Tag Archives: Oneness

Being the Body of Christ

Living in the Spirit
October 15, 2017

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 ‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’ –Matthew 22:8-14

Yesterday we dealt with not accepting God’s invitation. Today, we see the other side of the story—accepting the invitation but not the responsibility that goes with it.  The commitment to God is all or nothing. A sports team fully committed to winning with each player doing his or her part can often beat a team with better players who rely on their native talents.

Christ called his followers to be his Body from the time of his Ascension to today. Our primary tasks are first to love God and love one another as we go into all the world spreading that love and doing justice until the whole world in one in God’s love. While this is a full-time job, carrying out these tasks are best accomplished and most successful when we weave them through our everyday experiences of work and play, being a family, and being a community.

Prayer: Lord, walk with us each step of the way so that being the Body of Christ is second nature in everything we do. 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

Living in the Spirit
October 13, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-9

 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. –Philippians 4:8-9

I sat at the symphony recently and listened to an exquisite Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber that just made me feel good all over. The scripture above elicits in me a similar feeling of peace and wellbeing. I think that is what Paul intended to do. In the face of all the world aims at us we have the confidence of faith that the God of peace is with us. One of my favorite scriptures is John 16:33, I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’

Our challenge is not getting dragged into the chaos that surrounds us and still doing all we can to carry out our calling. The advantage of working as the Body of Christ is the synergy that derives from working one with the other. None of us has all the answers. The problems we face demands all the skills and efforts we can muster with the sure and certain knowledge that Christ is with us even when the occasion arises that we mess up. God created lemons and the person who figured out how to make lemonade.

Part of our task is to be inclusive of those who might do us harm for they are God’s children too. Pray for your enemies is not an empty command. Seeking to understand others and offering them opportunities for positive output exploring common ground may be our greatest work.

 Prayer: God of Might and Miracles move among us and make us one as you are 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.

Be of the Same Mind

Living in the Spirit
October 12, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:1-9

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. –Philippians 2-3

Apparently, Euodia and Syntyche were not of the same mind. There is a lot of that going around today. I mused to a friend recently that I could not understand how people could interpret the same behavior so very differently. It makes one wonder if evil spirits like Screwtape and Wormwood from C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters exists. There seems to be some evil trying desperately to separate God’s children from forming the world that God envisioned for us all. Who benefits from a dearth of love in the world? Warmongers might be one group as they make a lot of money from the carnage of battlefields. I suppose anyone who values money more than love benefit. What about all the folks who are missing out on an abundant life because others are reaping benefits they did not sow. Refocusing the disenfranchised on blaming each other for their situations contributes to the mayhem.  Carefully making minority groups of all kinds scapegoats keeps the wheels of fortune moving. History tells us over and over again that such behavior comes to a bad end. Israel fell to Assyria, Judah fell to Babylon, Rome just fell apart failing to hold a workable government together. Sound familiar?

I must confess I want to run away from all the disarray, but God calls us to create a world of love, to be a part of the solution. The starting point is finding the things on which we can become of the same mind and making them work. It also requires us to see beyond our lives and gain perspective from the ways others must face the world. We must be able to set aside the things that distract us that in the grand scheme of things matter only to those interested in causing division.

Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. –1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Prayer: Lord, train us in the way we should go. Help us find the same mind and not be distracted from attaining your vision. 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.

Kingdom Building

Living in the Spirit
October 6, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:12-14

Paul cuts us some slack recognizing how hard it is to change habits of the heart. We must face the fact that what is good for us and others will in many cases be hard for us to effect. In 1991, I staffed a legislative study regarding child care which entailed holding public hearing all around the state. I drove the State Senator who was the sponsor of the project to a public hearing in Tulsa. It lasted longer than expected, was contentious, and sapped both of us of energy. We had neither one eaten before the meeting which ran well past the dinner hour. We stopped at a fast food place to grab a sandwich on our way out of town. The Senator walked in front of me to the counter. The teen behind the counter met my eyes as second in line asking what I wanted. I said she was before me. She said go ahead. He said to me what can I get for you. Clueless, and thinking do you know who she is, I said I need to look at the menu a little longer, and he finally took her order. At that point, I realized what was happening. She is black, and I am white. Why was I so slow to understand? It takes intentionality to live and love like Jesus.

Ushering in the Kingdom of God is a fulltime, full-life project. It involves every aspect of how we function in the world from reducing our carbon footprint to feeding the hungry to working toward God’s justice for all. We must press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name.
   Your kingdom come.
   Your will be done,
     on earth as it is in heaven.
   Give us this day our daily bread.
   And forgive us our debts,
     as we also have forgiven our debtors.
   And do not bring us to the time of trial,
     but rescue us from the evil one. * Amen.

*Matthew 6:9–13

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 God More Nearly

Living in the Spirit
September 29, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:1-13

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.

 Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father. –Philippians 2:5-11

We have a great role model in Jesus Christ. We must study his words and his ways and incorporate them into our lives. Too often, I fear, we skim the surface of his teaching, picking and choosing the ones that already are part of our natural selves or are easy to master. We let go of the challenging ones.

Remember the story of the rich young ruler? (Matthew19:16-22) He asked Jesus what he must do to be saved, and Jesus told him to follow the commandments. To which the young man said that he had always done that what else should he do. Jesus replied, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

No armchair quarterbacks needed here. We are called to participate fully investing all our skills and resources on Jesus’ team. All of our efforts are needed to build a world ruled by God’s love.

Prayer: Grant us the courage to step out in faith and serve you more nearly. 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 in the Spirit
September 28, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.—Philippians 2:1-4

We need to hear this scripture today. In Matthew 12:25b,  Jesus is  quoted as saying Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Principalities and powers from I believe, selfish ambition or conceit, are working hard to gain power by dividing the people of the USA. I listened to 60 Minutes (9/24/2017) and heard regular people talking together saying they feared things had gotten so bad that we were near civil war in this country. Congress has lost the ability to find common ground as has the Oklahoma State legislature. I just heard a report that we have jobs in Oklahoma going unfilled because there are no qualified people available and many people who cannot find jobs. We have underfunded education for years and seem to lack the will to provide even adequate education. What is the source of this self-defeating behavior?

We need to purposefully work at being of the same mind, having the same love, and being in full accord and of one mind. Such a transition will never occur unless we are intentional about it. Such a transition will never occur unless we practice humility and seek the Common Good.

The Thunder Basketball team starts its 2017-2018 season with the addition of two superstars, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, to play alongside 2017 MVP, Russell Westbrook. Melding individual skill into a working team including the other players will be a challenge requiring a central purpose of winning games. A challenge at first is just getting into rhythm but I trust they will succeed.

Our role in serving God requires the same type of central purpose and an even higher level of humility and dedication. This state, this nation, the whole world depends on our getting it right. With God’s help, we will.

Prayer:
In loving partnership we come,
seeking, O God, your will to do.
Our prayers and actions now receive;
we freely offer them to you.

 We are the hands and feet of Christ,
serving by grace each other’s need.
We dare to risk and sacrifice
with truthful word and faithful deed.

 Loving community we seek;
your hope and strength within us move.
The poor and rich, the strong and weak
are brought together in your love.

 In loving partnership, O God,
help us your future to proclaim.
Justice and peace be our desire,
we humbly pray in Jesus’ name. * Amen

*Hymn In Loving Partnership by Jim Strathdee see at http://www.pateys.nf.ca/cgi-bin/lyrics.pl?hymnnumber=759

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.

Know God in Real-Time

Living in the Spirit
September 27, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels
   in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
   and made the waters stand like a heap.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
   and all night long with a fiery light.
He split rocks open in the wilderness,
   and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
He made streams come out of the rock,
   and caused waters to flow down like rivers. –Psalm 78:12-16

Our concept of God with us often derives from history. We look back and see God at work in the stories of our ancestors and our own lives. Learning to invite God into real-time challenges us to build from our retrospective understanding of God to a progressive partnership with God that defines our here and now while it shapes our tomorrows. For better or for worse what we do today impacts generations to come.

The USA is currently experiencing a cascade of disasters. Huge hurricanes struck Texas, the Caribbean Islands, Florida and impacted the east coast of America. In all these events, we see the successes of better building codes implemented following previous storms and failures of proper development to prevent flooding because the economic advantage to over-build outweighed the prudent use of shoreline. As a people, we remain divided on whether the disasters themselves resulted from our inattention to global warming.

God’s call to progressive partnership demands real-time attention to our relationship with God structuring our development within the priorities of God’s love. First, we must work to become whole so that the temptations of the world do not overshadow God’s priorities. We must practice the presence of God in all aspects of our lives. Such wholeness leads us to understand our need to work together finding common ground in building the Kingdom of God. Finally, we must understand God’s justice in all the world and work together to do God’s justice.

Prayer: Lord, we seem to be a people divided, frozen in purpose as we struggle to survive one divisive issue after another when the whole world needs our love and attention. Lift us to your higher ground and help us to know your presence in real time as we work toward your justice. 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 Good We Can Do

Living in the Spirit
September 25, 2017

Scripture Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ –Exodus 17:1-3

Think of a time when you felt you were at the end of your rope. You have tried every possible solution to a vexing problem or issue and there just seems no way out. The Israelites seem to be at that point in our scripture today. We have no idea of any actions they had taken to find water. We enter the story where they demand that Moses save them from dying of dehydration, a very real fear in an arid land. Because the scripture does not describe whether the Israelites searched for water or not, the story leaves us with the impression the Israelites were dependent on Moses to solve their problem and also to approach God for help. The later seems strange to people of faith who from childhood are taught to pray directly to God.

While I believe we need to be in constant communion with God, I also believe we, as part of the Body of Christ, are to engage with God to fulfill God’s purpose in the world today. John Wesley stated it this way: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. When I hear this quote, I think of the little boy bringing his five loaves and two fishes to Jesus as a source of nourishing 5,000 people. *

Our all too human need to fix blame and vent anger is not helpful in problem-solving. Taking an inventory of available resources and skills is a good place to start like bringing forth five loaves and two fishes.

Prayer: Lord, help us focus on the good we can do in all situations as we approach troublesome issues in our world. Amen.

*See John 6:1-14

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

Righteous not Self-Righteous

Living in the Spirit
September 22, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:21-30

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well—since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. –Philippians 27-30

When we profess to be followers of Christ, how we live and treat one another, good or bad, is interpreted by the other as representing Christ, a responsibility we must take very seriously. How many people turn away from Christianity after being negatively impacted by the behavior of those claiming to be Christian? Much of such behavior appears to be more self-righteous than righteous. If God’s followers are set apart, it is for special service not because they are better than anyone else. White privilege grows from self-righteous seeds and self-righteousness stems from feeling unworthy.

I watched the PBS Program Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World, recently that described Luther’s early life of never feeling he could live up to the expectations of God. He tried everything he could including beating himself and confessing for hours every action he felt was sinful. He finally experienced an epiphany of grace leading him to understand the loving, forgiving nature of God. He went on to usher in the Reformation challenging the status quo of Christianity that had moved away from the basic tenets of Christ.

It is time we examine our ways of being and to ask God for our own moment of grace making us whole so that others can learn of the wondrous love of God through us.

Prayer: Lord make us whole and make us one with 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.

Thanksgiving leads Progress

Living in the Spirit
September 20, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 105;1-6, 37-45

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
   make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
   tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
   let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
   seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
   his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
   children of Jacob, his chosen ones. —Psalm 105;1-6

We are reminded regularly by Psalmist and others to give thanks to God for God’s fidelity in love and fulfilling all that the Lord has promised. Why do we say or sing praises to God in the short term while quickly moving to an attitude of “What have you done for me lately?’ Those of us who claim to be partners as the Body of Christ in effecting the Kingdom of God are particularly vexing when we get caught up in such an attitude. Shouldn’t our perspective be “We have reach a plateau where do you want us to go next.” Until the Kingdom is complete our work is not finished.

I love Romans 8:28:  We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. There was certainly nothing good about the Oklahoma City bombing but the good this city has experienced since then is amazing. The bombing helped us see what was important. Helped us get our priorities straight. We have a lot more work to do and we must continually remind ourselves of what is important.

The same is true of our work toward the Kingdom of God. We should not rely on tragedies or natural disasters to bring us together to find the oneness we need to make the world a better place for all its inhabitants. There is no place in the world for greed or lust for power. There is a place for wise investment of resources and skills, and leadership through servanthood targeted at God’s vision for God’s creation.

Prayer: We do give thanks to you, O Lord, for your steadfast love as we take the next steps to further your vision for all. 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