Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Answered Prayer

Eastertide

April 20, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 118:14-29

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. –Psalm 118:21-26

The poet of the above scripture is possibly being very literal about being saved. His life may have been spared in a battle that was won by his people. The scenes of Ukraine are seared in our minds. I cannot imagine either the terror of the bombings or climbing from a hiding place and realizing the pain of losing a loved one or experiencing the joy that you and your family have survived the latest airstrike. I do believe that as Jesus said it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), but it does not lessen the pain of loss or joy when calamity had not won the day. What it does say is, do not give up on the Lord in any situation. When horrendous things happen to God’s people, God is present with them as they mourn the dead and take care of the injured or celebrate the joy in simply surviving.

Yesterday was the 27th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, and ceremonies were conducted in memory of those lost and injured and in thanksgiving of those who rescued and helped in the recovery. The Oklahoma City Memorial Garden is a beautiful site of remembrance. Since 1995 downtown Oklahoma City has blossomed into a vibrant center city. I pray for a similar outcome for Ukraine and for all the nations caught in the forces of greed and lust for power that place their faith in violence. May they discover or rediscover the blessing received in serving the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your constant presence in the good times and the bad. Thank you for answering prayers. 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.

The Impossible Dream

Eastertide

April 19, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

Speaking up and speaking out is a challenge in a world where people want to bury their heads in the sand and not face the realities of the injustice all around us.  Injustice stacks the deck against many and is not limited to racism, sexism, and misogyny although they are too often present in the miscarriage of other types of injustice.   Many people are arrested for non-violent crimes who cannot afford bail and thus may be jailed for weeks or months until they are tried causing them to lose their jobs and possibly their homes. The poor do not receive the same health care as the rich.  Most hospitals are required to take necessary steps to save a life but if they cannot pay for service, they most likely will not receive treatment to return them to wholeness.

Peter demonstrated a lot of intestinal fortitude when he proclaimed ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. How many of us would be willing to say that? Jesus does give us wise advice regarding righting wrongs in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Jesus was an advocate for those whose status did not allow them to be treated justly. We are called to do that also.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
And to run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
And to love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are to weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
Ooh, no matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march, march into hell
For that heavenly cause*

Prayer: Lord, show us your quest for each of us and grant us the strength and courage to be wise as a serpent and innocent as doves as we carry out our calling. Amen.

*First and second verse with the chorus of the song The Impossible Dream written by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion, see at https://www.themusicallyrics.com/g/546-greatest-musical-songs-2/7996-man-of-la-mancha-the-impossible-dream-lyrics.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.

Systemic Justice

Eastertide

Eastertide

April 18, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

And so, we have another new beginning. God is merciful and just and God never seems to give up on us. Easter was observed yesterday with bright colors, beautiful music, baptisms, and celebration of the resurrection. A new day has dawned. We like the first-century disciples now must lay aside the that which holds us back and as Hebrews 12:1 states, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Indeed, we must atone for our individual deviations from God’s purposes. However, we perhaps have homed in on personal sin while ignoring the systemic sin we ignore that hurts everyone. No one needs to be poor in our world today. There are enough resources to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, welcome the stranger, and restore the prisoner. It does not matter what name we give to our form of governance or economic systems. What matters is that all are loved and have access to the basics of life that will allow everyone to experience the abundant life Jesus called for in John 10:10b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” God’s abundance is not measured in dollars and cents. Such abundance speaks of healthy minds and bodies but also the fullness of love, joy, and hope we possess through our relationships with God and with one another.

As some of us sang on Easter, we do serve a living Savior and he is in the world today. There is nothing we do in service to God and God’s whole creation that is not enhanced by the Spirit’s presence and guidance, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Prayer: Lord, lead us to come together in spirit and in truth to address the systemic changes needed in our world today. 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.

Unsealing the Tomb

Easter

April 17, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 27:57-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Seal the tomb so Jesus’s body could not be removed and, thus, his followers would be unable to say he had risen from the grave. In what tombs do we lock Jesus? If he had not been resurrected what of his message would we still follow? We now pick and chose the things he taught with which we agree, we ignore or explain away things with which we do not agree, and finally, we put words in his mouth that we do not have a record of him saying. As followers of God one of our greatest challenges is not recreating God in the image, we desire God to be.

God is calling us this Easter morning to unseal the tomb we place around Jesus. Studying the scriptures is a good place to start, but they, too, are limited to space and time that no longer apply to all our situations. We must also spend time in prayer and meditation seeking God’s guidance in understanding the world around us and how its systems work together for the fruition of the Kingdom of God or pull apart to stop its coming to reality. We must allow God to grow our faith trusting in God’s wisdom as it is given to us. Today we must step out in faith and let go of one thing that is holding us back from being fully the persons God created us to be. If it is a big step we may need to break it down into smaller parts, changing one at a time. If it is a small venture. We must finish it and move to the next. Make Easter your starting place for newness in faith.

Prayer: Lord, lead us into seeking and implementing your plan for the Kingdom of God. 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.

After Death

Silent Saturday

April 16, 2022

Scripture Reading:

John 18:1-19:42

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’ And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. –John 19:31-42

All are encouraged to read the entire scripture cited above at some point on this Silent Saturday. How do we respond when facing a series of horrible events, over which we have no control, the damage has been done, our lives will never be the same again, and we are surrounded by a dead calm? For just a few minutes put on the sandals and the cloaks of the first-century participants or witnesses in the death of Jesus and relive this scene with them.  The first sentence in the scripture above tells us that the temple leaders wanted to get rid of the evidence as soon as possible. One influential religious leader, Joseph of Arimathea, seems to suffer some regret from not being able to express his interest in Jesus openly. The only thing left for him to do was give Jesus a decent burial. I doubt that many of Jesus’s disciples slept much that night, running what-ifs through their minds over and over. Apparently only John was present at the crucifixion. Were the others afraid the same punishment might bring their end? Judas, of course, had already committed suicide. All kinds of rumors were spreading. Reports were made of the temple curtains splinting, and tombs being opened. The events of Jesus’s death and resurrection eventually changed the very way history is chronicled, initiating a new time continuum as a result of Jesus’s death and what followed.

As we meditate on these events begin to structure ideas about what happens next. What are the disciples to do? Was their work and calling buried with Jesus? Recall his charges to his disciples then that are still our duties as his disciples today.

Prayer: Lord, we live in a dangerous, divided world today, what are you calling us to do in your name? 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.

Provoked to Love

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 10:16-25

 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them
   after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
   and I will write them on their minds,’
he also adds,
‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Our world is being pelted by divisiveness designed to divide and conquer. It works by distracting us from issues that really matter by focusing on highly emotional, judgmentally driven subjects. Abortion is probably the leading issue and the longest-lasting one. Please note that while law after law has been written to criminalize abortion few attempts have ever been enacted to establish programs to prevent unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. A few years ago, Colorado reduced its abortion rate by 40% in one year by simply making birth control available to anyone who wanted it at no cost. Abortion is closely related to poverty. Immigration is another divisive and distracting issue. The USA has needed to revamp its immigration policies for years, but it never happened. Why? Because there are a lot of people making money off the backs of undocumented aliens who do not have to be paid the minimum wage or receive mandatory benefits. That does not only hurt the migrants, it also takes jobs away from citizens for whom minimum wage and benefits are required. There are jobs in the USA for which there are not enough workers that migrants could fill but they should be paid appropriately.

These examples cross my mind when I read the phrase quoted above that says, let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. How do we turn around a society driven by greed? Rather than provoking people to anger and violence on issues that divide us, we need to provoke people to love and do good deeds, drawing all God’s children together in support of one another.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are distracted from caring for the needs of all people with 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.

The Lord’s Supper

Maundy Thursday

April 14, 2022

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Lord’s Supper seems a necessity of life for me as sharing in it with other Christ-followers whether in person or online restores my soul. We live in a complex and sometimes frightening world that Jesus, the Christ, left us to make new with his guidance and in his name. Indeed, he did not leave us alone surrounding us with the Holy Spirit in all phases of our lives and with comfort and awakenings as we interact with the Lord in our spiritual disciplines. Since COVID, my church has been using prepackaged communion cups filled with grape juice covered in foil with a small disk of bread on top covered with plastic. The challenge of accessing the elements in them is a new experience each Sunday but I have noticed that most people work hard to break the seals so they can once again eat the bread and drink the cup to remember who we serve and why.

Prayer: Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether

 Draw us in the Spirit’s tether,
  for when humbly in your name
 two or three are met together,
you are in the midst of them.
        Alleluia! Alleluia!
Touch we now your garment’s hem

As disciples used to gather
in the name of Christ to sup,
then with thanks to God the giver
break the bread and bless the cup,
        Alleluia! Alleluia!
so now bind our friendship up*.  Amen.

*First two verses of the Hymn Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether by Percy Dearmer see at https://charlesghose.com/2020/05/23/draw-us-in-the-spirits-tether/

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 with Us in Justice

Lent

April 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 70

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
   O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
   who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’
   turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
   say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
   hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O Lord, do not delay! –Psalm 70

Justice advocates climb steep hills to make little progress.  Often when a solution is reached, the principalities and powers punish those who worked for justice by making matters even worse.  Vladimir Putin is a very public example of the marriage of greed and lust for power. That kind of narcissism lives and harms in every attempt to turn justice around.

The above scripture was a timely message for me as we deal with the challenges of our time. I pray for the people of Ukraine. The frustration I deal with and the problems I try to address are not comparable to what is happening to them. In either case, the lord is our help and deliverer and sets the example for us to be helpers and deliverers, too.

Prayer: O Lord, let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream*. Amen.

*Amos 5:24

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Our Cloud of Witnesses

Lent

April 12, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
   pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
   in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
   and my reward with my God.’ –Isaiah 49:1-4

Our world is broken in many ways. Are we each and altogether doing the very best we can to bring our world to wholeness? Isaiah, in the scripture above, may have written this poem to strengthen his commitment to following God’s call to be a prophet. He assesses his skills and talents to determine that he had done the very best he could to answer God’s call. However, he discerned that he had labored in vain, but concluded that the final measure of his work, rested with God and he took comfort in that. Did Isaiah even consider that over 2,700 years later his words would be giving encouragement and hope to God’s people trying to find wholeness?

Many working for justice in our world today have the scars of taking one step forward and two steps back. We too assessed what we could have done better, and that is important as we search for better ways to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves—all our neighbors, the sick, the hungry, the rich, the poor. Staying in sync with God is the only goal we can depend on to measure our contributions toward the Kingdom of God. While we may not see the success we want, in our lifetime we may have planted the seeds for our descendants in faith who continue the work to which we are called.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our ancestors in faith who provide us hope for the work we do in your name. 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.

Justice Is Good for All

Lent

April 11, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
   until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. –Isaiah 42:1-4

Jesus lived, and thus modeled, Justice in his time on earth. His standing up against the injustice of powerful religious leaders ultimately got him killed. God’s demand for justice flows through the entire Bible because justice out of balance is bad for everyone even those who seem to be benefiting from the distribution of rights. For example, people who cannot afford routine, preventive health care often land in the emergency room, the most expensive health care available. These people are often in advanced stages of all kinds of diseases that could have been prevented but now require major intervention. We all pay higher insurance rates to cover the expenses of care for everyone.

The poetry of the above scripture is heartwarming. Justice is described as not breaking bruised reeds not putting out the light of a dimly burning wick. The Lord makes it a priority to care for the most vulnerable. We should too.

Prayer: Lord, help us be doers of justice. 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.