Category Archives: Uncategorized

god-and-motivational-quotes-thoughtsAdvent
December 12, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

One needs a course in Hebrew history to understand our scripture today. At first read, it seems it was placed in the lectionary because it refers to the prophet Isaiah referencing the birth of a child to a young woman. The child is to be named Immanuel, which means God with us and is the name Christians ascribe to Jesus. I guess that makes it an appropriate scripture for Advent.

Ahaz is the king of Israel besieged by the threat of other nations. He does not know what to do. God’s guidance is to ask for a sign but Ahaz refuses to put the Lord to the test falling back on a familiar scripture,
Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus quotes this same scripture in the story of his temptations (Luke 4:12) in a response to Satan. In Hebrew history (see Judges 6-8) we know that Gideon not only asked God for a sign but asked twice and God seemed to be patient with his fear of misunderstanding. Fast forward to the New Testament (Luke 11:29-32) where Jesus tells the evil generation they do not deserve a sign when they ask for it.

What are we to make of all of this? The story of Gideon tells of a sincere man asked to do an extraordinary task. He needed fortification to step out and faith and God gave it. God encourages Ahaz to ask for a sign and Ahaz quotes Hebrew law back to God as his reason for not asking for a sign. Do we ever let out piousness get in the way of our relationship with God?

Prayer: Lord, as we once again prepare for your coming, forgive us when we get so caught up in being right that we fail to be one with 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Gerrymandering Gentiles

north-carolina-congressional-districtsAdvent
December 2, 2016

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-13

‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’ –Romans 15:9b-12

Who are the Gentiles in our world today? The Greek translated “Gentile” is the word ethnos. We might think of the English word ethnicity. The definition of ethnos is a race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles; people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture*. Essentially Gentile in the New Testament refers to anyone who is not a Jew. Today we must consider who we cast in the role of “Not My/Our People.” There seems to be a lot of that going around recently.

I just saw a picture of the Congressional Districts in North Carolina. An appeals court recently ruled that the gerrymandering done in North Carolina was illegal and they must redraw it. The Supreme Court will likely have the last word. The picture is interesting. Some Districts were apparently, unofficially designated the African American district as they meanders around a large section of the state picking up one big area and multiple small pockets of the population all largely composed of African Americans. What the gerrymander did was box in an area to limit the number of African American supported candidates while reducing the power of African Americans to impact other areas. Gerrymandering designates someone’s Gentiles.

Paul quotes several** Old Testament sources to create this treatise in our scripture today on God’s welcoming Gentiles. Perhaps he wanted to say to the Gentile Romans that God always had them in God’s heart. Perhaps we need to hear that lesson ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see all humans as being made in your image including each of us and in so doing empower us to love them as your children and our siblings by treating them justly. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/1484.htm
**Psalm 18:49, 2 Samuel 22:50, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10

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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Power of God’s Love

love-never-failsAdvent
November 22, 2016

 Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
   come, let us walk
   in the light of the Lord! –Isaiah 2:4-5

I quote John 16:33 to myself often because it speaks a reminder I need not only to hear but to internalize:   I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’ Jesus Christ speaks this truth for yesterday as with our ancestor in faith Isaiah; to today as we live our love every day rain or shine; and particularly to tomorrow as we continue to pull together with Christ the yoke of Kingdom building. Isaiah foresaw the impossible and called the people to walk in the light of the Lord toward making it a reality. God through Christ calls us to the same mission today.

Prayer: Lord, you have gifted us with the honor of experiencing the greatest power on earth, your love. We thank you for sharing it with us. Help us to pass it on. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Speaking Hope

partnershipsAdvent
November 21, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. –Isaiah 2:1-3

Our charge has not changed. God’s vision of justice and mercy is still God’s vision. Our role as partners in God’s purpose is as strong and important now as it has ever been. God is working God’s purpose out. The first segment of the book of Isaiah recounts the processes at work within the people of God during the time of the Assyrian siege and the eventual exile of the people of God. Isaiah speaks hope even in devastation when dealing with a variety of governmental leaders.

Now you may consider this a strange analogy, but I think it is worthy to consider. I worked as a state employee under the leadership of eight governors. Each with a slightly different interpretation of the purpose of state government, and seven different Directors of Human Services who spun their ways into the delivery of agency responsibilities. Each election cycle resulted in re-tuning our work with some changes more radical than others. Most of the programs we administered were funded through a combination of federal and state funds. We crafted our programs to meet federal requirements laid out, while I worked, during the terms of six presidents and their numerous Secretaries of what is now the Department of Health and Human Services. The two entities did not always work in sync. On the frontline of Human Services, the staff open doors every day to the hungry, the poor, abused and neglected children and adults, and the disabled, many of whom might not have known who the president or governor was. Our first responsibility was to these people whom Christ called the least of these and our tasks was to bend and shape whatever was handed down to us to enhance their lives or to do as little harm as possible.

Isaiah is a good role model for us. He worked within the system to bring about positive outcomes, and he worked among the people of God to help them understand their ultimate faith and work must be driven by God’s plan.

Prayer: Lord, show us the way to live your love within whatever system we may find ourselves. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Leaning on God

wells-of-salvation1Living in the Spirit
November 9, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 12

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. –Isaiah 12:3-4

I spent election day this year watching 2,000+ voters weave their way through two precincts that vote at my church. All age groups, most races, varied religions, identifiable by a Yamaka or a scarf, were represented. Knowing this was a momentous election my church decided to serve coffee and water with some muffins and cookies to make the wait to vote easier. My observation of the participants occurred during the process of filling coffee pots and answering questions. I voted in the early voting so I could be available to do this work. These voters live within a 27-block area running north and south by a ten-block area running east and west. I live in a city. Most of my family live in rural areas lacking the same degree of diversity that is my everyday experience. Those differences it seems, have come to a head in this election.

The rural/urban divergence is just one of the challenges our nation and our churches face in which the nation must address the Common Good; the church must become one in Christ Jesus. When considering the magnitude of these differences, I am left feeling rather hopeless that either of this desired outcomes, Common Good, and oneness, will every become a reality. A simple reading of Isaiah describes in many places exactly what I am feeling now. In our scripture today, Isaiah leans on God’s wellspring of salvation as the very source of the hope I am lacking.

I want with all my heart to be so in sync with God that my being reflects my faith. Often, I get caught in the web of having nowhere else to turn but to God before I lean into God’s salvation. I do thank God for understanding my stubborn bent to be independent, and I thank God for always being my Savior when I finally seek God’s salvation.

Prayer: Give me the courage to lean on you in all ways always. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do Not Fear

rock-that-is-higher-than-iLiving in the Spirit
October 31, 2016

Scripture Reading: Haggai 2:1-9

Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. –Haggai 2:3-5

Democracy is messy. Trying to negotiate agreement on best practices is difficult. Change is hard. We live in a challenging world, and as members of that world, we choose to function within a system of governance that requires our full participation. It gets uglier at some times than at other. In history, we read of the scandals of Tammany Hall in the 1780’s recurring in the 1920’s and muckraking of the 1890’s. Not having experienced them, they are not as real to us as the current political situations. They were probably just as bad.

The week before the general election in the USA is a good time to be reminded that we serve an awesome God who abides among us. God created this earth out of chaos and can surely rescue us from our self-created calamity if we abide in God. Being in a relationship with God does require self-introspection. Some, perhaps much, of our fretting and fears comes from our clinging to things of this world that have little or no relevance in God’s Kingdom. Parsing out what is of God and discerning what kind of nation we want to be is important . Not forcing our beliefs on others but letting God’s plan for our lives direct our way of being are reflected in our actions as citizens.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse me of all that inhibits my living your love in all that I do including my role as a citizen of this nation. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Fulfilling Righteousness

he-has-the-whole-worldLiving in the Spirit
October 17, 2016

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:23-32

O children of Zion, be glad
   and rejoice in the Lord your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
   he has poured down for you abundant rain,
   the early and the later rain, as before.
The threshing-floors shall be full of grain,
   the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 

I will repay you for the years
   that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
   my great army, which I sent against you. –Joel 2:23-25

Agrarian cultures have a unique relationship with the weather. At my house as a child dinner was at noon as was the mid-day news on television. I doubt that was a coincidence. While my family did keep up with current events, our purpose in having the TV on at noon was to get an update on the weather. In Oklahoma, the weather can change very quickly. While driving a tracker in a field, my paternal grandmother’s first husband was killed by a strike of lightening. The storm may have been a total surprise, or her husband may have been tenaciously trying to get his work done before it rained.

It is not a far jump from dealing with the reality of the weather to an understanding that God might be in some way working through the weather in a punishing response to human actions or lack of action. While I do believe it rains on the just and the unjust*, God does seem to let us suffer the consequences of our actions. Global warming and its devastation may be a good example of that.

Righteousness throughout the Bible has to do with the fulfillment of the demands of a relationship, and [in our scripture today] God promises to fulfill the covenant relation with the people by restoring yearly rains**. Weather is just one part of our relationship with God. War or peace, feast or famine, health or sickness, all aspects of our lives directly relate to whether we are in sync with God. If nothing else, this current election cycle in the USA should send all peoples of faith to a time of prayerful rebuilding our individual relationships with God which surely impact or collective responses to dealing with such issues.

Prayer: Forgive us, O God, as we have slipped further and further away from fulfilling our relationship with you. We recognize that you have not moved from us. We are confused about the future. As we deal with a more diverse global community, give us the strength and the courage to live our love of both you and our neighbor in new and positive ways. Amen.

*Matthew 5:45
**The New Interpreter’s Bible: a Commentary in Twelve Volumes, Volume VII, page 324. Abingdon Press, 1996

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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

The Sky is Not Falling

right-pathLiving in the Spirit
September 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

For there is one God;
   there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. –1 Timothy 2:4-7

Have we not all been appointed as heralds spreading the news of the awesome love of God coming to us in human form? Jesus came modeling for us God’s love. He even gave his life to demonstrate the level of God’s love. I find myself occasionally clucking around like Chicken Little*, “The Sky is falling, the sky is falling.” When I should be doing everything I can to reassure the world that fear has no place in the Kingdom of God. And I should be doing everything a can to assure love rules our world.

Remember the story, Chicken Little and her friends, in all their panic caused by an acorn falling on her head, rush to find the king to save them. They eventually run right into the den of Foxy Loxy never to be seen again.

Kingdom building may not be glamorous or thrilling in the eyes of the world. It demands everything we have. Remember Jesus described it as the Pearl of Great Price. (Matthew 13:45-46) I guess we all need to evaluate our priorities.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I get caught up in the frenzy of the news cycles. Order my life, help me synch my priorities with yours for I know Whom I have believed, And am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I’ve committed Unto Him against that day**. Amen.

 

*Folktale read at http://eleaston.com/chicken.html
**From the chorus of I Know Whom I Have Believed by Daniel W. Whittle. See at http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/I_Know_Whom_I_Have_Believed/

Photo credit <!– HTML Credit Code for Can Stock Photo–>
<a href=”http://www.canstockphoto.com”>(c) Can Stock Photo</a>

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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Finding Common Ground

slavesLiving in the Spirit
September 14, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 79:1-9

Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
   let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
   for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
   for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and forgive our sins,
   for your name’s sake. –Psalm 79:8-9

I have been following with great interest the preparations for opening the new Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History. The museum opens at an apt time, occurring during a volatile election year in a country awkwardly trying to deal with its history of bigotry and amidst a faith system trying to make sense of it all. Need for a whole lot of healing exists. While on all sides of the issue, most of us do not even recognize that overzealous quest for power and greed is sin.

I cannot adequately describe how I felt when in my genealogy quest, I found the will of one of my ancestors whose name was Isaac. In it, he had left his house servants by name, listed along with horses and cows, to his various children. I knew that side of my family’s Civil War history and knew they had owned slaves, but that last will and testament forever changed my true understanding of the situation. My hope is that the new National Museum of African American History will provide similar clarity to its visitors. I also know that force-feeding understanding never works. We can only facilitate God’s Aha! moments.

On the other side of my family, in 1834 my ancestors migrated from Pennsylvania to Illinois to homestead on land ceded to the US government in the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis by the French. Sauk leader Blackhawk fought mightily against the ceding, crossing the river from Iowa to reclaim his tribal land. He apparently felt very cheated.

I have also traced the faith histories of my family’s various lines back for several generations. All good Protestants, so far, striving to do their best probably as oblivious as we are today about who wins and who loses when we seek to fulfill our Manifest Destiny regardless of who gets hurt. Some proclaim that this was all God’s will. Others seek God’s forgiveness. We are all called to learn from our history and avoid new ways of repeating it.

Prayer: Forgive us when we lose sight of the good you desire for all of your children and sacrifice it on the altar of what is good for a few but not for all. Open our hearts to the justice you desire for all and guide us in making it a reality. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Sins of Omission

Edmund BurkeLiving in the Spirit
September 5, 2016

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights in the desert towards my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse— a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgement against them.                                                                                                       –Edmund Burke
‘For my people are foolish,
   they do not know me;
they are stupid children,
   they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
   but do not know how to do good.’ –Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. (Galatians 6:7)

We all must deal with the consequences of our actions or lack of actions. Some have had the first part of this statement drilled into our very being from infancy. I fear we pay far less attention to what happens when we fail to act. What is the cost of our sins of omission?

I seriously doubt that any taking the time to read this are skilled in doing evil. Most of us pay our bills and taxes, go to church, even feed the hungry and clothe the naked to some degree. We may assert ourselves to standing up for what is right when it directly impacts our lives. How quickly do we react to injustice when it primarily affects others?

We may be skilled at ignoring evil. There is a lot of hate and fear being tossed around now regarding strangers we do not know and may never meet. I think it important that we get to know some of these strangers. We need to see for ourselves that they love their children just like we do. Have all the same good and bad traits that we have, and experience joy and pain just like we do. It does not matter if they are newly arrived immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ, persons of differing color, poor, working class, middle class or rich.

Even if we never meet all the others of the world, we need to accord them the same status that we have of being children of God. They are our brothers and sisters. Would you want your biological relatives treated as some of these strangers are treated? What would you do to help your biological relatives in similar circumstances? More importantly, what would Jesus do?

Prayer: Lord, welcoming the stranger as you command us throughout the Bible sometimes puts us outside our comfort zone. Be our comforter and enable our advocacy. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.