Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

In God’s Hands

Lent

March 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
   Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
   so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
  and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities.

A few weeks ago, I talked to my cousin, who lives in California, concerning the fires and floods that are assaulting that state. I had just watched a news report about mudslides that were getting nearer to her home. She assured me their home was on solid ground and inland enough not to be bothered by the mudslides.  Last week the floods were getting worse, and I emailed her. Have not heard back. I hope she and her husband are safe. They may not have electricity or an internet connection. She would say they are in God’s hands.

I thought of her when I read the above Psalm, and although I would like to hear it from her, I, too, trust that they are in God’s hands no matter what happens with the weather and share that hope with all people as we face the challenges of our world today.

Prayer:  Lord, I pray today for all the people caught in weather, war, disaster, and pandemic and pray these words for each and all:
Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:

Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home*. Amen.

*Take My Hand, Precious Lord, by Thomas A. Dorsey, See at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/p/l/t/m/pltmhand.htm

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.

Unbound

Lent

March 21, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’ –Ezekiel 37:11-14

Now is the time to let God lift us from the graves of depression and hopelessness and step forward to assume our job assignment of building the Beloved Community. Many years ago, a church class I attended studied a book that asks and explores the answer to the question, am I, Lazarus? That is the Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha (see John 11), not the Lazarus who was welcomed into the bosom of Abraham (see Luke 13-16).

Lazarus was dead and wrapped in grave clothing that would not allow him to move even if he were alive until Jesus called him out of the tomb and instructed those present to unbind him and let him go. How much do we bind ourselves by the world’s challenges, which limits our ability to be the Body of Christ in our world today? How much do we bind others by our attitudes and fears? How can we unbind ourselves and step out in faith to build the Kingdom of God? How can we enable all those around us to fully be the person God created them to be in God’s service?

The story of Lazarus was recorded as happening on Jesus’s trek to the cross and his resurrection. As we observe Lent on our way to Easter, let us examine ourselves and ask for God’s help in removing what is limiting our ability to fully engage in completing our assignments in building the Beloved Community and do our part in enabling others to find their niche in serving the Lord with gladness.

Prayer: Lord, unbind us from what keeps us from serving you more nearly. 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.

Dry Bones

Lent

March 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. –Ezekiel 37:1-10

We are surrounded by death. Within the span of the COVID outbreak, 6,819,378 worldwide have died from COVID, 1,151,279 of them from the United States. More are added every day. Over 50,000 bodies have been found in the Turkey/Syria earthquake, and there may be more to find. Just over 9,000 civilians were killed in the first year of the Ukraine War, not counting the lost soldiers. Mass shootings are reported routinely now in the USA.

This plague of deaths that surrounds us has taken a toll on our mental health, just as the valley of dry bones Ezekiel describes in his vision was taking a toll on Israel. These dry bones are a vivid measure of our challenges as we strive to serve God more nearly. Ezekiel’s goal was to remind the Hebrews and us today that God is still God and is still working God’s purpose out, and we remain the workforce to implement our role in God’s plan.

God is working this purpose out
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea*.  

Prayer: God, please help us see how we fit in working your purpose out and guide us in carrying out our calling.   Amen.

*The first verse of the hymn God is Working His Purpose Out  by Arthur Campbell Ainger see at https://hymnary.org/text/god_is_working_his_purpose_out#Author

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.

Our Worldview vs the Beloved Community’s Way

Lent

March 19, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 9:1-41

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains. –John 9:35-41

Are we turning people away from church because we practice our worldview rather than Christ’s?  Jesus called us to a new worldview, the Kingdom of God, or what is also referred to today as the Beloved Community. The Pharisees chose the parts of their faith tradition that met their worldview and ignored others. Thus, they judged other people based on their worldviews. In the first century, having any kind of disability was often viewed as a punishment for sin, for example, being blind.

I was appalled this week when the news showed a segment of debate in our state legislature regarding a bill that would legalize corporal punishment in our public schools for children with disabilities. The bill’s legislator quoted scripture saying spare the rod, spoil the child.  Those exact words are not in scripture; they are derived from Proverbs 13:24, Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them. Another legislator challenged the bill by asking if we were going to make state laws from all the rules in the Bible. The example that came to my mind was Deuteronomy 21:18, 21 as an example, If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother … all the men of the city shall stone him with stones, that he die.  There were not enough legislators present to act on the bill. It will be reconsidered next week. 

How many of our faith expressions are we sifting through our worldviews?  How much of the loss of interest in being a Christ follower relates to how we live God’s love, picking and choosing what is acceptable and good and what is not?     

Jesus said it best as quoted in Matthew 7:5, You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.  Our public schools have been grossly underfunded for years, there are not enough counselors, and there are many better ways of disciplining children that do not require corporal punishment.  Poor education is directly related to adult criminal behavior. When I was in school, I routinely watched many, particularly boys who were disrupting class, got called to the front of the room, were told to grab their ankles, and got several licks with a paddle. It never stopped their hijinks. They did not want to be there in the first place, and being rowdy usually opened the way to dropping out of school, often leading to a life of crime.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to discern how others see Christ in our behavior and grant us the courage to change our worldview today to bring us into sync with your Beloved Community vision. Amen.

N.T. Wright has a good study regarding worldviews and our faith views, Worldviews, the Bible, and the Believer. For more information, see https://www.udemy.com/course/worldviews-the-bible-and-the-believer/

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.

Seeing the Whole Picture

March 18, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ –John 9:1-12

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus healed a man who was blind on the Sabbath, by the Pharisees’ interpretation, Jesus had broken the Jewish law about not working on the Sabbath, and they were outraged. Everyone involved, it seemed, got in a dither, and a review of the whole event followed to determine where sin had been committed. No one seemed to pay much attention to the rather miraculous healing of a blind man. I fear we, too, get so caught up in the right behavior of others that we lose our purpose to fulfill Jesus’ call to actualize the Kingdom of God on Earth. I wonder how much energy those Pharisees burned in trying to correct Jesus for healing the blind man on the Sabbath compared to how much energy they had ever invested in helping him themselves.

Prayer: Forgive us, Lord, when we get too wrapped up in self-righteousness rather than caring for our neighbors.  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.

Opening Paths to Understanding

Lent

March 17, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
‘Sleeper, awake!
   Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’

People in the USA, the world probably, seem to be bogged down in unfruitful works of darkness. There is so much need in our country and in the world that calls to be addressed, but we seem to be caught as a nation and state in issues that are really none of our business as we strive to address the Common Good, for example, Making private health decisions outside of medical advice.

Also, much time and energy are being invested in what books children should read in school with the concern that some sinister group is trying to indoctrinate students into a defined way of being. It appears to me that the only people trying to indoctrinate anyone are those complaining–teach their way or ban the books. School librarians have been selecting age-appropriate books for children to read for years. One of my aunts dedicated her life to that. She nor none of her co-workers would ever have done anything to bring harm to a child. She did work hard at doing things to encourage children to read, which is particularly important for disadvantaged students whose primary opportunity to learn more about the world is from books.

As advocates for justice, we are called to protect the rights of children to fulfill their potential, as God created them, not to fulfill our personal belief systems.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. –2 Timothy 2:15

Prayer:

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise*. Amen.

First verse of Hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind#Author

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.

Let Your Light Shine

Lent

March 16, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
‘Sleeper, awake!
   Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’

I invite you to recall or learn a song from my childhood that seems directly related to this scripture.

This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine

This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine

All around the neighborhood
I’m going to let it shine
All around the neighborhood
I’m going to let it shine
All around the neighborhood
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine*.

Prayer: Lord, help us to know what is pleasing to you and to make it happen. Amen.

This Little Light of Mine by Harry Dixon Loes, see at https://allnurseryrhymes.com/this-little-light-of-mine/

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.

Worldview

Lent

March 15, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
   he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
   for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.

I memorized Psalm 23 when I was a child from the King James version of the Bible. It remains etched in my mind in that format. Grammar rules have changed, and even the meaning of the words has been realigned. I still prefer “and will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” over “my whole life long.” My bias has nothing to do with my concept of life after death. It has to do with the level of my commitment. I do not like the idea of setting a cutoff time for my commitment. It is also not as poetic. I would have left the word “long” off.

I do, however, recognize that times changes, so I have a grammar/spell checker on my computer because grammar is particularly different from when I was in grade school. We use a lot more commas now, for one thing. I do like the change to using the word “they” instead of she or he as the pronoun to correspond to the person.

It is not just grammar or spelling that we need to adjust.  Worldviews change over time. When we read something written 2000 years ago, we must consider the worldview of that time and place and sift out the context of the writing, which is eternal and as meaningful to us today as it was to Abraham or Sharah.

Prayer: Lord, help us to do our best to present ourselves to God as approved by him, workers who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15.) 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.

For What Are We Made?

Lent

March 14, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ 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.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1 Samuel 16:6-13

The Hebrew word heart used above is the translation of the Hebrew word “lebab” which has a broader, more encompassing meaning than people in the modern area might consider in describing the word heart. Lebad describes the entire person, including mind, will, and heart*.  We might today think of David as being a person with the right stuff to get the job done; perhaps we would see him as wise, tenacious, and caring about people.

The Bible indicates that God searches for the right person to do a job and then sends the Spirit of the Lord to come upon that person and guide their work—Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and even David’s great-grandmother, Ruth. And while we may never make the annals of history like these examples, I believe God calls us all to do jobs that only we can do and provides the spirit’s support to make it happen, if we open our hearts to God’s service.

Prayer: Lord, help us claim our job and work to perfect our delivery of it with the help of your Spirit. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3824.htm

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.

A Time to be Intentional

Lent

March 13, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. –Samuel 16:1-5

When I read the above scripture, Matthew 10:16 popped into my mind: ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Reading and understanding the people with whom we work is key to progress regarding whatever our goal may be. I  once had a supervisor who never wanted to be blamed for any mistake. Sometimes, things go wrong, and in most instances, there is a conflation of reasons for the mistakes. My co-workers and I had observed our supervisor’s behavior and shared experiences of being called into her office where nothing got done until we took responsibility for the problem, whether we had much to do with the negative outcome or not. Once she became relieved of any fault, she could be very helpful in devising a plan to correct the fallout. So, most of her staff developed the habit of starting conversations with her regarding addressing a problem by immediately saying something like, “I don’t know how I let this happen.” Doing that markedly shortened the time spent trying to address the situation.

There is indeed a time, as Ecclesiastes 3:6-8 says,

    to search and a time to give up
    to keep and a time to throw away,
    to tear and a time to mend,
    to be silent and a time to speak,
    to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Being wise about how we approach people and situations may make all the difference in the world regarding positive outcomes.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to be wise as well as loving and peaceful. 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.