Tag Archives: Living our Love

Hearing the Spirit’s Message

Living in the Spirit

June 12, 2022

Scripture Reading:

John 16:12-15

‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Spirit takes what is Christ’s and declares it to us. How do we receive what is declared? How deep are the filters we have developed that strain or even stop the flow of love and truth sent to us by Christ through the Spirit? Recently, we experienced torrential rains for several days in a row saturating the earth and filling all the drainage gutters. I watch one young man on TV using a metal pole to push the litter blocking the drainage gutters to stop flooding. We need to commune with God to help clear our hearts and minds of the cultural filters that clutter our receiving the Spirit’s message. How do we discern truth in a world plagued by distractions trying to keep us from dealing with the things God needs us to do? If God is love and if the most important commandments are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, then any messages with which we are being bombarded must be measured for worth by passing the test of love.

Prayer: Lord, clear our filters so that we may follow you more nearly. 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.

Living our Love

Eastertide

May 15, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 13:31-35

When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

I fear people who identify as Christian in our world today are not always recognized for their love.  Whether we like it or not some link the people who openly identify as Christian with privilege, exclusion, bigotry, and nationalism. All are not welcome at their table even though they may identify that table as the Lord’s. Heartbreaking posts have appeared on social media reporting that people have been asked to leave a church because they do not support specific government officials or candidates.  Refusing to wear masks and otherwise follow common sense health protection, protects not only the individual but also is an act of loving one’s neighbor. Most of the outrage issues that frequent our media are designed to divide and conquer us so that we do not notice when we are being assaulted by greed and lust for power.  Most of those outrage issues have simple solutions which we choose to ignore.

We are no different than our ancestors in faith who tried to create God in the image they desired and learned the hard way that God meant it when he commanded us to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The Lord allowed God’s followers to suffer the consequences of missing God’s mark set for us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we stubbornly ignore your commands regarding living your love to our own downfall. Lead us to love. 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.

Provoked to Love

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 10:16-25

 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them
   after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
   and I will write them on their minds,’
he also adds,
‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Our world is being pelted by divisiveness designed to divide and conquer. It works by distracting us from issues that really matter by focusing on highly emotional, judgmentally driven subjects. Abortion is probably the leading issue and the longest-lasting one. Please note that while law after law has been written to criminalize abortion few attempts have ever been enacted to establish programs to prevent unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. A few years ago, Colorado reduced its abortion rate by 40% in one year by simply making birth control available to anyone who wanted it at no cost. Abortion is closely related to poverty. Immigration is another divisive and distracting issue. The USA has needed to revamp its immigration policies for years, but it never happened. Why? Because there are a lot of people making money off the backs of undocumented aliens who do not have to be paid the minimum wage or receive mandatory benefits. That does not only hurt the migrants, it also takes jobs away from citizens for whom minimum wage and benefits are required. There are jobs in the USA for which there are not enough workers that migrants could fill but they should be paid appropriately.

These examples cross my mind when I read the phrase quoted above that says, let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. How do we turn around a society driven by greed? Rather than provoking people to anger and violence on issues that divide us, we need to provoke people to love and do good deeds, drawing all God’s children together in support of one another.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are distracted from caring for the needs of all people with love.  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.

Entering the House of Wisdom

Living in the Spirit

August 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
   she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
   she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
   from the highest places in the town,
‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
   To those without sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
   and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
   and walk in the way of insight.’

I love poetry, and when I hear or read a poem I like, I wonder why I do not take the time to read more poetry. The scripture printed above is one such writing. Entering the house of Wisdom is much needed in our world today. Seven denotes perfection in the Hebrew context. The seventh day of Sabbath brought to fullness the creation of the world and all that was in it; the six days’ work culminated by rest and renewal. We are all called to enter the house of Wisdom and feed upon its bounty coupled with understanding and knowledge. There are times when we are all simple, without sense, and immature. Recently I jokingly said I would need to find a three-year-old to help me complete a transaction on my phone. The people around me laughed. One said her two-year-old grandchild has learned how to call her for a screen chat. Wisdom is for every age and person.

The problem with a fast-moving world of information is learning how to use it wisely, including not being led astray by people trying to make money or otherwise scam people or political opportunists. Sorting out what is valid and valuable requires our entering the house of Wisdom in search of the Word of God to guide us through the tangled webs of the world in which we live.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the stalwartness to seek your Wisdom and to follow it. 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.

Letting Our Lights Shine Together

Advent

December 12, 2020

Scripture Reading: John 1:6-8, 19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. –John 6:6-8

All Christ-followers are called to testify to the light of Christ, yet we cannot have civil discourse one with the other. How are we supposed to share the light of Christ with those who do not know him when we cannot even talk to each other? Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I heard experts’ advice to help family relationships by discussing politics or religion over dinner. Any more, it is hard to differentiate politics from religion.

Such discord is not new. Poor Paul had to deal with differences of opinion about how to serve God from Jerusalem to Rome.  Around 50 CE, hubbub arose among Christ-followers, most of whom were also Jews, regarding whether gentiles needed to follow all the Jewish rituals before being recognized as Christ-followers. A meeting* was held in Jerusalem where the issue was debated, and eventually, the decision was made that gentiles did not have to be circumcised to become Christians.

So, what is really going on here? Children seem to need to be affirmed by their parents for their uniqueness and how they rank among the other children. Parents must reinforce how unique each child is while assuring all the children that they are equally loved. As adults, we do not seem to totally outgrow the need for such affirmation among others and God. We miss the mark when we supplant our judgment of our worthiness for Jesus’s review. Jesus clearly indicates that he views our worth by how we love and treat one another.

Prayer: God of Love, help us find ways to communicate with others so that your light shines forth from all who love you together. Amen.

*See Acts of the Apostles 15.1-41

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’s Justice

Advent

LOVE – Living Our Values Everyday, acronym business concept

December 4, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. –Psalm 72:1-4

I love this prayer attributed to Solomon asking God to gift the national king, Solomon, God’s justice. Solomon is noted for his judgment, but not necessarily good sense in seeing beyond his rulership and the future of Israel. If God’s justice is doing the right thing, how do we discern what is right in the eyes of God? This Psalm goes on to illustrate righteousness as taking care of the poor and providing prosperity for the people. It speaks of crushing the oppressor supposedly those who are taking advantage of the poor.

Mahatma Ghandi said “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”* He also said “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”** Sometimes it is helpful to see ourselves as persons from other faiths see us, particularly when we say one thing and do another.

I wonder what would have become of Israel following Solomon’s death if his sons and followers had taken to heart doing God’s justice for the people as their highest calling. It was not. Israel was split eventually being overthrown and its people exiled.

Advent is a good time to consider what is right, what is just in the eyes of God. Do our actions reflect the Word of God Christ Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, help us to see ourselves as others see us. Help us to live our love not just state it. Amen.

*http://blogs.law.unc.edu/probono/2012/03/07/it-was-mahatma-ghandi-who-said-a-nations-greatness-is-measured-by-how-it-treats-its-weakest-members/

**https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/22155-i-like-your-christ-i-do-not-like-your-christians

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.

Living our Love

Eastertide
April 8, 2018

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ –John 20:24-29

I would have wanted to see Jesus alive too. I would have deeply regretted not being there when he appeared. And I rejoice that Thomas had the opportunity to touch Jesus’ hands and side. I rejoice even more that the disciples told their stories emphatically enough that 2000+ years later I had the opportunity to know this person Jesus and learned to love him without seeing his hands or touching his side. As disciples of Christ, we are all called to share that message throughout the world.

Legend has it that Thomas took his message of Christ to the people of India and was very successful. Sharing the message of Jesus is tricky in today’s cynical society. I was listening to a video report from an advocacy coalition this week. The first two speakers represented faith-based groups. Both spoke shortly and eloquently about the need to improve public education in Okla. One of those running commentary post popped up on my screen while they spoke asking why faith-related people should open the presentation.  My impression was the author of the popup had had one too many dealings with representatives of faith-based groups whose ideas were alien to the author. A lot of faith-based ideas put forth are alien to me.  A quick review of Acts and the letters in the New Testament indicate that problem existed from the beginning.

Two thoughts strike me as I consider this conundrum. First, our actions speak louder than our words. People judge us by our love. Our words mean more if we live them in every aspect of our lives. Second, we are called to do justice and have a responsibility to tell our stories of God’s love whenever possible. We do not need to get into verbal duels or toss scriptures at one another, but it is important that we share our stories just as the first disciples including Paul and Silas and others did even as others were providing a differing viewpoint.

Prayer: Lord, help us represent you well to the people we encounter. 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.