Tag Archives: Sharing our Love

Being a Sanctuary for Others

Living in the Spirit

November 3, 2022

Scripture Reading:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? –2 Thessalonians 2:1-5

I have been aware of cults since I was a child from Jim Jones’ People’s Temple to QAnon today. I worked with a person several years ago who did not come to work one morning without notice. We found out later that she had traveled to a designated place for the Rapture and did not find it necessary to file for vacation time to be away. In her mind the world as we knew it would no longer exist.

When we look at the work of Jesus, we see authentic events with very real people being guided in loving themselves and loving one another—no mass suicides and no perverted sexual behavior, and no cabal of Satanic cannibalism. When I consider such cults, I think of the song title, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places*. While the song addresses looking for a life partner, I think we all have an innate need to know God, our creator, and live in fellowship with God. Part of our calling is to share our experience of God with others so that they can know there is more to life than negative patterns of behavior. I am sorry to say that I have observed people who moved further away from God because of misguided, judgmental experiences pressed on them in childhood that turned them off from seeking a relationship with God. Jesus never crammed God down anyone’s throat and neither should we. Jesus lived his love and so should we.

Prayer: Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord who came to save
The heart and soul of every man.
It is you Lord who knows my weakness,
Who gives me strength, with thine own hand*. Amen.

*Chorus and the first verse of Lord, Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary by John Thompson, Randy Scruggs

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.

Loving with No Strings Attached

Preparing for Advent

November 27, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me,
   ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
   ‘May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
   and security within your towers.’
For the sake of my relatives and friends
   I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
   I will seek your good. –Psalm 122:1, 6-9

I included the first verse of this psalm because it is probably my favorite song from childhood. I do indeed love to go into houses of the Lord and share in worship of God. I love music both vocal and instrumental, like to hear the scriptures read, enjoy watching children share in the service, learn from words shared by worship leaders and pastors, and celebrate the whole Body of Christ as I share in the Lord’s Supper each Sunday.

The closing verses of this poem carries key wisdom that we all need to hear. Everything God does for us is intended for our good and everything we do in God’s name is for our good and the good of all of God’s creation. That understanding requires us to carefully discern what is good for us and what is good for another. We must discern what is just and what is righteous in all our actions.

When I supervised social work at the local level, I was asked by local churches to identify families that the church members could help for Christmas. One year a few days after Christmas, a very irate women from one of those churches arrived with sparks flying from her eyes at my office door to complain that she had donated a very nice dress for a little girl in the family we had referred. The woman had just driven by the family’s house and had seen the little girl playing in the mud in that dress. The woman wanted me to know she was never going to work with any family we referred again. I tried to explain to her that that may have been the only warm clothing the little girl had. I do not think it made a difference. From that time forward, when I coordinated such gift exchanges, I arranged for the churches to provide the gifts to our office and did not share the identities of the families receiving the gifts to the churches. God’s love is given freely to all with no strings attached that is a good role for us to model.

Prayer: Lord, help me to share the joy of your birth with others as God shared you with us with no strings attached. Amen.

*https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/396

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.

Greater Gifts

Jesus’ Ministry
January 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. –1 Corinthians 12:27-31

Of course, this scripture is the precursor to 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love chapter where love is described as the more excellent way.  What does Paul mean by the phrase But strive for the greater gifts?

We have probably all experienced at one time or another doing something for which we do not have the greatest skills because it needs to be done to reach an important outcome and no one with the right skills is available or does not make themselves available to do what needed to be done. On rare occasions, by doing something alien to me, I discovered tasks that I could do well and enjoyed doing them. Generally, though the world would run more smoothly, if the best person for a job, did the job. How do we enable people to discover their skills and talents and then how do we encourage them to use them toward building a better world?

When assisting women who had never worked but found themselves in a life situation that required them to learn to work, it is necessary to translate skills like house keeping and raising children into marketable talent. Many such women lack the self-esteem to think they can do some tasks even though they have demonstrated through their routines of daily living good skills.

How did we learn to work? In most instances work habits are garnered from watching one’s parents work. What happens when one’s lacks that experience?

How do people of faith learn to live their faith in word and in deed? How do we teach the ways of God to those who have never experienced it or sometimes to those who experienced religion as a very negative part of their life? How do we strive to not only for our greater gifts but to help all of God’s children strive for their greater gifts?

Prayer: Lord, make us blessings to those in search of their greater gifts. 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.