Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Known by our Love

Eastertide

April 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-19

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. —John 21:1-14

How do we make faith real to ourselves and to others? I am already growing weary of hearing politicians stating they are Christians as a reason we should vote for them. The chorus I learned as a child, They’ll know we are Christians by our Love, flashes through my memory every time I hear those ads. Actions do speak louder than words.

The disciples in this story had returned to their previous occupations. They seem to be portraying a response to the last few years of their lives that it had been a great ride, but it now was over.  In the scripture above Christ once again presented himself to the disciples as he continued to initiate their role in furthering his vision of a world ruled by love.

Eating fish and bread with the resurrected Lord would be a life-changing experience. The gospels writers could have told the story of Jesus without recounting these very real episodes of interaction. They shared them with us because the fine details add to authenticity but also take each of us to the seashore or the boat or eating fish. Perhaps the lesson in this scripture is that we grow and share our faith best by sharing ourselves in loving action.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be readily identified as your followers by our love. Amen.

*They’ll Know We Are Christians written by Peter Scholtes

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.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Eastertide

Eastertide

April 29, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!’
And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.

This is one of those mornings when I wake up with too much to do and not enough time to do it. When I do not know all the ends and outs of issues that bother me but I cannot ascertain my best response. These are the times I most need to take time with God. I often read the scripture for the day and then walk my ten minutes. I try to walk 10 minutes each hour until I have walked 10,000 steps. The scripture above was just a little too vibrant for my mood but following my routine, I read it and then walked my 10 minutes. Three steps into my exercise the song lyric, I sing because I am happy played through my mind. I then began to remember what the other words of the song were until I rolled it all the way back to Why should I feel discouraged. If you are at a point of discouragement try thinking, singing His Eye Is On the Sparrow and I know He watches me.

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home;
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is he;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free;
For his eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me*.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your ever-present comfort and inspiration. Amen.

*First verse and refrain of His Eye Is on the Sparrow by Civilla D. Martin see at  https://hymnary.org/text/why_should_i_feel_discouraged

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

Eastertide

April 28, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!’
And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.

I confess when I read scriptures sometimes the most irrelevant things pop into my head. Today, as I read Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered, I lost and missed the melody of Handel’s Messiah which started playing in my head the minute I read Worthy is the Lamb. Why did the NRSV translators choose slaughter instead of the more archaic slain, the word that is musically welded into many of our brains?  

Two lessons came to me from this experience. One, reading different translations of the Bible is helpful in preventing our becoming complacent in our understanding of the scriptures. The whole thought that the bible says it I believe it that settles it (original source unknown) fades as we delve deeper into the understanding of scripture that was written in ancient languages that, too, have changed over time. The other lesson is that music remains a wonderful, spiritual way to take in the Word of God whether in scripture or as we attempt to model our lives after the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Music lifts us to higher ground and greater depths of spiritual communion.

Prayer:

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

*Chorus of I’m pressing on the upward way by Johnson Oatman Jr. see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/396

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.

Joy Comes in the Morning

Eastertide

April 27, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning. –Psalm 30:1-5

I cannot read this scripture without recalling a story a friend told me years ago. Her husband was very ill in the hospital, and she was spending most of her time with him. A pastor friend of theirs called her home leaving a message that he was out of town and could not get by to visit them but was praying for them and encouraged her to remember that joy comes with the morning. Their daughter, having taken the message, delivered it to her mother saying the pastor had said that he could not come but someone named Joy was coming in the morning. My friend, being a dedicated Bible student knew exactly what the pastor was quoting and understood the message.

My Bible titles Psalm 30 as Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness. In this second year as COVID lingers, we, too, can gain solace by turning to the scriptures and letting the poets of Psalms provide salve for our weary souls.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for gifting poets to provide the words we need to hear when we feel helpless. 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

Eastertide

April 26, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ –Acts 9:10-20

I am currently reading N. T. Wright’s Paul: A Biography where Wright picks out what the Bible tells us about Paul, reads a bit between the lines of Paul’s letters, and tosses in some history of the times Paul wrote. It is very good. Paul started out life as, Saul of Tarsus who already had a reputation of being tough on Christians, who at that time were considered part of the Jewish religion. Saul, indeed, had the blessings of the official Jewish faith leaders of the time to correct the erring ways of this group. One cannot blame Ananias for being hesitant to help Saul. Yet, the Lord assured Ananias it was necessary and so it was.

As I read the above scripture and considered Paul’s biography, I realized how much we share some of the same challenges Paul dealt with in introducing Jesus Christ to the gentiles. I am reminded of the varied systems of belief among those who Identify as Christians today. Indeed, we have had 2000 years on which to build our faith, but we remain miles apart when turning our faith into action. Two thoughts come to mind. First diversity and inclusion are necessary, not contradictory. Second, evil is still striving to break the strength of being one in God by using the divide and conquer method aimed at breaking the bonds of love celebrated in diversity and inclusion.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen our whole beings to stand against divide and conquer strategies used to separate us from 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.

Finding the Right Path

Eastertide

April 25, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. —Acts 9:1-9

How does God prick our consciences to turn us around from being driven by external forces trying to foster their self-interest, not God’s ways? The conscience is the sense of right or wrong within the individual*. Saul received a strong dose of consciousness on that road to Damascus. He had been schooled by the best temple leaders, in the religious thoughts of the day and was following them diligently. Jesus, this son of a carpenter, had challenged them, indicating that those leaders had turned their backs on God’s ways. Jesus brought a message of loving one another, caring for the poor and the sick, not just totally investing themselves in following all the rituals laid out by those temple leaders. In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus described a priest and a Levite who chose not to help a seriously injured man they met on the road. While a Samaritan did stop and help the man and took him to shelter. Samaritans were considered religious outcasts by the Jews. Jesus shunned no one, while the temple leaders maintained a long list of people who were not worthy and should be avoided. Jesus was crucified for his challenges.

We, too, must struggle with the teachings that some people are better in God’s eyes than others, that some sins are far worse than others, and worse yet some assign themselves the right to judge which attitudes or actions are right and which are wrong. In many instances, such people judge only the actions they would never do as sin and ignore others in which they are involved.

Jesus is still challenging all of us to choose our path wisely.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference**.

Prayer: Lord, prick our consciousness to protect us from taking the wrong path. Guide us to your ways. Amen.

* https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/conscience

**The last verse of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost see at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken

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.

To Life

Eastertide

April 24, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. –John 20:24-31

The Greek word for life is zōḗ* and it means—life (physical and spiritual). All life (2222 /zōḗ), throughout the universe, is derived – i.e. it always (only) comes from and is sustained by God’s self-existent life. The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life.

Life is a precious gift from God not to be taken for granted and not to be wasted. Our lives are the product of God’s love and we are called to live into and through that love. It was best illustrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. His life is the model for our living in bad times and in good, in the doubt of Thomas and the certainty of our author, John. I rather like the Hebrew take on life as played out in the musical Fiddler on the Roof describes life thusly,

  1. Our great men have written words of
    Wisdom to be used
    When hardship must be faced;
    Life obliges us with hardship
    So the words of wisdom
    shouldn’t go to waste.
  • God would like us to be joyful
    Even though our hearts lie panting on the floor;
    How much more can we be joyful,
    When there’s really something
    To be joyful for**.

God is with us in spirit and in truth, loving us completely, and holding us to the high expectation of building a world ruled by God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, on this first Sunday after Easter, grant us the guidance to understand the wisdom of those who shared your history in word and in deed and the perseverance to take joy in your service no matter how stressful it becomes. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2222.htm

**source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/f/fiddlerontherooflyrics/tolifelyrics.html

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.

Forgiving/Retaining Sin

Eastertide

April 23, 2022

Scripture Reading:
John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 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. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23

Christ-followers are called to be the body of Christ in the world today. That is a breathtaking assignment, and Jesus knew that. So, Jesus breathed the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to maintain our relationship with him. I am not sure exactly what John is trying to say about forgiving and retaining sin. Indeed, if we have the assignment to be Christ’s body that could mean doing everything Christ did. The Greek word for sin, hamartia, used here means missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed * It, however, also describes the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God*.  We can miss the mark every day and are wise if we recognize where we have missed the mark as quickly as possible restoring are aim with God and others. Having someone we can trust to help us address such sins is helpful.

I had to complete four hours of physical education in college. While I am a sports fan, I am not really good at any sport. The college offered one class that spent a few weeks on several different activities that were designed for those of us who needed encouragement in exercising. One segment was archery. I do not have the strongest arms and discovered very quickly that if I did not keep my arm very straight and taunt as I pulled back the bowstring when I let the arrow fly I got slapped hard by the recoiling string and rarely hit the target. It took a very patient coach to help me shoot the arrow and hit the target without bruising my arm. Walking with people striving to relate to God and perhaps serving as a coach serves others as a conduit to forgiveness of sins.

I think we must be very careful regarding our part in judging the retention of sin we deem to be an unforgivable act. We are all too human and I fear we are all capable of branding something as sin from a self-originated viewpoint. There is a lot of that going around in our world today. Jesus also said 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. (Matthew 7:5)

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us of our desire to judge others from our perspective and guide us in helping one another follow the path originated or empowered by you. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/266.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.

Judgment of the Nations

Eastertide

April 22, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

I love this phrase particularly, To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom. Personally, I cannot hear enough that God loves us and freed us from our sins. The bold statement that we, you and I, and everyone else were created to be the populace of God’s kingdom is even more powerful.  Our challenge of being members of God’s kingdom is living into the perfection of God’s kingdom. At times we get it so right but at other times we pull against the grain and join those who work against a kingdom ruled by God’s love.

This summer I am going to explore the gospels particularly the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 25 paying special attention to verses 31-46 titled in my Bible, The Judgement of the Nations. We are blessed to live in a country established of the people, by the people, for the people. I am a strong believer in the separation of church and state, but I am also a strong advocate of all the people’s best interests being the priority of our government, not just the interest of the principalities and powers. Jesus identifies the most basic needs of the people in Matthew 25 and says we and the nations will be judged by whether these priorities are met. Yet many of our leaders invest most of their time and our tax dollars trying to divide and conquer us by distracting us with issues that do not impact our lives when they should be searching for common grounds to provide for the Common Good which is fundamentally the purpose of any government. You are invited to join me in this search for how Jesus defines the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our decision-making as we choose the leaders of all our various levels of governance.  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.

Syncing with God

Eastertide

April 21, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John, the writer of Revelation, opens his letters to the seven churches with an extensive description of the Lord. John does this to help his readers understand that he is well acquainted with all the manifestations of God. John is establishing his credentials for writing letters of judgment, with warnings in some, sympathy in others, to help those churches mature in faith and in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. The letters are, indeed, a good study of how communities of faith work and don’t work. They encourage such communities to stay on top of what is right and what is wrong with their practices and to make corrections as necessary.

I seem to have a need, at some times more than others, to start my prayers with elaborate naming of the various aspects of God in my relationship with God. I sometimes quote scripture, like Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Now, I am sure God knows all that already. I am really credentialing myself in preparation for communing with God. Being aware of our characteristics helps us better communicate as we try to get in sync with God. I remember well when I first took the Myers-Briggs personality types* survey and learned that I was an INTJ. I quickly turned to the descriptions of an INTJ and read among the negatives that they tend to take things personally. I thought, “I do not take things personally, how dare they”, and realized in that response I just did. I must accept that life is not always all about me. That is just one example but being aware of such things about ourselves helps us work, love, and further the development of the kingdom of God better.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand better who we are and how we function so that we can serve you more completely. Amen.

*For more information see https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.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.