Tag Archives: Kingdom of God

Anchored to God

Eastertide

May 3, 2019

Scripture Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
for ever and ever!’
And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.

So, how do we see through the darkness that clouds our view and identify that which is of God and that which is not? Perhaps we all should memorize 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, where Paul spells out measures of love:

 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

I like the definition of love as wanting God’s best for myself and all others. I think that is what is meant by loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. We do not define the plumb line that measures what that best is; God does, which means to love like God we must commit to a lifetime of knowing God more fully.

Jesus is not a political button or T-shirt slogan to further human causes. Jesus Christ is the plumb line for measuring God’s love and furthering the development of the Kingdom of God on earth. Revelation tells us that we need to recognize and follow the power leading that revolution.

In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!*

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when my love is tainted by the ways of lesser gods. Help my anchor to hold tightly to you. Amen.

*First verse and chorus of In Times Like These lyrics and music by Ruth Caye Jones see at https://namethathymn.com/christian-hymns/in-times-like-these-lyrics.html

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.

Idolatry Today

Lent
April 10, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! –Psalm 118:21-25

We followers of Christ read Psalms like the one quoted above an instantly see Jesus in the role of chief cornerstone. The readers of its day saw it as hope for the one to come who would save them from oppression. Jesus’ life on earth places us in a new but similar realm of hope. I find myself longing for the Kingdom of God ruled by love every time I listen to news reports of hate, violence, oppression, or lust for power no matter who it may hurt. During Lent we must wonder though if such a Kingdom is what we really want, or do we desire the ways of the world with just a pinch of Christ to save us from getting too close to falling off the edge of such idolatry.

The Hebrew Bible delves deeply into the distractions of idolatry. We of the modern era can tsk, tsk at our primitive ancestors in faith for their worship of graven images carved in stone or gold or other metal. We forget that idols advance with progress perhaps even faster than our ways of serving God. It is my observation that churches discover the latest and greatest ways of attracting new members borrowed from the world about the same time they lose sway in the culture.

Followers of Christ are called to not be of the world but in the world sharing the good news of a God of love who probably does not have a problem with the music we play or the audio-visual tools we use but does not see them as our primary focus. God cares about how we love God and love one another and how we work together as the Body of Christ in the world today charged with the responsibility of bringing about God’s kingdom on this earth.

Prayer: God who is Love bring us to such an awareness of the wonders of your love that we are driven to work toward its dominance in the world in everything we do. 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.

Renew the Church

Lent
March 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: Joshua 5:9-12

he Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.’ And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. –Joshua 5:9

The story before this verse is straightforward. God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians but once in the desert they stopped following the ways of God as illustrated in circumcision. All the males who fled Egypt were circumcised but the practice was discontinued in the desert. Two generations passed, 40 years, before they were ready to enter the promised land. All the people who fled Egypt were dead and all the males left were uncircumcised.  Thus, when God opened the River Jordan for the Israelites to pass into the promised land Joshua reinstated the covenantal act of circumcised re-establishing their relationship with God.

I must confess I am guilty of changing my daily routines when I travel. Doing yoga every day is essential for my arthritic body to move well but I never seem to find time to do it on the road. I  apparently think sugary foods that I would never eat at home are necessary on a trip. I also act differently when my electricity is off for some reason. There is not much one could do without electricity. I have never taken a 40-year trip, nor have I experienced loss of electricity for more than a week. It appears though that the Israelites adapted to a permanent state of disruption throughout their journey until one or two generations had passed away. The interesting thing to me is not that they drifted away from who they were meant to be. Some apparently kept the faith, held on to the knowledge of God until the time was ripe for the whole people to reconnect with God.

Throughout the history of God, a small fragment of people of faith have carried forward the ways of God. God loves us and wants us to be one in a kingdom ruled by love. God is dedicated to making that so. We should be too.

Prayer:
Renew your church, our ministries restore:
both to serve and adore.
Make us again as salt throughout the land,
and as light from a stand.
‘Mid somber shadows of the night,
where greed and hatreds spread their blight,
O send us forth with power endued,
help us, Lord, be renewed*. [Amen]

*First verse of Renew the Church by Kenneth Lorne Cober see at https://hymnary.org/text/renew_thy_church_her_ministries_restore

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.

Catching Nothing

Jesus’ Ministry
February 9, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. –Luke 5:1-7

I spend a lot of time catching nothing. Much of my retirement efforts, as was much of my work-related efforts, are devoted to seeking justice. The work is often met with skepticism and reluctance. I realized some time ago that I see the world differently than most people. I blame that on my mother whom I dubbed the words first true egalitarian. She was very practical and hard-working and strong in her faith commitment to serving those in need. I guess I must credit my father with seeing the bigger picture perhaps even his grandmother. I never met her, but he described her as being a visionary. I wish I had known her. She led a hard life and still could dream of better things to come.

Peter and his fellow fishermen had no doubt worked all night and caught nothing. Yet he was able to put his skepticism and reluctance aside and follow in faith this man called Jesus and eventually to devote his entire being to bring about Jesus’ vision for the world.  We too are called to step out in faith even when we sense we are catching nothing. We have no idea what God can create from what we perceive as nothing.

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
when Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is he:
his eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me;
his eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me*.

Prayer: Lord, when we are discouraged help us feel your presence. Help us understand that you created the Earth out of chaos and can make a kingdom of love out of our best effort for which we do not see results. Amen.

*First verse of His Eye is on the Sparrow by   Civilla D. Martin, see at https://hymnary.org/text/why_should_i_feel_discouraged

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.

Build and Plant

Jesus’ Ministry
January 29, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’ –Jeremiah 1:9-10

My parents sold the farm and moved to town as they realize my Dad’s health was limiting his ability to work. They bought a nice small house in a residential area where houses were probably ten to fifteen feet apart. My Dad had never lived in such close quarters and was very uncomfortable with city living. He scouted around and found a place at the edge of town with a creek flowing across the road at the back of the house. It was on maybe a couple of acres of land. He bought it immediately. The only problem was it had not been lived in for years, was in horrible shape, and looked like a forest of weeds. They worked on it for a few months making it livable before they sold their other house and moved. If I remember correctly to start afresh, Dad mowed or cut down everything on the place except the trees. My mother, an avid gardener, knew every plant and how to care for them. She walked the mowed ground and discover various flowers and flowering bushes. Three of the trees were pecan trees. With the weeds removed the grass began to flourish. I will never forget my surprise when I drove up to visit them and seeing as I turn onto the long drive daffodils and irises lining the curve up to the garage. The beauty of the good earth was always there. It just was waiting for someone to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

As followers of Christ we are a part of a group called to do the same work to our nations and kingdoms. Find and nourish the good and beautiful, clean out whatever is holding it back, and create a world ruled by love rather than hate or fear or greed. What looks impossible to many is fertile land to others when their eyes have been opened by the hand of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the potential for good in our world and to work toward bringing it to fruition. 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.

Sing an Old Song

Jesus’ Ministry
January 16, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 36:5-10

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
   All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
   and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
   in your light we see light.  –Psalm 36:7-9

I loved to sing the song Under His Wings* when I was a child; I guess I needed its message. It is no longer in our hymn books. I do not see any theological problems with it. Perhaps the use of male pronouns for God is problematic but that could be altered.  Maybe the tune is too hokey for the modern generations. When I searched for the words of the song, I found another by the title Your Wings by Lauren Daigle that was written recently and carries the same sentiment. I hope it is appealing because the message is ageless and very necessary in times like these when hate and divisiveness are tearing us apart in support of lust for power and ultimately greed.

I have read that chaos reigned during Andrew Jackson’s presidency and spilled over into Civil War in the 1860’s. I lived through the protests of the 1960’s. Government discord and corruption are not new; they brought down the mighty nations of Israel and Rome. Knowing that we have God’s love protecting us does not mean we hide from the evil that besets us. It provides the shelter we need to empower us to work even harder for the realization of the Kingdom of God in our world today.

There is another song I regret has been removed from hymn books, God is Working His Purpose Out**.  It was most likely removed because the music is slow and methodical and gets old after one verse much less five. The music fits the theme. We live in a world with a need for instant gratification and have loss the faith and trust in God’s good time. I am a basketball fan. A most often heard comment by Rookies is that they are being more consistent because the game has slowed down for them. Perhaps it is not that God’s time is slow, its that we have not acclimated to it.

Under His wings I am safely abiding;
  Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me;
  He has redeemed me, and I am His child. 

Under His wings, under His wings,
  Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
    Safely abide forever.*

Prayer: Lord, grant us the critical patience we need to further your work of love efficiently and effectively in whatever chaos we may find ourselves. Amen.

*First verse and chorus of Under His Wings by William Orcutt Cushing https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/565
**See at https://hymnary.org/text/god_is_working_his_purpose_out

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.

God Created Potential in All

Advent
December 18, 2018

Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O B,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
   from ancient days. –Micah 5:2

I found myself laughing recently when the sports news reporters seemed amazed that a young star had come from a small town. I do not remember who they were talking about. I grew up on a farm that was associated with the post office in a small town that had a population of 201 in the 2000 census. In our scripture today, Micah may be suggesting that good things can come from small, insignificant places. In sports, the athletics who get their names in the paper, play in games that are broadcast on TV, may have a better chance of being seen by a recruit. A player from my home town would have to exceptional to attract a recruiter. There are, however, some coaches who regularly search and find those special kids, give them a scholarship, and then eventually watch them shine in the NFL or NBA.

The prophets of the Hebrew Bible encouraged its readers to think out of the box. Nathan did it when he took it a step further. Jesus preached that all God’s children are called to serve in unique and important roles in the development of the Kingdom of God. We as followers of Christ are not only challenged to do our part but to facilitate all to fulfill their potential. One may be the teacher that sparks the imagination of a child who discovers the ways to save our planet from global warming. Another might feed the child in Yemen now starving who will teach his community how to become self-sustaining, if he lives to adulthood. And one may love an orphan who becomes the leader bringing world peace because she learned the love of God at an early age.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand that our fulfilling our potential works to help others fulfill theirs. 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.

stice

Advent
December 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:68-79

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
   by the forgiveness of their sins. –Luke 1:77-78

Zechariah, a Jewish priest, and his wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child apparently when they had given up on having children. This child, Jesus’ cousin, was to become a prophet, adopting a rather wild countenance as he proclaimed the coming of a Savior. The childhood story of these two cousins born six months apart was not shared with us. We know they lived in dangerous times. Jesus came from a very small-town, Nazareth, which was located about four miles from Sepphoris, a Roman city of some size and power thought to be the birthplace of Mary, Jesus’ mother. In 4 BCE Herod the Great died sparking thoughts among some Jews of overthrowing Roman rule. A rebel named Judas tired to take over Sepphoris setting in motion major turmoil.   Scholars estimate that this is about the same time Jesus was born. Roman legions were sent to return order and control through violence.

We are all shaped by the events that surrounded us when we were born and as we developed. I was a post-World War II baby and remember sitting on my Uncle Harvey’s lap and counting the black odd shaped patches on his arms which were abundant and were shrapnel. He was gravely injured in the war. John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Jesus most likely had front row seats to the injustices of the occupation. No doubt the people of Galilee at that time recalled the prophecies made following the exile of the coming of one to save them from tyranny and longed for his arrival.

I can envision Zechariah holding his tiny newborn son and imagining him fulfilling his part in preparing the way for this savior to occur, a bold calling for such a helpless baby made possible only through the power of the Almighty God. Two thousand years later, we, too, are called to prepare the way for the saving power of God’s love through Jesus Christ and we are also helpless but lean on the mighty power of God.

Prayer:  God of Might, God of Love, instill in us the strength of your love as we remind ourselves this Advent season of why we are here an what we are called to do. 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.

Attaining Desired Outcomes

Advent
December 3, 2018

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? Malachi 3:1-2a

The hindsight of the New Testament identifies this messenger as John the Baptist and the Lord as Jesus. For most of us steeped in the stories of Jesus, it is hard to read this without such an understanding. I think that is one of the paradoxical traits of the Bible and it is good for us to struggle with what the scripture meant to the first who heard it and how that differs from what it means to us today.

What I understand from this reading, is that God’s system of our interrelationship with God from the beginning included accountability. Having coordinated planning for a large multipurpose state agency for many years, I spent much of my time awash in tracking the results of our work. That comes as a surprise to many who do not hold government in high esteem as being productive. Truth is we worked very hard at setting goals and trying to attain them.

Systems theory says that processes must be well coordinated with desired outcomes and they must be evenly weighted. It is possible to do processes very well and, if they are not designed to attain the goal, they are worthless. Likewise, we may have great goals, but we do not design and implement the right processes to attain the desired outcomes. Thus, if the desired outcome is loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves and the only processes, we are doing to reach that goal are for an exclusive group of people to complete exacting rituals perfectly that have no relationship to God or our neighbors we will not attain our desired outcome.

Malachi is indicated that our processes and our desired outcomes are out of synch, but help is on the way as one is coming who can correct our course and set us on the right path.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter the season of Advent, guide us to see the eternal nature of your ways and refocus on your desired outcomes and the right processes to attain them. 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.

Sprouting Love

Advent
December 1, 2018

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25-36

Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. –Luke 21:29-33

The coming of the Son of Man, the one to shepherd people into God’s world vision is the subject of this parable. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection ushered in a new phase of the development of the Kingdom of God. In it, all Christ’s followers are called to serve as conduits to the realization of that Kingdom. What are the sprouting leaves we are nurturing toward that goal? Are we seeing progress some 2,000 years later? The overwhelming evil in the world can sometimes make us lose heart and miss the sprouts of love springing up in small ways and in great.

My church just welcomed its first refugee family. It is hard to imagine such a life-changing experience. Hard to leave everything one has ever known behind.  Working with this family truly offers our members the opportunity to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. While we are trying to comprehend the magnitude of need in the world, we make a small difference addressed one family at a time.

Faith friends of mind from the UCC church just returned from a pilgrimage to the Mexican border to witness the situation there and directly to love like Jesus loves. The stories they brought back with them will encourage others to get involved.

Years ago, an experienced justice advocate told me it takes about ten years to change laws. I though she was overstating reality. She was not. Dedicated, knowledgeable people working hard for several years began to update our states criminal justice system and bit by bit it has improved. There is great hope that even more progress will be made this legislative session. Christ calls us to care about the prisoner. Implementing restorative justice is a good start.

Isaiah described a world where wolves and lambs, calves and lions, lie down together in harmony and a little child leads them. (Isaiah 11:6) They are not little children, but I am impressed with what groups of dedicated youth have done working toward ending the scourge of violence in our land.

One of my favorite scriptures is John 16:33, I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’ We need to remember often who we follow.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to grow your Kingdom in both small and great ways. 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.