Author Archives: WOJ@deborahsdescendants.com

Father Forgive Us

Advent

December 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As I write, the second man in an Oklahoma prison to be executed in the last month is being fastened onto a gurney with legs bound and arms outstretched in a cross-like manner. Oklahoma stopped executions in 2015 because the drugs being used were deemed to cause unnecessary suffering. Our current Governor and Attorney General disagreed with that decision and reinstated executions using the same drugs. The first man executed experienced over two dozen convulsions and vomited twice before dying. The second man scheduled for execution had his sentence changed to life in prison without parole because there are serious questions regarding whether he committed the crime for which he was found guilty. The third man on the list is being killed today. There are 30 more people on death row, but a hearing has been set in February in federal court to determine whether the drugs being used cause unnecessary suffering. I do not believe that the death penalty is ever appropriate. The hearing in February will not end the death penalty; it will only change the method used to kill the people.

The Scripture quoted above is one of my favorites, and in theory, I attest to its validity, but today in real life, where the death penalty is real, I am finding it hard to rejoice in the Lord always. I then remember that much of Philippians was written by Paul while he was in prison when he, too, could have been executed. Later, he probably was beheaded for spreading the love of Jesus Christ. The man being executed today said he was at peace and will be the first person executed in Oklahoma to have his spiritual advisor in the room with him, praying for him while touching him in the process. He indeed has chosen to rejoice in the Lord always. So, I rejoice with his ability to rejoice while I pledge even more to advocate for the end of the death penalty and remember the words of Jesus from the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our failure to love all your children. Guide us to restore the wholeness of all who have committed crimes.  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 Habit of Loving

Advent

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

In all things, always start with love and see where it leads you. We often think of habits as bad things. Developing good habits will help you live longer and be more competent. However, I am not sure that I ever thought of love as a habit to cultivate. I believe that is what Paul is describing above.

To make love the driving force in our lives, we must understand love. The word “love” used in this Scripture is translated from the Greek agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers). Other words describing love are benevolence, goodwill, esteem. God’s love is given with no strings attached unconditionally.

How do we love unconditionally? How do we love without letting the influences of the world define how we see and deal with others? I just saw on the news a report of a black family living in a lovely home in a good neighborhood, having the home’s value appraised. They thought the appraisal was far too low and wondered if their race impacted the estimate. So they removed any pictures or other indicators that the home might be owned by African Americans and had a white friend acting the part of the owner greet the next appraiser and show them around the house. The second appraisal was $500,000 more than the first appraisal.

When we interact with others, do we first see the image of God by which they were created, or do we cast the world’s judgment on them? If that is the case, we need to develop the habit of looking for the image of God in each person we meet.

Finally, we must apply this same system to loving ourselves. Our problems of not loving like God result from our inability to love ourselves as a child of God.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to follow your instruction to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/26.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.

The Way of Love

Advent

December 8, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord,
   call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
   let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

The song Where is Love from the movie Oliver played in my head has I read this Scripture. The singer is a little boy who runs away from an orphanage in search of something better, in search of his mother. All alone and afraid in the darkness he sings:

Where is love?
Does it fall from skies above?
Is it underneath the willow tree
That I’ve been dreaming of?
Where is she
Who I close my eyes to see?
Will I ever know the sweet hello
That’s meant for only me*?

Surely my brain, or perhaps my heart, thought that Isaiah’s Scripture above answered Oliver’s questions. Recently, I have been thinking that we have pushed God to the back of the pantry as we sit alone in the dark, hopeless and helpless. We are neither. We serve a mighty God who loves us deeply and thoroughly and wants the very best for all God’s children.   Jesus, the Christ, came to show us the way, the truth, and the life*. Part of our problem is that we get distracted by life’s complications and have difficulty accepting that the solutions are straightforward as the love God expects of us. We are like toddlers fighting sleep when sleep is what they need.  We readily respond to challenges with strong emotions such as hate, anger, bigotry, and others when love is the required response. We cannot love like Jesus until we clear the clutter of what stands in our way of doing what is right, what is just.

Prayer: Lord, clear the clutter of selfishness and self-righteousness that limits our ability to love ourselves and others as you love. Amen.

*First verse of Where is Love by Lionel Bart see at https://genius.com/Oliver-musical-cast-recording-where-is-love-lyrics

**See John 14:6

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.

Together as One

Advent

December 7, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

I never noticed before that Malachi indicates that the Lord’s messenger is being sent to make ready the clergy, in this instance the descendants of Levi, for their role in preparing for the arrival of the Lord. Being clergy in a divide-and-conquer world is as challenging now as when the Sadducees and the Pharisees tangled with the ruling Roman government. Then, all involved were more concerned about their power and prestige than with the needs of their congregants or constituents. Sound familiar?

Recently, the “Fear Not” Scripture related to Gabriel’s meeting with Mary was considered in Sunday School, and participants were invited to share their fears. One woman stated that she feared that our government was on the precipice of failure. I, too, have felt that fear. The sad part is we are so divided that people on both sides feel that fear.

Good clergy walk a tightrope trying to lead their parishioners to a common ground by reaching for the higher ground of Jesus’s teachings on how we are to live and love. All followers of Christ need to support good examples and instructions and work together to find the actions on which all can come together. Paul brought people together, for one thing, by collecting donations for others who were suffering in a drought*. That is where Jesus also started, caring for the poor. Their working together led to the Jerusalem Council that opened the doors to gentiles being welcomed without first becoming Jews..

Prayer: Lord, bring us together one act of love at a time. Amen.

*See Acts 15 and Galatians 2

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 Is

Advent

December 6, 2021

Scripture Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
   shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
   O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
   he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
   you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
   do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
   a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
   he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
   as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
   so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
   at that time.
And I will save the lame
   and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
   and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
   at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
   among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
   before your eyes, says the Lord.

I needed this scripture this morning; you may too. I recommend that you not only read it but inhale it into your soul. As you read it consider what you are doing as a disciple of Christ to hasten the Kingdom of God in fulness across the whole earth.     

Prayer: God of Grace and Love, thank you for freeing us from despair guide us to live within the light 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.

A New Thing

Advent

December 5, 2021

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
   and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
   and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Wilderness: érēmos – properly, an uncultivated, unpopulated place; a desolate (deserted) area; (figuratively) a barren, solitary place that also provides needed quiet (freedom from disturbance).

In Scripture, a “desert” (2048 /érēmos) is ironically also where God richly grants His presence and provision for those seeking Him. The limitless Lord shows Himself strong in the “limiting” (difficult) scenes of life*.

My parents retired from the farm and moved to a bungalow in a nearby town with a nice small backyard. Except when he served in the army, my Dad had never lived in town. Furthermore, his parent’s farms and our farm were located on the Great Plains, flat land with a few rolling hills and native trees near streams.  My Dad suffered from location claustrophobia if that is possible. So he began to search for a place with more space, and he found it. In February, I did not consider what I might find when I followed the directions to the new location and gasped in shock when I turned into the driveway and saw an in-town wilderness. The home had been vacant for some time. It set at the edge of town a dirt row separated it from a creek that flowed behind. The place was two acres of overgrown brush and weeds. The house still had the furniture and other belongings of the previous owner, and its most recent occupants were varments. I thanked God they were still living in the bungalow and prayed that they would realize the calamity of this decision. My Mom was an avid gardener, and my Dad had worked as a carpenter before serving in the army and then buying the farm.

I did not see this wilderness again until the end of March. I turned into a curving, well-graveled driveway lined on one side by rows of daffodils and irises. Their bulbs had been there all along. Mom just gently discovered them and nurtured them.  Rose bushes surrounded the garage door. Cuttings from the boxwood bushes that originated in Tennessee before the Civil War were taken to Arkansas, and then to Oklahoma were planted on either side of the front steps. The lawn was mowed neatly; the back yard was now a well-laid planned vegetable garden. There were also two paper shell pecan trees and one native pecan. The house was repaired where necessary and spotlessly clean.

Our world feels like a wilderness now For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on Earth, good will to men**. But God is with us and will guide us to do a new thing in us*** if we are willing to invest our lives in the work of loving and nurturing one another.

Prayer:
Lord, renew us again as we await the coming of the Christ child and the fulfillment of this promise
I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert***. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2048.htm
**From sixth verse of Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,  See at https://poets.org/poem/christmas-bells
***See Isaiah 43:19

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.

Preparing the Way

Advent

December 4, 2021

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
   and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
   and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

As an advocate activist, I am very aware of who the rulers are of my nation, state, county, city, and even the school board, although I have no children in school. I also can identify the leaders of my faith and church. In naming these leaders, Luke describes the part of the world into which Jesus was coming. What comes to your mind when you remember Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, or Hitler? By simply naming names, Luke paints a historic picture upon which he will sketch the life of Jesus.

As an advocate activist, John the Baptist called all who heard his voice to do justice and show mercy. He warned the people and the leaders to repent, change their ways from doing that which was neither righteous nor kind. He further alerted them that the One, Isaiah described, was coming soon to fulfill the prophet’s vision. John was very aware of how those leaders failed to respond to the call for justice and mercy. Instead, most were dedicated to maintaining their power and wealth. Thus, he provided a wake-up call while laying the groundwork for Jesus’s ministry.

We, too, must be aware of the world’s impact on all God’s people, and all people are God’s. We, too, must seek to do God’s justice and share God’s love as demonstrated in the life of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, during this Advent season, help us examine ourselves and repent of anything separating us from you. Amen.

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

Living Justly

Advent

December 3, 2021

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

In the above scripture, the word translated as love from the Greek, agape, means properly, love which centers in moral preference*. What is moral is just. Does this type of love drive all our decisions to determine what is best what is right in the world for ourselves and others?

In the compiling of the English language, I do wish the word “love” would not have been designated to cover such a vast expanse of meaning. For example, 1 Timothy 6:10 is translated 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. The Greek word translated as “love” is philarguria, which means love of money, avarice, covetousness**. Indeed, this Greek word starts with “phil” which might refer back to what we call sibling love, but would, I believe, more correctly in today’s world means greed which overcomes people to the point that they care less for their siblings or anyone else then they care for money.

I ask again, is moral love, just love the driving force of all our decisions to determine what is best what is right in the world for ourselves and others?

Prayer: Lord, open our awareness to the injustice we do not see in our world today. Lead us toward loving for what you consider best. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/26.htm

**https://biblehub.com/greek/5365.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.

Purified and Refined

Advent

November 30, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap are purifying agents. Metal removed from the earth is melted, and any non-metallic particles are removed, increasing the metal’s strength.  The COVID pandemic has had many negative impacts, but it also seems to have made people reconsider what is important to them as they consider the life they have left to live. Malachi is suggesting that we apply this concept to our states of being.  Recently I moved a chest in my bedroom because I noticed a small book caught between it and the wall. It is Parker J. Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. I have read and appreciated other books by Palmer but had no idea where this one came from or how I got it. It was published in 2000 about the time I struggled with feelings that the work I had been doing was morphing into something that at least missed my life goals. I do not remember reading the book, and it looks brand new.  I eventually chose to take early retirement in 2004 and pursue the Commissioned Ministry program available in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I served as an Associate at a church for seven years, then retired a second time to devote my time to advocacy.

I am reading the Palmer book slowly and thoughtfully as I once again need to be purified from a pessimistic viewpoint that our society is beyond salvaging. My metal needs to be refined and strengthened.

When I found the book, the first line of an old hymn ran through my mind, reminding me that we serve an all-powerful God who can and will use us in many ways if we open our hearts to God’s service. So finding the book was well-timed.

God moves in a mysterious way,
    His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
    And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
    Of never failing skill;
He treasures up his bright designs,
    And works His sovereign will*.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees, enabling me to serve you more nearly**. Amen.

*First two verses of Conflict: Light Shining out of Darkness. By William Cowper. See at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Moves_in_a_Mysterious_Way

**Derived from Hebrews 12:12

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.

Prepare the Way for the Lord

Advent

November 29, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Are we called to prepare the way for the Lord in real-time today? What does it mean to prepare the way for the Lord? How do we make straighter the way to finding the love of God, including God’s wholeness, oneness, and justice in a world of divide and conquer?

As I have mentioned before, I live in tornado alley, and while we may take warnings of pending storms for granted, we take precautions. For example, in Oklahoma City, every Saturday at noon, the outdoor tornado sirens are tested to make sure they work if the need to sound them arises. In addition, I have a weather alert system on my cell phone that gives me immediate warnings when dangerous storms are approaching.  Failure to follow those warnings may lead to disaster.

God’s prophets came to warn God’s people that their actions were missing the mark and they must change their ways if they are to experience the blessing of being in sync with God. In the scripture above, Malachi foretells God sending a messenger to prepare the path to the Lord.

 I drove out to see a new apartment complex recently built a few blocks from my home. It looked very nice from my vantage a block away. There was a rough road leading into the complex, but it was so new the city street that would at some point be the paved way to it had not yet been built. Some people already lived there, but others will be more likely to cross the entry from a smoother, easier-to-follow path.  We are called to show others the way to God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see those who might benefit from our opening doors to accessing God’s 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.