Tag Archives: Wholeness

The Future

Living in the Spirit

September 29, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
   and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? God loves each of us and all of us. God’s Love is so powerful that it comes to us uniquely and gains synergy, greater power, in communion with one another. We live in a time when we need to harness that power for the good, leaving no room for what divides and conquers. I was reminded of a song included on Barbra Streisand’s Album Higher Ground. The song is entitled At the Same Time*.  It talks about diversity, change, and hope for the future.

The USA has become a great empire. Most historic great empires have failed, primarily rotting from within. Our challenge is to be the first that overcomes the forces that divide us and work toward a world where all have enough, acting together for the betterment of everyone. That can be done in as many ways as there are nations and cultures within our world. We do not contribute to success when we capture ideas and ideals and use them as ammunition to kill the very heart of positive progress. Socialism is not a bullet; capitalism is not a knife. They are no longer economic ideas; they have been hijacked by those caught in greed and lust for power as ammunition, distracting us as their means to divide and conquer.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows we can live into the vision of creation. Jesus knew the way when he called us to be one in his prayer** before his crucifixion. Let it be so.

Prayer: Lord, make us whole, make us one with justice for all. Amen.

*The lyrics can be seen at https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/barbrastreisand/atthesametime.html

**See John 17

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 Play’s the Thing

Living in the Spirit

September 27, 2021

Scripture Reading: Job 1:1, 2:1-10

There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

The book of Job is a play examining the relationship between a God-follower and how he sustains his relationship with God despite the multitude of bad events Satan casts upon him to separate him from God. The book When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner comes to mind, as does Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:43-45, ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

I have a problem with the premise of this text that God allows Satan to test Job’s faith like a contest, but it is just a play. God does gift us with free will, and thus we must choose to follow God’s way or the ways of the world.

We also live in community with other people where our successes or failures can impact them as theirs impacts us. Few would choose to catch the COVID virus, but all who fail to take prudent precautions not only put themselves at risk of the contagion but everyone else with whom they might come into contact. Our failure to address climate change results in thousands of people having their lives turned upside down from fires, drought, and lethal storms.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are blind to how our behavior negatively impacts others. 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.

Keep It Simple

Living in the Spirit

September 24, 2021

Scripture Reading: James 5:13-20

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Evil distracts keeping us agitated about things that often do not impact us directly, pulling us away from really making a difference for good in this world. Evil’s impact is heightened by “gotcha” media that is more interested in making money than informing. We are caught in a maze that keeps us lost and has no way out.

God’s answers to our challenges are direct and straightforward, using Love as a guiding principle in everything we do. James, the author of the above Scripture, was a real champion of keeping it simple stupid. Wearing masks and socially distancing to reduce virus contagion may be the best example of that. If the fossil fuel industry had invested as much money in finding ways to reduce carbon emissions as it did in buying lawmakers, it might have solved its pollution problem by now. The same may be said for the industrial war machine, who, with a bit of ingenuity, could build machines that would help address other problems like global warming. People who are adamant about passing laws to make abortion a crime, rarely support legislation that would provide affordable, accessible health care, quality education, and lifting families out of poverty. All together are proven methods for ending abortions by addressing unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. Now that voters are catching on to their actions, these distractors try to stop people from the vote.

Rather than getting caught in a maze, we might want to walk a labyrinth, an intricate, sometimes symbolic pattern that has a path that leads into a center. I was taught one way of walking a labyrinth as one enters; they meditate/contemplate identifying anything separating them from God. When they arrive at the center, laying those shortfalls before God, they seek forgiveness. As they return via the labyrinth to the entrance, they rejoice in the forgiveness and Love of God and leave better prepared to face the distractions of life.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, forgive us of our foolish ways, and empower our ability to love like Jesus. 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.

Carefully Taught

Living in the Spirit

September 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 19:7-14

The law of the Lord is perfect,
   reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
   making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
   rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
   enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
   enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
   and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
   even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
   and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;
   in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
   Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
   do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
   and innocent of great transgression.

Good question: who can detect their errors? The song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught from the musical South Pacific tells us that the rules we play by may not be God’s or God’s taken out of context or misinterpreted. This song tells us that other sources, our family, community, culture define what we should hate and fear, mainly as our actions relate to diverse people.  Loving like God would have us Love beyond the boundaries of a closed society. Breaking away from long-held attitudes and perceptions is challenging and may only be accomplished by opening our whole beings to the Spirit of God flowing through us, enabling us to love like Jesus.

Prayer: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you,
   O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 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.

Navigated by Love

Living in the Spirit

September 19, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:30-37

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ –Mark 9:33-37

‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’

I fear when the USA, as a nation, looks in the mirror, it sees the past, struggling groups of people escaping religious persecution or famine coming to a new world in search of the freedom to live as our ancestors chose. This was our land; God gave this land to us. Some did consider that the land was vast enough for both the original occupants and those newly arrived, but the majority did not. Our Manifest Destiny grew into an empire. Thus, we are now following the steps of earlier empires like Egypt, Babylon, and Rome. These nations were ruled by greed and lust for power. They all failed, rotted from within.

We can choose to be the people Christ called us to be, setting an example for the whole world. ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ This is a world ruled by love where everyone has enough to meet their basic needs and become whatever God created them to be. The will to put loving God and loving one another first dictates how we need to govern.

It feels like we are standing on the precipice of our nation, trying to decide which way to go. It reminds me of Jesus weeping as he overlooked Jerusalem.

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’ (Luke 19:41-44)

Prayer: God with Us, take the blinders from our eyes and show us your better way of righteousness and justice navigated by 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.

Feeding our Souls

Living in the Spirit

Scripture Reading: James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. –James 4:3, 7-8

This Scripture hits a little too close to home in our world today. We are all tempted to want our cake and eat it too. We do not care enough about ourselves and our neighbors to take the most straightforward precautions of wearing a mask, washing our hands, and socially distancing—let alone get vaccinated.  What drives us to cross the line away from loving God and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves to self-righteousness and transient self-satisfaction? Have we lost or perhaps sold our ability to love and be loved to the distractions of the world?

Love is as essential as food to thrive in our world. 

Interpersonal acceptance and rejection theory (IPARTheory) predicts that perceived parental acceptance (love) and rejection (lack of love) have universal consequences on children’s and adults’ psychological adjustment and maladjustment*.

When we love money, power, or anything else more than God, we become so mired in greed that we cannot even love ourselves, much less God or others. We all get caught in such snares at one time or another. Thus, we must routinely examine our motivations and responses to life situations. For example, when I worked long hours at sometimes hopeless activities, I would drive through a fast-food place on my way home and grab a reasonably healthy sandwich for dinner. If my situation continued to be challenging, I began doing this every day. Each day or so, I added something else. Eventually, I ordered a burger with double meat, double cheese, a large order of fries, and a large shake. I was trying to feed my soul with the food of the world. Reestablish my relationship with God was the only means of healing my soul. Going straight home passing the fast-food place was a start. Drinking a large glass of water refreshed my body and helped too. Listening to some of my favorite hymns while walking in my house or on my elliptical gave me rest for my weary soul, after which I could enjoy food that would better nourish my body. What have you done for your soul today?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of music that soothes my soul and reengages me with you.  Amen.

*https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/worldwide-implications-of-parental-love-and-lack-of-love-on-childrensand-adults-psychological-adjustment-and-maladjustment-metaana-2471-271X-1000150.pdf

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 Wisdom

Living in the Spirit

September 16, 2021

Scripture Reading: James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of Wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such Wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. –James 3:13-18

Gentleness born of wisdom sounds like learning from one’s mistakes. We all make them, some small, some great. If our experiences make us bitter rather than better, we have learned nothing. James indicates there is a third piece to this process. Whether the Wisdom we gain from experience is complemented with the Wisdom that comes from God. God created us with free will; God also provides us with the constant presence of the Spirit to guide us in our development toward wholeness.

James provides pointers to help us differentiate worldly wisdom and God’s Wisdom. God’s Wisdom is clearly identifiable when it is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.My challenge is recognizing my partiality or hypocrisy. I seem to see it in others, but I need the light of Christ brightly illuminating a pure vision of myself.

Prayer: Lord, shine your light on me so that I am open to letting your light shine through me. 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 Righteous One

Living In the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

September 14, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22
But the ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death;
considering him a friend, they pined away
and made a covenant with him,
because they are fit to belong to his company.


For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves,
‘Short and sorrowful is our life,
and there is no remedy when a life comes to its end,
and no one has been known to return from Hades.
‘Let us lie in wait for the righteous man,
because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions;
he reproaches us for sins against the law,
and accuses us of sins against our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God,
and calls himself a child of the Lord.
He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;
the very sight of him is a burden to us,
because his manner of life is unlike that of others,and his ways are strange.
We are considered by him as something base,
and he avoids our ways as unclean;
he calls the last end of the righteous happy,
and boasts that God is his father.
Let us see if his words are true,
and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;
for if the righteous man is God’s child, he will help him,
and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. –Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-18

The Above segment of Scripture is described as the Speech of the Wicked in the New Interpreter’s Bible* which continues by outlined four major parts: 1) The temporary nature of life, 2) thus creating a despairing drive toward pleasure, 3) a similar drive toward power, 4) opposition to the righteous one. These four items sound so hopeless, so faithless, so without love. Jesus asks in Matthew 16:26, For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Jesus brought a message of support for the Righteous One as being the only way to find wholeness in this life. So he describes it in John 10:10b, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I tend to be dedicated to living life now following the ways of Christ, which is and can be the fulfillment of God’s abundant life. It involves living into the full actualization of the Kingdom of God now and in whatever way God’s eternity becomes real.

Prayer: God of Grace, shield us from forces tempting us to oppose the righteous one. Amen.

*The New Interpreter’s Bible Volume V, Wisdom, Abingdon Press, page 459

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.

Tantrums

Living in the Spirit

September 12, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 8:27-38

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ –Mark 8:34-48

As I observe adults in our world today, I am often reminded of what has been dubbed the terrible twos.

Two-year-olds undergo major motor, intellectual, social and emotional changes. Also, children at this age can understand much more speech than they can express — a factor that contributes to emotions and behaviors that are difficult for parents to interpret.

Two-year-olds are struggling with their reliance on their parents and their desire for independence. They’re eager to do things on their own, but they’re beginning to discover that they’re expected to follow certain rules. The difficulty of this normal development can lead to inappropriate behavior, frustration, out-of-control feelings and tantrums*.

Jesus’ statements, in the above scripture, address this point of development. When we can set living like Christ as our priority, everything else falls into its rightful place. God wants all of God’s children to have enough of the necessities of life to fulfill their calling as Christ-followers using all their gifts. When some are exceptionally gifted more is expected of them. It does not mean they are better than anyone else. While there will always be different levels of wealth, the point at which anyone’s wealth crosses over into greed they lose their connection to following Christ. The same is true of power. Our self-righteous use of power endangers others causing us to fail to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Thus, we fail God, too.

Prayer: Lord, we are afraid of what we do not understand. We cannot put into words how that impacts us. When we feel out of control, reassure us that you are in control and grant us the knowledge of your righteousness to guide our behavior. Amen.

*https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/terrible-twos/faq-20058314

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 Like Jesus

Living in the Spirit

September 11, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 8:27-38

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. –Mark 8:27-30

The Title Messiah*, translated into Greek as Christ, describes the God-appointed King of the End of Time, also called the Anointed One.  All the Kings of Israel were anointed, and all were very human. Therefore, the Messiah would be the ideal King to rule at the End of Time. The phrase End of Time evokes ideas of perfection attained and continuing, or the opposite everything lost, and chaos returns.

God did not create the world to fail. God cared so much about the world and the people in it that God dwelt with us in the person of Jesus, who gave his life, gifting us with grace. God did not leave us without help. The Spirit of God was sent to be with us as we strive toward being the people God created us to be. God longs to keep company with us, but we must choose to keep company with God, who is Love. God will only live in community with us in mutual Love. Loving God and one another is what we are called to perfect. Revelation 21:3 expresses God great desire to dwell with us,

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;

When greed, lust for power, or any other sin overcomes our quest for God’s Love and loving like Jesus, we become a part of an evil empire. Such entities have attempted to rule throughout the history of God. If we continue in that quest, we will fail. Paul puts it this way, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Prayer: God, who is Love, today let us choose Love, and when we fail to love like Jesus, guide us to wholeness. Amen.

*The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, an Illustrated Encyclopedia, Abington Press 1981

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.