Tag Archives: Oneness with God

A New and Right Spirit

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

February 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:1-17

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy|
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit. –Psalm 51:1-12

Verse 10 is a daily prayer for me. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For me, it is important to address my missing the mark as quickly as possible, but that can only happen if we acknowledge and are aware of what we have done. We seem to have an epidemic in our nation where we project our interpretation of our actions as something that may not be God’s interpretation. We must be in a close enough relationship with God to have a new and right spirit.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 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.

Syncing with God

Eastertide

April 21, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John, the writer of Revelation, opens his letters to the seven churches with an extensive description of the Lord. John does this to help his readers understand that he is well acquainted with all the manifestations of God. John is establishing his credentials for writing letters of judgment, with warnings in some, sympathy in others, to help those churches mature in faith and in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. The letters are, indeed, a good study of how communities of faith work and don’t work. They encourage such communities to stay on top of what is right and what is wrong with their practices and to make corrections as necessary.

I seem to have a need, at some times more than others, to start my prayers with elaborate naming of the various aspects of God in my relationship with God. I sometimes quote scripture, like Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Now, I am sure God knows all that already. I am really credentialing myself in preparation for communing with God. Being aware of our characteristics helps us better communicate as we try to get in sync with God. I remember well when I first took the Myers-Briggs personality types* survey and learned that I was an INTJ. I quickly turned to the descriptions of an INTJ and read among the negatives that they tend to take things personally. I thought, “I do not take things personally, how dare they”, and realized in that response I just did. I must accept that life is not always all about me. That is just one example but being aware of such things about ourselves helps us work, love, and further the development of the kingdom of God better.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand better who we are and how we function so that we can serve you more completely. Amen.

*For more information see https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.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.

God’s Beloved

Ordinary Time

January 11, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
   and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
   and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
   that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
   and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
   and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
   and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
   and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
   so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
   so shall your God rejoice over you.

I just arrived home from attending my brother-in-law’s funeral. He and my sister had been married for 58 years. She and their children carefully crafted a service I think Bill liked. He was a storyteller, and they had compiled short stories that described who he was and who he was not in some instances. Bill was rich in helping and welcoming others but was not much into pomp and circumstances. While he worked at various jobs, he was a farmer at heart. One of his grandsons just posted about the service on social media ending his comments by saying Now he is walking with God in heaven farming and taking care of cattle.

A lot of marriages do not last two years, much less 58. So, Isaiah is talking in the scripture above about the permanence of our relationship with God using as an example the marriage relationship that when well lived, in the good times and the bad, is an eternal source of joy and love to both God and us God’s beloved.

Prayer: Lord, we asked today for special blessings for my sister and her descendants as they grieve the loss of their beloved one. Help us always be a delight to you as we seek to live your 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.

Forever Together

Advent

December 13, 2021

Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
   from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
   when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
   to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

Keeping a relationship with the One Supreme God is necessary to meet basic needs, live securely in the world, and be at peace. As described by Micah in the above Scripture, the manifestation of the one to come will lead all God’s people in forming such a relationship. However, problems arise throughout the history of God when people become distracted and led away from the ways of God. Our greatest temptation as we reach places of comfort and abundance is no longer to feel the need for such a relationship. It is the story of the self-made billionaire. None of us were self-made; none of us pulled ourselves up from our bootstraps. Where did the boots come from in the first place? God created all people and endowed them with skills and talents nourished along the way by a hug, an example, or a cup of water. Most of us were blest with various mentors and enablers along the way. And yes, many of us put in long hours of hard work to succeed. God created us for a purpose. 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. (Luke 12:48)

We, as Christ-followers, now identify the one the prophet foretold as Jesus, who came to us as an infant, was nurtured by loving parents, and grew into the one who paved the road for us to follow toward forming a sustaining relationship with the One Supreme God. We call him by many names; one is God with Us.

Prayer: Lord of all, forgive us when we think we no longer need to be in a relationship with you. As we move closer and closer to celebrating the birth of God with Us, kindle in us the fire of your love forever. 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.

I Come to the Garden

i-come-to-the-gardenLiving in the Spirit
November 20, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 23:33-43

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ –Luke 23:39-43

What is your vision of Paradise? Often Paradise is describe using our most exuberant descriptions of material wealth. The word translated in our scripture today as paradise is an ancient Persian word meaning enclosure, garden, park*. My mother experienced paradise every time she entered a garden. I, on the other hand, experienced extreme sinus symptoms working in the garden. Early in my life, I was left in the house with indoor chores to work on while others did the garden work. While I did not particularly enjoy garden work, I appreciate gardens of all types and thus my idea of paradise might be the ability to spend time among the flowers sans the sinus issues.

So, what is Jesus granting the man on the cross? An enclosed garden is safe from predators  that might bring harm. Gardens provide sustenance for life. Gardens require regular attention and care. Parks are places for not only fun in abandon, but also quiet reflection. Gardens are foundational to an abundant life.

Jesus liked to hang out in gardens. I guess that was his closest place to home, ours too.

Prayer: Lord, in a time when we hunger for closeness to you, place us in gardens of love and service and be very present with us. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/3857.htmAll 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 AmericanUsed by permission. All rights reserved.