Tag Archives: Forgiveness

Repentance

Lent
February 18, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

 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.’ –Mark 1:12-15

A time of preparation for the journey that lies ahead seems to be what Mark implies from Jesus’ baptism, Spirit blessing, acknowledgment by God, and sojourn in the wilderness. Matthew and Luke go into greater detail than Mark about Jesus’ temptations. Mark simply records that it happened. Being alone with God is wise preparation for any journey of faith. Ridding oneself of the things that are most likely to distract us from our purpose is also a good idea. Fred Craddock developed a Bible study guide many years ago based on the premise that we tend to sin in our areas of greatest strengths rather than weaknesses. Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18.) I tended to agree with him after following his logic in that study.

We seem to have a lot of leaders backed into corners from which they cannot extract themselves without admitting that they might have followed a wrong course. We, of course, each see the wrongness of our opponent’s actions without seeing the possible miss-steps of our own. What was that Jesus said about taking the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye (Matthew 7:5)? The thing about God is God forgives and forgets. We humans have not perfected either of those actions. God rejoices in our turning around and correcting our course. God can and does show us the way out of the corners we make for ourselves if we invite God to help us.

My fear is spoken so often by the Hebrew prophets and quoted by Jesus:

‘He has blinded their eyes
   and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and understand with their heart and turn—
   and I would heal them.’ (John 12:40)

Are we so caught up in the my-way-or-the-highway stanches that we cannot turn back to God’s ways?

Prayer: Father, forgive us for we know not what we do. Help us escape from our self-imposed prisons of self-rightness and return to your paths of righteousness and justice. 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.

Choose Love

Christmas
January 3, 2019

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. –Hebrews 1:1-4

The start of a new year is a great time to consider the purification of sins. In the tradition of animal sacrifice for sin forgiveness routine offerings needed to be made of various types. What God did for God’s children through Christ is offer one purification process: asking for and accepting Christ’s forgiveness.  As humans with free will, however, that first forgiveness cleansed us of the sin we had committed along with the promise that such forgiveness is ours for the asking and repentance forever, but it did not render us incapable of sin. Thus, in our continuing relationship with God, we review our lives, identify instances when we have missed the mark or separated ourselves from God through our behavior, and repent asking for forgiveness as needed.

I have a hunch God wants us to love God and love one another through our free will. If free will were taken away from us, we would lose the ability to sin but also the ability to choose to love. The ability to love is a great gift for which Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life. We must never take it for granted.

We live in a world where some seem to get, I do not the word to describe it, fulfillment maybe, out of hate or greed or lust for power rather than love. Seeking fulfillment from such lesser gods rob robs us the true wholeness that only comes from God’s pure love.

Prayer: Lord, as we start a new year purify me of my sins, awaken me to see clearly the lesser gods I pursue an lead to let them go for the sake of true 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.

In the Wilderness

Advent
December 4, 2017

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people,
   says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
   and cry to her
that she has served her term,
   that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
   double for all her sins. 

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
   make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
   and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
   and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
   and all people shall see it together,
   for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ –Isaiah 40:1-5

I probably listen to too much news resulting in my occasionally reacting by wanting to run away and hide hoping all the craziness in our world will just go away. The irony is that the only thing I have to run away from is me. We are responsible for our current state of being. As Isaiah is saying in the scripture quoted above, like the Israelites of his day, we are paying the price for our sins, but thanks be to God forgiveness and redemption are available.

We are indeed wandering in a wilderness where we like to identify the sins of others defined by us but are not too interested in seeing our wrongdoings as set forth by God. Greed and lust for power are traits of successful people in our vernacular, the antithesis of loving God and loving one another. We have a few voices crying in this wilderness to whom we need to listen. The Reverend Doctor William Barber is one (See https://www.breachrepairers.org/). Jim Wallis is another (see https://sojo.net/about-us). These prophets, a progressive and an evangelical, share the same call and the same love. Oneness comes from God.

Advent is a good time to examine ourselves, let God cleanse us of anything that is holding us back from loving as Jesus loves, and to do the justice we are called to do.

Prayer: Lord, search us and cleanse us of anything that is separating us from 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.

Being Church

Living in the Spirit
September 9, 2017

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

 ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. –Matthew 18:15-17

The above scripture is tough. If sin is separation from God, how does that play out in relationships between humans? If sin is missing the mark? Who establishes what the mark is? If the way we treat one another classifies as a sin against God, what is our responsibility to the other member of the church involved whom we are called to love? Does this scripture indicate that the church is a closed, exclusive organization with no concerns about people beyond its walls? How does that mesh with Jesus’ teachings about loving our neighbors? It probably is not fair to separate verses 15-17 from verses 18-20, but I fear that is what happens in the everyday functions of any church.

Christ calls us to be one, and that requires us to figure out how to get along and work productively with one another. Becoming one is a challenge when we cluster with people who are very much like ourselves. Becoming one with people of markedly different cultures is much harder even impossible without the abiding presence of God’s guiding our way.

I cannot imagine what it was like carving out a new religion in the first century bringing together peoples from various other faith experiences or none at all. We see snippets of frustration with melding diversity throughout the gospels and the writings of Paul. One of the most difficult parts surely was moving from a predominantly exclusive system honed by years of oppression by outside forces to a fully inclusive system opening the doors to former oppressors.

With these considerations aside, the advice in verse 15 is sound. When there is a problem between two church members, it is best to discuss it calmly and privately. The inability to resolve the problem amicably resulting in involving others opens a different can of worms. History tells us when such situations lead to positive or negative outcomes. For good or bad, our many denominations are the result of such disagreements. It is very important that our actions are not missing the mark with God.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the gift of discernment that we may know how to deal with one another within the context of your rule of love. Help us to comprehend when we have sinned against another and guide us to seek forgiveness from the one we have harmed and you. When we feel someone has sinned against us grant us the wisdom we need to deal with the issue in a way that will bring you glory. 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.

 

I Was Wrong

Eastertide
May 9, 2017

Scripture Reading: Acts 7:54-60

Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died. –Acts 7:58-60

One older deacon spoke out strongly against allowing women to serve as deacons in the church I attend in the early 1980’s. We had passed the threshold of a woman becoming and elder the year before. I was in the second class of women elected to serve as deacons. The man made a point of coming to me and asking for forgiveness for his strong stance against female deacons saying, “I was wrong.”

Fast forward 30 + years, a different man who had left a church because it chose to welcome persons who identified as LGBTQ became a part of the church I attend. I do not think he knew that the only basis for membership we recognize is belief in Jesus Christ. To my knowledge, we have always practiced an open table. He was a consummate student of the Bible; I imagine him reading and re-reading some scripture as a light shone brightly on ancient words that were there all along. I do not know the circumstances of his epiphany, but in a Bible study class, he said those same three words, “I was wrong.”

I wonder when and to whom, Saul, now Paul, who watched in support as Stephan was stoned, said, “I was wrong.” Surely, he said it to God. More importantly, he said it with his life dedicating every fiber of his being to throwing open the doors of the church to the whole world. I am certain we all can identify one or more moments in our lives when one of our absolutes crashed to the ground upon encountering the love of God through Jesus Christ. It is what we do from that point on that matters most.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to our bigotry of any kind, forgive us for not seeing you in each person we encounter, let our lives speak to the forgiveness we receive. 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.

Observing Lent

Lent
March 1, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 32

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
   and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
   and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all who are faithful
   offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
   shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me;
   you preserve me from trouble;
   you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. –Psalm 32

Today marks the first day of Lent in 2017. Lent is one of the oldest holy days in the Christian faith. Early church father Irenaus of Lyons (c.130-c.200) wrote of such a season in the earliest days of the church, but back then it lasted only two or three days, not the 40 observed today*. It was formalized and extended to 40 days over the next few hundred years. My guess is some sort of preparation for observing the death and resurrection started the year after it occurred.  In the Jewish tradition 40 days was used to describe a substantial amount of time. While the term Lent may not be used, a large majority of Christians take time to prepare for the observation of the death and resurrection of Christ. Self-examination, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement, and self-denial are often part of the process of Lent.

Our scripture today deals with acknowledging sins and seeking forgiveness for them.  It is important that we routinely examine ourselves and not only seek God’s forgiveness but also seek God’s help in correcting whatever has caused us to become separated from God. That said, I found it interesting that the writer of Psalm 32 jumps from such self-examination to praying in times of distress. Isn’t that just like life today. One minute we have some time to reflect and pray, the next we are struggling to keep from drowning whether actually or figuratively. This week I have seen several news reports of people dealing with disasters. People who have climbed to the roofs of their vehicles after been swept away in flooding waters were rescued by fire fighters. Horses were quickly moved from their barns that were in the path of a fast-moving fire. In neither instance did the people involve wake up that morning knowing what they would soon be facing.

I believe God is present with us always. Our spending time with God routinely makes us better prepared to connect with God in times of distress.

Prayer: Lord as we enter this 40 days of closer communion with you, enable our quest for knowing your more nearly. Make us whole. Amen.

*http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/beginning-of-lent.html

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.

Reconciliation

Reconcilation 2Living in the Spirit
May 19, 2016

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. –Romans 5:1-2

It was a loud thundering storm that awakened me; it was dealing with how to handle a divisive issue that left me tossing and turning as the rain first came in torrents and then more gently tapping on the roof. I hate situations where decisions must be made that, in the final analysis, identifies someone as right and someone as wrong. Life events are rarely that black and white. I know how Jacob felt when he wrestled with God. He had to be purged of his vanity as well as his guilt. He had stolen his brother’s birthright, ran away to save his own skin, and met his match in a father-in-law who could be just as conniving as Jacob was. Finally besting that same father-in-law, Jacob was ready to go back and face his brother. The real battle was with God resulting in Jacob’s cleansing before reconciliation could occur. As he moved toward his brother not knowing what he would face, his brother met him with open arms. Perhaps Esau had wrestled with God, too.

The peace of God is necessary in our quest for justice for everyone. The peace of God starts first with our cleansing through the living water Jesus brought us, springing from an eternal source that will never go dry. It is the same water that can wash our souls clean while continually hydrating our wholeness. Certainly some cleansing may feel like we have been caught in a ferocious storm. As the storm abates we can experience the gentleness of God’s love like life restoring rain quenches the burnt earth.

In the early hours of the morning, I did finally drift back to sleep. When I awoke the rain had stop and a bird was singing joyously outside my window. A new day had dawned and the peace of God was with me.

Prayer: Lord, as you prepare us for reconciliation with others forgive us for our omissions and commissions that are a part of torn relationships and grant us wisdom that all involved may move forward in your truth together. 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.

Forgiveness

redemption-is-reconnection-with-godEastertide
May 11, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 104:24-35b

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
   may the Lord rejoice in his works—
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
   who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
   for I rejoice in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
   and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord! –Psalm 104:24-35

It struck me as I read our scripture for today that if we apply Paul’s view of sin, this Psalm is praying for eradicating all peoples on the earth: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) where sin is defined as missing the mark or making a mistake perhaps impacting others. * The Hebrew word translated in this Psalm as sinner refers to one who offends. ** I assume that may mean primarily God, but it could imply that when we offend others we offend God also. I am probably out of my league here not being either a scholar in Hebrew or Greek.

In any case, this is not a prayer one should pray lightly. I must admit though that I do like the visceral nature of the prayers in the Psalms. They were written by real people who had real struggles in life with one another and with God. We must all deal with the outcomes of every one of our missing the mark, making a mistake.

The Hebrew people understood the need for forgiveness. They routinely presenting offerings to be sacrificed at the tabernacle in the wilderness and later at the temples. We who call ourselves Christian value highly the role of forgiveness in the life of Jesus and the subsequent journey he set forth for us. It is in fact because we all miss the mark and make mistakes that we are called to love one another and be redeemed together as we fulfill God’s call.

Prayer: Lord forgive us when we individually and collectively miss the mark and strengthen our ability to be your body in this world today through such redemptive love. Amen.

 

*Strong’s Concordance http://biblehub.com/greek/264.htm
**Strong’s Concordance http://biblehub.com/hebrew/2400.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.

Finding Our Way

love45Eastertide
April 28, 2016

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. – Revelation 21:10, 22-27

So what do we do in the meantime? The recorder of John’s Revelation sketches out for us the City of God, where there is no need for a temple because God is among us. The is no need for light sources for God is our light. Its gates are always open and all are welcomed and all that enter will be cleansed for good. We are given a glimpse of the end result. It always helps when planning a journey to know where we are going. This City of God is our destination. The question for us to consider with answers put into action is what do we do now and until we get there?

Some hints of our interim activities are given in this scripture. We, too, are called to be light to the world. (Matthew 5:14-16) ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. We too have been instructed to welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35b) I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

We too have been told to forgive (Matthew 18:22) ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

 Here are three good paths to follow on our journey to the City of God. Why then do we, who call ourselves Christians, invest so much time in doing the very opposite: casting shadows of hate, building walls of exclusion, and condemning others?

Prayer: Lord be our GPS to your way and your truth and strengthen our faith to follow your directions. 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.

Forgetting by Letting Go

make-a-joyful-noise-into-the-lord-joy-quotesEastertide
April 6, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning. –Psalm 30

Does true forgiveness exist if not accompanied by forgetting? There is a difference between forgetting and learning. When we make mistakes, it is important that we learn from them. That we turn around, repent is the Biblical word for it, from the behavior that led to the mistake in the first place. At some point we most likely will forget the instance that occurred which led to our learning, perhaps not.

But what about when we are the ones doing the forgiving? God sets the example by seeming to suffer from both long term and short term memory loss of the behaviors or actions or even thoughts for which we have asked for forgiveness. God quickly lets anger go. It is not allowed to seethe and fester and grow until we are reacting in ways that require forgiveness for ourselves. This is not related to our mental memory. It is related to our soul memory. We must erase it from our very being, if we are to be freed from its chains.

I love to sing, love music. When I was in the seventh grade, the girls in my class were to sing at the eighth grade graduation. When we were rehearsing, my teacher said to me “Your voice doesn’t fit well with the others. You just mouth the words and don’t sing.” I followed her instructions for that performance, but I also never sang again in public, even in a choir, for almost ten years. That is a great example of not letting go when we have been wronged. I needed to have forgiven her even when she probably never realized she had inflicted harm on me. If there is anything you are carrying around with you from the past that is inhibiting your ability to be the person God created you to be, let it go.

Prayer: Lord, always help me learn from both my mistakes and other encounters but enable me to forgive anyone who has hurt me even if they never know I have forgiven them. 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.