Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

God’s Tears

Living in the Spirit

June 22, 2021

Scripture Reading: Lamentations 3:22-33

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
   his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
   ‘therefore I will hope in him.’

For the Lord will not
   reject forever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
   according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

for he does not willingly afflict
   or grieve anyone. –Lamentations 3:2-24, 31-33

God could be considered guilty of causing grief because he gifted us with free will. People cause grief on themselves and others. I watched the movie Selma recently and was surprised to hear the actor playing Martin Luther King, Jr. says God was the first one to cry for your son. I first heard that phrase following the Oklahoma City Bombing when it was significant to a whole community and the families directly involved. I do not know who said it first, but its original source might have been the scripture above when that author states for [God] does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone. How hard being God must be when he trusts us to do justly and practice righteousness.

Our closet human experience in emulating God is raising children, which is similar to forming Christ-followers*. Hebrews 5.12-13 states For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness.

Our faith growth must be pursued intentionally. We watch our children struggle to roll over, crawl, and walk while they explore, constantly making sense of the world around them. With toys and games, loving hugs, and redirection to safety, they learn the art of being an individual capable of self-care. Most of us were introduced to God by other people. As we mature, we establish our relationship with God based on our experience and study. Paul dealt with the faith growth of adults all the time, often adults who grew up with the concept of many gods. In 1 Corinthians 13:11, he writes, When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.

Today we struggle with varied theologies of God and the influx of many gods we do not even recognize as gods. I thank God for the gift of God’s Son, who dwelt among us and shared his wisdom and truth. We would do well to enrich our connection to his way of being and his teachings.

Prayer:  Eternal Parent, guide us back to the fundamentals of faith taught in word and in deed by Jesus. Amen.

*For a rather technical description of faith-development see James Fowler’s book Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning

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.

Seeing as Jesus Saw

Living in the Spirit

June 20, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he  that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

In grade school, I had to memorize Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If. The first line skittered through my mind as I read the scripture quoted above:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

I no longer can quote the whole poem, but that part stuck with me. Our society has wasted a lot of energy in recent years, losing our heads and blaming the problem identified on someone else, not ourselves. The effort that should be targeted at problem-solving is lost to deadlock. We are stuck in a societal gridlock like a traffic jam that does not move. The Beatles’ Nowhere Man also comes to mind.

He’s a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody. . .

He’s as blind as he can be
Just sees what he wants to see*

Jesus modeled in his life stepping out of deadlocks, analyzing problems, and addressing them. He called us to continue this work. Jesus never lost his head, nor did he just see what he wanted to see. He did get angry at least once when he drove the money changers out of the temple. That anger was targeted at people who claimed to follow God and reaped profits from their temple work. Greed always seems to be lurking around every corner.

We do not have either the time or energy to get caught in gridlock or losing our heads. We are in the fragile early stages of recovering from a pandemic in our country that is still raging worldwide.  A third of our nation is suffering from severe drought and a depleting water supply. An estimated 1.4 million people in the USA are classified as living in poverty or just one emergency from poverty. Now is the time to seek God’s guidance in responding and investing our time and energy in addressing the challenges we face.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for not seeing what we need to see and not addressing what we need to address. Direct us in loving as you modeled love in the world. Amen.

*See at https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/887/

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.

Spiritual Itinerary

Living in the Spirit

June 17, 2021

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
   and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 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.

We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.

Where does God fit into our life plan? Does God get two hours on Sunday morning? Perhaps we take some time each day to share our needs. How often do we recognize God in our interactions with others? Do we, indeed, acknowledge that our relationship with God involves our following God’s ways as we strive to build a better world? Are we conscience that we are considered a model of Christ in everything we do? No wonder the percentage of people who identify as Christian is shrinking when we act holier-than-though and even hatred.

A morning itinerary of how we intend to live our lives in the Spirit each day with an evening review of our accomplishments is a good place to start being intentional about our work in God’s Kingdom. I imagine most of us do something like that regarding routine tasks–laundry today, complete the Jones contract, doctor’s appointment. So, what would our faith itinerary look like?

 Would it include:

  • Bible study
  • Seeking God’s will for our day
  • Prayer for specific people or events
  • Sending cards to those who are sick or in grief
  • Volunteering at the food bank
  • Befriending a new person at work
  • Looking for the Christ in everyone we encounter
  • Emailing our government representative encouraging him or her to support a bill that addresses the needs of the poor. . . .

Prayer: God of Possibilities, help us open wide our hearts and let the world know your love through us. 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.

Surviving the Storms of Life

Living in the Spirit

June 16, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

Some went down to the sea in ships,
   doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
   his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
   which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
   their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
   and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he brought them out from their distress;

he made the storm be still,
   and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
   and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
   and praise him in the assembly of the elders. –Psalm 107:23-2

While visiting a friend in Washington D.C., I was invited for my first ride on a sailboat. My fellow sailors raced sailboats, so I was with folks who knew the Chesapeake Bay and how to sail. I, of course, immediately got seasick when one of the sailors advised me to focus my eyes straight ahead on the horizon. She also had some over-the-counter seasick medicine I took. My stomach settled quickly, and I enjoyed the ride. Suddenly something snapped above. My sailing companions discussed what to do about what seemed to be a minor problem because they were so calm about the situation. They did head straight for the shore, and all were pleased that we arrived safely. The mast had cracked. Just as the crew pulled into the dock, the mast broke a few feet from the top.

I learned a lot from that experience. For example, seasickness could be quelled by focusing on something at a distance. It works for car sickness, too. The experience reminded me of Jesus’s Disciples on the boat with him asleep when a storm came up, and they panicked*. The Disciples, too, were at their wits’ end. They, too, sought the Lord’s help, and he calmed the sea. These stories are relevant in our lives now. People are stressed to the point of panic. Anger pours out in shootings and domestic violence, slugfests on airplanes, and the inability to face the reality of our situation. This Psalm reminds us that we serve a mighty God who can cause storms and stop them. In times like these, we need that Savior, and we need to open our hearts and minds to the Lord’s guidance to lead us to still waters.

Prayer: Lord, help us recognize you as our horizon where we find the calm needed to weather the challenges we face. You called us, your Disciples, to be the light of the world all the time but especially in times like these. Grant us the courage to model our lives after your example. Amen.

*See Mark 4:38-40

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.

Everything Becomes New

Living in the Spirit

June 11, 2021.

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! –2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Ah, but do we regard no one from a human point of view? Is that even possible humans that we are? There is an intentionality to being a Christ-follower. It requires us to deal with that which stands in the way of our loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Mother Teresa said, If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Following Christ demands that we become new creations. For most of us, that is a gradual process as the Spirit enters our lives when we open ourselves to such guidance. Like Elijah, how often in the chaos of life must we quiet ourselves to perceive that still small voice* showing the right path or like with Elijah healing our souls when we feel pushed to our limits.  

This year will always be associated with the COVID pandemic. We have seen humans from all walks of life responding in fear and with courage. At first, I was taken aback by thinking the best thing I could do was stay home, avoid people, practice good hygiene. A year later, and uncountable Zoom meetings, I have adjusted to a new way of being. I felt a little strange when my church reopened. I rather enjoyed the live stream services, which we will continue as we return to in-person worship. We discovered that shut-ins benefited from those services, and we gained some younger new participants who felt at ease with the electronic church. Everything has become new, and we have learned to appreciate more what we are carrying forward.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for walking with us as we learn the new we are encountering. Amen.

* See 1 Kings 19:11-13

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.

Judgment

Living in the Spirit

June 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. –2 Corinthians 5:6-10

The theology of judgment has always been a paradox to me, a self-contradictory statement that is true. The word “recompense” used here describing what happens at judgment illustrates that well.  Recompense means either to give compensation to, to give an equivalent for, or to return in kind–reciprocate by or as if by rewarding or avenging*

My book club just read The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon. The story is about two girls searching for God among a neighborhood of families who get some things right and some things wrong routinely. The confusion for the girls in separating the goats from the sheep is the paradox of judgment. Finding God in such an environment is made more straightforward or more complicated by seeing the image of Jesus in a utility pipe. We learn with the girls that God is always with us, made even more so in the presence of Jesus among us.

God’s desire for us is to choose righteousness and justice, both hard words to define and categorize as their meaning gets caught up in the interpretations of the world. However, as we grow in Spirit and truth, increasing our connectedness to God, we perceive a purer knowledge and hopefully apply that understanding in how we live our lives. We can do that every day by examining our lives against God’s righteousness and justice, making corrective adjustments along the way.

My desired image of final judgment is sitting down with Jesus over a good cup of coffee in laughter and tears with thanksgiving for the forgiveness of the knuckleheaded things I did that required course corrections, thanksgiving for the consistency of the Spirit’s presence to get me through the hard times, and the joy I shared with all God’s children when we truly practiced God’s righteousness and did justice by loving God and loving one another. Let it be so.

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise. Amen.

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

**First verse of Dear Lord and Father of Mankind  by John Greenleaf Whittier see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind

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.

Biased and Incomplete History

Living in the Spirit

June 9, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
   to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
   and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
   to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
   at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
   and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
   they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
   they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
   he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

I concur with the idea that In old age they still produce fruit. My mother certainly lived this example. I must say I may not always be green and full of sap. But, I hope and pray that I am showing that the Lord is upright. How we live and what we say make a difference. It saddens me that the USA’s percentage identifying as Christian has dropped markedly over the past two decades. I think a significant cause of the decline is we who call ourselves Christian do not live what we preach, and we do not emphasize what Jesus taught.

One of the classes we offered people receiving public assistance years ago included a segment on the fear of change. The teacher encouraged the participants to imagine two paths they could follow. One represents their lives as they are currently living and the other side seems to be a dark, scary, unknown one where one cannot be sure of what will happen. They were asked to consider what was good and not so good about their current life. They were then asked to discern what they would need in that unknown side to reduce the not-so-good. If those things were available on the unknown path, would they choose to take that path?

We stand at that crossroads every day as we practice our faith. I find it interesting how fearful we as a nation are about accepting the fact that our history is not what we were taught. Of what are we afraid? In John 8:31-32, 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.’ We can never fully grasp the good news of Jesus Christ if we can only view it through the filters of biased or incomplete history.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to see ourselves as you see us. Create in us clean hearts and rights spirits. 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.

Make Me a Blessing

Living in the Spirit

June 8, 2021

Scripture Reading:

1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1Samuel 15:6-13

For what have we each been chosen? Our names may never be read in a history book. Indeed, only God may know what special gift we provide in God’s service, but we all have been chosen to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls. The natural response to that relationship is to recognize that God has the wellbeing of all God’s children in God’s plan, and we are part of the team created to protect and encourage others. It is in our own best interest. When people live in harmony with one another, we are blessed with the synergy of love that shields us from forces that thrive on dividing us. When we become a source of that division, we shatter the very core of God’s Kingdom building.

This week I encourage you to open your heart to God to plant the seeds of what God has available for you to do that will enhance your wellbeing also.

Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.


Tell the sweet story of Christ and his love,
Tell of his pow’r to forgive;
Others will trust him if only you prove

True, ev’ry moment you live.

Give as ’twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,

Unto your mission be true.*

Prayer:

Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today*. Amen

*Hymn Make Me a Blessing by Ira B. Wilson, see at https://hymnary.org/text/out_in_the_highways_and_byways_of_life

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.

Resurrecting Wholeness

Living in the Spirit

June 4, 2021

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. –2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1

In front of a three-quarters bookcase piece, full of books at the top, and one-quarter storage cabinet at the bottom, I sat on a low stool, searching through that lower area for something that I needed but did not find. I then started to stand up when I realized the only thing available to pull myself up was the bookcase. Although I walk my 10,000 steps six days a week and do restorative yoga every day, I have had artificial knees for 13 and three years, respectfully, and am tentative about movement. Not knowing how much pressure the bookcase could handle if I grabbed it and pulled myself to standing, I was stumped. I finally decided to put my arms out straight and stand up as I would have done doing squats when my knees were healthy, a time I can no longer remember. It worked. God bless orthopedic surgeons and tungsten knees.

That experience and the above scripture made me wonder how tentative I might be about answering God’s call to do justice, practice God’s righteousness. I am alarmed by what I see on the news, read on social media, and glean from newspapers. Today I heard of a twelve-year-old boy and a fourteen-year-old girl stealing guns and having a shoot out with the police. They learned that behavior from watching and listening to the adults in their lives. We pay a heavy price in our society for our hate and self-righteousness.

It is time that we all own responsibility for our societal corruption at all levels. We cannot do it alone, but with God’s help and guidance, we can bring about wholeness in our land.

I may be one of the few people that claim the following scripture literally, but I think it applies not only to the physical limitations of aging but to our spiritual decline as well,

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:12-13)

Prayer: Forgive us, O Lord, for our failure to address the corruption of our society. Guide us to wholeness. 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.

Dealing with Emergence

Living in the Spirit

June 2, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
   Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
   so that you may be revered.


I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities.

A morning news show considered whether the period after COVID would be like the time after the Spanish flu, which faded in the early 1920s and led to the roaring 20s and eventually the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Praise, thanksgiving, and celebration are appropriate as the pandemic wanes with prayers that it disappears entirely. We might want to assess the wisdom of the roaring 20s, learn from the good that came from it and avoid the bad.  That is a good lesson for our times. It is a lesson Israel did not recognize. As we read through the history of God’s people, we see a roller coaster ride of high highs accompanied by exile.

The Psalmist invites us to wait on the Lord with hope. What does the Lord desire of us? The measure of our success as the people of God is our ability to love like the Lord, whose love is steadfast and forever. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen the pitfalls in our social structure. We have learned that every human is essential, and actualizing the potential of all people is necessary for our wellbeing. Will that knowledge impact the way we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our Lord*? Or will it encourage us to eat, drink, and be merry** until the next crisis strikes?

Prayer: We wait for your guidance as we emerge out of a pandemic that has changed our lives. Grant us the wisdom to learn from our mistakes. Amen.

*From Micah 6:8
**See Isaiah 22:13; Proverbs 23:35; Luke 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:32

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.