Tag Archives: Partnering with God

Partners in Christ Service

Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

September 27, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
   and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
   and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
   and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
   strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack|
   and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
   therefore judgment comes forth perverted.

Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
   make it plain on tablets,
   so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
   it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
   it will surely come, it will not delay.
Look at the proud!
   Their spirit is not right in them,
   but the righteous live by their faith. –Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:2-4

What we fail to understand is that God expects us to do our part in providing for the Common Good among all people. The first line of this scripture calls for help, but I fear we want God to wave a magic wand and make everything the way we want life to be. There are many problems with this way of thinking, but the major one is that we all have different perceptions of what that way should be. God expects us to work together to find common ground in defining and providing for the Common Good as we seek justice, act kindly, and walk humbly with our Lord (See Micah 6:8) The hymn Called as partners in Christ’s service* addresses this well.

Prayer: Lord, help us respond with a deep commitment to fulfilling your chosen end.  Amen.

*See at https://digitalsongsandhymns.com/songs/6113

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.

Gifted by God

Living in the Spirit

September 6, 2022

Scripture Reading: Exodus 32:7-14

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.’

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, ‘O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.”’ And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

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 the 12 Disciples when I read this quote, but according to the above scripture, God saw that Moses was a person who could change the world. The challenge is whether the group wants to change the world for good or bad. Hitler and his group of henchmen turned the world upside down. Putin seems to be trying to follow in his footsteps at least regarding war.

After being freed from slavery in Egypt and fed with manna in the wilderness. One would think the Israelites would have had a longer-term commitment to God’s power. They did not. They wanted a god that could wave a magic wand and address every need they had. Don’t we all? God did not create humans in God’s image to be totally dependent on him for our every wish. God wanted partners with whom God could share the world and in it the task of developing the beloved community. We should be grateful for the honor of serving such a loving God and join enthusiastically in serving God. Paul described the traits God provides us for facing each challenge we meet.  We need to recognize and nurture these described in 1 Corinthians 12. They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Practicing God’s gifts results in the fruit of the spirit named in Galatians 5:22-23  – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Prayer: Forgive us when we turn from your ways to the world’s ways. Grant us the resilience we need to use your gifts to the benefit of 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.