Matthew 14:22-33 -- Matthew 13:24-33; 44-53
Life is interesting, unexpected and often rushed. On Wednesday, after the meeting about our trip this summer and after UMY and after hanging out with Devin, Emily, Danie and Raymond and after cleaning the youth kitchen, I got home about 10 p.m.; and, my mind was racing. I got online and began to search for answers to the questions about transportation to Washington, D.C. Then, I made the slides for Joy Connection for Sunday. Then I made some slides for the UMW meeting on Thursday. Then suddenly, it was 3:30 in the morning. Then even more suddenly, it was 6:45 and Rachel was picking me up at 7:00 for K-Life. Fast forward to church, UMW meeting, clean-up, more research on the trip, conversations with parents, emails to the church family reminding them of Trivia Night, a trip to the grocery store, cooking dinner, watching American Idol, instant messaging Ariel, and then the hunt for trivia questions was on. Then suddenly, it was 2:37, then it was 3:00, a couple more, 3:31. Lights out. Then suddenly, it was 8:00. Getting ready for the day--hair, makeup, dressing, packing up laptop, books, etc. Fixing breakfast, talking to Jared, taking Mom to work, going to the $ Store for stuff for Trivia Night tonight, going to the ecumenical Friday Lenten Service, driving home, and here's where it gets interesting...or gross...or horrifying...or something...I have a coughing fit and vomit on myself and the passenger seat and the console while driving down Joe Bald road. Sick. I know. I mean, I don't feel sick--not anymore. But, sick! I haven't vomited on myself in the car for more than 35 years.
And did you notice in all of that activity, there was not reflection, devotional time spent with my Lord, no scripture reading--not until 10 a.m. this morning at the service--but nothing of my own personal quiet time with God? No blogging, no thoughtful contemplation. Meanwhile, I still have 6 more categories of Trivia Questions to come up with. I still have to make score sheets. I still have to organize, sort and set up prizes, snacks, etc before the youth arrive this afternoon. And, of course, I'm doing laundry. I'm wearing my Todd Agnew, Are you Sure? t-shirt tonight! It just needs a little cleaning, along with my hoodie and my pants.
Three little words. I vomited myself. I haven't studied. I'm doing laundry. I haven't blogged. It is I. Peter lost focus. I lost focus. I am He. Kingdom of God. Walk on water. Come and see. Why did you doubt? Three little words. Words that can change the course of your day. Words that can wreak havoc on your spiritual well-being. Words that can profoundly alter your life. Words that bring hope and peace and comfort and curiosity and questions and truth and reality. Three little words.
When I read the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water, I am reminded of Rob Bell's words on being a disciple. About how Jesus believes in us. Jesus believes in me. Peter began to sink when he shifted his focus from Jesus to the waves crashing around him. In the same way, you and I will sink in our frustrations, our busyness, our jobs, our good things, when we too lose focus. It's a struggle to make spending quiet time with God every day a priority. Oh, but the rewards! The peace, the comfort, the grace. Jesus so overpowers the rest of life that I must not lose focus. I must not forget my Savior.
The Kingdom of God is like...
Did you notice that none of the things that the Kingdom of God is like are things that are fast, or powerful, or flashy or whatever. Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like someone who sows good seed in his field, like a mustard seed, like a treasure hidden in a field, like a merchant in search of fine pearls, like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind, like a master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old. God says that we are like a tree planted by stream. All of these things are things that take a long time or things that take intentional pursuit or patience or endurance or an openness to diversity.
Most trees take a long to time to fully mature. I'm thankful God is patient. I'm thankful God knows it's going to take a long time for me to fully mature. I'm thankful that God is my stream. I'm thankful for three little words.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Safe Harbor
Isaiah 58 and 61 -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
So there are things that we know about ourselves...things that frustrate, annoy and depress us...yet we go on doing them. Why is that? It seems so simple when we see it in others. We want to tell them how to fix it. We wonder, sometimes aloud, why they do this to themselves. Yet if we look upon our own lives we must see ourselves doing the same things. Things that frustrate, things that annoy and things that depress us. After such incidents, we find ourselves angry, irritable, confrontational, defensive...because we failed again, we screwed up again, we've disappointed ourselves again. And as a result, we hurt people we love, we're indifferent to those in need, and we build a wall around ourselves that no one can penetrate. So then the question "Why do we keep doing the things we despise?" leads to more questions. Like, "Why are we so self-focused?" and "Is there any hope for fools such as us?" and "Why, oh why would the God of the universe place such important tasks in our hands?" It's a ludicrous plan really.
And yet...God so loved the world. Not the saints, the righteous, the infallible, but the world. God so loved the world. Even me. Even you. "For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...If one member suffers, all suffer together with it"--especially, I think, when that suffering is self-induced because with that comes a whole lot of other guilt and shame. "If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." This, my friends, is why we share our joys and concerns in Worship. And how many of us are guilty of not experiencing joys and concerns with one another? We complain because it takes up too much time in the service, we can't hear the person talking, we don't know who's talking, etc, etc, etc.
Verse 27 says, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." I think my favorite word in that sentence is NOW. NOW I am the body of Christ. NOW you are the body of Christ. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Not when we get to heaven. NOW. The Kingdom of God is at hand, because we are the body of Christ. Even in our failings and our frustrations. Even when the plan seems ludicrous. God is. And, we are. We are the body of Christ, and God is our safe harbor.
So there are things that we know about ourselves...things that frustrate, annoy and depress us...yet we go on doing them. Why is that? It seems so simple when we see it in others. We want to tell them how to fix it. We wonder, sometimes aloud, why they do this to themselves. Yet if we look upon our own lives we must see ourselves doing the same things. Things that frustrate, things that annoy and things that depress us. After such incidents, we find ourselves angry, irritable, confrontational, defensive...because we failed again, we screwed up again, we've disappointed ourselves again. And as a result, we hurt people we love, we're indifferent to those in need, and we build a wall around ourselves that no one can penetrate. So then the question "Why do we keep doing the things we despise?" leads to more questions. Like, "Why are we so self-focused?" and "Is there any hope for fools such as us?" and "Why, oh why would the God of the universe place such important tasks in our hands?" It's a ludicrous plan really.
And yet...God so loved the world. Not the saints, the righteous, the infallible, but the world. God so loved the world. Even me. Even you. "For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...If one member suffers, all suffer together with it"--especially, I think, when that suffering is self-induced because with that comes a whole lot of other guilt and shame. "If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." This, my friends, is why we share our joys and concerns in Worship. And how many of us are guilty of not experiencing joys and concerns with one another? We complain because it takes up too much time in the service, we can't hear the person talking, we don't know who's talking, etc, etc, etc.
Verse 27 says, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." I think my favorite word in that sentence is NOW. NOW I am the body of Christ. NOW you are the body of Christ. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Not when we get to heaven. NOW. The Kingdom of God is at hand, because we are the body of Christ. Even in our failings and our frustrations. Even when the plan seems ludicrous. God is. And, we are. We are the body of Christ, and God is our safe harbor.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
K to the ENDRA asked me to update this...
Hey Everyone...
No, Kendra did NOT fall off the face of the earth...she just went to Disney World, and she was greeted by the rude reality that the Wonderful World of Disney was NOT the Wonderful World of Free Internet.
So instead of paying the $9.95 a day to update her blog, she asked me (her very smart, witty, intelligent, and blog savvy friend Rachel) to update the page and let you all know what she is meditating on while she is away.
So...no excuses (Raymond)...open your Bible and check this stuff out.
Ok Thing 1...The Sermon on the Mount. You'll find this in Matthew 5:1-7:29. This might seem like a big chunk of Scripture, so feel free to split it up. Decide how much you'll read a day for the next 4 days and go with it...(I think Kendra gets back in 4 days.) Or read it all tonight and go back and pick out sections that stood out and read those on the following nights. I'm sure there's plenty to keep us all pondering. There are stodgy old theologians, who think they know everything, who have spent years and years studying this sermon of Jesus and are still finding it applicable to life today. Here's a little info on the Sermon to whet your appetite. Basically there are three types of material in this sermon...Jesus gives some declarations of blessedness (maybe you've heard them referred to as the beatitudes...they're beautiful.), He also touches on some ethical things....like murder and adultery, and He contrasts between His ethical teachings and the legalistic traditions in the Jewish religion.
No doubt that Jesus' call to moral and ethical living in this sermon is a high call...it's not an easy call, nor is it one that can be met by our own power. Guess it's a good thing that we have Jesus on our side! At the end of His sermon it talks about the people being amazed by the authority with which Jesus spoke...pretty cool.
Ok...and on top of that turn to Psalm 27. It's a little shorter than the Sermon on the Mount! I think Kendra said she's reading through this every day, so feel free to journey with her!
So there you go...now you have a list o' stuff to read while Kendra is gone enjoying the lovely warm Florida weather. But in her absence from MO, you can know that someone is praying for you and that God would open your eyes and heart to His Word...and that person is me! : )
No, Kendra did NOT fall off the face of the earth...she just went to Disney World, and she was greeted by the rude reality that the Wonderful World of Disney was NOT the Wonderful World of Free Internet.
So instead of paying the $9.95 a day to update her blog, she asked me (her very smart, witty, intelligent, and blog savvy friend Rachel) to update the page and let you all know what she is meditating on while she is away.
So...no excuses (Raymond)...open your Bible and check this stuff out.
Ok Thing 1...The Sermon on the Mount. You'll find this in Matthew 5:1-7:29. This might seem like a big chunk of Scripture, so feel free to split it up. Decide how much you'll read a day for the next 4 days and go with it...(I think Kendra gets back in 4 days.) Or read it all tonight and go back and pick out sections that stood out and read those on the following nights. I'm sure there's plenty to keep us all pondering. There are stodgy old theologians, who think they know everything, who have spent years and years studying this sermon of Jesus and are still finding it applicable to life today. Here's a little info on the Sermon to whet your appetite. Basically there are three types of material in this sermon...Jesus gives some declarations of blessedness (maybe you've heard them referred to as the beatitudes...they're beautiful.), He also touches on some ethical things....like murder and adultery, and He contrasts between His ethical teachings and the legalistic traditions in the Jewish religion.
No doubt that Jesus' call to moral and ethical living in this sermon is a high call...it's not an easy call, nor is it one that can be met by our own power. Guess it's a good thing that we have Jesus on our side! At the end of His sermon it talks about the people being amazed by the authority with which Jesus spoke...pretty cool.
Ok...and on top of that turn to Psalm 27. It's a little shorter than the Sermon on the Mount! I think Kendra said she's reading through this every day, so feel free to journey with her!
So there you go...now you have a list o' stuff to read while Kendra is gone enjoying the lovely warm Florida weather. But in her absence from MO, you can know that someone is praying for you and that God would open your eyes and heart to His Word...and that person is me! : )
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saved
Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Psalm 51:10-12 -- 2 Peter 3
"Indeed the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Since Ash Wednesday, I have been looking at scripture through the eyes of my sins, my confessions and my forgiveness--experiencing again the joy of my salvation. These words from Hebrews are so true--God's word is not just some ordinary book to be placed on a shelf or displayed on a coffee table. God's word is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword--it gets under our skin and into our hearts in a way nothing else can. I've found that the more I read it, the more agitated I get about injustices--poverty, hunger, suffering--and the more peace I find for my own inconsistencies, sins and frustrations.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:10-11) There is so much packed into all of Psalm 51, and I know I've talked about it already this week. But this little section packs so much in and of itself that I thought we needed to look at it again--to discover our need for this prayer in our own lives. David has given us a model for seeking forgiveness, restoration, God's presence, and the joy of our salvation! If we don't have joy about or over our salvation, perhaps we don't fully understand it or the extent of the tremendous amount of pain Jesus endured. The joy is not in the pain or the suffering, but in the love expressed. The incredible, unmerited love.
When we really begin to consider that love, we begin to wonder why it's taking God so long to come back for us. We sing songs about when we will see Jesus face to face. I can only imagine. Peter explains to us "The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance...Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation."
"Our great God has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves." (Listening to Lent)
"Indeed the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Since Ash Wednesday, I have been looking at scripture through the eyes of my sins, my confessions and my forgiveness--experiencing again the joy of my salvation. These words from Hebrews are so true--God's word is not just some ordinary book to be placed on a shelf or displayed on a coffee table. God's word is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword--it gets under our skin and into our hearts in a way nothing else can. I've found that the more I read it, the more agitated I get about injustices--poverty, hunger, suffering--and the more peace I find for my own inconsistencies, sins and frustrations.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:10-11) There is so much packed into all of Psalm 51, and I know I've talked about it already this week. But this little section packs so much in and of itself that I thought we needed to look at it again--to discover our need for this prayer in our own lives. David has given us a model for seeking forgiveness, restoration, God's presence, and the joy of our salvation! If we don't have joy about or over our salvation, perhaps we don't fully understand it or the extent of the tremendous amount of pain Jesus endured. The joy is not in the pain or the suffering, but in the love expressed. The incredible, unmerited love.
When we really begin to consider that love, we begin to wonder why it's taking God so long to come back for us. We sing songs about when we will see Jesus face to face. I can only imagine. Peter explains to us "The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance...Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation."
"Our great God has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves." (Listening to Lent)
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Choice
Jeremiah 18:1-6 -- 2 Corinthians 1:12-22 -- 1 John 1:5-2:6
The Choice. Should I stay or go? Talk or remain silent? Paper or plastic? For here or to go? Smoking or non-smoking? Fresh or frozen? Hillary or Barack? Huckabee or McCain? Ron Paul, anyone? Toasted or plain? Cable or satellite? We are bombarded each and every day with a multitude of choices. Some significant, some trivial, some too difficult to ever have to decide.
At times, I have called myself "the Queen of indecision." I often have a tendency to over-analyze things. I try to look at things from a million different perspectives imagining how my decision might effect someone else--never considering how my lack of a decision might effect others. Then, there are other times, when I make decisions too quickly--too impulsively, and I then suffer the consequences far too long.
Hereth said today in Listening to Lent, "God binds us to himself with forgiveness...But suffer God does, in order to have us be his." How that must be true. God loves us so much and forgives us time and time again. God's mercies are new every morning, but what of our mercies? What of our forgiveness? Far too often we are more like Adam and Eve--blaming others for our mistakes. Far less often are we like the psalmist who confesses and then receives forgiveness. We like to justify our actions. However, the scripture from 1 John challenges us to live in the light.
As I've written this post, I keep going back to the title of the day and 1 John 2:6. The New Revised Standard Version says, "whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked." And, I guess that's the choice, isn't it. We so often talk of Jesus living in us, but this text talks about us living in him. I'll close with a really beautiful prayer that I read a few weeks ago from A Guide to Prayer for All God's People. It seems most appropriate.
"My God, in all the great and small choices I will make this day, be in my heart and in my choosing that I may come to day's end knowing I have chosen wisely--for you. Amen."
The Choice. Should I stay or go? Talk or remain silent? Paper or plastic? For here or to go? Smoking or non-smoking? Fresh or frozen? Hillary or Barack? Huckabee or McCain? Ron Paul, anyone? Toasted or plain? Cable or satellite? We are bombarded each and every day with a multitude of choices. Some significant, some trivial, some too difficult to ever have to decide.
At times, I have called myself "the Queen of indecision." I often have a tendency to over-analyze things. I try to look at things from a million different perspectives imagining how my decision might effect someone else--never considering how my lack of a decision might effect others. Then, there are other times, when I make decisions too quickly--too impulsively, and I then suffer the consequences far too long.
Hereth said today in Listening to Lent, "God binds us to himself with forgiveness...But suffer God does, in order to have us be his." How that must be true. God loves us so much and forgives us time and time again. God's mercies are new every morning, but what of our mercies? What of our forgiveness? Far too often we are more like Adam and Eve--blaming others for our mistakes. Far less often are we like the psalmist who confesses and then receives forgiveness. We like to justify our actions. However, the scripture from 1 John challenges us to live in the light.
As I've written this post, I keep going back to the title of the day and 1 John 2:6. The New Revised Standard Version says, "whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked." And, I guess that's the choice, isn't it. We so often talk of Jesus living in us, but this text talks about us living in him. I'll close with a really beautiful prayer that I read a few weeks ago from A Guide to Prayer for All God's People. It seems most appropriate.
"My God, in all the great and small choices I will make this day, be in my heart and in my choosing that I may come to day's end knowing I have chosen wisely--for you. Amen."
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Coup d'etat
James 1:1-15 -- Genesis 45:4-11 -- Proverbs 1:1-7
So, it's after 10 p.m. -- more than 12 hours later than I planned to write this! I planned to do it this morning before K-Life. Instead I packed. I planned to do at church before I got to work on my projects. Instead I got caught up with others. I planned to write it as soon as Mom and I checked into the hotel in Bentonville, AR, as we were planning to begin our vacation tonight. We got about half way there...Eureka Springs, and EUREKA! We realized we forgot our Disney passes/airline itinerary/AAA packet. So...we turned around and drove home imagining that our 2 hour trip was now going to be 4 hours, and that we would be Bentonville by 8:00. So, we got home, got the packet, got back in the car and I decided to make a quick stop at Dollar General. As I dug through my wallet, I discovered that I did not have my check card. Retracing my steps of the day, I determined that I must have left it in the ATM machine. I called the 24-hour banking center, reported the problem only to learn that I can fix it at any bank branch...in Missouri. Not Arkansas. So, I called the hotel canceled our reservation for tonight, and have plans to be at the bank when they open in the morning. I'm not sure why, but I don't think we were supposed to be in Bentonville tonight. Maybe we weren't supposed to spend the money. Maybe we would have been in an accident. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with Bentonville or us. Maybe it's just circumstance or chance or old-fashioned stupidity. So, finally, I'm home. It's 10 p.m., and I open my Bible to read this:
"My brothers and sisters, whenever your face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have it's full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." Now, I know that the problems that I faced today are so insignificant to the problems that so many of God's children face. In fact, I have faced much greater worries in my own life. However, I was struck by the word "any." Any kind of trial--large or small. I can honestly say I wasn't angry about the events of the day, but I certainly did not consider it joy!
It would seem there was a coup d'etat on our plans for the day. I love that today's title is French. It literally means "strike to the state." According to freedictionary.com it means " The sudden overthrow of a government by a usually small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority." Hereth, in Listening to Lent, likens a coup d'etat to when we're seduced by all that glitters thinking that the more we amass the more like God we'll become--or at least the more invincible. The reality is the more we try to be like God--try to create our own happiness--try to control others--try to be in charge of everything--the less like Jesus we become.
Wouldn't it be great if Jesus suddenly took over our lives and became our authority? Soloman, in all his wisdom, said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Fear of the Lord comes only when we take the time to consider the full magnitude of God. It happens when we take time each day to reflect on God's greatness and our smallness. When we praise God for who God is. When we humble ourselves before God and others. Joseph could have lorded his position over his brothers. He had every right to abuse them for what they did to him. After all, it would have only been fair, right? God doesn't call us to be fair. God doesn't call us to tolerate one another. God calls us to humble ourselves. God calls us to love. God calls us to serve. God calls us to care for the widow and orphan, to visit the imprisoned, to clothe the naked and feed the hungry. God doesn't tell us to visit the innocent in prison, to care for the ones who have tried to care for themselves, to feed the hungry who work. In other words, God doesn't call us to care for those who deserve it. I don't think it matters how someone got into a difficult situation. What matters is that when we see someone hurting, we're called to alleviate that suffering. When God's children ache, we also should ache.
A few nights ago, I spent the evening with some friends discussing how we could help in the fight to end world poverty. My friend Jeff said that if one of his children were in another country dying of hunger he would do whatever it took to get to that country to save his child. He said there would be nothing that would stop him. And he wondered how it must also break God's heart when so many of his children are suffering while so many of his children do nothing about it. Hmmm. Good question.
So, it's after 10 p.m. -- more than 12 hours later than I planned to write this! I planned to do it this morning before K-Life. Instead I packed. I planned to do at church before I got to work on my projects. Instead I got caught up with others. I planned to write it as soon as Mom and I checked into the hotel in Bentonville, AR, as we were planning to begin our vacation tonight. We got about half way there...Eureka Springs, and EUREKA! We realized we forgot our Disney passes/airline itinerary/AAA packet. So...we turned around and drove home imagining that our 2 hour trip was now going to be 4 hours, and that we would be Bentonville by 8:00. So, we got home, got the packet, got back in the car and I decided to make a quick stop at Dollar General. As I dug through my wallet, I discovered that I did not have my check card. Retracing my steps of the day, I determined that I must have left it in the ATM machine. I called the 24-hour banking center, reported the problem only to learn that I can fix it at any bank branch...in Missouri. Not Arkansas. So, I called the hotel canceled our reservation for tonight, and have plans to be at the bank when they open in the morning. I'm not sure why, but I don't think we were supposed to be in Bentonville tonight. Maybe we weren't supposed to spend the money. Maybe we would have been in an accident. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with Bentonville or us. Maybe it's just circumstance or chance or old-fashioned stupidity. So, finally, I'm home. It's 10 p.m., and I open my Bible to read this:
"My brothers and sisters, whenever your face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have it's full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." Now, I know that the problems that I faced today are so insignificant to the problems that so many of God's children face. In fact, I have faced much greater worries in my own life. However, I was struck by the word "any." Any kind of trial--large or small. I can honestly say I wasn't angry about the events of the day, but I certainly did not consider it joy!
It would seem there was a coup d'etat on our plans for the day. I love that today's title is French. It literally means "strike to the state." According to freedictionary.com it means " The sudden overthrow of a government by a usually small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority." Hereth, in Listening to Lent, likens a coup d'etat to when we're seduced by all that glitters thinking that the more we amass the more like God we'll become--or at least the more invincible. The reality is the more we try to be like God--try to create our own happiness--try to control others--try to be in charge of everything--the less like Jesus we become.
Wouldn't it be great if Jesus suddenly took over our lives and became our authority? Soloman, in all his wisdom, said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Fear of the Lord comes only when we take the time to consider the full magnitude of God. It happens when we take time each day to reflect on God's greatness and our smallness. When we praise God for who God is. When we humble ourselves before God and others. Joseph could have lorded his position over his brothers. He had every right to abuse them for what they did to him. After all, it would have only been fair, right? God doesn't call us to be fair. God doesn't call us to tolerate one another. God calls us to humble ourselves. God calls us to love. God calls us to serve. God calls us to care for the widow and orphan, to visit the imprisoned, to clothe the naked and feed the hungry. God doesn't tell us to visit the innocent in prison, to care for the ones who have tried to care for themselves, to feed the hungry who work. In other words, God doesn't call us to care for those who deserve it. I don't think it matters how someone got into a difficult situation. What matters is that when we see someone hurting, we're called to alleviate that suffering. When God's children ache, we also should ache.
A few nights ago, I spent the evening with some friends discussing how we could help in the fight to end world poverty. My friend Jeff said that if one of his children were in another country dying of hunger he would do whatever it took to get to that country to save his child. He said there would be nothing that would stop him. And he wondered how it must also break God's heart when so many of his children are suffering while so many of his children do nothing about it. Hmmm. Good question.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Most Devious, Most Subtle
Psalm 138 -- Matthew 6:19-24, 31-34 -- Romans 4:16-25
Isn't it strange how everything seems to be flowing together in our scripture readings as if I or the writers of Upper Room, Listening to Lent or A Guide to Prayer for All God's People had a plan. As if they were all written at the same time by the same authors for the same purpose. God is good.
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart...On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul." Here, David gives credit where credit is due. He thanks God, calls on God, and the strength of his soul is increased. I don't even know what that means, what that would feel like. It reminds me of the old hymn, It is Well. It was written by a guy named Horatio Spafford after some tragic events in his life--including losing his business in a fire and his children in a shipwreck. The words are so powerful.
WOW. This, to me, is the lesson for the day. This must be what it's like to have your soul strengthened. How easy it would have been for Spafford to "curve" in on himself. To wallow in the mire of self-pity. And who could blame him?
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Oh Jesus, if only we could heed your words. If only we could be more concerned with the needs of others instead of ourselves. If only we weren't seduced by our own righteousness. If only we weren't so obsessed with others being "good Christians," and instead focus on our own paths to following you. If only we didn't take your grace in vain. Even so, it is well with my soul.
Isn't it strange how everything seems to be flowing together in our scripture readings as if I or the writers of Upper Room, Listening to Lent or A Guide to Prayer for All God's People had a plan. As if they were all written at the same time by the same authors for the same purpose. God is good.
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart...On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul." Here, David gives credit where credit is due. He thanks God, calls on God, and the strength of his soul is increased. I don't even know what that means, what that would feel like. It reminds me of the old hymn, It is Well. It was written by a guy named Horatio Spafford after some tragic events in his life--including losing his business in a fire and his children in a shipwreck. The words are so powerful.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
WOW. This, to me, is the lesson for the day. This must be what it's like to have your soul strengthened. How easy it would have been for Spafford to "curve" in on himself. To wallow in the mire of self-pity. And who could blame him?
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Oh Jesus, if only we could heed your words. If only we could be more concerned with the needs of others instead of ourselves. If only we weren't seduced by our own righteousness. If only we weren't so obsessed with others being "good Christians," and instead focus on our own paths to following you. If only we didn't take your grace in vain. Even so, it is well with my soul.
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