Tag Archives: Being the Body of Christ

Healing of the Nations

Living in the Spirit

July 25, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 107:1-9, 43
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
   finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
   their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
   until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
   and the hungry he fills with good things.

Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
   and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

My mind switched from one picture to another drawn from recent news reports as I read this scripture. I recalled people in Africa living in danger due to famine partially caused by the cut-off of grain exports from Ukraine and fertilizer from Russia. Destroyed buildings throughout Ukraine surrounded the body of a little girl dead in the street. A conference table in Turkey where an agreement was reached to let the grain and fertilizer be exported. More people will survive but the delivery will be too late for some and not enough for many.

Prayer:
For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord;
For a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.

Lead us, Spirit, into freedom,
from despair your world release;
That, redeemed from war and hatred,
All may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase. Amen.

First two verses of For the healing of the nations by F. Kaan/R. Lloyd see at https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Social-Services-Sunday-various-songs.pdf

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.

Whatever It Takes

Ordinary Time

February 5, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

How closely linked are our efforts, our good intentions to Christ’s plan? I am sure that Simon and the others with him were fishing according to accepted customs. While this event may be listed with miracles of Jesus or just a metaphor for entering the mission field, it also relates to the need to be in sync with God in all aspects of our lives. It may also suggest that the way we have always done something is not the only or best way to complete the task. I once worked with a computer programmer who hated to do the mundane tasks of transferring massive amounts of routine data to our data warehouse. It apparently was not hard to do, it was tedious and boring, but it had to be done on a routine basis for the people accessing the data warehouse to use the most current data. He preferred to create new programs that enhanced data use. They were generally all good ideas, but worthless if there was no data to access in the system.

We must continually assess and modify our work toward being the Body of Christ in the world today and building the Kingdom of God to make sure our work is hitting the mark toward our purpose. That may include doing the tedious, boring stuff as well as the aspects of our work that provide immediately recognizable rewards. Although a few of those outcomes along the way, help.

Prayer: Lord, give us a song in our hearts when we find ourselves doing the tedious, boring stuff in working toward the Kingdom of God and the joy of seeing, on occasion, positive outcomes of our work.  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.

Sharing Jesus’ Message

Eastertide

April 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23

The above scripture follows the story of Jesus endowing the disciples with the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus is more concerned about the correct transmission of his vision than passing judgment on moral behavior. He is instructing his followers to stick to his teachings, the revelation of God in Jesus. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, these disciples were equipped with the ability to carry out what indeed must have seemed an impossible responsibility. That call extends to us today.

To have sin is to be blind to the revelation of God in Jesus. Jesus brings people to judgment by his revealing work and presence in the world. . .. The community is to continue what God sent Jesus to do*.

The New Interpreter’s Bible highlights the communal nature of the task set before the disciples. Our ability to be One in Christ and with the Holy Spirit is a powerful witness. Any failure to hold to Jesus’ example and teachings can be disastrous. Think about the Crusades, the Holocaust, crosses burning on front lawns.

My faith tells me that God is ultimately in charge. God elected to give us free will. God did that because he wanted us to choose the right path. In the meantime, we must invest ourselves in loving one another to the breadth and depths of Jesus’ love, so when we reveal the revelation of God in Jesus, we are displaying the right and just message.

Prayer: God of Love,  stay close to us and keep us mindful and heart-full of your ways of sharing your path that leads to the Kingdom of God among us. Amen.

*The New Interpreter’s Bible A commentary in Twelve Volumes. Volume IX page 847

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.

Light for the Way

Eastertide

April 8, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 John 1:1-2:2

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. -1 John 15-10

Sin is defined as being separated from God or missing the mark. These definitions may be the same, for we most likely miss the mark when we are separated from God. Having enough light to clearly see our actions and reactions and ascertain whether they are on target with God’s ways is challenging. From birth to the grave, we develop what I call filters in our being that alter the way we view everything. Some of those filters are good. Babies learn not to touch a hot stove, and that filter is recorded in their brains. I love the song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught* from the musical South Pacific. It describes well the way our viewpoints about others are carefully shaped by our families and society over time, whether the image we take in is accurate or not. I am confident that most of us are some types of -ist—racists, sexists, classists—at some point in our lives.

Jesus taught us how to see the other through the bright light of God’s love, which dissipates the lesser filters that separate us from God, hopefully permanently burning the bad ones away. As we are called to be the Body of Christ in the world today, we must be intentional about both learning from the light of Christ and reflecting the light for others.

Prayer: Lord, help us clean out our dust-filled filters and be the light you have called us to be. Amen.

*https://www.google.com/search?q=you+have+to+be+carefully+taught+lyrics&rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS922US922&oq=you+have+to+be+caref&aqs=chrome.2.0i355j46j0j69i57j0l3j46j0l2.22796j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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.

Answering the Call

Discipleship

January 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:14-20
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Was John’s arrest the impetus for Jesus to open his ministry? Perhaps he had been teaching/preaching in the background within the community of John’s followers, but the time had arrived to proclaim his purpose openly. What a challenging job God chose to do. God allowed humans free will while continuing to walk with them in their freedom, inspiring when invited, forgiving when forgotten or ignored, and never leaving the path.

By accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have taken on that same assignment, fragile and weak as we may be. Born post-Depression and post WWII, I cannot think of another time in my lifespan where we have faced such peril, and the need for God’s disciples to do our jobs has never been needed more. We are the ones called to walk with others who struggle on the paths they have chosen without judgment as we work for justice for all. Such actions require us to move to the forefront of action and be the people God expects us to be. That requires us to seek God’s forgiveness when we have forgotten or ignored God.

The scribes Mark mentions in the above scripture are those identified as being the expert interpreters of scripture. Jesus dared to step forward and suggest a better reading. I have heard it said that one could find a scripture to back any of one’s ideas, which seems to be true. At the least, some scriptures are valued by some more than others. I love the title of Marcus Borg’s book Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally (The book is a good read also). Perhaps Paul’s three-year sojourn in the desert following his Damascus road experience was time spent Reading the Bible again for the First Time.

These dark days of winter are a great time to re-evaluate the understanding of our calls and our understanding of God’s vision of Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for burying our heads in the sand while the world around us is being led astray in different ways. Grant us the courage to heed your call to walk with our fellow humans and share the good news 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.

From Containment to Right Action

Epiphany

January 19, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.

I am so claustrophobic I probably would not have survived three days in the belly of a whale, but being caught in a whale of containment apparently gave Jonah the time he needed to come to his senses and follow God’s teachings. Living for 11 months sheltering at home, attending meetings through Zoom, and attending live-streamed worship may be the closest thing to the belly of a whale that I have experienced. I have read several novels and biographies born out of World War II and the Holocaust during this time. Learning from reading has enlightened me further on trusting in God whatever the situation, the great pain of loss, but the power to move forward no matter what.

We do not know how 2020 and 2021 will be described in history. Charles Dickens may have summed it up best when he wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

In the final analysis, our future is in our hands, and with God’s guidance, we can learn from our foolishness and incredulity clothed in darkness and channel our energies into light and hope and love. Like Jonah, we are being spat upon the earth to continue our mission of spreading God’s love throughout the world, and we need to start here at home.

Prayer: God of possibilities, help us learn from our mistakes as we strive to love our way into your light. 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.

Gentle as Doves

Living in the Spirit

October 25, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34-46

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘Sit at my right hand,

   until I put your enemies under your feet'”?

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. –Matthew 41-46

Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. He practiced what he preached. He also instructed us in Matthew 5:37 to Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37)

We live in a world where words are twisted to self-interest. Yet, we are called not to practice that way of being and not to be taken in by it. We are being fed a lot of gibberish leading up to the November election. I practice muting my TV when ads come on sponsored by patriotic sounding organizations who will not share their sponsors. I check the facts of those candidates who say they support the advertisement because those ads, too, are, at times, questionable. And I do not share any information that is not provided by a trusted source. Foreign hackers are not always discernable and are not trusted sources.

These times demand a constant communion with God, close consultation with the teachings of Jesus, and regular discernment through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are the conduits of God’s love in the world today, and our fulfilling that calling is critical.

Prayer:
O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine oceans depths its flow.
May richer fuller be*. Amen.

*First verse of the hymn O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, by George Matheson, See at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/432

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.

Making Progress not Marching in Place

Living in the Spirit

October 10, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests .—Matthew 22:1-10

“If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done, You’ll Always Get What You’ve Always Got.” ~ Henry Ford

God did not create a stagnant world. if it were stagnant, we would all be dead. Nor did God populate the world with inert people. As the world is organic and alive, so our we.  God also created us with purpose and possibilities.

Genesis 9:7– And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it.’

Genesis 12:1–Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

Exodus 3:10–God said to Moses, So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’

God still invites us to be active and engaged in God’s wondrous vision of a world ruled by love, filled with tremendous potential for good. We are not always called to do what we have always done. We are called to grow and prosper in love, do justice, and walk humbly with God* as we dedicate ourselves to implementing God’s purpose.

Prayer: Creator God Still Creating, give us the courage to remove oppression and be conduits of living love throughout our world. Amen.

*See Micah 6:8

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.

Healing Souls

Living in the Spirit

June 16, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord,
   for to you do I cry all day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
   for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
   abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
   listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
   for you will answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
   nor are there any works like yours.
 All the nations you have made shall come
   and bow down before you, O Lord,
   and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
   you alone are God. –Psalm 86:1-10

At times when I read the scripture for the day, I think, “that says it all.” Yet, it helps me to delve into any scripture’s broader and deeper messages, and I meet that challenge best by writing about the scripture. Psalm 86 is one of those scriptures.

As I read the above section from that scripture, I was struck by how poor and needy most people are. Most people think of both poor and needy in economic terms. God certainly does care about those who lack the means to meet their basic needs, and Jesus gave all his followers the responsibility to make sure those basic needs are met. Poor and needy also describes a lack of love, self-worth, or a sense of belonging, and a lack of relationship with God.

Here the Psalmist writes asking God to gladden his soul and that by lifting up his soul to God, he is worshipping God.  In the story of Jesus’s 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, he encounters the devil, who offers him food. He answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’ (Matthew 4:4)

During this week, let us work to nourish our souls as we take in the wisdom of scriptures like Psalm 86 and as we attempt to be the Body of Christ in a broken and fragmented world in deep need of soul healing.

Prayer: Lord, heal our souls, bring us to wholeness for the facing of this hour. 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.

Kingdom Building

September 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
   or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   or the destruction that wastes at noonday. –Psalm 91:14-16.

It takes courage to step out in faith, take a stand, push against the norms of society when it allows injustice. Jesus never said it would be easy. He did say he would be with us when we were pursuing our work toward his Kingdom. I think the Psalmist describes that well in the above verses. I have always loved the imagery of being protected under God’s wings I sang about as a child. The words in this Psalm is also a beautiful anthem I sang as an adult.

Singing these words seems to vanquish from my mind the horrors that it describes—snare of the fowler, deadly pestilence, terrors of the night, arrows that fly, destruction. I am naive to most of these threats while people all over the world face them routinely. What would drive me to leave my home and walk for miles without food or water to find safety for myself or my family? How desolate would I feel if I was turned away by those who might help? What if I became separated from my children not knowing if I would ever see them again? What if I was arrested and returned to the terror I fled?

I took heart when I read recently that the populations of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador were between 87 and 90 percent Christian as they are surely experiencing the shelter of God’s wings in one way or another. I believe the resurrection of Christ initiated the development of the Kingdom of God in our world and that we are called to be active participants in making that happen. The time for action is now wherever people are facing such horrors.

Prayer: I pray for those in harm’s way to feel the shelter of the Most High as they do face the horrors described. I pray for the courage to do my part to assuage the circumstances with which they must deal. I pray that all peoples of faith come together as one to answer God’s call to 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.