Living in the Spirit

July 28, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:129-136
Your decrees are wonderful;
   therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
   it imparts understanding to the simple.
With open mouth I pant,
   because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   as is your custom towards those who love your name.
Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
   and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from human oppression,
   that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant,
   and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears
   because your law is not kept.

This is a beautiful conversation with God. A very human one. It first, recognizes the importance of God’s decrees and then deals with the all too human beings that we each are trying to live up to them. I must confess I do not know if the phrase Redeem me from human oppression means the person praying is being oppressed or has or is oppressing others. Both are applicable. The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35) describes that reality. We can both be oppressed and be the oppressor. Thus, it is important to maintain a close relationship with God and a routine of daily self-examination of our actions and attitudes.

Prayer: Lord, save your people from oppression and cleanse us from being oppressors. 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 in the Spirit

July 27, 2023

Scripture Reading:

1 Kings 3:5-12
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.

In my other avocation of advocacy, I have been trying to understand how our governance got to where it is from where it began. I have realized that our beginning as a nation was just as chaotic as the current status.  How do we discern truth, and how do we advocate for it? Most of the people I know who have very different viewpoints than I have are as certain that they know the truth as I am. How do we find common ground for the Common Good? More importantly, how do we understand that our future will be driven by our finding that common ground? We must also realize that finding the Common Good is not like an economic deal caught in a power struggle on which many of our governmental decisions are made. We trade what is good for “we the people” for what is good for the 1%.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our discourse with others. Lead us to the understanding that guides us toward your Kingdom here on earth.. 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 in the Spirit

July 26, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 128
Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
   who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
   you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you

.Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
   around your table.
Thus shall the man be blessed
   who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you from Zion.
   May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
   all the days of your life.
May you see your children’s children.
   Peace be upon Israel!

Jesus longed for a world where everyone had enough. Enough love, family, friendship, enough food, shelter, clothing, enough education, health, and justice. He modeled some of these qualities in each of his parables and actions. We are called to follow his example.

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.

Chorus to the 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.

Living in the Spirit

July 25, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b

He is the Lord our God;
   his judgments are in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever,
   of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
   his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
   to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan
   as your portion for an inheritance.’

that they might keep his statutes
   and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord! –Psalm 105:7-11, 45b

God does God’s part; God expects us to do our part. I fear we depend on God being there for us without regard to how dedicated we are following God’s ways, described in the Ten Commandments. Jesus instructed us that the greatest Commandment is loving God, followed by loving our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40.), left us with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and even tells us how he judges us in Matthew 25;36-41. We might do well to refresh our memories regarding what is expected of us.

Prayer: Lord, create in us the right spirit to follow you more nearly. 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 in the Spirit

July 24, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 29:15-28

Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me for another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. –Genesis 29:21-28

Jacob got a taste of his own medicine. He loved Rachel and asked for her hand in marriage, but he was tricked by his Uncle Laban, who became his father-in-law. Jacob loved Laban’s younger daughter Rachel, but Laban thought his older daughter needed to be wed first, and he made that happen. Later, Jacob also married  Rachel.

We see this happen in our political system all the time. It is a system run by the attitude of “What’s in it for me?” without regard to the best thing to do for the country, state, or city that the politician represented.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to the things we do that may not be the best for all involved. 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 in the Spirit

July 23, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’ –Matthew 13:24-30

Driving through the southern USA a few years ago, I was devastated when I saw fields that looked like a fire had left them barren, but unlike a fire, there were no new plants springing up. That was my first experience with the weed Kudzu. Kudzu is a climbing, semi-woody, perennial vine in the pea family that kills other plants by smothering them under a blanket of leaves and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through the sheer force of its weight. Kudzu is edible. When does weed become a source of nutrition?

Growing up on a farm, I learned early to appreciate vegetables and fruits straight from the garden. We also carefully identified and picked the edible “weeds” that grew wild across our pastures. I loved Lamb’s Quarter.

I guess I am trying to say that one of the reasons we do not kill what we identify as “weeds” in our lives is that they may not be weeds at all. If treated and understood properly, they could be great sources of nutrition.  God created the earth, and all that is on it. God is the one who can discern weeds from the sources of food for our lives.

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.

Living in the Spirit

July 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:12-25

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. –Romans 8:18-25

Weird weather is not the only bad omen we are experiencing as the suffering of this present time. I found it unbelievable that the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law this spring that outlaws investment companies from doing business in Oklahoma that refuse to do business with oil and gas companies because those investment companies are dedicated to addressing climate change. We refuse to realize that the way we have always done things is not the way of the future, and we cannot accept it.

I sense, however, that we are at a prime moment where we can move closer to the beloved community as we are forced to face the challenges of our time. Besides climate change, poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the USA. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that in 2022 45% of Oklahoma children did not attain even a basic reading level. Other statistics about Oklahoma are just as grim. It is time that we face our problems and find ways to fix them rather than bury our heads in the sand.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to the actions we can take now to help alleviate the problems in our state. 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 in the Spirit

July 21, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 86:11-17
Teach me your way, O Lord,
   that I may walk in your truth;
   give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
   and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love towards me;
   you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the insolent rise up against me;
   a band of ruffians seeks my life,
   and they do not set you before them.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
   give your strength to your servant;
   save the child of your serving-maid.
Show me a sign of your favor
   so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
   because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

This psalm ties together being taught The Lord’s ways and living them, not being divided. It is one thing to know what is right and another to live it. I believe that the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, for example, teach us how to function in society one with all others. Those of us who cut our teeth on both scriptures often stray away from them ourselves while judging others for not following “God’s ways” that are not actually in any scripture and divide ourselves from God by doing one thing that we are taught, not judging others.

Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. –Mathew 7:1-5

We have become a society where we cannot believe anything we hear. Leaders tell us that if they said it, it is true when it is not. Greed is one of the most respected traits in our society. Adultery is normal.

And of course, we must remember and live the most important Commandment.

Mark 12:30-31–you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’

Prayer: Lord, help us to Do [our] best to present [ourselves] to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15). 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 in the Spirit

July 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44:6-8
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
   and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
   besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
   let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?
   Let them tell us what is yet to be.
Do not fear, or be afraid;
   have I not told you from of old and declared it?
   You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
   There is no other rock; I know not one.

God is still God, but the world we live in is changing. God is still God, and we are responsible for following God’s lead as we enter this changing world.   Climate change may be the best example of our new way of being. We kept our heads in the sand as long as we were making money on the actions that were creating climate change. Eventually, we realized there may be something wrong and started recycling, making the simplest responses we could to quell the coming storm. Each evening this week, I have watched on the news highways buckling under out-of-control flooding, reports of children being swept away, and temperatures breaking all kinds of records worldwide. We pay a high price for our greed.

God is still God. God still loves us and wants the very best for all God’s children. God has shown us the way by giving us a Savior that models how we are to live in the new world God desires for us, the Kingdom of God, The Beloved Community.  The idea of our living in such a way that all of God’s children have enough in a safe and welcoming world is as old as time. It is time to revisit building the Beloved Community and practice Christ’s teaching.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for getting so caught up in the ways of the world that we forget the ways of the Beloved Community. Turn us around and guide us as we work toward the Kingdom of God. 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 in the Spirit

July 19, 2023

Scripture Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19

For neither is there any god besides you, whose care is for all people,
to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly;
For your strength is the source of righteousness,
and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all.
For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power,
and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness,
and with great forbearance you govern us;
for you have power to act whenever you choose. –Solomon 12:13, 16-18

For neither is there any god besides you, whose care is for all people; this scripture is important in our day as we castigate individuals for being what God created them to be. Others suffer from diseases that set them apart for shame or ridicule. Why do we feel the need to belittle others? Does it make us feel better about ourselves? We are commanded by God to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. I have concluded that we mistreat and miss frame others because we do not, for whatever reason, love ourselves. We think that for us to be people of worth, we must be better than someone else. That simply is not true. God created all in his image. Some work at being misfits, I assume, because they think it will draw attention they desperately need, whether good or bad. That, too, is a way of not loving oneself.

Spend some time praying and meditating, asking God, do I love myself, and what does it mean to love myself?

Prayer: Lord, help us to understand what it means to love ourselves so we can follow your commandment to love others. 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.