Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

We The People

Eastertide

May 24, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:16-34

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. –Acts 16:25-34

Our country, the whole world actually, has been caught in the throes of a pandemic, while dealing or failing to deal with the forces of unusually destructive fires, drought, hurricanes, floods, ice storms, and tornados. During all these challenges, our leadership seems primarily concerned with assuring that the rich get richer. Leaders invest their time in stirring up our prejudices and practicing divide and conquer politics. They care more about controlling people’s personal lives than addressing the systemic problems that plague the world, like poverty, climate change, and terrorism. The leadership in a true democracy should be a mirror image of we the people. We need to ask ourselves if indeed our leaders are a mirror image of us, and whether we are the ones who need to change.

Paul and Silas were imprisoned for trying to show people a better way. They did that in response to a deadly earthquake by demonstrating that better way. In doing so they changed the lives of their jailers. We are called to that same ministry of sharing the ways of Jesus not just in words but also in deeds and selecting leaders that share our vision of Jesus’s better way of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, welcoming strangers, and restoring prisoners to wholeness. Jesus says the nations will be judged on their response to these things not by how many billionaires it creates.

Prayer: Lord, search us for anything that prevents us from serving you more nearly and create in us clean hearts to guide right decisions and actions.  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.

Giving Up On God

Eastertide

May 21, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 14:23-29

Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

Our society is becoming dedicated to putting our words in Jesus’s mouth. I am fascinated by how many actions/behaviors are not covered in the Bible but quoted as absolutes delivered straight from God, while the foundation of Jesus’s whole ministry is routinely ignored. We make easy exceptions for behavior that has become normalized in our society like adultery and even idolizing greed while over-reacting to actions like wearing a mask to prevent the spread of a virus that has now killed over a million Americans. I think Jesus would have classified wearing a mask as loving your neighbor as yourself.

I fear people are giving up on God when we need to lean on God the most. The further we slide from following Jesus’s commands to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves the more we think God has given up on us. We are the ones that moved and like our ancestors in faith are headed for exile.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we feel the need to overrule your plan for us. Help us to turn back to 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Community of Faith

Eastertide

May 18, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known upon earth,
   your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
   for you judge the peoples with equity
   and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;
   God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
   let all the ends of the earth revere him.

 Judgment of our behavior threads through the entire Bible. In the above verse, the poet wrote for you judge the peoples with equity.  I do not know which of our theological ancestors in faith emphasized personal, individual judgment as our primary concern, but we seem to miss that we are also judged as a people.  How we work together for the good is of concern to God. In the US right now God’s greater concern may be that we do not work well together at all even as we claim to be acting in God’s will. Matthew 25:31-32 states, ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Later in that same chapter, Jesus outlines the specific acts on which we as a people will be judged—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, welcoming the stranger, and restoring the prisoner.

How do we influence others? How do others influence us? It takes a lot of guts to go against societal norms. We in the US claim to have a government of the people, by the people, for the people, but we seem to cater to the desires of the wealthy more than the needs of those in poverty. How many of us sit silently uncomfortably in the presence of people expressing views contrary to anything we have ever believed. In times like these, we indeed need a Savior to make us whole and make us one.

Prayer: Lord, help us be a people who add value to each other in our service to 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Deepening Faith

Eastertide

May 17, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:9-15

On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us. –Acts 16:13-16

How open are we to deepening our faith? Lydia described as a worshipper of God apparently practiced the Jewish faith as she observed the sabbath, whether she was a Jew by birth, or a convert is unclear. When she heard Paul preach, she readily accepted the Lord and offered hospitality to Paul and his companion. Did she appreciate the advancement of God’s order from her Jewish training through the one called Christ? How are we advancing God’s order in our time and space? Faith is not frozen in form. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I am a strong supporter of following spiritual disciplines, prayer, study, meditation, and service, for example, because they empower faith. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper is my opportunity to review my faith walk for the previous week and open a new door for the next. Faith is alive and propels us toward building that Kingdom of God Jesus sent us forth to actualize.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example of Lydia who open her heart and her home as she deepened her faith. 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.

Seeking Greater Heights

Eastertide

May 13, 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.

The book of Revelation begins and ends with the statement above, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Revelation 1:8 adds the phrase who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. The future is ours through Christ. His hope eternal is that we realize the wonder and grace of that and make the most of it. But how do we measure “the most.” Our world seems to value the most power and money. Neither ever seemed important to Jesus when he interned on earth. He possessed ultimate power but used it sparingly usually to help others, probably meant to set an example for us. He paid his taxes out of money taken from the mouth of a fish (Matthew 17:27) and recognized the separation of church and state by saying ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ (Matthew 22.1-21b) Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12) and was betrayed by the price of 30 pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:15) The other gospels share the same or similar stories.

Jesus measured” the most” in faith, hope, and love. His relationship with God fed the hope and love he gifted to us. We seem to be at a crossroads in our world today. Are we going to grow in worshipping power and money or are we going to ascend to greater heights through faith, hope, and love?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift Jesus and the example he set for us. Help us to attain his higher ground. 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.

Ethnocentricity

Eastertide

May 9, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. –Acts 11:1-10

One of the words I learned in Sociology 103 was Ethnocentricity. According to Mirriam-Webster, it means:
One of the words I learned in Sociology 103 was Ethnocentricity. According to Mirriam-Webster, it means:
a: inclined to regard one’s own race or social group as the center of culture
<any profession … is somewhat ethnocentric regarding outsiders — L. W. Doob>
b: exhibiting an incapacity for viewing foreign cultures dispassionately
<the ethnocentric view that the rest of the world must become worthy of us by … imitating our way of life–G.E. Taylor>

How do we react when someone approaches us saying, “My group’s way is the only way and if you do not adopt it you will suffer extreme consequences.” Jesus’s example was to share meals with people, get to know them, love them, and when they experienced his love, they felt comfortable loving him back.

One of the greatest blessings of living in the US is the breadth and depth of learning from people with differing backgrounds—wonderful music, delicious food, differing life experiences, and amazingly similar ordeals.  Many came to our country due to starvation and famine, escaping war, some came against their will, others were just adventuresome, and some had been here for hundreds of years before these new people arrived. All were created in the image of God.

Prayer: Lord, lead us in understanding others and help us to see them as you see 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.

Celebrate Love

Eastertide

May 6, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing,
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’ –Revelation 7:9-12

With the state of the world today, I find it hard to imagine a world ruled by love where everyone has experienced salvation for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth goodwill to men*. Government officials play games of divide and conquer jumping on the bandwagon of the latest divisive issue that has little or nothing to do with providing for the Common Good, the purpose of government. It may get them more votes and once elected they can continue to wheel and deal in greed and power, which often hurts their constituents. I was writing a report recently on poverty in Oklahoma. We rank very badly in most of the categories reported on the American Health Ranking**.  Our Greatest Challenges were listed as a high premature death rate, a high prevalence of non-medical drug use, and a high percentage of households with food insecurity. The only one of those three I have heard any public official address recently is drug abuse.

Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection had a purpose. We are called to help shepherd in a world where love rules not greed or power. We should never take that for granted and we should always live our lives in thanksgiving by fulfilling Christ’s vision.  

Prayer: Open our hearts, spirits, and minds to serving you by doing our part to create a world ruled by love. Amen.

*From the hymn, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

**Data from https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/Overall_a/state/OK see also https://www.kff.org/statedata/?state=OK

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.

Known by our Love

Eastertide

April 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-19

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. —John 21:1-14

How do we make faith real to ourselves and to others? I am already growing weary of hearing politicians stating they are Christians as a reason we should vote for them. The chorus I learned as a child, They’ll know we are Christians by our Love, flashes through my memory every time I hear those ads. Actions do speak louder than words.

The disciples in this story had returned to their previous occupations. They seem to be portraying a response to the last few years of their lives that it had been a great ride, but it now was over.  In the scripture above Christ once again presented himself to the disciples as he continued to initiate their role in furthering his vision of a world ruled by love.

Eating fish and bread with the resurrected Lord would be a life-changing experience. The gospels writers could have told the story of Jesus without recounting these very real episodes of interaction. They shared them with us because the fine details add to authenticity but also take each of us to the seashore or the boat or eating fish. Perhaps the lesson in this scripture is that we grow and share our faith best by sharing ourselves in loving action.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be readily identified as your followers by our love. Amen.

*They’ll Know We Are Christians written by Peter Scholtes

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.

Loving Like Jesus

Eastertide

May 1, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-19

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ –John 21:15-19

The dialogue between Peter is one we all must have with Jesus Christ. The first time Jesus asked Peter the question do you love me Jesus is using the Greek word, agapas, which is translated here as the English word love. Peter responds with the Greek word, philō, which is also translated in English as love. Jesus then commands Peter to feed Jesus’s lambs.  The same translations are recorded the second time Jesus asked the question, and Jesus commands Peter to Shepherd Jesus’s sheep. The third time Jesus asked the question using the word, phileis, which is a derivative of philō, but expresses something closer to Do you dearly love me, perhaps suggesting what we often imply about philō* the love of siblings.

I am not a Greek translator of any sort, but I do not think the varied use of the Greek words for love was not an accident. Jesus asked as the son of God for Peter to love all God’s children if they love the Lamb of God who died on the cross. That love carries over to assuming the assignment of Shepherding God’s children, taking on Jesus’s work in our world today.  As we serve in the name of Jesus Christ, in answering his call to be one and love all, we are likened as a sibling to him.

You may read it with another emphasis, but I think the questions were asked to all of Jesus’s disciples Including us. Please note, that all the instructions involved active caring for one another, all one another(s).

Prayer: Lord, help us demonstrate with our lives our love for you. Guide our service. Amen.

See https://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/21-17.htm for the source of all Greek words quoted.

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.