Tag Archives: Wholeness

Joy Comes in the Morning

Eastertide

April 27, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning. –Psalm 30:1-5

I cannot read this scripture without recalling a story a friend told me years ago. Her husband was very ill in the hospital, and she was spending most of her time with him. A pastor friend of theirs called her home leaving a message that he was out of town and could not get by to visit them but was praying for them and encouraged her to remember that joy comes with the morning. Their daughter, having taken the message, delivered it to her mother saying the pastor had said that he could not come but someone named Joy was coming in the morning. My friend, being a dedicated Bible student knew exactly what the pastor was quoting and understood the message.

My Bible titles Psalm 30 as Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness. In this second year as COVID lingers, we, too, can gain solace by turning to the scriptures and letting the poets of Psalms provide salve for our weary souls.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for gifting poets to provide the words we need to hear when we feel helpless. 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.

Finding the Right Path

Eastertide

April 25, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. —Acts 9:1-9

How does God prick our consciences to turn us around from being driven by external forces trying to foster their self-interest, not God’s ways? The conscience is the sense of right or wrong within the individual*. Saul received a strong dose of consciousness on that road to Damascus. He had been schooled by the best temple leaders, in the religious thoughts of the day and was following them diligently. Jesus, this son of a carpenter, had challenged them, indicating that those leaders had turned their backs on God’s ways. Jesus brought a message of loving one another, caring for the poor and the sick, not just totally investing themselves in following all the rituals laid out by those temple leaders. In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus described a priest and a Levite who chose not to help a seriously injured man they met on the road. While a Samaritan did stop and help the man and took him to shelter. Samaritans were considered religious outcasts by the Jews. Jesus shunned no one, while the temple leaders maintained a long list of people who were not worthy and should be avoided. Jesus was crucified for his challenges.

We, too, must struggle with the teachings that some people are better in God’s eyes than others, that some sins are far worse than others, and worse yet some assign themselves the right to judge which attitudes or actions are right and which are wrong. In many instances, such people judge only the actions they would never do as sin and ignore others in which they are involved.

Jesus is still challenging all of us to choose our path wisely.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference**.

Prayer: Lord, prick our consciousness to protect us from taking the wrong path. Guide us to your ways. Amen.

* https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/conscience

**The last verse of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost see at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken

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.

To Life

Eastertide

April 24, 2022

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. –John 20:24-31

The Greek word for life is zōḗ* and it means—life (physical and spiritual). All life (2222 /zōḗ), throughout the universe, is derived – i.e. it always (only) comes from and is sustained by God’s self-existent life. The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life.

Life is a precious gift from God not to be taken for granted and not to be wasted. Our lives are the product of God’s love and we are called to live into and through that love. It was best illustrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. His life is the model for our living in bad times and in good, in the doubt of Thomas and the certainty of our author, John. I rather like the Hebrew take on life as played out in the musical Fiddler on the Roof describes life thusly,

  1. Our great men have written words of
    Wisdom to be used
    When hardship must be faced;
    Life obliges us with hardship
    So the words of wisdom
    shouldn’t go to waste.
  • God would like us to be joyful
    Even though our hearts lie panting on the floor;
    How much more can we be joyful,
    When there’s really something
    To be joyful for**.

God is with us in spirit and in truth, loving us completely, and holding us to the high expectation of building a world ruled by God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, on this first Sunday after Easter, grant us the guidance to understand the wisdom of those who shared your history in word and in deed and the perseverance to take joy in your service no matter how stressful it becomes. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2222.htm

**source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/f/fiddlerontherooflyrics/tolifelyrics.html

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.

Forgiving/Retaining Sin

Eastertide

April 23, 2022

Scripture Reading:
John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23

Christ-followers are called to be the body of Christ in the world today. That is a breathtaking assignment, and Jesus knew that. So, Jesus breathed the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to maintain our relationship with him. I am not sure exactly what John is trying to say about forgiving and retaining sin. Indeed, if we have the assignment to be Christ’s body that could mean doing everything Christ did. The Greek word for sin, hamartia, used here means missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed * It, however, also describes the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God*.  We can miss the mark every day and are wise if we recognize where we have missed the mark as quickly as possible restoring are aim with God and others. Having someone we can trust to help us address such sins is helpful.

I had to complete four hours of physical education in college. While I am a sports fan, I am not really good at any sport. The college offered one class that spent a few weeks on several different activities that were designed for those of us who needed encouragement in exercising. One segment was archery. I do not have the strongest arms and discovered very quickly that if I did not keep my arm very straight and taunt as I pulled back the bowstring when I let the arrow fly I got slapped hard by the recoiling string and rarely hit the target. It took a very patient coach to help me shoot the arrow and hit the target without bruising my arm. Walking with people striving to relate to God and perhaps serving as a coach serves others as a conduit to forgiveness of sins.

I think we must be very careful regarding our part in judging the retention of sin we deem to be an unforgivable act. We are all too human and I fear we are all capable of branding something as sin from a self-originated viewpoint. There is a lot of that going around in our world today. Jesus also said 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. (Matthew 7:5)

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us of our desire to judge others from our perspective and guide us in helping one another follow the path originated or empowered by you. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/266.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.

Syncing with God

Eastertide

April 21, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John, the writer of Revelation, opens his letters to the seven churches with an extensive description of the Lord. John does this to help his readers understand that he is well acquainted with all the manifestations of God. John is establishing his credentials for writing letters of judgment, with warnings in some, sympathy in others, to help those churches mature in faith and in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. The letters are, indeed, a good study of how communities of faith work and don’t work. They encourage such communities to stay on top of what is right and what is wrong with their practices and to make corrections as necessary.

I seem to have a need, at some times more than others, to start my prayers with elaborate naming of the various aspects of God in my relationship with God. I sometimes quote scripture, like Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Now, I am sure God knows all that already. I am really credentialing myself in preparation for communing with God. Being aware of our characteristics helps us better communicate as we try to get in sync with God. I remember well when I first took the Myers-Briggs personality types* survey and learned that I was an INTJ. I quickly turned to the descriptions of an INTJ and read among the negatives that they tend to take things personally. I thought, “I do not take things personally, how dare they”, and realized in that response I just did. I must accept that life is not always all about me. That is just one example but being aware of such things about ourselves helps us work, love, and further the development of the kingdom of God better.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand better who we are and how we function so that we can serve you more completely. Amen.

*For more information see https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.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.

Answered Prayer

Eastertide

April 20, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 118:14-29

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. –Psalm 118:21-26

The poet of the above scripture is possibly being very literal about being saved. His life may have been spared in a battle that was won by his people. The scenes of Ukraine are seared in our minds. I cannot imagine either the terror of the bombings or climbing from a hiding place and realizing the pain of losing a loved one or experiencing the joy that you and your family have survived the latest airstrike. I do believe that as Jesus said it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), but it does not lessen the pain of loss or joy when calamity had not won the day. What it does say is, do not give up on the Lord in any situation. When horrendous things happen to God’s people, God is present with them as they mourn the dead and take care of the injured or celebrate the joy in simply surviving.

Yesterday was the 27th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, and ceremonies were conducted in memory of those lost and injured and in thanksgiving of those who rescued and helped in the recovery. The Oklahoma City Memorial Garden is a beautiful site of remembrance. Since 1995 downtown Oklahoma City has blossomed into a vibrant center city. I pray for a similar outcome for Ukraine and for all the nations caught in the forces of greed and lust for power that place their faith in violence. May they discover or rediscover the blessing received in serving the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your constant presence in the good times and the bad. Thank you for answering prayers. 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.

Systemic Justice

Eastertide

Eastertide

April 18, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

And so, we have another new beginning. God is merciful and just and God never seems to give up on us. Easter was observed yesterday with bright colors, beautiful music, baptisms, and celebration of the resurrection. A new day has dawned. We like the first-century disciples now must lay aside the that which holds us back and as Hebrews 12:1 states, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Indeed, we must atone for our individual deviations from God’s purposes. However, we perhaps have homed in on personal sin while ignoring the systemic sin we ignore that hurts everyone. No one needs to be poor in our world today. There are enough resources to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, welcome the stranger, and restore the prisoner. It does not matter what name we give to our form of governance or economic systems. What matters is that all are loved and have access to the basics of life that will allow everyone to experience the abundant life Jesus called for in John 10:10b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” God’s abundance is not measured in dollars and cents. Such abundance speaks of healthy minds and bodies but also the fullness of love, joy, and hope we possess through our relationships with God and with one another.

As some of us sang on Easter, we do serve a living Savior and he is in the world today. There is nothing we do in service to God and God’s whole creation that is not enhanced by the Spirit’s presence and guidance, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Prayer: Lord, lead us to come together in spirit and in truth to address the systemic changes needed in our 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Unsealing the Tomb

Easter

April 17, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 27:57-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Seal the tomb so Jesus’s body could not be removed and, thus, his followers would be unable to say he had risen from the grave. In what tombs do we lock Jesus? If he had not been resurrected what of his message would we still follow? We now pick and chose the things he taught with which we agree, we ignore or explain away things with which we do not agree, and finally, we put words in his mouth that we do not have a record of him saying. As followers of God one of our greatest challenges is not recreating God in the image, we desire God to be.

God is calling us this Easter morning to unseal the tomb we place around Jesus. Studying the scriptures is a good place to start, but they, too, are limited to space and time that no longer apply to all our situations. We must also spend time in prayer and meditation seeking God’s guidance in understanding the world around us and how its systems work together for the fruition of the Kingdom of God or pull apart to stop its coming to reality. We must allow God to grow our faith trusting in God’s wisdom as it is given to us. Today we must step out in faith and let go of one thing that is holding us back from being fully the persons God created us to be. If it is a big step we may need to break it down into smaller parts, changing one at a time. If it is a small venture. We must finish it and move to the next. Make Easter your starting place for newness in faith.

Prayer: Lord, lead us into seeking and implementing your plan for the Kingdom of God. 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.

Provoked to Love

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 10:16-25

 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them
   after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
   and I will write them on their minds,’
he also adds,
‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Our world is being pelted by divisiveness designed to divide and conquer. It works by distracting us from issues that really matter by focusing on highly emotional, judgmentally driven subjects. Abortion is probably the leading issue and the longest-lasting one. Please note that while law after law has been written to criminalize abortion few attempts have ever been enacted to establish programs to prevent unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. A few years ago, Colorado reduced its abortion rate by 40% in one year by simply making birth control available to anyone who wanted it at no cost. Abortion is closely related to poverty. Immigration is another divisive and distracting issue. The USA has needed to revamp its immigration policies for years, but it never happened. Why? Because there are a lot of people making money off the backs of undocumented aliens who do not have to be paid the minimum wage or receive mandatory benefits. That does not only hurt the migrants, it also takes jobs away from citizens for whom minimum wage and benefits are required. There are jobs in the USA for which there are not enough workers that migrants could fill but they should be paid appropriately.

These examples cross my mind when I read the phrase quoted above that says, let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. How do we turn around a society driven by greed? Rather than provoking people to anger and violence on issues that divide us, we need to provoke people to love and do good deeds, drawing all God’s children together in support of one another.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are distracted from caring for the needs of all people with love.  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 Lord’s Supper

Maundy Thursday

April 14, 2022

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Lord’s Supper seems a necessity of life for me as sharing in it with other Christ-followers whether in person or online restores my soul. We live in a complex and sometimes frightening world that Jesus, the Christ, left us to make new with his guidance and in his name. Indeed, he did not leave us alone surrounding us with the Holy Spirit in all phases of our lives and with comfort and awakenings as we interact with the Lord in our spiritual disciplines. Since COVID, my church has been using prepackaged communion cups filled with grape juice covered in foil with a small disk of bread on top covered with plastic. The challenge of accessing the elements in them is a new experience each Sunday but I have noticed that most people work hard to break the seals so they can once again eat the bread and drink the cup to remember who we serve and why.

Prayer: Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether

 Draw us in the Spirit’s tether,
  for when humbly in your name
 two or three are met together,
you are in the midst of them.
        Alleluia! Alleluia!
Touch we now your garment’s hem

As disciples used to gather
in the name of Christ to sup,
then with thanks to God the giver
break the bread and bless the cup,
        Alleluia! Alleluia!
so now bind our friendship up*.  Amen.

*First two verses of the Hymn Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether by Percy Dearmer see at https://charlesghose.com/2020/05/23/draw-us-in-the-spirits-tether/

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.