Tag Archives: Representing God

Accountability

Ordinary Time
January 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’ –Deuteronomy 18:19-20

But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’—1 Samuel 16:7

I added the scripture from 1 Samuel to the one provided by the lectionary because it amplifies well the way we are held accountable. If we represent ourselves as being Christ followers, we are responsible for upholding Christ’s name. Our behavior, good or bad, reflects on God. I learned that my behavior reflected on my parents and all the ancestors before me as a child. I had a certain ethic to uphold. Most were basic things: being honest, keeping commitments, working hard, caring for others, being polite, and always doing my best. Not just my outward behavior mattered but doing these things for the right reasons mattered also. The Lord looks at the heart.

We are held to account for doing what Christ calls us to do with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We may never know the impact that our labors have. We are a part of a great cloud of witnesses whose heart/love work God weaves together into a perfect whole.

I just saw an interview for a new show on PBS, We’ll Meet Again that reunites people significantly impacted in a previous encounter so all involved can better understand the importance of their paths crossing and the interaction that resulted when it did. It looks interesting.

Take a few moments to remember some encounters in your life that made you a better person. Many of the people involved in those situations probably do not know the influence they had in your life just as you may never know whose lives you influenced positively. God knows.

Prayer:
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.* Amen.

First verse of Take My Life by Frances Ridley Havergal see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/445

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.

Representing God

names-of-jesus Advent
November 25, 2016

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14

Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. –Romans 13:12b-14

Living honorably, what does it mean? Raised with a good dose of honoring my family’s names by my behavior, I am very aware, on a purely human scale, of what it means to conduct myself knowing that what I do, not only reflects on me but also on all the others who share my name. A picture of my mother and father standing in the doorway of the office where I worked looking every bit like Grant Woods American Gothic* is seared in my mind. They received a letter in the mail from the local bank we both used, which told them I wrote a hot check. Never mind that the account was only in my name and the bank did not bother to notify me even though I was an adult. I knew I had not committed the sin of which I was accused and assured my parents I would take care of it. My trip to the bank resulted in discovering that the bank had deposited my paycheck to a closed account that belonged to someone else. I insisted that the bank call the store where the check had bounced and exonerate my good name. They also understood well by the time I left that they should contact me if they had a problem with my account.

Romans is talking about living honorably as representatives of God. I think it is living in such a way that everything we do reflects God in us. Now that is a tough assignment as we jostle routinely with all those little voices enticing us away from being God’s representative in our hearts and our outward behavior. Honoring God requires us to have a good working knowledge of God. The Lord graciously provided us a living example in Jesus Christ. While we lay claim to being followers of Christ, self-examination may illuminate how close we are to being like Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself as others see me. In so doing, show me how I can better represent you in my relationships with all. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic

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.