Tag Archives: God’s Love

The Good Shepherd

Good ShepherdEastertide
April 25, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 10:11-16

‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.—John 10:11-15

The confidence and comfort in knowing that God through Jesus Christ, knows me and loves me completely, just as I am and as I am becoming through his love, enables everything that I do in Jesus’ name. To be known completely by God is a gift of grace that allows me to instantly come to God in prayer and be reformed. That is a gift we need to share with others but we must meet them where they are to share that gift.

 Do sheep all look the same to you? Could you readily tell one from another if you walked through a meadow where they were grazing?  What about their personalities: do you know the leaders, the aggressive ones, the sick ones? We should all be able to tell the black ones from white ones or spotted ones. Most I think could figure out which were males and which were females. A good shepherd would know all of these things and more.

Does it make a difference to you when you know someone when a prayer request is made for them as opposed to a stranger? I do pray for those whom I do not know, but when I hear a request for prayer for someone I do know, but did not know they were in trouble or ill, my concern level increases. I make the extra effort to inquire further, learn more, and perhaps offer assistance.

It is possible to live in a city and have one’s life tucked neatly into silos of isolation where we move and have our being among our home, work, church, and school, and never interact in any meaningful way with the multitudes we pass but about whom we know nothing. We are called to love these—love them enough to make sure they know the Good Shepherd, too.

Prayer: Lord, open opportunities for me to meet others who need to know you love 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.

Eyes that do not See

Self RighteousnessEastertide
April 14, 2015

Scripture Reading: Acts 3:12-19

‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, Acts 3:17-19

In the first part of this scripture, Peter did not mince words. He told his listeners straight that they had missed the whole message of the ministry of Christ. And now he tells them that they are ignorant; they did not understand. It is a common theme among the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Jeremiah 5:21 says Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear. Isaiah 44:18 says: They do not know, nor do they comprehend; for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand.  And Jesus continued this theme in Mark 8:18: Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?

Sometimes our brains have a way of interfering with both our sight and our vision when we confront things we just do not what to believe, for example, infidelity or emotional abuse. I think what the prophets and Jesus are describing here is different. It is a part of the process of not being willing to be in full communion with God. It is an obstinacy of our souls wanting to hold on to something we cherish so badly we deny God’s truth and thus the warnings of God’s prophets. It is a form of idolatry, wanting to have our cake and eat it too. It is what paved the way for Israel and later Judah to be taken into exile. It is what hung Jesus on that cross.

What makes the resurrection of Jesus so very special is the depth of love God has for all of God’s children. Jesus came to free us from our own demons as well as the oppression caused by others. He invites us to turn around, trust in him, and he will heal our souls of searching for things that will never satisfy.

Prayer: Hear our prayer, O Lord, open our ears to your teachings and our eyes to your works, help us to comprehend as fully as were are able the breadth and depth of your love and to understand that there is nothing in the world that can match 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Evil

LionLent
March 22, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 12:20-33

‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. — John 12:27-33

It is hard to image Jesus’ having a troubled soul. The one who could turn water into wine, heal the sick, and raise the dead was facing failure. He had tried in every way possible to help people understand that the workings of the ruler of this world were not to their best interest. Yet as the prophets of previous generations had said, they listened but they did not hear. (See Isaiah 6:9, for example)

The twentieth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing is April 19, 2015. One of the things I heard on the news after that event was a comment form a local pastor that the first heart broken when the bomb went off was God’s. If we indeed are made in the image of God, then that comment makes sense. Just as it makes sense that Jesus’ soul would be troubled because he wanted the very best for all God’s children. It is sad that we seem, not only satisfied with something less than God, but we almost crave it. Evil saps us of our energy to love like God loves and we let it. We of course pay a high price for taking second best.

As we stand at the foot of the cross and remember the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, let us remember who made us and that we were made to love. By the grace of God though Jesus Christ, we have been empowered to love like Jesus, we just need to trust in the gift.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I want to run away and hide from all the torment and tragedy in the world. I surely do not want to step into the quagmire and work toward a just world but that is exactly what you call me and all your children to do and we can only answer that call through the gift of your grace and the strength of your love. Strengthen our weak knees. (Hebrews 12:12) 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.

Near to the Heart of God

Near to GodLent
March 20, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. — Hebrews 5:7-10

And he was heard. Ever feel when you pray that you are just saying words that are bouncing back toward you off the ceiling? One of my friends described the scene in the delivery room when her first child was born. She was accustomed, shall we say, to using very foul language when she was among friends that were accepting of it, perhaps they even encouraged it. She was fairly good at guarding her mouth in company that would have been offended, although occasionally she slipped up. In the delivery room she reverted to what came naturally, embarrassing her husband mightily as her expletive deleted language was mixing with the prayerful cries of “God help me” from other women. I assured her that God hears God’s children’s cries even when they are not prayers. I believe that God not only hears more importantly God listens, understanding the depth and breadth of the concern being voiced.

The great comfort Jesus had was knowing God intimately. Jesus knew the unconditional nature of God’s love and knew he was not alone in his suffering. He also knew that his suffering would lead to something more important like the birth of a baby. Jesus’ suffering led to his death and his resurrection that led to the spread of the good news of God’s love from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. It led to our commissioning as the Body of Christ in the world today sharing God’s love so that all of God’s children might know God intimately when they cry out for help and find that there are people in the world today that are trying to love like Jesus and are willing to try to provide the help needed.

My favorite hymn since I was a small child is Near to the Heart of God. It is consider old fashioned now, we do not sing it much but it is true but I will share it with you here:

 Near to the Heart of God
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: Hold us who wait before Thee near to your heart and empower us to share that gift with others. Amen.

*Words and Music by Cleland B. McAfee, 1903, see at http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/n/e/neartoth.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.

Snakes

Bronze snakeLent
March 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:4-9

Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. — Numbers 21:6-9

 We probably practice too little cause and effect thinking today, but our spiritual ancestors may have practiced too much. For example to our own peril today, we may not relate our patterns of eating and exercise to our health. My guess is those Israelites who were tired of the same old food day after day probably knew all along that God and Moses were meeting their needs not their wants. So when the snakes came they assumed it was God’s punishment and repented of their griping.

My mother was a town girl who married a farmer. Mom had always been an avid gardener so she adapted rather quickly, but she was deathly afraid of snakes. When one lives in the country one obtains an early education regarding snakes, both the good kind that provide natural control for rodents and the poison ones.

Rattlesnakes were prevalent where I lived. So my Dad, the farmer, bought my Mom, the town girl, a pistol to deal with the snakes. He even thought he had taught her how to shoot.  He learned he had not, when she emptied the entire load of bullets in the gun into the red earth around a large snake and never hit the snake once. If I remember correctly, my brother killed the snake with a hoe and thereafter, a hoe was what my mother used when called on to deal with a poison snake.

Our scripture today was most likely included in the readings for Lent because Jesus is quoted as mentioning it in John 3:14-15. Snakes in the ancient world were a symbol of both death and danger and fertility, life, and healing.* Symbols remain important reminders of our source of faith. We now look to the empty cross as a symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection. I think it is interesting that these two verses in John lead up to another verse in which we all rest our hope:

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)

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life. We pray that our lives reflect your love well. Amen.

*The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha: Abingdon Press 2003, page 221, Special Note.

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.

The Choice to Love

Love is a choiceLent February 25, 2015

Scripture Reading: Psalm 22:23-31 All the ends of the earth shall remember    and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations    shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord,    and he rules over the nations. —Psalm 22:27-28

My impression, drawn from the scriptures, is that God wants to be loved because we want to love God. We demonstrate our love for God, not only through worship, but also by following the path of caring for one another that God has set before us. We do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8) We cannot legislate love and we cannot bully or terrorize people into loving. We have been given the freedom to choose to love.

Our culture has mystified love, making it something we think we fall into or out of. We have trivialized love, applying it, in many instances, to create a superlative form of the word “like”. We have sexualized love often ignoring the boarder scope of the love God has for us or the love we have for others that is like the love of siblings. I like M. Scott Peck’s simplified definition of love: wanting the very best for another.

Such is the love God calls us to choose for all who are made in God’s image. Practicing choosing to love reorders and reprioritizes our lives. It draws us to a center where God has been along.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for choosing to love us. Thank you for the freedom to choose to love you and to choose to love others. Strengthen me to love as you love and let my love always be to your glory and honor. 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.

Grief’s Denial

TranfigurationEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
February 14, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.  — Mark 9:2-8

 Six days ago, Jesus told the disciples he was to be killed and rise three days later and Peter rebuked him. Now Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain where they experience a vision of Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter wants to build structures to mark this special place. Peter was a man of action caught up in a whirlwind of reality that surpassed anything he could do. Ever been there?

My dad apparently had a heart attack late one Saturday. He had very bad stomach ulcers and although he had experienced chest pains, thought it was just his “old tum-tum”. He couldn’t breathe without sitting upright by Sunday and was retaining water. Taken to the local hospital he was immediately transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Oklahoma City where I met the ambulance and completed the check in. My mother and brother arrived shortly by car. The doctor soon came out and said Dad had suffered a massive heart attack with extensive heart damage. The prognosis was bad and only time would tell. He died one week after the first attack. My very intelligent mother did not take in at all what the doctor said. Years later she still did not remember it. She was in denial, the first stage of grief. Peter and, I image, the other disciples were all in denial not sure what was happening.

It is an appropriate lesson for us as we inch ever closer to Lent. It is hard to comprehend the measure of love with which God endowed us, not just in the life, but also in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once we can accept the bad news of Jesus’ pending death, we can open ourselves fully to God’s great gift of love and saving grace. Amen.

Prayer: O Lord, it hurts to lose the ones we love. I would have loved to walk the paths of Israel with you, think I would have drank in every word that you said, and cannot imagine what it felt like to see you crucified. Walk with me now as I approach the road of Lent and open my heart as well as my mind to your last teachings. Be with me hanging back in the shadows, as I walk the road with you to Golgotha even knowing that I will soon stand with Mary Magdalene by the empty tomb. 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.

Listening for God

Hearing GodEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 12, 2015

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

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. — 1 Samuel 3:1-5

Whether we read this scripture literally or metaphorically, it is ominous in nature. In the second chapter of 1 Samuel we read of an oracle confronting Eli about his work and more particularly the lack of commitment of his sons. God was going to pass the torch to someone else who would be God’s prophet for the people that someone was Samuel. The first verse begs the question: was the word of the Lord rare or were people not listening for it? Apparently the priestly functions were continuing as hollow acts of habit. Samuel, no doubt by Eli’s instruction, was tending the lamp of God even before he knew who God was. The lamp was to remain lit until the sun rose. On this morning a new and different dawn was coming. God will not let God’s people go without God’s light.

The birth and dedication of Samuel to God is mirrored in the birth of Jesus, another chosen one conceived to spread even a greater light into the darkness that was overcoming the world. Similar challenges faced Samuel and then Jesus and they still face us today. We humans, children of God though we are, do not handle prosperity well. We have a long, long history of begging for God in the bad times and not being aware of God in what we consider to be the good times.

The abundant life that Jesus described most likely included all having enough to eat and other basic needs met not more than enough. God’s abundance is having more than enough love for God and each other.

Prayer: Lord help us to carefully consider what is enough, and let us work toward assuring that the basic needs of all are being met. More importantly, open our ears and our eyes to hear your word and see your visions as we work to make them real in our world today experienced in the depth of your 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

To Know God

God loves youChristmas
January 4, 2015

Scripture Reading: John (1:1-9), 10-18

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 testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. — John 10:14-18

It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. (John 1:18b) Thus the author of John ends the prologue by saying this is what I am going to discuss now. Translators have been challenged by this scripture since it was first discovered. My guess is those who read Greek were perplexed by it also. It speaks in mystery about the nature of a person, Jesus Christ, as he apparently was sent to us to help us understand better the nature of God. Perhaps God was also able to grasp better the ways of humans in the process.

I do not like math. My mother taught math and both my sister and brother excelled in it, but not me. It’s rather funny because I enjoyed logic. To get my degree in sociology and to qualify for graduate school, I had to pass a higher level statistics course for which I was very ill prepared because I had avoided taking math in college. I was fortunate though to have a good friend who was a math major who understood the intricacies of math so well she could distill it down to its simplest level for someone as limited as I was. I passed the class and am pleased to note that I actually learned a lot about statistics due to her help.

I think this is what John is trying to say about Jesus. John says it succinctly at John 3:16. To paraphrase, God loved us so much that he invested a part of himself in getting to know us better in our own environment and time so that God could help us know God better because God wants the very best for God’s children. Therefore, we need to pay close attention to the words and actions of Jesus for he is the one who will make God known to us and our wholeness is wrapped up in our relationship with God.

Prayer: Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly and follow thee more nearly, day by day.* Amen.

*Prayer of Richard of Wyche, Bishop of Chichester (1197-1253)

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.

 

Encouragement

Breathe of GodChristmas
December 28, 2014

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:22-40

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
   according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
   a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’ — Luke 2:25-32

If Mary and Joseph had not had enough to ponder up to the point of Jesus’ dedication at the temple, Simeon added to the mystery that had encased their lives for at least nine months. Perhaps though Simeon was sent by God as further verification of the special nature of this child. Simeon, Anna too, were encouragers of the faith.

We are all called to the role of being encouragers of the faith even though we often need encouragement ourselves. We should never underestimate the importance of God’s plan of Oneness for all God’s followers. We do need each other. We also need that mysterious gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes I wonder how much I frustrate the Holy Spirit. I can be pretty cynical at times and none too trusting in myself as well as in still small voices that occasionally whisper in my ear. I probably have seen too much evil in the world and seen the results of people trusting the wrong voices. Some time ago I started following what I call the test of love. Does what I am sensing pass the test of love? Is it of God? Does it want the very best for others and me?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, breathe on me,
 My stubborn will subdue;
 Teach me in words of living flame
 What Christ would have me do.* Amen.

*Verse 2 of Holy Spirit Breathe on Me, words by B. B. McKinney, Full text can be viewed at http://www.namethathymn.com/christian-hymns/breathe-on-me-lyrics.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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.