Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Glory as Shame

Lent

March 11, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. –Philippians 3:17-4:1

Paul writes about the enemies of the cross of Christ and describes their god as being their bellies and their glory their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. I am not sure what he means by the cross is their enemy. Is it that our self-righteousness exceeds the humility of one willing to die for another? I am deeply moved by the people of Ukraine who understand in theory and in truth the importance of a democracy they are willing to die for. Compared to the idiocy of what is going on in our government both at the state and national level, I understand what Paul means by their glory is in their shame. The USA thinks it is the end-all and be-all of democracies but it is becoming more and more an oligarchy, ruled by the rich. Many of our elected officials do not listen to their constituents while they play them for fools as our leaders chase after the next best artificial controversy they can stir up while not dealing with issues that hurt the people they represent. Our voting for someone because he or she rants well about one’s right to not wear a mask to protect themselves or others from a killer virus, shields them from explaining why they have not raised the minimum wage since July 24, 2009. That is just one simple example. The constituents who matter to them are wealthy. Raising the minimum wage could cut into their wealth. Indeed, it would since we fail to index the minimum wage to the cost of living. Waiting 13 years to increase the minimum wage may have maintained wealth for some but has markedly increased real poverty.

People once wore braided bracelets highlighted with the letters WWJD that stands for what would Jesus do. I fear we do not care anymore what Jesus would do.

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise*. Amen

*The first verse of Dear Lord and Father of Mankind written by John Greenleaf Whittier see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind#Author

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.

Representing Christ

Lent

March 10, 2022

Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. –Philippians 3:17-4:1

Would we as Christians feel comfortable in saying to those who are not Christians: join in imitating me? I fear I would, to be honest, sometimes need to say do as I say not as I do. Do we not judge the validity of others by their actions rather than their words? I have already grown weary of the awful political ads that envelop my evening news while the same reporting I am hearing is telling me the ads are misleading or wrong. Paul may well have been a bit egotistical, but my guess is he did practice what he preached. It is hard at times to see through our human filters the Christ in each person we meet. We can only see that deep by putting on the whole armor of God that, indeed, will protect us from the evil that plants those false filters in our being.

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. –Ephesians 6:11-13

 Prayer: Lord, help us to grow in faith so that we might, too, be a model of 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.

Terrible Twos

Lent

March 9, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 27

Teach me your way, O Lord,
   and lead me on a level path
   because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
   for false witnesses have risen against me,
   and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
   be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the Lord! –Psalm 27:11-14

As I watch what is going on in our world, I observe that some seem to be stuck in the state of growth described as the terrible twos. I search to see how that stage is described by the professionals and found this description:

Two-year-olds are struggling with their reliance on their parents and their desire for independence. They’re eager to do things on their own, but they’re beginning to discover that they’re expected to follow certain rules. The difficulty of this normal development can lead to inappropriate behavior, frustration, out-of-control feelings and tantrums*.

Does that not sound like the behavior of many adults today? We are caught in a world that is changing as drastically as it did during the Industrial Revolution or the Renaissance.  Life is moving at such a fast pace, we, too, are struggling to hold on to the past while desiring the expansive choices of the future. And we, too, are expected to follow certain rules for those choices to be wise. People of faith are called to consider how the Lord’s ways help us discern the better path as we traverse a new worldview.  Our ancestors in faith traveled the path of new ways. Abraham left Ur to travel around the desert to a new and different life. The Israelites left slavery to enter a new land and start again. Let us walk this walk with the sure and certain knowledge that the goodness of the Lord will prevail.

Prayer: God of the Future, help us be strong, and let our hearts take courage as we struggle to let go of the familiar and allow you to guide us through the expansive choices we must make. Amen.

*This is taken from a longer description you can read at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/terrible-twos/faq-20058314#:~:text=The%20term%20%22terrible%20twos%22%20has,difficulty%20of%20dealing%20with%20them.

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.

Manifest Destiny

Lent

March 8, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, –Genesis 15:7-12, 17-18

‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

The United States Magazine, and Democratic Review on the necessity of annexing Texas and the inevitability of American expansion. O’Sullivan was protesting European meddling in American affairs, especially by France and England, which he said were acting “for the avowed object of thwarting our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.*”

And now Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, is claiming the state of Ukraine as his although he does not claim divine rights, but some eternal ownership. He seems to have plans to add other free countries in eastern Europe to his “land”.

How many wars have been fought over the ownership of land? How many people have died? Is the land game, a king-off-the-mountain game, prescribed by God? Or does evil interfere with the normal migrations of people to set groups against one another? Abram was at first welcomed in what is now the nation of Israel. I wonder what our nation would look like if the Europeans who had first arrived in the New World and the indigenous people who were already here truly worked to break bread together, learn from each other, and developed a world where swords were indeed melted to make plowshares.

We cannot rewrite the past, but we can create a future built on love and communities that work to support one another sans greed and lust for power if that is what we truly want.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to walk your path of righteousness and justice as we carve out our futures. Amen.

*Manifest Destiny explained see at https://www.britannica.com/event/Manifest-Destiny

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.

Trusting God

Lent

March 7, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. –Genesis 15:1-6

Abram had a very close personal relationship with God. He discussed everything with God even the fact that he and his wife were unable to conceive a child. Hannah also had this same type of relationship with God. It does not get more personal than that. I have, I guess, a forever habit of starting my prayers with several titles for God, Dear Heavenly Father, or Creator of All. I sense that God has gotten used to my habit and patiently waits for me to get to the point. God does already know who God is. I now realize that I need to tell myself who I am addressing and to acknowledge my respect for God. Is not that why we seek the most qualified person we know to get advice about something?

Abram trusted God, and we can too.

1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your trustworthiness in a world that sometimes cannot be trusted. Amen.

*First and second verse with the refrain of Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis, see at https://hymnary.org/text/when_we_walk_with_the_lord

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.

Being Prepared

Lent

March 6, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:1-13

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
   to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. –Luke 4:9-13

Evil is insidious, acting or spreading by imperceptible degrees: harmful, damaging, or destructive in a way that is gradual, or not easily noticed*.  Sounds like COVID or the stories I have read about the bubonic plague. We were encouraged to get vaccinated, wear masks, socially distance. Evil does spread by imperceptible degrees until we are so intertwined with it we cannot escape its tentacles.

Like taking health precautions to avoid or lessen the impact of viruses, we try to train children from birth to make good choices and give them tools like Jesus had in the wilderness to respond to evil when it besets us. Jesus as a young man had ready reference to scripture to debunk the enticements of the devil. We build resilience in our children by teaching and modeling better ways of love.

Prayer: Lord, help us to do our best to present ourselves to God as one approved by God, as workers who have no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth**. Amen.

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

**Derived from 2 Timothy 2:15

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.

Tempted

Lent

Oklahoma ranks 5th in Food Insecurity

March 5, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.”’ –Luke 4:1-8

Every time I read the above scripture, I am reminded of the spirit-walks young indigenous people from tribes in the United States take as a part of their maturation experience. God does indeed work in mysterious ways across all peoples when we open our hearts and minds to the Great Spirit.

Bread in some form is the primary staple food in most cultures, including the culture of the ancient Israelites. As the Israelites began their sojourn in the wilderness after escaping from Egypt they panic when their food supply was exhausted. God provisioned them with manna from heaven. It is the remembrance of that story that Jesus uses to refuse the devil’s temptation to turn a stone into bread. The devil was also testing Jesus regarding whether he accepted, understood his role as the Son of God. Beyond that, Jesus was forced to consider whether he would use his storehouse of power for his own benefit, a very important consideration for those who have much. Jesus answered it well as a model for all of us when he fed the 5,000.

We, too, must deal with similar temptations.  In 2019, more than 1 in 7 children—10.7 million—were food insecure in the United States, meaning they lived in households where not everyone had enough to eat*. The United States ranks third regarding all food insecurity in the world following Singapore and Ireland. The rest of the world has even worst hunger. Yemen and Venezuela are among the bottom of the rankings according to the Global Food Security Index**.

How can we best Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him through assuring food availability for the masses?

Prayer: Lord, as we walk with you through the wilderness of the world’s temptations, let your Spirit fill us with the courage to feed the hungry. Amen.

*https://www.childrensdefense.org/state-of-americas-children/soac-2021-child-hunger/#:~:text=Millions%20of%20children%20entered%20this,eat%20(see%20Table%2010).

**https://www.glaubfm.com/blog/us-ranks-3rd-global-food-security-index#:~:text=The%20Economist%20Group%2C%20supported%20by,list%2C%20following%20Singapore%20and%20Ireland.

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.

Generous Love

Lent

March 4, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Romans 10:8b-13

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

I despise the divide and conquer world in which we live. Evil pits people against one another to evil’s benefit. We are seeing that being played in real time via news videos broadcasts from Ukraine. Young Russian soldiers most likely have no idea why they are blowing up apartments where people just like them live. Paul reminds us in the scripture above that the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. Like Russia today, Rome had a small group of very wealthy people that ruled their world.

Strong’s Concordance explains Paul’s use of the word translated generous by referencing Revelation 3, which highlighted the problems in the church at Laodicea. The Laodiceans had success in banking, trade, and commerce – but their spiritual lives paid low spiritual dividends (yields)! The Laodiceans were too highly motivated (conscientious) about earthly matters and lacked real spiritual commitment for wise prioritizing*. Greed feeds on the resources of all.

The Lord’s generosity assures the spiritual wellbeing of all people that results in the provision of enough of the material needs of the people but more importantly brings people together to share in the bounty of God’s love and thus love one another.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Teach us all to love one another as you have loved us. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4147.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.

Saved to Serve

Lent

March 3, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 10:8b-13

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’*
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

What does it mean to be saved? We may first conjure an idea of prepaid admission into heaven. Paul’s writing tends to perceive salvation as a part of living our faith in the here and now. How to live like Christ in our everyday life. The Greek word, sózó, translated here as saved means to deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety)**. That seems to say to me that salvation allows us to be the persons we are called to be without the interference of sin. Christ, the Holy Spirit, saves us from the distractions of the world that separates us from God. We have already been instilled with gifts that are needed to carry out the work that faith requires. Being saved allows us to answer our call to serve without fear and with courage because we work within the safety of God’s love.

Prayer:
Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul,
Thank You Lord For Making Me Whole,
Thank You Lord For Giving To Me,
Thy Great Salvation So Full And Free***. Amen.

*The quote cited above at the beginning of the scripture is derived from Leviticus 18:5, You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the Lord.

**https://biblehub.com/greek/4982.htm

***Thank You, Lord, for Saving My Soul by Seth Sykes, Bessie Sykes. See at https://divinehymns.com/lyrics/thank-you-lord-for-saving-my-soul-song-lyrics/

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.

Search for Peace and Justice

Ash Wednesday

March 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
   the Most High your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall you,
   no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Those who love me, I will deliver;
   I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
   and show them my salvation.

As I read this scripture my heart went out to the people of Ukraine. It is an appropriate scripture for Ash Wednesday when we begin the preparation of the observance of Jesus’s death and resurrection. I also am reminded of the Jesus Wept statue located at the Oklahoma City memorial site. No doubt Christ is weeping now for all God’s children who are in harm’s way or separated from their families seeking refuge because of greed and lust for power that is running amok in the world.

Prayer: Lord, help us pray this hymn with the people of Ukraine as they struggle for their lives in search of their futures:

Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness;
make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord, only,
that makest me dwell in safety*.

*See at https://hymnary.org/text/lead_me_lord_lead_me_in_thy_right

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.