Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

The Importance of Hope

Living in the Spirit

August 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Song of Solomon 2:8-13  
The voice of my beloved!
   Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
   bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
   or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
   behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
   looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away;

for now the winter is past,
   the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
   the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
   is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,

   and the vines are in blossom;
   they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away.

While reading this scripture, I was reminded of the works of Victor Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz who taught us how to find the meaning of life drawn from his experience in the very depths of desperation.  He longed for the end of the winter in which he found himself. Two of his thoughts particularly struck me as relevant for a people striving to deal with loving our neighbors as we love ourselves amid a pandemic that does not discriminate who it attacks.

Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.

We face nothing as atrocious as the Holocaust. Yet, we serve the same God that Frankl and many others turned to from the hell of the camps. We can learn from their knowledge and recognize that our calling is to be responsible and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prayer: 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.

Simply Love

Living in the Spirit

August 22, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 6:56-69

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.‘ –John 6:66-69

The parable of the Sower* comes to mind when I read the above scripture. In it Jesus quotes Isaiah, saying
 “You will indeed listen, but never understand,
   and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull,
   and their ears are hard of hearing,
     and they have shut their eyes;
     so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
   and I would heal them.” –Matthew 13:14b-15 (Isaiah 6:9)

Some things never change. People believed what they wanted to believe in the 8th Century BCE, the 1st Century CE, and today. The only difference is our modern means of communication provide a stressful abundance of opinions and interpretations through which we must wade. When people claim to follow the Bible, we now must discern whose understanding is correct.

Jesus’ teachings were indeed hard for some to accept. Today though, I fear, those of us who claim to be Christians are turning new practitioners away because our faith has become a contest of who owns the royalty to God’s Word, and such division is not inviting to someone in search of God. While Jesus’ teachings are challenging, thus, we may not want to follow them, but they are simple: Love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, we see life as more complicated than you intended. Forgive us for not understanding your ways. Open our hearts and minds to follow Jesus’ example of love. Amen.

*See Matthew 13:1-23

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.

Study War No More

Living in the Spirit

August 19, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. –Ephesians 6:10-17

We sang Onward Christian Soldiers recently at my church as the closing hymn. The song is no longer in our hymnal, and we were not provided a handout copy. I am not sure anyone under 40 had ever heard it, much less knew the words. I remembered the words to the chorus and the first verse. I had to hum through the following verses. I turned to the friend about my age with whom I exited the service and said, I think you had to be a post-WWII child to know that song. I looked it up and discovered it was written in 1865, at the end of the Civil War. My adult war was fought in Vietnam.  I do not recall any sacred anthem created for it, nor did we rediscover Onward Christian Soldiers. As sad as it was, some of us rejoiced when the USA pulled out. Others, however, saw it as a terrible loss for our nation. I long for the day we beat our swords into plowshares* as the ancient prophets foretold.

We have been steeped in the history of killing and maiming people for every imaginable reason primarily lust for power and greed. Christ-followers face the same foes. There is, however, a difference in fighting with truth rather than with weapons of mass destruction or working to bring about justice through peaceful means.

Prayer: Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me;
let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.

With God our creator,
family all are we.
Let us walk with each other
in perfect harmony**. Amen

*See Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3
**Let There Be Peace on Earth by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson-Miller see at https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-let-there-be-peace-on-earth

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.

Redeemed

Living in the Spirit

August 18, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 34:15-22
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
   to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
   and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
   and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
   but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
   not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

The Hebrew word tsaddiq translated her as righteous, also means just as in justice. My understanding of these two words, righteousness and justice, are nuanced, slightly different, in my perception of them. Righteousness seems to apply to me personally. Do I make the right choices? Is my behavior and relationship with God in sync with God’s will? The prophet Amos described this as aligning my life with God like a brick mason following a plumbline’s guidance. Similarly, justice describes being in the right relationship with other people as a part of our righteous connection with God.

The Psalmist quoted above tells us that God sees and hears our cries for God with us. In response, God turns his face against evildoers. I sense that messages as God standing guard against evil. God perceives the problem and then steps between us and the threats facing us.

To quote Thomas Paine, we are living in times that try men’s souls. A virus out of control, people, responding in fear, earthquakes and other weather-related events destroying life and property, and our military is now leaving Afghanistan. We pay the price for past decisions and pray for the wisdom to correct our courses personally and communally. The final line of this scripture is our hope in salvation:
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be redeemed in your righteousness and be champions of your justice. 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.

Better Together

Living in the Spirit

August 17, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18  

‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’

Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’ –Joshua 24:14-18.

When reading scriptures related to idols, I fear that our minds go to effigies that people venerated, laying gifts at their feet. Our idols are more subtle but not significantly different. We worship power, wealth, prestige, and anything that will put us ahead of others. While these are attributes of the world, we have adapted them well into our systems of faith. In-crowds oversee most houses of worship and denominational leadership.

 I was guilty of building such a system when I started supervising staff in my government role. In a training session on types of personalities in which all my staff participated, I was shocked to see that a third of them fit the same profile that I did. The designation was the least prevalent in the general population. I was partial to people like me. From that point forward, I intentionally tried to be opened to other types of viewing the world. It takes more work on everyone’s part to bring different perspectives together, but the results are worth the breadth of understanding.

That is the beauty of the USA. We have among our population people from all over the world with varied skills and talents. We are at our best when we recognize all our people’s vast talents and experiences, including those whose families arrived generations ago and those coming today. There is nothing in God’s divine plan that outlines a hierarchy of worth. All God’s children were created with something good to contribute to building a better world. Our job as Christ-followers is to do everything we can to enable all to fulfill their call to serve the Lord together.

Prayer: God, help us see the talents and skills of others and guide us in enabling all to fulfill your purpose. 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.

Being Whole and Being One

Living in the Spirit

August 14, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 6:51-58
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’

My themes for these devotions are wholeness, oneness, and justice, and they feed each other. Wholeness is crucial to attaining oneness and universal justice, which will become more and more a reality as we grow in wholeness toward oneness. However, I have a strong sense that none of that can happen unless and until we divorce ourselves from the castes in which we find ourselves but, in most cases, do not perceive as existing.

Caste is a division or class of society comprised of persons within a separate and exclusive order based variously upon differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation*.

The bread of life discussed in the above scripture was familiar to the Jews. The manna from heaven, which appeared after the Exodus from Egypt, was lifesaving. The Jews that heard him challenged his saying this because they knew what he was saying was outside of the boundaries of their separate and exclusive order of life. Jesus was describing a path to follow when seeking a relationship with God that made the religious leaders of the day very uncomfortable. It was not a new path. It was as old as the Exodus, but it did not fit well in the system they had carved out over the centuries.

The history of the Israelites is much like our history today. We slide into creating separate and exclusive order based on our desires that gradually drift away from God’s will for our lives and create those ugly castes. Such systems tear at the very fiber of God’s love and our ability to love like Jesus. We need to return to being nourished by the bread of life to sustain us as we serve Christ in making a world ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for getting so caught in the ways of the world that we forget who we are and whose we are. Make us whole, make us one.  Amen.

*https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/caste

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.

Healing Damaged Self-concepts

Living in the Spirit

August 12, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When listening to some of our political leaders being interviewed, I find myself drawn into discerning where they fit on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need or The Stages of Faith described by James W. Fowler in his book by the same name*. Where are these people stuck on the steps of one or both of those maturation measurement tools? The speakers remind me of the two-year-old lying on the floor screaming and kicking because they did not get what they wanted or may not know what they want. They are at the stage of life when they might say, “You cannot make me wear a mask.” However, they perceive they have the right to outlaw everyone else from wearing a mask.

I have observed over time that one of the most damaging messages parents and others deliver to a child is that they are fundamentally better than everyone else. Such messaging is harmful because deep in every person’s heart is the knowledge that they are not better. Yet, if we are blessed with talents and skills, that does not enable us to mistreat others. Indeed, Jesus tells us in Luke 12:48b, From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

How do we undo the harm that brings about damaged self-concepts? How do we help ourselves and others climb the steps to psychological and faith growth? Assisting people to develop empathy is a good starting point. I have recently seen some beautiful examples of children perceiving the needs of others and working to meet those needs. My mother’s nursing home had an arrangement with a nearby grade school. Classes of children came and did artwork with the patients. My mother, a former teacher, enjoyed participating with the children. The students developed a loving understanding of the unique needs of the elderly. Maybe some of us adults need to work on empathy also.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to the good in everyone, including ourselves, so that we may share your love in all we do and speak. Amen.

*https://www.institute4learning.com/2020/06/12/the-stages-of-faith-according-to-james-w-fowler/

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.

Feeling at Home in the Kingdom of God

Living in the Spirit

August 9, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt-offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.‘ –1 Kings 3:3-14

In a democracy with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, we should be able to look in the mirror and see the reflection of our government looking back at us. I fear we can. We are a house divided and do not seem willing or able to seek what is good for all because we think our way is the right way and thus the only way. We have lost our moral fiber to do what is best for all the people, not just for ourselves or people like us.  Solomon asked the right question initially but got caught up in the love of money and power. While his service in office may have been spectacular in its buildings and international intrigue, he left it in shambles, causing the kingdom to split, which began the downfall of a great nation. How do we measure what a great country is by wealth and power, or how well it cares for itself and all its neighbors—a nation ruled by love. We know that love is the ruling factor in God’s Kingdom.  We might be surprised when God’s Kingdom comes to full fruition and find we feel like strangers.

Prayer: Give your servant(s) therefore an understanding mind(s) to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; 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.

Hope and God’s Peace

Living in the Spirit

August 8, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 6:35, 41-51
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

When I hear the word flesh, I think of skin. The Greek word, sarx*, translated flesh above, has a much broader meaning, the physical body. Thus, when Jesus says, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ He is foreshadowing his bodily death on the cross. This whole scripture is a discourse on things spiritual and carnal. He is talking to first-century people who probably are more comfortable with separating the two than perhaps our generation is. Their minds went immediately to the story in the Hebrew Bible about God providing the manna from heaven for the Israelites who found themselves in the desert with no food after fleeing Egypt. When Jesus states that he is the bread that came down from heaven, he essentially says that he is the people’s savior. That was a significant threat to the religious leaders of that time, but words of hope to the people hearing it.

Hope seems in short supply as we grimace that the Delta variant is causing COVID to spread more rapidly. People tend to respond to such threats in ways that are not necessarily helpful. We are seeing a lot of denial with people still not getting vaccinations. Careless behavior is cropping up again with large gatherings, no masks, and no space for social distancing. We must never forget that God is always with us, Jesus is the source of all hope, and the Holy Spirit can and will calm our beings to face whatever comes to us with the grace of God’s Peace.

Prayer: Lord, we are scared and frustrated that all we can do is take a shot or two, wear masks, socially distance, and wash our hands. We are somewhat like the Israelites leaving Egypt. Help us remember that you provided for them just as you can and will conquer our anguish and help us make good decisions not only for ourselves but for all the people with whom we come into contact. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4561.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.

Imitating Christ

Living in the Spirit

August 6, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Ephesians 4:25-5:2
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

I have been appalled at some of the hateful, hurtful things I have read on social media written in support of the author’s understanding of God and Christ. What makes people feel the need to express themselves like this? What message does it send others about God and Christ? Is anyone surprised that the number of people in the USA who identify as Christian is dropping? I wonder when and why these writers became so disillusioned in a faith founded on love grounded in the knowledge that Christ loved us so much he gave himself for us.

There were many false prophets in the first century when Paul was sharing the love of God among people who had never heard of Christ. Unfortunately, people still use Christ for their ends, whatever they may be—wealth or power or self-aggrandizement. As followers of Christ, one test we might use to help us represent our faith well is to imagine Jesus’ writing or saying what we want to share with others. If we cannot imagine Jesus using those thoughts and words addressing anyone that might stumble on to them, we need to find a new way to represent our faith. Remember, what we write on social media will be read by many people that have nothing to do with what upsets us in the first place.

Prayer:
Lord, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you,
   O Lord, my rock and my redeemer*. Amen.

*Psalm 19:14

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.