis 3:1-15
"But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
*****************
Talk about shirking responsibility...
God asks Adam a question about a choice he has made; a choice to partake of the so called "Forbidden Fruit". What's his response to God? "Not my fault." More liberally translated, Adam says, "Listen God. I was just standing around in Your beautiful garden, minding my own business. This woman, whom You gave me, by the way, comes up to me and gives me this fruit. I had no idea what she was giving me! I was just being a nice guy and took it. I didn't know it was from the tree You told us not to touch or eat...". It's kind of comical, except that it represents the fall of man and the introduction of sin into the world.
I think one of the more painful concepts in this story is the fact that God created the serpent who tested Eve. It even says "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made." Given that God created the serpent, didn't He give it the craftiness, which is used to bring down Adam and Eve. The bigger question, did God purposefully put sin into the world? Did He intend for us to be tempted and for us to fall?
I suppose the cold, hard fact is that, yes, God created sin. God created all that is and ever will be. He is the Maker of all things, seen and unseen. He also knows all things happening in the past, present and future, for it is all His Plan.
Then why? Why would God put us in a situation where we can fall? Why would He allow evil in the world?
Even though in a previous writing I profess to know the "Meaning of Life", which some would say is a deeper question than the one of the reason for evil in the world, I'm not sure I can answer this one. The Holy Spirit seems to be hiding this one from me. The only glimpse I have of the answer to this question, as a brief flash in my peripheral vision, borders on something like, "It doesn't matter." Meaning, even though we have pain and trouble and misery at times in this world, when we pass into the next, not only will we understand why these things exist, but they will not matter. We won't feel them any longer. And, we will be with God for eternity, making the 100 years or so (we all hope!) we spend on this world seem smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.
Back to Adam... Maybe one way to look at his part in the story is to think about being careful. We never know when something may sneak into our lives, seemingly innocent and harmless, which could contribute to bringing pain to us over the long term.
This whole thing has me a bit perplexed...which is OK.
So, today, faithful reader, ask yourself the question..."why?" God wants us to wonder. Tell me what you think. Maybe the Holy Spirit will move in you and enlighten us all. But either way, we can relish in the mystery of Creation. And His Creation is perfect, even though sometimes we don't understand it.
"But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
*****************
Talk about shirking responsibility...
God asks Adam a question about a choice he has made; a choice to partake of the so called "Forbidden Fruit". What's his response to God? "Not my fault." More liberally translated, Adam says, "Listen God. I was just standing around in Your beautiful garden, minding my own business. This woman, whom You gave me, by the way, comes up to me and gives me this fruit. I had no idea what she was giving me! I was just being a nice guy and took it. I didn't know it was from the tree You told us not to touch or eat...". It's kind of comical, except that it represents the fall of man and the introduction of sin into the world.
I think one of the more painful concepts in this story is the fact that God created the serpent who tested Eve. It even says "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made." Given that God created the serpent, didn't He give it the craftiness, which is used to bring down Adam and Eve. The bigger question, did God purposefully put sin into the world? Did He intend for us to be tempted and for us to fall?
I suppose the cold, hard fact is that, yes, God created sin. God created all that is and ever will be. He is the Maker of all things, seen and unseen. He also knows all things happening in the past, present and future, for it is all His Plan.
Then why? Why would God put us in a situation where we can fall? Why would He allow evil in the world?
Even though in a previous writing I profess to know the "Meaning of Life", which some would say is a deeper question than the one of the reason for evil in the world, I'm not sure I can answer this one. The Holy Spirit seems to be hiding this one from me. The only glimpse I have of the answer to this question, as a brief flash in my peripheral vision, borders on something like, "It doesn't matter." Meaning, even though we have pain and trouble and misery at times in this world, when we pass into the next, not only will we understand why these things exist, but they will not matter. We won't feel them any longer. And, we will be with God for eternity, making the 100 years or so (we all hope!) we spend on this world seem smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.
Back to Adam... Maybe one way to look at his part in the story is to think about being careful. We never know when something may sneak into our lives, seemingly innocent and harmless, which could contribute to bringing pain to us over the long term.
This whole thing has me a bit perplexed...which is OK.
So, today, faithful reader, ask yourself the question..."why?" God wants us to wonder. Tell me what you think. Maybe the Holy Spirit will move in you and enlighten us all. But either way, we can relish in the mystery of Creation. And His Creation is perfect, even though sometimes we don't understand it.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Mar 24 - "First Communion"
John 6:1-15
"Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated..."
***************
Regardless of the gathering style, rituals or sacraments which are a part of the many faiths in the world today, almost all of them include a tradition of sharing a meal togehter. The Passover Seder, the feast after Ramadan, the simple supper on Shrove Tuesday, even the Friday night fish fry...all of these involve sitting down together and breaking bread.
In this section from John's Gospel, we can find a concept of infinite importance which says so much in so few words. That's one of the things I love about Scripture; the simplest concept can communicated in mind-bending, excruciatingly long paths, or as we find today, in 19 words, communicate an amazing and wonderful concept. In the Miralce of the Loaves and Fishes, Jesus points us towards not only the eventual Last Supper, which we will celebrate in just over two weeks, but to the importance of sharing our burdens with God and with each other.
What is the purpose of the sacrament of Communion? Certainly, it is our symbolic rememberance of Christ breaking bread with his friends before He was taken in by the authorities of the time and eventually to His death. In the beliefs of the Catholic tradition, the bread and wine move from mere symbols to the actual Body and Blood of Christ. But, whatever the belief...symbol or substance...remember that God does not require this of us. The Sacraments, all important, are once again not for the benefit of God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit...They have no use for Communion or any of the Sacraments...they are not required for our salvation or a ticket to Heaven. They are for us.
Communion, therefore, must be something more than just a rememberance or a symbol, right? Of course, it is. We see Jesus taking the bread, blessing it by giving thanks to God, breaking it and sharing it among those who were with him. Communion is the opportunity for each of us to bring our burdens to the table; to offer them up, have them blessed, broken and shared. A burden is lighter when carried by many hands and many hearts.
It is simple...yet amazing and infinitely beautiful! When we come to the table during Communion, we have the opportunity to bring our prayers for ourselves, prayers for those we know and prayers for those we do not know...have them blessed, broken and shared among those who celebrate the Sacrament with us.
Why? Because we don't have to carry our burdens alone.
We have around us every day, every moment, friends who will pray for us. People who will take on our fears and hopes and desires and share in them, praying for their fulfillment or resolution.
So, be in communion with each other. Ask someone to pray for you or for someone you know is in pain or trouble. Offer up your burden and allow it to be blessed, broken and shared.
"Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated..."
***************
Regardless of the gathering style, rituals or sacraments which are a part of the many faiths in the world today, almost all of them include a tradition of sharing a meal togehter. The Passover Seder, the feast after Ramadan, the simple supper on Shrove Tuesday, even the Friday night fish fry...all of these involve sitting down together and breaking bread.
In this section from John's Gospel, we can find a concept of infinite importance which says so much in so few words. That's one of the things I love about Scripture; the simplest concept can communicated in mind-bending, excruciatingly long paths, or as we find today, in 19 words, communicate an amazing and wonderful concept. In the Miralce of the Loaves and Fishes, Jesus points us towards not only the eventual Last Supper, which we will celebrate in just over two weeks, but to the importance of sharing our burdens with God and with each other.
What is the purpose of the sacrament of Communion? Certainly, it is our symbolic rememberance of Christ breaking bread with his friends before He was taken in by the authorities of the time and eventually to His death. In the beliefs of the Catholic tradition, the bread and wine move from mere symbols to the actual Body and Blood of Christ. But, whatever the belief...symbol or substance...remember that God does not require this of us. The Sacraments, all important, are once again not for the benefit of God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit...They have no use for Communion or any of the Sacraments...they are not required for our salvation or a ticket to Heaven. They are for us.
Communion, therefore, must be something more than just a rememberance or a symbol, right? Of course, it is. We see Jesus taking the bread, blessing it by giving thanks to God, breaking it and sharing it among those who were with him. Communion is the opportunity for each of us to bring our burdens to the table; to offer them up, have them blessed, broken and shared. A burden is lighter when carried by many hands and many hearts.
It is simple...yet amazing and infinitely beautiful! When we come to the table during Communion, we have the opportunity to bring our prayers for ourselves, prayers for those we know and prayers for those we do not know...have them blessed, broken and shared among those who celebrate the Sacrament with us.
Why? Because we don't have to carry our burdens alone.
We have around us every day, every moment, friends who will pray for us. People who will take on our fears and hopes and desires and share in them, praying for their fulfillment or resolution.
So, be in communion with each other. Ask someone to pray for you or for someone you know is in pain or trouble. Offer up your burden and allow it to be blessed, broken and shared.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Mar 23 - "Signs"
Mark 8:11- 21
"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him."
****************
Have you ever gotten a sign from God? Have you ever prayed for guidance, asking for a clear message on what to do, and you received a blatantly obvious and unequivocal answer to your prayer? Has there been an event that caused you to make a material course correction in your life?
This story in Mark's Gospel has two parts: one where the Pharisees ask Jesus to give them a sign that he is the Messiah, which he denies them, and another where Jesus reminds his disciples of the miracle of the loaves and fishes when they say they have no bread.
As an amateur triathlete and marathon runner, I find myself in some pretty interesting places at times when I am out for a ride or a run. My training has taken me through small neighborhoods in Truro, Nova Scotia; the towers of the Makati financial district in the Philippines; the immaculately clean streets of Singapore; the concrete jungle of Manhattan and...the fabulous Pendleton Pike outside of Indianapolis. When in each of these places and others, the signs abound. There is a constant influx of stimuli, where it seems that every car honking, every bird flying by, every person who steps in front of you can be taken as guidance...an answer to prayer...a sign.
The challenge with signs is that you don't really know if they are signs or not. There are events occurring around us continually. The question becomes, which ones are signs and which ones are just random events with no connection to the direction of our Walk?
Last summer, after moving to Indianapolis, I began using Pendleton Pike on the NE side from McCordsville up to Pendleton as a riding route. There is a big, wide shoulder on most of this route that keeps me out of traffic. Mid-summer, I was riding full speed and looked down at my odometer. When I looked up, the shoulder was coming to an abrupt end and was finished out with a cement curb. A moment later, I was skidding on my left side down the pavement, my bike in the ditch with a flat and my helmet cracked open. As I looked up, bloodied and bruised, I was sitting right in front of the Pendleton State Penitentiary. For years, I believe God has been calling me to become involved in prison ministry. Was this a sign? Did God stop me in my tracks, saying, "OK Scott, you haven't quite gotten the message yet. Got it now? Are we clear?" I got it...and am working with my men's group at church on setting up a prison ministry.
This past week, I was staying at a hotel for a few days, in a room on the 8th floor. Every time I went to the ground floor in the elevator, it mysteriously stopped on the 4th floor. No one was there, no one getting on or off at this floor. Was this a sign? I'll never know...I didn't get off to investigate.
I believe there are times where we get very specific signs from God on the direction our lives are supposed to take. Other times, he just pokes away at us over many years until we finally get the message.
So today, be open to the signs that come at you. You've asked for them, right? Look at each thing, pray for guidance. Take advantage of the little signs God sends before He stops you cold in your tracks and puts you on the pavement, making sure you got the message.
"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him."
****************
Have you ever gotten a sign from God? Have you ever prayed for guidance, asking for a clear message on what to do, and you received a blatantly obvious and unequivocal answer to your prayer? Has there been an event that caused you to make a material course correction in your life?
This story in Mark's Gospel has two parts: one where the Pharisees ask Jesus to give them a sign that he is the Messiah, which he denies them, and another where Jesus reminds his disciples of the miracle of the loaves and fishes when they say they have no bread.
As an amateur triathlete and marathon runner, I find myself in some pretty interesting places at times when I am out for a ride or a run. My training has taken me through small neighborhoods in Truro, Nova Scotia; the towers of the Makati financial district in the Philippines; the immaculately clean streets of Singapore; the concrete jungle of Manhattan and...the fabulous Pendleton Pike outside of Indianapolis. When in each of these places and others, the signs abound. There is a constant influx of stimuli, where it seems that every car honking, every bird flying by, every person who steps in front of you can be taken as guidance...an answer to prayer...a sign.
The challenge with signs is that you don't really know if they are signs or not. There are events occurring around us continually. The question becomes, which ones are signs and which ones are just random events with no connection to the direction of our Walk?
Last summer, after moving to Indianapolis, I began using Pendleton Pike on the NE side from McCordsville up to Pendleton as a riding route. There is a big, wide shoulder on most of this route that keeps me out of traffic. Mid-summer, I was riding full speed and looked down at my odometer. When I looked up, the shoulder was coming to an abrupt end and was finished out with a cement curb. A moment later, I was skidding on my left side down the pavement, my bike in the ditch with a flat and my helmet cracked open. As I looked up, bloodied and bruised, I was sitting right in front of the Pendleton State Penitentiary. For years, I believe God has been calling me to become involved in prison ministry. Was this a sign? Did God stop me in my tracks, saying, "OK Scott, you haven't quite gotten the message yet. Got it now? Are we clear?" I got it...and am working with my men's group at church on setting up a prison ministry.
This past week, I was staying at a hotel for a few days, in a room on the 8th floor. Every time I went to the ground floor in the elevator, it mysteriously stopped on the 4th floor. No one was there, no one getting on or off at this floor. Was this a sign? I'll never know...I didn't get off to investigate.
I believe there are times where we get very specific signs from God on the direction our lives are supposed to take. Other times, he just pokes away at us over many years until we finally get the message.
So today, be open to the signs that come at you. You've asked for them, right? Look at each thing, pray for guidance. Take advantage of the little signs God sends before He stops you cold in your tracks and puts you on the pavement, making sure you got the message.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Mar 22 - "Knowing God"
John 8:47-59
"Who do you claim to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word."
**********************
Jesus was certainly a radical. There are many times throughout the Bible where we find Jesus talking with the "leaders" of His time, making statements which turned their world upside down. It is so fun to witness Him systematically take their beliefs and break them down, showing them in a very clear way (at least to us) the falsity of the worlds they had built up.
The statements Jesus makes about knowing God would probably be just as radical today. Can each of us say that we "know" God? It that OK to do? By saying it, are we professing to understand His ways, have insight into how His plan works in the world? Are we also making a radical statement, assuming to be in touch with God's very nature? There are some who may think this. They may look at this part of the Gospel and say, "It's OK for Jesus to say He knows God, because He is God. For us to say it, is blasphemy, for we are not Jesus."
I would say, it's OK for each of us to say we know God. But what does it mean to know God?
When we say we know a friend of ours, for example, what are we saying? I'll use the example of best friend, my wife, Greta. By saying "I know" her, I am saying a few things. I'm saying: I recognize her when I see her; I have a good idea of how she will respond in certain situations; I know things I can do to make her happy (and sad, and angry), and; I know that the love I feel for her is as great as the love she feels for me. But more importantly, the more I think I know her, the more I realize I need to be open to the ways her beauty unfolds to me in new ways every day. Knowing someone is just the foundation; a relationship; an important step to being aware of what you don't know and what you will learn about this person over time.
When I say, "I know God", I believe I am saying that I recognize Him in the beauty of a sunrise; I have a good idea that when I hold one of my children lovingly in my arms, He is there and smiling, and; I know that the love I feel for Him is a small taste of the infinite expanse of the love He feels for me. But, my knowing God grows as He continues to allow me to see new evidence of His work in the world every day.
So today, say it out loud; "I know God". Say it in a way that is not boastful or assuming that we are equal with God. Say it with the awareness that by knowing Him, we are in relationship with Him. And, by being in relationship with Him, we have the joy of experiencing Him in new ways every day!
"Who do you claim to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word."
**********************
Jesus was certainly a radical. There are many times throughout the Bible where we find Jesus talking with the "leaders" of His time, making statements which turned their world upside down. It is so fun to witness Him systematically take their beliefs and break them down, showing them in a very clear way (at least to us) the falsity of the worlds they had built up.
The statements Jesus makes about knowing God would probably be just as radical today. Can each of us say that we "know" God? It that OK to do? By saying it, are we professing to understand His ways, have insight into how His plan works in the world? Are we also making a radical statement, assuming to be in touch with God's very nature? There are some who may think this. They may look at this part of the Gospel and say, "It's OK for Jesus to say He knows God, because He is God. For us to say it, is blasphemy, for we are not Jesus."
I would say, it's OK for each of us to say we know God. But what does it mean to know God?
When we say we know a friend of ours, for example, what are we saying? I'll use the example of best friend, my wife, Greta. By saying "I know" her, I am saying a few things. I'm saying: I recognize her when I see her; I have a good idea of how she will respond in certain situations; I know things I can do to make her happy (and sad, and angry), and; I know that the love I feel for her is as great as the love she feels for me. But more importantly, the more I think I know her, the more I realize I need to be open to the ways her beauty unfolds to me in new ways every day. Knowing someone is just the foundation; a relationship; an important step to being aware of what you don't know and what you will learn about this person over time.
When I say, "I know God", I believe I am saying that I recognize Him in the beauty of a sunrise; I have a good idea that when I hold one of my children lovingly in my arms, He is there and smiling, and; I know that the love I feel for Him is a small taste of the infinite expanse of the love He feels for me. But, my knowing God grows as He continues to allow me to see new evidence of His work in the world every day.
So today, say it out loud; "I know God". Say it in a way that is not boastful or assuming that we are equal with God. Say it with the awareness that by knowing Him, we are in relationship with Him. And, by being in relationship with Him, we have the joy of experiencing Him in new ways every day!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Mar 21 - "Hitting The Target"
Romans 6:12-23
"When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
********************
Having spent most of this week in Las Vegas for a company meeting, I have certainly seen more than enough versions of "Sin City's" claim to fame. It is around you all the time...in your face moment by moment.
Don't get me wrong, Las Vegas is a very fun and energetic place to be as well as one of the very best people-watching places on the planet, in my opinion. The weather and the mountains surrounding the city are beautiful. But there is a painful side to this beauty, just under the surface. There are lots of very easy choices that can lead to dark places.
What is sin? Both the Hebrew (het) and the Greek (hamartia) words for sin which are used throughout the Old and New Testaments literally mean "to miss the target" or "to miss the mark". Not as bad as you would think. The definition speaks nothing of damnation and hellfire, evil and pain. We miss the target when we don't work hard enough...don't reach our potential...make the easy choices. Just off the mark a bit doesn't sound so bad, right?
Then, why not commit sin? Why not bring pleasure and ease to your life? As I have written previously, I truly believe that there is nothing we can do in our human form to either gain or lose God's eternal grace. It is just there. It will always exist for us. The debt has been paid; Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we would have everlasting life. God's existence and work in the world does not change based on whether you and I make choices that are based in sin. If that is the case, what's the big deal about sin?
The big deal is this: God does not require us to live without sin for His benefit. He guides us towards a life without sin because He knows that sin breaks us down. He loves us, and never desires us to to be broken. He knows that sin, in the form of repeatedly missing the mark over time, causes each of us to fall short of our potential. God has created a world for us where many choices exist; choices that lead to glorifying his gifts to us, and choices which send us down into a spiraling pit of misery.
Do the choices which represent the modern world's definition of "sin" lead to happiness, or do they lead to pain?
So today, think about the decisions and the choices you make. Are they easy or hard? Will they build you up or break you down? Make the hard choice...hit the mark. For each time we chose "hard", each time we do the work to hit the target, we become closer to God; not because He requires it to be close to Him, but because we require it to be truly fulfilled.
"When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
********************
Having spent most of this week in Las Vegas for a company meeting, I have certainly seen more than enough versions of "Sin City's" claim to fame. It is around you all the time...in your face moment by moment.
Don't get me wrong, Las Vegas is a very fun and energetic place to be as well as one of the very best people-watching places on the planet, in my opinion. The weather and the mountains surrounding the city are beautiful. But there is a painful side to this beauty, just under the surface. There are lots of very easy choices that can lead to dark places.
What is sin? Both the Hebrew (het) and the Greek (hamartia) words for sin which are used throughout the Old and New Testaments literally mean "to miss the target" or "to miss the mark". Not as bad as you would think. The definition speaks nothing of damnation and hellfire, evil and pain. We miss the target when we don't work hard enough...don't reach our potential...make the easy choices. Just off the mark a bit doesn't sound so bad, right?
Then, why not commit sin? Why not bring pleasure and ease to your life? As I have written previously, I truly believe that there is nothing we can do in our human form to either gain or lose God's eternal grace. It is just there. It will always exist for us. The debt has been paid; Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we would have everlasting life. God's existence and work in the world does not change based on whether you and I make choices that are based in sin. If that is the case, what's the big deal about sin?
The big deal is this: God does not require us to live without sin for His benefit. He guides us towards a life without sin because He knows that sin breaks us down. He loves us, and never desires us to to be broken. He knows that sin, in the form of repeatedly missing the mark over time, causes each of us to fall short of our potential. God has created a world for us where many choices exist; choices that lead to glorifying his gifts to us, and choices which send us down into a spiraling pit of misery.
Do the choices which represent the modern world's definition of "sin" lead to happiness, or do they lead to pain?
So today, think about the decisions and the choices you make. Are they easy or hard? Will they build you up or break you down? Make the hard choice...hit the mark. For each time we chose "hard", each time we do the work to hit the target, we become closer to God; not because He requires it to be close to Him, but because we require it to be truly fulfilled.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Mar 20 - "A Favorite Prayer"
Ephesians 3:14-21
Little different approach today. This is one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible. It is Paul praying for the church at Ephesus. It is so clear, complete, there is nothing I could write to make it any better.
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Little different approach today. This is one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible. It is Paul praying for the church at Ephesus. It is so clear, complete, there is nothing I could write to make it any better.
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Mar 19 - "Joesph's Choice"
Matthew 1:18-25
"When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus."
*************
When was the last time you had to make a tough decision? What did you do? I'm not talking about whether to move "American Idol" to a higher priority on your Tivo season pass, causing you to risk missing "Lost" for the rest of the season. I'm talking about the really hard decision. The decision that seems to have material risk whichever choice you make.
This section of the Gospel of Matthew tells the story of when Joseph makes a decision to stay with Mary, take her as his wife and raise a son that is not his own. In today's world, this type of thing seems to happen every day, meaning, we see families all around us who have mixed parental situations. But, during Joseph's time, the decision to follow the guidance from the angel in his dream had dramatic and far-reaching consequences. Men, at this time in history, spent their entire lives building an honorable reputation, preparing for a traditional family life in their communities. This choice could have wrecked all of that for Joseph.
Joseph's choice to stay with Mary and raise Jesus as his son showed honor in a very different way than how it was traditionally defined at the time. And aren't we glad he did!
So today, if you are faced with a very tough decision, pray for guidance; God will not lead you in the wrong direction. Think of Joseph and his choice, the choice of a loving father whose rich and wonderful reward for his decision, following guidance from God, was to be the earthly father of our Heavenly King and Lord, Jesus Christ.
"When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus."
*************
When was the last time you had to make a tough decision? What did you do? I'm not talking about whether to move "American Idol" to a higher priority on your Tivo season pass, causing you to risk missing "Lost" for the rest of the season. I'm talking about the really hard decision. The decision that seems to have material risk whichever choice you make.
This section of the Gospel of Matthew tells the story of when Joseph makes a decision to stay with Mary, take her as his wife and raise a son that is not his own. In today's world, this type of thing seems to happen every day, meaning, we see families all around us who have mixed parental situations. But, during Joseph's time, the decision to follow the guidance from the angel in his dream had dramatic and far-reaching consequences. Men, at this time in history, spent their entire lives building an honorable reputation, preparing for a traditional family life in their communities. This choice could have wrecked all of that for Joseph.
Joseph's choice to stay with Mary and raise Jesus as his son showed honor in a very different way than how it was traditionally defined at the time. And aren't we glad he did!
So today, if you are faced with a very tough decision, pray for guidance; God will not lead you in the wrong direction. Think of Joseph and his choice, the choice of a loving father whose rich and wonderful reward for his decision, following guidance from God, was to be the earthly father of our Heavenly King and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mar 18 - "The Candy Store"
Romans 5:1-11
“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”
**************
How do you feel when you receive a gift? Most often, we smile, we feel gratitude and it is a time of joy. The special occasions surrounding the gifts we receive make them all the more enjoyable.
When you think about the gifts we receive on these special occasions, they basically come from a situation where we “deserve” the gift. An integral component of celebratory events such as Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or Mother’s and Father’s Day is the exchange of gifts. We give these gifts to each other as recognition of the holiday or other special day. In essence, because we were born, because we are a mother or father, because of the Christmas celebration, we receive gifts because we are supposed to receive them to mark the occasion.
In today’s reading, we hear about the greatest gift ever. This gift, which God gave to you, to me and to every person who is, was and will ever be in all of Creation, was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to bear the burden of our sins. This gift gives us the opportunity for eternal life. It is a gift which we did not and cannot earn. The special nature of this gift is that there is nothing we can do to gain it, nothing we can do to lose it. All that has to happen is for us to open our hearts, our souls and our minds to receive the gift.
Think of yourself when you were a child. Imagine you are standing outside the world’s largest and most beautiful candy store. In this store is every kind of sweet and delicious treat ever made. You walk up and see into this store by pressing your small face into your cupped hands around your eyes against the window. You can smell the sweet goodness. You can almost taste your favorite candy melting in your mouth.
Then, the lights in the store come on. You are so excited! The store owner comes to the front doors and opens them wide, the scents of chocolate, jelly beans and candy come wafting into the street and envelope you. You can barely stand to wait any longer! You reach into your pockets to see how much money you have to buy some of the wonderful deliciousness. Your hands, however, come out empty. You have nothing; nothing to offer, no item to barter, no small token which can be traded to receive your favorite morsel. You are broken.
But wait, the owner of the candy store says to you, “Come in. All of this is for you, and it is free. The price has already been paid and you can have whatever you want, for as long as you like.” You are filled with joy! The Owner puts a guiding arm around you and welcomes you in. You enter and partake to your hearts content.
How awesome that would be!! And yet, it exists today! It exists for each of us in our relationship with God through Christ. It exists between each one of us through our relationships of love for one another.
So today, give a gift that is undeserved; forgive, love, smile, lend a helping hand, relinquish a treasured possession. Open your own Candy Store. For when we do each of things, we glorify and recognize in a small way the Gift given to us, which we did not deserve.
“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”
**************
How do you feel when you receive a gift? Most often, we smile, we feel gratitude and it is a time of joy. The special occasions surrounding the gifts we receive make them all the more enjoyable.
When you think about the gifts we receive on these special occasions, they basically come from a situation where we “deserve” the gift. An integral component of celebratory events such as Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or Mother’s and Father’s Day is the exchange of gifts. We give these gifts to each other as recognition of the holiday or other special day. In essence, because we were born, because we are a mother or father, because of the Christmas celebration, we receive gifts because we are supposed to receive them to mark the occasion.
In today’s reading, we hear about the greatest gift ever. This gift, which God gave to you, to me and to every person who is, was and will ever be in all of Creation, was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to bear the burden of our sins. This gift gives us the opportunity for eternal life. It is a gift which we did not and cannot earn. The special nature of this gift is that there is nothing we can do to gain it, nothing we can do to lose it. All that has to happen is for us to open our hearts, our souls and our minds to receive the gift.
Think of yourself when you were a child. Imagine you are standing outside the world’s largest and most beautiful candy store. In this store is every kind of sweet and delicious treat ever made. You walk up and see into this store by pressing your small face into your cupped hands around your eyes against the window. You can smell the sweet goodness. You can almost taste your favorite candy melting in your mouth.
Then, the lights in the store come on. You are so excited! The store owner comes to the front doors and opens them wide, the scents of chocolate, jelly beans and candy come wafting into the street and envelope you. You can barely stand to wait any longer! You reach into your pockets to see how much money you have to buy some of the wonderful deliciousness. Your hands, however, come out empty. You have nothing; nothing to offer, no item to barter, no small token which can be traded to receive your favorite morsel. You are broken.
But wait, the owner of the candy store says to you, “Come in. All of this is for you, and it is free. The price has already been paid and you can have whatever you want, for as long as you like.” You are filled with joy! The Owner puts a guiding arm around you and welcomes you in. You enter and partake to your hearts content.
How awesome that would be!! And yet, it exists today! It exists for each of us in our relationship with God through Christ. It exists between each one of us through our relationships of love for one another.
So today, give a gift that is undeserved; forgive, love, smile, lend a helping hand, relinquish a treasured possession. Open your own Candy Store. For when we do each of things, we glorify and recognize in a small way the Gift given to us, which we did not deserve.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Mar 17 - "Baby Steps"
Romans 4:13-25
"Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised."
**********************
When I consider Abraham, and the amount of faith he had, I cannot imagine possessing such an unconditional trust of God.
Not only did Abraham believe that God would bring a son to he and Sarah when they were already well past child-bearing years, he eventually followed God's call to him, to sacrifice his son. We know how that story ended; God provided a lamb to Abraham for sacrifice in place of Isaac, just as this terrible act was about to take place. As the father of three daughters, if God asked me to do the same with one of them, I couldn't do it.
Depending on where we are in our Walk, trying to achieve Abraham's level of faith might be a stretch. But, in the early stages of our relationship with God, do we have to go that far? As a runner, I have learned through trial and error the right way to approach training; start easy...don't go out on the first day and try to run 26.2 miles. You need to start small. The training will build on itself and your body will be ready for the next step. Your first 10-miler might be the hardest thing ever, but after 10...or 20 of them, they feel like a breeze.
I think faith is like this too. When we put our trust in God at the early stages of our relationship with Him, we may need to start small. Our ability to trust in Him over time will grow as we gradually build up our ability to let go and let God run the show.
So today, trust God in a little thing; offer up to Him some small burden. There is no need to start your faith training with a marathon. Take some baby steps first.
"Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised."
**********************
When I consider Abraham, and the amount of faith he had, I cannot imagine possessing such an unconditional trust of God.
Not only did Abraham believe that God would bring a son to he and Sarah when they were already well past child-bearing years, he eventually followed God's call to him, to sacrifice his son. We know how that story ended; God provided a lamb to Abraham for sacrifice in place of Isaac, just as this terrible act was about to take place. As the father of three daughters, if God asked me to do the same with one of them, I couldn't do it.
Depending on where we are in our Walk, trying to achieve Abraham's level of faith might be a stretch. But, in the early stages of our relationship with God, do we have to go that far? As a runner, I have learned through trial and error the right way to approach training; start easy...don't go out on the first day and try to run 26.2 miles. You need to start small. The training will build on itself and your body will be ready for the next step. Your first 10-miler might be the hardest thing ever, but after 10...or 20 of them, they feel like a breeze.
I think faith is like this too. When we put our trust in God at the early stages of our relationship with Him, we may need to start small. Our ability to trust in Him over time will grow as we gradually build up our ability to let go and let God run the show.
So today, trust God in a little thing; offer up to Him some small burden. There is no need to start your faith training with a marathon. Take some baby steps first.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Mar 16 - "Dark Days"
Mark 5:1-20
"They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. "
*******************
In today's reading, we hear the story of Jesus casting out demons from a man wickedly possessed. The demons speak to him, recognizing Jesus for who He is as the Son of God, asking Him to cast them out.
Are demons real? Is there evil in the world? Unfortunately, there are and there is. We see it every day in the news and in our daily lives. Each of us have dark days, when we may not easily feel the presence of God in our lives. We even have times when demons, in the form of vice or jealousy or anger or hatred, possess each of us.
I believe when these demons come in to us, they can push aside the light and try snuff it out. Sometimes, the anger or the vice is the easier choice and we abet the enveloping darkness.
But, if we ask God to remove the darkness...and ask Jesus to be the Light of the World in us, he will cast the darkness away.
So today, recognize the thing that possesses you...call it by name. Then, with the power of Christ, ask it to be removed in His name. Let the Light shine in and the dark day will become a bright morning.
"They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. "
*******************
In today's reading, we hear the story of Jesus casting out demons from a man wickedly possessed. The demons speak to him, recognizing Jesus for who He is as the Son of God, asking Him to cast them out.
Are demons real? Is there evil in the world? Unfortunately, there are and there is. We see it every day in the news and in our daily lives. Each of us have dark days, when we may not easily feel the presence of God in our lives. We even have times when demons, in the form of vice or jealousy or anger or hatred, possess each of us.
I believe when these demons come in to us, they can push aside the light and try snuff it out. Sometimes, the anger or the vice is the easier choice and we abet the enveloping darkness.
But, if we ask God to remove the darkness...and ask Jesus to be the Light of the World in us, he will cast the darkness away.
So today, recognize the thing that possesses you...call it by name. Then, with the power of Christ, ask it to be removed in His name. Let the Light shine in and the dark day will become a bright morning.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Mar 15 - "Let's Get Physical!"
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."
*******************************
First off, an apology to anyone who now has the Olivia Newton-John song stuck in their head the rest of the day...
This morning, I am reminded that I am not as young as I used to be. After spending and evening "out on the town" with two very good friends, I am taking a little longer to bounce back today than when the three of us would have had the same type of evening 20 years ago. If I had been able to go for a run today (still 2 more weeks until my foot has fully healed and will be ready for that) and had planned it as a part of my training schedule, I'm not sure I would have been able to get up and get out the door.
As it relates to having a healthy body, we are certainly inundated hour-by-hour each day with advertising messages for fitness videos, diet plans, pills...even surgery; things that will supposedly make our bodies better, beautiful and buff. Do these messages and products exist only as a means to beautify our outward selves, or is there something deeper at work here? God works in mysterious ways, for sure. Could these messages be ways, for we all respond to different stimuli, of Him telling us to be good to ourselves?
There are days when I am out for a long run, when the weather is crisp and clear, the sun is shining and nature is in its full glory around me, where I truly feel the Holy Spirit within me, lifting me up and giving me strength. At those times, I think God is rewarding me for using my body in a way for which it was intended; to work, to sweat, to push...things that make it better and stronger. I believe we glorify God and show thankfulness for His gift to us of a physical body when we put it to good use. It is the same when we give our bodies healthy sustenance, fresh fruits of the earth meant to build us up.
So, be good to yourself today. Swim, bike, run...dance...walk...lift...stretch... Glorify God in your body by doing things for it that build it up; things which give it strength. You will feel great!
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."
*******************************
First off, an apology to anyone who now has the Olivia Newton-John song stuck in their head the rest of the day...
This morning, I am reminded that I am not as young as I used to be. After spending and evening "out on the town" with two very good friends, I am taking a little longer to bounce back today than when the three of us would have had the same type of evening 20 years ago. If I had been able to go for a run today (still 2 more weeks until my foot has fully healed and will be ready for that) and had planned it as a part of my training schedule, I'm not sure I would have been able to get up and get out the door.
As it relates to having a healthy body, we are certainly inundated hour-by-hour each day with advertising messages for fitness videos, diet plans, pills...even surgery; things that will supposedly make our bodies better, beautiful and buff. Do these messages and products exist only as a means to beautify our outward selves, or is there something deeper at work here? God works in mysterious ways, for sure. Could these messages be ways, for we all respond to different stimuli, of Him telling us to be good to ourselves?
There are days when I am out for a long run, when the weather is crisp and clear, the sun is shining and nature is in its full glory around me, where I truly feel the Holy Spirit within me, lifting me up and giving me strength. At those times, I think God is rewarding me for using my body in a way for which it was intended; to work, to sweat, to push...things that make it better and stronger. I believe we glorify God and show thankfulness for His gift to us of a physical body when we put it to good use. It is the same when we give our bodies healthy sustenance, fresh fruits of the earth meant to build us up.
So, be good to yourself today. Swim, bike, run...dance...walk...lift...stretch... Glorify God in your body by doing things for it that build it up; things which give it strength. You will feel great!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Mar 14 - "You Gotta Have Faith"
Romans 3:19-31
"For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law."
*********************
One of the things I have come to love about the liturgy, sacraments and overall belief system of the Anglican Church is the way it brings together what I consider to be the best elements of the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and even Jewish traditions. Although we recognize the Catholic focus on the importance of doing good works, it is balanced with the the Protestant elements of faith being the way to salvation. The bread and wine of the Eucharist is the embodiment and celebration of Christ's sacrifce, but we also value the simple, yet traditional importance of the Passover Seder.
Sometimes, all of the things which come from these traditions as they relate to what we are "supposed" to do as Christians can seem overwhelming. Pray, serve, tithe, repent, attend church...it's alot to think about! Many of these things come from thousands of years of tradition or from laws set in ancient times. But when we focus on the laws themselves, we can lose site of what they were meant to accomplish; simple acts that give us tools to build us up in our faith.
Faith is a hard thing, at times. When the world seems to be set on breaking you down, it seems like it takes every effort just to keep your faith strong. Even Peter, at one point said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe! Help me in my unbelief!"
God only asks one thing of us; have faith in Him. Believe that through Him, all things are possible. This represents a huge burden and a huge release; the burden of letting go and letting God take control...but also the release of knowing it is in His hands, and his plan is perfect.
So, today, if you have something that seems insurmountable, just have faith. Let go, recognizing that the traditions and laws of our history can be a guide for our lives, but faith is what gets us from good to great.
"For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law."
*********************
One of the things I have come to love about the liturgy, sacraments and overall belief system of the Anglican Church is the way it brings together what I consider to be the best elements of the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and even Jewish traditions. Although we recognize the Catholic focus on the importance of doing good works, it is balanced with the the Protestant elements of faith being the way to salvation. The bread and wine of the Eucharist is the embodiment and celebration of Christ's sacrifce, but we also value the simple, yet traditional importance of the Passover Seder.
Sometimes, all of the things which come from these traditions as they relate to what we are "supposed" to do as Christians can seem overwhelming. Pray, serve, tithe, repent, attend church...it's alot to think about! Many of these things come from thousands of years of tradition or from laws set in ancient times. But when we focus on the laws themselves, we can lose site of what they were meant to accomplish; simple acts that give us tools to build us up in our faith.
Faith is a hard thing, at times. When the world seems to be set on breaking you down, it seems like it takes every effort just to keep your faith strong. Even Peter, at one point said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe! Help me in my unbelief!"
God only asks one thing of us; have faith in Him. Believe that through Him, all things are possible. This represents a huge burden and a huge release; the burden of letting go and letting God take control...but also the release of knowing it is in His hands, and his plan is perfect.
So, today, if you have something that seems insurmountable, just have faith. Let go, recognizing that the traditions and laws of our history can be a guide for our lives, but faith is what gets us from good to great.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Mar 13 - "A Sense of Humor"
Prayer for Mission
"Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen."
************************
Does God have a sense of humor? He must, right? For He created it.
Did Jesus, while on this earth as a man, laugh? I have to think so...there must of been at least one time where Peter smiled and had some spinach in his teeth. It makes me smile to think that Jesus laughed.
My brother, Andy, told me a joke yesterday, that he had recently shared with his son, Connor. There was a boy who was really struggling in math at school. Tutors (more on that later...Connor had a funny smirk on his face when Andy said 'tutor'), incentives, special books...nothing seemed to work to improve his skills. So, his parents decided to send him to Catholic School.
From the first day, the boy came home from school, went straight up to his room, studied until dinner, then again until bedtime. At the completion of the semester, he brought home a report card with an "A" in math. The boy's parents asked him, "What was it? What was the thing that made you study so much?"
The boy replied, "On the first day, when I noticed at school that guy they nailed to the 'plus sign', I knew those nuns were serious!".
Some might read this and think "Sacrilege! How dare you mock the pain of the cross!". Maybe they are right. But, I think God and Jesus would be OK with this joke, especially when a good belly-laugh is shared between a father and a son when told. We have to laugh more...especially at ourselves. As much pain and misery as there is in the world, it may sometimes be the only thing that keeps us sane. Think of how good you feel after a long bout of deep laughter, where you come to the edge of throwing up or peeing your pants. Good stuff!
The best part of this story, is after Andy finished the joke, Conner says, "Dad, what do you call a special teacher with gas?". Andy replies, "What?" Conner says, "A Tutor!" ...and the laughing continues.
So, today, enjoy one of the many gifts God has given to us. Laugh out loud!
"Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen."
************************
Does God have a sense of humor? He must, right? For He created it.
Did Jesus, while on this earth as a man, laugh? I have to think so...there must of been at least one time where Peter smiled and had some spinach in his teeth. It makes me smile to think that Jesus laughed.
My brother, Andy, told me a joke yesterday, that he had recently shared with his son, Connor. There was a boy who was really struggling in math at school. Tutors (more on that later...Connor had a funny smirk on his face when Andy said 'tutor'), incentives, special books...nothing seemed to work to improve his skills. So, his parents decided to send him to Catholic School.
From the first day, the boy came home from school, went straight up to his room, studied until dinner, then again until bedtime. At the completion of the semester, he brought home a report card with an "A" in math. The boy's parents asked him, "What was it? What was the thing that made you study so much?"
The boy replied, "On the first day, when I noticed at school that guy they nailed to the 'plus sign', I knew those nuns were serious!".
Some might read this and think "Sacrilege! How dare you mock the pain of the cross!". Maybe they are right. But, I think God and Jesus would be OK with this joke, especially when a good belly-laugh is shared between a father and a son when told. We have to laugh more...especially at ourselves. As much pain and misery as there is in the world, it may sometimes be the only thing that keeps us sane. Think of how good you feel after a long bout of deep laughter, where you come to the edge of throwing up or peeing your pants. Good stuff!
The best part of this story, is after Andy finished the joke, Conner says, "Dad, what do you call a special teacher with gas?". Andy replies, "What?" Conner says, "A Tutor!" ...and the laughing continues.
So, today, enjoy one of the many gifts God has given to us. Laugh out loud!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Mar 12 - "Roller Coaster"
John 5:1-18
"For this reason they were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God."
*****************
We are now two full weeks into Lent. As I thought about the reading today, when Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and the leaders of the Jewish community at the time decide that he must die, I remembered the roller coaster of emotion we have coming over the next few weeks. Today marks the point in Jesus' story, when when the Pharisees have moved from mild annoyance, to apoplectic fury, to downright fear and hatred of Jesus and His message. Today, we realize, that the fulfillment of prophecy must come; Jesus is going to die.
It hurts my heart to even write these words. It can't be!?! My Lord and Savior has done no wrong...He is perfect...His message is one of peace, joy, love and healing! Why would anyone want Him to die?!?
Now, think about what is coming 25 days from today...pure joy and triumph! Jesus will enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as a King! The people will sing his praise!
But then it will come...the simple beauty of Jesus breaking bread with his friends at the Last Supper; prayer and supplication at the Garden of Gethsemene; trial and crucifixtion on Good Friday; death.
Feel like a roller coaster ?
Our lives are this way, if we think about it. There is joy and pain, triumph and tragedy, love realized and love lost. Almost every day, we experience and look forward to things we can't wait to come and things for whose arrival we dread. But all of these things, similar to this time of Lent, are important parts of Our Story. If one element is left out, one thing passed over, the experience loses dimension and can ring hollow. The sweet ain't as sweet without the bitter.
So, drink in life's rich and varied bouquet. Ride the roller coaster! Because, even with the sadness of Jesus' impending pain we see today, we know how the story ends...
"For this reason they were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God."
*****************
We are now two full weeks into Lent. As I thought about the reading today, when Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and the leaders of the Jewish community at the time decide that he must die, I remembered the roller coaster of emotion we have coming over the next few weeks. Today marks the point in Jesus' story, when when the Pharisees have moved from mild annoyance, to apoplectic fury, to downright fear and hatred of Jesus and His message. Today, we realize, that the fulfillment of prophecy must come; Jesus is going to die.
It hurts my heart to even write these words. It can't be!?! My Lord and Savior has done no wrong...He is perfect...His message is one of peace, joy, love and healing! Why would anyone want Him to die?!?
Now, think about what is coming 25 days from today...pure joy and triumph! Jesus will enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as a King! The people will sing his praise!
But then it will come...the simple beauty of Jesus breaking bread with his friends at the Last Supper; prayer and supplication at the Garden of Gethsemene; trial and crucifixtion on Good Friday; death.
Feel like a roller coaster ?
Our lives are this way, if we think about it. There is joy and pain, triumph and tragedy, love realized and love lost. Almost every day, we experience and look forward to things we can't wait to come and things for whose arrival we dread. But all of these things, similar to this time of Lent, are important parts of Our Story. If one element is left out, one thing passed over, the experience loses dimension and can ring hollow. The sweet ain't as sweet without the bitter.
So, drink in life's rich and varied bouquet. Ride the roller coaster! Because, even with the sadness of Jesus' impending pain we see today, we know how the story ends...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mar 11 - "Simple Healing"
John 4:43-54
"Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.' The official said to him, 'Sir, come down before my little boy dies.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way."
********************************
One of the things my boss jokes with me about every once in a while is my tendency to make things more complex than they need to be. "Keep it simple." is the only guidance he gives on certain occasions when asking me to go tackle a particular issue or new initiative.
I think my boss would appreciate Jesus' approach to healing this sick little boy. How awesomely and simply powerful is Jesus?!? He doesn't have some long, flowery speech...He does not ask the father of this child to go through a forty-two step process...He does not preach to the man about the things he should have done to help his son avoid the sickness in the first place. Jesus simply says "Go; your son will live". That is awesome!
When we think about the healing which may need to happen in our own lives, do we make it too hard? Whether we believe it or not, we too, have the ability to heal. We can do it in an overly-complex way, or we can make the choice to do it very simply. The most common healing many of us need one of relationship.
Is there someone to whom we need to apologize and gain forgiveness? Sometimes, simple is best; no complex requirement...just a simple statement, looking the person squarely in the eye and saying in a deep, heartfelt and sincere way, "I'm sorry."
Is there someone we need to forgive? Don't we make it too hard sometimes? We think, "I want this person to recognize how they have wronged me, feel really bad about it and show me how much they regret hurting me; and until then, I am going to be angry." Holding onto that anger, holding the power to forgive inside ourselves and not letting it out can cause us even more pain than the wrong itself. Let it go. Stand with the person who you need to forgive, facing them and say with a simple but strong conviction, "I forgive you."
In that power of simple forgiveness, we too have the ability to heal; the ones we forgive as well as ourselves.
So today, go out into your life and in a simple way, heal...and be healed.
"Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.' The official said to him, 'Sir, come down before my little boy dies.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way."
********************************
One of the things my boss jokes with me about every once in a while is my tendency to make things more complex than they need to be. "Keep it simple." is the only guidance he gives on certain occasions when asking me to go tackle a particular issue or new initiative.
I think my boss would appreciate Jesus' approach to healing this sick little boy. How awesomely and simply powerful is Jesus?!? He doesn't have some long, flowery speech...He does not ask the father of this child to go through a forty-two step process...He does not preach to the man about the things he should have done to help his son avoid the sickness in the first place. Jesus simply says "Go; your son will live". That is awesome!
When we think about the healing which may need to happen in our own lives, do we make it too hard? Whether we believe it or not, we too, have the ability to heal. We can do it in an overly-complex way, or we can make the choice to do it very simply. The most common healing many of us need one of relationship.
Is there someone to whom we need to apologize and gain forgiveness? Sometimes, simple is best; no complex requirement...just a simple statement, looking the person squarely in the eye and saying in a deep, heartfelt and sincere way, "I'm sorry."
Is there someone we need to forgive? Don't we make it too hard sometimes? We think, "I want this person to recognize how they have wronged me, feel really bad about it and show me how much they regret hurting me; and until then, I am going to be angry." Holding onto that anger, holding the power to forgive inside ourselves and not letting it out can cause us even more pain than the wrong itself. Let it go. Stand with the person who you need to forgive, facing them and say with a simple but strong conviction, "I forgive you."
In that power of simple forgiveness, we too have the ability to heal; the ones we forgive as well as ourselves.
So today, go out into your life and in a simple way, heal...and be healed.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mar 10 - "The Meaning of Life"
John 4:27-42
"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work'"
**********
Why are we here? What is our purpose in the world? What is it that sustains us? How do we keep going every day?
Believe it or not, I think I know the answer to these questions. Somehow, it has been written on my heart that the reason we are here, the thing that drives every ounce of our being, is... Well, I'll make you read to the end today to find out...
Think about the times in your life when you have been absolutely bursting with joy. The day you graduated from college...a wedding day...the births of children...finishing your first marathon; these are big events for sure! But there is more... What about that time the other day when the sun was shining, there was freshness and warmth in the air from the first hints of Spring, and you got that huge smile on your face, closed your eyes and breathed it deeply in? How about last week, when you heard one of your favorite songs and, since you were by yourself, you sang along at the top of your lungs, totally rocking it out? Maybe it was yesterday, sitting quietly in prayer, thinking about the abundance of blessings in your life, and tears of joy starting gently trickling down your cheeks. Perhaps it is right now, offering thanksgiving for the health, safety or recovery of a loved one...and having the peace of knowing they will be whole again. Why do all of these things feel so amazingly awesome?!?
On a much darker note, we see people in our lives and in the world every day pursuing destructive behavior: drug or alcohol abuse; a pattern of painful relationships; pursuit of material things for their own sake; false, but seemingly eternal beauty at any cost... Even though each of these things, and those like them, can bring about temporary happiness but eventually seem to cause pain and suffering, why do people do them?
I believe the answer to both of the questions, is the same: our souls long to be with God; our very being exists as a constant pursuit of the Holy; we seek completeness. Although many things can come close to filling the God-shaped hole in all of us, only one thing can truly fit.
When we experience great joy, we receive a small taste of what it will be like to be with Jesus, in communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, when we leave this world. That joy can come in the form of a wonderfuly fulfilling life event, or, unfortunately, in the pale comparison of the euphoria of a drug-induced high.
Why are we here? We are here in human form, to continually do things which bring us closer to God. Our souls are nourished by this pursuit. Although the destination is wonderful beyond our ability to imagine, the journey is a rich and beautiful tapestry.
So, feed on the will of God, which is to be with Him. Feed on joy and love, peace and harmony, dancing and singing, beauty and light...all of the things that give us a taste of the eternal life to come for each of us!
"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work'"
**********
Why are we here? What is our purpose in the world? What is it that sustains us? How do we keep going every day?
Believe it or not, I think I know the answer to these questions. Somehow, it has been written on my heart that the reason we are here, the thing that drives every ounce of our being, is... Well, I'll make you read to the end today to find out...
Think about the times in your life when you have been absolutely bursting with joy. The day you graduated from college...a wedding day...the births of children...finishing your first marathon; these are big events for sure! But there is more... What about that time the other day when the sun was shining, there was freshness and warmth in the air from the first hints of Spring, and you got that huge smile on your face, closed your eyes and breathed it deeply in? How about last week, when you heard one of your favorite songs and, since you were by yourself, you sang along at the top of your lungs, totally rocking it out? Maybe it was yesterday, sitting quietly in prayer, thinking about the abundance of blessings in your life, and tears of joy starting gently trickling down your cheeks. Perhaps it is right now, offering thanksgiving for the health, safety or recovery of a loved one...and having the peace of knowing they will be whole again. Why do all of these things feel so amazingly awesome?!?
On a much darker note, we see people in our lives and in the world every day pursuing destructive behavior: drug or alcohol abuse; a pattern of painful relationships; pursuit of material things for their own sake; false, but seemingly eternal beauty at any cost... Even though each of these things, and those like them, can bring about temporary happiness but eventually seem to cause pain and suffering, why do people do them?
I believe the answer to both of the questions, is the same: our souls long to be with God; our very being exists as a constant pursuit of the Holy; we seek completeness. Although many things can come close to filling the God-shaped hole in all of us, only one thing can truly fit.
When we experience great joy, we receive a small taste of what it will be like to be with Jesus, in communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, when we leave this world. That joy can come in the form of a wonderfuly fulfilling life event, or, unfortunately, in the pale comparison of the euphoria of a drug-induced high.
Why are we here? We are here in human form, to continually do things which bring us closer to God. Our souls are nourished by this pursuit. Although the destination is wonderful beyond our ability to imagine, the journey is a rich and beautiful tapestry.
So, feed on the will of God, which is to be with Him. Feed on joy and love, peace and harmony, dancing and singing, beauty and light...all of the things that give us a taste of the eternal life to come for each of us!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Mar 9 - "Peer Pressure"
Romans 1:1-15
"For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. "
***************
Saturday evening, I was at dinner with our daughter Maddy and six of her seventh-grade friends, celebrating Maddy's 13th birthday. Yes...we are in the teen years. For a couple of hours before dinner, walking around the mall, these girls laughed, talked, shopped, giggled and had a great time together. When we arrived for dinner at the restaurant, this all continued, making it difficult to not only decide what they were eating, but a challenge for the server to get their attention long enough to take their orders.
As the food arrived, the laughing and talking was in full swing. Just before we started to dig in, one of Maddy's friends, Renee', said "Wait, we have to say a prayer!". She bowed her head, as did the rest of us, and said a quick, simple prayer thanking God for the fun time they were having, for having Maddy as a friend and for the food we were about to eat.
I was stunned.
This young girl, for whom peer pressure is most likely a very real thing every day, as opposed to the distant concept it is for me, was willing to show her faith in a very open way in a public setting without giving it a second thought. I was, at that moment, embarassed for the hundreds, if not thousands of times I have been at meals in restaurants, but have not felt comfortable about saying a simple prayer of thanks, lest I risk some stares from other tables.
In today's reading, Paul is writing to the Roman church of that time, lamenting about the fact that he has been unable to come and visit them. He wanted to be with them to share a spiritual gift, perhaps as simple as breaking bread in an early form of Communion. But alternately, he wants to be with them that they might encourage each other in their faith. Even Paul, an early leader of the Christian Church, wanted and needed to be encouraged by others to keep his faith strong.
So, encourage each other! Find a way today to show visibly that you are a Christian, that you believe in God and that the Holy Spirit moves within you at all times. Do this so that you encourage someone to do the same, and then you are encouraged in kind. It can be a hug, a friendly word, a smile...or bowing your head to give thanks when you are thankful for being with friends, breaking bread.
"For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. "
***************
Saturday evening, I was at dinner with our daughter Maddy and six of her seventh-grade friends, celebrating Maddy's 13th birthday. Yes...we are in the teen years. For a couple of hours before dinner, walking around the mall, these girls laughed, talked, shopped, giggled and had a great time together. When we arrived for dinner at the restaurant, this all continued, making it difficult to not only decide what they were eating, but a challenge for the server to get their attention long enough to take their orders.
As the food arrived, the laughing and talking was in full swing. Just before we started to dig in, one of Maddy's friends, Renee', said "Wait, we have to say a prayer!". She bowed her head, as did the rest of us, and said a quick, simple prayer thanking God for the fun time they were having, for having Maddy as a friend and for the food we were about to eat.
I was stunned.
This young girl, for whom peer pressure is most likely a very real thing every day, as opposed to the distant concept it is for me, was willing to show her faith in a very open way in a public setting without giving it a second thought. I was, at that moment, embarassed for the hundreds, if not thousands of times I have been at meals in restaurants, but have not felt comfortable about saying a simple prayer of thanks, lest I risk some stares from other tables.
In today's reading, Paul is writing to the Roman church of that time, lamenting about the fact that he has been unable to come and visit them. He wanted to be with them to share a spiritual gift, perhaps as simple as breaking bread in an early form of Communion. But alternately, he wants to be with them that they might encourage each other in their faith. Even Paul, an early leader of the Christian Church, wanted and needed to be encouraged by others to keep his faith strong.
So, encourage each other! Find a way today to show visibly that you are a Christian, that you believe in God and that the Holy Spirit moves within you at all times. Do this so that you encourage someone to do the same, and then you are encouraged in kind. It can be a hug, a friendly word, a smile...or bowing your head to give thanks when you are thankful for being with friends, breaking bread.
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