What does love mean to you? How do you know someone loves you? Is it words? Is it actions? Is it both?
Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4: 7-8
You know what love means to you. You know how it feels to be loved. You know what you need in order to know you are loved.
So.......
Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4: 7-8
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
September 28: Ezekiel 7-8; Psalm 73; 1 John 3
Whoever does not love abides in death. 1 John 3: 14
When we take action that is not love....
When we react in anger and hostility....
When we reject instead of welcome....
When we ignore instead of notice....
When we wound instead of heal...
When we hoard instead of share...
When we deny forgiveness instead of reconciling...
When we turn the other way instead of showing mercy...
We die instead of live. We murder instead of giving life. We destroy instead of building up.
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3: 18
When we take action that is not love....
When we react in anger and hostility....
When we reject instead of welcome....
When we ignore instead of notice....
When we wound instead of heal...
When we hoard instead of share...
When we deny forgiveness instead of reconciling...
When we turn the other way instead of showing mercy...
We die instead of live. We murder instead of giving life. We destroy instead of building up.
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3: 18
Friday, September 27, 2013
September 27: Ezekiel 5-6; Psalm 72; 1 John 2
But you have been anointed by the Holy One....
These are words I need to hear today. I need to be reminded that I have been set apart by God. Set apart not because I am more special than anyone else, but set apart so that all may be set apart. Being anointed isn't about a small inclusive circle so that I can lord my "holiness" over others.
We are anointed in our baptism so that we might become a shining light. A light that attracts. A light that shines for others to see and know what goodness is---God is good. And in Him there is no darkness at all.
God is counting on us to know and act in ways that say: I am anointed........come, and be anointed too!
These are words I need to hear today. I need to be reminded that I have been set apart by God. Set apart not because I am more special than anyone else, but set apart so that all may be set apart. Being anointed isn't about a small inclusive circle so that I can lord my "holiness" over others.
We are anointed in our baptism so that we might become a shining light. A light that attracts. A light that shines for others to see and know what goodness is---God is good. And in Him there is no darkness at all.
God is counting on us to know and act in ways that say: I am anointed........come, and be anointed too!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
September 26: Ezekiel 3-4; Psalm 71; 1 John 1
If we say that we have fellowship with Jesus while we are walking in the darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as Jesus himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another... 1 John 1:6-7
In one of our post-communion prayers, we give thanks to God for making us "living members of the Body of Christ."
We are living members of the Body of Christ!
I know, we hesitate to fully take this in because we know we are not worthy, not up to the job.
But God already has that taken care of.
If we honestly, and regularly, stop to look within ourselves---to identify the shadows and darkness within us---AND if we seek to give up those shadows and darkness....and allow ourselves to be strengthened by the Spirit---to be empowered to live into this new life in Christ---if we take the promise of reconciliation and redemption seriously.....
We can then walk in the light of Christ. In the life of Christ. Then we have true fellowship with one another. Then we live what we believe. Then we reveal Christ to the world. Resurrection.
In one of our post-communion prayers, we give thanks to God for making us "living members of the Body of Christ."
We are living members of the Body of Christ!
I know, we hesitate to fully take this in because we know we are not worthy, not up to the job.
But God already has that taken care of.
If we honestly, and regularly, stop to look within ourselves---to identify the shadows and darkness within us---AND if we seek to give up those shadows and darkness....and allow ourselves to be strengthened by the Spirit---to be empowered to live into this new life in Christ---if we take the promise of reconciliation and redemption seriously.....
We can then walk in the light of Christ. In the life of Christ. Then we have true fellowship with one another. Then we live what we believe. Then we reveal Christ to the world. Resurrection.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
September 25: Ezekiel 1-2; Psalm 70; 2 Peter 3
Mortal: I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me...
Hear God speaking this to you today. Except God sends us out not only to one people, but to all peoples. We are sent as apostles to preach the Good News of Jesus. We may do this in words, but perhaps even more importantly, we are to do this in our actions.
We speak to people by choosing to act in ways of love and mercy, forgiveness and generosity---like Jesus.
We speak to people when they see us choosing what is best for others and for all, rather than simply what is in our own benefit only.
We speak to people when they see us sacrificing our time, talent and treasure for the needs of others.
We speak to people when they witness our kindness and inclusiveness.
We speak to people when we welcome them by simply listening to their story without judgement.
We speak to people when we tell them their place is right alongside our place, and both our places are at God's table.
Actions and behaviors are essential for preaching. If our actions and behaviors don't reveal Jesus, then our words about Jesus will fall empty.
Hear God speaking this to you today. Except God sends us out not only to one people, but to all peoples. We are sent as apostles to preach the Good News of Jesus. We may do this in words, but perhaps even more importantly, we are to do this in our actions.
We speak to people by choosing to act in ways of love and mercy, forgiveness and generosity---like Jesus.
We speak to people when they see us choosing what is best for others and for all, rather than simply what is in our own benefit only.
We speak to people when they see us sacrificing our time, talent and treasure for the needs of others.
We speak to people when they witness our kindness and inclusiveness.
We speak to people when we welcome them by simply listening to their story without judgement.
We speak to people when we tell them their place is right alongside our place, and both our places are at God's table.
Actions and behaviors are essential for preaching. If our actions and behaviors don't reveal Jesus, then our words about Jesus will fall empty.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
September 24: Lamentations 5; Psalm 69; 2 Peter 2
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
Let's imagine for a moment that God is the wind. Blowing everywhere, always present, sometimes palpable, sometimes quiet and calm.
Now let's imagine we are in a room with a window. As wind, God seeks to enter the room---even if only through the cracks and crevices of the closed window. Inside the room, we desperately need the refreshment that comes from fresh air. Sometimes we just sit there and bemoan our state: "O, I wish I could breathe in the fresh air! What I wouldn't do for a brisk breeze right now."
When we pray, we do more than bemoan; we actively seek that fresh air. We open the window--sometimes a crack and sometimes throwing it wide open--and let the fresh breeze of God blow into our lives. Instantly, we are given refreshment, and the longer we remain in the fresh air---we will be provided answers---ways forward, whatever our situation may be.
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. (Psalm 69: 13)
Let's imagine for a moment that God is the wind. Blowing everywhere, always present, sometimes palpable, sometimes quiet and calm.
Now let's imagine we are in a room with a window. As wind, God seeks to enter the room---even if only through the cracks and crevices of the closed window. Inside the room, we desperately need the refreshment that comes from fresh air. Sometimes we just sit there and bemoan our state: "O, I wish I could breathe in the fresh air! What I wouldn't do for a brisk breeze right now."
When we pray, we do more than bemoan; we actively seek that fresh air. We open the window--sometimes a crack and sometimes throwing it wide open--and let the fresh breeze of God blow into our lives. Instantly, we are given refreshment, and the longer we remain in the fresh air---we will be provided answers---ways forward, whatever our situation may be.
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. (Psalm 69: 13)
Monday, September 23, 2013
September 23: Lamentations 3-4; Psalm 68: 2 Peter 1
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of hte LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;
There are so many times when life hands us pain and sorrow, affliction and grief. At these times it may be hard to understand what good our faith does for us. After all, believing in Jesus Christ doesn't take away the humiliation, the rejection, the disease (dis-ease), or the injuries that are so much a part of living in this world. This is why we cry out, just as the writer of Lamentations does; we cry out in our pain.
But believing in Jesus--which means knowing Jesus, having a relationship with Jesus, and acting out of this relationship with Jesus---does offer us a buoy in the middle of our storms. Because knowing and being known by Jesus means we are connected to others---others who will serve as our lighthouse and life preservers when the water gets too high. Because in God's realm, it is all about community.
In community, we work together to support our faith with "goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love." (2 Peter 1:6-7)
Being a Christian doesn't mean there is no suffering. Jesus suffered. Accepting God as our Master, declaring Jesus as our Lord and Savior, means there is redemption and restoration from the suffering. There is Resurrection. Praise be to God!
There are so many times when life hands us pain and sorrow, affliction and grief. At these times it may be hard to understand what good our faith does for us. After all, believing in Jesus Christ doesn't take away the humiliation, the rejection, the disease (dis-ease), or the injuries that are so much a part of living in this world. This is why we cry out, just as the writer of Lamentations does; we cry out in our pain.
But believing in Jesus--which means knowing Jesus, having a relationship with Jesus, and acting out of this relationship with Jesus---does offer us a buoy in the middle of our storms. Because knowing and being known by Jesus means we are connected to others---others who will serve as our lighthouse and life preservers when the water gets too high. Because in God's realm, it is all about community.
In community, we work together to support our faith with "goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love." (2 Peter 1:6-7)
Being a Christian doesn't mean there is no suffering. Jesus suffered. Accepting God as our Master, declaring Jesus as our Lord and Savior, means there is redemption and restoration from the suffering. There is Resurrection. Praise be to God!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
September 21: Lamentations 1-2; Psalm 67; 1 Peter 5
This is a book of poetry. Songs of lament meant to appeal to God's mercy. At times, it is hard to read. But we understand the words and feelings all too well...
As we live in another week when violence by gunfire has taken lives, this time at the Navy yard, and as we read the book of a people's cry to God to end this suffering, let's begin to ask the hard question: what are we called to do to end this suffering?
Lamenting at a time such as this is needed. It is part of our human nature to weep and wail at injustice and evil. But God also calls us to take action, to change, to demand a way to restore justice.
I'm tired of weeping and wailing at the daily instances of violent gunfire in the United States. Today I must also consider how I can be part of a solution. I'm not sure of the answer as of yet; I know it includes prayer. But, I think it involves more than that. Step one: I must be willing to accept that I have a part to play in it. Step two: I need to educate myself on gun laws and politicians and what is happening in my country.
I'd like to avoid step two. It just depresses me. But the endless slaughter of people due to gunfire depresses me even more.
As we live in another week when violence by gunfire has taken lives, this time at the Navy yard, and as we read the book of a people's cry to God to end this suffering, let's begin to ask the hard question: what are we called to do to end this suffering?
Lamenting at a time such as this is needed. It is part of our human nature to weep and wail at injustice and evil. But God also calls us to take action, to change, to demand a way to restore justice.
I'm tired of weeping and wailing at the daily instances of violent gunfire in the United States. Today I must also consider how I can be part of a solution. I'm not sure of the answer as of yet; I know it includes prayer. But, I think it involves more than that. Step one: I must be willing to accept that I have a part to play in it. Step two: I need to educate myself on gun laws and politicians and what is happening in my country.
I'd like to avoid step two. It just depresses me. But the endless slaughter of people due to gunfire depresses me even more.
Gun fatalities exceeded 30,000 per year and terror fatalities totaled about 3,400 since 1970, yet we treat acts of terror with an understanding that we will do anything to stop it but don't react the same way for gun violence. (www.msnbc.com)
You may not feel the same way as me; that's okay. But things we lament should also be things we feel deeply enough to desire to change. We should be willing to consider our part in it. How might we be agents of transformation----midwives of God's Kingdom----in these situations?
Friday, September 20, 2013
September 20: Jeremiah 52; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 4
Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:9-10)
What if, as soon as we recognized a blessing in our midst.....
What if our first thought could be: How do I use this for the benefit of all? How do I use this gift as a blessing to others and not just to myself?
What if, at those times when we expect gifts (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc).....
What if knowing we will be "gifted," we earmark those gifts as blessings toward others. If those of us who already have our needs met, what if we declared that our Christmas or birthday gifts should be given to bless others?
We could encourage our loved ones to give money to charitable causes of our choosing...
We could ask others to utilize the Episcopal Relief and Development's catalog of Gifts of Life that provides medical, educational, and food/water needs for those living in distress.
We could ask others to give of their time for a service project.
We could .........we could live differently. We can live differently. Because we are blessed.
What if......?
What if, as soon as we recognized a blessing in our midst.....
What if our first thought could be: How do I use this for the benefit of all? How do I use this gift as a blessing to others and not just to myself?
What if, at those times when we expect gifts (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc).....
What if knowing we will be "gifted," we earmark those gifts as blessings toward others. If those of us who already have our needs met, what if we declared that our Christmas or birthday gifts should be given to bless others?
We could encourage our loved ones to give money to charitable causes of our choosing...
We could ask others to utilize the Episcopal Relief and Development's catalog of Gifts of Life that provides medical, educational, and food/water needs for those living in distress.
We could ask others to give of their time for a service project.
We could .........we could live differently. We can live differently. Because we are blessed.
What if......?
Thursday, September 19, 2013
September 19: Jeremiah 50-51; Psalm 65; 1 Peter 3
Some of us have issues with 1 Peter's description of marriage, don't we? Of course, we must remember that in the time Scripture was written, marriage was a different thing than it is in our society.
But, this doesn't mean these texts have no truths to speak to us today. So, what is the truth here?
The truth is that marriage is a covenanted relationship between two individuals. And the two individuals, like Christ, promise to live out a sacrificial love. And this love requires stances that are not popular in our culture: submission, obedience, and sacrifice.
Yes, these texts have been used as instruments of abuse by suggesting that one partner in a marriage (traditionally, it has been the wife) is somehow "less than" the other. But, in the context of the entirety of Scripture, in the context of what Jesus says and does in Scripture, no reasonable student of Scripture could hold this evil sentiment as truth.
In Christ there is no male or female; there is only a child of God. All are to be equally valued and all are equally worthy.
Somehow, we have so twisted up things to make these words: submission, obedience, and sacrifice---into words of weakness. We have become so caught up in our individualistic rights that we dismiss the notion that we live and act for the common good, not simply our own good.
As Christians, Jesus is our ideal---our compass----our Way. Jesus submitted; Jesus obeyed; Jesus sacrificed.
These texts that are difficult for us to swallow are the very texts with which we must wrestle and question instead of dismissing. Today we are called to consider: how do we lay down our lives for another?
But, this doesn't mean these texts have no truths to speak to us today. So, what is the truth here?
The truth is that marriage is a covenanted relationship between two individuals. And the two individuals, like Christ, promise to live out a sacrificial love. And this love requires stances that are not popular in our culture: submission, obedience, and sacrifice.
Yes, these texts have been used as instruments of abuse by suggesting that one partner in a marriage (traditionally, it has been the wife) is somehow "less than" the other. But, in the context of the entirety of Scripture, in the context of what Jesus says and does in Scripture, no reasonable student of Scripture could hold this evil sentiment as truth.
In Christ there is no male or female; there is only a child of God. All are to be equally valued and all are equally worthy.
Somehow, we have so twisted up things to make these words: submission, obedience, and sacrifice---into words of weakness. We have become so caught up in our individualistic rights that we dismiss the notion that we live and act for the common good, not simply our own good.
As Christians, Jesus is our ideal---our compass----our Way. Jesus submitted; Jesus obeyed; Jesus sacrificed.
These texts that are difficult for us to swallow are the very texts with which we must wrestle and question instead of dismissing. Today we are called to consider: how do we lay down our lives for another?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
September 18: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 64; 1 Peter 2
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1)
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply say: Today's the day. Today's the day when I am no longer mean or angry or jealous or vengeful or full of gossip. Today's the day when my words will no longer hurt people, and I will be able to forgive as soon as I'm injured. Today's the day I rid myself of all that gunk.
I do believe most of us long for this. But, how do we achieve it?
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
We are to come to Jesus. Come to Jesus and witness what it is to truly live as a human, as God planned and designed. Come to Jesus and let go of those parts of us that keep us from living as God's child---willingly sacrifice those broken pieces of ourselves so that we can be made holy....a holy priesthood. This means we must come, we must learn, we must be willing to be transformed, we must let go, we must lean into the power of Christ given to us through the Holy Spirit. We must be willing to be made new. For we are more than random individuals living out our days on this earth.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply say: Today's the day. Today's the day when I am no longer mean or angry or jealous or vengeful or full of gossip. Today's the day when my words will no longer hurt people, and I will be able to forgive as soon as I'm injured. Today's the day I rid myself of all that gunk.
I do believe most of us long for this. But, how do we achieve it?
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
We are to come to Jesus. Come to Jesus and witness what it is to truly live as a human, as God planned and designed. Come to Jesus and let go of those parts of us that keep us from living as God's child---willingly sacrifice those broken pieces of ourselves so that we can be made holy....a holy priesthood. This means we must come, we must learn, we must be willing to be transformed, we must let go, we must lean into the power of Christ given to us through the Holy Spirit. We must be willing to be made new. For we are more than random individuals living out our days on this earth.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
September 17: Jeremiah 46-47; Psalm 63; 1 Peter 1
Psalm 63:1
O God....my soul thirsts for you....my flesh faints for you...
Do our souls thirst for God? Does our flesh faint for God?
This means that we realize that we have a complete dependence.....COMPLETE DEPENDENCE....on God for the very stuff of life. This declares that we cannot live without God.
If this is our Truth, then as often as we seek to eat and drink.....we seek God.
As much time and energy as we put into our next meal and our pleasure....we give to God.
It means that God is our security, our lifebood, our nourishment.
The Psalmist calls us to consider our daily schedule and habits and to reflect on whether or not we truly hunger, thirst and desire God.
When you consider how you make decisions, how you spend your time, talents, and treasure, how you live your day: what part does God play in your life? What is God's status in your home?
O God....my soul thirsts for you....my flesh faints for you...
Do our souls thirst for God? Does our flesh faint for God?
This means that we realize that we have a complete dependence.....COMPLETE DEPENDENCE....on God for the very stuff of life. This declares that we cannot live without God.
If this is our Truth, then as often as we seek to eat and drink.....we seek God.
As much time and energy as we put into our next meal and our pleasure....we give to God.
It means that God is our security, our lifebood, our nourishment.
The Psalmist calls us to consider our daily schedule and habits and to reflect on whether or not we truly hunger, thirst and desire God.
When you consider how you make decisions, how you spend your time, talents, and treasure, how you live your day: what part does God play in your life? What is God's status in your home?
September 16: Jeremiah 44-45; Psalm 62; James 5
Psalm 62: 1
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
For God alone. It is God alone who redeems us, who sanctifies us, who restores us.
The Psalmist knows we have a part in this; we wait.
We wait by taking time to sit in silence and prayer with God each day.
We take a "consecrated pause" in our lives---a Sabbath---to meet with God.
We wait by making room for God to lead us and guide us.
We recognize that our ways are folly and it is God who has designed the grand scheme for our lives.
We wait by humility, obedience, and faithfulness.
We put God first by putting others first, setting aside our wants to meet another's need.
We live as Christ lived.......with sacrificial love.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
For God alone. It is God alone who redeems us, who sanctifies us, who restores us.
The Psalmist knows we have a part in this; we wait.
We wait by taking time to sit in silence and prayer with God each day.
We take a "consecrated pause" in our lives---a Sabbath---to meet with God.
We wait by making room for God to lead us and guide us.
We recognize that our ways are folly and it is God who has designed the grand scheme for our lives.
We wait by humility, obedience, and faithfulness.
We put God first by putting others first, setting aside our wants to meet another's need.
We live as Christ lived.......with sacrificial love.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
September 14: Jeremiah 42-43; Psalm 61; James 4
Craving: an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing
Cravings can make us crazy. Irrational. And downright disobedient.
We know we don't need something, and yet we want it. And that want grows and grows until it feels like a need. It no longer appears to our heart and mind as a luxury, but as something we cannot live without. It has grown into a craving. And cravings are trouble.
Trouble because they make us blind to true need---that which is essential for life.
Cravings make us blind to our own need. Cravings make us blind to the need of others. We lose sight of things that are essential---like community, prayer, study, sleep, recreation, healthy eating, healthy stewardship of our gifts---all because we have a yearning, a longing, for something not currently in our possession.
Maybe we crave more stuff, a bigger house, the newest tech-toy, a better car, some new shoes.....
Maybe we crave more recognition, more power, more status, more fame, more position.......
Maybe we crave more silence, less people, less words, less responsibilities, just plain less.....
Now, none of these things in and of themselves are bad. But when we seek them at the cost of our needs---AND when we seek them at the cost of someone else's (anyone else's) needs---then we have lost our Way.
God asks that we consider the other, and our own NEEDS, before (and while) we act. We must not let our cravings be our Master, our compass.
Cravings can make us crazy. Irrational. And downright disobedient.
We know we don't need something, and yet we want it. And that want grows and grows until it feels like a need. It no longer appears to our heart and mind as a luxury, but as something we cannot live without. It has grown into a craving. And cravings are trouble.
Trouble because they make us blind to true need---that which is essential for life.
Cravings make us blind to our own need. Cravings make us blind to the need of others. We lose sight of things that are essential---like community, prayer, study, sleep, recreation, healthy eating, healthy stewardship of our gifts---all because we have a yearning, a longing, for something not currently in our possession.
Maybe we crave more stuff, a bigger house, the newest tech-toy, a better car, some new shoes.....
Maybe we crave more recognition, more power, more status, more fame, more position.......
Maybe we crave more silence, less people, less words, less responsibilities, just plain less.....
Now, none of these things in and of themselves are bad. But when we seek them at the cost of our needs---AND when we seek them at the cost of someone else's (anyone else's) needs---then we have lost our Way.
God asks that we consider the other, and our own NEEDS, before (and while) we act. We must not let our cravings be our Master, our compass.
Friday, September 13, 2013
September 13: Jeremiah 39-41; Psalm 60; James 3
The Letter of James is a letter that I have read and re-read. And a lot of it has to do with the Third Chapter. This Chapter convicts me.
With it [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.
Unfortunately, this is more true of me than I desire it to be.
Probably for most of us.
The same mouth and tongue that praises God and says my prayers, reads the Scriptures, prays the Psalms---that same tongue and mouth curses my fellow brothers and sisters.
It curses by:
Words can close wounds; words can slice wounds open.
We are a people of reconciliation. The Letter to James reminds us that we must be mindful of the power that is wrought by our words.
Come, Holy Spirit, and give us the desire, and ability, to control our words so they may be used for unity instead of division. Amen.
With it [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.
Unfortunately, this is more true of me than I desire it to be.
Probably for most of us.
The same mouth and tongue that praises God and says my prayers, reads the Scriptures, prays the Psalms---that same tongue and mouth curses my fellow brothers and sisters.
It curses by:
- gossiping
- making assumptions about another
- talking about them without their input
- reliving my anger toward them only so that anger may grow
- complaining about another
- withholding words of forgiveness and mercy
- talking for them instead of to them
- making fun of or belittling them
Words can close wounds; words can slice wounds open.
We are a people of reconciliation. The Letter to James reminds us that we must be mindful of the power that is wrought by our words.
Come, Holy Spirit, and give us the desire, and ability, to control our words so they may be used for unity instead of division. Amen.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
September 12: Jeremiah 36-38; Psalm 59; James 2
James is a book that almost didn't make the Bible! Whether or not it would make the final cut was hotly debated (or so the scholars/historians tell us). Thank God we have this wonderful epistle with so many pragmatic and wise words for living in our everyday lives.
Chapter two delves into the debate: faith or works? Which one saves us?
Well, faith does. But the writer makes the argument that one cannot truly have faith (belief) without it finding its way into our actions, our words and our choices.
Someone once said to me:
Want to know what you really believe in? What you really value? Then, take a look at your calendar and your checkbook. Wherever you are investing your time and your treasure.....that's what you value.
Hmmm, made me think. And it may not be that simple....but there certainly is truth in that observation, isn't there? Jesus put it a bit differently:
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21
Chapter two delves into the debate: faith or works? Which one saves us?
Well, faith does. But the writer makes the argument that one cannot truly have faith (belief) without it finding its way into our actions, our words and our choices.
Someone once said to me:
Want to know what you really believe in? What you really value? Then, take a look at your calendar and your checkbook. Wherever you are investing your time and your treasure.....that's what you value.
Hmmm, made me think. And it may not be that simple....but there certainly is truth in that observation, isn't there? Jesus put it a bit differently:
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
September 11: Jeremiah 34-35; Psalm 58; James 1
"It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away." (James 1:11)
Wait a minute! Does God really dislike the rich that much? Is it a sin to be well off?
No, I don't think so. But God does expect those who have been blessed with much to be a blessing to others. And more of a blessing than some......because the wealthy have the ability to be a blessing in a way that the poor cannot. It's that simple.
Scripture doesn't say that it's important for everyone to have an equal share. It's not about equality. It's about equity. Everyone (yes, each person on the face of the earth) has the natural right to have enough. To have enough to live. Give US this day OUR daily bread. I believe that when we pray the Lord's Prayer, this is what we are asking: that each may have what is needed for the day.
So, this means that some of us--either due to hard work, different gifts, luck or happenstance--will have more than someone else. And that's okay. It's what we do with our the abundance that matters. It's about what we do with our excess (that which is over and beyond what we NEED, not over and above what we want) that God wants us to think about carefully.
John Wesley had a great plan for wealth.
Make as much money as you can, so
You can save as much money as you can, so
You can give as much money as you can.
I think God would approve.
Wait a minute! Does God really dislike the rich that much? Is it a sin to be well off?
No, I don't think so. But God does expect those who have been blessed with much to be a blessing to others. And more of a blessing than some......because the wealthy have the ability to be a blessing in a way that the poor cannot. It's that simple.
Scripture doesn't say that it's important for everyone to have an equal share. It's not about equality. It's about equity. Everyone (yes, each person on the face of the earth) has the natural right to have enough. To have enough to live. Give US this day OUR daily bread. I believe that when we pray the Lord's Prayer, this is what we are asking: that each may have what is needed for the day.
So, this means that some of us--either due to hard work, different gifts, luck or happenstance--will have more than someone else. And that's okay. It's what we do with our the abundance that matters. It's about what we do with our excess (that which is over and beyond what we NEED, not over and above what we want) that God wants us to think about carefully.
John Wesley had a great plan for wealth.
Make as much money as you can, so
You can save as much money as you can, so
You can give as much money as you can.
I think God would approve.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
September 10: Jeremiah 31-33; Psalm 57; Hebrews 13
The prophet Jeremiah reminds us: God promises to restore us. God promises to return us home. And if we learn nothing else from Scripture, surely we learn that God keeps God's promises.
This story, this history, of ours with the Creator declares and displays over and over that God is a God of steadfast love and mercy----never wavering, never broken, never abandoned.
And the object of this wonderful and vast love? Us, my brothers and sisters.....all of us....all of humanity.....all of God's children.
Restoration. Redemption. Return. What a promise.
May today be a litany of thanksgiving to God in all that we say and do.
This story, this history, of ours with the Creator declares and displays over and over that God is a God of steadfast love and mercy----never wavering, never broken, never abandoned.
And the object of this wonderful and vast love? Us, my brothers and sisters.....all of us....all of humanity.....all of God's children.
Restoration. Redemption. Return. What a promise.
May today be a litany of thanksgiving to God in all that we say and do.
Monday, September 9, 2013
September 9: Jeremiah 28-30; Psalm 56; Hebrews 12
The Psalmist writes of the exhaustion that life in this world creates. We've all known these times....when we are feeling so depleted we lack even the energy to smile...to rejoice with another...to do much of anything, frankly.
Like the Psalmist, we may feel "trampled," "injured," or "afraid."
At these times, we must go to the fountain of living water. We must make and take time to pray. I don't know about you, but my first action in prayer used to be (and sometimes still is) to fill the silence with my chattering noise (in my head or aloud), filling the space with my complaints, my needs, my requests.
Now, I try to begin my prayer time in silence. This takes a while...to silence the noises in my head, my heart, and my spirit. But, as I do, I make more space for the Spirit. To inhabit and dwell within me. To lead and instruct me. To show me the Way forward---providing answers for me.
Prayer: a balm, a guide, an answer, and a foundation for our lives.
"In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?" (Psalm 56:10)
Like the Psalmist, we may feel "trampled," "injured," or "afraid."
At these times, we must go to the fountain of living water. We must make and take time to pray. I don't know about you, but my first action in prayer used to be (and sometimes still is) to fill the silence with my chattering noise (in my head or aloud), filling the space with my complaints, my needs, my requests.
Now, I try to begin my prayer time in silence. This takes a while...to silence the noises in my head, my heart, and my spirit. But, as I do, I make more space for the Spirit. To inhabit and dwell within me. To lead and instruct me. To show me the Way forward---providing answers for me.
Prayer: a balm, a guide, an answer, and a foundation for our lives.
"In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?" (Psalm 56:10)
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
September 7: Jeremiah 25-27; Psalm 55; Hebrews 11
"But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend, with whom I kept pleasant company," (Psalm 55: 13)
Those with whom we are closest have the greatest ability to hurt us. And when they do, we believe this to be a bigger transgression, and we often find it harder to forgive.
Close relationships require vulnerability. Opening our hearts and lives to another. It is a risk.
There is no greater example of vulnerability than God's love for humanity. God emptied God's self solely to reach us. To make God known to us----intimately. To break down every barrier so that we might have person-to-person contact with the Divine. Talk about risk.
And that risk has brought pain and sorrow. Throughout Scripture, and throughout our current history, there are piles and heaps of examples when we have caused God great sorrow and pain.
And yet God forgives. God sends the Spirit to comfort us, renew us, and give us the chance to stand again. To return. God meets us out on the road and, bringing us home again, God throws a party all because we are willing to try again.
What a beautiful love. What a wonderful gift. How can we share that love and gift with others today?
Those with whom we are closest have the greatest ability to hurt us. And when they do, we believe this to be a bigger transgression, and we often find it harder to forgive.
Close relationships require vulnerability. Opening our hearts and lives to another. It is a risk.
There is no greater example of vulnerability than God's love for humanity. God emptied God's self solely to reach us. To make God known to us----intimately. To break down every barrier so that we might have person-to-person contact with the Divine. Talk about risk.
And that risk has brought pain and sorrow. Throughout Scripture, and throughout our current history, there are piles and heaps of examples when we have caused God great sorrow and pain.
And yet God forgives. God sends the Spirit to comfort us, renew us, and give us the chance to stand again. To return. God meets us out on the road and, bringing us home again, God throws a party all because we are willing to try again.
What a beautiful love. What a wonderful gift. How can we share that love and gift with others today?
Friday, September 6, 2013
September 6: Jeremiah 22-24; Psalm 54; Hebrews 10
"Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin."
In Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus, we are forgiven. We are offered continual redemption and restoration through the live-giving waters of baptism. It is ours for the taking.
But we must step out.
We must desire it.
We must claim it.
We must believe it.
We must name our transgression.
We must turn from our sin.
We must release it and let it go.
WE MUST RELEASE IT AND LET IT GO.
And then we must step out. And move forward. Trusting in the steadfast love and mercy of God.
We are forgiven.
In Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus, we are forgiven. We are offered continual redemption and restoration through the live-giving waters of baptism. It is ours for the taking.
But we must step out.
We must desire it.
We must claim it.
We must believe it.
We must name our transgression.
We must turn from our sin.
We must release it and let it go.
WE MUST RELEASE IT AND LET IT GO.
And then we must step out. And move forward. Trusting in the steadfast love and mercy of God.
We are forgiven.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
September 5: Jeremiah 19-21; Psalm 53; Hebrews 9
The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus' way is all about sacrifice. Therefore, ours must be also.
But, it's not only about sacrifice at the altar......that's a once-for-all action that Jesus already made. Our sacrifice is one of praise and thanksgiving. Not only at the altar, but also in our daily lives.
How can we, today, make a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving?
Can we sacrifice some time to give praise to God through prayer, through song, through presence?
Can we sacrifice a luxury and send the money instead to http://donate.unhcr.org/syria to help the
refugees from Syria?
Can we give of our time and talents and help a neighbor with a project?
Can we sacrifice our comfort and ask our friend for forgiveness for those hurtful words, spoken in
anger, that we didn't really mean?
Can we sacrifice our schedule and agenda in order to stop at the store to buy some food for the food
pantry?
Can we sacrifice our convenience and bike to work in order to leave a smaller footprint on our earth?
We don't have to do it all today. But, maybe one new thing, or two. What can we do today?
Christianity requires sacrifice. No two ways around it.
But, it's not only about sacrifice at the altar......that's a once-for-all action that Jesus already made. Our sacrifice is one of praise and thanksgiving. Not only at the altar, but also in our daily lives.
How can we, today, make a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving?
Can we sacrifice some time to give praise to God through prayer, through song, through presence?
Can we sacrifice a luxury and send the money instead to http://donate.unhcr.org/syria to help the
refugees from Syria?
Can we give of our time and talents and help a neighbor with a project?
Can we sacrifice our comfort and ask our friend for forgiveness for those hurtful words, spoken in
anger, that we didn't really mean?
Can we sacrifice our schedule and agenda in order to stop at the store to buy some food for the food
pantry?
Can we sacrifice our convenience and bike to work in order to leave a smaller footprint on our earth?
We don't have to do it all today. But, maybe one new thing, or two. What can we do today?
Christianity requires sacrifice. No two ways around it.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
September 4: Jeremiah 16-18; Psalm 52; Hebrews 8
The prophet Jeremiah is quoted in the letter to the Hebrews. (Currently, Jeremiah is our Old Testament voice on Sundays.)
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Hebrews 8: 10 and Jeremiah 31: 33).
As we live the Way, God writes God's laws on our hearts and minds----in Hebrew, these are the seats of reason, of decision----not simply the house of sentimentality. As we worship God, as we let the Holy Scriptures engage our understandings, as we reach out and provide for one another, as we serve God's children, as we make ourselves vulnerable in prayer, as we sit in God's presence, as we give praise for Creation, as we give thanks for all that we have knowing it comes from God, as we sit at Our Lord's feet........God the Creator is writing the Word on our hearts and minds.
Christianity isn't something that just happens. It isn't a label to wear. It is our identity. Christianity is something we choose and something we do. The very foundation of who (and whose) we are.
"This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Hebrews 8: 10 and Jeremiah 31: 33).
As we live the Way, God writes God's laws on our hearts and minds----in Hebrew, these are the seats of reason, of decision----not simply the house of sentimentality. As we worship God, as we let the Holy Scriptures engage our understandings, as we reach out and provide for one another, as we serve God's children, as we make ourselves vulnerable in prayer, as we sit in God's presence, as we give praise for Creation, as we give thanks for all that we have knowing it comes from God, as we sit at Our Lord's feet........God the Creator is writing the Word on our hearts and minds.
Christianity isn't something that just happens. It isn't a label to wear. It is our identity. Christianity is something we choose and something we do. The very foundation of who (and whose) we are.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
September 3: Jeremiah 13-15; Psalm 51; Hebrews 7
The Psalmist today reminds us of the beauty of God's mercy. God's mercy is steadfast.
This means that we have the ability to be freed from our mistakes. We can be freed from our shame and our guilt. We can be freed from the brokenness that makes us less than what we hope to be...what we have been designed to be.
As humans, our disposition seems to be one of making others pay for their mistake. We have a hard time believing that God simply desires to release us from our mistakes.
Oh, don't get me wrong. This simple act of turning away from our destructive ways and turning toward God's life-giving ways is hard. It's hard to let go of customs, habits, disciplines that feed us somehow---even as they are diminishing us (and often, others). It is not an easy thing to be transformed.
But it is simple in the fact that all it requires is choosing. Choosing to let the Holy Spirit guide us in knowing what changes need to be made and then moving into those changes, with God's help. Always with God's help.
O God of our salvation, restore us to the joy of your Kingdom through your steadfast mercy and the sustenance of your saving Spirit. Make us whole. Amen.
This means that we have the ability to be freed from our mistakes. We can be freed from our shame and our guilt. We can be freed from the brokenness that makes us less than what we hope to be...what we have been designed to be.
As humans, our disposition seems to be one of making others pay for their mistake. We have a hard time believing that God simply desires to release us from our mistakes.
Oh, don't get me wrong. This simple act of turning away from our destructive ways and turning toward God's life-giving ways is hard. It's hard to let go of customs, habits, disciplines that feed us somehow---even as they are diminishing us (and often, others). It is not an easy thing to be transformed.
But it is simple in the fact that all it requires is choosing. Choosing to let the Holy Spirit guide us in knowing what changes need to be made and then moving into those changes, with God's help. Always with God's help.
O God of our salvation, restore us to the joy of your Kingdom through your steadfast mercy and the sustenance of your saving Spirit. Make us whole. Amen.
September 2: Jeremiah 10-12; Psalm 50; Hebrews 6
"Do not learn the way of the nations....for the customs of the peoples are false:" (Jeremiah 10:1-2)
In Jeremiah's time, the prophet was warning the people of Israel from learning foreign ways.
Jeremiah gives us the same warning today. But for us, "foreign" takes on a different meaning. Our danger is not that we pick up customs from other cultures or nations or ethnicities. The danger for us lies in our very own culture and within our borders.
As God's people, our first allegiance belongs to God's Kingdom. This means above and beyond any other loyalty. When our loyalty to other things--nation, family, friends, work, sports teams, school, ideology---presses on us, we are to consider whether or not it supports our citizenship in God's Kingdom. If it does not, we are to follow the customs that God has given us and let the other go.
Sometimes the footsteps of Jesus lie parallel to the way the world would have us go; sometimes Jesus' steps go in the opposite direction. God asks us to note the difference and to choose to walk the Way.
In Jeremiah's time, the prophet was warning the people of Israel from learning foreign ways.
Jeremiah gives us the same warning today. But for us, "foreign" takes on a different meaning. Our danger is not that we pick up customs from other cultures or nations or ethnicities. The danger for us lies in our very own culture and within our borders.
As God's people, our first allegiance belongs to God's Kingdom. This means above and beyond any other loyalty. When our loyalty to other things--nation, family, friends, work, sports teams, school, ideology---presses on us, we are to consider whether or not it supports our citizenship in God's Kingdom. If it does not, we are to follow the customs that God has given us and let the other go.
Sometimes the footsteps of Jesus lie parallel to the way the world would have us go; sometimes Jesus' steps go in the opposite direction. God asks us to note the difference and to choose to walk the Way.
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