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Bread of Heaven

2013_04_07-i-am-the-breadoflife2Living in the Spirit
August 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 6:51-58

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” –John 6:52-58

We do give flesh today and continue to live. People donate a kidney to a loved one or perhaps a stranger whose own kidney’s no longer function. Even part of a liver can be donated for transplantation to save a life. Of course, upon death our whole bodies are rich sources of the continuance of life for others—bone, skin, corneas, hearts, and lungs. Now even hands can be transplanted making life more meaningful, not just extending it.

Jesus is not just talking about eating actual flesh or drinking actual blood. Jesus is talking about the source of life at its core. The mystery of our being is inexplicably entwined with God. In a sense, God transplanted part of God’s self in each of us as we were created in God’s image. While God’s image can never be removed from our being, we can chose not to cherish it, not to nurture it, not to love in return the very source of our being, but to do so is our greatest loss.

Jesus was sent by God to give us life abundantly—the richness of knowing God more nearly. It is a gift to be celebrated.

Prayer: Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me ’til I want no more.* Amen.

*Chorus from Bread of Heaven by John V. Kee see at http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/john-p.-kee-lyrics/bread-of-heaven-lyrics.html
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 Big Picture

All things are possibleLiving in the Spirit
August 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

 And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. –1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:6

Upon the death of King David and Solomon’s resulting assent to the throne, Solomon recognizes God’s love for King David and his character in relationship to God. Solomon saw his father as faithful, righteous, and upright in heart toward God. These are the same traits we are called to demonstrate through our lives with God and with one another as children of God. Now history may view David somewhat differently than his youngest son who knew him in the last half of his life. There is no question David was a powerful King whose reign lifted Israel to the status of empire. There is also no question that he got to this position in some instances via any means necessary. While David, like all of us, was certainly not perfect, he never seem to waiver from being faithful to God.

David was gifted with the vision of a better world. The song, The Impossible Dream from the musical Man of La Mancha reminds us that we are all called to work toward a better world. Consider these words today.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go 

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star 

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far 

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause 

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest 

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Prayer: Lord, grant us each the vision to make the world a better place by our constantly striving for what may seem to be an unreachable star but our knowing that all things are possible through you. Amen.

*The Impossible Dream from MAN OF LA MANCHA (1972) music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion see http://www.reelclassics.com/Actors/O’Toole/impossibledream-lyrics.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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Next Generation

david-absalomLiving in the Spirit
August 3, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

The king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.

 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

 Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.—2 Samuel 18:5-9

A full two thirds of the 620,000 soldiers who died in the United States Civil War died of disease. This fact is a little hard to wrap our minds around both because of the sheer numbers involved and because with better health practices most of these deaths could have been prevented. War takes on a life of its own and its outcome becomes more important than collateral damage.

David’s third son, Absalom, was caught up in an accident. His apparently long hair got tangled in a tree and held him while his mule ran away and left him hanging there. He was fighting against his own father who had given an order that Absalom was to be protected, taken alive, I presume. He wasn’t. He was viciously killed not on the battlefield in the true sense of the word and against the direct order of the king.

It was a power struggle. Absalom wanted to keep his ascendency to the throne intact. Apparently he wanted the job before it became vacant. David wanted to keep power and keep his unruly offspring in his proper place. It makes me wonder how much of David’s relationship with God he share with his own children. Was he so caught up in being a king he forgot to be a father? Or did he try to train Absalom in his faith but Absalom only wanted David’s power?

We all have a responsibility to share our faith with the coming generations, not to cram it down their throats but also not to render it irrelevant. Our living our faith might be the best teacher of all.

Prayer:
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. ** Amen.

*http://www.civilwar.org/education/pdfs/civil-was-curriculum-medicine.pdf

**First verse of Take My Life see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/445

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.

What’s in it for Me?

goal3_smLiving in the Spirit
August 2, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 6:24-35

What must we do to perform the works of God? Jesus answered the, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. –John 28b-35

What’s in it for me? Jesus’ answer is essentially: Everything—meaning to life, wholeness, oneness within the Body of Christ, love, fulfillment, and justice. His followers were targeting the lesser things, food for the body but not necessarily for the soul.

I worked for wages from the time I was 15 years old and for 35 years for the State of Oklahoma where I participated in a defined benefit retirement system that theoretically will be there for me for the rest of my life. It ultimately is controlled by the legislature who does not have a good track record with the public trust. It may seem strange but it was really hard for me to accept deep within my being that I would be getting a check every month without working. I rather held my breath until the first retirement check was deposited into my bank account and still do as I read reports of proposed shenanigans of our elected officials who seem more and more interested in there key supporters good than the common good.

I enjoyed all of my paid jobs most of the time, but there are occasions in any job when we have to do things that we really do not enjoy. While it may seem weird to some people, I like to work. What those defined benefits have allowed me to do is to define what I do and when I do it.

In our scripture today, I think Jesus is talking about living the fullness of life within the framework of his love no one can take away and that is more important than anything. Recognizing God’s love in its proper place in our lives is rather like receiving a defined benefit that has already been fully vested and is under the control of the Trusted One. Such a plan opens the door for our loving like Jesus without fear of not having enough love to sustain us.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift of your abundant love. Let is empower each of us to love like Jesus loves. 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.

 

Living in an Ever Changing World

Fearof GodLiving in the Spirit
July 22, 2015

Scripture Reading: Psalm 14

Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’
   They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
   there is no one who does good.  

The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind
   to see if there are any who are wise,
   who seek after God.

 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse;
   there is no one who does good,
   no, not one.  

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
   who eat up my people as they eat bread,
   and do not call upon the Lord? –Psalm 14:1-4

The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center.* While this statement is probably not news to most of us, it somehow becomes more real when etched in black and white statistics.

What may be more alarming are the number of people who are using God as their weapon of choice in political battles. How do we discern who has called on the Lord or not when we see God’s people being oppressed in God’s name? Is it any wonder people turn away from what they perceive to be wrong? I find myself totally discounting people who quote chapter and verse out of context to prove a point. Yet I, too, struggle to understand the application of ancient scriptures in today’s world. Indeed, people have been human since their beginning and we human’s do tend to fail to learn from our past mistakes. The truth in those ancient scriptures matter and we must seek their truth.

We seem to be driven by the fear of rapid change, and forget one of those oft repeated phrases running throughout the Bible in a wide variety of contexts, “Fear not, I am with you.” While we run around being scared of every little shadow that seems to move, we fail to remember that we serve an awesome God full of wonder and grace worthy of our fear.

Prayer: Lord, we do call upon you now to guide us and undergird us with your love enabling us to be productive participants in your work. Amen.

*http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/
 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.

 

Distracted

IconStJohnBLiving in the Spirit
July 11, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’ –Mark 6:14-16

We always face the consequences of our own actions even if the consequences are only our haunted guilt. The story of John’s beheading seems out of place in the scripture. It is an aside comment on the depravity of society at the time.  Herod apparently took to heart some of John’s proclamations, knowing them to be truth, but these truths could not overcome his pride and need to prove his power. When this man Jesus came along, drawing even more attention than John had, Herod saw the same truth in Jesus’ message and feared him too.

Beheading is apparently still a tool of derision used by terrorist today to intimidate and plant fear, but we who view ourselves as more civilized tend to use words to inflame fear and hatred.  More often than not, like our story today, issues blown out of proportion have little if anything to do with real areas of concern. They are most often limited in scope, diversions to distract us from dealing with realities impacting the Common Good. Our legislature in Oklahoma this year spent a lot of time on such diversions while failing to adequately fund most areas of government and we are all paying the consequences for their inaction.

We are called to do justice. Jesus stressed the importance of feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, helping prisoners, and welcoming strangers. He did not get caught up in the intrigues of the day or get distracted from his quest to fulfill God’s plan for a kingdom of love. He set a good example for us to follow.

Prayer: God of Wisdom, help us to see the full picture as we struggle to bring about the Common Good through our responsibilities as citizens and show us the way to meld that role with our role of being part of the Body of Christ in the world today. 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.

Seeds of Love

Parable of the seedLiving in the Spirit
June 13, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 4:26-34

He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ –Mark 4:26-29

The insidious nature of evil is recognized. It creeps in slyly yet it can eventually overcome its prey in harmful, damaging, or destructive ways. In this parable Jesus describes the kingdom of God as guileless, which sounds terribly fragile, frail even. But then, of course, there is nothing stronger than love.

I grew up on a farm. My family was dependent on those planted seeds growing and producing food for our table and to feed our animals. Farming is a career steeped in faith. For five or so years Oklahoma has been plagued by drought. This spring crops were ruined by floods, but at the next time of planting the seeds will be sown to start the cycle again. Seeds are not planted out of cunning but out of perseverance. The lesson of the seed is one of faith but more importantly one of love.

The writer of the book of Hebrews put it this way: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3) These verses are followed by a short history of God among God’s people being faithful in love even when promised outcomes are not in their lifetime.

God’s people are called to plant seeds of love that do not harm and are not destructive but persevere throughout history to re-form the world into a place lacking evil.

Prayer: Lord, make us all sowers of the seeds of 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A Logic Test

King DavidJesus riding a donkeyLiving in the Spirit
June 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2

I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
    today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
   with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry,
and you will perish in the way;
   for his wrath is quickly kindled. 

  Happy are all who take refuge in him. –Psalm 2:7-12

The words you are my son from this Psalm celebrating the anointing of David is picked up by the three gospels reporting Jesus’ baptism with the words in you I am well pleased.* The tie that binds David and Jesus is strong. The Psalm goes on to promise power and wealth at the hands of violence to the new king. The Psalmist warns though the new king to maintain his connection with God throughout his reign as God is the source of the King’s strength. Psalm 2 is attributed to David. While modern students of the Bible question such attributions, it is interesting to consider David’s authorship.

David was a great warrior, leader of the army of Israel. He probably acquainted his military success to his fidelity to God. It is an incomplete logic test. When I am doing God’s will, I succeed. I succeed as a military leader thus doing battle is God’s will. This is an ancient form of faith followed by peoples of many cultures worshiping many gods. How often do we back into our own faith choices in this way? How often does the results of such faith choices result in injustice?

Christ specifically challenged such a logic test. He called us to love. We are doing God’s will when we are loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is the only test we need to run against our actions to determine God’s will.

Prayer: Lord, focus my relationship with you so that your priorities establish my priorities no matter how enticing power and wealth may be. Amen

*Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21 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.

Joy, Joy, Joy

FeastEastertide May 9, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17 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 15:9-11

I awoke this morning with an ominous feeling. We are in the season of tornados and the last thing I heard on the news last evening was a caution to be weather aware a bad storm is headed our way. I think this may be good advice for those of us called to ministries of justice. We need to be justice aware for as much as I am prudent about tornados, my ominous feeling was more likely caused by the injustice I see all around me and the lack of concern, will to address, or will to give up the things that are in our own lives that lie at the foundation of injustice. With that as the backdrop, what on earth was Jesus talking about when he says that he has joy and that he wants us to have joy. Where do you see Jesus’ joy in the gospels?

Jesus said:

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)

Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’ (Luke 15:10)

He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. (John 3:29)

These three seem to say that Jesus’ joy comes from our answering his call and all answering his call resulting in the fruition of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. He invites us to share in the joy of the rule of love, and, I believe, that can only happen when true justice exists.

Prayer: Lord, help us experience the joy in loving one another in your name. 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.

Telling the Story

Telling the story of JesusEastertide
April 26, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 10:11-16

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. –John 10:16 

This verse has always intrigued me. Who are these sheep that do not belong to this fold? I have heard some say it refers to the gentiles and that essentially includes everyone who is not Jewish. Does it include people of other faiths who are monotheistic? How do we understand this verse in conjunction with John 14:6, Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’?

The verse most likely is a reference to Ezekiel 34:31, You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God. Clearly cloaking Jesus in the tenets of the Hebrew Bible, which also describes people like Melchizedek and the mysterious man in Daniel that have characteristics like the Christ. I tend to err on the side of caution and not assume that I understand all the works of God throughout history and that brings me to being receptive to dialogue with persons of other faiths trying to understand their concepts of the divine.

I do believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and life for all and am called to share that good news with everyone, but I must let God take it from there. None of us drew the assignment to judge anyone else’s relationship with God except Jesus because we do not know what he knows.

 Prayer: Lord, enable me to tell your story with all my mind, my heart, and my strength and with my life and love the ones with whom I share the story without regard to their response. 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.