Category Archives: Uncategorized

Learning from Mistakes

Living in the Spirit
June 11, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.
–1 Samuel 15:34-35

Humans make mistakes and God lets us. Sometimes we learn from our mistakes and that is a good thing. It is the times that we do not learn from our mistakes that should concern us. When we make mistakes, we experience a variety of emotional responses: anger, humiliation, shame, embarrassment, even fear. I backed out of farm driveway without paying much attention to what was behind me and backed into a drainage ditch burying my back wheels. I had to enlist the aid of the sick farmer I was visiting to pull me out and send me on my way. I felt all those listed emotions. I was a young social worker making one of my first home visits.

I have not thought much about my mistakes making the Lord sorry but the words from Handel’s Messiah sourced from Isaiah 53:3 supports the idea. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. We can take comfort in the knowledge that the Lord knows exactly how we have erred and how we feel about it, and he loves us anyway. While we may be required to deal with others who may not be as magnanimous, God will always stand with us and if we welcome God, God can show us how to deal with those mistakes and learn from them.

I also can identify with Samuel. He had given in to the demands of the people knowing that their desire for a king was not the right solution to their situation at the time. It is hard for most of us to own the responsibility that changes in our behavior is often the answer to problems we face. I spent some time recently with a person who is dealing with some real challenges, but all the person’s proposed solutions required work on other people’s part over which the person had no control.

Being honest with ourselves as we examine our lives each day is a great place to start a quest for a better life and a better world.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your loving guidance and mercy. Help me examine myself and to apply the things I learn from my mistakes to future actions. 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.

Shouting Stones

Living in the Spirit
June 7, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. –2 Corinthians 4:13-15

Luke’s report of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem includes a story of some Pharisees asking Jesus to order his followers to stop celebrating his arrival to which Jesus replied, ‘if these were silent, the stones would shout out’. (Luke 19:40) Jesus’ message of love to the world cannot be quieted even if we do not say a word. But how much better would the world be if we followed Jesus’ lead and spoke out about injustice and about his way of being that results in the well-being of all God’s children?

Paul spoke because he knew that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus. Our faith is grounded in the faithfulness of God. While we humans may waver in our beliefs, fight doubt, and question ourselves, God’s faithfulness to us is rock solid.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!*

Prayer: Lord, enable us to speak out against injustice as we work to share your love throughout the earth. Amen.

*First verse and chorus of Great is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Obediah Chisholm. See at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/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.

Engaged in Citizenship and Faith

Living in the Spirit
June 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15

Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.’ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly. –1 Samuel 11:14-15

If we want to identify the cause of the problems facing our country today, all we need to do is look in the mirror. We treat our political system like a spectator sport. We take sides and cheer for the teams we support while drinking cold beverages and eating hotdogs. Our personal investment is limited to coming up with the money to buy the tickets or pay for the cable TV on which we watch games. In many instances, we treat our places of worship the same way. I happen to like some spectator sports, basketball for one and see nothing essentially wrong with taking some time to enjoy the talents and skills of others as we do with music and theater. Our governments at all levels and our faith communities are not primarily the place for being spectators. We are the players on the field or court. There are no provisions for spectators in either governments or faith communities.

Image yourself at Gilgal with Samuel and the people. Can you feel the excitement? Do you get the sense that now all our problems are over we have a king? It must have been a big party with lots of food and drink. They even made well-being offerings things were going so well. Think winning the World Series or the NBA or NFL championship. The teams relish the win for a while but immediately get back into practice or reshuffling their teams to do better next year. Fans read about it in the paper or watch updates on TV.

.and people take the stands they do? Do we invest our energy trying to find common ground for the Common Good? Do we educate ourselves on the complex nature of governing in our world today?

What steps will we take to be better-informed citizens and to help others become more active in there role as a citizen?

Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy*. Amen

 

*First part of Prayer of St Francis see at https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=134

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.

Love Lived Needs no Law

Living in the Spirit
June 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 2:23-3:6

One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’ –Mark 2:23-28

Rules, regulations, and laws are meaningless if they do not address a perceived end or result. They are never ends unto themselves. When we make them ends unto themselves, they are rendered worthless. Most rules, regulations, and laws we obey or choose not to obey are practiced as habits that do not make them any less means to an end rather than an end unto themselves, although It is probably a good idea to revisit at times their continued necessity. Observing the Sabbath is a rule we tend to ignore at our own peril. God’s wisdom in creation to rest on a routine basis provides refreshment for our souls as well as our bodies making us ready to face a new week.

Oklahoma recently added a law that restricts the use of the left lane to passing on a multi-lane highway. One of my pet peeves while driving is getting behind a truck who slows when going up a hill and speeds up going down when someone who apparently sets their cruise control on the speed limit is driving in the left lane right next to the truck. I feel confident the left lane drivers think they are doing nothing wrong because they are obeying the speed limit law. They, however, are setting up their fellow travelers for very dangerous circumstances particularly when the highway is full of large trucks whose loads often dictate how they drive and whose blind spots differ from those in an automobile. The result of the new law is to provide for safer highway driving.

The rule that only priest could eat the bread of the Presence established the result of elevating the bread to a more sacred status, which was overshadowed by the understanding that feeding the hungry is even more sacred.

Prayer: God, mold us into followers who understand that love lived is our most sacred gift to 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.

 

Unnatural Disaster

Living in the Spirit
May 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29:7-11

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
   and strips the forest bare;
   and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! –Psalm 29

The Psalmist writes using what we call natural disaster metaphors to describe the power of God. We who live on the Great Plains are well acquainted with wind uprooting trees and floods. This year we have particularly been besieged by fire. Draught has left our earth very vulnerable. When the earth is vulnerable so are the people who inhabit it.

Yet it is this All-Powerful God that gives us the strength to recover, rebuild, replant. We also learn from such experiences to practice prudent prevention. After seven children were killed by a gigantic tornado in one of our public schools five years ago, many districts have taken steps to improve their storm readiness.

God is also with us in the unnatural disasters as we once again hear of a young man shooting classmates and teachers. This time in Santa Fe, Texas. The TV showed pictures of him performing in a church program just a few weeks ago. What are we not getting? How do we reach our children to make them feel safe? How do we instill the love of God throughout our communities so that no one finds killing a way to self-worth? What kinds of prudent prevention do we need to practice regarding unnatural disaster?

What are we so angry about? What are we so fearful of? We turn to God when there is nowhere else to go but we seem to leave God there when the TV cameras are gone, and we have buried the dead. We return to futile pursuits targeted at definitions of success that are void of the love of God. Until we turn that around we will continue picking up the pieces of unnatural disasters.

Prayer: Holy One, forgive us for turning away from you. Help us to see your will and follow your way until we learn to live in 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.

Abiding in Christ

Pentecost
May 20, 2018

Scripture Reading: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. –John 16:4b-11

Our priority as a follower of Christ is following Christ. Maintaining that relationship is the source of all we are and hope to be as a part of the Body of Christ. I just flew coming and going trips with one stop each way and thus heard six times in ten days that if something goes wrong with the pressure in the plane, oxygen masks will drop from the compartment above my seat. It is imperative that we put our mask on first before we attempt to help others put on their masks. The reason is simple if we pass out from lack of oxygen we are no good to help anyone. The same is true of our faith if we do not maintain a strong, healthy relationship with Christ we have nothing to offer others in Christ’s name.

That said, if we abide, I call it staying in synch, with Christ, we will have the constant and steady support of the Holy through any endeavor we instigate in Christ’s name. I take comfort in that because I know I may not be able to do what I see needs to be done by myself and because sometimes what I perceive as necessary may not be and God’s wisdom will guide me appropriately to new actions.

I learned a new song several years ago that I have since claimed as my theme song.

I will do a new thing in you;
I will do a new thing in you;
Whatever you ask for, whatever you pray for,
nothing shall be denied.”
saith the Lord; saith the Lord!*

Prayer: Lord, nourish me so that I can be your conduit of love to others. Amen.

*I Will Do a New Thing In You Audrey Byrd see at https://hymnary.org/text/i_will_do_a_new_thing

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.

We Fear the Different

Eastertide
April 30, 2018

Scripture Reading: Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

The Jews of Jesus’ day lumped “the other” into one group and called them Gentiles. They had some outcasts of their own kind. Lepers were considered outcasts. Tax collectors and prostitutes were shunned. People of various colors were related to their tribes and some tribes might have been considered outcasts.  Race, however, as we know it today did not exist during Jesus’ time. It was first scientifically identified in physical anthropology around the mid-19th century and has since been debunked.

We are more sophisticated or at least we think we are in our exclusions. Race remains a part of our culture’s mainstays of differentiation as is any sexual or gender differences. We now can treat lepers, but we shun the mentally ill and people with physical deformities and at least since 9/11 are wary of people who look middle eastern.

One word I loved in my college Anthropology class was ethnocentric which means
1.  centering upon race as a chief interest or end
2.  inclined to regard one’s own race or social group as the center of culture
3.  exhibiting an incapacity for viewing foreign cultures dispassionately*

We fear the different, but history shows that learning from difference is the path to greater knowledge, understanding, and less warfare and violence. Something to consider.

Prayer: Holy One, you created us in diversity for a reason, help us learn to appreciate and grow to love the diversity in our world. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/ethnocentric

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.

Day of Judgment

Eastertide
April 27, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-21

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. –1 John 4:16b-21

I do not think many are concerned about the day of judgment. Several pay attention to the end of times and the second coming, which are linked to the day of judgment. I fear some believe judgment is for others just as the sins we recognize are often something others do. The Bible talks about the day of judgment.

Accountability is with us each step of our daily walk with God. I tend to see judgment as being held accountable as we examine our activities each day so that we can make course corrections through our faith journey.  For example, did I see someone hungry and not feed them? Having to face, all at once, a lifetime of missing the mark, breaking God’s laws, or being separated from God is something to dread. Our goal is to get to the final judgment and hear only Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21)

To reach that goal requires dedication to loving like God loves. In the end that is the only thing that matters.

Prayer: Teach me to love like you in everything I say and do. Help me to understand what love really is and what it means to me and those with whom I share 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.

Love and Forgiveness

Eastertide
April 26, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-21

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. –1 John 4:7-12

One of the great apes at our zoo had a baby recently. The local news showed sweet pictures of the mother ape kisses and nuzzling her baby. I think that is a form of love. Perhaps all of God’s creature received the ability to love at their creation. John tells us in our scripture today that all love comes from God and starts with the fact that God loves each of us. Sharing the knowledge of that truth is part of our purpose as followers of Christ. But life happens, and love can get distorted even from very early ages. Thus, another part of our purpose is striving for wholeness for ourselves and journeying with others striving for wholeness in loving themselves and others.

Jesus commanded: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31) I fear many of our problems result from our doing exactly that when we do not love ourselves we love our neighbors incompletely too. We must implement this commandment in its totality. Loving oneself relates to wholeness, not selfishness or being self-centered. It is perhaps a paradox, but we are only fully capable of loving another when we are comfortable enough in our own skin to risk loving another. God takes that risk with each and every one of us.

So how do we learn to love ourselves as God loves us? A good place to start is seeking God’s forgiveness for those areas for which we cannot forgive ourselves. With the assurance that God does forgive, God also will enable us to forgive ourselves when we are not perfect. We must learn from mistakes for sure, but then move on. The next step is to forgive others. When we have been hurt or even harmed by someone we often incorporate the pain as part of our self-awareness. There has never been a perfect parent, spouse, friend, co-worker. Let go of the negatives that reshape us and give them to God. God will remold us and remake us as God created us if we let God.

Prayer: Lord, enable me to forgive and to learn from mistakes rather than regress. 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.

Wrestling with God

Eastertide
April 20, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:16-24

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. –1 John 3: 23-24

I feel like Jacob sometimes wrestling with the angel. What is prayer? What does it mean to commune with God? Dealing with people is sometimes difficult. Finding that common center is often allusive. Is the Spirit the One who comes in the wee hours of the morning when all is quiet and wakes me from my slumber to struggle with an issue that seems beyond my control that I so want to control?

The Spirit tugs at my stubborn discontent until I finally release my fierce grip on not dealing with what must be solved and accept that I am responsible for my own malcontent for I am the one who sees what others do not see or do not care to address. I own the problem. Does the Spirit plant those seeds of discontent in calling me to service or is the Spirit trying to cleanse me of my preconceived notions that are getting in the way of being of service? Probably a little of both as the wrestling match continues.

Is abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us part of this intersection with the Spirit? We are called to an extraordinary life of loving until the way of love wins. In a world where personal, family, team, national success is everything to many we who follow Christ must choose to always let love rule. As I listen to the news and view the discord in our world today, I gain a far greater appreciation for those wrestling matches with God as God saves me from myself and enables me the privilege of being a part of the Body of Christ working to welcome the full Kingdom of God to this earth.

Come and find the quiet center
     in the crowded life we lead,
          find the room for hope to enter,
               find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
     clear our eyes, that we can see
          all the things that really matter,
               be at peace, and simply be*.

Prayer: Holy One, never stop wrestling we me until I perfect loving like you. Amen.

*First verse of Come and find the Quiet Center by Shirley Erena Murray. See at http://www.hopepublishing.com/html/main.isx?sitesec=40.2.1.0&hymnID=2366

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.