Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

Generous Love

Lent

March 4, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Romans 10:8b-13

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

I despise the divide and conquer world in which we live. Evil pits people against one another to evil’s benefit. We are seeing that being played in real time via news videos broadcasts from Ukraine. Young Russian soldiers most likely have no idea why they are blowing up apartments where people just like them live. Paul reminds us in the scripture above that the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. Like Russia today, Rome had a small group of very wealthy people that ruled their world.

Strong’s Concordance explains Paul’s use of the word translated generous by referencing Revelation 3, which highlighted the problems in the church at Laodicea. The Laodiceans had success in banking, trade, and commerce – but their spiritual lives paid low spiritual dividends (yields)! The Laodiceans were too highly motivated (conscientious) about earthly matters and lacked real spiritual commitment for wise prioritizing*. Greed feeds on the resources of all.

The Lord’s generosity assures the spiritual wellbeing of all people that results in the provision of enough of the material needs of the people but more importantly brings people together to share in the bounty of God’s love and thus love one another.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Teach us all to love one another as you have loved us. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4147.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.

Saved to Serve

Lent

March 3, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Romans 10:8b-13

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’*
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

What does it mean to be saved? We may first conjure an idea of prepaid admission into heaven. Paul’s writing tends to perceive salvation as a part of living our faith in the here and now. How to live like Christ in our everyday life. The Greek word, sózó, translated here as saved means to deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety)**. That seems to say to me that salvation allows us to be the persons we are called to be without the interference of sin. Christ, the Holy Spirit, saves us from the distractions of the world that separates us from God. We have already been instilled with gifts that are needed to carry out the work that faith requires. Being saved allows us to answer our call to serve without fear and with courage because we work within the safety of God’s love.

Prayer:
Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul,
Thank You Lord For Making Me Whole,
Thank You Lord For Giving To Me,
Thy Great Salvation So Full And Free***. Amen.

*The quote cited above at the beginning of the scripture is derived from Leviticus 18:5, You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the Lord.

**https://biblehub.com/greek/4982.htm

***Thank You, Lord, for Saving My Soul by Seth Sykes, Bessie Sykes. See at https://divinehymns.com/lyrics/thank-you-lord-for-saving-my-soul-song-lyrics/

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.

Search for Peace and Justice

Ash Wednesday

March 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
   the Most High your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall you,
   no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Those who love me, I will deliver;
   I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
   and show them my salvation.

As I read this scripture my heart went out to the people of Ukraine. It is an appropriate scripture for Ash Wednesday when we begin the preparation of the observance of Jesus’s death and resurrection. I also am reminded of the Jesus Wept statue located at the Oklahoma City memorial site. No doubt Christ is weeping now for all God’s children who are in harm’s way or separated from their families seeking refuge because of greed and lust for power that is running amok in the world.

Prayer: Lord, help us pray this hymn with the people of Ukraine as they struggle for their lives in search of their futures:

Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness;
make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord, only,
that makest me dwell in safety*.

*See at https://hymnary.org/text/lead_me_lord_lead_me_in_thy_right

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 Doers of the Word

Ordinary Time

March 1, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

Ukraine demonstrating to the USA the importance of democracy is ironic as some factions in the USA are working hard at making us an oligarchy as Russia has become, ruled by the rich. We do not learn from history, yet we fear teaching it in our schools. Ask the Egyptians about how they fell from great power. Divide and concur politics, climate change,

The Ancient Egyptian Empire was one of the oldest and longest ruling empires in history. The empire spanned over 3,000 years. . .. However, history shows that even the mightiest empires can fall and after 1,100 BC, Egypt went into decline. There were several reasons for this including a loss of military power, lack of natural resources, and political conflicts*.

Divide and concur politics along with climate change, both primed by greed now assaults the USA. A periodic report of the progress of climate change was highlighted on the morning news today. The authors continue to say we still have a little time, but less and less, left to curb its worst impacts. How many years have we ignored that advice?

Part of our problem is we view ourselves as the escaping Israelites, not the empirical Egyptians.  Our ancestors in faith also failed to note the transition. We have a little time left, to turn around and follow God’s instruction to love God and one another which requires us to care for the earth and assure that all have enough to survive and thrive.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for burying our heads in the sand, help us to see and do what we need to be the people you desire us to be in the land you provided all your children. Amen.

*https://www.studentsofhistory.com/the-decline-of-egypt#:~:text=However%2C%20history%20shows%20that%20even,natural%20resources%2C%20and%20political%20conflicts.

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.

First Fruits

Ordinary Times

February 28, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. –Deuteronomy 26:5-11

Because God loves us so much and cares for us, it is only right that we return to God the first fruits of our labor. As a child, I did not enjoy working in the garden, but I delighted in its first fruits. My dad would cut the first ripe watermelon in the field and share it with the family. My mother was just as fond of the first red ripe tomato. This scripture requires us to assess what our first fruits are. What of our skills and talents do we offer to God? Does God get our leftovers or do we dedicate our whole being to the Lord, starting with serving God with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and spirits?

One of our retired members loved to crochet and she was exceptionally creative and good at it. She spent an entire year making unique tree ornaments, tabletop Christmas trees, Afghans, and lap robes. She donated all of them to our alternative Christmas sale each year that raised money for local service programs and other mission projects. One of my most prized possessions is a beautiful Afghan she made. She indeed gave her first fruits+ to God and blessed each stitch she took with her love.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in identifying our first fruits and lead us to the best way to bless you with their outcomes. 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.

Health Care

Ordinary Time

February 27, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Luke 9:37-43a

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God. –Luke 9:37-43a

Healing stories of Jesus are prevalent in all the gospels. Taking care of the sick is among the actions by which Jesus indicates he will judge the nations. (Mathew 25:36) When I double-checked the reference on this, I noticed my Bible has this section headed with the words The Judgement of the Nations. That took me by surprise, but it is addressed to the nations in Matthew 25:32. I have always considered this listing of actions as personal challenges, but it also requires us to take responsibility for our nation to be judged by how we treat others. No wonder Jesus thought it important that we all need to become one and work together for the welfare of all God’s children. In 2020, Oklahoma ranked 43rd in Overall health care and 48th in health care access. We as a state are clearly not doing our part in caring for the sick. The United States ranks 18th* in best health care in the world while ranking highest in cost of health care**. The higher cost of our care results from complex systems of pricing and profit-making. We can and should do better than that.

Prayer: Lord, make us advocates for the quality of care we provide as a nation. Amen.

*https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oklahoma

**Health Care Costs by Country 2022 – World Population Review See at https://worldpopulationreview.com › country-rankings

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.

Jesus the Visionary

Ordinary Times

February 26, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. –Luke 9:28-43

When I was a child, I had a recurring dream that the school bus did not stop for me, and I ran and ran to catch up with the bus but never did in the dream. I am the youngest child in my family and for two years had to watch my siblings get on the bus when I could not. Some of my other dreams were not that easy to understand. I am not sure I have ever had a vision, but I have experienced anxiety that something bad was going to happen and it did. When my dad died, I called his siblings to let them know of his death. One of my aunts when I identified myself, said “Carl is dead isn’t he.” She had dreamed the night before that she and my dad were playing hide and seek and as hard as she looked, she never found him. I trust that since God knows each of us better than anyone that God communicates in the best way possible for us to receive God’s messages.

I just heard news interviews this morning with Ukrainian citizens both in Ukraine and living in the USA. Even with all the warnings from the US State Department of an imminent attack, the interviewees said they really did not believe it was going to happen. Humans often learn and grow through retrospect. The stories preserved for us in the Bible allow us to look back on the life of Jesus in retrospect and glean the wisdom it has to offer. This story when retold after Jesus’s resurrection reassured Peter, John, James, and the others with whom they shared it that God prepares us for facing the future.

Jesus told us that his plan for us was that we would be one and that he would overcome the world. Let it be so.

Prayer: Thank you for loving us enough to prepare us for the challenges of life. Guide us in being open to your plan and the implementation of our part in 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.

God Gave All Consciences

Ordinary Times

February 25, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. –2 Corinthians 4:2

Transparency is a word we hear often regarding government particularly but also opening ourselves to the world to test our truth. We are at times amazingly contradictory. While we staunchly hold that each person is an individual with no other like them having individual rights, we continually deny the worth of people who are not like us. Accepting people as they are and as they are becoming including ourselves, is important. We grow together in God’s love when we allow others to see that part of the image of God that rests in us.  

What does Paul mean by we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God? If we profess to be Christ-followers, we open ourselves for others to discern the ways of Christ through us and the truth of his teachings and actions. If we do not live it, we do not believe it and others will surely see that and judge Christ accordingly. The word conscience used here indicates that all people have this God-given capacity to know right from wrong because each is a free moral agent*.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ — John 8:31-32

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we hide behind the filters of the world and judge others. Create in us clean hearts to allow your image to shine through us. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4893.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.

Let Love Abound

Ordinary Time

February 14, 2022

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ And they came closer. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. —Genesis 45:3-7

I cannot imagine what it might be like to have sold your brother into slavery only to find him years later as a leader in the government of a great nation. God wants the very best for all of God’s children including the ones with exceptional talents and the ones who are threatened by those abilities. Parents have a great challenge of guiding children to be the best that they can be while being understanding of people with differing skills. Everyone has talents and skills that are necessary for the fruition of a world ruled by love.

God enabled Joseph to not only become a ruler of Egypt but to also discern that would not have happened had he not faced the jealousy of his brothers who sold him into slavery.  He seemed thrilled to see them and was particularly concerned about his father.

I think Paul may have said it best in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,  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.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the patience love requires and the ability to grow in 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.

Intentional Living

Ordinary Time

February 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-38

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ –Luke 6:37-38

The container in which I store ground coffee holds exactly 12 ounces. It must be totally empty to hold the coffee from the pouch I pour into it. To make the transfer I must shake the receiving container at least once to press it down so the lid will close. I usually use that which might run over to make my next cup of coffee before I close the lid. I buy my coffee and other products from Equal Exchange*. My favorite is their Organic Mind, Body, and Soul Coffee. I thought of them when I read the last part of the above scripture. We do not realize the many ways we can help others just through the everyday activities of living. My buying Equal Exchange coffee provides me with a quality product I would buy anyway while enabling small farmers in third world nations to eke out a living, often when they otherwise could not compete with the corporate farms making much of the coffee we drink while their workers earn far below a living wage.

God calls us to be intentional about the way we invest our time, energy, and resources for the wellbeing of all people. Before COVID hit we sold at cost, Equal Exchange coffee, tea, chocolate, and olive oil at my church in support of this program. My hope is we will sell it again when we are able to return to full attendance at worship. In the meantime, we each can buy it online from home. It is a small thing, but we indeed do get a wonderful return for our efforts.

Praise God for the harvest of orchard and field,
praise God for the people who gather their yield,
the long hours of labor, the skills of a team,
the patience of science, the power of machine.

Praise God for the harvest that comes from afar,
from market and harbor, the sea and the shore:
foods packed and transported, and gathered and grown
by God-given neighbors, unseen and unknown**.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for farmers, near and far, who bless us with food for our bodies. Amen.

*To learn more about Equal Exchange go to https://equalexchange.coop/

**Verses one and two of PRAISE GOD FOR THE HARVEST OF ORCHARD AND FIELD by Brian Wren see at https://www.hopepublishing.com/find-hymns-hw/hw2711.aspx

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.