Tag Archives: Oneness

Bind Us Together

Living in the Spirit

September 9, 2021

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. –James 3:1-5a

I do not see myself as a teacher. I did teach 5th graders in Sunday School one year when I was in college that I think went well. However, I was a complete failure with 5-year-olds when I was asked to teach another Sunday School class. While on paper, I may be listed as a teacher at adult Sunday school and Bible study, I identify myself as a facilitator. Many in these groups are older, more studied, and wiser than I am. I make coffee, order materials, raise questions to keep the discussion going, and I have learned a lot over the years through these processes. I do often pray, guard my tongue, O Lord. Depending on the translation, there are at least 100 verses in the Bible that give this instruction. Some use the word “mouth” rather than “tongue.” I have also learned through experience that it is essential to gauge one’s timing when a comment might be apt but not appropriate at the moment. I am still working on that.

In times like these, dialogue among both people we know, and strangers is vital to address our world’s divisiveness. We are all afraid of the COVID virus, whether we want to admit it or not. There is much uncertainty regarding ending the war in Afghanistan. Many are too busy trying to survive while rebuilding following a significant storm and fires. What does the future hold? Are we now ready to address climate change? Can we give peace a chance in a world full of injustice and terrorists? What difference can I make toward addressing such complex issues?

God created us with brains and hearts and gifted each person with skills and talents. God created us to work together as one. The only way we can do that is to meet one another with respect and seek common ground for the common good, remembering Matthew 18:20, For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Prayer:

BIND US TOGETHER, Lord, Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken.
Bind us together, Lord,
Bind us together,
Bind us together with love*. Amen.

Refrain from song Bind us Together by Bob Gillman, see at https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/bind-us-together-bob-gillman/

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.

Divided We Fall

Living in the Spirit

September 6, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom cries out in the street;
   in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
   at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
   and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
   I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
   have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
and because you have ignored all my counsel
   and would have none of my reproof,

I also will laugh at your calamity;
   I will mock when panic strikes you,
when panic strikes you like a storm,
   and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
   when distress and anguish come upon you. –Proverbs 1:20-27

There is something very chilling in our country about the division surrounding precautions to reduce the spread of a deadly virus. There seems to be an emptiness in people’s lives that they are trying to fill by demanding rights that are not in their best interest.  Wearing masks has nothing to do with the type or quality of education. It has to do with health and safety. If the city notified a school that the water in their system was contaminated with e coli, everything possible would be done to assure that children did not contact the water. Schools must meet the standards for fire safety and are routinely inspected to ensure that they comply. Strick health and safety requirements guide the preparation of food. So why is protecting children and school staff from a virus different?

Our politics have become our gods. While we try to weave the one true God into the framework of our politics, we are failing. I do not think the Lord appreciates being used as a pawn for politicians to garner more support, and I am sure we will account for it at some point.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for drifting so far afield from your plan for us that we claim our ways are your ways. Turn us around and show us how to love our way out of this quagmire. 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 the Beatitudes

Living in the Spirit

September 4, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 7:24-37

From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. –Mark 7:24-30

I love this scripture for an unusual reason. Jesus demonstrates that everyone can hold inappropriate opinions of others, and anyone can change once they see each person as a child of God. We never know everything about anyone. We do not know if someone has a toothache or just had a dispute with their child or is facing bankruptcy. Often, we misread people’s actions as being hostile toward us. While I think it is important to police our behavior to make sure we are not taking out our frustrations on someone else, we need to broaden our understanding of others by getting to know them better.

‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. –Matthew 5:38-42

This scripture from Matthew 5 is part of The Beatitudes. It might be interesting to try practicing the Beatitudes and see how our lives and our world improves.

Prayer: God of Justice and Mercy, help is to see your image within each person we meet along the way. 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.

Shared Resources

Living in the Spirit

August 31, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

When I moved to Denver in 1975, I took water for granted. Yes, I was coming from a state that the Dust Bowl had ravaged, but that had been several years earlier. We did have years with less rain than other years, but water was readily available. In Denver, I learned that the Colorado River was the primary source of water, and it must be protected; it had to last forever if the people of that region were to survive. Unfortunately, the news recently reported that the Colorado River was quickly receding and may soon be unable to preserve the life it had supported for so long. Scientists and others were searching for solutions while the people worked to conserve the water that they have. They may have learned from the history of the Dust Bowl that we must care for the earth if it is to sustain our lives.

The Dust Bowl resulted from a combination of climate change, several seasons of drought, and farming practices primarily designed to get maximum crop production. The flatlands of Oklahoma could produce much more wheat and other crops if the land were plowed in long straight rows. The farmers who settled in Oklahoma from areas that were not so flat took the fullest advantage of those straight rows. Thus, after many weeks without rain and when the wind came sweeping down the plain*, it picked up the topsoil and sent it flying to other parts of the country. Significant changes in farming practices were required to return the earth to fertile ground. Part of this was a lack of knowledge regarding farming on flat land and other terrains. Part was greed to produce as many crops as possible.

The above scripture reminds us that humans tend to see and hear what they want rather than face reality. The truth is, we must cohabit the world with one another, sharing its abundance and its natural wonders so that it can continue to sustain us so all can have enough of the necessities of life.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the reality before us and adjust our lives to assure that the earth can survive and all can have enough. Amen.

*Lyric from the song Oklahoma see at https://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/oklahoma/oklahoma.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.

Proactive Love

Living in the Spirit

August 28, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the g tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honors me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
   teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’ –Mark 7:1-8

The experts recommend washing hands and using hand sanitizer as a response to the COVID pandemic. The use of social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand washing has proved to be a boon in preventing other contagious diseases. I have bad sinuses, and sometime in March, when they are at their worst responding to allergens, I had few problems at all. I attributed that to the COVID precautions and will be wearing my masks this fall to protect from allergens. Many of the religious rituals like hand washing became standard practice probably because observant people recognized that disease was reduced when hands were washed. And that was a good thing. I have always thought the rules about not eating pork grew out of recognizing that eating pork killed people. We now know that it was not the pork but the worms, Trichinosis, inhabiting the pigs that were the deadly culprit. Changing cooking methods killed the worms and made pork safer to eat.

When we read this, most of us think we should wash our hands before we handle food. That is not Jesus’ point. Jesus wants us to be healthy but being precautious about germs or worms is not a substitute for the commandment of God. Jesus told us the overriding commandment of all is loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Indeed, one way we can love our neighbors is not to expose them to deadly diseases. God expects more out of us than obeying healthy habits or not, especially when it involves protecting our neighbors and ourselves from harm’s way.

Prayer: Lord, help us make your priorities our priorities. 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.

The Importance of Hope

Living in the Spirit

August 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Song of Solomon 2:8-13  
The voice of my beloved!
   Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
   bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
   or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
   behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
   looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away;

for now the winter is past,
   the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
   the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
   is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,

   and the vines are in blossom;
   they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away.

While reading this scripture, I was reminded of the works of Victor Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz who taught us how to find the meaning of life drawn from his experience in the very depths of desperation.  He longed for the end of the winter in which he found himself. Two of his thoughts particularly struck me as relevant for a people striving to deal with loving our neighbors as we love ourselves amid a pandemic that does not discriminate who it attacks.

Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.

We face nothing as atrocious as the Holocaust. Yet, we serve the same God that Frankl and many others turned to from the hell of the camps. We can learn from their knowledge and recognize that our calling is to be responsible and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

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.

Simply Love

Living in the Spirit

August 22, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 6:56-69

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.‘ –John 6:66-69

The parable of the Sower* comes to mind when I read the above scripture. In it Jesus quotes Isaiah, saying
 “You will indeed listen, but never understand,
   and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull,
   and their ears are hard of hearing,
     and they have shut their eyes;
     so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
   and I would heal them.” –Matthew 13:14b-15 (Isaiah 6:9)

Some things never change. People believed what they wanted to believe in the 8th Century BCE, the 1st Century CE, and today. The only difference is our modern means of communication provide a stressful abundance of opinions and interpretations through which we must wade. When people claim to follow the Bible, we now must discern whose understanding is correct.

Jesus’ teachings were indeed hard for some to accept. Today though, I fear, those of us who claim to be Christians are turning new practitioners away because our faith has become a contest of who owns the royalty to God’s Word, and such division is not inviting to someone in search of God. While Jesus’ teachings are challenging, thus, we may not want to follow them, but they are simple: Love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, we see life as more complicated than you intended. Forgive us for not understanding your ways. Open our hearts and minds to follow Jesus’ example of love. Amen.

*See Matthew 13:1-23

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 Nurture

Living in the Spirit

August 21, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 6:56-69

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’ –John 6:56-65

My first thought on reading this scripture was to wonder why I have to deal with it twice in the same month. I can usually follow the subject matter path of those who created the lectionary set for readers each week. Some are easier to perceive than others. My sense regarding the emphasis on eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood is a call that, to follow him, we must be fully committed. All the New Testament was written after the crucifixion and the resurrection. Just as we relate our lives to extraordinary or traumatic events, so did the authors of the New Testament. Jesus’ followers had to accept that his death was necessary for their salvation and the realization of Christ’s Kingdom throughout the world. The flesh must die before it can be eaten, providing the nourishment for the consumers to fulfill their responsibilities.

During these days of trauma, we need to lean into God’s nourishment for our souls. We must cling to God’s love as we struggle to deal with the worst pandemic in our history, earthquakes and other climate-related events that are exceeding records, and the ending of a twenty-year war for which there are no good immediate answers or outcomes.

Prayer: Lord, surround all our world leaders and us with your love so we can fulfill our call to work toward a kingdom ruled by love. Amen

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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.

Better Together

Living in the Spirit

August 17, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18  

‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’

Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’ –Joshua 24:14-18.

When reading scriptures related to idols, I fear that our minds go to effigies that people venerated, laying gifts at their feet. Our idols are more subtle but not significantly different. We worship power, wealth, prestige, and anything that will put us ahead of others. While these are attributes of the world, we have adapted them well into our systems of faith. In-crowds oversee most houses of worship and denominational leadership.

 I was guilty of building such a system when I started supervising staff in my government role. In a training session on types of personalities in which all my staff participated, I was shocked to see that a third of them fit the same profile that I did. The designation was the least prevalent in the general population. I was partial to people like me. From that point forward, I intentionally tried to be opened to other types of viewing the world. It takes more work on everyone’s part to bring different perspectives together, but the results are worth the breadth of understanding.

That is the beauty of the USA. We have among our population people from all over the world with varied skills and talents. We are at our best when we recognize all our people’s vast talents and experiences, including those whose families arrived generations ago and those coming today. There is nothing in God’s divine plan that outlines a hierarchy of worth. All God’s children were created with something good to contribute to building a better world. Our job as Christ-followers is to do everything we can to enable all to fulfill their call to serve the Lord together.

Prayer: God, help us see the talents and skills of others and guide us in enabling all to fulfill your purpose. 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.

Feeling at Home in the Kingdom of God

Living in the Spirit

August 9, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt-offerings on that altar. 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. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.‘ –1 Kings 3:3-14

In a democracy with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, we should be able to look in the mirror and see the reflection of our government looking back at us. I fear we can. We are a house divided and do not seem willing or able to seek what is good for all because we think our way is the right way and thus the only way. We have lost our moral fiber to do what is best for all the people, not just for ourselves or people like us.  Solomon asked the right question initially but got caught up in the love of money and power. While his service in office may have been spectacular in its buildings and international intrigue, he left it in shambles, causing the kingdom to split, which began the downfall of a great nation. How do we measure what a great country is by wealth and power, or how well it cares for itself and all its neighbors—a nation ruled by love. We know that love is the ruling factor in God’s Kingdom.  We might be surprised when God’s Kingdom comes to full fruition and find we feel like strangers.

Prayer: Give your servant(s) therefore an understanding mind(s) to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; 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.