Tag Archives: Building the Beloved Community

Moving Forward

Eastertide

April 10, 2023

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him,
“I saw the Lord always before me,
   for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
   moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
   or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
   you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” –Acts 2:14a, 22-28

Peter quotes Psalms 16:8-11 to express David’s declaration about the constancy of the Lord’s presence with him always. The coming of Jesus Christ and his life, death, and resurrection testifies to the Lord’s presence with those seeking him from that time forward.

After weeks of mourning, on the traditional celebration of Pentecost, Jesus’s disciples realized the need to get their act together and follow Jesus’s commandment to Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)

I cannot imagine what the Disciples experienced on the day of Pentecost, but it got them out of their grief and into the work of God’s Kingdom. We have that same call today.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the strength and courage to build the beloved community you envisioned for us all. 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.

Dealing with Dispare

Lent

March 25, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 11:1-45

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’ –John 11:17-27

Did you catch the twist of a phrase in the last sentence above? The one coming into the world is the person Martha speaks to.  Martha was reared in the Jewish tradition; the one coming is referred to in the Hebrew Bible 41 times as the Messiah, translated in Greek as Christ. The one coming is to bring unification among the tribes of Israel plus universal peace and to announce what the world to come would be like. Martha acknowledged who Jesus really was. She also demonstrates her faith in him regarding her brother Lazarus. She was confident Jesus could have healed Lazarus. Her trust in Jesus and her faith said she would recognize as right whatever his actions would beknow that Lazarus was dead.

In the direst of situations, Martha’s faith remains. I must confess I get discouraged with the world today and wonder what more I can do to foster the love God commands us to share with all. Lent is a good time to rekindle our faith and renew our trust in the God of Love. William Wordsworth may have said it best; the irony of our despair in giving up on the God of Love is that we turn to the powerless pagan gods of the world.

The World Is Too Much With Us

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
his Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we allow the world’s ills to encroach upon our trust in 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.

Unbound

Lent

March 21, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’ –Ezekiel 37:11-14

Now is the time to let God lift us from the graves of depression and hopelessness and step forward to assume our job assignment of building the Beloved Community. Many years ago, a church class I attended studied a book that asks and explores the answer to the question, am I, Lazarus? That is the Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha (see John 11), not the Lazarus who was welcomed into the bosom of Abraham (see Luke 13-16).

Lazarus was dead and wrapped in grave clothing that would not allow him to move even if he were alive until Jesus called him out of the tomb and instructed those present to unbind him and let him go. How much do we bind ourselves by the world’s challenges, which limits our ability to be the Body of Christ in our world today? How much do we bind others by our attitudes and fears? How can we unbind ourselves and step out in faith to build the Kingdom of God? How can we enable all those around us to fully be the person God created them to be in God’s service?

The story of Lazarus was recorded as happening on Jesus’s trek to the cross and his resurrection. As we observe Lent on our way to Easter, let us examine ourselves and ask for God’s help in removing what is limiting our ability to fully engage in completing our assignments in building the Beloved Community and do our part in enabling others to find their niche in serving the Lord with gladness.

Prayer: Lord, unbind us from what keeps us from serving you more nearly. 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.

A Time to be Intentional

Lent

March 13, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. –Samuel 16:1-5

When I read the above scripture, Matthew 10:16 popped into my mind: ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Reading and understanding the people with whom we work is key to progress regarding whatever our goal may be. I  once had a supervisor who never wanted to be blamed for any mistake. Sometimes, things go wrong, and in most instances, there is a conflation of reasons for the mistakes. My co-workers and I had observed our supervisor’s behavior and shared experiences of being called into her office where nothing got done until we took responsibility for the problem, whether we had much to do with the negative outcome or not. Once she became relieved of any fault, she could be very helpful in devising a plan to correct the fallout. So, most of her staff developed the habit of starting conversations with her regarding addressing a problem by immediately saying something like, “I don’t know how I let this happen.” Doing that markedly shortened the time spent trying to address the situation.

There is indeed a time, as Ecclesiastes 3:6-8 says,

    to search and a time to give up
    to keep and a time to throw away,
    to tear and a time to mend,
    to be silent and a time to speak,
    to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Being wise about how we approach people and situations may make all the difference in the world regarding positive outcomes.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to be wise as well as loving and peaceful. 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.

Called to Serve

Lent

March 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 4:5-42

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.’—John 4:31-38

We sometimes forget that when we accepted Christ as our Leader, we signed on as a laborer in his vineyard. We are called to do the work needed to bring to fruition the Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community, throughout our world. We are called to be moral people, but that just describes how we are to live and work, not rest on our laurels.

Prayer: Lord, help us to find our calling and groom our ability to fulfill it as we work toward 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.

Fearing the Lord

Lent

March 1, 2023
Scripture Reading: Psalm 112:1-9
Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered forever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn is exalted in honor.

It was recently announced that former President Jimmy Carter, who has been under treatment for cancer for some time, has elected to forego any future treatment and receive hospice care. I thought of him as I read this scripture. Carter is viewed as an anomaly, a nice guy but generally a lackluster President. On his second day as president, Carter pardoned all Vietnam War draft evaders. His administration established the United States Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He also created a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. Carter successfully pursued the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, and the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks*. His presidency ended on the heels of the Iran hostage crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, the Three Mile Island accident, the Nicaraguan Revolution, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. All threats from outside sources and outside his control, but beyond the public’s patience in his dealing with the issues.

He of course, did not stop there. Out of office, he championed Habitat for Humanity. In 1982, he established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights, which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections and further the eradication of infectious diseases*. I do think he is happy in the fear/awe of the Lord. And he is an excellent example of how we all must rise in the darkness as a light for the upright.

Prayer: Lord, guide us to be a light for the upright. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter#:~:text=On%20his%20second%20day%20as,price%20control%2C%20and%20new%20technology.

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.

Created for a Purpose

Lent

February 28, 2023

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Why do we suppose God put a tree in the garden and then said yes, that tree is there, but the humans were told not to eat from it? Why plant it in the first place? Is God testing humans to see if they will mind God? Or is God testing them to see, if they can think for themselves, good or bad? Why was this story included in the creation saga, so the humans to come, us, would read it? What exactly do we think God wanted us to glean from this account? What is the bigger picture?

First, being made in the image of God sets humans apart from other animals. Psalm 8 describes it this way:
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God*,
   and crowned them with glory and honor. –Psalm 8:3-5

Second, due to this designation, humans were set apart to partner with God in God’s great creation undertaking. To be a good steward of God’s work, we must differentiate what is good and what is not, and we are called to do the good that Jesus Christ modeled for us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we miss the mark in our service to you. Help us not to be distracted by the ways of the world that are harmful to the development of the Beloved Community. Amen.

*This is from the NRSV. Some translations use the word angels rather than God.

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.

Spiritual Disciplines

Ordinary Time

February 19, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Jesus seemed to be preparing his closest disciples for what was to come next in his ministry, specifically his death, and resurrection. He planted seeds in their memories so that when they grieved their loss, flashes of those discussions returned to help them assimilate how they would turn such pain and despair into actions that literally changed the entire world, which Christ-followers are still striving to implement today as we work to build the Beloved Community.

Two thousand years later, where do we disciples obtain those spiritual seeds to store in our inner beings that are ready when we need them the most to fortify our work in attaining Christ’s vision? Practicing the spiritual disciplines is a primary source of such nourishment. There are many sources to help guide us in developing spiritual disciplines. I found Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster most helpful. They are not new. I learned much from reviewing The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, written in the 1500s.  The actual actions we adopt for our spiritual disciplines are not as important as our dedication to following a consistent pattern of communion with God and self-examination. We must resist the temptation to hone God in our image rather than working diligently to serve God from the aspects of the image of God in which all people are created.  

Prayer: Lord, help each of us find the best way to stay in close communion with you and live our lives as you equipped us to do in your image. 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.

Working Toward the Common Good

Ordinary Time

February 15, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
   and cast their cords from us.’

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
   the Lord has them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.’

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.

This was an interesting scripture to read in the beginning days of the Oklahoma Legislature’s 2023 Session. It always starts with many bills designed more to get legislators’ names in the news about hot-button issues rather than the difficult task of seeking common ground to provide the Common Good. Once the dust has settled, those 3,000 or so introduced bills will be culled down to a few hundred that each can make a major difference in our lives. I invite you to join me in praying for our elected officials as they move through this process.

Prayer: Lord, guide your people in working toward the Beloved Community as we participate in our civic duties working toward governance that provides for the Good of All.  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.

Patience

February 14, 2023

Scripture Reading: Exodus 24:12-18
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

I have repeatedly said patience is a fruit of the spirit I lack*. This is one of the instances I prefer the King James translation, which rather than using the word patience, calls it long-suffering**.

I finally realized that the word is fruit, singular, not fruits, plural. The fruit of the spirit is a package deal. Moses had to have possessed much patience to stay up on that mountain for so long. He did wait, and he received the laws of God and carefully retained the instructions for how to use them. Surely, he was consoled by the other parts of the Spirit’s presence. At the end of this sojourn with God, he carries the tablets with the commandments etched on them down the mountain when he discovered the Israelites worshiping a golden calf idol. They did not have the patience to wait for his return. He dashed the tablets to the ground and broke them; then, he destroyed the idol. His patience had run out.

As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. —Exodus 32:19-20

The laws were recovered and built into our understanding and worship of God to this day. We also learned that there is a time and place for patience and a time to express anger if appropriate.

Prayer: Lord, help us to maintain our connection with your Spirit so that we can correctly identify when it is time to be patient and a time to express anger ruled by the boundaries of love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen.

*Galatians 5:22-23–By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

**( https://biblehub.com/greek/3115.htm) Greek translation: 3115 makrothymía (from 3117 /makrós, “long” and 2372 /thymós, “passion, anger”) – properly, long-passion, i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger. This avoids the premature use of force (retribution) that rises out of improper anger (a personal reaction).

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.