Monthly Archives: September 2016

Knowing the God of Love

child-in-hands-of-godLiving in the Spirit
September 30, 2016

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us. –2 Timothy 1:11-14

As I look back on my life, I must admit I probably was a weird kid. Way too serious; my dad described me as three going on 103. My two favorites songs as a child were Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone and I Know Whom I Have Believed. Obviously, I got my social justice creds early in life and I also learned early that I am never alone even when the world seems to be going crazy. While neither song is sung much today, neither are in our contemporary hymnal; I believe they have much to say about being a follower of Christ in a world living in fear, strangled by greed.

I do not remember knowing at the time that 2 Timothy was the source of I Know Whom I have Believed. Apparently, such assurance was as necessary for the first century as it is now. We become disillusioned because with put our faith in lesser gods promising magic wands to make all things right again. If I just had enough money, if we just had the right person in power, if we just drop a bomb and kill all the bad people, everything will be OK. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper into futility.

There was a man who lived in that first century who proposed a different way: the way of love. When applied with all due humility, Jesus’ way works.

 But I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto him against that day. *

Prayer: Lord, save us from ourselves. Give us the courage to love as you love and to spread that love throughout the lands. Amen.

*Chorus of hymn I Know Whom I Have Believed, Lyrics by Daniel W. Whittle, see at http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh714.sht

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Bigotry

bigotryLiving in the Spirit
September 29, 2016

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
–2 Timothy 1:8-10

It seems a little strange to find in one of the books of Timothy words that support the absolute worth of all of God’s children. The books of Timothy work hard at keeping woman in their “right” place. Yet, here I am. Our scripture today seems to acknowledge that God created each of us for a purpose. Our task is to fulfill that calling even when society does not agree with our receiving some assignments.

The role of women in service to God dates from the beginning of the recorded history of God. Certainly, most often these roles are traditional roles of mother, caretaker, and hostess. Then we discover Deborah, a judge, who led the way saving the people from being overthrown.

I do not believe that bigotry is in our DNA, but it surely lies close to the center of our being. So close, we sometimes have trouble recognizing its existence to our peril. God created a world dependent on justice for all for that world to survive and thrive. Any time we prevent anyone from fulfilling their call we hurt ourselves and everyone else. We move away from the Kingdom of God not toward it.

Prayer: God of Justice, help us to see the bigotry that lurks in all our beings, cleanse us from it, and enable our work toward a world ruled by love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Exile

strangers-no-moreLiving in the Spirit
September 28, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 137

How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
   if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy. –Psalm 137:4-6

Exile—how can our hearts sing when ripped away from home? Taunted—dependent on strangers for good or for bad, how are we to know the difference? Used—working only to survive for one more day so our children can survive for one more day.

Today, refugees stream across borders around the world escaping from death, searching for life. They leave intolerable, unsustainable situations and enter a vast unknown. The children of Abraham knew the reality of loss and fear when taken into captivity over 2,500 years ago. The children of Abraham today are both the refugees and those called to welcome the stranger. It is our faith heritage.

How do we welcome strangers, share hospitality when we fear them? How do we get past our prejudices and see others as the children of God we are called to love? How do we tell them in word and deed they are strangers no more?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace*.

Prayer: God of Mercy, refocus or actions and attitudes toward your way of seeing all your children. Enable our loving the stranger. Amen.

*Chorus to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Helen Howarth Lemmel see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/645

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Gifted

born-to-make-a-differenceLiving in the Spirit
September 27, 2016

Scripture Reading: Lamentations 1:1-6

Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude;
she lives now among the nations, and finds no resting-place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.  

The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals;
all her gates are desolate, her priests groan;
her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter. –Lamentations 1:3-4

Exile did not have to happen. There was ample warning. People are people whether in 586 BCE or 2016 CE. We hear what we want to hear and trust those who promise what we want even if it means our ruin. The people of Judah longed for a savior and put their faith in empty vestals.

In 2016, 2,000 years after the Savior came, we still want more. We are as unwilling to accept our part in bringing about the Kingdom of God as were our ancestors in the faith in 586 BCE. God created people with intelligence and the ability to diagnose and solve problems. God gave us the choice of whether to use these gifts for good or evil. Some still choose to burn their gifts on altars to other gods.

Jesus calls us to offer our gifts to the glory of God. As we attempt to live into his invitation, we must seek ways to problem solve through acts of love, not winner take all attitudes or acts of violence. Let it be so.

Prayer: Lord, remind us that you gifted us with choice and it is our call where we apply our gifts responsibly. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Restore the Souls of our Cities

lamentationsLiving in the Spirit
September 26, 2016

Scripture Reading: Lamentations 1:1-6

How lonely sits the city that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal.  

She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become her enemies. –Lamentations 1:1-2

Last week a news report was staged on the empty streets of Charlotte, North Carolina where only hours before emotions boiled over into those same streets following a shooting. The stark difference was chilling. Do we desert our cities once again leaving them to decay around the people unable to escape or do we invest our energies in loving those cities into vibrant places of life and growth with enough for all? I say once again because I remember the white flight of the 1950’s and 1960’s, which lingers to haunt us still.

The tools of equal justice, preventive justice, and restorative justice work. Quality public education works, particularly when it targets the real needs of the students and adequately funds schools. Coordinating job training for youth and adults with the needs of new businesses works. Such programs only work if applied. They will only be applied if we the people insist.

We make lamentations now for not doing enough to prevent the anger and desperation on the streets. Let us channel our lamentations into actions to heal our wounded cities.

Prayer: Lord, hear our prayers, heal our divisions, make us whole, make us one. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Scrooge

scroogeLiving in the Spirit
September 21, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31

He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’
–Luke 16:27-31

I know it is not Christmas, but I always think of Scrooge when I read this scripture. Remember in Charles Dicken’s  A Christmas Carol, how Scrooge’s old friend Marley appears to him to tell him that he would have three visitors. These ghostly visions are coming to relate his past to his present and warn him about their shortfalls impacting his future. Unlike the prediction of our scripture today, Scrooge gets the message. He repents of his greed and miserliness. He receives the rewards of a loving family and a loving employee.

Abraham did not hold out much hope for the rich man’s brothers. The brothers, probably like the rich man, might have been so full of themselves they had no room in their life for God much less for being a partner in building the Kingdom of God.

Maybe it is time for each of us to consider the ghosts of our past and present to determine how they are shaping our future and that of the coming generations. The rewards of love are priceless.

Prayer: Lord, help us examine ourselves to see what from our past has filled us with anything that blocks your vision for us, what from our present is keeping us from loving like you love, and what is your hope for our future. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Privilege

parable-of-rich-man-and-lazarusLiving in the Spirit
September 24, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31

‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” –Luke 16:19-26

Jesus seemed to have a problem with privilege. Privilege seems to be a goal toward which all strive but for some reason privilege does not seem to exist in our minds unless we have it and someone else does not. Therein, lies the problem.

According to the Merriam-Webster* dictionary privilege means:

1 a: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor: special enjoyment of a good or exemption from an evil or burden

d: any of various fundamental or specially sacred rights considered as peculiarly guaranteed and secured to all persons by modern constitutional governments (as the enjoyment of life, liberty, and reputation, the right to acquire and possess property, the right to pursue happiness) (Emphasis Added)

Indeed, there are some privileges granted as peculiar to a given situation, like the right to blow out candles on our birthday cake. There are other privileges guaranteed to all persons known as sacred rights. My guess, this definition draws from the history of God’s promises to all God’s children. In our government, we attempt to emulate such sacred rights. We are not perfect at it, but the need to strive toward such a state must resonates in our every action.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we fall short of upholding the sacred rights of all people. Make us aware when we fall short of reaching that goal. Guide our steps in reclaiming our mutual privilege. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/privilege

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Riches

where-your-treasure-isLiving in the Spirit
September 23, 2016

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. –1 Timothy 6:17-19

Are we rich? How many dollars must we possess to classify us as rich? What does it mean to be rich? Richness comes in all kinds of packages not all wrapped in money. The writer of 1 Timothy notes the richness of doing good works, being generous, and providing positive futures for coming generations.

Generosity with money usually follows generosity with time and talent. Seeing hungry children compels generosity with food. Understanding the economic system that resulted in the hunger drives the creation of an economy that provides enough for all. Putting our hearts in the right place results in our money going there, no matter how much money we possess. The widow’s mite* propelled change.

Prayer: Lord, you have dealt abundantly with each of your children with material wealth as well as with talent and time. Makes us one in our generosity toward addressing needs now and providing for positive tomorrows. Amen.

*See Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Faith and Occupation

integrityLiving in the Spirit
September 22, 2016

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. –1 Timothy 6:6-10

Does your faith go to work with you? There are some business owners who make the news for refusing to serve certain people because of who they are or do not participate in health insurance that pays for birth control for their employees. Both seem to me to be instances of requiring others to follow one’s faith. What happened to integrity in doing business when we do not follow our faith? When did turning every penny into profit override customer service? What became of the pride of quality workmanship? Announcements of recalls fill the news. Software companies foist “new and improved upgrades” that consumers beta test for them on the fly as the companies try to beat out the competition. Software upgrades render hardware obsolete long before it loses its functionality. And now one of the largest banks in America is fined for enrolling customers in services that they did not request but earned fees for the bank. Oh, and yes, the bank’s response was to fire the front line workers who did the dirty work for them.

Greed is epidemic in our land. It is the way of doing business. Greed always starts in the hearts and minds of individuals but rapidly grows as we ignore each other’s greed to ease the guilt of our own avarice. Greed is a sin and as with all sins, it will eat each of us from the inside out unless we recognize it for what it is and elicit God’s forgiveness and grace to help us overcome it. History also demonstrates that greed has contributed to the fall of great nations. Read the Bible book of Amos.

Prayer: God of Justice, I fear we are all guilty of greed. Make us aware of the difference in greed and productive gain. Forgive us when greed overcomes us and heal our souls. Amen.

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All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Love vs. Fear

perfect-loveLiving in the Spirit
September 21, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
   or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   or the destruction that wastes at noonday. –Psalm 91:1-6

Truth cries out in our scripture today. We do serve an awesome God who loves us and thus wants the very best for us. We do live in a scary world where bullies try to bring us to our knees. The bullies do not realize that the best place for God-lovers in times of stress is literally or figuratively on our knees humbling ourselves before God. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) This truth particularly resonates in our lives when evil seems to be all about us.

Our world is complex. Hate and fear beget hate and fear. What we must remember and grasp is love overcomes hate and fear. God never promised it would be easy. God does promise that our love exponentially increases as it joins with God’s love. The love of God combined with the love of all God-lovers far exceeds the power manifested by hate and fear. The question, the challenge is when will we ever have the faith to let love do its work through us as God seems to will?

Prayer: Strengthen us to humble ourselves enough to be your conduit of love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.