Tag Archives: repentance

Restorative Justice

Lent
March 31, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

  ‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”’ –Luke 15:20-32

Are we the older brother? With whom do we identify in this story? If we find ourselves in the role of the older brother, we are most likely taking our privilege for granted.  I have observed families who invest all their pride and energy in the children that do well according to the ways of the world, and I have seen families who worked so hard at saving a wayward child they ignored the others. God wants all God’s children to thrive and reach their full potential. We are called to see others the way God sees them.

The season of Lent is a great time to examine ourselves to determine if our perception of the people around us is driven from God’s ways or from the ways of the world. Oklahoma incarcerates more people than any other state. A wide variety of people are now examining that situation to see how we can move from an overly punitive system to a more restorative system of criminal justice. Is incarceration the best way to deal with a person who has been found guilty of a non-violent crime? Does labeling a person for the rest of their lives as a felon imped their reintroduction into normal society? What do people who cannot get a job because they are labeled a felon do to support themselves? Should drug or alcohol abuse be treated as a disease rather than responded to as a crime? What about those who make a lot of money off the addictions of others? If the prodigals of the world turn around and come home do we greet them with open arms and help or turn them away?

Prayer: Lord, guide us as we study and develop better ways of responding to crime and all that is impacted by 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.

Course Corrections

Jesus’ Ministry
February 4, 2019

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ –Isiah 6:1-5

One of our greatest challenges in life is trying to view ourselves objectively. Jesus says in Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. How do we do that? How do we recognize our own faults? How did Isaiah know he was a man of unclean lips? What trash talk had he been doing? Was he doing it on purpose or was it so much a part of him he thought it was right? What is the litmus test for self-awareness?

Apparently, Isaiah in a moment of worship and meditation experienced a vision from God that opened his eyes to his imperfections. My guess is Isaiah was seeing all the corruption around him and felt the need to address it but knew in his heart he was as vulnerable to condemnation as others. Repentance is the first step to real change. I read a posting on social media recently that began with the words, “I was wrong.” One of the hardest phrases in the world to utter, it is one of the most vital phrases to speak, if justice is to be achieved. Isaiah was an advocate for God’s justice.

I think it was in 1980, the church I attend elected its first female elder. She had impeccable credentials and the perfect decorum to make it work. The next year two female deacons were elected and the next year I was elected as a deacon. After church the first Sunday I served communion in the role of a deacon, one of the older gentlemen in the church came up to me and said, “I wanted you to know that I was dead set against having women serve as elders and deacons. I now know I was wrong. I was pleased to see you serving today.” I was please to be the person to receive such a heartfelt confession, particularly from someone going against thousands of years of tradition. I am glad to say this seems so antiquated today as we have women and men serving in all roles of leadership and service in our church. The younger people probably do not know it was ever a big deal.

Change always starts with individuals and groups who willingly and often courageously take the time to examine their own behavior and measure it against God’s righteousness and justice until their way of being comes into alignment with God’s.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see ourselves as you see us, help us to see any course corrections needed, and give us the courage to make 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.

Exercise for the Soul

Living in the Spirit
November 28, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 25:1-10

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. 

Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. –Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10

The NRSV uses the word “make” in the scripture above to describe the action we are asking of the Lord. Other translations use the word “teach”. The Hebrew word used is a root word and means to exercise in, learn*. I am not sure that making anyone do anything ever works in the long term and may actually create a negative experience. I get the idea of exercising until something becomes routine. My first session of physical therapy following knee replacement surgery began with riding a recumbent bike. My therapist did not force me to turn those pedals but matter-of-factly assured me that it was the best and quickest way for me to return to walking normally. I did make myself pedal with those first few rotations coming very slowly and painfully. The motion resulted in the pain easing and my speed increasing. That was my norm for several sessions as the pain decreased and my speed increased until eventually the pain was gone. I now sound like a broken record when people facing knee replacement ask me for advice regarding how to deal with the surgery when I always say, “Do the therapy.”

Facing our sins, our missing the mark, our separation from God, whatever we want to call it can be painful. I think what the psalmist is trying to say is that dealing with our sin heals the wounds that prevent us from walking the paths that God lays out for us to a fuller and richer life. None of this recovery happens by accident. We must be intentional about our efforts first to identify the issues and then to reshape our lives to avoid their traps. God shows us the way through scripture and prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit and we exercise within God’s guidelines until we have turned away from that which holds us back from our full potential as children of God.

Prayer: Walk with me, O Lord, as I work to grow in truth and in grace in your service. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3925.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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

No Other Gods

Lent
February 26, 2018

Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words: 

 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. 

 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

  You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. –Exodus 1:1-11

What are our other gods? We all have them nipping at our souls, trying to take control of our lives. The first places we probably should explore are the areas of our lives that set our priorities. If we own a business and are cheating our customers to make more money rather then loving them as we love ourselves, we are worshipping the god of greed. If we are manipulating people using emotionally charged causes to gain power over government, we are worshipping the god of lust for power. If we champion religion that recognizes material wealth as a measure of piety, we are worshipping the god of envy. What are our other gods?

All talents and skills are God-given. We have a choice of whether we use them to God’s glory or our own benefit. The irony is that when we glorify God, we glorify ourselves and all of God’s children. When we glorify other gods, we demean God and destroy ourselves in the process. Lent is a great time to take stock of ourselves and get our priorities straight.

Prayer:  God of All, forgive us when we turn to lesser gods searching aimlessly for something that will never fulfill our needs. Heal our souls and guide us in using our talents and skills to your glory. 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.

Repentance

Lent
February 18, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ –Mark 1:12-15

A time of preparation for the journey that lies ahead seems to be what Mark implies from Jesus’ baptism, Spirit blessing, acknowledgment by God, and sojourn in the wilderness. Matthew and Luke go into greater detail than Mark about Jesus’ temptations. Mark simply records that it happened. Being alone with God is wise preparation for any journey of faith. Ridding oneself of the things that are most likely to distract us from our purpose is also a good idea. Fred Craddock developed a Bible study guide many years ago based on the premise that we tend to sin in our areas of greatest strengths rather than weaknesses. Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18.) I tended to agree with him after following his logic in that study.

We seem to have a lot of leaders backed into corners from which they cannot extract themselves without admitting that they might have followed a wrong course. We, of course, each see the wrongness of our opponent’s actions without seeing the possible miss-steps of our own. What was that Jesus said about taking the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye (Matthew 7:5)? The thing about God is God forgives and forgets. We humans have not perfected either of those actions. God rejoices in our turning around and correcting our course. God can and does show us the way out of the corners we make for ourselves if we invite God to help us.

My fear is spoken so often by the Hebrew prophets and quoted by Jesus:

‘He has blinded their eyes
   and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and understand with their heart and turn—
   and I would heal them.’ (John 12:40)

Are we so caught up in the my-way-or-the-highway stanches that we cannot turn back to God’s ways?

Prayer: Father, forgive us for we know not what we do. Help us escape from our self-imposed prisons of self-rightness and return to your paths of righteousness and 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.

A New Thing

Christmas
December 26, 2017

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
   and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
   and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
   that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
   and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.  –Isaiah 62:1-3

Love will prevail. No matter how much God’s followers mess up, God always, always delivers a message to us that Love will win out over any evil and we will do a new thing because of God’s response to our shortcomings. Like a parent seeing a baby attracted to and reaching toward a shining, wiggly candle flame, God’s strong hands whisks us up and sets us in a safe place. God’s salvation may scare the devil out of us, and we may cry out in fear, perhaps anger or disappointment at having to give up what seemed so enticing to us, but God will soon quiet us and turn us in a new direction if we let God.

The message of Christmas in 2017 is strong and sure. If we do not repent of our ways that differ from God’s ways and turn back to God, God will intercede, and we will pay the price for our negligence.

I was acquainted with the following scripture from Isaiah when I attended some years ago a retreat held by the Children’s Defense Fund targeted at helping people of faith learn new ways to do justice for children.

I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

I had never sung it in song before. I fell in love with the following little chorus at that retreat and on returning home taped it to my bathroom mirror to remind me of God’s persistent will that we learn the act of loving one another as the best way of being. The paper yellowed or time and the tape stiffened so one day I removed it while cleaning the mirror. I am creating a new copy today and returning it to the mirror.  I invite you to join me in letting God lead us into a new thing in love.

“I will do a new thing in you;
I will do a new thing in you;
Whatever you ask for, whatever you pray for,
nothing shall be denied.”
saith the Lord; saith the Lord! *

Prayer:  Lord, forgive us for our failures to love one another. Do a new thing in us. Amen.

I Will Do a New Thing in You by Audrey Byrd see at https://hymnary.org/hymn/AAHH2001/568

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.

Avoiding Disaster

Advent
December 11, 2017

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
   because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
   to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
   and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
   and the day of vengeance of our God;
   to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
   to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
   the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
   they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
   the devastations of many generations. –Isaiah 61:1-4

More and more I find myself, like Isaiah in this scripture, thinking recovery from disaster rather than preventing disaster. While I do continue to work, hope, and pray for the avoidance of catastrophe, all our avoidance work seems fruitless. Isaiah was writing after the fall of Judah and the Israelites’ living in exile and returning to rebuild Jerusalem.

My pessimism probably proceeds from having been here before, more than once. I was born after the Great Depression, but it illustrates the pattern: greed that leads to cutting taxes resulting in depression/recession* followed by war. I worked for the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services in the 80’s when the USA initiated the trickle-down theory again resulting in a recession followed by the Gulf War. In 2000, we cut taxes again. The 9/11 attack happened in 2001 that sent us into a war we are still fighting and led to a recession that was very close to a depression. In these last two instances, our public assistance caseloads shot out the roof while our resources markedly declined. One of the USA’s greatest sins is paying our soldiers so poorly many of their families must depend on food stamps while millions of taxpayer dollars are funneled off to private war contractors who make huge profits from our folly.

We stand on the precipice of this cycle once more. Enacting massive tax cuts while already awash in debt as we spar with North Korea who now says war is inevitable and we stir animosity in the Middle East. We need to listen to the prophets of old, repent of our greed and lust for power, and learn to live within our means while we protect the Common Good particularly for the least of these.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for being blinded by the world’s temptations. Write your ways on our hearts and enable our climbing out of the hole we have dug for ourselves. Amen.

*https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/11/30/im-a-depression-historian-the-gop-tax-bill-is-straight-out-of-1929/?utm_term=.8233789a07da

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.

Spiritual Self-Examination

Advent
December 10, 2017

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
 –Mark 1:4-8

What is sin? Would we recognize its presence in our own lives if we saw it? Do we need to know our sins truly to repent of them?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sin as:

a transgression of religious law:  an offense against God
a serious offense:  a violation of propriety
a serious shortcoming:  fault
a vitiated [defective] state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

 We find examples of all of these descriptors of sin in the Bible. The most common Biblical definition is not listed above. Scriptures talk about missing the mark and going astray. Jesus is quoted in Matthew 7:14 For the gate is narrow, and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a major retooling of its roster the last couple of years which results in the need for seasoned players to change the way they have trained their bodies and minds to function. Old muscle memory dies hard. Learning to play with new teammates takes time and practice. On top of that rules of the game were changed increasing need for additional adaptation. They are learning to go through a new narrow gate while leaving their old ways behind. I am not suggesting that sin has anything to do with the Thunder’s playing. I am saying I think it is an excellent example of self-examination we all must continually do as we strive to follow God without going astray or missing the mark. These guys have several coaches whose job is to help them see their missteps so they can correct them. They record the change in their brain and keep reminding themselves of it until it becomes new muscle memory.

Our head coach is Jesus Christ who through his life, death, and resurrection shows us the way to life. He provided others to carry on his work through apostles and disciples, prophets and priest. Our task is to take his Word into our hearts and brains and let it infuse our entire being with its wisdom to guide our work and our journey.

Prayer: Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit Divine!** Amen

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/sin

**First verse and chorus of Open My Eyes by Clara H. Scott see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/807

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.

Seeing Self in Seeking God

matthew-7_5-revised1Living in the Spirit
October 23, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 18:9-14

But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ –Luke 18:13-13

The moment we see ourselves for who or what we uniquely are is life changing. It is also necessary for normal maturation as we transition from child to adult. It is equally necessary for spiritual growth. The tax-collector in our scripture today has apparently experienced one of those Aha! Moments, where he understands how what he does, impacts others. I can image him overhearing the gospel Jesus taught. He took it home with him, and he could not let it go. Perhaps he was one of the curious 5,000 Jesus fed. Maybe he witnessed a healing. Whatever happened, he had turned around suddenly facing a full-length mirror, and not liked what he saw.

The tax-collector was most likely Jewish. The Romans like to hire Jews to collect their taxes from other Jews. These tax-collectors returned to the Romans the collections demanded, but the tax-collectors could take as much as they wanted above the Roman tax from their fellow Jews. As you might assume, they were not popular. They were often wealthy, living the good life, measuring their success by their cunning ability to get as much as they could for their own use. I wonder how much faith training he had received and applied as a Jew. Did the tax collector claim purity in the law, justifying his actions by narrow translations? Jesus quoted Hebrew scripture when he commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How could one rectify overtaxing families and follow that command?

Jesus picked an easy target for his example. He did not have to do a lot of explaining for his listeners to get the picture. He surely sent them home with the same nagging question the tax-collector had that eventually drove him to his knees. We each must search our hearts to find what is holding us back from fully engaging in our roles of service to Jesus Christ. He is rather like a mirror for all of us. Do we see ourselves when we look deep into his life and way of being?

Prayer: God be merciful to me, a sinner! Reflect back to me the things in my life that are limiting me from being what I am called to be. Lead me forward in your grace. 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.

Repent

matthew-25-40Living in the Spirit
October 14, 2016

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
–2 Timothy 4:3-5

Does it seem like the time of not putting up with sound doctrine is now? We want to hear what we want to hear and if what we want is not being spoken we tune out. What causes this moral decay in our society? Why are we so intent on worshipping empty vessels? At least part of the problem is the co-opting of voices of faith. Some by divide and conquer processes shredded the oneness for which Christ longed. Some did it by identifying righteousness with wealth rather than justice. Both practices, as old as time itself, stem from evil, not love.

People of faith do need to repent, turn around. Those of us who call ourselves Christian need to recognize that the answers to our issues are available to us in the life and example of Jesus Christ. We seem to leave him out of our paradigms of life. The gospels never record Jesus as even addressing the major issues that divide us. He does admonish us about greed and the misuse of power.

Perhaps if we simplified our purpose for the next several years limiting our work only to those items Jesus named in Matthew 25, we could find Christ’s way again.

  • Feed the hungry
  • Provide clean water for the thirsty
  • Welcome the stranger
  • Cloth the naked
  • Care for the sick
  • Restore those in prison to productive lives

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our foolish ways. Guide us to be your Body active in this world today. 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.