Tag Archives: God’s Love

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Eastertide

April 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 16
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
   I have no good apart from you.’

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
   in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
   their drink-offerings of blood I will not pour out
   or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

My study bible opens this Psalm describing it as a Miktam of David. Having never heard of that word, I looked it up and learned essentially that no one knows what it means. Strongs Concordance describes it as a technical term.  It starts with a prayer, warns against idolatry, expresses appreciation for the Lord’s constancy, and celebrates the Lord’s presence which brings David joy. This seems to be an overheard prayer of David’s very personal communion with God, probably never meant for publication. I am glad it was captured for posterity, for it offers a wonderful example of an intimate relationship between an individual and God.

Prayer: Lord, this prayer is a welcomed respite from what is happening in our world today. I thank you for the opportunities I have had to rest and muse for a time with you and me as David did in this poem. 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.

Time for Reflection

Silent Saturday

April 8, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. –Matthew 27:57-66

A house divided cannot stand. (See Matthew 12:22-28) One leader, Joseph of Arimathea, sought to bury Jesus. In comparison, the chief priests wanted to stifle any further disruptions from this Jesus as he threatened their way of being. A chill ran down my back as I read this scripture. It brought to my mind the Tennessee Legislature expelling two of its members for protesting gun violence. Six people, seven really including the perpetrator, were killed at a Nashville school. The legislature is not willing to address the issue of gun control. Instead, they proposed requiring schools to lock their doors and hire more security staff. The shooter had a history of mental health issues. Still, she was able to purchase several guns legally. The shooter entered the school with an AR-15 military-style rifle, a 9 mm Kel-Tec SUB2000 pistol caliber carbine, and a 9 mm Smith and Wesson M&P Shield EZ 2.0 handgun, according to Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake. (CNN) Several more weapons were found in her home.

God sent Jesus to intercede among all peoples to restore righteousness and justice to a world that was losing or had lost its moral compass. That seems to be a recurring reality. Jesus came to model, champion, and advocate for the rule of love. He challenged each of his followers to carry forth that same mission.

In many church calendars, this day is described as Silent Saturday. The first day of grief for Christ’s followers and perhaps a period of relief for those that crucified Jesus.  Often the first stage of grief is shock. Silent Saturday is the day God gave Christ’s followers to stop for a while, recall their experiences with Jesus, and prepare for what comes next. The world is still with us, and we, too, in working to fulfill Christ’s mission, need to process our next steps in a world in desperate need of the Savior who has already arrived and dwells among us full of grace and truth. (John 1:17)

Prayer:Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine*. Amen.

*The second verse of the hymn Draw Me Nearer, by Fanny Crosby. See at https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Draw_Me_Nearer_Crosby/

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.

By Faith–Love Wins

Lent

March 26, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 11:1-45

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. –John 11:28-45

How much do we still expect the Lord to prove that he is who he says he is? In Luke 4, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test. This is in the story of Jesus’s wilderness quest, where the devil presented Jesus with three temptations.  The final one essentially asked Jesus to prove that he was the Son of God by throwing himself off the mountainside and seeing if God would send angels to save him. From the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus knew by faith his calling and accepted the challenges of his assignment, perhaps not the details but the possible consequences of achieving his mission.

Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

We are called to continue that mission and vision to this day, and it is, by faith, that we will accomplish God’s vision of a world ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we let the world’s challenges try to redirect our mission. Grant us the courage that faith requires. 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.

The Power of God’s Love

Ordinary Time

January 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. –1 Corinthians 1:18

The Greek word apollumi* translated here as perishing means absolute destruction, to come to a miserable end.  While we may long for a second coming where all evil will be ended, death is the certainty we all face in real-time with the hope and faith that it is not the final answer.

We live and have our being in the meantime, and it is in the meantime that our focus must be. We are called to share the message about the cross so that those who are perishing because they are missing the faith, hope, and love of Christ can experience the love of God.  Please note the language in this scripture describes the here and now, not a done deal. The people are described as perishing, not destroyed.

This is not just about individual salvation but also about systemic change resulting from our being the whole body of Christ worldwide. That starts for us in the USA in our communities, our states, and yes, our nation.

Benjamin Franklin spoke the words; Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.

Our country is perishing in various ways, and we as individuals and members of communities of faith,we are charged with bringing the same faith, hope, and love we know to reconcile the whole world to Christ’s amazing grace.

Prayer: Lord, open the doors of our hearts for sharing your love with others so that your amazing grace can influence outcomes for those with all kinds of needs across the world. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/622.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.

Knowing the Majestic God of Love

Christmastide

December 28, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
   Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
   to silence the enemy and the avenger.

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.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I am what is called a cradle Christian. I probably sang Jesus, Loves Me in the womb. I really cannot imagine what a Godless world would be. I have taken God for granted forever. Does that belittle God? Indeed not. I think God wants us to take God for granted, but with the understanding that once we know God, we have a responsibility to live God’s love so that everyone can take God for granted, and thus our world would be ruled by God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for writing the words of the above psalm on the heart of one of your children who willingly shared the truth of your being present with us even in your majesty.  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.

Loving Like God

Advent

December 11, 2022

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

What is it like to be human? The great creator God apparently wanted to experience being a human to understand this being that God created. Even though the Creator modeled humans after God’s own image, humans were also endowed with other characteristics which God wanted to understand better. Thus, God came to be with humans in human form from the womb forward; God—incarnate Jesus Christ.

Matthew tells us that Jesus’s first challenge was going into the wilderness to face the world’s temptations* before he began his ministry. Surely, that was a powerful experience for the Creator as a human. God is not only with us. God understands what we are going through because of God’s sojourn on earth. Building a firm, lasting relationship with God is the primary key to our growth in wisdom and in truth as we strive to partner with God in actualizing the Kingdom of God by our choice in the world today. Love is not love if it is not by our choice.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to choose to love ourselves as you love us so that we can love one another as you love all your creation. Amen.

*See Matthew 4:1-11

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 Name of All Names

Advent

The Jesus Wept Statue at the Oklahoma City Memorial

December 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:7-13

Antisemitism has been increasingly raising its ugly head in the US.  Synagogues and Temples have been sites of bombings and mass shootings. The quote included in the above scripture is from Psalm 69, which is described as a Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution.

God is God; however, we name God. The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German)*.

Jews refer to God as YHWH, a name too sacred to speak. The scriptures also refer to God as Adonai or Elohim. This naming somehow was Latinized as Jehovah. The Spanish word for God is Dios. The Muslim word for God is Allah. Christians speak of Jesus as God Incarnate, fully divine, fully human. Many Native American people refer to God as the Great Spirit.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, a pastor (I am sorry, I do not remember who) said the first one to weep was God. I think that is true of all such acts of violence against any of God’s people, particularly, when the violence stems from persons who profess to act in the name of God.

Prayer: Forgive us, Holy One, when we name you as our excuse for violence. Heal us from searching for self-worth in all the wrong places. Help us understand that our worth was implanted in our creation as were all humans when we were made in your image. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_(word)#:~:text=The%20English%20word%20god%20comes,got%20(Old%20High%20German).

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.

Take Heed

Living in the Spirit

November 14, 2022

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. –Jeremiah 23:1-4

Most of the dark money ads that took over our media leading up to the election were designed to destroy and scatter the members of our democracy. Some of them presented their viewpoints in the name of God without regard to the harm they do, not only to the wellbeing of people, but in turning people away from the God that is love by characterizing God as a supporter of bigotry, lust for power, and greed. Jeremiah’s scripture above addresses God’s response to such an attack on God’s people.

Jeremiah’s warnings related to Judah’s exile to Babylon. Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos also addressed the people getting caught up in the idols of their day. It is frightening to read these prophets of the Hebrew Bible warning people that their lack of attention to what was going on about them was a major factor in their downfall. We today need to listen to their wise counsel for the same evil is afoot in our land.

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.

In simple trust like theirs who heard
beside the Syrian sea
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee*. Amen.

*The first and second verses of the hymn 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 Power of Love

Living in the Spirit

October 29, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:10)

From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:48b)

As he sat in that tree, Zacchaeus was caught in the crossfires of the above two scriptures whether he knew it or not. The first tells him that in his eagerness to be rich he could wander away from the faith that Jesus, the man who drew his interest after seeing the crowd’s response, professed. Regarding the second scripture, he is called to take responsibility for being trustworthy with the wealth he had accumulated.

I cannot help but think of Jesus’s very act of inviting himself in front of that crowd to the home of one of the most reviled members of that community touching a tender spot in Zacchaeus made his choice clear. God’s love is like that. Ours should be too.

Prayer: Lord, help us see and help develop the value in those people from whom we turn away. 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.

Living Love

Living in the Spirit

October 27, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are, indeed, called to love one another, and it seems that the principalities and powers feel a great threat from that thought. Greed is not compatible with love. Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. No one’s worth is established by being better than anybody else. Hot-button issues are designed to distract from the real problems of our times. Love is the ultimate vision for living.

The ads sponsored by dark money during this election season illustrate the fear of those principalities and powers that we the people might actually live the calling of love through all aspects of our lives including our civic responsibilities.  The ads include just enough truth to bring out our worst fears but never tell the whole story. They were used to driving us away from voting here in Oklahoma for the last several years. That is not the answer. We have one of the lowest voting rates in the country. All eligible people need to vote.

The purpose of government is to provide for the Common Good. Take the time to consider what that means to you. For me, that includes the availability of quality affordable healthcare for all, quality public education for all children from birth to entry into a career that pays a living wage, restorative justice, and a totally revamped immigration system that protects from crime while fulfilling our call to welcome the stranger, and dependable infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, broadband access), safety protection (policing, criminal and civil justice, fire protection, safe available water, climate change, international relationships, and the military). I judge the candidates I vote for by their potential to deliver these goals as they relate to the office they want to fill for attaining the Common Good. What represents the Common Good for you? What candidates have the most potential for achieving the Common Good? Vote for them.

Prayer: Lord, lift us to higher ground so that your love can spread across our land and protect us from the evil that is around us. Amen.

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