Tag Archives: Oneness

Following Christ

Ordinary Time
February 8, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

I fear we are all guilty at times of creating and following a god made in our own image when we cannot see clearly the God in whose image we were created. Jesus confronted Peter, the rock, for his well-meaning but shortsighted response to the realities of first century Israel. I wonder how many times in Peter’s life he replayed this scene in his mind checking to make sure he was on the narrow path. *

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ (Matthew 16:21-23)

When Jesus taught the beatitudes** can we envision him including our innermost thoughts, the stances we take, the words we say? I have difficulty imagining Jesus spewing out the hate speech so prevalent in our world today and the subtle shades of bigotry spoken and practiced in not so subtle acts. We seek credence for our positions by clustering with others who share our god images.

We follow the example of our ancestors in faith assailed by the Hebrew prophets for being blinded to the will and the ways of God by the self-serving choices they made. In creation, God envisioned a world where all would be blessed, and all would be a blessing to one another. This is the Kingdom for which we strive.

Prayer:  Christ clear our vision so that we can see and follow your example. Amen.

*See Matthew 7:13-14
**See Matthew 5:3-10

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright One1989, 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 Gift of Patience

Ordinary Time
February 6, 2018

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 2:9-12

My Aunt Nancy was a skilled crafter. She rarely was without knitting needles or a crochet hook when we would sit and visit. The story goes that when her son was about five, he told her he wanted to learn how to knit. She carefully demonstrated the simplest stitches for him. He struggled with great intensity to create a short little row then stopped looked at this mother and said, “No, I want to go clickity, clack as you do.” I had never noticed that she did knit so fast that her needles created a percussive song. I do not think he ever attained the clickity, clack stage but he did learn to knit.

We need to be patient with ourselves as we strive for perfection in our ability to serve God. Elisha in our scripture today experienced being on his own without Elijah to guide him. We all face many events as we mature and grow where it is our turn to take responsibility for whatever it is we are called to do. Two things are important for us to remember. God is always with us, always and we are indeed surrounded by a cloud of witnesses*  who very much want us to succeed. I do not think we ever want to stop learning which means we will continue to falter at times taking two steps forward and one step back. We also need to be patient with others who have perhaps traveled a different path than we have. While they may use differing methods, their results may be great.

Prayer: Lord, grant us patience as we learn to live together in love with one another. Amen.

*See Hebrews 12:1

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.

Tenacity

Ordinary Time
February 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-12

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’ –2 Kings:1-3

One of the characteristics often found among the people of God is tenacity. In the scripture above, I only quoted one segment of Elisha’s persistent pursuit of his mentor Elijah. After Bethel Elisha follows Elijah to Jerico, and after Jerico to the Jordan. Tenacious love is the bedrock of God’s people. Having the faith that love is the ultimate factor in living the abundant life God has planned for all his children. Our greatest challenge is living that love no matter what. We are called to love our way through greed, lust for power, and bigotry among many other forces of evil that threaten us. We are called to advocate for all to survive and thrive while those same forces are storming down on them. Loving and wanting the best for perpetrators of evil are perhaps the hardest parts of our work.

Jesus loved his enemies. I envision him looking down on Jerusalem saying:

‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37)

While driving, I listened on the radio recently to interviews with retail workers saying they might work ten hours a week or 30. They never knew from week to week. They never worked a 40 hour week and in the down weeks paid part of their rent using a credit card on which they routinely were only able to make the minimum payment. I then heard someone interviewed saying that our economy was great because the stock market was higher than it had ever been. What a disconnect, our world is out of synch. God’s love is the only thread that can weave us together to become one in a world that affords all God’s abundant life. We are the conduits of God’s love in the world today.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen us to be tenacious in sharing your love throughout all aspects of our lives. 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.

Oneness Leads to Wholeness

Ordinary Time
February 3, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:29-39

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. –Mark 1:29-34

One thing about Mark, he begins his gospel with Christ’s ministry. Mark is believed to be the oldest gospel, perhaps getting just the facts down at the start was the most important reason for writing it. We must take him seriously when he describes Jesus’ care for the sick.  The gospels all illustrate this healing nature of Jesus’ ministry. He obviously felt that health care was a right, not a privilege.

We apparently do not believe that in this country although every other industrialized country does. We don’t want to assure the availability of health care even when it is in our best interest. People without routine health care end up in emergency rooms very sick where their care is much more expensive than early intervention or prevention care. Insurance costs are derived from the costs of providing care, so we eventually pay for the higher costs of emergency care in increased premiums. The alternative of turning the sick out into the streets to fend for themselves creates public health risks about which we do not even want to think.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? One of my favorites of Jesus’ sayings is Matthew 11:28-30:

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

We make life complicated by trying to figure out the best angle for our wellbeing. When we love others as we love ourselves, life becomes easier for all.

Prayer: Lord, heal our souls as well as our bodies and our minds. Makes us whole 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.

Mission Oriented

Ordinary Time
February 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:15-23

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. –1 Corinthians 9:19-23

I began my work as a social worker in public service during the turbulent 60’s when our culture was in a state of constant and challenging change. The mini skirt was all the rage but forbidden by our dress code, and when I started, females were not allowed to wear slacks to work. When I became a supervisor, I was required to enforce the dress code. I dealt with both my bosses and staff on the issues it raised. I suggested to my superiors that wearing well-tailored pantsuits might be more acceptable to the public than mini skirts. With my staff, I posited that if the client they were serving was more concerned with the way they dressed than what they were attempting to accomplish, they could not do their job. Wearing a mini skirt while talking with a teenage girl might win a worker points for her dress. Wearing a mini skirt while working with either an older female adult or a teenage boy would be a distraction for very different reasons.

I think this is the point Paul is trying to make in the above scripture. If anything we are doing or not doing is diverting attention from our intentions of doing God’s work, we need to be cognizant of it and make appropriate adjustments to it. When I toured Mosques on my trip to Turkey a few years ago, I wore a scarf and removed my shoes before entering. If we offend someone before we even are introduced, true dialogue will be impossible.

Prayer: Lord, help us prioritize our behavior to reflect your love for the other in all ways. 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.

Setting Examples

Ordinary Time
January 26, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

 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. –1 Corinthians 8:7-13

I had a neighbor several years ago who did not attend movies in theaters. He watched them regularly on television. When I asked him about this behavior, he quoted the above scripture to me. A minister I knew apparently regularly was seen entering a theater dedicated solely to showing pornography. He argued his transparency in action was admirable. Of course, he saw nothing wrong with his choice of entertainment. We must be constantly aware of the examples we set for others, and we must not rigidly follow practiced that tend more to make us appear self-righteous. God never promised us free will would be easy.

Now I do think we should pay heed to Paul’s advice, and we might need to do some self-examination of our behavior. In the name of hospitality, churches are notorious for constantly putting food, often unhealthy food, before us and encouraging us to eat it. Do we have any responsibility to at least offer a healthy, lower calorie choice at such times? How do we deal with serving alcoholic beverages in our home when we know our guest is a recovering addict? Gambling seems just a waste of money to me, but I love to watch horses race and attend concerts the music of some of my favorite performers; both activities are often available for watching at venues whose major enterprise is gambling. Paul, I think is saying when we sense the need to decide something we think might be misconstrued we need to err on the side of caution.

Prayer: Lord, help me be intentional in the way I present myself to others weighing the well-being of others against my personal desires. 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.

Gifts Differing

Ordinary Time
January 21, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:14-20

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. –Mark 1:16-20

A friend and I were planning a trip recently.  I had left our last conversation thinking we had reached a decision on our plans and just needed to finalize the reservations and so forth. The first words out of her mouth when we met were that she had received an ad in the mail about a meeting on Sunday where several travel agencies would explore various ideas on vacations. My first response was to say I could not attend because I had a conflict, which was true, but my gut was reacting with thoughts that we did not need any more input. At that point, it dawned on me that her process orientation and my goal orientation were bumping heads. One is not better than the other; both are necessary for good decision making. I am referring to Myers Briggs personality types*. In a nutshell, these types include 16 combinations of eight opposite traits: Introvert/extrovert, sensing/intuitive, thinking/feeling, and goal oriented/process oriented. The idea is that all of these types are necessary for our world but by their very nature they can cause confusion and misunderstanding. Learning about the types builds better understanding of communication.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus selected the twelve disciples that he did? Why Paul carefully taught that there are different gifts and all are important? God created an interdependent world. Synergy ** results when two or more are gathered together to go about the business of doing God’s work. Our investment in learning from one another and learning how to work with one another is directly related to the success of our work in God’s service

Prayer: Creator God, give us insight and wisdom to complement each others talents and skills so they may be used to your glory. Amen.

*For more information see http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.htm?bhcp=1

**Briefly the total equals more than the sum of the parts.

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.

Clarity of Expression

Ordinary Time
January 19, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

I follow the lectionary in writing these daily devotions because it challenges me to read scriptures to which I might not otherwise pay attention. Some, like the one above, leave me wondering what is, in this case, Paul trying to say? I consulted the NRSV commentary and found that the scripture is included with other suggestions (?) Paul has for the Corinthians and us too today, for how to live in the world but not of the world. Now the commentary did say that Paul left out some verbiage probably making it difficult to translate. Does he mean when he says let those who have wives be as though they had none that they should play the single man with other women or avoid intimate relationships with their wives? I will confess that I have reviewed some of my writing and in hindsight wondered what I meant by what I wrote. I hope that has not happened too often regarding anything that was read by others. One can see why strange interpretations can arise from Biblical texts at times though.

I say that only to caution us to search for deeper meanings when we come across something that is not clear at least to us. My final action in such instances is to determine whether my understanding of the text passes what I like to call the test of love. Does my interpretation of this scripture pass the test of love? Perhaps reading Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 would guide such discernment.

Prayer: Lord, help us to communicate your word and your way so that they are blessings to others and not stumbling blocks. 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’s in a Town?

Ordinary Time
January 13, 2018

Scripture Reading: John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ –John 1:43-49

I grew up on a farm near three small towns located about equal distance from where we lived. We did business in all three towns at one time or another. My dentist was in one, my doctor in another. I do not know why my parents chose which town to visit. As a teenager, I was cautioned not to frequent one of these towns after dark when I was on my own or with friends as it was dangerous. I never knew what that meant, and I did go there with friends occasionally. Nothing bad ever happened. I wonder if the caution came from something that happened in that town when my dad was a teenager some 30 years earlier. It was the closets of the three towns, but more boring than the other two. There was not much to do except drive around the square and see who else was there.

I do think that caution caused me to wonder if anything good could come from that town. Funny, how our minds associate things to make us assume something, not in evidence. Such transference is the bases of much bigotry.

Perhaps having to live with people judging Jesus by his hometown gave him a greater understanding of the importance of inclusiveness. He selected a broad sweep of disciples to train. I worked in an office once with all primarily white women. Don’t ever want to do it again. Give me diversity. One must work a little harder to understand or create the environment for success in such an environment, but the creativity from diverse experiences and training makes for far better outcomes.

Prayer: God, equip us to appreciate the value of learning from each other. 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.

Finding Common Ground

Christmas
January 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

I do not believe in coincidences, but my Sunday school class discussed Acts 19 this week. I enjoined hearing others describe interacting with people with viewpoints different from theirs. We talked about the diverse ways Christians perceive Christ even today. And we talked about finding common ground on which we can strive for oneness. I think it is time we set our disagreements aside and identify the things on which we can agree working on them with all our hearts, souls, strengths and minds. There may be instances when we agree on the problem but not the solution. My guess is we need all the solutions possible to deal with some of the major issues of our day. Poverty, for example,  may be addressed by .clothing, and shelter; ending discrimination in all forms. Surely we could all identify our niche among such a diversity of responses that are all desperately needed.

I wonder whether we disagree because it is easier to differ than to deal with the differences. I wonder if we struggle with divergences in faith because our faith is thinly based on what we perceive to be right rather than on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, show us how to love one another and grow together in our love for you and 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.