Monthly Archives: January 2016

Nations and God

God of our fathersEpiphany
January 11, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
   and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
   and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
   that the mouth of the Lord will give. –Isaiah 62:1-2

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra opens its classics presentations with the playing and singing of the American National Anthem. Recently at the symphony, a young couple sat next to me, who spoke very good English as they excused their way past me to take their seats, but conversed with each other in what I think was Chinese. I guessed they were foreign exchange students and observed their attention increase when the internationally renowned guest pianist walked onto the stage. When the first note of the National Anthem played, the entire audience rose to our feet. The young couple also stood, it was a very polite and appropriate action even though they did not owe allegiance to our country and they most likely did not know the words to the song.

Isaiah’s writing for today made me wonder what is my allegiance to my country from the viewpoint of my faith. I am a very strong believer in the separation of church and state. Pleased to live in a free society that attempts to recognize the rights of all to follow the faith of their choice. I also understand how fragile nations are in the annals of history. It is important that we care for those things about our nation that are important to us. I am not talking about a façade of patriotism. I am talking about leaving a legacy of religious freedom for our posterity like my ancestors did for me.

It seems to me that God’s kingdom is founded on love and it is impossible to make anyone love another. I do not think God wants us to ever try to force anyone to love God. God loves each of God’s children and wants nothing more than to have that love reciprocated, but not by human manipulation. Christ’s partners in kingdom building are far more successful in introducing those, who do not know God, to God by loving them the way God loves each of us. We cannot legislate the Kingdom of God into reality.

Prayer: God so empower our ability to love each other that our nation is known for its love not its laws. 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.

Enabled as Peacemakers

peace-in-handEpiphany
January 10, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ –Luke 21-22

The Dove has been a symbol of peace and love for centuries, not only in Christianity, but across religions. The Dove has been a symbol of the presence of God’s work among God’s people since the story of Noah. A dove was released when the rains had subsided. It returned to the Ark with an olive branch in its beak telling Noah that the waters had receded and he could leave the Ark. It later denoted the presence of God described as the Holy Spirit in the story of the Baptism of Jesus.

The presence of the Dove at Jesus’ baptism is significant as it foretells the role of this One chosen by God to bring love and peace into a world. His task was to bring about peace without the violence of the Pax Romana, the reality that Rome defined as peaceful.

This Roman view of peace is still prevalent in the world today. It is the peace that ISIS pledges, but it is not far removed from the responses desired by some in the world who wish to defeat, by any means necessary, the ISISes that have arisen throughout history.

The peace of Christ is achieved one commitment at a time. This too is symbolized in and through our baptisms. As we each strive for the wholeness of God initiated at baptism, we experience the oneness of God as we work for the peace of God that surpasses understanding. It is the only peace that can and will conquer the world.

Prayer: Grant us your peace O Lord, renew our baptismal commitment. Holy Spirit, continue enabling us as peacemakers. 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.

Cleaning our Granaries

WinnowingEpiphany
January 9, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ –Luke 3:15-17

We pause now in our discourse on baptism, for a brief side trip into keeping our granaries clean or letting the Messiah keep them clean. Although I was raised on a farm, we did not have a granary and I have no experience of cleaning one. I was at one-time adept at the periodic cleaning of our chicken house, and even though I have no experience of granary upkeep, I can assure you that cleaning chicken houses is much worse.

The art of being whole includes the winnowing of all the clutter from our life we pick up along the way inhibiting our being fully who God is calling us to be. First, I think it is important that we recognize that chaff in its origins is necessary and useful. The chaff is the part of a plant, like a corn husk, that protects the seed in its developmental stages. As the seed matures it must be separated from the chaff to be useful. Life events sometimes result in our building protective shields against threats to our wellbeing, which at the time might have been necessary, but can become crippling if made permanent. Often we become so use to these shields we do not recognize that they still are in use. Even when we do see them, we cannot turn them loose. Our relationship with Jesus Christ can free us of that which holds us back.

The start of a New Year is a great time to clean house to get the clutter out of our lives particularly that which is choking our hearts and minds, bodies and spirits and sapping our strength. Take some time for reflection and meditation. Give up to God those things that are impeding your being you.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) 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.

Come Holy Spirit

SpiritEpiphany
January 8, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The author of the book of Hebrews tells us, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) The Holy Spirit is a mystery yet it is so real one can be convicted of its presence. I do not know what happened in this visit with Peter and John and the Samaritans or even the events described at Pentecost. I do know that there exists a power that is also a comfort and a comfort that is also very powerful that can and does engulf our lives sometimes when we least expect it, but always when we most need it.

The Holy Spirit, Our Advocate, God’s promised Comforter is the ultimate gift of God’s love an extension of Emmanuel, God with Us, now and forever with each of us and with all of God’s children as we strive collectively to bring about the Kingdom of God in our world today. Yet we cower in fear at bullies and things that go bump in the night. At least I do. Perhaps it is time that we step forth into the mystery and trust God to lead us as we are called to lead others out of the wilderness of hate and fear and greed.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit Heavenly Dove and lead us forth into the promises of God’s abiding 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.

Sacraments

Holy SpiritEpiphany
January 7, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

One of the amazingly understated phenomenon of this scripture is the uneventful reporting of the need for apostles to visit the folks in Samaria. The Jews and the Samaritans had not seen eye-to-eye for many years. They were the unclean to each other. We know that Jesus was opened to the Samaritans as he used a Samaritan as a shining example of his way in one of his parables. (Luke 10: 25-37) He also asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. (John 4:4–26) Talking to an unrelated woman was bad enough, but a Samaritan. Teachers never really know what sticks until it plays out in real life.

The need for the trip itself may have been as much about reassuring the Samaritans of their welcome into the Body of Christ as it was about making sure they had received the right messages or actions. Or it could have meant that the apostles wanted to check out the new members themselves. My mother was one of the most devoted Christians I have ever known but she was ultimately baptized three times. Sprinkled at birth as an infant in the Methodist church, the Christian Church required that she be baptized again because at that time they only recognized immersion. Eventually, she and my dad joined another group that didn’t recognize any other baptism. My Mom probably consented to do this because she thought it would be of benefit to my Dad or the witnesses or both. I think she was confident in her relationship with God throughout her life.

We still struggle with the proper trappings of church. I do think sacraments are important. Humans seem to have a need to memorialize major life changes and situations. We must remember in these public acts of faith; it is our private relationship with God that really matters.

Prayer: Lord, as we celebrate you in our worship and in our sacraments, touch our hearts with the warmth of your love and renew us once again to our service for you. 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.

The Sin of Greed

oil-well-with-a-side-flowing-gusher-everettEpiphany
January 6, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendor.  

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
   the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. Psalm 29:1-4

Swarms of earthquakes are occurring in Oklahoma over which we have no control even though human behavior most likely is the cause. We humans who claim rather regularly to have a corner on God do not accept that it is God who has shared God’s earth with us and not the other way around. Oklahomans are experienced at this. The Great Depression hosted by human greed was greeted here by a great drought just over eighty years ago. While the drought would have been devastating in its own right, aggressive farming practices had rendered the land vulnerable. The result was what has been labeled the Dust Bowl. We have been here before also in the oil patch. Eager to pull as much of the black gold out of the earth, we ravaged the land from the beginning of oil exploration. We still are working to recover acres of earth wasted for many years from its exploitation.

We are mimicking the lives of our ancestors in faith, the Israelites, whose relationship with God ebbed and flowed based on their fidelity to their covenants with God. They too were more self-righteous at times than righteous investing their religiosity in removing the speck from another’s eye rather than taking the plank from their own as Jesus described. (Matthew 7:3-5)

Unless and until we turn around from our epidemic sin of greed across Christendom, we will continue to pay the heavy toll associated with our failure to care for the earth.

Prayer: Lord, here we are again, standing before you asking for forgiveness for the same failures we have repeated, and our ancestors in faith repeated, over and over again. We acknowledge your power and majesty and pray once more for your grace. Cleanse us again from the greed that overwhelms us, help us learn from our mistakes, and open our hearts and minds to your ways of wholeness, oneness, and justice for everyone. 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.

Together as One

negativityEpiphany
January 5, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’—Isaiah 43:5-7

Most read Isaiah as promising the regeneration of the nation of Israel. I cannot help but recall the book of Genesis when I read this scripture where Isaiah speaks of everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. God apparently glories in diversity for God surely created it. Why do you suppose it is so hard for us to glory in diversity?

Created as totally unique individuals, it does not take us long to cluster into like kinds: males on one side females on the other; red and yellow, black and white; athletes, scholars; working class, wealthy; conservatives, liberals. Apparently the world is easier to understand when we cluster and then create hierarchies of those clusters although it actually gets more complicated, when individuals from various clusters mix together.

One of the traits that Jesus modeled for all to follow was recognizing the uniqueness in each person with whom his path crossed. O, he knew about clusters. Had apparently learned about some. The syrophoenician woman was originally not on his radar. Lepers may not have been either, at first. He had this amazing skill to look past his predilections and see the image of God in each person. This is a skill we each need to hone, if we long for oneness and justice in our world.

Prayer: God, show us the treasure you planted in each human being and let us treat it as the gift of your grace that it is. 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.

Fearful Futures

safe_in_his_presence-297520-300x300Epiphany
January 4, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you. –Isaiah 43:1-2

Some animal made a great effort to get into the attic of my house following an ice storm that left long icicles hanging from all the eaves. The animals walk across my roof sounded like the giants from the storybooks of my childhood. It was definitely not my routine visiting squirrels. It made the weirdest loud high-pitched screeching sound. It was dark outside and I could not see anything from my enclosed porch and trust me when I say, I did not venture out the door of my safe harbor to determine what the source of the noise was. My neighbor said he had heard the animal too and had seen recently a possum and a raccoon in the neighborhood, but I doubt it was either of those animal. My guess was a large feral cat.

While I sat in the comfort of my warm house protected from not only wandering animals but also ice and other elements, it struck me how frightening it must be on the run as a refugee. My church purchases blankets each year through Church World Services that literally may be the only shelter some of these people have.

In our scripture today, Isaiah is writing for Israelite refugees reminding them of God’s presence in all aspects of life even floods and fires. As I write this some of the worst flooding in recorded history is occurring in Missouri. Wildfires have plagued the western part of our country for months. We all need to be reminded of God’s abiding presence in meeting life’s challenges, but just as importantly we need to remember that we are God’s partners in bringing comfort to those escaping danger from whatever its source.

Prayer: We thank you God for your abiding presence in all that we face ourselves and ask for your strength and support as we venture forth to be present with others with fearful futures. 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.

Let us Love

cloud-he-first-loved-usChristmas
January 3, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 1:(1-9), 10-18

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. –John 1:14-18

Rules and laws are interesting. They provide order to life. As much as we may dislike traffic laws, can we image the chaos that would result if they did not exist. On the other hand, if there were no traffic laws we would probably all be more attentive to our driving or not depending on our personalities. Even with the traffic laws there are those who challenge them at every intersection speeding up when they see the light turn red gambling that they can get through the intersection before the cars going the other direction become aware that they have the green light. Rules and laws have their place but they are means to ends not ends unto themselves unless we make them so.

Love is both a means to an end and an end unto itself. Love is the source of peace and justice but also ultimately love is a glimpse of God even in its most rudimentary form. Love transcends rules and laws even while obeying them because they help us move through life with less complexity.

Jesus Christ came as God with us to help us to love not just to obey rules and laws. It is a gift of grace, the ultimate gift of grace in full measure that gives life meaning for all who claim it.

Prayer: O God enable us to love one another, because love is from you and is you. 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.

The Power of Christ

we-are-one-body-in-christ-3-728Christmas
January 2, 2016

 Scripture Reading: John 1:(1-9), 10-18

[The Word] was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. –John 1:10-13

John was written with the feel of hindsight. I don’t really know when I learned that the book of John was probably not written until the last decade of the first century, but John has always seemed a retrospective to me. Indeed, the other gospels included in the canonical Bible were all written several years after the events they discuss. I also read a somewhat speculative commentary some years ago that suggested the gospel of John might have been written by the John Mark who wrote the earliest gospel. Now that is an interesting set of bookends. While these two gospels appear to have different sources, the idea does recognize how differently we may experience the world when we are younger and when we are older. The Jesus of John has been transformed into the abstract Christ, the logos. Yet in some of the stories he seems more human, nearer than the teacher of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. As one who perceives that all people are children of God, what is this power that we require to fulfill such a legacy? My Sunday school class has an ongoing dialogue regarding what the scripture I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) means. It is a hard saying. Whose definition of the way, and the truth and the life is to be applied? The meaning interpretations differ greatly among Christ’s proclaimed followers. Is the Judeo-Christian representation of the One we call Messiah or Christ, this being’s only manifestation? What was meant when Jesus said: I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd (John 10:16)? Was he opening the doors to bring in the gentiles or was he saying he is active and engaged in other religions? Is it single-natured or diverse? Is that heresy or is that omnipotence at work?

While I think such discussion is vital to our authenticity in Christ, I also accept that Christ is shaping us as we move and have our being and that is the power we need to humbly recognize and welcome fully into our lives as we love our way closer to God.

Prayer: Lord, continue your work of nurturing us in wholeness so that we may through the power of your spirit become one in you whether in our diversity or our sameness. 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.