Mar 28 - "Demons"

"They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before Him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me.', for He had said to him, 'Come out of the man you unclean spirit!'" --- Mark 5:1-20 ***************************** Here is Jesus again, as we saw yesterday, making no effort to hide who He is. This man who was tormented by demons comes to Him, and Jesus, with a few words, casts these evil spirits out of this wretched soul. Even the demons know who He is, addressing Him as "Son of the Most High God." What do most of us do today when we see someone "possessed" by unclean spirits? I am not talking about a pea-soup-spitting, head-rotating, evil-voiced possession, a la 'The Exorcist'. I'm talking about that person we see who is controlled by some addition or other self-imposed state; alcohol, drugs, crime...a homeless person on the street we pass by, as they beg for money. At best, we turn our head the other way and try to ignore the situation. At worst, we persecute the person, gossip about their affliction or ridicule them for their issues. Let's be honest; we all do it. But, what does Jesus do? He recognizes that it is the demons, not the man, who has caused him to stray from the flock. It is possible that the man lived a life that allowed or enabled these demons to possess him? Could it be that he even purposefully brought these evil spirits into his life? We don't know, by Christ sees that there is a lost sheep in front of Him, whose soul desires to be clean. He shows His love for this man by releasing him from the things that possessed him. How do the people who witnessed this exorcism react? They are scared...they are not sure what they just saw. They do not understand what has happened and are fearful. This Man controlled the demons; could He be one Himself? Could He be in partnership with this demonic legion who possessed the man? Instead of rejoicing in the miracle of a healing, they tell Jesus to leave. What would we do? How do we react when we see others ministering or associating with those we consider to be unclean? Do we invite Jesus in or send Him away? In spite of surely knowing how the people would react, Jesus still puts Himself and risk and saves this one lost sheep. We should be very glad that He was willing to do this...and will still do it today. Each of us is lost at some point. We may have the good fortune of not being possessed like this man was, by evil spirits and thoughts, addiction or affliction, but Jesus is willing to remove any of these things which possess us. So, call out to Jesus, Son of the Most High God. Ask Him to remove those things which possess and cause separation from the flock. Jesus can see the person you are underneath that which possesses you. Know that He is the Good Shepherd and He deeply desires that you, as one of His lost sheep, can be washed clean by His sacrifice and released.

Mar 27 - "God's Time"

"Jesus said to them, 'My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify against it that its works are evil...'" --- John 7:1-13 ********************

"Patience is a virtue." How many times did I hear that while I was growing up?

We are an impatient people. Every day we are trying to find ways to make things faster, more efficient, happen sooner. Technology is a significant enabler and burden associated with this impatience. Remember when you would have to write (not type) a letter, put it in an envelope, stamp and address it, put it in the mail...then wait for a response from the other person days or weeks later? Today, when we send an email to someone, we can become frustrated when they don't respond that same hour or same day. "What's taking so long?!?", we ask ourselves.

Similarly, we not only want it faster, but we want more of it. We make plans on how to bring the things we want to us in abundance. We structure our lives around how we can achieve Our Plans. More money this year, not next. Lose weight in 2 weeks...not 2 months. The bigger house, nicer car, more extravagant vacations, now, now, now!

What's so amazing to me about this story from Jesus' life is that, even with something as seemingly trivial as having patience, He has it perfectly...as He did in all things. He has the power of the universe at His fingertips. All God's army of angels are at His disposal. He has to but speak the word and mountains would crumble, enemies would fall. But He knows that God has a plan. He knows that all things will come in the time which God has appointed and not one moment before. He tells His disciples "don't rush things". Although He is now a wanted man and He knows He will eventually go into Jerusalem for His trial and crucifixion; now is not yet the time.

When I think about all of the times in my life where I have wanted something to happen based on my calendar, based on when I think that thing should occur...and it did not occur as I wanted it to...I realize how blessed I am that God does not let me have my way. Think about all of the things we pray for, hope for and desire. We look at the world and our lives through the lens of this moment. God sees things through the lens of eternity. How can we think that our plans are better than His?

So, dear friends, let us have patience. The Lord says, "Be still and know that I am God!". Realize that we get "our way" when we align ourselves with God's plan for each of us and that His plan, the gifts and blessings He has in store for us, are greater than we can ask for or imagine.

Mar 26 - "A Cycle Broken"

"They know no limits in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge with justice; the cause of the orphan to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things, says the Lord, and shall I not bring retribution on a nation such as this?" --- Jeremiah 5:20-31

"For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith. --- Romans 3:19-31

In my bible study at church on Sunday mornings, we have spent the past couple of months strolling from Genesis, through Joshua and Judges, then onto 1 Kings. One of the things each of us in the group has noted is the continual process the people of Israel went through during this time in history. God would deliver them from some great challenge or give them all they asked for, but after a seemingly short amount of time, they would stray. Often, they would start worshiping other Gods, or perpetrate sinful acts in great abundance with an apparent complete loss of memory related to the great deeds God had done or gifts He had given to them. No one seemed to be able to "stick with God"; not even great men of the Bible like David and Solomon, with whom God directly interacted, were immune from this pattern.

While observing this endless cycle of disregard for God's miracles, we say to each other, "How could they do this? They saw God's miracles directly...even spoke with God at times...and they still wandered away?!?" Yet, we see it again and again through the historical portions of the Old Testament. God delivers...we accept His gifts...we forget...we go astray...we return to Him...the cycle continues.

In Jeremiah, God seems to have reached His final breaking point. He promised after the Flood, never to destroy the world and all of humanity again. In order to get their attention this time, He decides to put them into captivity, taking them away from their Promised Land for a generation. Maybe this time His Chosen People will finally realize that He has control and can take things away permanently if they do not follow His laws and recognize the beauty, peace and wonder associated with a belief in the one true God. But, of course...even after Jeremiah's prophecy and the pain of Lamentations, the next book in the Old Testament, the cycle continues.

How is this cycle finally broken? God, as a part of His plan from the beginning of time, now takes a different approach. Can you see the contrast between the two scripture readings from the Daily Office today? In Jeremiah, He says, our sins will be punished. In the other, from Paul's letter to the Romans, His perfect grace and mercy is shown in the gift of His Son. We are forgiven. Yes...we all are still sinners and can never be perfect, but our debt is paid in full. How fortunate are we to be living on this side of Christ's redemptive sacrifice!

I used to think that the process God went through over time was that He finally figured out how to get through to us. The vengeful God and disciplinarian of the Old Testament "matured" into the loving Father of the New Testament. Just as I have become a wiser father over time, God did the same. But, that is not really the case. God's Plan for all of us for all of time was known by Him before the beginning of creation. He knows every step and choice we will make. The roller coaster process the ancient Israelites went through...sin, punishment, redemption...again and again served a divine purpose to show us that there are various ways for this relationship to work. Had Christ come at the beginning of time, we would not be able to fully appreciate the power of being forgiven...for everything...forever.

So, rejoice in the fact that we don't have to "learn the hard way", as those who lived before Jesus came into the world. Be thankful that the cycle was broken by a perfect sacrifice, of Christ crucified, dying and rising again in order that we will live forever.

Mar 25 - "Bad Days"

"It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings." --- Hebrews 2:5-10
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Are you having a bad day? A bad week...month...year...years? Has your life seemingly been on one continuing string of hard times and bad luck?

We all have these times. They can come in the form of something small, such as that person who cuts you off in traffic, picking the wrong and very slow line at the grocery store or just one of those general "grumpy" times we have for apparently no reason. However, these times can also be major life changes and tragic events such as losing your job or other economic hardship, a chronically debilitating illness or even the death of a close friend of family member. All of these things cause us to suffer, bring us pain.

The topic of why we suffer and why we have to experience pain while in our human form has been debated and discussed for probably as long as we have existed. I won't try, in a short posting, to offer some explanation as to why this happens; why bad things sometimes happen to us. Some would say, "It builds character"; "No pain, no gain"; "The sweet ain't as sweet without the bitter". But all of these points of view don't really offer anything besides a way to deal with the suffering and endure it.

Let me offer, though, that even God is not beyond suffering. During Jesus' life, we see Him experience sadness, torment, loss and great pain as He went up to death. All of these things happened so that we would be able to see that these things are an unfortunate part of our life on earth. Yes, suffering often makes us better, as gold is refined in the crucible, but even though it is hard, we can see that God was also willing to suffer for us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.

So, when you suffer, look to Jesus as your companion. Recognize that He also suffered as a man while on the earth with us. He felt pain, loss and death, just as we have and we will. Know that our God loves us so much the He too was willing to suffer with us and for us...and along side us even today. But also be comforted that even though we have a partner in our suffering in Jesus, this too shall pass and we will certainly be with Him at the end of our days in a place where there is no pain and suffering will be a distant, faded memory.

Mar 24 - "The Jesus Requirement"

"Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." --- John 5:19-29
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Why do we have to believe in Christ in order to have a life with God? I really find this message challenging to deal with, at times. A corollary to today's scripture is Matthew 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." If taken literally, these can be daunting and potentially exclusionary concepts.

The thing I probably struggle with the most is that I don't want anyone to be excluded from a relationship with God. When I think about going through our lives without the hope of something better, no Father whom we can rely upon for help in times of trouble, it feels scary and empty. Without Christ, what is the fate of the Muslim, the Hindu, the Shinto, the Buddhist...or even the Atheist? What about those who have never even had the opportunity to learn about Jesus...some indigenous tribe deep in the Amazonian rain forest or other similarly-isolated peoples? Are they automatically damned to an eternity outside of Heaven? There are many in the Christian faith who believe this to be true and it can be a key reason some people make the decision against believing in God and his Son Jesus Christ. It does feel quite exclusionary. In my belief, everyone goes to Heaven...no exceptions (I'll leave that topic for another day.)

But, as with many things written in different languages, historical contexts and a lack of direct knowledge as to the specific intent of the author, maybe the words "does not honor" and "no one comes...except" can have a alternate meaning. Is it possible that these phrases were intended to serve as words of guidance and facilitation as opposed to exclusion and restriction? How would theses phrases take on a different meaning if they were stated with more detail? What if Jesus said, "The most efficient, enriching and satisfying way of having a relationship with and understanding the Father is by recognizing the power of the sacrifice My life represented. By thinking about and living the messages I gave to you while I was with you on earth, the path to heaven which you walk while on earth will be easier and more fulfilling as you set a course for an eternal life with God."; would that mean something different?

When these messages are taken in the context of Jesus as the Great Facilitator, the Perfect Catalyst, the Holy Enabler (sorry if these sound a bit heretical), the appearance of exclusion is transformed to a message of absolute inclusion.

So, honor the Son; come to the Father through Jesus. By making the choice to learn about and fall in love with Jesus Christ, we are allowing ourselves to realize the full potential, the maximum benefit of a life with God at the center.

Mar 23 - "Signs and Wonders"

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.' The official said to Him, '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. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, 'Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.' The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus said to him, 'Your son will live.' So, he himself believed, along with his whole household." --- John 4:43-54
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What does it take to believe?

It seems that I have always believed. Yes, there have been times when my faith was shaken and I was not sure God existed or, even if He did exist, I wanted no part of what He had to offer. But, besides those dry and questioning times that most of us experience, I have pretty much lived surrounded by a life in the church with faith in God being a central part of my existence. There was never, even after the period when I questioned my faith, a miracle moment, a "born again" experience or some other major event which caused me to shout out, "I believe!!".

In my Monday night sessions with the Jehoshua House team at Hamilton County Jail, we have the opportunity to hear from our team and from the inmates, experiences where, through some miracle, their life was turned around. We are witness to the testimony of their lives being at rock bottom, calling out to God and being saved. These men were shaken out of their painful existence and thrown into the flowing river of a life with God and Jesus Christ at the center of their lives.

But what about us who have continually been in this river of faith? Even though we haven't always drunk deeply of the Living Water which refreshes our souls, we've waded, swam against the current, hit a sand bar at times or flowed easily downstream. We've not necessarily experienced miracles which caused our faith to deepen; major events which turned us from our old lives to something new. But, does that mean these miracles don't exist? Is it OK to pray for "a sign", reaching out to God and asking Him to deliver something miraculous?

Miracles are funny things, I think. One of my favorite sayings comes from a song by Sheryl Crow, where she says, "Making miracles is hard work, some people give up before they happen." Miracles don't have to be these giant events like parting the Red Sea, water to wine, amazing healing from the brink of death or raising Lazarus. They can be little things like a hug from a child when you are feeling low; a beautiful sunset showing the majesty of God's creation, filling you with the Spirit; a kind word or simple act of charity you give to a stranger. All of these things are signs of God working in the world and the full realization of sacrifice Jesus made for all of us.

So, it's OK to pray for signs and wonders. Sometimes it's what it takes to strengthen our faith. But be on watch for the little things. If we open our eyes and our hearts to the miracles which occur around us every day, we will believe.

Mar 22 - "Patient Prayer"

"Hear my cry, oh God, and listen to my prayer. I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart; set me upon the rock that is higher than I." --- Psalm 61
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Waiting for God to answer your prayers is really hard sometimes. We are an impatient people. In today's fast-paced, text-messaging, status-updating, continually "connected" world, we struggle with being patient while an answer or response comes to one of our queries.

Last fall, Greta and I were questioning whether the church we attend was the right place for us to be. Even though we had been attending regularly and participating in various ministries here and there, for some reason after almost two years, were just not feeling connected. One of the challenges is that we have had two pretty amazing church experiences in our time together as a family. Our church when we lived in Florida, St. Andrew, as well as St. Lawrence, when we lived in Chicago, were wonderful communities where we felt enriched in ways which grew our faith materially during our time at each.

We prayed about this for quite some time, probably over a period of a few months. After talking to our daughters about it, we even tried another church one Sunday. As this continued, we decided to give our church one more shot. We "dug in", per se, to all that it had to offer; Maddy and I sang in the choir over Advent, Greta stepped into teaching Sunday school more often and we made special efforts to arrange our schedule, allowing us to participate in activities outside of the normal worship services. Of course, we continued to pray about it.

This past Sunday, I looked back on this time where we did not know if we were in the right place and realized, wow, God is great! Our prayers had been answered. Over the course of these past few months, we have felt wonderfully connected and enriched by the people of Holy Family Episcopal Church. It was as if God opened our eyes to the blessings which had been around us the whole time. We absolutely love our small but strong community of believers and see great things happening. All it took was time, patience and prayer...and God delivered!

So, be patient in your prayer. Allow God the time to work His miracles in your life. Do not assume that, just because your answer did not come immediately, God isn't putting things in place that will give you great blessings, if you only wait just a little bit.