Tag Archives: Loving Like Jesus

Making a Difference   

Advent
December 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-55

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
–Luke 1:38-45

My social work career started in 1969 when the choices for unmarried pregnant women were limited: shotgun weddings, back-street abortions, placement for adoption, or a life lived in shame. At that time child welfare routinely found an out-of-the-county relative or foster placements for mothers who became pregnant out-of-wedlock and planned to place their baby for adoption. The family told neighbors and friends that their daughter had gone to live with her grandmother or whomever to help for a while or some such story. It was all very hush hush and awash in shame. A short three years later in 1972, the world had changed. Young women were keeping their babies and raising them on their own. We rarely received any to be placed for adoption. In 1973 abortion became legal and the nightmare of dangerous back-street abortions waned. In 1975 the federal Child Support system became law. It was an amazing cultural turnaround in six years for good or bad.

Mary could have been ostracized or even stoned for becoming pregnant. Joseph could have made a public spectacle of her. Instead, she was sent to a loving relative’s house where she was not only greeted with unconditional love but her coming child was recognized for the potential he possessed. Joseph did marry her making her baby “legal”. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What would our world look like if we treated all with unconditional love and welcomed every child recognizing their full potential? What would happen if shame were replaced by better preparation for life in the first place and restorative care as a response to mistakes? What kind of world would we have if we all loved like Mary’s little baby?

Prayer: Lord, you took the extraordinary steps to show us how to be whole through love. Guide us in our personal journey to follow the path laid before us and to be the catalysis for spreading that love to the ends of the earth so that all may experience and live 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.

Loving with Intention

Advent
December 9, 2018

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. –Luke 3:1-2

I think we all tend to associate events in our lives when we try to recall when other things happen. What I have discovered is that as an adult there are fewer major events with which to link like births and baptism, starting school or getting one’s driver’s license, graduations and marriages. This results in time coalescing. I do not know how many times I have said something like “that happened a few years ago.” When I check the date of the event being described it may have happened 20 or 30 years ago. I am less likely to relate time to the tenure of leaders as I am to remember events related to leaders like the Kennedy assassination.

Luke apparently felt it important to be specific about when the word of God came to John but according to Roman records, Tiberius began his reign in 14 CE, some years after it is believed Jesus was born. I do not think the date is important to the story, but I do think it is crucial that we understand we may live through years doing ordinary things to the extent that our intentionality to be a part of God’s great vision of a world ruled by love gets lost in our routines.

This is a very busy time of the year. I find myself having to pick between various activities that are all scheduled at the same time most of which I would like to do; most of which have little or nothing to do with creating a more loving world except perhaps what grows from nurturing relationships with family and close friends. My opportunity to feed the hungry was canceled because of inclement weather. We were schedule to serve at 7:00 pm and the homeless must be checked in to most shelters by 6:00 pm to be assured that they have a warm place to spend the night.

The key word here is intentionality. We must make routine our acts of oneness in Kingdom building or they may get lost in the chaos.

Prayer: Lord, help me schedule time in my calendar to love my neighbors as I love myself, all my neighbors. 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.

Character Matters

Living in the Spirit
November 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing-floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.’ She said to her, ‘All that you tell me I will do.’ –Ruth 3:1-5

Some have this romantic idea that marriage results from being swept off one’s feet in love and those couples live happily ever after. Our history tells us marriage is much more complicated than that. One of my grandmother’s first marriage may have followed that scenario but six children later her husband was struck by lightning and killed while driving a tractor in a field. She had little or no means of support but began cleaning house, cooking, and caring for the children of a man whose wife was killed in a car accident leaving him with eight children. They eventually married and had three children including my father. I am sure survival and mutual, complementary needs contributed to that marriage.

I thought of my grandparents when I read this scripture about Ruth and Boaz. Hard times demand practical solutions. What I find interesting about Ruth and Boaz is that they both seemed to be people of good character. She committed to staying with her vulnerable mother-in-law; he ordered his harvesters to leave some grain in the fields for the hungry to glean after the workers completed their task.

I guess what I get from this story is that keeping our lives in alignment with God is our primary objective in life. When we do that all else will fall into place no matter what hardships we face. This alignment begins an ends with loving God an loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, open my whole being to follow your Spirit’s guidance in all aspects of my life. 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 Love

Living in the Spirit
October 31, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 146

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
   the Lord loves the righteous.
 The Lord watches over the strangers;
   he upholds the orphan and the widow,
   but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. –Psalm 146:7b-9

Psalm 146 was probably written in post-exilic Israel around 515 BC. To the Christian ear it seems to be an accurate description of Jesus except for the last phrase but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin, although he did chase the money lenders out of the temple. If Jesus’ way is the way to wholeness not following it could lead to ruin, I suppose, although I do not think that is Christ’s desire for anyone. This caring side of Jesus sometimes is overlooked as we invest much of our time in worrying about what hymns to sing or if we have enough funds to keep the lights on in the church or whose turn is it to serve coffee after church. Worship is important, Maintenance of a place of worship has its advantage, and hospitality is always important. Ultimately how we love is the crux of following our Lord Jesus Christ who was an ardent student of the Psalms.

Could Psalm 146 be the foundational source for Jesus’ statements in Matthew 25:34-36?

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Everything we do as followers of Christ must be an extension of his love whether in worship or providing sanctuary or providing hospitality or meeting basic needs.

Prayer: Guide us, O Lord, in all aspects of 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.

Tribalism

Living in the Spirit
October 30, 2018

Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-8

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. –Ruth 1:6-8

I wonder if Naomi was concerned about the way her daughters-in-law would be treated in Israel when she told them to go back to their families? She needed their help, she obviously cared deeply for them, but no one wants someone they love to be mistreated because of who they are.

We are called by God to love all of God’s children and thus are called to care for them deeply as a loving sibling no matter what. We are well acquainted with the discrimination experienced by people of color or differing ethnicities, people who practice other religions, or the LGBTQ population who are all children of God we are called to love. I fear in the United States the divisiveness of politics has created additional pockets of hate like what the Moabite daughters-in-law faced. The Moabites are traditionally identified as the descendants of Lot, Abrahams nephew, Isaac’s cousin. The new discrimination which we must defeat is called tribalism.

What is it about human nature that seems to demand we measure our self-worth in comparison to others. Jesus never modeled such behavior. If anything, he spent more time with those who had little, the downtrodden, the outcast. Each human was created in the image of God and needs nothing more to establish his or her self-worth. It is imperative that when we encounter another human we first see that image of God in them and treat them as we would treat children of God.

Prayer: Help us to love others as Christ loves 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.

Loving Each Other

Living in the Spirit
October 29, 2018

Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-8

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband. –Ruth 1:1-5

A Bible study group, in which I am involved, is studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Of one thing I am sure from that study, Ezra and Nehemiah had no love for Moabites. They required the end of intermarriages between Israelites and all foreigners and specifically identified Moabites and Ammonites as outcasts. To say the least, they conveniently forgot that King David’s ancestors Ruth was a Moabite. Ezra supported his theology by referring to the Torah that records events before David was king. Apparently, he chose to ignore scriptures that encouraged welcoming strangers* and loving one’s neighbors**. Purity of heritage was vital in the minds of Ezra and Nehemiah. We who follow Christ must deal with these stories with the hindsight of the teachings of one who called us to welcome everyone.

Just as the post-exilic Israelites failed to benefit from these Torah based teachings, we today seem to be slipping toward similar mindsets regarding tribal superiority. Today I hear that a man was arrested for sending bombs in the mail to people representing a different political viewpoint than his. In Pittsburg, a man invades a Sabbath service in a synagogue killing and wounding several worshippers. I wonder if the problem is in the last part of the Jesus’ statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matthew 22:39b) Why do people need to establish that they are better than others to feel good about themselves? Why can they not love themselves as children of God and celebrate everyone else loving themselves too? How do we share that message without further separation and division?

Prayer: Oh, God, our Father
Christ, our Brother
All who live in love are thine
Teach us how to love each other***. Amen

*See Exodus 23:9 and Leviticus 19: 33-34
**See Leviticus 19:9-18
***Last verse of Joyful, Joyful by John Mark Hall / Bernie Herms see at tps://www.google.com/search?q=teach+us+how+to+love+each+other+lyrics&oq=teach+us+to+love+each&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.6919j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

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.

Integrity

Living in the Spirit
October 16, 2018

Scripture Reading: Job 38:1-7, (34-41)

‘Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
   so that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go
   and say to you, “Here we are”?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,
   or given understanding to the mind?
Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
   Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
when the dust runs into a mass
   and the clods cling together? 

‘Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
   or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
when they crouch in their dens,
   or lie in wait in their covert?
Who provides for the raven its prey,
   when its young ones cry to God,
   and wander about for lack of food? –Job 38:34-41

One of the candidates for a statewide office in my state is running on a platform of transparency in government, pledging to post all of the financial records of the state online for everyone to see. Having worked for one of the largest most complex agencies in the state for many years, when I first heard that I thought, he has no idea what that would be like. Millions of bits of information that would take pages of accompanying information to even begin to understand. While I do believe in transparency in government, I do not believe this would be a way to attain it. Most people get glassy-eyed just trying to read the pages of legalese attached to a new electronic device or app.

Government works most transparently when it has so much true integrity it can be trusted. The quote from Job above describes exactly such a reality between God and humans. God who is uniquely and completely in relationship with all God’s creation assures Job that God relates to him with true integrity and can be trusted. God sets the example for each of us and all of us together to respond to God with our intentional and continuous drive toward true integrity with God. God’s desire is for us to strive each day for true integrity with God and with all God’s creation.

We certainly should consider the measure of measure their integrity and trustfulness of the candidate for whom we vote, but that requires us to make sure we measure up to God’s desire for us to be trustworthy, responsible people.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I allow lust for power or greed interfere with my values and my integrity. 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.

Give Him My Heart

Living in the Spirit
October 14, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:17-31

Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ –Mark 10:28-31

Jesus’ response to Peter regarding those who had left everything to follow him follows the story of the rich young man who could not walk away from what he had. Jesus asked for a total commitment as a part of his plan to reshape the world. In general, our commitment requires us to use fully the talents and skills God instilled in us at our creation. The key element needed is to become the very best we can become for the right reason. I am reminded of these words:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him?
Give Him my heart*.

You may recognize this poem as the last stanza of the Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Midwinter. It is one of my favorite carols usually sung during epiphany. The author came from a well-educated artistic family. While they suffered a financial setback when the father contracted tuberculosis and depression, her background was rich in the classics and she became a popular poet.  Christina Rossetti understood clearly the driving force of her work: the furtherance of God’s love.

Prayer: God Who is Love, keep my focus accurate, forgive he when I stray toward things of little consequence that get in the way of my loving you and loving like you. Amen.

*What Can I give Him, Poor as I Am? By Christina Georgina Rossetti see at https://hymnary.org/text/what_can_i_give_him_poor_as_i_am

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.

Grace and Boldness

Living in the Spirit
October 12, 2018

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 4:12-16

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need –Hebrews 4:14-16

The proof is in the life lived; love is stronger than evil. Jesus became human and dwelt among us full of truth and grace*. Knowing what it is like being human gave Jesus special insight regarding how humans can grow in truth and grace. Perhaps God felt the need to intersect more closely with his human creations because of our long history of failures and successes in being the people God gave us the capacity to be but which we just could not consistently get right. Thus, God came to us in the person of Jesus who showed us the way, the truth, and the life and then went one step further offering grace when needed to fill the gaps as we strive toward perfection while occasionally missing the mark.

Paul used athletes as examples. Good athletes work hard every day to take care of their bodies honing them to maximize productivity.  They learn their plays and understand the importance of teamwork. Fans often forget the mental aspects of sports. Coaches do not forget. Often in after-game interviews, we hear a coach say, “She is smart in every play she makes.” All that is also a good formula for preparation in service to creating a kingdom ruled by love: commit to the cause, study to improve, practice, increase knowledge, and work well with others.

Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder does all those things. I watched him play in the first half of a preseason game recently. He missed the first four or five shots he took. He kept playing right, working well with his other teammates and made 26 points in that half. That is an example of what we are called to do in our service to God when Hebrews says we are to approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the fortitude to never give up as you guide us down right paths of service. Amen.

*See John 1:14 also Philippians 2:5–8

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.

Finding Common Ground

Living in the Spirit
October 10, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 22:1-15

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
   and by night, but find no rest.

Yet you are holy,
   enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
   they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved;
   in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. –Psalm 22:1-5

We look very much like our ancestors in faith described by the Hebrew prophets. They were split into sides each thinking they had the corner on God. Jesus understood this when he said ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. (Matthew 12:25)

People who claim to be Christ followers need to seek the things on which we can agree and work diligently to bring those things to full fruition and let the issues that divide us lay fallow for a while. Land left fallow is allowed the opportunity to regenerate its nurturing properties. I firmly believe that many of the divisive issues would disappear if we simply did what Jesus encourage us to do in Matthew 25:

  • Feed the hungry
  • Provide safe water for the thirsty
  • Clothe the naked
  • Care for the sick
  • Restore the prisoner
  • Welcome the stranger

Prayer:
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together in unity and love,
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together, together in love.
We are many textures, we are many colors,
Each one diff’rent from the others.
But we are entwined with one another
In one great tapestry….

 Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together in unity and love,
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together, together in love.
We are diff’rent instruments, playing our own melodies,
Each one tuning to a diff’rent key.
But we are all playing in har-mon-y
In one great symphony

 Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together in unity and love,
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together, together in love.
A moment ago, still we did not know
Our unity, only diversity.
Now the Christ in me greets the Christ in thee
In one great family* Amen.

* Music & Lyrics by Rosemary Crow Copyright 1979

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.