Tag Archives: Quest

Finding Your Quest

nature-quest-2Living in the Spirit
June 3, 2016

Scripture Reading: Galatians 1:11-24

Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me. –Galatians 1:18-24

Just as with sisters, the relationship between brothers is special and unique. I have often felt for Jesus’ brother, James. I always picture him as the second oldest, although I do not know if he was. If not the second oldest, he was apparently the next best alpha male. Tradition holds that Mary was widowed at some time before the recorded history of Jesus’ ministry began. If that is the case, while Jesus was away being a Rabbi, James was apparently at home keeping things afloat. Paul reports in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus-resurrected appeared to James. I wonder if this event was shared with Paul at the meeting described in our scripture today. It must have had a major impact on James’ life as he went on to become the leader of the church in Jerusalem. I also think it is pretty special that with everything else that was going on, Jesus took the time to connect with James.

Paul did not stay in Jerusalem but initiated his ministry in other regions, perhaps beginning his outreach to the gentiles, but more than likely starting with the Jews who were scattered about the whole region. He probably knew he had to prove himself before he would be accepted back at the home base.

What of your life experiences has made you peculiarly well prepared to take the message of Jesus Christ to certain populations? You have a story to tell. It may seem rather vanilla to you but it may mean the difference in a life lost to a life found for another. It never ceases to amaze me the people who seem to have a gift for working with prisoners, the poor, the homeless, drug addicts, and the mentally ill who really had no background at all in the area they work but something lit the flame in their hearts and something is lighting a flame in our hearts today.

Prayer: Lord, help those who have not yet found their quest to recognize it, help all who know their quest to hone their skills and invest their whole being in attaining 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

The Big Picture

All things are possibleLiving in the Spirit
August 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

 And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. –1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:6

Upon the death of King David and Solomon’s resulting assent to the throne, Solomon recognizes God’s love for King David and his character in relationship to God. Solomon saw his father as faithful, righteous, and upright in heart toward God. These are the same traits we are called to demonstrate through our lives with God and with one another as children of God. Now history may view David somewhat differently than his youngest son who knew him in the last half of his life. There is no question David was a powerful King whose reign lifted Israel to the status of empire. There is also no question that he got to this position in some instances via any means necessary. While David, like all of us, was certainly not perfect, he never seem to waiver from being faithful to God.

David was gifted with the vision of a better world. The song, The Impossible Dream from the musical Man of La Mancha reminds us that we are all called to work toward a better world. Consider these words today.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go 

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star 

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far 

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause 

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest 

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Prayer: Lord, grant us each the vision to make the world a better place by our constantly striving for what may seem to be an unreachable star but our knowing that all things are possible through you. Amen.

*The Impossible Dream from MAN OF LA MANCHA (1972) music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion see http://www.reelclassics.com/Actors/O’Toole/impossibledream-lyrics.htm
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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.