Tag Archives: Called to Serve

For What Are We Made?

Lent

March 14, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1 Samuel 16:6-13

The Hebrew word heart used above is the translation of the Hebrew word “lebab” which has a broader, more encompassing meaning than people in the modern area might consider in describing the word heart. Lebad describes the entire person, including mind, will, and heart*.  We might today think of David as being a person with the right stuff to get the job done; perhaps we would see him as wise, tenacious, and caring about people.

The Bible indicates that God searches for the right person to do a job and then sends the Spirit of the Lord to come upon that person and guide their work—Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and even David’s great-grandmother, Ruth. And while we may never make the annals of history like these examples, I believe God calls us all to do jobs that only we can do and provides the spirit’s support to make it happen, if we open our hearts to God’s service.

Prayer: Lord, help us claim our job and work to perfect our delivery of it with the help of your Spirit. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3824.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.

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.

Called to Serve

Ordinary Time

January 15, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 1:29-42

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter). John 1:35-42

The story of John’s disciples leaving him and immediately following Jesus is somewhat truncated in the telling. We do not know how long John had been preaching that the Messiah was coming. His disciples were probably well versed in the scriptures from the prophets and most likely had heard John refer to him as the Lamb of God. After spending time with Jesus, John’s disciples accepted him as the One and immediately went to bring others into the group. Andrew’s first response was to tell his brother, Simon Peter.

I have always assumed that Peter was the older brother, which may or may not be true. He was a leader, a take-charge person, and somewhat impulsive. At the beginning of Peter’s relationship with Jesus, he was not necessarily the kind of person one would describe as a rock, but he became one.  Jesus saw that trait in Peter from the beginning. Even though Jesus chastises Peter at one point, saying, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ (Matthew 16:23). And at Jesus’s trial, Jesus said to Peter, ‘Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ (Matthew 26:34) Yet Peter became a rock for the beginning of the church.

We are each called for service that only we can do with the guidance of the Spirit we need to fulfill being the person God created us to be as we fulfill that calling. We may not be Peter, but we would never have had Peter without Andrew.

Prayer: Lord, help us to find our calling and guide us in fulfilling it. 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.

Growing into Faith

Living in the Spirit

October 11, 2022

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 Peniel, limping because of his hip.

We are always the child of our parents, but at some point, in our lives, we must transition to being fully responsible for our actions and decision. We call it adulthood. It is not defined by age but by that point in time when we step out and take responsibility for who we are and what we do. It is also when we personally commit ourselves to God. Jacob came lately to that point. His story describes a person who was full of himself. He stole his brother’s birthright and cheated his father-in-law out of sheep. I do not know what he had in mind when he decided to return to his original home. It may have been to continue his conman habits, but as he traveled home, he had an encounter with God that turned him around refocusing his skills and talents on following God putting all those misplaced skills to better use.

Self-examination needs to be a part of our lives. Are we investing our skills and talents to fulfill our calling of creating the beloved community, the Kingdom of God in this world today? Sometimes such self-examination may result in our, too, wrestling with God until we understand our role in that calling.

Prayer: Lord, grace us with finding our role in the development of the beloved community and dedicating ourselves to its fulfillment. 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.

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.

Here Am I Send Me

Ordinary Time

January 30, 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.

What do we put first in our lives? What are our priorities? Where does God fall in our plan for our lives? How invested are we in sharing the love of God to the ends of the earth? How hard do we work to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God*? If Jesus called us from our work, would we leave everything and follow him?

We are not all called to be full-time pastors, God does call us to be full-time Christ-followers. In fact, being in the world, working, going to school, volunteering gives us opportunities to answer that call in very meaningful ways. We do not have to do everything, but we do need to do something as well as possible to share the love of God with others and to create a world ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see where you need us most and guide us in following you wherever you call us.  Amen.

*Derived from 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.

Called to be Me

Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

July 14, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:20-37
I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him;
my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth.
For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun.
It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.’

We are all called to be the best human we can be, just as David was anointed. He learned early in his life his need for God’s guidance and love. David’s communion with God was often glorious, yet sometimes raw. He did cry to God, “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!” David was not perfect. Unlike many great people in history, the Bible spares no detail on David’s good and the bad. David who played, and sang praises to God also sent a man to be murdered so David could have the man’s wife. David grieved the loss of his children and friends and celebrated the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

We are not called to be the best shepherd, soldier, or king like David. We are, however, each called to be the best “me.” That, too, requires us to each develop a close relationship with God and a willingness to serve him with all our might, whatever that might is.

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.

Washing Feet

Maundy Thursday

April 1, 2021

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ John 13:1-17, 33-35

The story is familiar. Jesus takes on the chore of a servant washing his disciples’ feet. Peter protests when Jesus bends to wash his feet, acknowledging Jesus’ status. Status is essential in most societies. Whether intended or not, hierarchies of worth come naturally, though not in the Kingdom of God. Jesus made this point many times in his ministry. As he came to the end of his time on earth, he must have felt the need to underscore its importance. The definition of abundance in the Kingdom of God is unlike the world’s definition. The fulfillment of God’s Kingdom is the source of the abundant life Jesus described in John 10:10. The foundation of God’s abundance is love, not status or wealth.

Today we remember that Last Supper where, as told in John, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. We, too, are reminded that Jesus has called us to be the workers in his service, crafting a new world where all are loved and appreciated for who they were created to be and who we all can become as we grow in God’s justice and mercy by God’s grace.

In whatever way we observe this event, now called Maundy Thursday, let us take a few moments to consider our next steps in making the Kingdom of God a reality.

Prayer: Lord, gift us with the hope of building a better world where all are loved and all have enough to survive and thrive as we do our part in loving like Jesus. 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.

Justification

Lent

February 26, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Romans 4:13-25

Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. –Romans 4:18-25

Have you ever had to justify some behavior? We all have, I am sure. I love the Family Circle cartoon with the little ghost character named Not Me. When I read the word justification, I consider it in terms of explaining myself. Paul uses justification in a reactive sense. Jesus died for our sins but was raised for our justification. Now, why would Jesus do that if our sins have been forgiven and no longer hang over our heads?

Jesus could have died on the cross for our sins, and they would have been forgiven, and he would still be dead. Think of the soldier who throws himself on a land mine to save his fellow soldiers. We may give him a metal and honor his grave on Memorial Day, but the sacrifice is permanent. Jesus was raised to empower us to continue his work, and justification is the means of recognizing our worth in carrying out such an incredible task. Such justification is an act of grace based on faith.

I am a basketball fan and love hearing the coach’s and players’ interviews after the game. If they lose, they express remorse and begin the conversation about what they need to do better. If they win, coaches and players alike say, we were just doing our jobs. Any player recognized for outstanding effort usually says something to the effect that their teammates made their success happen. Once we made Jesus’ team, we are expected to work hard, grow in spirit and truth, and practice quality teamwork with our fellow Christ-followers.

Prayer: God of Mercy, thank you for calling us to your service and justifying our right to serve you. Strengthen our faith for this journey. 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.

Growth in Serving God

Lent

February 20, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ –Mark 1:9-11

If we are to model our life after Jesus’s pattern of living, we, too, start with our recognition of Jesus Christ as our Savior and pledge to serve God as Jesus demonstrated we should. Most of us take steps to proclaim to ourselves and to the world that we have made this decision. Our confession of faith is between God and ourselves and is often memorialized in the presence of a community of faith. Baptism takes on many forms, but it, too, is an outward sign of our inward commitment.

Children and youth reared in faith communities are schooled in the stories of Jesus for years before they make that commitment. Some faith communities have special training for them as they approach their teen years. Most faith communities offer learning opportunities for teens and adults that are accessed by choice. I wonder how much of our faith development slowed markedly at the close of our pre-baptism training.

I embarrassed myself recently when talking about governmental services to the poor. Someone said many persons with disabilities may get financial help but do not qualify for SNAP (food stamps). I immediately assured the group that those people automatically qualified for food stamps and was assured that was not the case. I retired from working with governmental human services in 2004 and have not kept up with policy changes. When I got home, I looked up the policy, and my co-advocate was right. Eligibility for food stamps does require a separate application.

Again,  how much of our faith development is based on past history designed for youngsters? All professing Christ-followers are called to serve in developing God’s Kingdom in our world today. It is a mighty challenge that requires all of us to grow in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor as Luke 2:52 records Jesus did following his attendance at the temple when he was 12 years old. We do that by practicing the spiritual disciplines of worship, study, prayer, meditation, service, and practicing generosity.

Prayer: Lord, during these days of Lent, guide us to find ways to grow in spirit and truth. 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.