Tag Archives: God’s will

Joy in Justice

Christmas
January 2, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
   let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
   to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity. –Psalm 98:7-9

My sister is a good seamstress and enjoys creating clothing. She inherited that gene from my mother, I am sure. Although females in my family had to learn the basics of sewing, I did not get that gene nor was I particularly good at sewing. I am pretty good at hemming pant legs, a skill made necessary from being shorter than the average American woman. My sister had the misfortune of being in the same age group as several girls whose mothers were active in the Home Demonstration Club from which most judges for 4-H clothing projects were drawn. I do not think any in my class had mothers from the Club.

Keep in mind this is the remembrance of a younger sister who did inherit her mother’s strong sense of justice. My sister would make her garment according to the rules, all by herself, and the results were always beautiful. I struggled to make the required garment, with my mother-judge looking over my shoulder requiring me to take seams out that were less than perfect and try, try again. I did do all the work, and my garments complied with all the rules. We would go to contest and my sister would never place in the top winners and I almost always would. For that reason, I quit 4-H in the eighth grade, yet my sister stayed in through high school. She apparently did not care as much about winning as she did about the joy of creating something good. Driving home from contests, my mother and sister had to listen to me gripe about my sister not winning while I was feeling guilty for winning. I made the right decision to get on the right path for me related to this small venture as did my sister.

I do not have a clue how God’s judgment is actualized; I do know it is just. I also now know that seeking God’s will for our lives, doing the very best we can to fulfill it, and finding life’s joys in our journey with God is what really matters regardless of the unequal justice we may experience in the world.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, guide us in doing your will and let your justice be our source of joy. 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.

Pass it On

Living in the Spirit
August 3, 2017

Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-5
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

 It is hard to watch someone self-destruct, particularly when that person is someone for whom you care deeply. In the case of Paul, his concern was for a whole people, his whole people who failed to see what he found in Jesus Christ. He was willing to give his own salvation if they would accept Christ as their Messiah. While some did, many did not, and he turned his attention to the Gentile world.

Jesus instructed his disciples to shake the dust off their feet and walk away if people did not welcome the disciples he sent forth to tell his good news*. He also told a parable about planting seeds and how some fall on fertile ground and grow while others do not**. Perhaps the timing is everything as he also told a story about a Prodigal Son who ran away but found his way back home***.

Our example may be our best effort at showing the way to God. Consistently loving God and loving like Jesus in a broken world is the greatest story ever shared. Faith in God is trusting in our partnership with Christ. Letting God be God while we do our part in sharing God’s love.

It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You spread His love to ev’ryone
You want to pass it on****

Prayer: Empower and encourage us, O God, to do what you have called us to do and strengthen our faith to trust you fully as you roll out your Kingdom of Love. Amen.

*See Matthew 10:14
**See parable of the sower Matthew 13
***See parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15
****First verse of Pass it On by Kurt Kaiser see at http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/pass-it-on

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.

A Logic Test

King DavidJesus riding a donkeyLiving in the Spirit
June 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2

I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
    today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
   with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry,
and you will perish in the way;
   for his wrath is quickly kindled. 

  Happy are all who take refuge in him. –Psalm 2:7-12

The words you are my son from this Psalm celebrating the anointing of David is picked up by the three gospels reporting Jesus’ baptism with the words in you I am well pleased.* The tie that binds David and Jesus is strong. The Psalm goes on to promise power and wealth at the hands of violence to the new king. The Psalmist warns though the new king to maintain his connection with God throughout his reign as God is the source of the King’s strength. Psalm 2 is attributed to David. While modern students of the Bible question such attributions, it is interesting to consider David’s authorship.

David was a great warrior, leader of the army of Israel. He probably acquainted his military success to his fidelity to God. It is an incomplete logic test. When I am doing God’s will, I succeed. I succeed as a military leader thus doing battle is God’s will. This is an ancient form of faith followed by peoples of many cultures worshiping many gods. How often do we back into our own faith choices in this way? How often does the results of such faith choices result in injustice?

Christ specifically challenged such a logic test. He called us to love. We are doing God’s will when we are loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is the only test we need to run against our actions to determine God’s will.

Prayer: Lord, focus my relationship with you so that your priorities establish my priorities no matter how enticing power and wealth may be. Amen

*Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21 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.

Crossing the Line

Vision questLent
February 21, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. — Mark 1:12-13

The experience described in these two short verses is very much like the Vision Quest practiced by some of the Native tribes of the Americas. I have wondered if Jesus’ experience in the wilderness and the Vision Quest of the Native Americans came from the same ancient source. Young people in search of more definition to their purpose in life pursue the Vision Quest. It is a very serious experience never taken likely, and if entered with a truly searching heart, can be life changing, I understand.

I have no knowledge of Jesus’ days spent in the wilderness being a common practice in the Jewish faith of his day. Fasting certainly was. The story as it is found in Matthew and Luke is extended to include stories of the temptations: enticements for Jesus to use his talents for food, greed, and power. I do think all of us are faced with the temptations of perhaps over indulgence, greed, and power. These temptations can certainly lead us away from our purpose in life.

This wilderness experience seems to have been the point in Jesus’ life when he crossed the line and said nothing in more important for my life than doing God’s will and he did.

Prayer: Lord, I have a tendency to want to compartmentalize you. You get this much of my talent, this much of my money, this much of my time. Help me cross the line and fully understand that no matter how mundane or great anything I am called to be or do is, I need to do it to your glory. From cleaning house to yard work, from earning a living for my family to serving communion at church, show me your will for my life. 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.