Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Called to Serve

Ordinary Time

February 10, 2023

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. –1 Corinthians 3:5-9

We are God’s servants. I have always loved the song He Lives! I serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today. It simply states our purpose as Christ-followers, to serve the Lord in completing His mission of building the Beloved Community.  We grow in trust and faith as we learn from the work of our ancestors and plan for a better world for our children. Paul tells us in the above scripture that works best when we work together. I am active in the Oklahoma Poor People’s Campaign. Facing the challenges in our society in such a time as this is overwhelming. We do our best work when we do the part we are good at and work closely in supporting those with the knowledge and skills to bring about change in other areas.

Paul stands with us in being a servant, but he directs us specifically to be God’s field and God’s building*. Paul was a traveling minister, a planter of seeds; we are the field that must make the teachings he shared with us come to fruition throughout the whole world. We are the ones called to be the church**, not necessarily a building made of brick and mortar, but a community of faith that can meet together and support each other in using our diverse skills and talents to foster God’s commandment to develop a world ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, help us each to perfect our skills and talents to serve you better, and teach us to work together so that your synergy expands all that we attempt to do. Amen.

*oikodomḗ – properly, a building (edifice) serving as a home; (figuratively) constructive criticism and instruction that builds a person up to be the suitable dwelling place of God, i.e. where the Lord is “at home.” (https://biblehub.com/greek/3619.htm)

Ekklēsía (from 1537 /ek, “out from and to” and 2564 /kaléō, “to call”) – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. (https://biblehub.com/greek/1577.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.

Higher Ground

Ordinary Time

February 9, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human? –1 Corinthians 3:1-4

The word flesh, as used here, simply describes being human, which is neither good nor bad, and can be either depending on the circumstances. I met a new great grand niece at my sister’s house at Thanksgiving and watched as the baby was unsure what to do with a few mashed potatoes her mother fed her. I guess she found it OK as she swallowed it but did not seem to want more. Paul is using the metaphor of feeding the body to describe the need to feed the soul.

We live in a very divided culture right now. I watched the Presidential State of the Union speech yesterday. We would not be a democracy, a government by the people if we did not have varying opinions of the ways to run our government.  The standard behavior during this speech is that the members of the Supreme Court and our military leaders remain seated without expressing an opinion of what was being put forward. When the opposing party’s stances on issues vary from what is being presented, they remain seated and do not clap their hands, remain seated and clap their hands, or when common ground exists, stand and clap. A few hecklers among the legislators last night felt it necessary to call out derogatory responses. Paul was dealing with reports of similar behavior among the Christians in Corinth. Our government exists to find common ground for the Common Good, which is true when bringing together the Body of Christ to answer Christ’s call to build the Beloved Community. I think the song Higher Ground addresses this issue well.

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground*

Prayer: Lord, lift me up, and let me stand By faith, on heaven’s tableland; A higher plane than I have found, Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. Amen.

*First and second verses with the refrain of the hymn Higher Ground by Johnson Oatman, Jr.  See at https://hymnary.org/text/im_pressing_on_the_upward_way

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.

Laws fulfilled

Ordinary Time

February 8, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:1-8
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
   who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
   who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
   but walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts
   to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast
   in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
   having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
   when I learn your righteous ordinances.
I will observe your statutes;
   do not utterly forsake me.

We need to establish an eternal link between walking in the law of the Lord and seeking him with our whole hearts. That is the message Jesus brought to us. Matthew 5:17 tells us that Jesus said, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. As Genesis described God creating the world out of chaos, laws and rules allow us to live within order designed to protect us and make our lives more meaningful when we do not need to live in the fear of the unknown.

Laws are made to be changed to adapt to modifications in our ways of living. We transitioned from rules regarding horse transportation to cars and trucks. I have always thought the law against eating pork was the equivalent of a health rule in our world today. Trichinosis is a deadly disease transmitted by eating pork. There was, thus, a good reason not to eat pork until we learned how to cook it to remove the microscopic parasite Trichinella. The original law was prudent for the time but could be revised once the culprit of the disease was destroyed. Some faith groups choose to continue to follow the Biblical instruction about not eating pork as a way of honoring God, and that is valid too. We must also now consider the admonitions of eating too much red meat for health reasons.

However, human-created laws can and sometimes work for sinister ends. In the USA, we live in a democracy ideally designed to give a voice to all its people in working for the Common Good. We, however, have seen laws that were created for the selfish gain of a few people or for forcing one’s values on others that have no link to the Common Good. That is when seeking God with our whole heart must bring our rules and laws into conformity with God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, help us carefully to discern, in carrying out our civic responsibilities, any laws or rules that do not follow God’s ultimate laws of Loving God, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and recognizing that final judgment belongs to God. Forgive us when we do not see that greed and lust for power are idols as much as any graven image 5000 years ago. 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.

Doing Right

Ordinary Time

February 7, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Sirach 15:15-20
If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
   and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
He has placed before you fire and water;
   stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
Before each person are life and death,
   and whichever one chooses will be given.
For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
   he is mighty in power and sees everything;
his eyes are on those who fear him,
   and he knows every human action.
He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
   and he has not given anyone permission to sin.

The first phase of this scripture hit me square in the face, not so much about the Ten Commandments but more about choosing to do right in general. I guess that many of us were taught to do the basic Commandments before we started school. Loving God was a given, and we prayed at each meal to share our love and thanksgiving. Lying was definitely forbidden in my home; honoring our parents was important, as was not envying others, not stealing, and definitely not taking God’s name in vain. Honoring the Sabbath meant we showed up and fully participated at the church every time it was open, and only the very necessary work was done, like feeding the cows on Sunday. We had to grow a little older to understand idols and adultery.

Are we not called to do what is right, what is just in all aspects of our lives? There is no way we could write a book that included all the instances to tell how to do right in all situations. So, besides these universal Commandments, we are provided other sage advice to guide us in making the right decision. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12) Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Mark 12:30-31) I think one of our problems with that one is we actually may be loving others as we love ourselves; we may not love ourselves. There is even help for that. We must learn to forgive ourselves as God forgives us. Once we realize we have sinned, we must do all we can to set it right, but then we must forgive ourselves and grow from the experience.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the broadness of your love as we grow in your wisdom and truth. 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.

Idol Worship

Ordinary Time

February 6, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

We may no longer bow down to statues of gods, but we still have idols. Greed and lust for power are two at the top of my list that I have observed. I am seeing more and more instances where we are creating and fostering gods made in our image that fit our desired outcomes for life rather than following the God in whose image we are made and whose foundation for life is love. The prosperity Gospel is a good example of that, as is Christian nationalism. We substitute cultural attributes for how and who we love. The story in Matthew 19:16-26 tells of the rich young man who came to Jesus to find out what more he could do; since he was already following all the commandments, Jesus said ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Somehow our culture has been caught up in the need for individuals to be better than other individuals to be of worth. That did not come from God. God created all people in God’s image and saw that they were good. We tend to cluster with people who are like us and ignore or even discriminate against those who differ from us even though they, too, were created in the same image as the rest of us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we see you as we want to see you and not as who you are.  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.

It’s a God Thing

Ordinary Time

February 5, 2023

Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

I picked up a phrase from a co-worker many years ago that I still use today to explain the unexplainable, It’s a God thing. What is now called The Transfiguration was just such a God thing. Something happened on that high mountain that marked the beginning of the end of Jesus’s life on earth and the beginning of a life ruled by grace and faith, still guided in part by ancient rules of living, still ruled by God’s love and mercy with the added role model of Jesus’s life and teachings to show us how to live in God’s love both receiving it and being a conduit of it to others. A better and growing relationship with the Spirit of God further enables this way of being.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your grace, for giving us a role model to follow, and for your Spirit’s constant presence. 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.

Salt and Light

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

February 4, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 5:13-20
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Salt literally saved people from disease by preserving food. We are cautioned today about eating too much salt, but we must have some salt to live. Being the salt of the earth in service to Christ, in essence, means providing life-giving faith, hope, and love to others to sustain their very lives.

The hard part about letting one’s light shine is not getting in the way of one’s own light. If we get full of ourselves and think we are better than others, we reduce the worth of any illumination we may cast. That was part of the problem with some of the scribes and Pharisees.  That said, we are called to be models of Christ’s love in the world today.

Prayer: Lord, enrich us with both salt and light in the exact amount needed to share your love with others. 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.

Spirit Led

Ordinary Time

February 3, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish*. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’—**
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. –1 Corinthians 2:1-13

*so he shall startle many nations;
   kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
   and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. (Isaiah 52:15)

**From ages past no one has heard,
   no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
   who works for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)

I can imagine Paul engrossed in the scriptures of his time; the Hebrew Bible has one Aha! Moment after another, following his encounter on the road to Damascus, seeing and perceiving the scriptures meaning that he had never understood before. I appreciate the New Interpreter’s Study Bible for reporting the source of scriptures quoted in the New Testament from the Hebrew Bible. I was memorizing scripture as a preschooler, yet I learn something new every time I am informed of the wholeness of scripture. I am equally amazed at the frequency of times I hear the Bible being used to support ideologies that I cannot find in the Bible, but that is a subject for a different time.

The Spirit is real, but it is hard for me hard to wrap my head around. Perhaps that is because the Spirit communicates as much through the ancient understanding of the heart or gut as the mind. We are, after all, organisms. While we today perceive are bodies in more scientific forms—hearts as pumps maintain our living, and guts distribute the good and the bad food we take in to keep our minds and hearts working. But what drives us to choose the good over the bad food and love over hate? Is it the Spirit of God interfacing with us that makes us whole, tugging at us to care for ourselves and others?

Prayer:
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me. ***Amen.

***Chorus Spirit of the Living God by Daniel Iverson, see at https://hymnary.org/text/spirit_of_the_living_god_fall_iverson#Author__st__1_

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.

Maturing in Faith

Ordinary Time

February 2, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. –1 Corinthians 2:1-5

My impression of Saul of Tarsus is that he was pretty sure of himself. He had been raised in wealth, the son of a Pharisee, groomed in his faith, and zealous about converting others to his beliefs* to the point of persecuting those who were following  Jesus. That does not sound like the description he gave of himself in the scripture above. He even went so far as to change his name to Paul after his encounter with Jesus Christ on his trip to Damascus, where he was headed to continue his persecution. After encounters in Damascus with Christ-followers and receiving their fearful welcome because his previous behavior preceded him, he withdrew to the mountains for three years to delve into what had happened to him and, more importantly, what he was to do about it.

And so, this same very confident man came to the people of Corinth in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. While his sense of surety remained, his relationship with God had blossomed and matured. He no longer needed to be overbearing but humbly became the conduit for God’s love to spread throughout the known world.

Our world today needs all Christ-followers to open ourselves to being the conduit of God’s love as we live in a world challenged by change. To do that, we must open ourselves to God’s examination and gain an understanding and relationship with God to make that transition for the betterment of all. We, too, must be willing to let the Spirit of God guide us and not assume that carrying out our way of being faithful is still appropriate in our world today.

Prayer: Lord, remove the beam from our eyes so that we can better serve you among all people guided by your love. Amen.

*Philippians 3:2-6  For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

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.

Lessons in Living in God’s Ways

Ordinary Time

February 1, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
Praise the Lord!
   Happy are those who fear the Lord,
   who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
   they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
   who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
   they will be remembered forever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
   their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever;
   their horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked see it and are angry;
   they gnash their teeth and melt away;
   the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

One of my best friends throughout public school died recently. We had not remained in close contact as our lives moved in different directions and locations. I touched base with her last when her mother died a few months ago. My friend’s death was a surprise. When I read this scripture, I recalled her obituary, which contained many of the same attributes described in this Psalm. She was blessed throughout her life with a comfortable income. Still, her time was invested in helping others. I quote from that obituary,

She was a friend to everyone; she had a heart for helping those in need. She was a prayer warrior for her family and others, a Bible study teacher, a Sunday school teacher, Stephens Minister, a volunteer for many organizations, and involved in endless activities. She would always remember special dates of family and friends with cards, calls, lunch, or dinner. She would also take meals to those in need who were going through hard times with health issues or loss of a loved one.

She was a role model from which all of us can learn.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing role models to help us find our way in a challenging world. Particularly, I thank you for the role model that my friend followed, and we all can follow, Jesus Christ. 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.