Tag Archives: Wisdom

Wise and Gentle

Advent

James 1:5 – If you ever lack wisdom, ask God. He will grant it liberally. Matthew 10:16 – Be wise as serpents, gentle as doves.

December 15, 2019

Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:2-11

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. –Matthew 11:7-11

We live in a funny world driven by computers and 30 section sound bites. Words are assigned negative, emotional meanings whether the meaning conveyed is a part of the definition or not. All information has become questionable because so much false information is afloat. I take any political ad with a grain of salt if the entity paying for the ad will not post the names of the people that supports them. No one can be held accountable for whether the ad is true or not.

Jesus is attesting to the truth of John’s message in the above scripture because Jesus is that truth. Yet, still many did not believe it because their world, like our world, was playing games with them. Matthew 7:15 states Jesus’ warning: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

As we live in this world, we strive to be a part of that kingdom of heaven where all have a seat at the table and are lead by the one who is the way, the truth, and the life*.

Prayer: Lord, train us in being as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves**. Amen.

*See John 14:6

**From Matthew 10:16

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.

Being Wise and Harmless

Kingdom Building

September 21, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Luke 16:1-13

Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.” And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd, in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. –Luke 16:1-9

Recent news stories about wealthy parents who bought their children’s way into acceptance at prestigious universities flashed through my mind as I read this parable. Indeed, the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. Getting caught is the sin—missing the mark—of the world. God did not call us to be naive. Jesus tells us we must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves*.

David understood the ways of the world which allowed him to overcome them. Most often that was on the battlefield, but he was a clever politician and diplomat. Our challenge today is to use our talents and skills wisely as we work to fulfill God’s vision for the world God created. The stories of David recorded in the Bible books of Samuel constantly refer to David as maintaining communications with God. He certainly proved that he was not a perfect man but he never relented in keeping his relationship with God.

Several of those parents who attempted to bribe their children’s way into college have plead guilty, made apologies, and are now trying to right their relationships with their children.  Life usually brings us many opportunities to renew and restore our relationship with God, we need to seek them as we journey toward a better world.

Prayer: Lord, as we see the shrewdness of the world, help us to shine your light of love around it and convert it into the wisdom of your Kingdom. Amen.

*Matthew 10:16

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.

Wisdom

Kingdom Building

June 11, 2019

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Does not wisdom call,
   and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
   at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
   at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
‘To you, O people, I call,
   and my cry is to all that live. –Proverbs 8:1-4

The Hebrew word chokmah*, translated in the scripture above as wisdom, is used in the ethical and religious sense as the divine wisdom personified. Are we called to personify divine wisdom?

Merriam-Webster picks up on this idea in its first definition of the word wisdom** and list some additional meanings that provide clarity.

  • the effectual mediating principle or personification of God’s will in the creation of the world
  • the intelligent application of learning: ability to discern inner qualities and essential relationships
  • good sense:  judgment, prudence

We have a lot of information in our world today and a lot of well-trained, smart people. These are good things. Problems arise when we do not practice wisdom regarding what we know.  A sad state of affairs exists in our world when we use our intelligence for all the wrong reasons. Rather than pooling our skills and talents for the betterment of all, we use it to divide and compete for wealth and power admiring ourselves for our accomplishments. Lists of the richest people in the world are routinely shared in media. I Googled, top ten wisest people in the world,today and got zero results. The response included lists of the smartest people in the world. I even searched for the wisest people in history and got no response but the smartest people.

Perhaps we have problems recognizing the qualities of God we are called to personify. How do we know what the will of God is for all God’s creation without extensive study in recognizing God’s work in our world and building a relationship with God?

Prayer: Creator of all, bless us with your wisdom has we strive to do your will in striving for the betterment of all?

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2451.htm
**http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/wisdom

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.

Prayer

Living in the Spirit
October 20, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’
–Mark 10:35-40

This scripture perhaps should make us each reconsider how we pray. Are our prayers essentially our job assignments for God? “Here is what I want you to do?” Jesus does say in Matthew 7:7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.’ We must understand from our scripture for today that God knows how to say “No”.

God does love us unconditionally and desires the best for us. I guess the question is do we always know what is the best for us? Do we know what is the best for us within the context of what is best for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom? How do we distill what is best for all people in conjunction with what we perceive is the best for us?

It seems we have an epidemic spreading throughout our world and particularly in the USA that what is best can be measured in dollars and cents. Nothing could be further from the truth. Until all have enough to survive and thrive none of us are thriving. A great example of that is the ravages of climate change which can be directly associated with our insatiable desire for using fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse emissions.

We often relate the Serenity Prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to addiction, but it applies to all of life’s realities. Asking for wisdom in times like these and courage and serenity makes sense.

Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference. 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.

Cultural Change

Living in the Spirit
September 17, 2018

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31

She rises while it is still night
   and provides food for her household
   and tasks for her servant-girls.
She considers a field and buys it;
   with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
   and makes her arms strong. …

She opens her hand to the poor,
   and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
   for all her household are clothed in crimson.
She makes herself coverings;
   her clothing is fine linen and purple. Proverbs 31:15-17, 20-22

My brother, sister and I asked that Proverbs 31 be read at my mother’s memorial service. Except for some archaic words, it describes her perfectly. Her daughters were her servant-girls being mentored in the art of gardening and sewing. (Neither at which I excelled but my sister made up for my lack of commitment in both.) We live in a time of the redefinition of the roles of wives and husbands, parents, and bread-winners. Change happens slowly over time until it appears to be a new discovery. Rosy the Riveters was a force in the redefinition of roles. Many women went to work in male-dominated jobs in support of the World War II efforts and did them well. The advent of birth control in the early 1960’s made a vast difference in families. Besides allowing couples to decide how many children they chose to have, it allowed or forced women and men to deal with female sexuality.

Economic factors impacted role change. If I remember correctly 1973 was the first year a single income household could not sustain a working-class family. Women went to work because they had too.

Vast cultural changes since the beginning of time require introspection and thoughtful consideration of how our faith guides us as we transition from one way of being to another. Sometimes we do that well; other times we do not.  Delving into scriptures written between 2000 and 5000 years ago to help us address cultural changes, requires our seeking the truth of teachings more than picking and choosing among the practices described to find and apply today. We sometimes find the ones with which we are comfortable and project them as appropriate for all other people. For example, the truth says parents need to teach their children self-discipline. However, I do not think stoning children to death for being incorrigible is a proper response*.

Prayer: Lord, guide us to understand the truths woven through our ancient literature that is relevant today. Amen.

*See Deuteronomy 21:18-21

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.

Together in Love

Lent
March 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. –I Corinthians 1:22-25

My childhood bedroom had a window on the east side of our home. When I learned my directions, I related east to the sun coming in my window early in the morning. I can still close my eyes and think of my sun-filled bedroom window and usually, correctly orient myself to the east. I cannot explain that. God is our spiritual built-in compass. When we are aligned with God, we can get our bearings no matter how chaotic the world is around us. The power of God lies in God’s steadfast love to always be present with us guiding us as we pursue our purposes in life, always wanting the best for each of us and for all of us in community.

Christ being crucified is the apex of God’s power in love. Nothing more is needed. We all look for signs of the times. Today’s media parses every word and deed of people in places of power trying to ascertain what it all means and how it might affect us. While I must confess to being a news junky, I know in my heart that none of the foolishness we observe matters, if we stay at one with our Creator. When and if we ever learn to do that in oneness with all our siblings as children of God, we will realize the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

For some reason, humans have a hard time accepting the rule of love. We seem to gravitate toward needing to have levels of worth, not being able to accept that God is powerful enough and wise enough to love each and all of us exactly, individually and collectively right. God can, and God does. God proved it in Christ crucified.

Prayer: Lord, make us whole, make us one. Be our guiding light bringing us together in 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.

Wisdom at the Crossroads

stand-at-the-crossroads-1024x791Living in the Spirit
May 16, 2016

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
Beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
To you, O People, I call, and my cry is to all that live. –Proverbs 8:1-4

If we reach down deep inside, most of us know what is right and what is not. We in the USA do stand at a great crossroad between doing what is right or doing what is expedient to meeting our desires. We have lived too long settling for the lesser gods of instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now without regard to who may get hurt including ourselves. We also want what we want without having to pay for it in many instances. We want well educated people to keep making all those things we want but we do not want to pay for the education. We do not want our environment to make us sick or destroy our homes, but we do not want to invest our time and energy in creating a world that reduces the risk of environmental damage. We do not want to deal with the health problems of third world countries but when we finally have a health care system that is available only to the wealthiest that is exactly what we will have. We do not want to live in fear of crime or terrorism. . . .and so on it goes.

We have become addicted to greed and privilege and we either do not know how to escape their grasps or are so far gone we do not want to escape it. Wisdom does stand at the crossroads readily available for accessing. There are no quick fixes. There is no white knight going to ride in, wave a magic wane, and get us out of this mess. We have only ourselves to blame for being at this intersection and we, ourselves, will have to take the steps necessary to get us out.

I, probably like you, do not look forward to six more months of political campaigning but who we put into office matters. Will our desire for instant gratification override wisdom in our decision making?

Prayer: Lord, open our minds to your wisdom. Infuse us with wholeness enabling us to see wisdom at the crossroads. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

God’s Wisdom

Christ CrucifiedLent
March 5, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’—1 Corinthians 1:18-19

Don’t we all want to be wise? Didn’t we learn as children that the wise man built his house upon a rock and thus was spared the ravages of the storm? (Matthew 7:24-27)  Didn’t Jesus, himself, tell us we must be as shrewd of serpents? (Matthew 10:16)

Put yourself in the disciples’ sandals as they run away from the garden when Jesus was arrested. Stand with Peter by the fire, and deny Jesus three times to the people who surround you. Even stand at the foot of the cross with John as Jesus asks John to take care of Jesus’ mother. Think how you might feel. You might experience a touch of doubt even though you had lived with him, been taught by him, and had learn to love him dearly.

Now put yourself in the shoes of one of the learned people of Jerusalem. A person of the world acquainted with other cultures, well educated, respected, sought out for your wisdom. What would you have thought about Jesus in those days of his death? You might not have even noticed him.  You might have even been glad the pesky preacher was gone. My guess is Paul then Saul was as cynical as the other learned people of Jerusalem about this itinerate preacher who in their eyes was a false prophet.

Some twenty years later Paul writes to a new church admitting that the world of wisdom thinks that Jesus crucified is only for the foolish but to Paul, it is now the only thing that matters. Ultimate wisdom comes from recognizing truth when one sees it.

Prayer: Lord, school me in the wisdom of your love. Help me grasp your truth. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.