Tag Archives: Oneness

Being a Sanctuary for Others

Living in the Spirit

November 3, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? –2 Thessalonians 2:1-5

I have been aware of cults since I was a child from Jim Jones’ People’s Temple to QAnon today. I worked with a person several years ago who did not come to work one morning without notice. We found out later that she had traveled to a designated place for the Rapture and did not find it necessary to file for vacation time to be away. In her mind the world as we knew it would no longer exist.

When we look at the work of Jesus, we see authentic events with very real people being guided in loving themselves and loving one another—no mass suicides and no perverted sexual behavior, and no cabal of Satanic cannibalism. When I consider such cults, I think of the song title, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places*. While the song addresses looking for a life partner, I think we all have an innate need to know God, our creator, and live in fellowship with God. Part of our calling is to share our experience of God with others so that they can know there is more to life than negative patterns of behavior. I am sorry to say that I have observed people who moved further away from God because of misguided, judgmental experiences pressed on them in childhood that turned them off from seeking a relationship with God. Jesus never crammed God down anyone’s throat and neither should we. Jesus lived his love and so should we.

Prayer: Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord who came to save
The heart and soul of every man.
It is you Lord who knows my weakness,
Who gives me strength, with thine own hand*. Amen.

*Chorus and the first verse of Lord, Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary by John Thompson, Randy Scruggs

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.

A New Song

Living in the Spirit

November 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

O sing to the Lord a new song,
   for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
   have gained him victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;
   he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
   to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
   the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
  make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. –Psalm 98: 1-6

I am more than ready to sing a new song, but it must be the right song. I am tired of hatred and violence and the attitude that if I say it, it is true. I want a new song that spreads the love of God while not using God as one more trick in a political scheme for power.

The new song I want is actually a very old song reaching all the way back to Leviticus 19:18, You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Jesus added an exclamation mark to this commandment in Mark 12:28–31.

Singing a new song, restoring an ancient one requires intentionality. Humans naturally develop habits making life somewhat simpler. All habits are not good. Over time and with changes in our lives some habits take our time but are no longer meaningful to our lives. We need to develop positive habits making it impossible for us not to love our neighbors.

Prayer: Lord, make us uncomfortable with the bad habits we have picked up in our lives, and crowd those bad habits out with new habits singing a new song.  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.

Responding to Disaster

Living in the Spirit

October 31, 2022

Scripture Reading: Haggai 1:15b-2:9

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts. –Haggai 2:1-9

I just watched on the news people from neighborhoods in Florida who did not experience as much damage in the hurricane as other bringing the simple necessities of life to the ruined areas. Diapers and toothpaste and all kinds of things we take for granted were welcomed with tears. That news helped me understand how the people of Israel may have felt when they returned to a ruined Jerusalem. The messages scattered through this scripture applied to those returning from exile apply to us today–take courage, work for God is with you, and do not fear. While it was not in the above scripture it is in scripture: love your neighbor as you love yourself as the neighbors in Florida did. (Leviticus 19:17-18, Mark 12:31)

Prayer: Lord, help us be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves*. Amen.

*James 1:22

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.

Fight or Negotiate

Living in the Spirit

October 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

For some reason, the idea that Jesus was the ultimate judge and none of the rest of us has that job has resonated with me. That is the main reason I am against the use of the death penalty. We are playing God in demanding such final judgment. That is not to say that I have perfected not judging others and we must make some judgments as we work with other people. Our judicial system is designed explicitly to mediate the differences among people. I named this website after one of the first mentioned judges in the Bible, Deborah. She settled disputes between people and otherwise did things to enable others to do what was right.

We as a nation are losing the ability to seek common ground for the Common Good. Our candidates for office proclaim they will fight for us. That really scares me because in many cases I disagree with the candidate’s stance on an issue.  I want to be represented by people willing to study a problem, identify ways to address it, and together make the most prudent plan to solve it. It is hard work requiring the participants to rethink their viewpoints and seek higher ground for all involved and impacted by those who represent us.

Prayer:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground*. Amen.

*Refrain from I’m pressing on the upward way by Johnson Oatman, Jr. see at https://hymnary.org/text/im_pressing_on_the_upward_way

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.

Pour Out Your Spirit on Us

Living in the Spirit

October 17, 2022

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:23-32

O children of Zion, be glad
   and rejoice in the Lord your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
   he has poured down for you abundant rain,
   the early and the later rain, as before.
The threshing-floors shall be full of grain,
   the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

Then afterwards
   I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
   your old men shall dream dreams,
   and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
   in those days, I will pour out my spirit. –Joel 2:23-24,28-29

Oklahoma is suffering a drought, causing catastrophic outcomes for the state. There is not enough grass to feed cattle. Even where grass might have been available, fires turned the trees and other plants into ash. While the rain that fell last night was accompanied by high winds and hail, it was a blessing.  

As we recover from the avalanche of COVID and are learning to live with its ongoing impacts, we, too are suffering its consequences. Businesses are trying to find a new normal, our supply systems are not as streamlined as we want them to be causing delays in finding what we need contributing to inflation, and a war in Europe is adding to our challenges. We somehow find ourselves in a divide-and-conquer world unable to find common ground for the Common Good. If ever we needed the Lord to pour his spirit on all of us and show us the way to a beloved community, we need it now.

Prayer: Lord, pour out your spirit on us and help us to build a more loving world. 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.

Sharing Christ

Living in the Spirit

October 13, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, and equipped for every good work. –2 Timothy 3:14-17

From whom did you learn it? Paul wrote this probably with himself in mind, but in 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul lifts up Timothy’s mother and grandmother,

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

We all have someone in our lives who have left their imprint on our souls. I often describe my mother as the world’s greatest egalitarian. I occasionally see that trait in myself and my siblings. My dad gave me the joy of music in celebrating the love of God.

Beyond family, my faith life has been touched by pastors and Sunday school teachers. I was recently reminded of the teachings of two of my professors as I read their obituaries. Dr. Robert Simpson introduced me to finding faith in literature, and Dr. Joe Jones reminded this justice nut of the need to consider the forces of principalities and powers.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

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. Ephesians 6:12 (NRSV)

What we all must consider is how we are modeling Christ for the next generations.

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

Refrain:
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.

2 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.

Prayer: Lord, make us a blessing for someone today. Amen.

First and second verses and the refrain of 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.

Borders

Living in the Spirit

October 8, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

My first thought when I read this scripture was that there is no region between Samaria and Galilee. And, yes, I agree that is a strange thing to get hung up on when reading the Bible. Not wanting to depend on my memory I pulled up a map and, indeed, much of Samaria and Galilee share a border. On the eastern boundary, however, there is an area between Samaria and Galilee which is an extension of the Decapolis that consisted of several Hellenistic cities*. Samaritans and Jews had a long history of disagreement and avoided each other as much as possible. Jesus did not avoid anyone. He wandered not only through Sumara but also through the Hellenistic cities of the Decapolis. He modeled for us that there are no borders in the Kingdom of God.

Why are borders so important to us? Social scientists call it ethnocentricity, which means we are inclined to regard one’s own race or social group as the center of culture**.  As we interact with “the other” we often discover that they may have customs that are more practical or easier than ours and they may learn from some of our practices. We only hurt ourselves by bordering off “the others” who are our neighbors.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the worth in each person and culture we encounter. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decapolis

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

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.

Either Or

Living in the Spirit

October 7, 2022

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-15

Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. –2 Timothy 2:14-15

I have spent much of my life as a policy analyst “wrangling over words.” I remember once discussing with a federal partner a plan for a program we were implementing. The federal rule stated that the state could do this activity or that activity. We submitted our plan to do both. The federal person notified us that we had to pick one. I counter that if that was the case they needed to have said states could do either this activity or that activity and referred her to the unabridged dictionary for the meaning of the word “or.” Truth be told we were already doing both activities and wanted to get as many federal dollars for the program as we could. I failed except they did add the word “either” in the regulation. This was a good-natured discourse, but all are not.

How do we avoid wrangling that is divisive? I think the most important thing we must do when communicating with others is to practice the art of not only listening but also hearing what the other is saying. We must try to determine the cause of the difference of opinion. That is particularly important regarding discussions among people with different worldviews. Getting to know someone outside the parameters of the subject being discussed is very helpful. Opening ourselves to others so they can see us as a person rather than an enemy helps.

The idea this scripture suggests is that God is a third presence in any dialogue we might have. We should recognize God as a source of better understanding of another person, and we should never say anything to anyone without realizing we are saying it also to God.  

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our communications with others as we strive to develop the beloved community. 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.

Letters of Love

Living in the Spirit

September 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. –2 Timothy 1:3-7

There is a lot between the lines of this scripture because it is a letter to a friend who can fill in the blanks. Why would someone think the author might not have a clear conscience, why was Timothy crying? Were those tears of joy or pain or being overwhelmed Timoty shed? What was the connection between Timothy’s family and his need to rekindle the gift of God he had received? While we will never know the answers to these questions, they illustrate well the importance of sharing in community with others who are striving to build the beloved community. No matter what the details of the correspondents’ lives are, the advice closing out this scripture is good for all of us. God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

I am a coward about some things but hopefully not the things that matter. My greatest fear is through my advocacy work, I might make things worse. Therein lies the need to recognize that we are graced by a spirit of power and of love with whom we need to maintain open communication, and that requires self-discipline.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace of your love that fills the gaps in our ability to serve you as you completely. 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.

Building a Faith Foundation

Living in the Spirit

September 23, 2022

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. –1 Timothy 6:11-19

do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future,

What we do today builds the foundation for our future, for everyone’s futures. When I was a child, I remember seeing tons of trash along the highway driving from our farm the fifteen miles to the town of Stillwater. People just threw napkins and sacks out the windows of their cars. The trash landed in the ditches and stuck to the fences. I guess someone got tired of seeing it. The Governor introduced a campaign called Don’t Lay That Trash on Oklahoma! Cute ads ran on television. Groups of people went out and speared trash into bags to remove what was already strewn about. The campaign worked and made a major difference in showing we cared about our world. We laid a solid foundation that remains intact today.

In the scripture above, Timothy was instructed to lay the foundations in following Christ that must be instilled into our faith culture to build the beloved community. The foundation Jesus set modeled for us in his life, the way of living by loving God and loving one another. We are called to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.

Prayer: Lord, help us build the foundation to support the beloved community. 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.