Tag Archives: Justice

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Epiphany

February 23, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Reading the daily paper is a fearful experience as is reading social media. Who can we trust to tell us the truth? How do we trust half-truths or carefully extracted words taken out of context? How do we tell a Russian post from the post of a citizen of the USA? Is our world going to be unsustainable in ten years or by 2050? What happens when no one can afford health care as prices spiral upward? What do we do about all the violence on the front page from children being killed in their classrooms to Jewish people being slaughtered in their synagogues?

And yet Jesus tells his disciples, us, not to be afraid. We have been given the truth and the truth will set us free*. What we may not fully understand is we are a part of the answer. We are called to implement Jesus’ plan for a world that was declared good at its creation and will be good for all as we join hands with Christ to make it happen.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to face the truly fearful realities of our world as we world to turn them upside down. Amen.

*John 8:31-32

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.

Light the Darkness

Epiphany

February 21, 2020

Scripture Reading:
2 Peter 1:16-21

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. –2 Peter 1:19-21

For most of us prophets are people identified as prophets-in-hindsight and we do learn from those ancient prophets like Isaiah and Jerimiah. Our scripture today is challenging us to look for the prophets about us and heed their messages, be attentive to [prophetic message] as to a lamp shining in a dark place Some of the lights shining in dark paces for me are:

  • Reverend Doctor William J. Barber, II founder of Repairers of the Breach  see at https://www.breachrepairers.org/ and  champion of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival  see at https://disciples.org/resources/justice/poor-peoples-campaign/
  • Reverend Jim Wallis founder and editor of Sojourners magazine and as the founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian community see at https://sojo.net/magazine/current
  • Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament scholar and theologian who writes extensively on justice issues see information about his works at https://www.walterbrueggemann.com/
  • N. T. Wright, a British New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian and Anglican bishop, whose writing indeed shine light on the Kingdom of God and our place in it. See information about his works at https://ntwrightonline.org/

Whom do you see as a lamp shining in a dark place? Are we each being a lamp shining in a dark place for others?

Prayer: God of Grace, help us to reflect your love and the future you desire for our world in our every day lives. 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.

Ash Wednesday

February 19, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2 or Psalm 99

Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
   and cast their cords from us.’

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 2:1-3, 10-12

We live in an upside-down world. Some call it socialism for the rich where protecting their wealth at all costs is our prime directive. That seems to be the subject of Psalm 2. Greed and power are the gods of some who think their wellbeing is all that matters. Such a worldview sanctified slavery and undergirds illegal immigration today. In the process we are reducing the middle class to the extent that the USA is becoming a country of rich and poor. The same people who disparage the poor for needing food stamps and Medicaid to survive are the ones underpaying them for work rendered.  Most able-bodied people receiving either of these services work, they are not paid a living wage. Food stamps and Medicaid are salary subsidies for large corporations who do not pay enough.

God calls us to righteousness, to justice. All people are God’s children and all of God’s children need the justice of having enough. In the end, God is the judge of our righteousness. In the USA we the people are given the power to support the Common Good, if we are willing to assert our power as citizens.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to champion righteousness. 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.

Accountable to God

Epiphany

February 15, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:21-37

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. –Matthew 5:21-26

This scripture reminds me of the reality that people spend more time and energy criticizing others for their behavior than cleaning up their own lives. People seem to identify as sins actions that they would never think about doing while reaping what they did not sow. I sat in court once awaiting another case and watched a teenager being sentenced to a year in county jail for stealing an empty billfold. While wealthy people who renege on paying for services rendered end up not paying either the debt or facing any consequences for their actions because the defendant cannot afford the court costs to win their case in civil court. Stealing is stealing whether it is called that or not.

While all are accountable to governmental statutes and regulations, we are more accountable to God. Our justifying our actions by whatever means makes us feel better does not make the behavior right or just in the eyes of God. I do not think God has a system of offsetting our unrighteousness by our calling out others for what we deem to be unrighteous. If you in your relationship with God deem something as a sin, something that separate you from God, something that makes you miss the mark in your life, I strongly encourage you to seek God’s support in not doing whatever that behavior or thought is. Regarding others, we are called to love them and walk with them in their journey with God not judge them or punish them.

Prayer: Lord forgive us when we work harder at taking the speck out of another’s eye when we are blinded to our own shortcomings by a log in our own eye*.  Amen.

*See Matthew 7:5

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.

Sharing our Gifts

Epiphany

February 14, 2020

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 3:1-9

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. –1 Corinthians 3:5-9

None of us are perfect; all of us are gifted with abilities to make this world we live in reflect the love that God longs for us to live. None of us can do everything; God created a diversity of people so that all that needs to get done can. No gift is better than any other; the staff who clean operating rooms are as responsible for the success of the surgery as the surgeons. Celebrating the gifts of one another is a good thing as we strive together to create the world God envisioned for God’s children; creating hierarchies of worth is a waste of time and energy as we are all created in the image of God. “to whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48) relates to responsibility not privilege.

We live in a world that tends toward tearing down rather than building up. That is never more present than in an election year were we-the-people must discern the leadership we need to succeed as a country, state, county, or city. We would be wise to take Paul’s admonitions to heart, as we prayerfully consider what kind of government we want and who can best deliver it by maximizing the gifts of all our citizens as we strive to work together for the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, help us to take the time to consider what is the Common Good. Guide us in our discernment of who can best represent us in achieving the Common Good. 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.

Chose Life

Epiphany

February 11, 2020

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. –Deuteronomy 30:19-20

When Europeans began arriving in what was then called the New World, they brought with them their ideas of land ownership. They did not seem to recognize that their New World was steeped in the ancient history of peoples who often referred to themselves in their native tongues as the people. In general, these peoples understood that the land belonged to God who provided it for their use and wellbeing and had no concept of land ownership. They seem to practice recognition of land assignment by tribes where they lived and lands where they hunted. They did not necessarily always agree on those land assignments and much like the history of the Israelites some tribes were friendly with each other and some were not.

In the 21st Century we are returning, some quicker than others, to the reality that the earth was provided by God to everyone and everyone is impacted by how we care for it. Indeed, we now have deeds and borders, and it seems we have always maintained friendships among some groups and not among others only we now call them allies and aliens. The ever growing truth is whether allies or aliens, borders and deeds cannot and will never stop the melting of ice raising ocean waters overtaking coastlines, the progressive heating of temperatures resulting in weather changes and impacting crops, or the presence of smog so thick masks must be worn to enable breathing.

The Deuteronomist who recorded oral history probably around 700 BC give us sage advice that is still very relevant today: Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him.  Learning to live together in love for one another will be the only way we survive.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our clinging to privileged self-centeredness. Help us recognize that all people are dealing with the same challenges regarding our earth and only all people working together can leave our world a place of life for our descendants. 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.

Stereotyping

Epiphany

February 5, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
Praise the Lord!
   Happy are those who fear the Lord,
   who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
   they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
   who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
   they will be remembered for ever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
   their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
   their righteousness endures forever;
   their horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked see it and are angry;
   they gnash their teeth and melt away;
   the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

I must confess I have a visceral reaction when I read scripture that relates God to wealth. As in the above scripture, wealth is included in a long list of things like being generous and righteous, gracious and merciful, all of which I consider to be good things. I cannot explain my reaction except perhaps to connect it to dealing with people who where trying to do everything as right as they could working hard to support their families, and being stereotyped by many as lazy, no good, welfare cheats.

I once volunteered for a child abuse and neglect hotline designed to give parents an outlet to get help with a goal of preventing neglect and abuse. One young mother of two small children who had been deserted by their father, moved to the city from a rural town, got some training, got a good entry level job, got her first paycheck, and for the first time in her life paid her rent with money she had earned, bought groceries, and essentially had nothing left. When her kids begged her to take them to McDonalds because she had all that money now, she totally lost it. Thank God there was a pay phone across the street from her apartment where she could call and still see that her kids were safe. Thank God she did have enough money to place the call because she could not afford a phone. I could hardly understand her she was sobbing so hard as her story poured out in great waves. Once she was spent, I asked her, “Do you realize what you have accomplished in such a short time?” I thought I had blown it because she was silent for so long. She finally said, “No, I had not seen it that way.”  We talked for some time longer and my prayer after she hung up to return to her apartment was that she would build on her strengths as she sought just enough for her little family.

When I read riches and wealth in the scripture above, I stopped to look up the Hebrew root of those words. Riches is apparently the root for riches that did not help a lot. Wealth*, however, is related to having enough, sufficiency. Isn’t that what God wants for all God’s children. Isn’t that part of our calling to be merciful and do justice so all can have enough.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for stereotyping people when we have no idea what their lives are like. Help us to be light in darkness as we strive to assure that all have enough. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1952.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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Screwtape Letters

Epiphany

February 4, 2020

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9

Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. –Isaiah 58:6-9

I thought this morning I need to reread The Screwtape Letters the story of a master devil training an intern. It has been several years since I read it. I did see it in play form at a theater a few years ago. The part that came to my mind this morning was the part where the master devil tells his intern not to worry about those folks who are observing their religious practices as that should keep them busy. What he did not want to happen is those same folks living their faith doing the things God required of them.

The Israelites never stop their religious practices all the way to exile. They lost their focus on what it meant to be a child of God, a participant in the covenant with God. They got more wrapped up in the benefits of wealth than either following God’s ways or being a blessing to other nations**. Sound familiar. Recently, I heard a citizen being interviewed about our upcoming election saying that her 401k was doing great and that is all that mattered to her. I guess she has never heard of the stock market crash of 1929 or the 1973 oil crisis or the 1979 energy crisis or the 2007 recession. Reread the above scripture and consider how that kind of mindset fits in God’s plan.

Prayer: God forgive us when we turn to lesser gods of greed and classism. Help us find our true vocation in sharing your love. Amen.

*It is actually online now at http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/arts/lit/PDFs/ScrewtapeLetters_CSL.pdf

**See Genesis 22:18

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.

Being a Blessing

Epiphany

February 2, 2020

Scripture Reading
Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The word translated blessed in the above scripture means when God extends His benefits*.  Jesus creates a laundry list of actions states of being about which God intervenes with God’s benefits. Is Jesus providing us with guidance on how we might provide our benefits to others? He uses examples of a broad array of people and the situations in which they my find themselves. Most are rather serious, and many are situation that are uncomfortable for us or even boring. Is our natural inclination to believe that, for example, the wealthy or attractive or talented are the blessed? That those are the ones with whom we want to interface and be like.

The funny thing is that most of us have experience each of these situations in our lives. Jesus, I think, is saying loving one another includes both the good times and the bad. We must learn and practice empathy rather than envy. We must do justice rather than turn a blind eye to injustice.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to love deeply and be blessings to all around us. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/3107.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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Experiencing Privilege

Epiphany

January 31, 2020

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ –1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Why do we long for privilege and then become blind to it becoming a prominent part of our being? I hope I was qualified for the first job I got as a teenager and that I exemplified that quality in my work. I am sure I got the job because the owner of the nursing home where I worked was a friend of my mother. I was in high school and thinking about becoming a nurse, and Mom thought some direct experience might help me make my decision. The nursing home even arranged special work hours for me. I worked 8 to 5 to coincide with Mom’s work schedule so we could ride together while the other aides work either a 7 to 3 or 3 to 11 shift. It worked out well as I could respond to the call lights while shift change occurred, but that was not the reason I had special hours.  I loved being a nurse’s aide, but I also realized I had no desire to be a nurse. Such an experience is not bad; it was good for me, very normal in my middle-class existence. And it was a privilege that few of the women with whom I worked had available.

Most of the other nurse’s aides were women in their fifties or sixties with limited education. In general, they had raised children, were grandmothers, had never worked outside their homes before, and were either widows or caring for a disabled husband while being the sole breadwinner in the home. They were living on the same salary I was making, with which I was saving for college and buying clothing. While this experience changed my vocational choice, it opened my eyes to the inequities in our world. It allowed me just a smidgen of the knowledge of privilege.

Prayer:
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee,
Ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine*! Amen

*First verse and chorus of Open My Eyes by Clara H. Scott see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/807

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.