Category Archives: Daily Devotion

Veils and Filters

Ordinary Time

February 24, 2022

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. –2 Corinthians 3:12-18

I do not identify distractions to wholeness in faith as veils, I call them filters but we all have them. We actually need them for many things. We teach toddlers not to touch hot objects and thus create a filter that should last a lifetime. We create fillers that deal with specific situations. Like black parents having the “talk” with their children about how they are to properly behave when encountering authorities in the hopes that they can avoid bad outcomes. I long for a time when that filter will no longer be necessary.

Some of our filters result in the collision of our faith and our society’s norms when we try to piece them together and they do not fit.  I love the story of the woman who cut about three inches off the end of a ham then put it in a pan to bake. Her daughter ask why she did that and she said her mother taught her how to bake a ham. The girl asked her grandmother why she trimmed the ham, and she gave the same reply as the girl’s mother. Great grandmother was then consulted, and she explained that she cut off the end of the ham because she did not own a pan long enough to hold a whole ham.

We can look back on some of our filters and find them amusing. Others are destructive and it is those others that we need to clear from our system. My faith group was formed partially because the founder broke away from a denomination that required an offering before someone could take communion.

We must routinely review our actions and beliefs to determine what is of God and what is not and adjust our behavior accordingly.

Prayer: Lord, help me clean my filters so that I am in sync with you in spite of what the world dictates.  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.

Holy is Our Lord!

Ordinary Times

February 23, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 99

The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble!
   He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earthquake!
The Lord is great in Zion;
   he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name.
   Holy is he!

Mighty King, lover of justice,
   you have established equity;
you have executed justice
   and righteousness in Jacob.
Extol the Lord our God;
   worship at his footstool.
   Holy is he!

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
  Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
   They cried to the Lord, and he answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
   they kept his decrees,
   and the statutes that he gave them.

O Lord our God, you answered them;
   you were a forgiving God to them,
   but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Extol the Lord our God,
   and worship at his holy mountain;
   for the Lord our God is holy.

The word “holy” used in this scripture describes a physical presentation or personal manifestation of a deity on a throne*. In ancient times, people who sat on thrones were deemed the highest of the high. Thrones are symbolic of power. The word “holy” when applied here sets God even further apart from the kings and queens of our world. In a news interview with Senator Marco Rubio, he was asked something to the effect what should we in the USA think about the current situation in Ukraine. and he said he was praying, we all should be. He was dead serious. I understand that politicians rolling the words thoughts and prayers off their tongues in response to tragedies has grown old. Particularly when the same actions occurred over and over and are never addressed and yes, we still should pray about them. I think the Senator was expressing the severity of the events in eastern Europe and recognizing that God is better at dealing with evil than any or all of us. We still need to do our part and work for a world where people matter more than power or wealth.

Prayer: Lord, be with our leaders as they struggle to find non-violent means of addressing the problems in Ukraine.  Make our world whole, make us one, make us just. 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.

Prayer

Ordinary Time

February 22, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Exodus 34:29-35

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Moses came down from Mount Sinai after spending time with God and receiving the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:29) Elijah drained of all strength, burnout we would call it today, He was nourished by God’s angels and then traveled to Mount Horeb and entered a Cave to find renewal. (1 Kings 19) Jesus went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12) and the next day he called the 12 disciples. The pattern of prayer between God and God’s followers flows through the entire Bible. We are called to follow that pattern today. When trying to organize a people from living in slavery to becoming a nation, to fighting against the evils of out-of-control power, to selecting the right people for a mission that eventually led to changing the whole world. God is there on the mountaintop or in the church basement. Be attentive to God’s presence as you lay before God whatever is stirring in your soul to gain strength in its accomplishment.

Prayer: Lord, as we travel the path of service, let your love be our strength to carry on in simple and dynamic situations.  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.

Ray of Light

Ordinary Time

February 21, 2022

Scripture Reading: Exodus 34:29-35

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

The Hebrew word translated shining is from a primitive root; to push or gore; used only as denominative [give a name] from qeren, to shoot out horns; figuratively, rays — have horns, shine*. You may have seen ancient paintings or statues where Moses is portrayed with horns. I envision something like the rays of the rising sun appearing in the sky. Could the tongues of fire in Acts 2 describing the coming of the Holy Spirit be similar? How does one name or illustrate something indescribable? The witnesses seem to innately know they were seeing something holy, something that set Moses apart, something validating his relationship with God.

How do we understand our relationship with God in this modern era where unexplained phenomenon becomes the subject of scientific research until we can explain it completely? God created us with curiosity. Perhaps such exploration brings us closer to God if we let it. Shakespeare puts it this way in Hamlet, “And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

The scripture above describes a turning point in the Israelites escape from Egypt. They had been wandering in the wilderness long enough to stop and take stalk of who they were and what their next steps would be. The two tablets Moses carried down the mountain contained the new rules that would lead them into becoming a society preparing them for the next phase of their life out of bondage and into taking responsibility for their behavior. We, too, are amid a transition from a world overcome by a pandemic where all are trying to understand where we are and what we are to do next. We, too, need to be reminded that we serve a mighty God that is willing to show us the way if we are ready to turn to the One who can light our path.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for growing so weary of struggling with pandemics and threats of war, and false gods. Lead us to the brighter tomorrow that you desire for all your children. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7160.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.

Judging Others

Ordinary Time

February 20, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-38

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ –Luke 6:37-38.

The Greek word translated judge here is krínō which means to pick out (choose) by separating*. I saw a story on the news recently where a man who had served more than 40 years in prison was freed because new evidence was discovered that proved he was not guilty of the crime. We never know all the details of any action. We have a criminal justice system to protect the public, and to restore people to wholeness who have behaved in a way that was detrimental to the well-being of society. Our system of justice is limited by the facts that are missing. That is true in our criminal justice system, but it is also true in our everyday interactions with others. We never know all the facts about why something happened or why someone behaves the way they do. God knows all the facts, but we never do, and we need to be cognizant of that when we feel the need to judge others.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your grace that restores us to wholeness when we have strayed from following your path. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2919.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.

Enemies to Friends

Ordinary Time

February 19, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Luke 6:27-38

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. –Luke 6:27-31

I wrote about this scripture last week. I do not know if I recorded the same scripture in two different places or if the creators of the lectionary thought it so important it listed it twice. The scripture is crucial to living as Christ wishes us to live.

What is an enemy and who are our enemies?

Strong’s Concordance describes the word enemy used in this scripture as properly, an enemy; someone openly hostile (at enmity), animated by deep-seated hatred. implies irreconcilable hostility, proceeding out of a “personal” hatred bent on inflicting harm*.

I must say I do not think of others as enemies. Only a few times in my life have I ever felt threatened by anyone who intended me physical harm. Enemies in my world are generally people who feel I am in their way toward attaining an outcome they desire. Isn’t that the purpose of most people we tag with the title enemy? Years ago, a child was brought to the Children’s hospital where I work from her school in severe pain which was quickly diagnosed as acute appendicitis. The school had been unable to contact her mother as she had no phone. Her mother lived in a sordid, dangerous place dubbed Sandtown by locals who avoided it like the plague. I was tasked to go find the girl’s mother and bring her back to the hospital. Having just moved to Oklahoma City, I had no idea where or what Sandtown was. I got the address and when I turned down the street, I needed to travel to reach the mother’s home, I was stopped by rough-looking men who rocked the front of my car demanding to know what I was doing in their community. I told them what my mission was, and they lowered their voices giving me direction to the mother’s house. I found the mother and as we drove by that welcoming committee on our way to the hospital, they waved us on wishing us well.

I am not sure most of us know what drives our desires. Vicious dogs often have been routinely beaten. Most people long for acceptance not knowing what in their lives made them feel unaccepted. Others know only too well why they are mistreated. As Christ-followers we are called to love one another even those who do not love themselves or us. When I got back to the hospital people were stunned that I even went there without a police escort. If i had known what it was, I am not sure I would have gone, but I am glad I did.

Sun Tzu is credited with the phrase “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.” He was an ancient Chinese general.  His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes**  I am not sure I agree with all his strategies, but I like the idea of working at making friends of our enemies.

Prayer: Lord, show us ways to heal our relationships with those who struggle against us. Amen.

* https://biblehub.com/greek/2190.htm

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu

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

Dealing with Distractions

Ordinary Time

February 18, 2022

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The ability to dispel fear is one of the greatest attributes needed in our world today and Paul gives it his best shot in 1 Corinthians 15. I could not help, as I read this, to think how much energy we burn every day over things of little consequence of which we often have no control while overlooking the world in front of us where we see many wrongs we do have the ability to right but are not willing to make the investment of time and energy necessary to make the changes needed,  and are very hard to actualize. We have needed to rewrite the statutes and policies that control immigration for decades. Three differing issues must be addressed: What is our stand on caring for refugees, who do we want to welcome as persons wanting to and how do we process workers who want to retain their current citizenship but what to work here and not become a citizen. Policies on each should be relatively easy to develop and implement. The rules are not the problem, our prejudices and greed are. One segment of our society very much wants the undocumented to work for them for they can pay them below minimum wage and not provide the benefits required by our government. That is neither fair to US citizens who need jobs nor to the undocumented who need adequate incomes to live.

That is just one example, there are many others. We will never be able to rewrite the out-of-date statutes and rules until we the people reexamine our understanding of what it means to welcome the stranger. Instead of doing the soul searching necessary to understand that concept, we build walls, real and imaginary, to protect ourselves from having to face the real issues. We cannot serve God and wealth* both.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to see the fruits that come with welcoming the stranger. Amen.

*See Matthew 6:24

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.

Faith

Ordinary Time

February 17, 2022

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 15:35-38

But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

I once was sitting beside a good friend at the funeral of another friend’s father. My friend was born for triple X clothing. She was attractive and wore her size well. The service had been too long while the presiding minister preached modern day hell, fire, and damnation. He suddenly slammed his hand down on the pulpit and declared that the man in the casket below him would one day rise out of that casket and his soul and body would be reunited. My triple X friend whispered just loud enough for me and the friend on the other side to hear, “But I wanted a new one.” I do not think I ever forgave her for making me laugh out loud at a funeral. I quickly turned it into a cough.

I remembered this event when I read that Paul called the people fools who inquired what kind of body they would have when they are raised from the dead. Faith is a difficult thing for some to fathom. They want absolutes and guarantees. Hebrews 11:1 states it well, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. We certainly hope to spend eternity with God, but we must attend to our serving the Lord here on earth today and trust eternity to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being tolerant of our human foibles as we grow in wisdom and strength in your service.  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.

Send Me

Ordinary Time

February 16, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

Do not fret because of the wicked;
   do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
   and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
   so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
   trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
   and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
   do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
   over those who carry out evil devices.

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
   Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For the wicked shall be cut off,
   but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
   though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land,
   and delight in abundant prosperity.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
   he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and rescues them;
   he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.

I usually do not quote some longer scriptures like the one above. Rather I pick out the key verses that catch my attention. This morning as I read this scripture, I thought the whole world needs to read this as we seem caught in the chaos of fear and anger regarding the COVID pandemic, warmongers rattling their swords, greed, and lust for power running amok, and people, in general, trying to make sense of our changing world. Indeed, I believe we are at a crossroads of either getting stuck in our own mud and floundering or turning to God and saying Here am I send me with the same trembling voice of Isaiah as God calls us to partner with God to bring about the fruition of God’s Kingdom on this earth. Let it be so.

Prayer: Lord, free us from whatever holds up back from answering your call to service. Guide us through these troubled seas and bring us safely to your promised kingdom. 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.

Let Love Abound

Ordinary Time

February 14, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ And they came closer. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. —Genesis 45:3-7

I cannot imagine what it might be like to have sold your brother into slavery only to find him years later as a leader in the government of a great nation. God wants the very best for all of God’s children including the ones with exceptional talents and the ones who are threatened by those abilities. Parents have a great challenge of guiding children to be the best that they can be while being understanding of people with differing skills. Everyone has talents and skills that are necessary for the fruition of a world ruled by love.

God enabled Joseph to not only become a ruler of Egypt but to also discern that would not have happened had he not faced the jealousy of his brothers who sold him into slavery.  He seemed thrilled to see them and was particularly concerned about his father.

I think Paul may have said it best in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,  Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the patience love requires and the ability to grow in 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.