Tag Archives: Love like Jesus

Considering God as our Neighbor

Eastertide

May 12, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

I must confess, that tidying my house is not my priority. I understand the need to maintain cleanliness, but putting litter in its place is lower on my list until I get so much paper stacked around me, that I must deal with it. I have tried to practice putting paper in its place after I have reviewed it, but that rarely lasts for long. Breaking down boxes for the recycle bin is even more challenging. I have grown to appreciate all things electronically stored.

So, when I read the ending of Revelation, I consider the idea that God would live among us in the end times and might be our next-door neighbor. Are we as individuals as open to God as we think we are? Would he be on the list of people we would allow in our personhood and see how we really live? What about our society? Is the way we treat one another, all one another’s, the same way we would treat God if God were our next-door neighbor? I think God wants to move into our space of being after we have figured out what the Kingdom of God is all about and done our very best to institute it in our society. I wonder how much litter I need to clean out of my soul. That is the place to start.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we take you for granted. We know you know our thoughts and ways of representing you to the world. Help us to see ourselves as you see us and correct our actions as your disciples in this world today. 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.

Futuring

Lent

April 1, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 3:4b-14

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:12-14

Learn from your mistakes and move on. My mother always said we should not cry over spilled milk, although I remember seeing her cry over breaking one of her mother’s antique bowls. I am reading N. T. Wright’s book, Paul, A Biography. It is very good by the way. Paul was always strongly right until he got spun around to face a different reality on that road to Damascus. He was still Paul, strongly right, having to deal with having been strongly wrong. After this experience, Paul seems to burst out in all the wrong directions until he finally traveled to the mountain to spend time with God. He then returned to his hometown, Tarsus, where he spent several years reconstructing his faith. I am reminded of the title of Marcus Borg’s book, Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally.

As we live into the 21st century we face challenges our ancestors in faith never dreamed of when they recorded their experiences with God. Yet the Word of God is still as vibrant today as it was 2000 years ago. We still need to maintain a close relationship with God and glean the truths of God’s word as it applies to us today. Searching scriptures to find the ways we can love God and love our neighbors as ourselves might be a good place to start.

Prayer: God who is Love, forgive us for our past misunderstandings and help us prepare for the realization of your Kingdom in our world today. 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.

Wicked Distractions

Living in the Spirit

September 15, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 1

Happy are those
   who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
   or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
   and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
   planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
   and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

The wicked are not so,
   but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
   nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked will perish.

I wondered what the word wicked meant in Hebrew, but when I checked, I discovered the word wicked used above was not the original Hebrew in this Scripture. Instead, the Hebrew word for sinner was used*, which means not following the law. The word wicked, to me, carries a connotation of someone who is innately evil and has ulterior motives. I am just glad I did not have to translate anything from an ancient language and time to be applied to our current world.

That said, a couple of things caught my attention. First, I have grown quite weary in recent years of the scoffers who have taken over our media. They pontificate on what they think is wrong but never seem to address the problems in our world. So much of evil’s role is to distract us from the good God calls us to do. We need to look behind these distractions to see what the real purpose is.

The last phrase also struck me: but the way of the wicked will perish. It does not say that the wicked will perish. It says their way will perish. God is working God’s purpose out, and that gives us the hope we need to live in God’s righteousness even when it seems the wicked are winning.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the wisdom to see what is driving the distractions in our world, and show us your ways of righteousness. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2400.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.

No Matter What

Lent

February 28, 2020

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. –2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Jesus never said it would be easy. Paul proves that in the above scripture. What would send a man into the world to share the message of an itinerant preacher, from a working-class family, who probably had only basic training from Sabbath school? Paul was trained at the feet of a leading theologian of the day, Gamaliel.

The second letter of Paul to the Corinthians has the flavor of clearing up misunderstandings from some previous correspondence. Paul was extraordinarily dedicated to sharing his understanding of the truth of Jesus Christ as it impacts the lives of all who hear it even if he has to say, “Let’s try that one more time.” Communication is complicated among people who know each other very well; it grows more complex the more diverse the communicators become. People from different cultures, languages, faiths, ages, skin tones have varying life experiences that frame their viewpoints. Bridging those differences is a challenge and results in an incredible experience of broadening one’s scope of life leading toward that Kingdom ruled by love Paul was introduced to on the road to Damascus. He had met the living Christ who change Paul’s life and drove him to share that marvelous reality with the rest of the world no matter what it took. We are called to that same ministry.

Prayer: God of Love, enable us to share your love to the whole world despite the challenges and help us grown in your love through the experiences. 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.

Preparing to Do Justice

Christmas
December 28, 2018

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. –Colossians 3:12-14

For several months I have been receiving the most vitriolic emails from various political sources of my persuasion usually ending in something threatening great doom at the level of “if you do not send money now the world will come to an end.” I would never send money to any such request. I thought they would end after the election, but I am still getting them. Today I took the time to unsubscribe to ones I received and as my time permits, I will continue to do that. We do not need to hate each other to disagree on ways to address issues we are facing. Compromise is not a four-letter word. Finding common ground for the Common Good is always the best way to deal with problems. I have little expertise on how to address climate change, but I am willing to learn from those with knowledge to support sound decision and I do know that some action is needed. On the other hand, I know more than I wish I did about poverty and our health care system and would love to sit and share my experience and understanding with others. I have found that placing a stubborn problem before fresh eyes can result in unique but effective methods to address the issues.

I am going to adopt the above scripture from Colossians as a daily mantra throughout January as I prepare for justice work in 2019. I welcome any of you who are interested to join me.

Prayer: Help us, O Lord, clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience as we strive to do justice in our world today. 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.

Responding to Negative News

Living in the Spirit
June 1, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. –2 Corinthians 4:5-12

I probably watch too much news. Inherited the trait from my father, I think. He was a farmer and was primarily interested in the weather but morning, noon, evening, and night we tuned in to news reports. The weather reports often defined my dad’s workday. If rain was projected for the next day, he would most likely have worked as late as possible bailing hay and hauling it to dry storage. Now I get pings on my cell phone telling me of a car crash near my home. I wonder what my dad would think about that. I am not particularly interested in car crashes; I do want to know if there is a tornado headed my way.

Hearing the news often leaves me afflicted in every way. At times I admit to being crushed; perplexed and even driven to despair as I hear of divisiveness, politicians who seem clueless to reality and unwilling to address desperate situations, and random killings in schools and restaurants. I just completed reading Ken Follett’s book The Pillars of the Earth and noticed that people in the 12th century CE were not too different from people today. I had already discovered that we very much resemble the people described by the prophet Amos from around 800 BCE.

Perhaps rather than being numbed by the news resulting in a state of chronic depression we should take my father’s example and use the threatening news as a springboard to positive work toward a better world. This is not a time to be timid. It is a time to share Christ’s message in word and in deed. It is the time to advocate for positive change in providing for the Common God. It is a time to counter divisiveness with dialogue. It is a time to love like Jesus loved. It is a time to rely on that extraordinary power belonging to God.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to answer your call to creating a world that is one ruled by 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.

Leaving the Cocoon

butterfly-leaving-the-cocoon-costa-ricaLiving in the Spirit
August 4, 2016

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. –Hebrews 11:1-3

Humans are complex creatures. Foreseen to be God’s companions on this earth, we are blessed with free will to accept that role or not. The substance of genetics that may or may not have mutated, we are the reflection of our creator, our ancestors, our environment. Each of us unique, we are instilled with special gifts and talents needed for this world to succeed. We have an awesome God who is somehow working within and through this complexity of humans to create a Kingdom ruled by love. This is God’s purpose and is our purpose.

This world seems to be in a scary place right now. Particularly here in the USA, we are divided in the strangest ways. One of the positive things about such discord, it makes us explore what is really of God and what is not. It makes us own our faith. We can no longer go through the motions of our faith systems as we have always done and be satisfied with the outcomes. What does it really mean to love God? What does it take to love our neighbors? How are we supposed to love ourselves? And who is our neighbor, anyway?

This is one of those times when we are once again struggling to escape a cocoon of spiritual development, take the nourishment we obtained from that experience and become a new creature ready to spread our wings and further fulfill our purpose. Scary, yes, it is, but what an opportunity for which God thinks we are ready. God apparently is.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to leave our cocoons and the faith to love like you. 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.

Letting Go

jesus-feetLent
March 12, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. –John 12:1-3

I was 16 years old working in a nursing home as a nurse’s aide during my summer school vacation. The patient was an elderly woman who had lived on a farm actually only a few miles from my home, but I did not know her. When I arrived at work that morning the head nurse told me the patient was near death and her family had been called. Would I go sit with here so she would not be alone until the family arrived. I sat and held her hand and massaged the back of her arm. I did not know what else to do. She had been unresponsive for a few days. I did not know if she could still hear and what would I say anyway. Her hand went even limper and I somehow just knew that she was gone. She was the first person I had ever seen die. I stayed for just a few moments more holding her hand with a sense of wonder when her son and daughter-in-law walked into the room with the head nurse. I said, “She’s gone.” Her son took her hand from me and I slipped into the background as he began his grieving vigil. It was time to let her go.

Somehow, I think Mary too knew that Jesus’ death was imminent, not from the medical signs of dying but from a keen awareness of the reality of his situation. The disciples most likely were aware of the danger also but they perhaps were in denial that their world was soon going to crash down around them.

Mary loved Jesus enough to accept him as he was; she did not try to make him into something that he was not. Our greatest gift to God is to love God as the I AM that God is, to offer our very best in praise, and to allow God to mold us to be like Jesus rather than our constantly trying to mold Jesus to be like us.

Prayer: Lord, it is very hard to give up a loved one, I cannot image how Mary must have felt as she anointed you that day. I thank you though that her story has remained so I can learn from her example of loving you completely. 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.