Tag Archives: Oneness

The Importance of Remnants

Discipleship

February 9, 2021

Scripture Reading:
2 Kings 2:1-12

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. –2 Kings 9:12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. –Hebrews 12:1-3

Losing a mentor is tough. It marks the time when one is left alone without that steadfast presence of the one who has guided us thus far.  No wonder Elisha grasped his clothing and tore them in pieces at Elijah’s departure. Asking for a double share of Elijah’s spirit tells me Elisha was ready to step out in faith and fulfill his calling.

I also like the statement from Hebrews quoted above. We have an entire history of God’s acts and followers on which to build our work. That great cloud of witnesses ebbed and flowed over time. Large crowds gathered around Jesus. Yet, his Word was shared by a few until it reached the whole earth. Remnant is the word often used in the Bible to describe those small groups who preserver and keep the faith.

If we are feeling like a remnant, that may be a good thing to be. My mother was an excellent seamstress. She preferred to create something new from used clothing, like the clothing Elisha tore from his body. Mom used every piece of fabric available. Her favorite quilt was called a crazy quilt. It consisted of little fragments of cloth sewn together, perhaps trimmed a bit, in every which way until it became a thing of beauty that was also a source of warmth during the coldest times. I think right now; we are being called to be the remnants that gather to bring the beauty and warmth of God’s love to a divided world.

Prayer: Lord, piece us together to bring your loving warmth to the whole 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.

God’s Inclusion

Discipleship

February 5, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:16-23

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

How inclusive are we? Who do we want to join our churches? How do we alter our approach to others based on what we perceive to be their need rather than how important or impressive we are? We have a caste system in the USA that locks people into categories that lock them out of full participation in our world and carries over into our churches.

Many years ago, I knew of a church that was outstanding in offering help to others. This all-white church was contacted to help an African American family who lived near the church whose primary breadwinner was injured, and the family suddenly found themselves destitute. This church gave them food, paid the rent for a couple of months, and provided other services. The man who had been injured visited the church after his recovery. When the pastor invited anyone who would like to join or profess their faith in Jesus Christ, the man went forward. The pastor welcomed him with open arms and said I think Joe wants to thank us for all we have done for him and his family. The man did not lift his eyes. He did say softly into the microphone thank you. The pastor gave the closing prayer. The man got the message he was not welcomed as a part of the church. Feeding the hungry etc., is an essential role for all Christ-followers. It does not substitute for loving all our brothers and sisters who God created. God does not judge anyone by how well they are fulfilling the world’s expectations of them. People do.

Prayer: Lord, make us mindful when our actions turn others away from you. Teach us to love as Jesus loved. 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.

Knowing the Gospel We are To Share

Discipleship

February 4, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe betide me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. –1 Corinthians

If we proclaim the gospel, we will do well to know it to the best of our ability. The gospels include Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but they are implanted amid the history of God’s acts in the world both before Jesus and after the resurrection. Understanding these four books requires a good knowledge of that history. Some of it is quoted in the gospels. Being aware of the worldview held, both in the life of Jesus and in the church’s development, is also helpful. Studying the worldviews since the Bible was compiled shows us how the world can redirect the teachings of Christ—identifying that in history provides a means for our understanding of how our worldview is affecting our faith practices today.

My genealogy work for most of the families I trace has me now scouring records from the 1600 and 1700 hundreds in the United States. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were the time wedged between the Document of Discovery*and Manifest Destiny** that set down God’s blessings on displacing the New World’s indigenous people. Black slaves began to be imported into the New World in 1619.  I knew that one of my great grandfathers was a captain in the Confederacy and a slave owner in the mid-1800s. I have been surprised at how many of my ancestors living here before the Revolutionary War were slave owners, too. Our Constitution’s original language provides that enslaved blacks in a state would be counted as three-fifths of a person to determine a state’s allocated seats in Congress. Enslaved blacks were only included because the states that had many slaves wanted more representation. The 3/5th designation was deemed enough to be counted but not to vote.

We can look back on this history with dismay, but, I fear, we are as blind as my relatives were to how we are treating others in our world today. We wonder how anyone could support such actions based on Christ’s teaching, but we do not see how some of our efforts today cannot be justified by the teachings of Jesus. How can we give people long sentences for minor crimes to support for-profit prisons? How can we close voting places and force people to travel long distances to vote because they are from minority groups? How can we contract Medicaid management to for-profit companies whose whole idea of managed care is to provide the minimum health care necessary to increase their profits? How can we support a minimum wage that forces people into poverty, requiring them to access food stamps, childcare subsidies, and Medicaid to survive? These services are not welfare. They are wage supplements for thriving big businesses. How can we say we welcome strangers when we take refugees’ children away from them and hold refugees in horrible conditions also provided by for-profit businesses? Many of the refugees fleeing to the USA are Christians.

When was the last time we people proclaiming the gospel read the Sermon on the Mount or Matthew 25?

Prayer: Lord, take off our blinders and help us see the destruction we are creating for your children throughout the world by our actions of greed and lust for power. Amen.

* A Papal Bull (decree) that stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be “discovered,” claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers  see more at https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/doctrine-discovery-1493

** the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

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 Neighbors

Discipleship

January 28, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists’, and that ‘there is no God but one.’ Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ‘Food will not bring us close to God.’ We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

So how does this scripture apply to us? The people who brought the food must have thought it was a form of worship. Food was like money to them. A small part of it was burnt to give honor to the idol. A larger part went to the priests to sustain their work. Perhaps considered blessed, the remainder was returned to the donor who could consume it themselves or sell it for a profit. Someone else who worshipped the same idol might have considered buying and eating such food would bring them a blessing. Paul essentially asks Christ-followers to consider that even if the meat carries no particular meaning to them, others seeing them buy and eat might assume that they were identifying the idol as their god and eating the meat representing a blessing.

Do we have such idols in our world? What behaviors do we practice that might lead others to practice the same thing thinking it might bring them blessings? I could not help but wonder if the reactions of faith-based groups demanding their rights not to follow the recommended preventions related to COVID 19 is like this. I disagreed with this reaction from many perspectives. Wearing a mask, socially distancing, and washing our hands is a way to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We had that play out in real-time recently. Bars who were ordered to close at 11:00 pm to reduce the spread of COVID sued, and the court ruled in their favor. If the Christians can do it, why cannot they?

Prayer: Lord, help us see clearly how our behavior impacts our neighbors to your honor or disdain. 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.

Becoming One

Epiphany

Jonah Preaches in Ninevah Jonah 3:2-9

January 18, 2021

Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.

We can seek forgiveness; we can turn around, we can further the presence of God’s Kingdom here today by our actions and our deeds. Self-examination is a great place to start. We must take the beam out of our own eyes before trying to remove them from others. (Matthew 7:5, Luke 6:42)

We also need to listen to the other. We need to hear what is bothering people so much. That starts with engaging with them if relationships do not exist or re-engaging when bonds have been broken. We must patiently lower the tone of discussion. We may need to let others yell at us until they wear themselves out. We might be amazed at what can happen when we lower our own voices rather than speak louder and try to interrupt in response to a loud outburst. Listen to words, not tone, and not anger. I frankly do not understand the source of some people’s consternation. We need to listen to see what the foundation of their rage is.

While I like the idea of preaching a sermon and having everybody get it immediately and change their harmful ways of being as Jonah did, it does not happen often. Road to Damascus experiences happen, but they are not the norm. Loving back to oneness takes strong motivation and generous sharing of love.

Prayer: Lord, empower us to become good listeners and really hear what others are saying. Let your love flow through us and make us one. 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.

What is Beneficial?

Epiphany

January 15, 2021

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’ But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Paul picks everyday things to illustrate his point in the above scripture, what we eat, and how we deal with our sexual desire. How we eat primarily impacts us personally. Our sexual desires can affect others. I have noticed that we humans tend to identify activities in society that we would never do or have any inclination to do as signature sins. Church potlucks tend to feed the stomach as much or more than they feed the soul. Religious groups invest a lot of energy in telling young women to be chaste and get a man at any cost. Their worth depends on it.

Christ-followers are people of the table, meaning we are called into community to love one another and welcome others to feast at our table as we share God’s love. The blessing of familial love is the source of our continued participation in God’s Creation, something to be cherished and respected.

Prayer: God, who is love, guides us in setting the priorities of our lives and guards us against projecting our priorities in the judgment of 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.

Rights and Responsibilities

Epiphany

January 14, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’ But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Amid a pandemic that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people, some are outraged that the government should ever suggest that we must do anything to stem the virus’s spread. These people are saying that their choice is more important than your life or mine or theirs as far as that is concerned. Wearing a mask to reduce the spread of a virus should not even be considered as being patriotic compared to our ancestors’ actions who fought for freedoms we so carelessly apply.

I really do not know where to take these thoughts. We demand our rights to not wear a mask and worship in large groups. Both are top sources of virus spread in our country. Recklessly, needlessly causing thousands of people’s deaths every day to protect one’s personal rights borders on genocide.

Paul states it well, ‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we let our privileges take the place of your values. 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.

One Nation Indivisible

Epiphany

January 12, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ –1 Samuel 3:10-14

I take hope in the phrase from the above scripture that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ By specifying two specific forms of expiation, sacrifice, or offering, the Lord does not limit God’s other means of forgiveness. Atonement can lead to forgiveness.

When I read the scripture, I thought of John Newton*. He was apparently not raised with any particular faith influence. He served in the Royal Navy and then became involved in the slave trade industry. In 1748 he was caught in a violent storm and cried out to God for mercy. After surviving the storm, he gave God credit for his survival and turned his life over to God, eventually withdrawing from slave trading. We know him as the author of Amazing Grace.

January 6, 2021, will live on in USA history as the date of an act of insurrection against the nation that occurred in Washington DC with a siege on the U.S. Capitol. Divisive forces have been growing the past few years until it spilled into a riot, resulting in an attack on the Capitol building.

According to the Constitution, one of the USA government’s responsibilities is to form a more perfect union. Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples included his great desire that we all become one.  At this point, I think we all need to seek atonement for any part we may have played in the evil that divides us, seek God’s forgiveness, and invest all our efforts in becoming one in Christ and becoming an undivided nation.

Prayer: Creator of all, forgive us for our sins of divisiveness. Make our diversity one of our most potent, positive characteristics as we seek to become one nation with liberty and justice for all. Amen.

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

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.

Seeking the Common Good

Epiphany

January 11, 2021

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”‘ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. –1 Samuel 3:1-9

What is God calling us to do? How do we discern what is of God and what is of the world? How do we live in the world but not be of the world?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. –Romans 12:2

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. –1 John 2:15-17

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’–John 17:25-26

The anger, discord, and violence in our world today is not of God. So, how do we determine its source and turn away from its entanglements? We must spend time in prayer discerning what makes us so angry and why we have such a need to express that anger violently? Violence is often a reaction to helplessness. If we cannot change what is disturbing our lives, we tend to respond with violence. So, what is so confusing in our world over which we sense we have no control?

One reality that impacts us all is that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and we all want to be rich. The stock market reached new highs during this pandemic. Even before COVID-19 struck, Oklahoma’s unemployment rate was one of the lowest in the nation, while the number of people living below the poverty rate was among the highest. With the pandemic, the unemployment rate has risen, as has the number of people in poverty. The purpose of government is finding common ground to provide for the Common Good. According to the U.S. Constitution, our government’s purpose is to:

  • Form a more perfect union
  • Establish justice
  • Ensure domestic tranquility
  • Provide for the common defense
  • Promote the general welfare
  • Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

The Common Good means this purpose applies to all our people. Thus, our need to work for that more perfect union is paramount. Being One was also a great desire of Jesus for all of God’s children.

Prayer:  Lord, search me and show me the areas of my being that do not conform to your desire for your people to be one. Restore my soul and make me a conduit of your love for 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.

Baptism

Epiphany

January 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 1:4-11
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.‘

We know the story of Jesus going to the temple with his parents when he was about twelve years old that he had a special interest in God. His parents had to go back and find him. When they located him, He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ (Luke 2:49) This response leaves us with the impression that Jesus had some indication of who he was at an early age. We only can speculate about what he did between that visit and his baptism, which solidified his identity publicly for those who were present and understood the message. Jesus’ baptism marks the start of His known among the people of Galilee and Judea.

Do you remember your baptism or confirmation? Were you surrounded by people who were well pleased with your decision to follow in the footsteps of Jesus? Have you been one of those pleased people on such an occasion? God created us to live in faith with God and in community with one another. Such interrelationships are necessary for the work of Christ’ Kingdom to not only flourish, but as Jesus says in John 14:12, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

I envision God’s Kingdom like a jigsaw puzzle. When all the parts fit together, a full picture appears. Jesus started with a 12-piece puzzle, which has expanded to the potential of including everyone on earth working together, creating synergy while each is being the person God created them to be. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we do not accept some as worthy of being in our puzzle. We do not clearly understand that the world God created functions best only when all the pieces are linked as one. If we truly desire for our world to be based on God’s Kingdom vision, we must throw out all the ways we exclude others and work together to find our common ground in God.

Prayer: Lord, give us your vision and plan for making our world more like your Kingdom. 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.