Tag Archives: Hindsight

God’s Wonderful Works

Living in the Spirit
August 30, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 46b

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
   make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
   tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
   let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
   seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
   his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
   children of Jacob, his chosen ones. –Psalm 105:1-6

I spent much of my career planning for the future, trying to foresee changing issues, matching shrinking resources with growing need, and buffering for the unexpected. From time to time it was important to remember accomplishments of the past. History is a great teacher when we learn from it.

We should take heart in the history of God’s intersection with God’s people. A quick read of Hebrews 11 might be in order. We do not need to limit our exploration of the acts of God to the Bible. Just in my lifetime, God’s hand was surely in

  • The amazing restoration of Germany and Japan following World War II
  • The Civil Rights Act in the USA
  • The mothers’ movement in Ireland
  • The end of apartheid in South Africa
  • Reductions in Child Mortality particularly deaths caused by unsafe water
  • The Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS

What can we add to this list from small acts of God’s love to great?

After reading Hebrews 11, the above list, and the items we add consider the Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our work is not finished: countries still fight, racism routinely raises its ugly head, the Child Mortality rate is still unacceptable, and new and different health problems demand responses. God’s loving nurture is needed throughout the world, and we are its conduits.

Prayer: God of Might and Miracles, strengthen us so that when needed, obstacles are moved keeping the world safe from war and environmental disaster; children and adults healthy in body, mind, and spirit; and justice prevails. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Discerning Christ among Us

Eastertide
April 24, 2017

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’

 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. –Acts 2:36-38

Hindsight often abbreviates memory. Acts was probably written in the 80’s CE following the fall of the temple around 70 CE. Some 20 to 30 years earlier Paul wrote extensively about his work mediating the issues of integrating the idea of Jesus as Messiah into the mainstream of Judaism while taking on the task of spreading that same news to the gentile world. By the time of the writing of Acts, Christianity was a separate religion with strong reliance on Judaism as its parent faith. Paul seemed to remain a good practicing Jew throughout his life. The writer of Acts, presumed to be Luke as identified, was Christian. With one sentence, one verse, Luke sums up several years of history with, as he states, certainty. Peter is the speaker in our scripture today. He was most likely martyred about the same time as Paul in the early 60’s CE. In this presentation, Peter appears to have transitioned to the new faith by the Pentecost immediately following the resurrection.

As we struggle with being church today, we should remember that since its beginning, leaders and followers met barriers or cultural norms that had to be addressed to fulfill the calling to be the Body of Christ in the world. These are normal in all aspects of life and our most important task is keeping our purpose of being the Body of Christ foremost so that dealing with issues remain means to the end rather than the end itself. I fear we get so caught up in what divides us, we, at times, lose the bigger picture.

Prayer: Lord, help us as the church universal identify the things on which we can agree and work diligently toward their fulfillment. Where we disagree, guide our discernment to find common ground. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hindsight as Insight

Lent
Maundy Thursday
April 13, 2017

Scripture Reading: John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. –John 20:1-10

Today we observe the Last Supper. In our scripture, Jesus is already dead, buried, and now missing from the tomb. It is hard to imagine the shock Jesus’ followers are experiencing. He warned them many time, tried to prepare them for this time, but no one is ever really prepared for such life changing moments. I remember visiting my dad in the ICU about an hour before he died. He was sitting on the side of the bed, looking healthier than he had for months as the hospital staff had drained 40 pounds of liquid from his body. He had a massive heart attack just a few days before. The nurse told me when I asked how he was doing that he was about the same. He said in a very matter of fact manner, “It is worse than they think.” Visitors were only allowed ten minutes so I told him I would be back at the next visiting period and left. I did not realize at the time he was trying to prepare me for what he knew was coming. In hindsight, I appreciated his attempt. My guess, the disciples dealt with a lot of hindsight over the next several weeks after Holy Week.

As we observe the Last Supper today, let us be mindful of the words that are spoken. Listen for the parts of the story you might remember in hindsight. Prepare for the events that are coming for they still change our lives.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your graciousness in sharing your insights with us. Help us understand them. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.