Finishing the Part

 Devotions for November 25, 2020

 

Prayer

Gracious Holy Trinity, we come before you in admiration and adoration. You are more wonderful than we can say. All that you are is just and loving. So, we lift our petitions before you,… All praise and honor and glory to you O God. Amen.

John 5:19-40

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

 

Reflection

There is a lot more clarification between the Father and Son of the Trinity. I wish that there were more written about the Holy Spirit, I don’t understand her quite as much. I know others might have issues with the Godhead and how the Incarnation works in detail, and I know that such information about their communication and relationship are important. I get that when many people walk into a situation, they want to figure out who is actually “calling the shots.” Yes, it is significant to have a clear picture of how God is working in such an unexpected and new way. I don’t mean to minimize that. What I am thinking of is the length of the sections of the creeds, for example. Line after line for the humanity and divinity clarifications around/in/with the Son of Humanity roll on for our understanding. Then, the Holy Spirit gets the print of what amounts to a summary. Often times in ministerial work, I feel like we are still learning the breadth and depth of the Spirit’s interaction. So much of it all is mystery and yet right in our face. Gentle and wispy like a breeze, blowing wherever it wants to and also smacking us on the back of the head and poking us in the side. Why is it so hard to believe in something that is in our form (Jesus), and yet easy to believe in something that we can only point to what it has moved (the Paraclete).

This pandemic has brought a new and different Spirit awareness for me. It used to be easy to tell when a message was reaching all the people, heads would nod, maybe a “mmm huh!” here and perhaps even an “Amen!” there. Now, however, I have to listen to the Spirit tell me. The digital reality is genuine and I do certainly miss the full in-person experience. But, and maybe this is a really big but, I think a new day is coming when we will be able to fill out the unfinished third part of the creeds. We will come to a greater understanding of the workings of the Holy Spirit. Her power and wisdom are continuously being revealed! The all over presence of the Risen Christ comes about through the Spirit. Pay attention! Write it down! Perhaps by Pentecost we can share additional lines for the Third Part of the creeds.

 

Proudly "Christian"

 Devotions for November 24, 2020

 

Prayer

King Jesus, you are a different kind of king. There is no one in all of history that leads like you. You use your love and your power. We submit ourselves to your Way and for the sake of your Gospel. May your glory reign over us fully. Extend your care beyond all those we lift before you and use us to make that happen. In your great name, we pray. Amen.

2 Timothy 2:8-13

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

 

Reflection

Sometimes I wonder how people figure that they can proudly tout the label “Christian” when they don’t show any amount of self-denial. Not that I have it all perfected, but the contrast is alarming. The word “Christ” means “anointed (one)” and is the Greek version of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” It is a title, not a last name. Jesus earned it in a way that was terrifyingly opposite to expected predictions. Ironically, “Expected One” is another interpretation. What was expected was not that the Messiah’s followers would struggle and strive through chains, beatings and death. The Cross changed our perspective and understanding of God entirely. Since he suffered and died in order to absorb sin and death, his followers are supposed to be meek and absorbing. He taught that if we want to follow him, we pick up our cross and do it. We take on suffering in order to overcome it. We are called into participating in the difficult work for justice. This is how you can tell the difference between authentic Christianity and the nationalistic or similar distortions. Love and care for others over self is another tell-tale sign of those who like to be in prayer with Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Main Mover

 Devotions for November 23, 2020

 

Prayer

O God, King of the Universe. You reign over all. We praise your goodness and wisdom which teaches us understanding and hope. We ask for your kind ruling over our lives. We beg for your mercy where we have failed your commands for love and humility. Resting in your promises, we sing of your glory. Hear now, we pray, the petitions of our heart… We are grateful for your ever-present listening and careful decision making. In your omnipotent Name, we pray. Amen.

 

Esther 8:3-17

Then Esther spoke again to the king; she fell at his feet, weeping and pleading with him to avert the evil design of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, and Esther rose and stood before the king. She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have won his favor, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I have his approval, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote giving orders to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he plotted to lay hands on the Jews. You may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” The king’s secretaries were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews and to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. He wrote letters in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed them with the king’s ring, and sent them by mounted couriers riding on fast steeds bred from the royal herd. By these letters the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, with their children and women, and to plunder their goods on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. A copy of the writ was to be issued as a decree in every province and published to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. So the couriers, mounted on their swift royal steeds, hurried out, urged by the king’s command. The decree was issued in the citadel of Susa.

 

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king, wearing royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and purple, while the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor. In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict came, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a festival and a holiday. Furthermore, many of the peoples of the country professed to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

 

Reflection

In the final days of the Church Year “A,” we hear another king story. If you are not familiar with the entire Esther story, it is a good one! There have been many adaptations from VeggieTales to full movies. The real mover is, of course, Esther. She risks her life for her people. The second great mover is King Ahasuerus, he listens and considers corruption as something to be rooted out. What a refreshing leadership example. To make such a change of course requires good listening, integrity and a measure of wisdom. Such stories should inspire all those who desire to become a public servant of the highest order.

A more down to earth interpretation could also get you thinking about where your loyalties lie. Do I listen carefully to those that might seem opposite or different from me? Do I hold on to associations that might be inherently biased in an unfavorable or unethical direction? Certainly, a part of this text is the persecution of a race. We must firmly stand against any and all forms of Anti-Semitism, racism, or sexism. This includes the entirely rejected words of the late, grumpy and unclear thinking of the late Martin Luther writings. Yes, that also means we have to repent from the inappropriate jokes and the acts of favoritism to our own “kind.” The word is in quotes because the way of God’s creation favors diversity and none of us are one kind of anything.

Night Sky

 

 Devotions for November 20, 2020

 

Prayer

O God of darkness and light, I thank you for being with us at all times. You are the Creator of all things and all time. Yet, you are outside of time and beyond our floundering and flapping about in our mortality. O infinite One, help us in our dizzying and fixed reality. Anchor us, we pray into your calm and peace. You are in dark places and you know the depths of the deep. Guide us in this specific time with our very current and real concerns… Be with all who are feeling lost and unsure. Strengthen all who are on your path of timely following. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Revelation 22:1-9

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

 

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

 

Reflection

There was a story this morning on the radio about the science of studying the darkness of space. They came to an interesting conclusion about how dark the darkest place actually is. What do you make of the mystery of darkness?

I am not a night owl. My family teases me about my lack of ability to stay awake. I can identify with the disciples that are caught falling asleep repeatedly. Night is for sleeping. Unless you are one the many tough people that are night nurses or overnight shift workers. Some bodies get used to being up at certain times and can train themselves to work effectively through the darkness. They provide vital action and watchfulness for which we all depend and are grateful (to them and God for them)!

I am also thinking about all this spiritually. For centuries the church has pointed to texts like today as a revelation into heaven, and as a result there are misinterpretations about darkness and color. God created night and kept the waters of the abyss. Long before flashlights, it made sense to be afraid of what you cannot see or the times when thieves or predators would attack your animals. Now, though, we can read this text and look up at the night sky marveling about how “the darkness and the light are both in You O God” (Psalm 139.12). All shades of darkness and blackness are indeed beautiful--sky and skin, creation and creature. We are all known to God and part of the beauty.

 

Unwanted Degree Program

 

Devotions for November 19, 2020

 

Prayer

O God, I pray for clarity. Teach me to listen carefully. Guide me to discern your message. Help me to hear faithful interpreters and prophets. Let your truth ring out through the noise. Draw me away from distractions to be at peace in your presence. Let my concerns for the world, the petitions of my heart, and my requests for loved ones rest into your capable hand as I lift them to you now… I ask all this in your great and Holy Name. Amen.

 

1 Kings 22:13-23

The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak.”

When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” He answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only disaster?” Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing, and another said another, until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘How?’ the Lord asked him. He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do it.’ So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

 

Reflection

A rare look into the complicated inner world of a prophet. No prophets do not usually give good news of butterflies and rainbows, so when they do, it sounds suspect. In a world that is out of balance, we need a faithful and reliable prophet to speak God’s truth. What rings so loudly through to our current time is that when good leaders speak a truthful reality, they are ridiculed or fired. Nobody likes a prophet. This might be why there are so very few degree programs for prophets! We can also see in the passion and depth of the prophetic voice why religion and politics do indeed connect. Prophets give a spiritual compass for the leadership decisions. Today as then, there are many voices that speak the truth. Identifying it means a careful and prayerful listening with an ear for the advocate for the poor, weak, powerless, and unity with diversity. You should hear calls for care of others and submission to God—love of God and love of neighbor is also the distinguishing rule.

Rollercoaster or Something else?

 

 Devotions for November 18, 2020

 

Prayer

Jesus, my deliverer and my peace, you are the glory of joy in the morning and rest of ending evenings. I turn all that today was, is, or is ever going to be over to you. I ask for you to hold my hand and turn my mind’s eye again and again to you. Let me see your path and keep my feet walking on it. Be with all your little ones that are lost. Heal and help all those who are sick or giving care to them. Let the leadership represent your reign of servanthood. Calm our fears with a deepening sense of your abiding. In your mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

 

Matthew 24:45-51

“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Reflection

This text is full of extremes and ugliness. The hyperbole is meant to jar into action. The truth is meant to cut to the heart. Let us be clear that the hatred is directed towards sin and wickedness. The context of slavery was one that the people could understand in terms of owing their everything to God, but the actuality of slavery is a human invention. To exploit another and abuse them in anyway is the startling counterpoint. The purpose of this text is to confront the abuse of power. I am deeply sad to think of all the misquotes of a verse from this text. Jesus died a violent death as a direct and yet nonviolent confrontation with all corruptions of power and misunderstandings of God, absorbing all the sin and death the world threw at his brown skin. He died as a poor criminal, naked and alone. His passion and death is the interpretive question for this text and all texts. “What will you do with my life’s work? What are you doing with yours?”

Jesus’ teaching reads very heavy for a people who are trying to find creative ways to deal with the imposed idleness and separation of a pandemic. I am thinking of the man who built a roller coaster in his backyard. Though, I am also thinking of the unemployed with great uncertainty about their next meal. To be faithful and wise means to care for one another during difficult times loaded with impatience. Reach out and help one another, however you can do it creatively and safely! We don’t just pass the time, we fill it with prayer, praise and service. Let us use this time to renew our faith life in our homes. Let us establish daily routines of spiritual disciplines. Let us advocate for those who need help and assistance in this time.

Joy Knows

 Devotions for November 17, 2020

 

Prayer

Joyous and giving God, I give you thanks this day for your spilling all over gladness and goodness. You make my heart sing even when things are tough and rough. You have shown deep compassion and you don’t stop loving. Guide me this day and be with all those that I love and care about,… Help me also to love those that I might label as “enemies.” Teach me to see each as yours and loved by you. Yet, also reprove the wicked and turn back evil. Show us ways today to preserve your all your works and your beautiful Creation. In Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Reflection

Photo Source: Rgbstock / Composition: Sue Chastain

Sometimes, I laugh too much or smile too much. There I said it. Maybe I take this passage too much to heart. There have been a few interpersonal moments where communication hinges on me taking the conversation seriously. I am a goofball and I know it. I know that you can’t sing into the face of someone that is experiencing a hardship or deep sadness. You have to just be there with them and try to be an anchor of hope and a flower in the rain. This is the nature of rejoicing always, it is a positivity that isn’t fake or contrived, but a realistic perspective that sees the full arch into the Reign of Christ. It knows that there is no confusion about the gardener and the stone rolled away if the memory of the thorns and nails is too hard to forget. This runs deeper than a platitude. You can’t just say a sickeningly sweet proverb to someone in pain and walk away. Joy is more honest than temporary happiness. Joy knows the ultimate truths that are inconvenient and incontrovertible. You can’t take the top off of joy because the bottom of hell has a massive escape hatch.

Look at All the Pretty Ponies

 Devotions for November 16, 2020

Prayer

God of truth and consequence, you are the hope of all your people. We turn to you in wonder and awe. God, here is another day that you have gifted us with. Grant us the courage, we pray, to more firmly establish your teachings in this world. Use us to bring about your true justice and actual peace. Bind up the wounded and heal those who are sick... Give rest to those who are tired and work to those who are bored... Bring comfort to the grieving and a tempered focus to those who are zealously impatient...Guide us all to see your path in your new Day. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Zechariah 1:7-17

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo; and Zechariah said, In the night I saw a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen; and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “They are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” Then they spoke to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and lo, the whole earth remains at peace.” Then the angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which you have been angry these seventy years?” Then the Lord replied with gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So the angel who talked with me said to me, Proclaim this message: Thus says the Lord of hosts; I am very jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am extremely angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they made the disaster worse. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Proclaim further: Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.

Reflection

The horse described in the text is literally "bay," but the Hebrew word could also read "red." So, the picture to the right is a "red bay" horse. It is possible that the dream vision horse may be imagined as a "fire engine" red. It also may be that the colors of the horses reflect the typical diversity of colors in the Middle East. The horses seem to be agents of Creation who are surveying the status of the lands. Who is the singular rider? He is possibly the angel who reports the worldwide situation. The image also describes an unknown number of horses of the same colors behind them. Horses evoke a  natural feeling of power, movement and might. Standing under the myrtle trees by the glen/deep gives a Eden-like lushness to the image. Myrtles were an image of the restored Israel. 

So, putting it all together in my mind, this first vision of Zechariah brings a prophecy of hope and restoration. The other peoples and nations are living in their own version of peace. God wills to bring real peace and authentic justice to all of creation. Take a moment today to consider the majesty of Creation and how it reports back to God. Imagine the what the horses would say about you and your little "patch."

Struggling with Zeke

 

Devotions for November 13, 2020

 

Prayer

Teach me, O God, to walk in your ways. Guide me to see a glimpse of the prophetic imagination. I pray, that I might see calamity and avoid it, that I might warn others and help your cause. Tune my recognition to that which is set apart for you. Open my ears to hear your Word and live by it. Lead me to work your way for the needy and oppressed, strengthen all who do your help and healing. In the Name of Almighty God, I pray. Amen.

 

Ezekiel 7:1-9

The word of the Lord came to me: You, O mortal, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you, I will let loose my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, I will punish you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare you, I will have no pity. I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are among you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! See, it comes. An end has come, the end has come. It has awakened against you; see, it comes! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near— of tumult, not of reveling on the mountains. Soon now I will pour out my wrath upon you; I will spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways, and punish you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare; I will have no pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are among you. Then you shall know that it is I the Lord who strike.

Reflection

This time of the church year has turned fully into the end times. I have to admit that, this year, I am weary of some of the readings. I turned to do a reflection on another text, the one for tomorrow, yet it was in some ways, more of the same. I heard the encouragement of the Spirit to go ahead. So, I struggle with Zeke. He is not my favorite voice of prophetic imagination. Yet, I have to own up to the reality that we need to be challenged by scripture. It is also true that we have heard a lot of gloom and doom predictions right now in our own time. Many have pointed to current events and identified trends they see to the end of all days. The prophets, however, were speaking into their own time and against unfaithfulness that they were seeing as a direct conflict with God, that God would answer. In many cases, the prophets’ words were answered. Various predictions, however, hang across time waiting like a judgement before the bang of the divine gavel to mete it out.

The truth is, I don’t want to hear about God’s wrath. I wonder how wrath connects to a God of love. Yet, I must also struggle with questions like, “Does God not find us guilty of damage to Creation? Are we not all complicit in some way with Climate Change? Have we all turned fully to God, or are we hedging our bets and trying to live in two conflicting worlds?” Jesus was right, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot love both God and mammon/wealth. God is jealous for our love. At what point do we test God’s patience too far? Certainly, we can only rest in the unfailing mercy of Christ Jesus. Our hope is in his deliverance and path forward.

Inner Paths

 

Devotions for November 12, 2020

 

Prayer

Calm my mind into you, O God. Be with me in seeking stillness. Embrace me in silence. Let the noise of life fall away, so your music sings loudly in my heart. Wherever I am, I know you are there and listening. I lift before you my concerns and petitions for today… I am profoundly grateful for time in prayer with you. I thank you for your love and all that you are already doing for your children and all those in need. In Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;

in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.

The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

 

Reflection

“Everyone has skeletons in their closet.” God knows our secret sins. The “me” that we try to hide from others is not hidden from God. God knows the subtleties of hiddenness, and the blazing fire of revelations. Not only does time heal, it also reveals. God also designed hiddenness so that it is fully detectable by spiritual means. As spiritual beings, we are quite capable of sensing problems, evildoers and urgency to act for God’s reign. “Gut feelings” with those who practice openness and prayer with God are reliable and extremely helpful. I have said this simply and briefly, yet I also recognize that many have difficulty accepting this wisdom. Our spirituality is like a muscle, connected to our body and requires exercise and nurturing use. Worship and daily prayer help to sharpen our recognition of spiritual insights. Pay close attention to those things that you do physically that tune your spirit to listen. For me, doing dishes is one of those things. If I am working on a message or some aspect of discernment, I have found it helpful to take a break and do a round of dishes or chop wood. It is in these basic tasks that we stop pushing or pulling to “think, think, think!” and instead become relaxed to listen. This ancient wisdom “chop wood, carry water” is a deep well and a reliable path to spiritual strength and maturity.

Figgy Delight

 

Devotions for November 11, 2020

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

This day has come into view, like a fruit hidden from yesterday’s leaf. Yet, only you know what tomorrow has in store. Today is a tremendous gift. Open my heart and mind to see all that you have provided. Yet, close my mind and heart to fears and worries about what I cannot see or control. Be with us in this season of life, full of change and shifting. Guide us to see your workings in the beyond. Like a mist off the ocean coming towards us, give us a hint of a taste into what we are able to prepare for within your plan. Guide us in wisdom to trust in your enduring care. We pray for love, those we love, and those we have yet to love … In your saving Name. Amen.

 

Matthew 24:29-35

“Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 

Reflection

I just ate a fig bar. So, I understand the beauty of waiting for a ripening fruit. I had my first fresh fig last summer, so I fully appreciate the delicious complexity that Jesus is preparing us for. I can’t wrap my mind around stars falling, nor the angels gathering the elect. It seems like this whole passage is a mostly positive reality. Maybe it is just the sweet mood from the figgy delight. I hope that it is the perspective of faith. Yes, all the tribes of the earth will mourn. Though, I think it is the kind of mourning for something when you know it is finally over. You had convinced yourself for so long that you deeply enjoyed earth as it was, even though God had wired you to long for God’s presence. But then you come to the realization that you can be truthful with yourself. God is hidden no longer and the fullness of joy pushes out the last tears of sadness in one final sweep of weeping. Certainly, those who are fully invested in wickedness and have chosen the former earth will pass away with it. They have reason to be sad. Me, I am ready to stop singing “Come Lord Jesus.” I want to sing the throne song of glory, power, and honor!

 

Bad News or Good News

Devotions for November 10, 2020 

Prayer

Dear Lord,

I am thankful for this day and the blessings that it holds. I pray that you help me to see them and use them as you see fit. Enlighten me to pass your blessing on to others. Let your grace overflow. Fashion your justice through the workings of your people. Guide us all to your perfect peace. Promote healing, friendship and kindness. Lord, we lift up your great and holy Name. You alone have the Way of love and truth. Forever and ever, in you and all that you make so. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us—just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Reflection

“What would you like to hear first, the good news or the bad news?”

“Uh, give me the bad news and then ease its sting with the good news.”

“Well, the bad news is that we have had some rough months full of being harassed and questioned by the guard, corruption seems to be against us.”

“The good news is that we have made it and been strengthened by your faith and loving care for us.”

I can’t imagine a much better scenario. The Church of Thessaloniki is a great example of the life of faith going well and leading in an inspiring way. Certainly, their example is part of the reason we are here as Christians today. They chose the path of love and the will to make more and more good news reportable in their activities.

What news will be reported about you? I pray it is mostly good!

 

Other Time

 

Devotions for November 9, 2020

 

Prayer

O God, ruler of all that is, be with and bless us in our work and ministry for your reign. Guide all that we do and say, so that others will recognize your presence in our efforts and proclamations. Cork our mouths when we are about to say something foolish or unhelpful. Stay our feet and hands when they are about to do something foolish or unhelpful. Let all that we are be a witness to your goodness and vitality among us! Strengthen and embrace all those that are in need as we place them before you. You know their names and count them each in love and care. Give peace and comfort to all who are experiencing a loss. For you are our all in all, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.

In the law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people; yet even then they will not listen to me,” says the Lord. Tongues, then, are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, an unbeliever or outsider who enters is reproved by all and called to account by all. After the secrets of the unbeliever’s heart are disclosed, that person will bow down before God and worship him, declaring, “God is really among you.”

 

Reflection

The church in Corinth was a mess. They had all sorts of issues, conflicts and problems. They were a beginning group of believers surrounded by all the vices that come with heavy trade and travel. One of their issues was speaking in tongues, seemingly in part to impress and prove authenticity to outsiders. Christianity has long past the time of trying to prove itself as real, but the need to present itself as relevant and not collectively “out of their minds” is still important for connecting with those who are not a part of the church. If we consider all those who have left the church or become largely inactive, we have a strong need to convey Christ crucified more clearly.

One of the biggest points for clarity is the focus and purpose of worship and Christian life as a whole. Speaking in tongues is largely an individual spiritual experience, only of benefit if there is someone interpreting. Isn’t this still a big problem for the church, focusing on the experience of self. The purpose of worship is to give honor and praise to God, offer gifts, lift petitions, and proclaim the Word. In a life of so much “me” time and “my people” or “my stuff,” worship is in stark contrast as “other” time. Loving God and loving one another means to let go of self and turn it over to the One who owns, claims, and delivers the self into a new reality that is beyond the former self.

 

Beautiful Sky

 

Devotions for November 6, 2020

 

Prayer

Dear God,

I looked up this morning while I was outside and noticed a spectacular display of streaming clouds in Your beautiful sky. I give you thanks for each new day, particularly this one. I have no idea what today holds, but I know that you hold it. I cannot see tomorrow, but I know you do. I turn all that I am and might be over to your beautiful design. I lift to you all those that are in need today into your care … I give you alone the praise, the glory, and the power, forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 9:13-21

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of humankind. The number of the troops of cavalry was two hundred million; I heard their number. And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur; the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of humankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they inflict harm. The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.

 

Reflection

The Revelation to John is full of colorful and detailed images that delight and frighten. There is no way to overestimate the power that is depicted. Yet, it is important to remember that Revelation is a book of visions, many of which are yet to be explained. Some are very helpful, and others elude our full understanding. I find it most beneficial to interpret Revelation in a mindset of a proclamation that “God is in Control.” We need this understanding in our time. We need not fear the end, it is with God. The final scenes of Revelation are of the abiding God coming down and remaking what we know into the full intended reality without any more mysteries or blurry depictions. We live in hope for that great time, when God will be our all in all and when love will be all we know. Then we will sing praises to the one true God of all the people!

 

 Devotions for November 5, 2020

 

Prayer

My God, I pray to you this new day. I am giving you thanks for all that I see around me,… I am giving you thanks for all that I do not see, that is still in your hand,… I am grateful for your providence and protection, giving thanks for all those that I love and do not know which you have helped,… I return to your work a portion of your generous giving to me and I pray for your discernment how to participate more deeply in your work,… I ask for your forgiveness and ask for your renewal for some things I would prefer to forget, but you call for repentance,… I pray for the remaining work of justice and peace in my part of the neighborhood and throughout your beautiful Creation. Lead me to greater and gentler care of this world, as a good steward, and let me be an example for others. For all these things, that I know you lovingly hear, I thank you, my precious deliverer. Amen.

 

Psalm 70

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me!

Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me.

Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!

 

Reflection

I am sure you have probably heard the saying, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The meaning implied is that they wanted to do something worthwhile, but didn’t follow through with it. Such sayings can be a jab, or even a passive aggressive insult. “You didn’t try hard enough!”

This short psalm is a short and desperate plea for help in the middle of much more serious situations. Dark times come to us all, and this Psalm is a good one to turn to for finding a prayerful voice. Emotions are clearly near their breaking point. The psalmist can’t even sing lengthy lyrics! (Consider Psalm 119’s length!) When words are failing you, turn to God. When you are feeling unable to sing or be joyful, lift a short prayer to God for deliverance.

It can also be a helpful reference point for most of us to recognize our relative comfort and ease. “Things are not that bad.” This can be a rich spiritual moment to consider the spectrum of where you have been and where you are now. Remember how God has been with you. Consider those who might need you and the strength of your perspective from the “other side.” Comforting words can sound a lot like, “I have been where you are and it is incredibly hard, but God was with me. Would you like me to tell you about that time?”

Don't Wash Your Hands?!

 

Devotions for November 4, 2020

 

Prayer

God of the Deep,

Ancients gave reverence to your mystery. In our own time, we look into the depths of space and give praise to your spectacular Creation. The harvests sing of your generosity. Our hearts proclaim deep gratitude to you. In all seasons and times, you are our God. Nothing shakes your power or position. As my mind quiets before your greatness, I lift my cares and concerns to you, … I rejoice in your listening and give deep thanks for your mercy and abiding love. In your unsearchable Name, we pray. Amen.

 

Matthew 15:1-9

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’”

 

Reflection

Did Jesus really teach the disciples to not wash before eating? In question is not cleanliness in the modern perspective with actual soap, but a ritual cleansing that I am sure Jesus knew to be of little value. So, they were trying to catch Jesus in a trap of neglecting the details. Jesus highlights the real trap of hypocrisy. Oh Jesus, you are right. It is so easy to be quick to judge others and ignore our own failings.

One of the big takeaways for today is: which things are we teaching or judging others based upon human precepts?

Another way to be challenged by this text is to consider in what ways do others view churchgoers as hypocritical? What little traditions do we get hung up on that don’t actually matter? We can ask ourselves, “Am I being sentimental about something I have done, or considering what God has in mind for us all?”