Tag Archives: Worshiping other Gods

No Other Gods

Lent
February 26, 2018

Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words: 

 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. 

 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

  You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. –Exodus 1:1-11

What are our other gods? We all have them nipping at our souls, trying to take control of our lives. The first places we probably should explore are the areas of our lives that set our priorities. If we own a business and are cheating our customers to make more money rather then loving them as we love ourselves, we are worshipping the god of greed. If we are manipulating people using emotionally charged causes to gain power over government, we are worshipping the god of lust for power. If we champion religion that recognizes material wealth as a measure of piety, we are worshipping the god of envy. What are our other gods?

All talents and skills are God-given. We have a choice of whether we use them to God’s glory or our own benefit. The irony is that when we glorify God, we glorify ourselves and all of God’s children. When we glorify other gods, we demean God and destroy ourselves in the process. Lent is a great time to take stock of ourselves and get our priorities straight.

Prayer:  God of All, forgive us when we turn to lesser gods searching aimlessly for something that will never fulfill our needs. Heal our souls and guide us in using our talents and skills to your glory. 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 Common Good

Shepherd with sheepLiving in the Spirit
June 9, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1 Samuel 16:11-13

A shepherd, one who cares for his sheep, is an image engraved in the annals of Christendom, but it had its start in the call of David to kingship. Governments have existed since the beginning of time charged with the responsibility of assuring the common good. The role of the shepherd is to protect and nourish his or her flocks and was an appropriate background for the purpose for which God called David. The job of shepherd, however, was one of the lowliest. It was dirty, required long hours, never complete. Out in the countryside with perhaps a few other shepherds, it was not a place where one could amass a following or gain respect and admiration.

Oh, we have the stories of David coming from the field and slaying Goliath and later becoming a great general, but when Nathan called him to account for his dalliance with Bathsheba, the prophet reminded David of his role as a shepherd. (2 Samuel 12) Power, greed, and the self-importance complementing them are hard idols to ignore.

We are called to speak prophetically to our governmental leaders today reminding them of their call to assure the common good. We, of course, must overcome the enticements of the idols of power, greed, and self-importance ourselves, before we can fulfill that responsibility.

Prayer: Forgive me, Lord, for succumbing to the call of these lesser gods. When I am exercising my civic responsibilities keep my focus on the common good. 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