Tag Archives: Legacy

Inherited Traits

Advent

December 2, 2019

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
   and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
   the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
   the spirit of counsel and might,
   the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
   or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
   and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
   and faithfulness the belt around his loins. –Isaiah 11:1-5

My penchant for genealogy colors most of the ways I intake information. Thus, it is meaningful to me that David’s lineage is referenced in this scripture. Jesse was the son of Ohed, and the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman. Boaz was apparently a successful farmer who was aware of the needs of others and instructed his worker to leave grain in the field for those without other resources to harvest and eat. Jesse followed in his grandfather’s work as a farmer and sheep breeder in Bethlehem. He raised all his sons to be hard workers even his youngest, David. Someone in this family must also to have enjoyed music as David played the harp. Even played the harp to calm King Saul’s savaged soul.

What legacy are we leaving the children in our world to carry forth into the future. Are we teaching them the value of people from other cultures? Are they learning to feed the hungry? Are we creating a world where hard work results in a living wage? Do we spread joy and peace of mind through the sound of music? Are we living righteously while propagating a just world?

Prayer: Lord, during this Advent time help us identify the positive impacts of our ancestors and others who have gone before us and pass them on to all children.  Also, help us filter out any negative traits passed down through the generations that do not foster love for you and love for one another. 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.

Legacy

Legacy of LoveLiving in the Spirit
July 14, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. –2 Samuel 7:12-14a

I was at my sisters for the 4th of July and learned that her 12 year old grandson had taken up the ukulele. She and he played a duet for us, Dustin on his ukulele and she on the piano. As I sat and watched them play, a very clear picture of my father flashed into my mind. He would have been so proud of his great grandson. He died many years before Dustin was even born, but most nights when I was a child after we kids went to bed, we would be lulled to sleep listening to my dad play his guitar and sing.

In the story of Nathan and his discussions with David about building a house for God, we hear God saying what David passes on to his sons about God is more important than any building he could put up to honor God.

What legacy are we passing on to the children of our world today? Some are thriving and learning of God’s love and how to love one another in comfortable homes with adequate food and clothing. Others are learning to survive on mean streets in as many ways as it takes. Still others, in parts of our world, would be thrilled to have only a mean street to face as they risk their lives fleeing from war’s atrocities living and dying with no hope.

God has granted us as humans finite time and energy to bring toward fruition a world reflecting God’s love. When we choose to use these resources unwisely we pass on a more troubled world with which our children must deal. Our working to infuse the world with God’s love will reduce the threat of those mean streets and bring hope to the hopeless creating a world where all of God’s children will be able to worship God in peace and with justice.

Prayer: God of Faith, Hope, and Love, heal our souls so that we might love like you love and leave a legacy of love for our children. 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.

A Parent’s Legacy

Child of GodEastertide
April 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. –1 John 3:1-3

One of the greatest challenges we face as Christian’s is comprehending and accepting that all people are God’s children. Some may not know it yet. None of us have a perfect understanding of what it means.

Years ago when I went to work for the state we had a merit system and my name was the top name on that system for the county in which I lived and wanted to work. I had interviewed for the job, but not heard anything. In contacting the administrator, I was advised to talk to my state senator about it. Apparently, there was someone with political connections who wanted the job and the powers that be were trying to figure out a way to get around me. I was politically naive at the time, but I went to talk with the senator who I had not met and who was an attorney in the county seat. He greeted me politely and when he heard my name he inquired about who my father was and I told him. He said, “I knew your grandfather, he was one of the finest men I have ever know.” I did not know my grandfather. He died when my dad was ten years old, but I had always heard good things about him. The senator told me he would look into the job situation, I thanked him, and drove the 20 miles back to my family’s farm. When I arrived, my mother said that the administrator of the office in which I had applied to work had called and said I was to start to work the next day. Now I do not believe in political patronage, but I gained a great deal of respect for a grandfather I had never known. I actually think I worked harder to uphold that legacy.

Being the child of God carries its privileges and its responsibilities. A part of that responsibility is accepting all of God’s children as our siblings. If they do not know their Parent God then it is also our responsibility to tell them about God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for parents who introduced me to you as a baby. Help me introduce you to those who do not yet know of your compassion and your 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.