Tag Archives: Honoring God

Taking a Knee

Living in the Spirit
July 26, 2018

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. –Ephesians 3:14-19

I did not ever think I would see the day when taking a knee would be seen as anything but a statement of reverence, respect, and in many instances grief. Taking a knee before the flag of the USA has significance because men and women have courageously given their lives since the flag’s creation in support of the vision of our nation’s founders that we are a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Grief is the appropriate response when we fail to live up to that ideal. In the USA taking a knee as a patriotic practice when it is expressing an individual’s faith is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof*.

The inclusion of the words establishment of religion grew out of the religious persecution that people in other nations were experiencing. They faced dire consequences if they refused to follow the beliefs and practices of the dominant, usually governmentally sanctioned, religion. Immigrating to the New World opened opportunities for free expression of their beliefs. Granted some were as intolerant of other beliefs at the beginning of our nation as their persecutors had been where they came from. The establishment of religion phrase was a compromise that basically said if anyone had freedom of religion all must have it.

We seem to be understanding the phrase backward as we try to legislate our faith through laws. Indeed, there are close relationships between some governmental laws and faith-based rules designed to protect one citizen from another or others. Lying, cheating, stealing, causing bodily harm to another all are found in most faith rules and governmental laws. The distinction in faith-based guidance is that it holds the follower of the faith accountable to a higher authority as stated in the above scripture, [God] may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. If we are following Christ’s way of love, we should not need governmental laws to protect one from another.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, help us live mercy to the extent that justice is automatic. Amen.

*http://constitutingamerica.org/bill-of-rights/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnNvaBRCmARIsAOfZq-3BqcAxCCXv3gmYvhC7fRO2MCuNJSQtkZlck82xGSI0eOZPJdqKe60aArWLEALw_wcB#toggle-id-2

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.

Representing God

names-of-jesus Advent
November 25, 2016

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14

Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. –Romans 13:12b-14

Living honorably, what does it mean? Raised with a good dose of honoring my family’s names by my behavior, I am very aware, on a purely human scale, of what it means to conduct myself knowing that what I do, not only reflects on me but also on all the others who share my name. A picture of my mother and father standing in the doorway of the office where I worked looking every bit like Grant Woods American Gothic* is seared in my mind. They received a letter in the mail from the local bank we both used, which told them I wrote a hot check. Never mind that the account was only in my name and the bank did not bother to notify me even though I was an adult. I knew I had not committed the sin of which I was accused and assured my parents I would take care of it. My trip to the bank resulted in discovering that the bank had deposited my paycheck to a closed account that belonged to someone else. I insisted that the bank call the store where the check had bounced and exonerate my good name. They also understood well by the time I left that they should contact me if they had a problem with my account.

Romans is talking about living honorably as representatives of God. I think it is living in such a way that everything we do reflects God in us. Now that is a tough assignment as we jostle routinely with all those little voices enticing us away from being God’s representative in our hearts and our outward behavior. Honoring God requires us to have a good working knowledge of God. The Lord graciously provided us a living example in Jesus Christ. While we lay claim to being followers of Christ, self-examination may illuminate how close we are to being like Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself as others see me. In so doing, show me how I can better represent you in my relationships with all. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic

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.