Tag Archives: God with Us

The Word

Living in the Spirit

October 1, 2021

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

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

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

The Word with a capital “W” is dynamically alive. We value words recorded and passed down over the centuries to expand our understanding of the Word of God, who was and is God’s Son, Jesus the Christ. Described in the above scripture as being present at creation, I have wondered if the mysterious Melchizedek was the Christ. There are not enough trees on earth to create the amount of paper required to tell the story of God with Us or gigabytes of storage to contain it. Yet, I do not remember a time in my life when my friend Jesus was not available to me, if I sought him.

I read the story of Chicken Little as a child. Based on the English tale of one Henny Penny, its moral cautions us of the danger that people trying to incite panic can result in opportunists like Foxy-woxy doing real harm*. Unfortunately, there is a lot of that going on around us today. We need to stop being used for nefarious purposes and recognize that panic does not help and is unnecessary because God with Us has graced us with the life of his Son, Jesus the Christ, who has already overcome the world**.

I serve a risen Savior
  He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
  Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
  I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
  He’s always near.
               He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
    He lives within my heart***.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the frenzy of the world’s panic. Grant us your shalom to carry us through such distractions from working for you in building your Kingdom. Amen.

* https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/henny-penny-the-sky-is-falling

**John 16:33

***First Verse and Chorus of the hymn He Lives by Alfred Henry Ackley see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/503

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.

Redeemed

Living in the Spirit

August 18, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 34:15-22
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
   to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
   and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
   and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
   but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
   not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

The Hebrew word tsaddiq translated her as righteous, also means just as in justice. My understanding of these two words, righteousness and justice, are nuanced, slightly different, in my perception of them. Righteousness seems to apply to me personally. Do I make the right choices? Is my behavior and relationship with God in sync with God’s will? The prophet Amos described this as aligning my life with God like a brick mason following a plumbline’s guidance. Similarly, justice describes being in the right relationship with other people as a part of our righteous connection with God.

The Psalmist quoted above tells us that God sees and hears our cries for God with us. In response, God turns his face against evildoers. I sense that messages as God standing guard against evil. God perceives the problem and then steps between us and the threats facing us.

To quote Thomas Paine, we are living in times that try men’s souls. A virus out of control, people, responding in fear, earthquakes and other weather-related events destroying life and property, and our military is now leaving Afghanistan. We pay the price for past decisions and pray for the wisdom to correct our courses personally and communally. The final line of this scripture is our hope in salvation:
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be redeemed in your righteousness and be champions of your 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.

God with Us

Living in the Spirit

August 15, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 6:51-58
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’

The word love does not appear in this scripture, but the scripture is all about love. God’s love for each person was made real in the gift of God’s son to live among us and teach us in word and deed about how much God cares for us and wants the very best for us. But, unfortunately, the religious leaders of the day were so caught up in their desires for power and control and maintaining the status quo; they could not recognize love when they saw it.  We are no different today.

Covid is making us all a little crazy. We people of the USA like to be in control, as do viruses. Thus, we are having all kinds of responses to Covid’s ravages. Some are in total denial. Others are hibernating until it is gone. Most people are doing the best they can to care for themselves and others by trying to keep up with the moving target the virus is tossing at them. This week, I lost a co-worker, a friend who had done all the recommended right things and still succumbed to the disease. He did have other medical conditions that probably made him more vulnerable. There is no rhyme or reason to understand why one is taken, and others are not. It does rain on the just and the unjust*. Saying those things does not help.

What does help is knowing that God is with us no matter what and walks through the shadow of death with us. We are fed daily with the Bread of Life that nourishes our spirits to withstand the challenges of life and stand with those dealing with loss and suffering, following God’s example of walking with us always.

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise**. Amen.

*Matthew 5:45

**First verse of Dear Lord and Father of mankind by John Greenleaf Whitter see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind

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.

The Lord

Lent

March 30, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 42:1-9

Thus says God, the Lord,
   who created the heavens and stretched them out,
   who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
   and Spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
   I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
   a light to the nations,
   to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
   from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
   my glory I give to no other,
   nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
   and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
   I tell you of them. –Isaiah 42:5-9

I got stuck on the first phrase of this scripture when I read it. Writing without using pronouns for God is hard, but I believe it is essential and thus struggle through repetitious use of the word God with a capital “G” and the Lord, which often appears as Lord. I wondered what the difference was. Lord is defined as the proper name of the God of Israel*. The Hebrew word is Yhvh. God with the Capital “G” signifies the God of Israel. So, I suppose they are interchangeable. This little grammar lesson notwithstanding, I tend to think of Jesus with his title, Christ (Messiah), as being the Lord. I have no idea where I picked that up, but I rather like it even more now. God-with-us, coming to us in human form, fully human while fully divine, the Lord, puts us on a first-name basis with One who knows us thoroughly, much more than an intimate friend and loves us just as we are while guiding us toward reaching our full potential.

Isaiah says that this God, the Lord, the creator of all that is, gives us not only life and, when we chose to accept it, the Spirit. The Lord calls us to righteousness which includes being a light to the nations, opening the eyes of the blind, and restoring prisoners. We do not need to worship idols as we can address the Lord on a first-name basis.

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for coming to us in human form, making it easier for us to commune with 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.

Relating to God

Lent

March 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Do we ever stop to think that we might weary God? What does that mean in our relationship to God? Is God just an entity that exists to meet our perceived needs? Since the Covid outbreak, I order my groceries and other household products from a big box store, pay for them online, and pick it up at the time negotiated. I love that service primarily because I hate to shop.  I get frustrated with them when they are temporarily out of one of my routine purchases. I toss a thanks to whoever brings my purchases to my car and wish them a good day. Is God our spiritual big box store?

What kind of relationship does God want with us? God must wish to interact somewhat like a family if God chose to be Immanuel with Us through a child’s birth. Families are complex units of people tied together for eternity through the good and the bad. I could not count the number of times since Covid struct that I have heard a tearful relative say how deeply it hurt when they could not be with their loved one during their illness and eventual death.  Parents get frustrated with children; children get impatient with parents. Sister and brothers are more than friends. A hug makes all the difference in the world. Timeouts bring up all kinds of emotions like anger and shame, and embarrassment. When no one else seems to care, family does. First steps are magical. Listening for hours to spine-straightening practice on a musical instrument turns into incredible joy and pride at the end of the year concert.

God is with us through all of life’s journeys, and God wants us to be with God through all those journeys, too.  Our relationship with God is reflected in all our other relationships, which can and should make them more meaningful.

There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God;
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.

Refrain:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God;
Hold us, who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God;
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release,
Near to the heart of God;
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God*.

Prayer:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God;
Hold us, who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God*. Amen.

*Near to the Heart of God written by Cleland B. McAfee
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Near_to_the_Heart_of_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.

Roller Coaster of Righteousness

Lent

March 13, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 3:14-21

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. –John 3:14-16

The cross is the most identifiable symbol of Christ used in Christianity’s variants, from the Crucifix with Jesus’s body to the empty cross denoting that he arose. Of course, both are essential to understand the substance of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. The writer of John sums it up well in John 3:16 (see above). For many, this scripture was one of the first we memorized as children. God saw that the world needed some help, and God came to be with us in the person of Jesus, who was the Christ demonstrating the ultimate love of God on that cross.

What was it that God observed about humans that led God to intercede? We have the history of God as recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Reading it is like riding a roller coaster. The people and leaders of one generation did right in the eyes of God, followed by others who did evil. While these phrases first appear in the books describing the Israelite kings, they began when Adam and Eve did not do what was right in the eyes of God. The written instruction appears in Deuteronomy 6:18,

Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you,

We can trace Israel’s successes and failures by the Kings who were described as doing right in the eyes of God and those who did evil in the eyes of God. Is that roller coaster still operating today? Have we, as individuals and as Christ-followers, turned from doing what is right in the eyes of God? Is the evil being described, our self-righteousness being projected as God’s righteousness?

Prayer: Lord, during this Lenten season, guide us to test our idea of righteousness to see if it melds with yours. Please lead us to your path of righteousness. 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.

Lord of the Dance

Lent

March 10, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south. –Psalm 107:1-3

I received my second COVID vaccination about a month ago and was surprised at the relief I felt. My life has not changed much. I still wear a mask outside of my home. I socially distance and am much better at washing my hands now than I was before COVID.

My church has offered Facebook and live streaming worship services since a few weeks after the pandemic hit last year. In the fall, we returned to in-person worship but still provide the others as well. We learned from adding the remote services how much they mean to people who are homebound, in general, or just home with a sick child for one Sunday. I returned to in-person worship two weeks ago. Our pews are roped off, limiting seating to every fourth pew; communion comes in prepackaged servings available at the pews. Offering plates are available at the entrances. Greetings become little dances of who remembers just to bump fists or touch elbows. Such behavior usually results in good-natured laugher.

The above-quoted Psalm instructs us to give thanks to the Lord even in troubled times. While troubles’ severity ebbs and flows, it is a constant in our lives, from the pesky flat tire to a worldwide pandemic that has permanently changed our way of being. We are strengthened to deal with and overcome troubles because God’s steadfast love does endure forever. Paul notes in Romans 8:28, We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Now is our time to look for the good that can result from this horrific pandemic using what we have learned better ways to develop the Kingdom of God in our world today.

Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem
I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he

I danced for the scribe
And the pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John
They came with me
And the Dance went on.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he

I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame;
The holy people
Said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high,
And they left me there
On a Cross to die.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he

I danced on a Friday
When the sky turned black
It’s hard to dance
With the devil on your back.
They buried my body
And they thought I’d gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he
They cut me down
And I leapt up high;
I am the life
That’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you
If you’ll live in me –
I am the Lord
Of the Dance, said he*.

Prayer: Lord of the Dance, live in us as we face the challenges of our day. Amen.

*https://www.google.com/search?q=lord+of+the+dance+lyrics&rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS922US922&oq=Lord+of+the+dance&aqs=chrome.2.0i355j46j0j46j0j46i175i199j0l4.7155j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

God Sojourns with Us

Lent

February 24, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 22:23-31

You who fear the Lord, praise him!
   All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
   stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he did not despise or abhor
   the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
   but heard when I cried to him.

From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
   my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
   May your hearts live forever!—Psalm 22:23-26

The word translated fear above means to be in awe of*. I knew that but wanted to get the Strong’s reference for anyone that wanted to look it up. What surprised me when I opened the link was that the root word from which it is derived means to sojourn or dwells with. In fact, the definition of being in awe does not appear in the concordance until the very last entry. That sent me to the New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. I was first reminded that Psalm 22 was quoted by Jesus from the cross when he said, My God, My God why have you forsaken me? The next several verses describe, in vivid terms, the distress and mistreatment with which the Psalmist was being inflicted. No wonder this Psalm came to Jesus’ mind as he hung on the cross. He, like the Psalmist, was feeling a disconnect from God. Did he no longer feel that he was sojourning with God or God with him? From the cross, Jesus is quoted as only saying the first part of Psalm 22, but he, no doubt, was just as acquainted with the entire work. Jesus knew the words quoted above. The Psalmist affirms in this segment that God is with, does sojourn, with those afflicted.

We, like Jesus, can take comfort from Psalm 22. While we indeed may cry out in despair, God is there and is with us every step of the way. This is a very appropriate scripture for the season of Lent. It is just as crucial for the USA  as it reaches the terrible milestone of 500,000 deaths to COVID during the past year. Hundreds of thousands of people are going without electricity and water in one of the worst winter storms we have had in over 100 years. And We were recently shocked as citizens attacked the US Capitol. God does not hide from us or our circumstances. God hears our cries and carries us through our troubled times.

Prayer: Lord, we asked for special blessings on all those who have lost loved ones during this pandemic. Grant us helping hands for those who are recovering from disaster. We also pray for those who feel disenfranchised and turn to violence in response. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1481.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.

Active Waiting

Discipleship

February 2, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 40:21-31

To whom then will you compare me,
   or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
   Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
   calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
   mighty in power,
   not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
   and my right is disregarded by my God’?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint. –Isaiah 40:25-31

The phrase to wait for includes the connotation of twisting, stretching, and enduring*. While I do not think I have ever thought about waiting that way, I certainly have experienced it. I sat in my car for about 30 minutes, awaiting the opportunity to get my first COVID vaccination. I twisted in my car seat several times and got out to stretch my legs a couple of times until the signal to move to the line was given. Frankly, I was thankful for the time to listen to the news on the radio in a warm car rather than standing six feet from anybody in the cold. I entered the building immediately. A well-organized information-gathering and temperature-taking assembly line whisked me to a seat after my shot to wait another 15 minutes to assure I would not have an adverse reaction.

The words twisting, stretching, and enduring all carry the connotation of action, giving wait for a different feel. God with us provides the energy to mount up with wings like eagles when we are exhausted in body and soul. The image of the health care workers addressing COVID comes to mind. We need to have the same commitment vested in the loving energy of the all-powerful God as we work to heal a broken world.

Prayer: Lord, engage us in the act of waiting as we work to seek justice and show mercy as healing acts in an exhausted world.  Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6960.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.

One Nation Indivisible

Epiphany

January 12, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ –1 Samuel 3:10-14

I take hope in the phrase from the above scripture that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ By specifying two specific forms of expiation, sacrifice, or offering, the Lord does not limit God’s other means of forgiveness. Atonement can lead to forgiveness.

When I read the scripture, I thought of John Newton*. He was apparently not raised with any particular faith influence. He served in the Royal Navy and then became involved in the slave trade industry. In 1748 he was caught in a violent storm and cried out to God for mercy. After surviving the storm, he gave God credit for his survival and turned his life over to God, eventually withdrawing from slave trading. We know him as the author of Amazing Grace.

January 6, 2021, will live on in USA history as the date of an act of insurrection against the nation that occurred in Washington DC with a siege on the U.S. Capitol. Divisive forces have been growing the past few years until it spilled into a riot, resulting in an attack on the Capitol building.

According to the Constitution, one of the USA government’s responsibilities is to form a more perfect union. Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples included his great desire that we all become one.  At this point, I think we all need to seek atonement for any part we may have played in the evil that divides us, seek God’s forgiveness, and invest all our efforts in becoming one in Christ and becoming an undivided nation.

Prayer: Creator of all, forgive us for our sins of divisiveness. Make our diversity one of our most potent, positive characteristics as we seek to become one nation with liberty and justice for all. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace

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.