Tag Archives: Oneness

Mustard Seeds

Living in the Spirit
June 17, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 4:26-34

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ –Mark 4:30-34

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. –Margaret Mead

I always think of Jesus and the twelve disciples when I read Margaret Mead’s quote. We follow the same leader today. Jesus called us to be one; he did not call us to march goose-step together. Another of Margaret Mead’s quotes is: Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Surely God created our diversity to make the world a better place not to provide a forum for divide and conquer politics. I rejoice in the engineers who discovered how to provide clean drinking water while empowering local people through the Water4 initiative*. I have not a clue how the pumps work but I am glad they do. Or the women who founded Dress for Success** a global movement for change, empowering women to obtain safer and better futures targeted at ending poverty. What mustard seed of hope has God planted in your heart?

The oneness to which God calls us grows from the shared understanding of the vastness of following God’s command to create a world where love rules and that each of us has a unique role to play in creating a world ruled by love. It opens our eyes to see needs not being addressed, to do our part in filling the gaps, and supporting others doing theirs.

We must all identify our mustard seed and plant it. Better yet find others who share your vision and start a whole garden or orchard with them.

Prayer: Lord, enable me to grow your love wherever I may be planted. Amen.

*https://www.water4.org/
** https://oklahomacity.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/

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.

Our Bodies as the Body of Christ

Living in the Spirit
June 14, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. –2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Paul talks about the body almost as an abstract entity. He apparently perceived of himself as complete without the body but seemed to have drawn a job assignment to be the best he could be within the body. I, of course, may be seeing something in the above scripture that is not there. I tend to think of myself as the sum of all my parts.

On first reading this scripture, I thought Paul was talking about our being the Body of Christ, but I do not think that is the case. I do think what he says could apply to both our individual bodies and the Body of Christ.

I have never been particularly coordinated and I was a sickly kid. So most of my life I have had to work around the limitations of my body developing skills with the parts that worked the best.  I do think God expects us to utilize our skills fully whatever they might be. The key in this scripture is whether we use them for good or evil.

The same could be said about our role as part of the Body of Christ doing Christ’s work together here on earth. This role not only demands that we do the best with what and who we are as individuals but that we do it with all the other bodies that are a part of the Body of Christ and we do it for good.

Christ calls us exactly to such a oneness. The closer we get to it, greater synergy results; the combined effect becomes greater than the sum of our separate effects. Synergy occurs in such instances of combined effect for both good and evil. The addition of Christ’s presence tilts the outcome toward good.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ –Matthew 18:20

Prayer: Lord, help us each develop fully the skills and talents which you gave us and make us one in sharing them. 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.

No Winners or Losers

Living in the Spirit
June 13, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 20

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
   The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
   and give you support from Zion. 

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
   he will answer him from his holy heaven
   with mighty victories by his right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
   but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
They will collapse and fall,
   but we shall rise and stand upright. –Psalm 20:1-2,6-6

My book club is currently reading Ken Follett’s book World without End. It is historical fiction based on the happenings in England and Europe around the 14th century. I have not quite finished it, but one thing stands out in its presentation: some things never change. Greed is rampant, and power is addictive whether in church or business or government.  There still are a few faithful folks, who keep progress in motion.

The story of God from Genesis forward makes us aware of our free will to chose how we live and the choices that lead to shalom–peace, harmony, wholeness in life when we claim love as our driving force. I think that may be what the Psalmist is trying to address in the above scripture. I must admit it makes me uncomfortable when humans always need to establish winners and losers. We always need to be just a little better than someone to feel that wholeness which was gifted to us by God in our very creation. We can choose to be fully the person God created us to be while celebrating the gifts of others.

I do think God delights in everything his children do just like any parent when a child takes his first step, ties her shoes, or reads a book and that is enough to anchor the self-worth of each.

I am also confident that the Lord does answer us in the day of trouble.

Prayer:  Parent of all, expand our courage to trust enough not to rely on judging ourselves one against the other but in our ability to love one another into the Oneness to which you call us. 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 Breadth of God’s Love

Living in the Spirit
June 10, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 3:20-35

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ –Mark 3:31-35

One of the by-products of dabbling in genealogy is the further back I go in history and the more people I add to my family tree the more I understand that we are all at least cousins. Being family leads to greater complexities. Our self-identity is shared by the identity of those with whom we are related. That is also true in the family of God of which all people are members. We pride ourselves on our independence while being a part of a web of interdependence.

I do not know about you, but every time I read the scripture above, I wonder if Jesus’ words hurt the feelings of his mother, sisters, and brothers. Did they understand the breadth of his love or that he was not reducing his love for them as much as he was elevating his relationship with all people? I think it took the resurrection and the chat he and his brother James had following his resurrection for James to pick up the mantle and continue Jesus’ ministry. By the time Jesus was an adult, I doubt Mary was surprised by anything he said or did.

The challenge of this scripture for us is can we also view all God’s children as relatives. May is a time for a lot of family stuff. One of my grandnephews and one grandniece graduated from high school. Both attractive, smart, talented, young people are excited about moving on to college. One grandnephew studying to become a minister married a lovely young woman. Cousins from across the country came in for a family reunion a few I had not seen for some time and really enjoyed seeing them all.

Monday night I will be serving dinner and be sharing in worship with a church whose membership is largely homeless people including school dropouts, addicts, alcoholics, persons with mental illnesses, and people who work fulltime but cannot afford housing. These are my relatives too as we share a common brother, Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord, enable me to love as you love by seeing your image in each person I encounter. 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.

Good and Evil

Living in the Spirit
June 9, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 3:20-35

and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

 ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’ –Mark 3:20-30

I started writing these daily devotions as a follow up to my book, Houses Divided, which I hoped would start an ongoing dialogue on the issues that divide people of faith. I do not sense that that has happened particularly since I discontinued comments very early on my posts because I was being spammed many times every day and I did not have the time to ferret out the legit comments from the dozens of people wanted to sell me something. Writing them, however, has turned out invaluable to my faith journey. Deciding to use the lectionary as my guide has taken me places I never dreamed I would go. Now, I had read the Bible fully more than once, but I never had to think as deeply about what it says until I considered what I could say about a specific scripture.

The story in the scripture today seems to be dropped into Mark without the full picture at the beginning. Stories of healings and large meetings with seekers precede it but that does not explain the reaction of the people. We do need to remember that the people of the middle east at that time readily accepted the existence of demons that impacted life. Apparently, the crowd was seeing what Jesus was doing as being powered by just another demon and he did not take that lightly as Jesus was casting out demons. Thus, his comment, How can Satan cast out Satan?

I used Matthew 12.25b: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. as the source of my book title. I believe that to be true and that our country is on the precipice of falling apart because of divisiveness. But this scripture today has application to my book title also. Are we like the people in Jesus’ hometown when he brought his healing presence home? Can we not see the power of good over evil, the power of love over lust, the power of generosity over greed? Who are we to try and cast out the Spirit of God?

Prayer: Lord, so ground us in your love that we cannot conceive of a world without it. 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.

Love Lived Needs no Law

Living in the Spirit
June 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 2:23-3:6

One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’ –Mark 2:23-28

Rules, regulations, and laws are meaningless if they do not address a perceived end or result. They are never ends unto themselves. When we make them ends unto themselves, they are rendered worthless. Most rules, regulations, and laws we obey or choose not to obey are practiced as habits that do not make them any less means to an end rather than an end unto themselves, although It is probably a good idea to revisit at times their continued necessity. Observing the Sabbath is a rule we tend to ignore at our own peril. God’s wisdom in creation to rest on a routine basis provides refreshment for our souls as well as our bodies making us ready to face a new week.

Oklahoma recently added a law that restricts the use of the left lane to passing on a multi-lane highway. One of my pet peeves while driving is getting behind a truck who slows when going up a hill and speeds up going down when someone who apparently sets their cruise control on the speed limit is driving in the left lane right next to the truck. I feel confident the left lane drivers think they are doing nothing wrong because they are obeying the speed limit law. They, however, are setting up their fellow travelers for very dangerous circumstances particularly when the highway is full of large trucks whose loads often dictate how they drive and whose blind spots differ from those in an automobile. The result of the new law is to provide for safer highway driving.

The rule that only priest could eat the bread of the Presence established the result of elevating the bread to a more sacred status, which was overshadowed by the understanding that feeding the hungry is even more sacred.

Prayer: God, mold us into followers who understand that love lived is our most sacred gift to you. 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 Negative News

Living in the Spirit
June 1, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. –2 Corinthians 4:5-12

I probably watch too much news. Inherited the trait from my father, I think. He was a farmer and was primarily interested in the weather but morning, noon, evening, and night we tuned in to news reports. The weather reports often defined my dad’s workday. If rain was projected for the next day, he would most likely have worked as late as possible bailing hay and hauling it to dry storage. Now I get pings on my cell phone telling me of a car crash near my home. I wonder what my dad would think about that. I am not particularly interested in car crashes; I do want to know if there is a tornado headed my way.

Hearing the news often leaves me afflicted in every way. At times I admit to being crushed; perplexed and even driven to despair as I hear of divisiveness, politicians who seem clueless to reality and unwilling to address desperate situations, and random killings in schools and restaurants. I just completed reading Ken Follett’s book The Pillars of the Earth and noticed that people in the 12th century CE were not too different from people today. I had already discovered that we very much resemble the people described by the prophet Amos from around 800 BCE.

Perhaps rather than being numbed by the news resulting in a state of chronic depression we should take my father’s example and use the threatening news as a springboard to positive work toward a better world. This is not a time to be timid. It is a time to share Christ’s message in word and in deed. It is the time to advocate for positive change in providing for the Common God. It is a time to counter divisiveness with dialogue. It is a time to love like Jesus loved. It is a time to rely on that extraordinary power belonging to God.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to answer your call to creating a world that is one ruled by love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Serving on the Edge

Living in the Spirit
May 28, 2018

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 fulfill 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 forever, 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

God does not need to punish us; we suffer the consequences of our own actions. God from the beginning carefully prepared us and continues to prepare us for how we are to live and love to our best advantage and to the best advantage of all God’s children. God apparently thinks it is important that we choose to follow God’s guidance. God even went to the extraordinary step of sending Jesus to dwell among us and model that way of being understanding that we might need some further help in understanding what those right choices are. God followed that up with gifting us with the advocacy, guidance, and counsel of the Holy Spirit.

I worked on the edge of services for persons with mental illnesses for many years providing public human services that complement mental health services and still am involved in volunteer advocacy. It is a frustrating coordination because the mental health system practices under the philosophy that people must be willing to get help before the help works. While I tend to agree with that, the reality of homeless, hungry persons with mental illness must be addressed by human services including adult protective services. The solutions are complex; the near absence of primary preventive mental health services makes it even harder.

I detail these divergent ideas not to suggest that all sin in mental illness or vice versa, I do not think it is. I am suggesting that followers of Christ, in working toward the fruition of the Kingdom of God, must also work on the edges being present with people and ready to help when and if they choose to seek God’s ways while tending to their basic needs in whatever way possible. Perhaps working on the edge is what Jesus was suggesting in Matthew 25 when he speaks of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, dealing with prisoners, welcoming strangers.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see your work on the edge of those suffering from mental illness and those who live in the prison of sin. 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 Law of Love

Living in the Spirit
May 24, 2018

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:1-17

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. –Romans 8:1-8

Laws exist to bring order to the potential for chaos. Laws are useless if people do not recognize them for the purpose they serve. Traffic laws are a good example. Speed limits reduce the incidence of accidents. Studies measure the likelihood of accidents as they relate to speed and project the most favorable speed to allow traffic to flow meaningfully while reducing the number of accidents. It is science and it has proven to work. The law implementing prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages, intended to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol abuse resulted in increased crime and what came to be known at least in Oklahoma as liquor by the wink. The well regulated legal serving of alcoholic beverages seems to be safer than the absolute prohibition of alcohol.

Biblical laws include everything from murder to healthy food regulations to etiquette. While cultures have changed, and we may have identified safe ways to cook pork but now recommend a limited salt intake, the need for some order regarding safety and general order remains prudent.

With the coming of Christ, we learned that laws were not an end unto themselves but that love, caring for one another wanting the best for one another drives all aspects of our lives including influencing our laws. The challenge is to change ourselves into people who love one another, and the laws will take care of themselves. Laws do not matter to those whose intent is selfish gain.

Prayer:  Lord, let our love multiply throughout our world resulting in positive outcomes for all your children. 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.

Unnatural Disaster

Living in the Spirit
May 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29:7-11

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
   and strips the forest bare;
   and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! –Psalm 29

The Psalmist writes using what we call natural disaster metaphors to describe the power of God. We who live on the Great Plains are well acquainted with wind uprooting trees and floods. This year we have particularly been besieged by fire. Draught has left our earth very vulnerable. When the earth is vulnerable so are the people who inhabit it.

Yet it is this All-Powerful God that gives us the strength to recover, rebuild, replant. We also learn from such experiences to practice prudent prevention. After seven children were killed by a gigantic tornado in one of our public schools five years ago, many districts have taken steps to improve their storm readiness.

God is also with us in the unnatural disasters as we once again hear of a young man shooting classmates and teachers. This time in Santa Fe, Texas. The TV showed pictures of him performing in a church program just a few weeks ago. What are we not getting? How do we reach our children to make them feel safe? How do we instill the love of God throughout our communities so that no one finds killing a way to self-worth? What kinds of prudent prevention do we need to practice regarding unnatural disaster?

What are we so angry about? What are we so fearful of? We turn to God when there is nowhere else to go but we seem to leave God there when the TV cameras are gone, and we have buried the dead. We return to futile pursuits targeted at definitions of success that are void of the love of God. Until we turn that around we will continue picking up the pieces of unnatural disasters.

Prayer: Holy One, forgive us for turning away from you. Help us to see your will and follow your way until we learn to live in the light of your love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.