Tag Archives: God’s Love

His Mother’s Son

the annunciationAdvent
December 20, 2014

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38

And [Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.— Luke 1:28-32

 The older I get the more I find myself saying, “I am my mother’s daughter.” My mother was a committed egalitarian. She did indeed live her life to the best of her ability within the belief that all [people] are equal in intrinsic worth and are entitled to equal access to the rights and privileges of their society.* I guess the season of Advent brings that trait out in me as I am reminded of my mother’s legacy in the giving of gifts.

I do not believe that Jesus was created with a preprogramed personality that could not be changed by anything as he marched wearing blinders toward Golgotha. It appears more likely to me that the opposite holds more truth. He seemed to take in everything and process it through the filters of God’s love. I wonder what parts of his being he would select when he said, “After all, I am my mother’s son.”

It is a bit fanciful, but I have wondered how many women God called to be the mother of the chosen one, before he found the one young woman who said, “Yes”. It took a special person to accept such a role. The willingness of that person to act in spite of the shame and sacrifices she might face was of upmost importance for she would be raising a son who would be called to face shame and the greatest sacrifice of all.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the clarity to process all of our life experiences through the filters of your love so that we might each do our part in continuing your ministry here on earth. Amen.

* http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Egalitarianism

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.

 

Peace

PeaceAdvent
December 7, 2014

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8

[John the Baptist] proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ — Mark 1:7-8

It always seems ironic to me when the Sunday identified as Peace Sunday in some traditions occurs on the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Jesus has been identified as the Prince of Peace and yet war has been a constant in our lives that has ebbed and flowed ever since he was born.

What is this power that John the Baptist identified as a primary trait of Jesus and what does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? What is the power of peace?

My regular Tuesday yoga teacher was out of town recently and a substitute who was new to me subbed. We normally start the class when some general stretching and close with a time of quite meditation. The sub said she would like to start with a meditative period, if we didn’t mind. She instructed us how to sit for this part and exactly at the moment our quiet time began, the song, What Wondrous Love is This (Author Unknown) was played. It was a very simple arrangement sung by a beautiful voice. It was a surprise and it was peace.

The ultimate love of God is the power to which John the Baptist is referring and to be baptized by the Holy Spirit means to enter into a partnership with God through Jesus Christ to be a conduit for God’s love even through our fragile and sometimes broken bodies made of clay. It is a trust beyond our ability to trust and a strength beyond our own power. While it is shared with us as individuals, it is provided in such a manner that it creates the synergy of Christ when two or more of us gather together in Christ name. When that all comes together for all of God’s children we will know the peace of God.

Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

  O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.* Amen.

*By Saint Francis of Assissi, See at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis
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.

Precious Gift of Love

Sun and moonAdvent
November 29, 2014

Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24-37

‘But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
   and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
   and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. — Mark 13:24-26

It is called apocalyptical literature. While Daniel and Revelation are the most common books in the Bible described as apocalyptical literature, tidbits of such writing are found throughout the Bible and that is what we have quoted as Jesus speaking in our scripture today from book of Mark.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary* describes apocalyptical as:
forecasting or predicting the ultimate destiny of the world in the shape of future events
prophetic, revelatory
foreboding imminent disaster or final doom
wildly unrestrained
ultimately decisive

Jesus’ coming to earth is a profound part of the ultimate destiny of the world and thus it is fitting during Advent that we pause to reflect on what the arrival of this Son of God means to our future. What it tells me, and I think what Jesus was trying to tell us all, is that the future is now. How we live today and everyday shapes our futures. We are called to live in the now as if the Kingdom of God were fully realized throughout the earth even in the midst of suffering, of the failure of the sun and the moon, and of the stars falling from heaven. Our faith is not to be shaken because we already know the complete and absolute love of God through God’s Son Jesus Christ.

I am one of those cradle Christians so it is really impossible for me to consider a world without Jesus, but it might be a good idea to consider it at this time. To put ourselves in the shoes of the oppressed people Jesus was addressing and still addresses today. We must never, ever take the love of God through Jesus Christ for granted. It is too precious a gift for that to happen.

Prayer: Lord, God of our Future, make us masters of your love so that through us all can experience such a precious gift. Amen.

* http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/apocalyptical
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.

 

Just as We Are

Bread of lifeLiving in the Spirit
November 22, 2014

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” — Matthew 25:34b-40

After working for 35 years in the public welfare sector and being accosted by Christians about the “fact” that those who are needy brought it on themselves and should just get a job, I find it fascinating that Jesus in our scripture today ties no strings to the acts we are called to do and for which we will be judged. There is no requirements to look for a job, no need to present a detailed accounting of all assets, no demand for reparations for crimes committed, no admonitions regarding reaping what those needing health care sowed. Mother Teresa is one of the few people that come to mind who might have even come close to being able to meet the no strings attached requirements. And what about tough love? Aren’t we into tough love now?

This scripture is not so much about the “thems” of the world as it is about us. In all honesty we have probably all experienced some level or some type of hunger or thirst, been a stranger out of place, been exposed in some way or another, been physically or mentally sick, and imprisoned by our own sins, if not by the laws of the land. There seems to be something in human nature that demands our creating a hierarchy of worth among the children that God created and it is important that we are at least above someone on that list. Not so, Jesus says. There is no hierarchy of worth. Every hair on every head and the heads with no hair are valuable in the eyes of God.

We cannot be of any help to anyone we have to place below us in order to maintain our own self-esteem. We have no real self-esteem, if we must rely on the misfortunes of others to be comfortable with our own worth. The day we accept that God loves us for who we are is the day we can love others for who they are and then, and only then, can we fulfill Jesus’ call to help others in whatever way they need that we meet along the way.

Prayer: Heal my soul, O Lord, so that I may be a full partner with you in the work of your Kingdom. Give me eyes to see the needs of others, the heart to care, and the resources to help. 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.

 

Streams of Living Water

ocean of loveLiving in the Spirit
October 22, 2014

Scripture Reading: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

Turn, O Lord! How long?
   Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
   and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
   and prosper for us the work of our hands—
   O prosper the work of our hands! — Psalm 90:13-17

This scripture is introduced by the heading, A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. I could certainly understand Moses praying: Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Of course, we should remember that Moses grew up in the lap of luxury—the House of Pharaoh. We do not know exactly when he learned he was a Hebrew. Perhaps he remembered from the time his biological mother weaned him. Perhaps he discovered it by accident as a young man. When he came upon an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves, Moses killed the Egyptian and then ran for his life. I am sure as he fled he had many more questions than answers with all that history ruminating in the back of his mind. He spent several years in the employee of the man who became his father-in-law. Until one day he saw a burning bush as sacred ground, took of his shoes, and approached it. He made the conscious decision to turn his life over to God.

As the prayer continues we see that finding God does not equal an escape from all of life’s woes into some type of never, never land. It equates to a lot of hard work and in Moses’ case dangerous work. Finding and following God means that we have signed on to be the workforce that is building God’s kingdom here on earth right now. Based on the laws that Moses later receives at Mount Sinai the tools we have to work with involve loving God and letting God’s love channel through us to all of God’s children until eventually opening ourselves to receive God’s love channels back through them.

Prayer: God of rivers flowing to oceans, help us build channels of love throughout the world that merge with the paths of love streaming from all your people until the whole earth is abundantly awash in 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.

 

Advocacy

I care for Kids and I voteLiving in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
October 19, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:15-22

 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. — Matthew 22:17-22

 Today marks the end of our 40 day emphasis on the needs of children in our world today. It is fitting that the scripture reading relates to an issue of church and state. It seems to me over the past several years actually since the very beginning of the United States of America, we have been trying to figure out how to make church and state work together toward a common goal of justice without infringing on the rights of either. Rather than being the prime concern of both, our children sometimes get caught in the crossfire.

The recent barrage of “my way or the highway” politics has not been helpful. Where have all the public servants gone? Where are the ones who could negotiate a viable compromise between differing ideas? Where are the leaders who consider first the common good of all? These types of leaders must be emboldened by the backing of their electorate. If we truly believe in our representative form of democracy, we must elect people of character and understanding. In that election, we must protect them from the forces of greed and power that constantly strive to overrule them. It seems we the people have given in and given up to those forces of greed and power, because many of us have quit voting. There has been no one elected to a public office in the last several years in Oklahoma that had the majority support of the people. Since the year 2000 there was only one year that a majority of those eligible to vote, actually voted. In 2004, 58.3%* of eligible voters did vote, which means anyone receiving a simple majority of eligible voters would have had to have received nearly all the votes of those who did vote.

Jesus’ way was not to legislate love but to live it. We live our love through our government when we take the time to understand the issues and work diligently to support candidates and issues that reflect our love. A part of living our love is working with others toward the common good, finding the things on which we can agree and implementing them and continuing dialogue on those issues on which we cannot agree. Let it be so.

Oklahoma Fact: In 2012, there were 937,363 children from ages 0-17, all of whom need our continuing prayers.

Prayer: Lord, embolden us to live as you love in the intricate, interdependent world in which we live. Amen

*http://elections.gmu.edu/voter_turnout.htm

**http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/2544-child-population—annual-estimates?loc=38&loct=2#detailed/2/any/false/868,867,133,38,35/214,387,1510,396,138,182,183,646,1511,1509/10934,10935

 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.

 

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Loves MELiving in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 24, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

 We will not hide them from their children;
   we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
   and the wonders that he has done. —78:1-4

I can get so caught up in justice issues that I sometimes forget about wholeness and oneness. I do that to my own peril as a Christian for it is the wholeness we find in God and the oneness we experience as part of the Body of Christ that ultimately leads to justice.

There is nothing that we can do for our children that is more important than to teach them about the love of God through Jesus Christ and to help them experience that love in all aspects of their lives. I have sung Jesus Loves Me as long as I can remember and was probably first introduced to justice issues by singing Jesus, Loves the Little Children, All the Children of the World. I even sang Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam to Shine for Him Each Day.

 The African proverb: It takes a village to raise a child is right. Families are usually the starting point and we must do everything we can to enable strong families. The church also has a vital role. Many first learn how to live in community in churches where we learn how to share and help one another. When those lessons are not learned our whole world suffers.

 Oklahoma Fact: In 2011 36% of Children lived in single-parent families*.

 Prayer: God of our fathers and mothers, strengthen our families, our churches, and our communities so all children know of your love. Amen.

*2013 KIDS Count Profile: Oklahoma. Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, www.oica.org.

 

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.

Weeds or Flowers

Living in the Spirit
July 19, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. — Matthew 13:24-26

When my parents sold the farm and moved to town they first lived in a nice house on a regular street with houses on all sides—too confining for my Dad who had always lived in the country. Driving around the town, he discovered a home for sale that backed up to a creek and included about two acres. It was his escape from being so boxed in; it was also a mess. It apparently was part of an estate that had taken some time to settle and nothing had been done regarding upkeep for several years. It was so overgrown that my parents had someone with a big tractor just mow everything down that could be cut with a mighty mower. What was left was a few scrawny bushes and some tall trees. That was in the late fall, the land laid in that state throughout the winter while my parents worked on the house. In the spring, my mother who loved being in the garden more than any place else on earth, watched as each sprig came forth from the earth. I will never forget that spring when I drove up the drive to see this beautify sweep of daffodils and irises lining the way. They had been there all along it just took a good gardener’s eyes to see them and to clear the clutter that had been choking them out. Oh, and those, scrawny bushes were actually roses that framed the other side of the drive and the tall trees produced native and paper shell pecans.

Our scripture today may be saying that only God can really discern what is a weed. Our job is to make sure that every one of God’s children has the opportunity to know God and to be nourished in God’s love through us. Who knows what looks like a weed to us might be a daffodil or an iris or a rose.

Prayer: Creator of the World and all that is in it, help us to see the potential of each of your children and to work toward helping us all reach our potential in 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.

Rule One: Love God

Living in the Spirit
July 10, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1-11 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death….To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.— Romans 8:1-2, 6-8

I have never once questioned Paul’s sincerity; I have at times wished he could express it in fewer words or perhaps shorter sentences and that the words he used had the same meaning for us today as they did for him. (As a writer, I could probably learn from that advice also.) Flesh for most of us is another word for skin. Indeed skin is the largest major organ in our bodies, but we view it in a more functional way than the word Paul sought to describe the state of people without Christ. “Human nature” might today come closer to describing what Paul meant by “flesh”.

Neither flesh nor human nature is a negative term or phrase but both can get us into trouble at times. We are told today that vitamin D is important for good health, and a really good source of vitamin D is the sun. We also know that too much sun on our skin can result in cancer. Just like our desire for the world’s greatest tan, under the guise of getting vitamin D, may have dire consequences, our human nature can otherwise lead us down paths of self-destruction. The people of God in the first century got so caught up in obeying the letter of those laws they failed miserably at living the spirit of the law, where loving God is the most important rule in their lives. The law had become the god they worshipped. If a little obedience to the law is good for us just think what a lot could do, no matter who it hurt or who it causes us to ignore.

We do that still today. God’s answer to them is the same answer for us.  God sent God’s Son to strengthen our bond with God, to let us know that God will always love us, and to again stress with us that our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the way to an abundant life. Everything else will fall into place when we commit to that level of loving God.

Prayer: O Love that will not let us go, draw from us the love that you planted in us at creation and make it radiate throughout the world to all your children. 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.

Planting Seeds of Love

Living in the Spirit
July 9, 2014 

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:105-112 

Your word is a lamp to my feet
   and a light to my path. — 119:105 

Psalm 119:105 is one of those Bible verses I cannot read without singing it. It is probably one of the first, of what we called memory verses when I was a child, that I learned. Teaching styles have changed over the years but I don’t think using music as a means of teaching has.

My first memory of church was at the one room school house that set on the corner of my grandmother’s farm about three quarters of a mile from the farm where I lived. These buildings dotted the prairie every three miles throughout Oklahoma and much of the land that was opened for homestead settlement. The school had stopped being used as a school when my father was a boy but it was still used as a church each Sunday until it closed when I was in the first grade. A circuit riding minister preached one Sunday a month at our church as he did at three other churches nearby. On the months that had a fifth Sunday all four of these churches came together for a fifth Sunday sing.

The wife of the minister at that church was one of the nicest people I ever knew. She radiated love to all the children, probably the adults too. She is the one who taught me those songs and taught me using flannel board characters about Jesus. She nourished the seeds of God’s love that my parents had planted in my heart and probably, more importantly, planted and nourished the seeds of God’s love in some of my little friends whose parents had not yet introduced them to God. We are all called to do that.

Prayer:  Abba, Teacher, instill in each of us the call to plant and nourish seeds of your love in all the children of the world. 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.