Living in the Spirit

August 9, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Kings 19:9-18

At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’

He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’

I do think there are better ways to deal with people than killing them. Apparently, we still have people who think that still works.  However, God makes a good point that working together toward a goal can and will make it happen. It is not just strength in numbers, it is that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. The challenge is that both sides benefit from knowing that. So, how do we ascertain what is right and just, and how do we make it a reality for all people? The Hebrew Bible is full of stories of justice addressed in ancient worldviews from which we can glean ideas, for there remains much we can learn from them. Jesus modeled living justice, described it in parables, and shared it in his teachings. Matthew 25 describes how Jesus intends to judge us. Some might be surprised by his list, which included how we fed the hungry, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, provided clean water for the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, and restored the prisoner.

Prayer: Lord, teach us your way, your truth, and your life, and help us to live like you. Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 8, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b

When he summoned famine against the land,
   and broke every staff of bread,
he had sent a man ahead of them,
   Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
His feet were hurt with fetters,
   his neck was put in a collar of iron;
until what he had said came to pass,
   the word of the Lord kept testing him.
The king sent and released him;
   the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house,
   and ruler of all his possessions,
to instruct his officials at his pleasure,
   and to teach his elders wisdom. –Psalm 105:16-22

I may have some problems with wrapping my head around God summoning a famine. Those things are often the result of human error like our climate change happening today. God allows us to suffer from our own behaviors.  I appreciate the idea that although Joseph was sold into slavery, God interceded and blessed Joseph’s talents to help his people survive the famine. I listened on the news this week to the discussions about teaching the history of slavery in the USA, with some indicating that the slaves benefited from being enslaved, like learning how to be a blacksmith. As I read the above scripture, I thought of the history of slavery in the USA, which we can never whitewash away any more than Joseph’s brothers could justify selling him into slavery so that he would be in the right place at the right time to rescue them from starvation.  

Prayer: Lord, help us be aware of the damage we do as we fall into the Worldview prevalent in our society at any given time when it may not be in sync with Your View. Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 7, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. –Genesis 37:14

Parenting is hard work. Raising children to be who they were created to be is a challenge. All people are unique, and because of that, all people do not meld together in the same way. My mother and sister enjoyed working together all day long and never crossed paths. They both loved to garden and sew. I was a challenge for my mother. I did not like to work in the garden, and I did not like to sew. I did enjoy cooking, and I did not mind dusting and sweeping. I particularly loved to read. Fairly early in my life, the female labor on our farm ended up being divided that way. I could clean the house and cook quickly enough to get a good stretch of reading in before they returned from the garden. It seemed to be a satisfactory arrangement for all. While we were very different, my sister and I have always gotten along well. We were blessed with a mother who recognized and respected our individuality and taught us to do the same for each other.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for parents who loved us enough to let us become who we were created to be. Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 8, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b

Prayer: Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 6, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 14:13-21
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

We interpret this scripture in differing ways, but one way that provides a lesson for all is that there is enough to meet everyone’s basic needs in our world if everyone is willing to share. I can envision moms packing lunch as families go forth to hear this preacher speak. Some may not have packed enough or had enough to pack, and some may have come unprepared for whatever reason.  The bottom line was that enough food was available if people were willing to share.

Prayer: Lord, teach us to ensure that all have enough of the necessities of life using all the vast ways available to do that. Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 5, 2023
Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-5
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Paul is going the extra mile in recognizing that the Messiah, the Chosen One, in faith, was the direct descendant of the covenant of the Israelites with God. He carefully uses the Hebrew word Messiah rather than the Greek translation Christ to underscore that point. I assume his audience was Jewish.

Our behavior as Christ-followers today requires us to communicate with others with an understanding of their culture and even language if necessary. Citizens of the USA have inherited a superiority complex that we must deal with before we can share God’s love from here to the ends of the earth.  I grew up hearing the term ugly Americans. It is a Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards. The term is taken from the title of a book by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer*.  It is a way of being that I fear is picking up popularity. We must let it go and learn to love others for who they are as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are caught in the ways of our culture being better than others. Amen.

*https://www.dictionary.com/browse/the-ugly-american

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

Living in the Spirit

August 4, 2023

Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Scripture Reading:

The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

The word quoted above as “wicked” is identified in Strong’s Concordance as an adjective, not a noun. What is the difference? In my first reading, I read this scripture as wicked being a person, a noun. As an adjective, it describes a person’s characteristics changing the phrase’s meaning and giving hope to the hopeless who feel they are beyond redemption. Those who turn to God and ask for forgiveness and guidance in changing can and will be cleansed and made whole.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your eternal presence and willingness to rid us of all wickedness when we are willing to let it go. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7563.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.

Living in the Spirit

August 3, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
   come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
   come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
   and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
   listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
   my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
   a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
   and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
   for he has glorified you.

How much of our lives do we just go through the motions of living? I woke up this morning contemplating a busy schedule this week that will pull me out of my routines, wondering how to get it all done. It, however, is a labor for which I will gain satisfaction. God calls us to live our lives fully in love and service that is meaningful.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunities to serve you with joy and gladness. Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

August 2, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 17:1-7, 15

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
   give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
From you let my vindication come;
   let your eyes see the right.

If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
   if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
   my mouth does not transgress.
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
   I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
   my feet have not slipped.

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
  incline your ear to me, hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
   O savior of those who seek refuge
   from their adversaries at your right hand.

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
   when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

My Bible describes the above Psalm as Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors. My first impression on reading it had nothing to do with persecution. It seemed more like an outline of how meticulously the writer obeyed God. However, in the third segment, we see a referral to seeking refuge from adversaries. What struck me, however, was the last line when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness. Is this the author’s acknowledgment that they were made in the image of God? Do we ever recognize that we were created in the image of God? What does that mean? What does being made in God’s likeness mean in our daily lives? Is this scripture saying that merely being made in the image of God means we possess all we need to face life’s challenges?  If that is the case, then I can read this Psalm as a pep talk to oneself that also tells God we know God is in us and with us in all we do if we recognize and accept that likeness as the source of our actions.

Prayer: Lord, help me see you in all my actions, and help me be a conduit 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.

Living in the Spirit

August 1, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 32:22-31
The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.’ The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

My guess is that we all wrestle with God from time to time. God calls us to do the unthinkable at times. I identify with the farmer Gideon who was surprised by God commanding him to lead an army. It surprised me to read on Wikipedia this description of Gideon. He was a military leader, judge, and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in Judges 6–8. I always think of him as the one who said to God’s representative, “You want me to do what” and then ask not once but twice to verify the assignment. On the other hand, Jacob had a history as a conniver, always putting himself first. He was wrestling with God’s representative before a reunion with the brother whose birthright he had stolen.

What is God calling us to do? What interpersonal issues do we need to address? God knows us better than anybody. If God thinks we can do something, then he surely equipped us to answer the call.  My problem usually is wondering if it is really God’s call or my own call. That is why I pray as often as needed the following prayer.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) Amen.

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

Living in the Spirit

July 31, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

‘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.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  –Matthew 13:44-47

I like to think of the Kingdom of Heaven in terms of the Beloved Community. Building the Beloved Community is something Jesus began modeling for us when he started his ministry on Earth. Following his resurrection, he assigned all his followers the responsibility to make the Beloved Community a reality worldwide.  He certainly did not expect us to just sit around waiting for him to come back and fix all the problems of the world.  He called us to create a world ruled by love where everyone has enough of the necessities of life and the opportunity to become fully the persons God created them to be.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see where we can contribute to the building of the Beloved Community. 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.