Tag Archives: Wholeness

God Is

Advent

December 6, 2021

Scripture Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
   shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
   O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
   he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
   you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
   do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
   a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
   he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
   as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
   so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
   at that time.
And I will save the lame
   and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
   and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
   at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
   among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
   before your eyes, says the Lord.

I needed this scripture this morning; you may too. I recommend that you not only read it but inhale it into your soul. As you read it consider what you are doing as a disciple of Christ to hasten the Kingdom of God in fulness across the whole earth.     

Prayer: God of Grace and Love, thank you for freeing us from despair guide us to live within the light of your 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.

Purified and Refined

Advent

November 30, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap are purifying agents. Metal removed from the earth is melted, and any non-metallic particles are removed, increasing the metal’s strength.  The COVID pandemic has had many negative impacts, but it also seems to have made people reconsider what is important to them as they consider the life they have left to live. Malachi is suggesting that we apply this concept to our states of being.  Recently I moved a chest in my bedroom because I noticed a small book caught between it and the wall. It is Parker J. Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. I have read and appreciated other books by Palmer but had no idea where this one came from or how I got it. It was published in 2000 about the time I struggled with feelings that the work I had been doing was morphing into something that at least missed my life goals. I do not remember reading the book, and it looks brand new.  I eventually chose to take early retirement in 2004 and pursue the Commissioned Ministry program available in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I served as an Associate at a church for seven years, then retired a second time to devote my time to advocacy.

I am reading the Palmer book slowly and thoughtfully as I once again need to be purified from a pessimistic viewpoint that our society is beyond salvaging. My metal needs to be refined and strengthened.

When I found the book, the first line of an old hymn ran through my mind, reminding me that we serve an all-powerful God who can and will use us in many ways if we open our hearts to God’s service. So finding the book was well-timed.

God moves in a mysterious way,
    His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
    And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
    Of never failing skill;
He treasures up his bright designs,
    And works His sovereign will*.

Prayer: Lord, strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees, enabling me to serve you more nearly**. Amen.

*First two verses of Conflict: Light Shining out of Darkness. By William Cowper. See at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Moves_in_a_Mysterious_Way

**Derived from Hebrews 12:12

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.

Prepare the Way for the Lord

Advent

November 29, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Are we called to prepare the way for the Lord in real-time today? What does it mean to prepare the way for the Lord? How do we make straighter the way to finding the love of God, including God’s wholeness, oneness, and justice in a world of divide and conquer?

As I have mentioned before, I live in tornado alley, and while we may take warnings of pending storms for granted, we take precautions. For example, in Oklahoma City, every Saturday at noon, the outdoor tornado sirens are tested to make sure they work if the need to sound them arises. In addition, I have a weather alert system on my cell phone that gives me immediate warnings when dangerous storms are approaching.  Failure to follow those warnings may lead to disaster.

God’s prophets came to warn God’s people that their actions were missing the mark and they must change their ways if they are to experience the blessing of being in sync with God. In the scripture above, Malachi foretells God sending a messenger to prepare the path to the Lord.

 I drove out to see a new apartment complex recently built a few blocks from my home. It looked very nice from my vantage a block away. There was a rough road leading into the complex, but it was so new the city street that would at some point be the paved way to it had not yet been built. Some people already lived there, but others will be more likely to cross the entry from a smoother, easier-to-follow path.  We are called to show others the way to God’s love.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see those who might benefit from our opening doors to accessing God’s 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.

Fear Not

Advent

November 28, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Luke 21:25-36

‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ –Luke 21:34-36

God created a well-planned interdependent world where the gold standard for wellbeing is shalom— peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. Searching for a life outside of shalom is the road to destruction. Yet, that is precisely what many in our world are hellbent to do. Our failure to care enough for each other to be vaccinated quickly for COVID resulted in a more potent variant called Delta. Another variant, perhaps worse than Delta, called Omicron, has recently appeared in South Africa and maybe the worst one yet. Third-world countries have had the least opportunity to take preventative measures. The variants spread rapidly, and this latest one will be in our nations soon. People across the world are angry. They are tired of socially distancing, wearing masks, and getting shots. They want their pre-COVID lives back.

Jesus meant it when he said loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves* are the two most important commandments. He also increased our neighborhood to include the whole world**.  We hold our future in our hands. We can follow the way of Jesus working to restore wholeness across all lands while growing in love for the vast diversity God gifted to us in varied cultures, or we can follow the path of destruction.

Prayer: Lord, the divine admonition to “Fear not” is recorded in the Bible 365 times; help us remember it each morning as we face a new day and grant us the strength to strive for shalom without fear. Amen.

*Matthew 22: 35-40

**Matthew 28:18-20

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.

Experiencing Fury

Advent

November 27, 2021

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25-36

Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. –Luke 21:29-33

I am a fan of PBS News Hour and on Thanksgiving Day it was a welcome reprieve since most other news had been replaced by football. I happen to enjoy a good football game, so I am not being critical just thankful for its inclusion as an option. Two of the segments presented particularly caught my attention. One was Why cultural and political divides in the U.S. seem to be getting worse. The other was How broken faith in American institutions is creating a ‘rising sense of fury’*. I have observed and been concerned about both issues for some time. I was particularly impressed by the statement that these phenomena do not occur overnight. They build for years before being fully manifested. One of the guests described how the cultural change that resulted in the Civil War matured over 30 years.

There is nothing new in these studies and observations. Just ask Amos, Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, and the other prophets as Israel, like waves on the ocean, flowing in and out of cultural debacles, eventually resulting in exile. Humans do not want to hear what does not address their immediate desires.  Greed overcomes common sense. For example, this morning, I heard news stories about new and innovative ways to buy what we really cannot afford for Christmas this year. One way was what I would call after the purchase layaway payments.

Rectifying the cultural and political divides must start with examining what part we may be contributing to the problem. In the 1960s, when I graduated from college, one of the rewards was an onslaught of preapproved credit cards. I received gas, store, and general credit cards in the mail with a congratulations card for finishing school. All one had to do was sign and return the invitation. One night when I was paying the minimum amount due on all those bills at 18% interest, I realized I was wasting a lot of money. It took me over a year to pay them all off, but I did. I limited myself to one card that required total payment each month. Most of my friends were on the same credit merry-go-round that grows into most of society living beyond their means, and that results in trying to find anyone else to blame but ourselves.

I just gave one example of the build-up to fury. What I see in our culture today is people needing to be better than others to feel they are of worth. I do not know from where that comes, but it is not true and such measures of self-worth result in all kinds of divides that destroy our world.

Prayer: Lord, lead us in examining ourselves and enable us to be repairers of the breach**we find. Amen.

*To view them go to https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-cultural-and-political-divides-in-the-u-s-seem-to-be-getting-worse  and https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-broken-faith-in-american-institutions-is-creating-a-rising-sense-of-fury

**See Isaiah 58:12

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.

Humility

Advent

November 24, 2021

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.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

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 25:4-10

Humble: having a low opinion of one’s own importance or merits; modest or meek in spirit, manner, or appearance: not proud or haughty*.

The proud or haughty cannot be taught anything. Their opinions or values are their truth, whether it aligns with reality or not. Often their truths seep into our culture and are accepted as norms. God’s ways are not the ways of the proud or haughty. As I observed people, I discerned that one of the worst messages parents or others relay to children is that they are better than anybody else. Most children, deep in their hearts, know that is not true. They may be good at some things, but they see others whose skills are better than theirs in other areas. The results are far-reaching. Some who have been given that message become bullies, some develop inferior complexes, and some kill people in what they perceive as self-defense, not because their lives are in danger, but their self-image is threatened. Such minors should not be imprisoned, but they need help rather than being given licenses to kill or enable copycats.

People are created in the image of God, determined not by looks but by how they love. Therefore, we cannot follow the paths of the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness until we take off the garments of privilege.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Amen.

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

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.

Types of Love

Advent

November 22, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

An abundant life to the prophets is coupled with justice and righteousness, not wealth and power. Life as Jesus modeled it was one of loving and caring for others. Jesus also indicated that we could not love others unless we love ourselves. What does that mean? The word love is tossed about loosely in our culture. We often use the word love to describe what makes us happy. I just love that dress, song, ice cream. But what does loving oneself mean, and how do we apply that same behavior when dealing with others?

The Greek language identifies at least four words to describe what English melds together into the word love. C. S. Lewis describes these in his book The Four Loves as Affection (storge), Friendship (philia), Romantic (eros), Charity (agape).

The most familiar type of love, affection, may stand alone but often complements each of the other three. It’s the familiarity of “the people with whom you are thrown together in the family, the college, the mess, the ship, the religious house,” says Lewis*.

Lewis describes Friendship as the love dismissed. “Friendship must be about something,” Lewis says, “even if it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow-travelers.”

Romantic love is challenged by passion and, while significant in itself, can be considered lost if passion is not always present.

Charity is our chief aim, the unconditional love of the Father given to us through his Son. Affection, Friendship, and romantic love are each the training ground for charity to grow. . . we are made to love, and we are in want of it. As the parable says, if we play it safe, we are not living out the Gospel, but burying the coin in the safe ground.

God calls us to radical love, which may mean one ends up on a cross, but it always means that God is the author of life, which is written in the language of love and nothing is greater than God’s love. So we might want to identify the areas we have affection for ourselves–never dismiss friendships, letting romantic love blossom with and without passion, and cherishing the charity of God loving us no matter what. Once we accept these attributes, we need to share them with one another and all others.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to loving ourselves so we can love one another. Amen.

All descriptors of the four loves are taken from https://www.cslewis.com/four-types-of-love/

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.

Due to COVID

Living in the Spirit

November 16, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)

The Lord swore to David a sure oath
   from which he will not turn back:
‘One of the sons of your body
   I will set on your throne.
If your sons keep my covenant
   and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, for evermore,
   shall sit on your throne.’

For the Lord has chosen Zion;
   he has desired it for his habitation:
‘This is my resting-place forever;
   here I will reside, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless its provisions;
   I will satisfy its poor with bread.
Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
   and its faithful will shout for joy.
There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
   I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
   but on him, his crown will gleam.’ –Psalm 132:11-18

The rich history of God’s people carefully carried forward in scripture is a blessing to all who read it. The stories carefully blend God’s personal relationship with each of God’s children while encompassing the oneness God desires for all creation, from loving our near neighbors to those found at the ends of the earth. Most Christians see the above scripture as foretelling the coming of Christ, God with us. The One who sees clearly by the light of God’s lamp and thus is the One we can follow without fear. His light guides us.

I have been surprised to find lexicon-driven scriptures regarding the coming of Christ before Advent. Maybe I have not been paying attention in the past. Perhaps, due to COVID, we are all anxious for good news. I grow weary of that phrase “due to COVID.” We are now being told COViD will most likely become endemic, with us forever ranked in severity somewhere between the common cold and the flu, adding another annual booster shot. Evil, too, is endemic, never going away and always being in the way to distract us from fulfilling God’s vision for all. We build up antibodies to evil by maintaining a close, loving relationship with God.  We reduce the impact of evil in our world by spreading the good news of God’s love and grace provided through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: O Come, O Come Emanual and ransom the whole world. 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.

Loving God by Loving Each Other

Living in the Spirit

November 12, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25

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. –Hebrews 10:11-14.

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds

The Greek word translated as “provoke” in the above scripture is paroksysmós – a provocation which literally jabs (cuts) someone so they “must” respond*. I am not into jabbing or cutting anyone, but I do not understand how people who claim to worship the same God can have such markedly different understandings of God’s will for God’s people. There are many aspects of faith we could debate, but the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of Jesus are very clear we are all called to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Yet, we are being split asunder, one from the other, by the divide and conquer methods of evil in almost every aspect of life. Our actions are driving people away from churches and, I fear, from God. I wonder if the author of Hebrews was facing the same challenges within a hundred years of Jesus’s sojourn on earth. How fickle we can be.

Everything we do or say needs to be influenced by our love of God, everything. Charles Wesley may have said it best:

Help us to help each other, Lord,
each other’s cross to bear;
let each his friendly aid afford,
and feel another’s care.

Up into thee, our living head,
let us in all things grow,
and by thy sacrifice be led
the fruits of love to show.

Touched by the lodestone of thy love
let all our hearts agree;
and ever towards each other move,
and ever move towards thee.

This is the bond of perfectness,
thy spotless charity.
O let us still, we pray, possess
the mind that was in thee**.

Prayer: Father, forgive us, for we do not know what we are doing***.  Turn us around and teach us how to love each other and, in so doing, demonstrate our love for you. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/3948.htm

**See at https://hymnary.org/text/help_us_to_help_each_other_lord

***Taken from Luke 23:34

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.

God’s Constant Presence

Living in the Spirit

November 10, 2021

Scripture Reading: Daniel 12:1-3 and Psalm 16

‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. –Daniel 12:1-3

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
   I have no good apart from you.’

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
   in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
   their drink-offerings of blood I will not pour out
   or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

The lectionary listed two scriptures noted above for today, and I thought about using Psalm 16. It is joyous. The above snippet from Daniel is just a tease about the whole book chosen, most likely because it foretells the coming of a savior.

The morning news often grabs my attention and shifts my thinking in a different direction. Actually, I read this story the first time yesterday. A man in a small Nashville church sitting on the front row rose, turned toward the other congregates, and pointed a gun at them. The Pastor, out of the man’s sight, slipped behind him, wrapping his arms around him, taking the man and the weapon to the floor. Others quickly helped restrain him, and the police soon removed him. No one was hurt. Hopefully, the man who needed mental health services got it. News reports indicated that the congregation credited the Pastor with saving their lives. However, he explained their lives were in God’s hands the whole time.

While I do not enjoy trying to identify all the hidden meanings in Daniel and other apocryphal writings, I do appreciate their message that our lives are in God’s hands all the time. It is to our great benefit to rejoice and be glad in that fact.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for guiding us as we serve you. Open our ears to hear your advice and give us the courage to follow 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.