Living in the Spirit

June 10, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Romans 4:13-25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. –Romans 4:13-15, 20-25

I attended a class recently on the Biodiversity Crisis. I was a little out of place surrounded by experts in the field, sometimes needing a dictionary to interpret what I was hearing. I was there because I thought I needed to know more about this whole climate change business. I am learning a lot in the class while having to stretch my mind to take in the genre of information that at times seemed like a foreign language. I was, however, blessed with being among people who could and did readily discuss in our common language. The scripture above states that Abraham would inherit the world not through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

God gave us dominion over the world; we must choose how we will care for it. If we kill the earth out of our greed, we kill ourselves. Ultimately what is right for the earth is right for us. So, like me, some of us need to learn a new relationship with the earth and all that is within it where we understand that what is good for the earth is good for us.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the fruits of the earth that nurture us and the life-giving water that sustains us. Guide us in using them wisely. 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 9, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 50:7-15
Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
   O Israel, I will testify against you.
‘   I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
   your burnt-offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house,
   or goats from your folds.
For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
   the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the air,
   and all that moves in the field is mine.

‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
   for the world and all that is in it is mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
   or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
   and pay your vows to the Most High.
Call on me in the day of trouble;
   I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’

Another scripture that came to mind when I read the above Psalm was Joel 2:13:

   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
   for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relents from punishing.

We want to give to God what is of value to us, God wants what is of value to God. The Lord, who created the earth and all that is in it, does not need burnt offerings or our trying to be better than anyone else, resulting in self-righteousness. God created us primarily to love. Love requires humility, justice, and concern for others.

Prayer: Lord, help us answer your call to love one another, not substitute self-righteousness for 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Living in the Spirit

June 8, 2023

Scripture Reading: Hosea 5:15-6:6
I will return again to my place
   until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.

   In their distress they will beg my favor:
‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
   for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
   he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
  on the third day he will raise us up,
   that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
   his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
   like the spring rains that water the earth.’

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
   What shall I do with you, O Judah?

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
   I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
   and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
   the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

As a nation, we also give lip service to God if it does not interfere with the rest of our lives. That seems to be what Hosea is saying in this last segment of the scripture.

Your love is like a morning cloud,
   like the dew that goes away early.

Hosea structures this scripture in an interesting manner. He first describes God returning to his people and imagines a positive response in the next segment. The positive response was short-lived. We welcome God when it is convenient. We often turn to God when it is too late to avoid heartbreak.

Greed seems to be the primary idol of our day. We are willing to sell our souls for wealth and power, as are some of our leaders. Why do we not see that God created a world where all can be well if we only understand God’s vision of God’s world as being fueled by love? When we follow that concept, the Beloved Community blossoms for everyone.

Prayer: Lord, guide us through whole days, not just the time of the morning dew. 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 7, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 33:1-12

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
   Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
   make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
   play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts

For the word of the Lord is upright,
   and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. –Psalms 33:1-5

What is just, what is right? What does it mean to walk humbly with God? I am a strong believer in the separation of church and state. I think Jesus meant it when he said render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s. (Matthew 22:21) I worked as a government employee for 35 years and recognize the necessity of having some entity to bring order out of chaos and support people in successfully moving through the daily activities of life. In a democracy, the government is to protect individual rights while assuring that we live in a just society established by the rule of law. My experience is that the government is working at its best when it is the most boring; when potholes are fixed quickly, water is safe to drink, businesses operate within the rule of law, children are educated to become successful adults, criminals are restored to wholeness, all people have enough of the necessities of life. God’s justice and righteousness may influence governments’ justice and righteousness, but God’s justice and righteousness involve the individual’s relationship with God ruled by love. It calls us to higher ground. Being under the wings of God surpasses order and brings having love rule our lives as we are honored to walk humbly in the love of God.

Prayer: Lord, Guide us to follow you onto your higher 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 6, 2023

Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-9

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb. –Genesis 12:4-9

Abram was apparently a successful man of some wealth when he left Ur and acquired “persons,” otherwise known as slaves, in Haron to join his company as he moved toward the land of the Canaanites. Slavery was an accepted part of the worldview in that place at that time, as was polygamy. We must realize that we create our worldview from our experiences and our heritage. As we study the Bible, we would do well to attempt to separate the worldview present when the Bible was composed and our worldview today from God’s view.  We tend to pick and choose what we are comfortable with. We, however, need to evaluate our worldview by what is right and what is wrong in God’s view.  One of the unique characteristics of the USA is that we are a mixture of varied worldviews that requires us to seek common ground for the Common Good in our democracy. My paternal great-grandfather was a Union soldier in the Civil War, hit in the head by a mini ball that eventually blinded him. I have no idea what his stance on slavery was. His worldview was that when called to serve his nation, he did. My maternal great-grandfather was a captain in the Confederate Army. Although he became a successful merchant after the war was over, the war was apparently never over for him. Still, somehow, I knew the history but was never indoctrinated into the support of slavery. It was with intentionality that my mother took the time to guide her children into loving all our neighbors as we loved ourselves, God’s worldview.

Prayer: Lord, help us recognize the difference between some of our worldviews and God’s view and help us choose God’s view. 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 5, 2023

Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-9

Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ –Genesis 12:1-3

What is God calling us to do? Each of us was created in the image of God, and all of us are called to contribute our part in making our world a Beloved Community where all have enough of the necessities of life to thrive and share the gifts and talents with which we have been bestowed. My mother was a devoted believer in serving God. Her callings changed with her age. I was not around to see her first answers to God’s call. As an adult, she served as a Deaconess in the Methodist church in West Virginia during the Depression. After she married, she set an example for her children. She taught school, was always active in her church, serving on boards and committees, teaching Sunday School, and leading in women’s groups. She sent cards to the lonely, sick, and grieving throughout her life. Even in her final year, when she was bedfast and could no longer send cards, she practiced intercessory prayer.

What Is God calling us to do?

Prayer: Lord, make clear to each of your followers our calling as you did for Abram. 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 4, 2023

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

I am with you always, to the end of the age. Funny how I remember songs l sang in church 70 years ago as a child that are still stored somewhere in my brain. I thought the title of the following one was Never Alone, but apparently, the title is I’ve Seen the Lightning Flashing. No one knows who wrote it or when it was written. It probably arose from the cotton fields of slavery and was passed down through the generations.

I’ve seen the lightning flashing
And heard the thunder roll,
I’ve felt sin’s breakers dashing,
which tried to conquer my soul;
I’ve heard the voice of my Savior,
He bid me still fight on:
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone.

Refrain:
No, never alone,
No, never alone;
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone:
No, never alone,
No, never alone:
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone*.

I remember that for a couple of months, after my mother died, it felt like my prayers were not getting past the ceiling of my room. I felt alone, but I was not. Eventually, I prayed and knew I was heard and had been heard all along. God understands grief. God also understands the times we separate ourselves from God because we are wrestling with ourselves over what is right and what is wrong and are tempted to believe that what is wrong is right. We must remember that we never have those battles alone.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the constancy of your presence. Open our hearts and minds to your presence as we battle with what is justice. Amen.

*The First Verse and Chorus of I’ve Seen the Lightning Flashing, see at https://hymnary.org/text/ive_seen_the_lightning_flashing

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.

Living in the Spirit

June 3, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

We are commanded to obey everything that Jesus commanded. Mark 12:30-31 records him as saying:

you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’

Easy to say, hard to do. Jesus did not leave us helpless. He left us with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, which I perceive as being a breakdown of Benjamin Franklin’s saying that prevention is worth a pound of cure. It tells us how to avoid getting caught up in the sins outlined in The Ten Commandments in the first place.  His parables give us examples to help us perhaps see ourselves outside ourselves. The stories of his own acts of love teach us the art of selfless service: healing, forgiving, and encouraging. I love the story of his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman, where he illustrates his recognizing his bigotry and letting it go.  (See Mark 7:24-30) He truly was fully human and fully divine, and we, too, can overcome our shortcomings because he came not only as an example but endowed us with his Spirit to help us on our journey.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for coming among us and leaving your legacy to guide us. 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.

Living in the Spirit

June 2, 2023

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Agree with one another. My book club is reading Search by Michelle Huneven for Our June meeting. It is the story of a Universal Unitarian Church Search Committee assigned to select a new minister to recommend to the congregation. I am not a member of that group, and I must say it was enlightening to know that people are just people in similar situations. I have served on a selection committee. I probably got a more unbiased view from seeing the process through a slightly different lens. I learned from my experience to pay close attention to how references word their comments. One does not want to understand what the reference was politely trying to say when a few months after the hire, one has that Aha! moment where one recognizes what the reference was trying to say.

We live in a very divide-and-conquer world. How do we find a way to agree with one another? First and hardest, we must recognize the worth of everyone we deal with. Hear the actual words others may be saying and try to understand why they are taking their stance. Try to help them to understand the basis of your viewpoint.  I am a retired social worker and clergy female who grew up on a farm. My worldview is markedly different from others. Varied insights make democracies stronger. Learning how to communicate in sharing and receiving information for decision-making is the key to making our democracy better.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the patience and the fortitude to improve the world in which we live. 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.

June 1, 2023

Living in the Spirit

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Put things in order. Why do things get out of order? I have lived in the same house for over 40 years. I do not consider myself a hoarder, but over that many years, we just collect stuff until there is no longer any place to store new stuff.  I have finally recognized that the problem needs to be addressed. What I have discovered is that as I sort through stuff, I do toss some things in the trash or donate things to organizations that distribute things to people in need. However, I just stack some things in another place and think I will decide what to do with those things later.  When I read the above scripture, I wondered how much I run my spiritual life in the same way. How do we put our spiritual life in order and deal with those things we are not ready to tackle?

First, I think there are issues that we might need to set aside for a time to gain a clearer understanding. Second, I must confess there are some things I do not feel comfortable doing that I need to do. Regular communion with God is the best way to get a second opinion on our service to God. Is my reticence from God or me? The best thing about God is that the Lord will work with us to correct our route even when we take a wrong path. It is important that we learn from all our mistakes.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your patience with me and thank you for your impatience with me that gives me the impetus to do what is right even when I am hesitant to try. 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.