Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Building a Faith Foundation

Living in the Spirit

September 23, 2022

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. –1 Timothy 6:11-19

do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future,

What we do today builds the foundation for our future, for everyone’s futures. When I was a child, I remember seeing tons of trash along the highway driving from our farm the fifteen miles to the town of Stillwater. People just threw napkins and sacks out the windows of their cars. The trash landed in the ditches and stuck to the fences. I guess someone got tired of seeing it. The Governor introduced a campaign called Don’t Lay That Trash on Oklahoma! Cute ads ran on television. Groups of people went out and speared trash into bags to remove what was already strewn about. The campaign worked and made a major difference in showing we cared about our world. We laid a solid foundation that remains intact today.

In the scripture above, Timothy was instructed to lay the foundations in following Christ that must be instilled into our faith culture to build the beloved community. The foundation Jesus set modeled for us in his life, the way of living by loving God and loving one another. We are called to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.

Prayer: Lord, help us build the foundation to support the beloved community. 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.

Greed is Not Healthy

Living in the Spirit

September 22, 2022

Scripture Reading:

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. –1 Timothy 6:6-10

I think the pandemic of greed that has overtaken our world is much more serious than any health pandemic. Greed is surely a part of why the COVID virus has been so devastating. The cost of healthcare in the USA is higher than in any other industrialized nation*. We rank last in quality of care**.  We have pierced ourselves with many pains to maintain our quest for wealth.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see the world as it is for all people, not just the wealthy few. Amen.

*https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries-2/#Health%20consumption%20expenditures%20per%20capita,%20U.S.%20dollars,%20PPP%20adjusted,%202020%20or%20nearest%20year

**https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20ranks%20last%20overall,age%2060%20(23.1%20years).

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.

Treasure in Clay Jars

Living in the Spirit

September 21, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,
   in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
   on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
   whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
   the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
   who executes justice for the oppressed;
   who gives food to the hungry. –Psalm 146:1-7

I wonder if Paul had this Psalm in mind when he wrote the following snippet in this letter to the Corinthians:

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

I spend much time in advocacy work with people from varying backgrounds and opinions on how things should be done and who should do them. Advocates test the trust of leaders constantly. Decisions are often made on political expediency rather than striving for common ground in search of the Common Good.  This Psalm helps advocates to find the Higher Ground of their work while understanding that we and the people we advocate for and the those we advocate to are treasures in clay jars. We indeed must keep our hope in the Lord as we strive to execute justice for the oppressed and find food for the hungry.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being an ever-present help in times of trouble. 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.

Is Our Worldview, Ordering our Lives?

Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

September 20, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Amos 6:1, 4-7
Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
   and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
the notables of the first of the nations,
   to whom the house of Israel resorts!
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
   and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
   and calves from the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
   and like David improvise on instruments of music;
who drink wine from bowls,
   and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
   but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
   and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

Well, one thing I am sure of, I am not at ease. I wake in the early morning stewing over how to fix what I see is broken in our world, while recognizing that what I see as broken many see as wholeness. Where and how did we get so divided? I recall a conversation a few years ago with a friend comparing our college years. While we both graduated in 1969, she was only vaguely aware that Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated or that the Democrat convention of 1968 broke out into a riot over the Vietnam War. Her college experience was centered on sorority parties, football games, and planning her wedding after graduation while I was protesting war, racism, and poverty. She was a good student and a caring loving person with a worldview far removed from mine. She grew up in an upper-middle-class home with loving parents who were active in the church. She did love her neighbors, yet she rarely had the opportunity to move beyond her neighborhood’s boundaries. We do not have to fight over whether true history should be taught in our public schools, we are immune from its reality. Our culture drives our understanding, and as Amos says so potently the worldview of Israel was leading them toward exile.

How do we reinvent our worldview? How do we let go of things that were or are so precious to us? I, too, like parties, football games, and celebrating friends’ marriages. That is not the point. There is a whole diverse world out there of which we are a part, where bad things happen to good people we are called to love as our neighbors. By widening our worldview, and stretching our ability to welcome the stranger, we may surprisingly find our way out of exile and into God’s Beloved Community.

Prayer: Lord, open windows in our worldview to finding our way out of division and into your Beloved Community. 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.

Self Examination

Living in the Spirit

September 19, 2022

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land. –Jeremiah 32:9-15

Jeremiah bought some land. He was given the first opportunity to buy it because he was related to the owner, and he did buy it. So what? Would we invest in land offered to us when all signs lead to the land being seized by an enemy? Would we be interested in buying a bombed-out home located in a part of Ukraine that has been seized by Russia right now?

Jeremiah was investing in his faith. He believed that God would rescue his people. He believed that at some point he would return to his land and dig up the deed he had buried starting the rebuilding of Israel. Most people long for peace. The great challenge is living in peace where everyone has enough to survive and work toward thriving. The gods of greed and lust for power must be thwarted if we are to live into such a vision of a beloved community, the Kingdom of God. Such a reality starts with each of us examining ourselves to see where the evils of greed and lust for power have seeped into our being and are so much a part of our lives that we do not recognize them as abnormal. I see that in my attempt to recycle. Why do I keep buying stuff made of plastic in the first place? What could Israel have done in the first place that would have strengthened their beloved community to withstand the evil that overtook it?

Prayer: Lord, help us to see ourselves more clearly so that we might serve thee 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.

Love Dispels Greed

Living in the Spirit

September 18, 2022

Scripture Reading:

John 3:13-17
No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

As a people, we cannot seem to accept progress without growing greedy. Society appears to follow a pattern from the beginning of recorded history, to move from bad times like war, slavery, or famine, for example, to a short-lived state of Common Good, which transforms gradually into greed leading to war, slavery, or famine. How do we end this pattern? How do we learn to value the Common Good being better than greed while continuing progress?

The reference to Moses dealing with the serpents in the wilderness describes the Israelites being plagued by snakes and Moses’ interceding to solve the problem*.  Moses’ pattern involved a close and communal relationship with God. One in which he understood God as being all-powerful along with being accessible. Later in history, God went the extra mile in demonstrating accessibility by dwelling with humans as fully human while also being fully divine. God proved his love for us by the death of God’s human self, Jesus, being crucified on a cross for the good of all people.

We must, also, practice and build a close and communal relationship with God like Moses knew. A relationship that fosters God’s love overtaking anything that might be tempting about greed.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we stray from our relationship with you toward the idol of greed. Take us to the higher ground of love. Amen.

*See Numbers 21

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.

Absolutes

Living in the Spirit

September 17, 2022

Scripture Reading:
John 3:13-17
No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

I do not remember when I memorized John 3:16. My guess is before I could read. The words written above were not the words I memorized. Mine came from the King James translation: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. When reading the above translation, I got stuck on the word “may”. It seemed to make a less powerful statement than should, but I think the original leans more toward the word “shall”, not present in either translation. Shall is an absolute word.

Indeed, we must be very careful when we use absolute words. We are hearing a lot of them in this election system in promises to keep and in defining the worth of an opponent. I hate all the emails and texts I am not getting asking me if I approve of a specified candidate. Ask me if I agree with a candidate’s stance on issues. I do not even know what they mean when they ask if I approve of the office seeker.

I trust the absolute nature of a loving God whose word is a lamp unto my feet and a light into my path (Psalm 119:105). And I do trust that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ shall not perish but shall have eternal life.

Prayer: Lord, help us remember that where humans may fail you never will. 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.

Satisfied

Living in the Spirit

September 16, 2022

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 1:18-24
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.
’Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

I just watched a short clip of a speech, a rant actually, with the speaker pounding his fist on the lectern. He was apparently speaking at a meeting of people who shared the view that white people are better than other people. The speaker was demanding that white people must take back control of our society. His speech was met with loud applause. He reminded me of films I have seen of Hitler making speeches. I also was reminded of the song titled A Satisfied Mind*, which describes the disappointment that having money does not provide life satisfaction, and neither does being white.

Social scientists have a word for this, ethnocentricity. It means characterized by or based on the attitude that one’s own group is superior**. We all have a touch of ethnocentricity. Having healthy self-esteem is important for everyone. Measuring our worth by comparing ourselves to anyone else is self-destructive. We each need to work at being the best person we can be and if we need to compete our best competitor is ourselves.

God created each human in God’s image, a spiritual core in our beings. God also created an interdependent world where to attain maximum satisfaction we must learn to work together and thrive through sharing all our talents and skills in one great beloved community described in the Bible as the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the values, we create ourselves rather than striving to live your values. Amen.

See lyrics of A Satisfied Mind at *https://www.google.com/search?q=who+wrote+a+satisfied+mind&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS987US987&oq=Who+wrote+a+satisfied+mind&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j0i390l3.7893j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

**https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnocentric#:~:text=Definition%20of%20ethnocentric,one’s%20own%20group%20is%20superior

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.

The Need to Lie

Living in the Spirit

September 14, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
   incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
   I will utter dark sayings from of old,
when he killed them, they sought for him;
   they repented and sought God earnestly.
They remembered that God was their rock,
   the Most High God their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouths;
   they lied to him with their tongues.
Their heart was not steadfast towards him;
   they were not true to his covenant.
Yet he, being compassionate,
   forgave their iniquity,
  and did not destroy them;
often he restrained his anger,
   and did not stir up all his wrath.

My family took the commandment thou shall not lie very seriously. I learned that at a very young age. As I read the phrase from the scripture above, they lied to him with their tongues, the thought that flashed through my mind was how does one lie to God? If God is all-knowing, God knows the truth better than we do. God even knows all the circumstances that led up to the lie and how others involved understand the lie. In reality, when we lie, we are most often lying to ourselves. We do not want to face some reality. We do not want to project a negative aspect of ourselves to others. In John 8:31-32, Jesus addresses this issue, Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’

Our culture forces some people to lie about who they are. This is best illustrated by how society treats persons who identify as lgbtqia2s+. The list gets longer as more and more people begin to accept themselves as they are. I await the time when we realize that all people are people created in the image of God and we would need a unique initial for everyone. I have never understood why people are so afraid of what they consider to be the other regarding sexuality. I particularly do not understand the bathroom thing. A transexual girl or boy is probably the last person who would assault a biological girl or boy.

We get so caught up in judging each other by the world’s ideals that we forget we are all children of God. I became very tired of hearing the phrase, God does not make junk when it was popular. I now think we might want to dust it off and follow its wisdom.  Part of the problem is the misunderstanding and the misuse of our sexuality that results in out-of-control attitudes and actions that are demeaning and damaging to our self-worth as individuals and the way we take advantage of others.

Prayer: Lord, help us see your image in each person we meet along the way. 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.

Welcoming the Beloved Community

Living in the Spirit

September 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98:1-5
O sing to the Lord a new song,
   for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
   have gained him victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;
   he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
   to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
   the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody.

For some time now, even in the chaos of USA politics, senseless war, and uncontrolled climate change, I have felt that we are entering a new age. Modernity, largely connected to technological advancements, is being spoken of in the past tense. I do not follow astrology or geology or any of the other -oligies used to describe our eras. I identify more with Isaiah, Amos, or Jerimiah’s hope for the aftermath of exile. Considering the way, we as a people have been acting, we could well be headed deeper into exile. It is our choice because God blessed us with free will, but I sense that at least a remnant of people is longing for the Beloved Community, the Kingdom of God, and that also is a choice. We still can avoid exile.

We do need to sing a new song, and we need to encourage others to join that choir. We might start by exploring what the Beloved Community is.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to the development of the Beloved Community. 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.