Tag Archives: Grace

Quid Pro Quo

quid pro quoLiving in the Spirit
August 28, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 14:1, 7-14

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’ –Luke 14:12-14

We live in a quid pro quo world. You scratch my back I will scratch yours. Apparently, first century Galilee and Judea functioned within the same system. Is it human nature? And then along comes this man who blows quid pro quo away.

Grace, Paul would say, supersedes anything this world can offer. Jesus says he will repay at the resurrection of the righteous. What do you suppose we might get? When the righteous rule justice results.

These two concepts fit very nicely together. Striving for justice is a messy business. Advocates for justice cannot even agree on what justice looks like much less how to attain it. Frustration begets prayer. Prayer welcomes God to the solution table. God’s grace fills the gaps left vacant by our human endeavors. The synergy forged through just attempting to find common ground becomes strength for the next steps.

Jesus radically changes the focus of all our efforts. He forces us to dig deeply into the wellspring of learning to love like he loves because it is the only way that works.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me! 

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs*. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, when I am discouraged help me remember your love is all I need. Amen.

*Chorus and Second Verse of Love Lifted Me Words by James Rowen. See at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/o/v/lovelift.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.

Perseverance

create-a-world-where-peace-is-built-with-justice-and-where-justice-is-guided-by-loveLiving in the Spirit
June 20, 2016

Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. –2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

You will need to read all of 2 Kings 2 to feel the fullness of Elisha’s perseverance as this scene is played over and over again. The book of Hebrews also talks about perseverance: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

How do we love with perseverance? How do we cling to our calling to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves in a world filled with fear and hate? How do we love away hate and fear without alienating the ones we are trying to love? How do we let love cleanse our souls to the extent that there are no enemies just more people for us to love? And how can we chase after our call to love with the same perseverance that Elisha pursued his mentor for the last gift of grace he felt he needed to enable his ministry?

I wonder how the disciples felt as Jesus left them with a call and the gift of grace. We still stand today with the same call and the same gift of grace. Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Love is stronger than hate and fear. God is working God’s purpose out and we are a vital part of God’s work. We are not working alone.

Prayer: Lord, help us to feel your presence in the work we do in your name. Guide us and teach us your will and your way. Amen.

Illustration above from http://www.imagesbuddy.com/images/206/let-us-create-a-world-where-peace-is-built-with-justice-and-where-justice-is-guided-by-love.jpg

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.

Building Character

Throne-of-Grace-Hebrews_-4_16Living in the Spirit
May 20, 2016

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5

…we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
–Romans 5:3b-5

How do we facilitate the building of resilient followers of Christ without creating rigid, fearful Christians wrapped in the stone of salvation-protection that may actually be self-protection? In our scripture today Paul describes that exact process, surely identified through the challenges of life he had faced.

I think, we need to revisit the gift of grace poured out in full measure by God. It is pretty incomprehensible to humans, particularly those of us who are strong adherents to the theory that we must pull ourselves up from our own boot straps. In reality I do not thing there has ever been a human born who has accomplished that. Even Jesus knew the total dependence on loving parents. Yet, there it is, God has covenanted with us to love us not because of what we do and often in spite of what we do.

Some years ago I heard a son interviewed on the evening news after learning that his parents had been killed on a trip apparently by a man to whom they had offered assistance. While the death of his parents was a tremendous loss to him, his reaction was striking, he said something to the effect that his parents lived with the presence of God all the time. They died doing what they thought God would want them to do and he was sure they were at peace with whatever happened.

We are called to live the love of God within the framework of God’s abiding grace and in so doing let God mold us into hope-filled characters working to bring God’s freeing love to every human.

“Lord, we are able.” Our spirits are thine.
Remold them, make us, like thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance above us shall be
a beacon to God, to love, and loyalty.*

Prayer: Lord, we have trouble grasping the enormity of your grace. Let it fill in the gaps until we are whole and able to bring hope to a fragmented world. Amen.

*Chorus from the hymn, Are Ye Able, words by Earl Marlatt see at http://www.hymnary.org/text/are_ye_able_said_the_master

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.

A God of Grace

cropped-my-grace-is-sufficient-wordpress-blog-header-06-04-2013Lent
February 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him….

 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, –Genesis 15:7-12, 17-18

The image of Abram working frantically to keep the birds of prey from eating his burnt offering reminds me of my futile attempts to stop something I deemed to be an offense to God and could not. Abram tried his best to honor God in the way that God had instructed and outside forces threatened to destroy all his work. We do not know what happened, because Abram, being a human, fell asleep. God spoke to Abram in his sleep, in a dream perhaps, telling him that he would have many offspring and that they would eventually become slaves for 400 years and they would escape and prosper in the land that God was giving Abram at that time and place. Did Abram want his descendants to face such oppression? He appears to have no choice. From where did the smoking fire-pot and flaming torch come? Were they also a part of a dream? Is this story a Hebrew taste of God’s grace?

Truth is we cannot predict the outcomes of any of our offspring. We can only give them the best that we have to offer and trust then to God’s loving mercy. God’s grace is sufficient.

Most of my lost efforts relate to justice issues and the impact is still the same. Outside forces seem to win the day despite my best efforts. Where would we be today, if Abram had not opened himself to a relationship with God, if Joseph had not overcome adversity to save his people from famine, if Moses had not led those same people out of slavery into the promise land, if Jesus had not come to show us what justice looks like? These are names we remember well, but God’s work requires the best from all of us.

Prayer: Help us discern the difference between faith and fate. Grow our trust in you to help us be the tools we can be to hasten your dominion over all the earth. 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.

Not What We Want to Hear

Make Crooked StraightEpiphany
January 30, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:21-30

Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” –Luke 4:21-23

Jesus was not sent by God to say what the people wanted to hear, he was not sent to bring fame to his fellow citizens, or take sides in their disagreements. Truth be told, he should not have needed to have been sent at all. Jesus was sent to make the crooked straight (Isaiah 45:2), to clean up the messes that seemed to be beyond the people’s control. We still long for a superhero to come and make everything the way we want it to be today. I think we would be as surprised or disappointed or angry as Jesus’ neighbors were, if he walked in the door right now. Jesus came to change the hearts of God’s people, to restore our souls.

Thank God for the gift of grace Jesus provided, for we still find ourselves unable to walk the walk even with a straight path to follow. We try to bend God’s way to our own conventions. It is time for us to open our hearts, minds, and souls to God and welcome God’s mercy. Until we each and all allow God’s love to rule our lives and our interactions we will continue to spiral downward as a society.

I believe the political fiasco in the USA today is a mirror reflection of the attitudes of the collective American population. We are getting exactly what we want. Until we deal with our own sins of greed and entitlement we will lose ground as a nation. A reading of the Bible book of Amos might be a good Lenten observance. I think it will sound familiar.

Prayer: Lord convict us of our sins, forgive us of our sins, and journey with us as we strive to follow the path you have set before 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Together as One

negativityEpiphany
January 5, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’—Isaiah 43:5-7

Most read Isaiah as promising the regeneration of the nation of Israel. I cannot help but recall the book of Genesis when I read this scripture where Isaiah speaks of everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. God apparently glories in diversity for God surely created it. Why do you suppose it is so hard for us to glory in diversity?

Created as totally unique individuals, it does not take us long to cluster into like kinds: males on one side females on the other; red and yellow, black and white; athletes, scholars; working class, wealthy; conservatives, liberals. Apparently the world is easier to understand when we cluster and then create hierarchies of those clusters although it actually gets more complicated, when individuals from various clusters mix together.

One of the traits that Jesus modeled for all to follow was recognizing the uniqueness in each person with whom his path crossed. O, he knew about clusters. Had apparently learned about some. The syrophoenician woman was originally not on his radar. Lepers may not have been either, at first. He had this amazing skill to look past his predilections and see the image of God in each person. This is a skill we each need to hone, if we long for oneness and justice in our world.

Prayer: God, show us the treasure you planted in each human being and let us treat it as the gift of your grace that it is. 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.

Christ Our Advocate

AdvocateLiving in the Spirit
November 5, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. –Hebrews 9:24-28

A few months after I moved back to Oklahoma City after finishing graduate school in Denver, the heat in my new apartment went out. I called the property manager and reported the outage but nothing was done. This went on for a month so when it came time to pay my rent the next month I informed the property manager I was not paying my rent until he got my heat fixed, and I did not pay it. Now I had looked up the law related to renters and was in compliance with it in my actions. This went on for another month and I did not pay again as he still had not fixed my heat. He sued me in small claims court for the back rent. I panicked and was telling my Sunday school teacher about this mess and he agreed to go to court with me. The judge greeted my Sunday school teacher and looked at him with a question on his face that said, “What are you doing here?” I told the judge I fully intended to pay my rent as soon as my heat was fixed. The judge ordered the property manager to fix my heat as soon as possible and when that was done I was to pay all the rent I owed. He fixed it and I paid my rent.

I knew that my Sunday school teacher was an attorney. I also knew him to be a man of high integrity and a dedicated Christian. What I didn’t know was that he was one of most highly respected attorney’s in the state who was way out of place in small claims court.

Hebrews is telling us in our scripture today that when we have Christ standing by our side we have the best representation possible. There is no greater advocate. What a wonderful gift of grace.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your presence with us each moment of each day. Restore to [us] the joy of your salvation, and sustain in [us] a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12) 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.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1Living in the Spirit
September 11, 2015

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh. –James 3:10-12

If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.* Could this “Thumperian principle” have been based on a reading of James? You remember, Thumper the little rabbit from the movie Bambi attempting to follow the instructions of his father. Try some time to go through a whole day without saying something negative about something. We move blithely through blessing and cursing every day. We may not perceive what we are doing as blessing or cursing but that in point of fact is the result of our words. James takes this idea even further. He is saying, if we are God’s people, we are as incapable of cursing another as an olive tree is of producing a fig. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

If everyone is made in the image of God, how can anyone be bad? Tough question to consider when we observe bad things happening all around us, isn’t it? We say, “Hate the sin but love the sinner,” but I don’t think it is possible. I do not believe any of us are capable of freeing ourselves from the clutches of sin unless we are loved totally for who we are at any moment in time. Unless we are touched by God’s grace. We are called to emulate Christ who is gracious always.

Freed from the ominous task of judging others, we have the holy opportunity to love each other toward wholeness. None of us has reached perfection. We are all on the same journey toward being one with Christ. The love that is God is more powerful than any evil. Our sharing such love among all of God’s children without regard to any of our behaviors can and will lead to peace and justice.

We also ignore evil’s presence at our own risk. Confronting the evil that is in our society is a part of doing justice. We will, however, never overthrow evil with more evil. Evil can only be defeated by love.

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.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumper_(Bambi)

**Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace by St. Francis of Assisi see at http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=134

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.

Grace in Justice

Rich And PoorLiving in the Spirit
September 3, 2015

Scripture Reading: James 2:1-17

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? –James 2:1-7

There is probably no greater evidence of injustice in the world than in our judicial system within the United States. If you can afford the best attorney, you can most likely win your case or get a lighter sentence. If people cannot afford an attorney, even if they are not guilty they may be encouraged to plead guilty to get a lesser sentence.  If a person has the good fortune of having a family who can afford to pay for psychiatric care at the onset of an illness, he or she will be able to prove he or she was mentally ill before the crime and thus meet the constitutional criteria that says we do not execute the mentally ill. If the person is diagnosed after sentencing he or she will most likely be executed even though evidence of mental illness was present for much of his or her life.

We are called to not see class differences but it is really hard to do in a society that projects more worth on wealth than on personhood. I do not think the problem is so much being gracious to the upper class. The problem is ignoring or even stepping over the poor to cast your lot with the people whose prosperity equals power.

We need to show God’s grace in our lives to everyone. The rich can be as spiritually poor as anyone. The poor in worldly acquisitions may be rich in spiritual gifts. They are all welcomed as part of the Body of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, expand our ability to love to see your reflection in each person we encounter so that we no longer are driven to be concerned about material worth. 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.