Tag Archives: World Ruled by Love

Christ with Us

Advent

November 26, 2022

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:36-44
‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

All these horrible shootings that are occurring across our country give credence to this scripture. We never know when our lives will end, but the useless waste of life at a grocery store, school, or movie theater is inexcusable.  Jesus’s warnings about the end of time, I think, are meant to alert us to the mission for which we have been chosen—to develop a world where love is the normal relationship between all people. I do not think Christ wants to come back and pitch his tent among people who seem to work hard at ignoring his way of being. He originally came to dwell among us to share the way of love. Visualize how much better all our lives would be if we choose to follow his example.

Jesus blessed us with his continuous presence when he gifted us with the Holy Spirit. We need to quit turning to the ways of the world to define our society and realign with the love God shares with all his creation remaining in constant contact with The Spirit of God. When love truly rules God is with us.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ, our God, to earth descending,
comes our homage to command*.

Prayer: Lord, as we sit in silent meditation enter our hearts and heal our brokenness as individuals and as a society enabling our work in answering your call to develop a world ruled by your love. Amen.

The first verse of the hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence paraphrased Gerard Moultrie from Liturgy of Saint James believed to have been written around 400 B.C.E.

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 Light

Eastertide

May 19, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. –Revelation 21:10, 22-27

Scriptures this week have emphasized the oneness in God among communities and nations. For probably too long, people of faith were led to hone in on personal salvation as an end unto itself. Personal salvation is just the first step in our call to partner with Christ in building a world ruled by love. John, the author of Revelation, shares that vision in the above scripture. Using God and the Lamb as the light to the transparency we need to live as God desires for us to live in oneness.

Transparency is a word being tossed about today but rarely practiced. We seem to need to put our spin on things we present and receive. The eighteen-year-old accused of killing 11 people in Buffalo, New York had apparently posted his philosophy and plans on the Internet. He apparently was very transparent. Were the only people who read it already in agreement with him? Was it a cry for help that went unnoticed? Did anybody who knows him care?

How do we as communities in Christ work to bring more wholeness into a fractured world?

Prayer: Lord, help us to find ways we can see through the darkness in our world and understand better how to shine your light on the ways of 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.

Ruled by Love

Living in the Spirit

October 11, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:4-12

Surely he has borne our infirmities
   and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
   struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
   crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
   and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
   we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all. –Isaiah 53:4-6

The above scripture, written most likely in the 6th century B.C.E., is often interpreted by Christians as describing the death of Jesus. That said, sin seems to rear its ugly head cyclically as humans start going astray often when greed and power overcome their worldly desires to base their lives on their relationship with God.

Our greatest challenge in maturing our faith is accepting that the love of God, our loving God, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves are more precious than worldly riches and more satisfying than being a powerbroker.  

What would such a world look like? First, each person would be loved and encouraged to realize their full potential.  All people would be appropriately educated, well-nourished and healthy, and capable of self-sufficiency. Servant leaders would measure their worth by the accomplishments of their team members. All would strive for the oneness Jesus called us to in John 17.  Such a world might actually have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in self-awareness before we fall into the traps of greed and lust for power. Show us the better way. 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 Spirit of God

Living in the Spirit

May 30, 2021

Scripture Reading:

John 3:1-17

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? –John 3:10-17

Having lived in Oklahoma most of my life, I have no problem understanding the phrase: The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. When the person reporting the weather here says the wind will be light today, they probably mean between 15 and 20 miles an hour. Known primarily for oil and gas, Oklahoma ranked third in the nation in electricity generation from wind in 2020. The Greek word, pneuma, translated wind in this scripture, can also mean spirit or breath*. Paul uses the adjective form pneumatikos more specifically to designate the spiritual. In so doing, he creates a metaphor for understanding the unpredictable nature of the Spirit. (I am glad I did not get the assignment to translate scripture but appreciate the work of those who did.)

Life is unpredictable. I have my rituals from day to day based on the “normal” flow of my life, and then suddenly, something happens, turning my plans upside-down. Such intrusions may be good or bad, nuisance or Major disasters, limited opportunities, or a significant job promotion. God is with us through it all. I am amazed at God’s desire to synchronize all the activities of God’s people to target them toward a Kingdom ruled by love. Even more stunning is God’s determination that I could be of help in making it happen. That is God’s vision and goal. When we think about that, we can understand the need for and importance of the one we call Spirit to weave us together in love.

Prayer: Lord, that you for the gift of the Spirit. Help us welcome the Spirits leading and give us the courage to follow them. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4151.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.

The Power of Love

Living in the Spirit
July 18, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:20-37

[David] shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line forever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness. –Psalm 89:20-37

God’s promise of eternal love and faithfulness is non-negotiable. Even within the fullness of such unconditional love, God allows us to face the consequence of our own actions. Our learning to make right decisions is necessary for the full fruition of a world ruled by love because love is not love if it is not our choice. God invests much in helping us understand what works and what does not work as we learn to choose love. God sets forth commandments that stand the test of time; sends teachers and prophets, to help interpret those commandments for the times in which we live; sent Jesus to be our Christ, our Redeemer, our model for living; and touches us each with the power, guidance, and advocacy of the Holy Spirit.

God does not impede progress. Indeed, I think God expects us to grow and develop using all the gifts provided to advance our creative abilities and particularly our ability to love. After all, we are created in the image of Love. At first evaluation, I am sure the rescuers in Thailand recently thought rescue of the soccer players in the cave was impossible but with the full force of Love within them, they did it anyway.

While David was all too human as we all are, he lived fully into the possibilities of God’s design of a world ruled by love becoming a reality. As crazy at times as our world may seem, we must never forget that is our vision also.

Prayer: “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!” Thank you, Lord. 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.