Tag Archives: Body of Christ

Right or Righteous?

St. PatrickLiving in the Spirit
August 26, 2016

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

So we can say with confidence,
‘The Lord is my helper;
   I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?’  

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. . .. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. –Hebrews 13:6-7, 15-16

It is scary to me how we Christians treat scripture. I take great solace in Hebrews 13:6 understanding that the Lord is my helper. I have had this same scripture, or ones like it, thrown in my face like hot scalding water to justify stances claimed as Christian that are totally alien to my faith. Stances that to me echo fear rather than faith, exclusion rather than inclusion, and judgement rather than empathy. How do we discern God and practice the oneness to which Christ has called us, in a world afraid of its own shadow? How do we mesh what we perceive as right with what God considers righteous? Where is the 21St century plumb line that God provided for Amos? (Amos 7:8)

We waste a lot of time and energy butting heads on issues for which we may never find common ground while writing off as mundane the things we could accomplish together if we can drop the need to be right and adapt Jesus’ righteousness. He is our plumb line. For example, social science* tells us there is a direct link between poverty and abortion. I doubt that consensus may ever be reached on abortion, but surely all Christians have heard the call to end poverty. Some may create jobs, others may provide job training, and others may stem the symptoms of hunger and homelessness while all are one in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, make us seekers and imitators of your righteousness, which in action becomes justice. Amen.

*https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2010/abortion-has-become-more-concentrated-among-poor-women

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.

Baggage

baggage7-300x298-1Living in the Spirit
August 12, 2016

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. –Hebrews 12:1-2

Our scripture today makes my top ten list of favorites. I appreciate the ancestors in faith who have prepared the ground for our sowing and reaping. The advice to lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely reminds me of my daily need to let go of the baggage that I so readily pick up in my daily walk with God. Such baggage holds us all back from being fully the person we are created to be. The tough part is discerning the difference between learning from our mistakes and letting them cripple us. We must figure out a better response for the future whether we messed up ourselves or got caught up in someone else’s bad day and were not able to salvage the experience for either of us. Rudyard Kipling may have said it best, in his poem If*

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

God enables such maturity. Strengthening our relationship with God prepares us for the work we have before us giving us not only the courage to face difficulties but the very purpose for our being who we are.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the gift of discernment in all our relationships as we struggle toward oneness in our quest for being the Body of Christ. Amen.

*First verse, If, by Rudyard Kipling see at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if/

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 Whole Body of Christ

martha-and-mary-1Living in the Spirit
July 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Perhaps it is the fate of the youngest of three children, taking on the traits of both parents. I somehow ended up with about equal shares of Mary and Martha. At least that is my sense. It may not be the observation of others. My mother was a Martha and as such she religiously built into her life time for prayer, time for Bible study, and time for service. My dad was probably more a male Mary. A lover of music, he enjoyed being around people, could debate his beliefs with anyone all day. He, however, never backed off from hard work, spending from sunup to sundown working in the fields of our farm or on other farms when needed.

I think it is important that we become attuned to our traits and work to enhance our strengths and strengthen the areas where we sense weakness. In a Bible study written by Fred Craddock many years ago, he said something very important: We sin in the areas of our greatest strengths. I thought of that statement when I read about Martha today. Jesus did not chastise Martha for cooking dinner and not sitting at his feet. He chastised her for not allowing Mary to be who she was.

The body of Christ at work in our world today needs all the talents, skills, personality traits, dreams, visions, and energy that its diverse members can bring to the table to usher in the Kingdom God longs for us to share. It takes dedication and perseverance to meld the breadth of beings in that body to do Christ’s work in the world today. We do not do this work alone. The Holy Spirit functions as our connector, companion, and advocate.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the good in each person as we struggle together to address your call to be one. 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.

One in the Bond of Love

onenessEastertide
May 7, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 17:20-26

‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. –John 17:20-26

What does it mean to be one? Jesus uses the human body to illustrate the Body of Christ. Paul follows up on this when he speaks of many members but one body (1 Corinthians 12:20). The Book of Hebrews takes it to a longer-term reality with the cloud of many witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). The idea of Jesus praying for you and me in the first century is amazingly nurturing.

Such oneness is not sameness. As hands worked differently than feet, so may one member of the Body of Christ serve differently than another. Apparently, such diversity is not only real but essential.

Every human God created is a key ingredient in fostering the love of God as the ethos, moral nature of our world. Every time we degrade another, we postpone the fulfillment of God’s plan for us. Every time we degrade another we degrade ourselves and all our descendants.

We are one in the bond of love;
We are one in the bond of love.
We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God;
We are one in the bond of love.  

Let us sing now, ev’ry one;
Let us feel His love begun.
Let us join our hands, that the world will know;
We are one in the bond of love.*

Prayer: Lord, enable us to see the gifts of others with whom we live and work. Help us nurture those all gifts differing. Amen.

*Of unknown origin

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 is Evil?

be-not-overcome-of-evil-but-1-638Eastertide
May 4, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 97

The Lord loves those who hate evil;
   he guards the lives of his faithful;
   he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous,
   and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
   and give thanks to his holy name! –Psalm 97:10-12

What is evil? The Hebrew word translated as evil in the above scripture is described as adversity.* Other words identified as descriptive are malignant, giving pain. Hate does spread like a cancer. The Psalmist seems to be telling us that the one thing we can hate is hate itself.

I am sickened by the voice of hate that is epidemic in our land. We who call ourselves Christians seem to be some of the most rabid proponents of identifying people who fall outside our definition of who is acceptable and who is not. We somehow seem to think that if we hate enough we will be of greater worth to God. Of course, the very opposite of that is what Jesus taught. Jesus called us to love and actually freed us of the responsibility to judge anyone by accepting that assignment himself. If we choose to use the Bible as a guide for what is sin and thus how to avoid it, we do that to guide our own behavior not the behavior of others.

 God’s love is the only thing that can overcome evil. We can rest assured in that. By melding our love together as the Body of Christ in the world today, our love, not vestiges of hate, will make us a tool in God’s hands to conquer evil.

Prayer: Lord, protect us from the malignancy of evil spreading through the world and strengthen our work to love like you. Amen.

*Strong’s Concordance see at http://biblehub.com/hebrew/7451.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.

One Tunic at a Time

Tabitha_jpegEastertide
April 12, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner. –Acts 9:40-43

What do you think really happened in this story? Our fact-based minds want to analyze and explain rationally such incidents. Or perhaps we want to take some time to honor Saint Peter for he was truly a gifted child of God.

Christ’s messages to each of us is that that we are truly gifted children of God and that he expects us to do even more than he did. In Matthew 17:20b he says, For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ And in John 14:12 he also says, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

How many mountains have we moved recently? How many people have we returned to wholeness? How much of the world has experienced God’s justice through our acts?

While we do need leaders in the faith like Peter or Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Sojourner Truth, most of us are like Tabitha making one step toward justice one tunic at a time and that is a good thing. How many people could the whole Body of Christ lift out of poverty?

Prayer: Lord, make us one in our call to bring mercy and justice to all of your children. 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.

Observing the Holy

TrangBangLent
March 21, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25

They shall not labor in vain,
   or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
   and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
   while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
   the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
   but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord. –Isaiah 65:23-24

The pictures are so tragic. Small children being carried out of harm’s way, with even the fleeing being extremely dangerous. The picture of our day is of the lifeless body of a three-year-old little boy drown while trying to escape terror in an overcrowded boat. The inerasable picture from my college days, the late sixties, was of a naked twelve-year-old girl drenched in Napalm as she ran from the pain, she could not escape that seared her gaunt body. Too many children have been and are being lost to calamity of adult creation.

It was this sort of injustice Jesus faced down during what we now call Holy Week. I somehow do not think we would have called it set apart by God at the time had we been there, but with hindsight Holy Week is an apt descriptor.

Let us, too, set this week apart as a time when we can grow closer to God. The injustices of our world will still be there next Monday ready to reclaim our concern. Now is our time to rekindle our love of God for the gift of the Incarnation in Jesus. Now is the time in the face of all that says otherwise to acknowledge that God has indeed overcome the world. Now is the time to prepare once again to answer Jesus’ call as partners in creating a just and peaceful world bound by love.

Prayer: Lord, reinvigorate our whole being, bodies, minds, and souls to your service as we observe the Holy this week. 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.

Finding Common Ground

Helen Keller QuoteEpiphany
January 24, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:14-21

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’—Luke 4:20-21

Jesus is quoted as saying in Luke 4:18-19 the essence of Isaiah’s message found in Isaiah 58:6 and 61:1-2. His statement above in a way echoes Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ as Jesus publically accepts the role of being sent by God with a message of justice.

While we live in frustrating times where I have a stronger desire to turn off the news rather than listen to it, it is a time of potential paradigm shift. It is a time when justice is at a pivotal point. Like a rope pulling contest, we find ourselves in the muck of mud with slim on our feet and hands making it hard to hold onto the rope much less pull. Yet we who are dedicated to serving on the side of God’s justice must accept our call to pull that rope. I do believe God’s justice will eventually prevail. I also believe God is calling us to make that sooner than later.

Yet, the Body of Christ itself is fractured in our understanding of what God’s justice really is. I fear all of its members are sometimes being pulled into worshipping at the foot of the idol of being right rather than our true calling of being just. There are a few glimmers of hope. We seem to find common ground on feeding the hungry; ending sex trafficking, particularly of children; practicing restorative justice; keeping people healthy; and welcoming the stranger, especially migrants. These were certainly Jesus’ priorities. Perhaps we would be more productive, if we focused on those areas of agreement and practiced the ancient art of letting the land lay fallow for a while on those hot button issues that divide us. Land that is overused loses all its nutrients, allowing it to rest under God’s gracious sun and rain, returns it to a place that can grow good fruit.

Prayer: Lord, unite us in your service of justice while we await your nurturing love and guidance on those issues that divide us. 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.

It Takes All Kinds

Our-VisionEpiphany
January 21, 2016

Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 12:12-31a

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body…. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. –I Corinthians 12:14-15, 26

It takes all kinds to get work done. It has always been amazing to me how someone who knows very little about a problem can make an outsider’s observation about the problem and provide the insight necessary to solve it. For example, having supervised a few legal immigrants to the United States, I have observed that many of the current rules for immigration are totally unworkable really rendering the whole process a waste, in my humble opinion. I have wondered what would happen, if we used our sterling digital skills to speed the process and make it more accurate. I also wonder why immigrants coming here to work must have a sponsoring employer and a job before they can be processed. Why don’t we just have a system where potential immigrants looking for work submit the necessary paperwork, be fully vetted, and then given a limited time to enter the country and find work? Of course, I am an outsider looking in. From my vantage point, it seems there is a powerful force who likes the system just as it is where people who are in desperate need of work are willing to come here and work for less than would be required if they worked legally. This results in getting them here sort of legally and then opening the door for them to stay past their visa deadline putting the onus on the immigrant.

Many of these immigrants are our brothers and sisters within the Body of Christ. Others might be drawn to the love of Christ or at least less put off by Christians, if they experienced the love of Christ. Immigrants are suffering and we need to suffer with them until we can all honor one another and rejoice together.

Prayer: God of All, make us one in the Spirit, one in the Body of Christ so we can better actualize your love throughout the earth. 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.

Servant of All

jesus-washing-feetLiving in the Spirit
September 19, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:30-37

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ –Mark 9:33-35

The wild fires in western USA have been devastating, yet courageous men and women go out every day doing their very best to contain those fires against tremendous odds. They are servants of all, but I doubt in the chaos of their jobs they even give it a moment’s thought. It is what they are called to do.

Jesus was the ultimate servant of all, willing to give his life for his mission. He literally carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders, but in the midst of his ministry his disciples did not comprehend the enormity of his responsibility that will, sooner than they understand, be theirs. They are arguing about which of them were the greatest follower of this celebrity Rabbi. There seems to be a lot of that sentiment going around in our society today. Who is the most persecuted for his or her faith?

Of those disciples gathered around Jesus that day, history tells us that all were killed in their taking up the cross of servanthood and following Jesus except the disciple John, who also devoted his long life in service and in love.

We inherited the mantle of their ministry to be the Body of Christ today, because they were willing to invest their all in that call. We do not need to worry about our ranking in the Kingdom of God for we are all the number one servant of God and of one another.

Prayer: Lord, help me remember that I was created in your image as were all people and your love makes us all equals in sharing our 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.