Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

The Name of All Names

Advent

The Jesus Wept Statue at the Oklahoma City Memorial

December 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:7-13

Antisemitism has been increasingly raising its ugly head in the US.  Synagogues and Temples have been sites of bombings and mass shootings. The quote included in the above scripture is from Psalm 69, which is described as a Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution.

God is God; however, we name God. The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German)*.

Jews refer to God as YHWH, a name too sacred to speak. The scriptures also refer to God as Adonai or Elohim. This naming somehow was Latinized as Jehovah. The Spanish word for God is Dios. The Muslim word for God is Allah. Christians speak of Jesus as God Incarnate, fully divine, fully human. Many Native American people refer to God as the Great Spirit.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, a pastor (I am sorry, I do not remember who) said the first one to weep was God. I think that is true of all such acts of violence against any of God’s people, particularly, when the violence stems from persons who profess to act in the name of God.

Prayer: Forgive us, Holy One, when we name you as our excuse for violence. Heal us from searching for self-worth in all the wrong places. Help us understand that our worth was implanted in our creation as were all humans when we were made in your image. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_(word)#:~:text=The%20English%20word%20god%20comes,got%20(Old%20High%20German).

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 for Jesus

Advent

December 1, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 15:4-13

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. –Romans 15:4-6

Paul was a dedicated student of scripture, and what he knew of scripture was the Hebrew Bible. He probably was also well acquainted with the Apocrypha. The gospels we are familiar with were all written after his death. Perhaps that is why his writing is always looking forward to something better. His letters are full of preparation for the return of Christ in his fulness.

I wonder if we today view the gospels as the end of the story, not the continuation of God’s creative longing for a world ruled by love. Do we stir together the laws of the Hebrew Bible and the grace of the Gospels and call our work done? If we live a good life following the rules and accepting God’s gracious gift of sending God’s son to redeem us from our sins, do we think we can rest on our laurels?

The gospels mark the progression of God’s mission. If anything. it increases our responsibility:

And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

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.’ Matthew 28:18-20

The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is! ‘ or ‘There it is! ‘ For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21

Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-22

Prayer: Lord, empower us to live your love as we progress toward a world ruled by your 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.

Government and Leadership

Advent

November 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.
Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. –Psalm 72:1-4

I included the title offered in my Bible for this scripture as it is helpful to know that this was a prayer for Solomon when he assumed the throne. We do not live in a monarchy. In a democracy, we have installed new leaders recently, and we do need to pray for them. In a democracy, we, the people, are responsible for selecting qualified people for each job and for holding their feet to the fire to address well the issues for which we elected them to represent us. Certainly, a fair justice system is important, particularly for the “least of these*” who may not have the voice or influence necessary to correct injustice in our society.

The national poverty rate was 12.8% in 2021 but was significantly different for the nation’s oldest and youngest populations, according to a new Census Bureau report released today.

The child poverty rate (for people under age 18) was 16.9% in 2021, 4.2 percentage points higher than the national rate, while poverty for those ages 65 and over was 10.3%, 2.5 percentage points lower than the national rate**.

In the US, one out of every 10 people over 65 lives in poverty. At the same time, Congress is considering how to cut Social Security and Medicare, which are the programs that make the elderly have q poverty rate lower than the national rate. The worst outcome is that one out of every six children lives in poverty while we have a low unemployment rate. How can the poverty rate be so high if the unemployment rate is so low?  The minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. It is meaningless today, as is the official poverty rate; both are well below a living wage***. If governments are responsible for caring for the poor, then we have much catching up to do.

Prayer: Lord, help us all be defenders of the poor. Amen.

*Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

** https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/10/poverty-rate-varies-by-age-groups.html#:~:text=U.S.%20Poverty%20Rate%20Is%2012.8%25%20but%20Varies%20Significantly%20by%20Age%20Groups&text=A%20.,organization%20in%20the%20United%20States.

***See MIT’s Living Wage Calculator at https://livingwage.mit.edu/

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.

Preventive Love

Advent

November 29, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 11:1-10

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
   and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
   their young shall lie down together;
   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
   as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. –Isaiah 11:6-10

I watched a segment of a TV program recently that showed natural enemy animals living together without harming each other. That phenomenon happened because they had been raised together and had enough food, shelter, and care. I would add love to that list because of the behavior of their caretakers. There is a lesson for us humans in this story. If we humans ensure that all people have enough food, shelter, and care our crime level will dissipate. Making sure that all children grew up in a loving atmosphere and experience love throughout their lives would help too.

I know of a program for the mentally ill homeless that starts the program by placing the persons in a fully furnished apartment supplied with the necessities of life, clothing, food, soap, etc. They provide close, supportive care. It is amazing how the formerly homeless person adapts to having enough and regaining their self-worth, which allows them to respond to treatment. Can you imagine living on the streets, never knowing from where your next meal will come, and being avoided by others as they pass you on the street? Can you imagine moving from that to an apartment of your own with a door that locks, a clean bathroom, and a kitchen fully stocked?

I drove into the Walmart parking lot yesterday. Just as I stopped and opened the door of my car, I heard the noise of a five-alarm fire to my west. The first thought that flew through my mind was, is there a mass shooting going on here? Everything seemed all right so I went about my shopping and there was no problem there. I learned on the news that evening that a fire in the kitchen of a restaurant in a large nearby shopping mall had caused a massive response because of the danger if the fire got out of control at that location. I did not like learning that the fear of mass shootings is now buried in my memory banks. My reaction resulted in the fact that three mass killings had happened in grocery stores across the country in just a few months. It is time we understand that taking care of others is one of our prime directives from Christ and it also protects the innocents caught in the crossfire.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in spreading your love throughout the world to all people so that everyone has enough of everything required for a healthy life.  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.

God Incarnate, Jesus Christ

Advent

November 28, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
   and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
   the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
   the spirit of counsel and might,
   the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
   or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
   and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
   and faithfulness the belt around his loins. –Isaiah 11:1-5

Jesse was King David’s father. He was the son of Ohed who was the son of Boaz and Ruth. Matthew 1 tells us that Jesus comes from that line. When I have the time, I dive into my genealogy. I can see traces of both my mother and father in my siblings and me. Our dad gave us a love of music. I often describe my mother as the world’s greatest egalitarian.  She did believe that all people are created equal and should be treated that way.

I have wondered if God incarnate came to us in human form so that God could better understand we humans whom God created. From that experience, we receive redemption and the grace that enables us to become the people we were created to be as we move and have our being, choosing to build a world ruled by love based on learning from our past successes and failures.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for creating humans who can grow in faith and pass it on to the next generation.  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.

Sharing Love

Advent

November 27, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 24:36-44
‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Cliches abound regarding not being aware of the realities that impact our lives and the lives of others. “They buried their heads in the sand.” “They have blinders on.” “They see through rose-colored glasses.” The truth is that we often see what we want to see, which means we must broaden our outlook to see what the Lord wants us to see. Jesus saw the lepers as ones who needed healing; the people saw them as a group to avoid. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan; the priest avoided the man who lay injured on the side of the road; the Samaritan helped him. When Jesus taught the 5,000, the Disciples wanted to send them away to get food when it came time to eat. Jesus said you give them something to eat.

We are commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How much do we love ourselves? How much is our reaction to others driven by our lack of self-worth? How much of our view of ourselves is driven by worldly measures, not God’s? Why do we feel unworthy when we were created in the very image of God? Jesus cautions us 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.

One thing we can do each evening is to take the time to examine ourselves regarding our relationship with God. Where do we see God at work today? Where did we miss the mark? Each morning, we can consider our schedules, identify any activities that make us feel vulnerable, and invite the Holy Spirit to guide our responses in those situations. Also, we can identify something in our day that would allow us to share the love of God with others. I think we will find that the more we practice loving others as God loves them, we will strengthen our love for ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes and heart to see ways to love others as I grow in recognizing that I am a person who can love like 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.

Christ with Us

Advent

November 26, 2022

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:36-44
‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

All these horrible shootings that are occurring across our country give credence to this scripture. We never know when our lives will end, but the useless waste of life at a grocery store, school, or movie theater is inexcusable.  Jesus’s warnings about the end of time, I think, are meant to alert us to the mission for which we have been chosen—to develop a world where love is the normal relationship between all people. I do not think Christ wants to come back and pitch his tent among people who seem to work hard at ignoring his way of being. He originally came to dwell among us to share the way of love. Visualize how much better all our lives would be if we choose to follow his example.

Jesus blessed us with his continuous presence when he gifted us with the Holy Spirit. We need to quit turning to the ways of the world to define our society and realign with the love God shares with all his creation remaining in constant contact with The Spirit of God. When love truly rules God is with us.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ, our God, to earth descending,
comes our homage to command*.

Prayer: Lord, as we sit in silent meditation enter our hearts and heal our brokenness as individuals and as a society enabling our work in answering your call to develop a world ruled by your love. Amen.

The first verse of the hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence paraphrased Gerard Moultrie from Liturgy of Saint James believed to have been written around 400 B.C.E.

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.

Wearing the Armor of Light

Advent

November 25, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

During the run-up to the election, we were barraged with advertisements that were described as being provided by “dark” money. Ads with mean-spirited pictures wrapped in dark fog seemed to pick a small bit of out-of-context truth and shape it into some force that would purportedly end the world as we know it if we allowed it to prosper through the leadership of a specified candidate. I received between ten to 20 text messages every day asking for donations to support candidates as they try to fight back from the condescending ads. I wondered where they got my phone number. It irks me to know that our government cannot keep track of children who have crossed legally into the US when my personal information was spread helter-skelter among candidates across the country. If we get nothing else done before the next election, we must pass legislation that at least requires the “dark” money donors to be identified.

Paul’s comments above, however, are not targeted at our nation. They are targeted at us. Whether we like it or not our government reflects “We the People.” It is our bigotry, greed, and lust for power that provide the steam for candidates’ ads. We must wake from sleep lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

This week the Oklahoma City Council considered rule changes regarding the homeless people on our streets. The proposal was very detrimental to them. Forty citizens attended that meeting to speak against the measure, which failed. They wore the armor of light.

Prayer: Lord, help us examine ourselves to see if we reflect your love in our civic responsibilities and create clean hearts and right spirits* in us enabling us to shine your light through our communities, our nation, and the world.  Amen.

*Derived from Psalm 51:10

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.

Tenting with God

Advent

November 24, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

I do not think that Paul envisioned that we would still be searching for universal salvation 2,000 or so years after he wrote these words. God did not create us to sit around and wait for the good life in whatever way we define that. God creates us to emulate God’s work in pursuit of life in love that is fulfilling for all. Indeed, God is actively creating us each day if we open our hearts to God’s guidance in living our love until, as the book of Revelation says, God pitches his tent among us.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’ –Revelation 21:3-4

Sometimes I think translators try too hard to be culturally accommodating for current times. The word translated dwell in this scripture in Greek is skēnóō (also meant tabernacled in Moses’s day).

637 skēnóō – properly, to pitch or live in a tent, “denoting much more than the mere general notion of dwelling” (M. Vincent). For the Christian, 4637 (skēnóō) is dwelling in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ – even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh (Jn 1:14)*

I am not a good camper; give me a motel room any time. I have, however, relented with friends and shared a tent at times. It is indeed a place of intimate communion not just an experience of dwelling with others. It does better describe our relationship with God.

Prayer: Thank you for pitching your tent and sharing it with me. Help me to be present to you in our communion. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4637.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.

Learning about God’s Love

Advent

November 23, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me,
   ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
Our feet are standing
   within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
   ‘May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
   and security within your towers.’
For the sake of my relatives and friends
   I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
   I will seek your good. –Psalm 22:1-2, 6-9

I loved singing the first verse of this Psalm as a child. At vacation Bible school, when the teacher called for us, we would run from the playground, line up in a straight row, and march into the building singing I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ repeatedly until we all were in the building. We then said the pledge of allegiance to the US flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible. We learned Bible stories from a felt board and memorized a new scripture each day. I still must carefully read some scriptures in worship because my memory from the King James version and the NRSV Bible now used in my church do battle in my head while I read. The twenty-third Psalm is the hardest. That one-room building had been the school my father attended during the week and a church on Sunday. It was no longer used as a school shortly after the depression. I was five years old when it closed as a church. It is a hay barn now, but it served its purpose well and has never lost its usefulness.

Fast forward seventy years, I volunteered in the nursery during church last Sunday. Two sweet toddlers played with toy animals on the floor. Later an infant arrived and was placed in a walker festooned with stuffed toys attached on all sides. The older children attend the first part of worship through the Children’s sermon where they hear a story and have a prayer with the congregation and then join the little ones to share in reading a book, having a snack, and doing arts and crafts. They were seamlessly led to help one another share their snacks and art supplies and clean up spilled water while learning to love their neighbor as they loved themselves. I was the visitor. These children knew what to do and where things were stored and felt just as safe and welcomed as I did seventy years ago. Culture changes but God’s love never wavers.

Prayer: Lord, help us maintain a beloved community, not just inside the walls of our churches but throughout the world where all children can thrive as they become the persons you created them to be. 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.