Eastertide

May 21, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 17:1-11

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. –John 17:6-11

‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.  (Matthew 12:25)

1 Kings 12-16 tells the story of the dividing of the House of Israel following the death of Solomon. He seemed more interested in wealth and power than in his charge to care for his own people. This might be a good time for all of God’s people to read or re-read the story of Solomon’s reign and the division that happened after his death. The USA seems to be falling into the same trap.

John quotes Jesus calling on us to be one with one another as Christ is one with God. That starts with us being in sync with Christ. I read a comment recently that a person wrote saying that some things are just wrong. I agreed with the person’s sentiment, but we are worlds apart regarding what we each might include in a list of things that are just wrong. For example, I think capital punishment is just wrong no matter what, but I know lots of people who totally disagree with me.

So how do we build a bridge to oneness in God? I think the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) teaches us how to begin that process.  It suggests that we take the time to look at issues differently. Benjamin Franklin may have shaped his comment: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. From that sermon. It applies to most of the challenges we face in our world today. Ending poverty would improve most of our living conditions. Providing quality public education would produce a well-prepared workforce that could be self-supporting. Fifty-nine percent of abortions are related to poverty. Simply raising the minimum wage to a living wage would heal much brokenness.

 Prayer: Lord, remove the blinders from our eyes that make us see only the result of complex problems and turn our hearts and minds to find solutions that prevent problems before they fester into societal sores. 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.

Eastertide

May 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 17:1-11

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. John 17:1-5

I have always felt deep in my heart that after we die, we spend eternity with God, and that is all that matters regarding life after death. I fall in the category of those who need to do as much as I can to finish the work that God gave me to do while here on earth. For some reason, I do believe in a final judgment. That is why I think it is important to keep in touch with God in everything I do along the way. I have conducted exit interviews when people I supervised when they retired. Mostly, those were remembrance meetings, reviewing lessons learned, and actions modified as well as the work accomplished. My goal for a judgment procedure would be something like that.

Of one thing I am sure, God wants the very best for all his children and all humans are God’s children. God sent Jesus to model a way of being that actualizes the command to love God and love one another, sent Christ to restore our souls when we choose the wrong path, and sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in setting our steps toward what is right and what is needed.

Prayer

Thank you Lord, for saving my soul
Thank you Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free*. Amen.

*Thank you Lord, for saving my soul, written by Seth and Bessie Sykes

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.

Eastertide

May 19, 2023

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen –1 Peter 5:6-11

I toss and turn in the wee hours of the morning, casting my anxiety on the Lord, and God always seems to reply: So what are you going to do about whatever is causing the angst? I wanted God to fix the issue, The Lord wants me to take up my cross and follow, with the promise that God will always be with me. I am a strong believer in Christ calling his followers to take up his cause and finish as much of the work I can bringing the Kingdom of God, the beloved community, to fruition.

This scripture outlines a good plan for living into that calling.  Trust in God first, discipline yourselves, keep alert, and work, when indicated and possible, in groups.

My mother actively attended church until she was 95. She was never one to grip but she did say to me once that she liked the new songs her church was singing but she just wished that once in a while they would sing one of the old songs she love so much. As I wrote this, I remembered one of her favorites. Here is the first verse, this is for her.

Work, for the night is coming:
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling:
Work mid springing flowers;
Work when the day grows brighter;
Work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night is coming,
When man’s work is done*.

Prayer: Lord, sustain us in serving you at all times in all ways. Amen.

*First verse of Work for the Night is Coming by Annie Louisa Coghill see at https://hymnary.org/text/work_for_the_night_is_coming_work_throug

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.

Eastertide

May 18, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. –1 Peter 4:12-14

When we read of Christ’s sufferings, what instantly comes to mind is Jesus hanging on the cross or being beaten. I am often driven to the picture of Jesus sitting on the hill over Jerusalem and saying, ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37) I envision him still overlooking his children, whether in Jerusalem or Washington DC or Oklahoma City wanting to make us one under his wings, and we are not willing.

Jerusalem remains caught in the crossfires of division, but our nation is not far behind. I cannot imagine Jesus withholding health care from any child because they did not meet humans’ cultural selfhood standards. Jesus did have the advantage of being present at creation and taking in the original knowledge that all people were created in the image of God, and thus all people were good. Indeed, Jesus established our providing healthcare as one of the criteria by which all nations will be judged. This will come as a shock to many of us who think the USA is better than any other nation. We, indeed, have by far the highest cost of healthcare in the world. The sad result is that the US health system ranks last in quality of care among High-Income Countries*. In the US, healthcare is a privilege, not a right, and we, the people, pay a heavy price for that.

Prayer: Lord, lead us to being one in you rather than living in a divide-and-conquer world. Amen.

*https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2784346 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

Eastertide

May 17, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

O God, when you went out before your people,
   when you marched through the wilderness,
          Selah
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
   at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
   at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
   you restored your heritage when it languished;
your flock found a dwelling in it;
   in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
   sing praises to the Lord,
          Selah
O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
   listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
Ascribe power to God,
   whose majesty is over Israel;
   and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God in his sanctuary,
   the God of Israel;
   he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God! –Psalm 68:7-10, 32-35

When I first discovered the word Selah in scripture, I learned that no one was quite sure what it meant. It was perhaps a musical instruction.  It has also been described as meaning to exalt God. Recently I read that it may mean to pause for contemplation. Look above at the sentences that appear just before the word Selah. Now read the quote from the Psalm and pause at each Selah and contemplate what you just read. The first such sentence describes God’s leading the Israelites out of Egypt, out of slavery. Now read the sentence that follows. The pause makes a difference in broadening our understanding. In the next instance, the sentence commands us to sing, then we pause and learn that those in heaven are singing too.

Prayer: We thank you, Lord, for the pauses in our lives that bring us closer to 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Eastertide

May 16, 2023

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-14

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. –Acts 1:12-14

I just saw an interview with four people who were impacted by the Buffalo grocery store mass shooting that happened on May 14, 2022. All of their lives had been markedly changed. All of them were still grieving the loss of a loved one or the trauma of witnessing the massacre. A year later, they had processed the event and realized it had changed their lives forever.

The Disciples and Jesus’s family were most likely still in shock when they reentered the place where they were staying following Jesus’s ascension. Their lives, too, had been changed forever. Their response was to turn to prayer, a good action to follow such an amazing experience. Who was this man they knew as Jesus? How were they going to get along without his human presence? What must their next steps be?

We have all been there on a much small scale, but we mustn’t let these times of growth escape us. We need to learn from them. One of the women from Buffalo shared that she is now more engaged than ever in addressing the issues of our day.  The disciples understood that call in the same way and proceeded to change the whole world.

Prayer: Lord, we live in a fractured world where love does not abound as it should. Open our hearts and minds and set our hands and feet to make your love the norm worldwide.  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.

Eastertide

May 15, 2023

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-14

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ –Acts 1:6-11

Christ does not want us to sit around and wait for his return. He expects, with the help of the Holy Spirit, for us to continue his work building the Kingdom of God here on earth right now and into the future. Part of that job is telling the story of Jesus and his love to the whole world as much by our actions as our words. Another part is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide water for the thirsty, care for the sick, welcome the stranger, and restore the prisoner. (See Matthew 25). A large part of meeting these needs requires us to heed the prophet Micah’s advice.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God? –Micah 6:8
Prayer: Empower us, Lord,  to do your calling.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.

Eastertide

May 14, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-21,

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

In the Middle Ages, Foundling Wheels were installed in some churches and orphanages as a place where a newly born infant could be placed if the child’s parents could not care for it for whatever reason. The parent could open a door on the outside wall of the building and place their child in a basket inside, which sat on a wheel. The parents closed the door, rang a bell, and left. A staff person at the facility, upon hearing the bell, would wheel the baby inside the building and welcome it to the facility’s care.

There are times in our lives when we feel hopeless and can see no way out of an impossible situation. God is always present and ready to take us into God’s arms and return us to wholeness. Our Foundling Wheel is prayer that opens the door to healing our souls.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for always being present to us even when we feel lost and alone. 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.

Eastertide

May 13, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 14:15-21
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

Jesus’s prime directive was the Commandment to love God and our neighbors as we love ourselves*. In the story of the Good Samaritan, he reminds us that all people are our neighbors**.  That is a bitter pill for us to swallow.

What is love? Thomas Aquinas defines love as “the choice to will the good of the other.” Greek words translated as love in the New Testament include:

AGAPE– Although common in both the Septuagint and the New Testament, the word rarely occurs in existing secular Greek manuscripts of the period. Like its synonym philia, it designates love between persons (John 13:35), or people for God (1 John 2:15), of God for humanity (Rom. 5:8), and of God for Christ (John 17:26).

Whereas phila emphasizes the idea of love arising from personal relationships, agape is founded upon deep appreciation and high regard. It is perhaps for this reason that agape is the love which God commands. There is a difference between liking and loving. Agape love requires wanting the best for another, all others, and treating all with high regard. We should have high regard for everyone. We choose those with whom we share phleo.

PHILEO– signifies friendship, fondness, affection, delight, and personal attachment. This word is on a feeling – a heart of love – whereas agape is a matter of benevolence, duty, and commitment. We are commanded to have agape love (Matt. 5:44) but not phileo love because feelings cannot be commanded.

PHILADELPHIA—Sibling love***.

I was surprised to learn that a fourth Greek word for love, Eros—erotic love, does not appear in the New Testament. We who call ourselves Christians have certainly invested much energy in defining it and overseeing it, particularly regarding others.

How do we practice Agape Love in our daily lives?

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to see all people through your eyes and love them with deep appreciation and high regard as you expect us to. Amen.

*See Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 22:36-40
**See Luke 10:25-37
***For information source see https://www.dictionary.com/e/greek-words-for-love/#:~:text=Agape%20is%20a%20major%20term,love%20humanity%20has%20for%20God.

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.

Eastertide

May 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

[Christ] was made alive in the Spirit. The idea of the Spirit of God is hard for me to wrap my mind around. I have read books on it and even attended classes where it was taught. I do not know what I think about the Trinity. I remember one class where the teacher tried to help us understand the various theories about the Trinity by drawing triangles and arranging them differently to illustrate various ideas. While such a study is intriguing, the question of God can only be answered by faith. I tend to think music might give us a better understanding.  

Hymn

I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And on the earth again shall stand;
I know eternal life He giveth,
That grace and power are in His hand.

Chorus
I know, I know that Jesus liveth,
And on the earth again shall stand;
I know, I know that life He giveth,
That grace and power are in His hand*.

Handel

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day
Upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God
For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that
Sleep**

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your Spirit that we me know you more clearly and serve you more nearly. Amen.

*First verse and Chorus of the hymn I Know that my Redeemer Liveth by Jessie Brown Pounds. See at https://hymnary.org/text/i_know_that_my_redeemer_liveth_and_on

**A segment from I Know That My Redeemer Liveth by George Frideric Handel’s The Messiah

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.