How forgiveness begins ...

A prayer from Leaving Ruin:

Dear God,

Somewhere, a man hits a woman, and a woman dies, and the man’s life is severed, and a child is dropped from a killing height, and papers are signed, death certificates and warrants, and sin rolls through the earth like a wave of hell, and that anyone smiles is a miracle of humility and grace that only you can author.

Lord, how forgiveness begins is absurd, and hidden, and a mystery that I run toward, and from, and you are that mystery, and I stand dumb, mute, astonished, like a brick cut in half, chiseled into a beginning shape by the rough hand of time, and discipline, and love.

Oh, Lord, leave me, for if I see your face, or its shadow, or even if I sit with your word in my lap, I die, for I am sin, I am wrong, I am pride, I am lust, I am the seven deadly sins, and they are tattoos on my soul, full of spikes and piercings and skull’s bones, and how can you stand the hate hidden within? Is love this deep? Is blood, even the Christ’s, enough to clean, enough to slake even my deadly thirst, and praise is due the one who replies to this accusation, and says, yes, it is enough, my blood is enough, and my love is that deep, and there is nothing that can separate me from you, for you are mine, and are mine forever.

An unworthy servant, I bow.

Thanking Jesus, and in his name,

Amen

It is both frightening and comforting to look at ourselves in the mirror in light of the Cross. The older I get, the more acutely I experience the pain of my sin. When life was simpler and thinking was black-and-white for me, I thought my sin was minor and not hurtful. Over time, my thought-sins were exposed to be quite hurtful to myself and others. I wonder, at times, if the blood of Christ is enough. I fear, at times, that it is not. I hope, at all times, that it is. Logically and Theologically, I knew Jesus is enough.

Oh, but on the sad days. On the days that I don’t know if I have the trust and humility required to continue my contact with this Source of Life. Those days are the hard ones, when depression burns and the desire to run away overwhelms.

Yet, Christ is enough and His blood covers and heals and makes whole. He is to be praised and worshipped. He is enough, even when I am not enough. He hangs on to me even when I am not certain I have the courage to hang on to Him.

Romans 8:33-39
Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one that makes them right. Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecutions separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death will that separate us from his love? As the scriptures say “for you were in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.” (Ps 44:22)

But, in all these troubles, we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love-not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us - nothing in the whole created world - will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Grace and peace,

Shiann

Receive mercy, find grace ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

Hebrews 4:12-16

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.
And before him no creature is hidden,
but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one
to whom we must render an account.

Since, then, we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who in every respect
has been tested as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.

Let me dwell with you ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah, you that enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: "This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord."

For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever.
Jeremiah 7:1-7 – NRSV

Of course, since we are Christians, the temple of the Lord is no longer our spiritual focus, no longer the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus Christ is our cornerstone, the stone that too many others have rejected. But do we sometimes take the cornerstone of our faith for granted? When I read these words Thursday night, I remembered some words I had read some time ago. Words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. . . . Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. . . .

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 47-48).

Most days, we are quite competent at seeking grace and asking for the gift of grace. It has become second nature to us. Yet the real challenge that Bonhoeffer calls us to is discipleship. Following. Because the words of our faith are so powerful, it is easy to rely on them: grace, forgiveness, justification, redemption, salvation. I hope that these words never lose power in our lives, because they are the works of God in our lives. At the same time we tend to forget the importance of words connected with our part of our relationship with God: confession, repentance, yielding, emptying, imitation, discipleship. These are words that cause us to “amend our ways,” to change our “doings,” and to “act justly with one another.” At the same time, certain practices are required. In our ministry, we not only seek to avoid oppressing the “orphan,” whether physical or spiritual, but we try to help them find life. Some find that life in Jesus Christ, and that abundantly.

To do all of these things is a rich and deep discipleship, yet it is a fiercely challenging one. It is one that requires grace, grace from God. Let us not be too hasty to extend ourselves grace, but rather rely upon the power of the one who has actually purchased it to provide it for his disciples, for us. Let us seek it, let us ask for it, and let us engage in the kind of discipleship that shows that we trust in the power of the God who gives it, and not merely the structure of the words.

Blessings,

Ron

What God is doing today ...

Today a psalm for our devotion.
Read the psalm slowly, no more than one section at a time.
Meditate on each part.
Does this psalm tell a story?
What are the words that stand out to you?
How are those words significant to you today?
How do these inspired words shape you as a child of God?

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits —
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.

As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers that do his will.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Ps 103 – NRSV

May his word richly bless you,

Ron

Sharing: living a realistic life

Frank was a lovely man: wonderful in spirit and disposition. He was the third husband of Ann’s paternal grandmother, Nano. Her previous two husbands had died in the due course of time, and Nano could not stand to be alone. She loved to talk, yet there was no one with whom to share conversation. She loved to travel, and there was no one to share her experiences. Besides, Nano had never learned to drive. Frank was the man who offered the care and the companionship, the traveling partner, that she so desperately wanted.

But the journey did not begin well. As Frank was moving his things into the home they would share, he also moved a couple of his guns. Somehow, although we’re not really sure how, while handling his 22 caliber pistol, Frank shot himself in the foot. Only Frank and Nano were in the house. Nano couldn’t drive. Frank didn’t want to call anyone to come take him to the hospital because, to say the least, the idea embarrassed him. He anticipated the questions: “How did this happen, Frank?” “Did Nano miss, Frank?” So Frank rationalized: "It’s not that far to the hospital; ambulances are so expensive, aren’t they?" He bundled Nano up in the car, hopped into the driver’s seat, and headed out to the emergency room.

Which went well for a while. You might remember from your last first aid class that it is preferable to hold a bleeding wound above your head. Now, it is difficult to drive a Ford sedan while keeping a foot with a bullet hole in it above your head. Consequently, en route to the hospital, Frank passed out while driving. By the grace of God, Frank hit a tree instead of another vehicle. It was a big tree. The tree shuddered, but then settled back down to being a tree. The car shuddered, too, but then ceased to be useful transportation. Fortunately, a nearby witness promptly called for the ambulance that was not going to be avoided.

Frank lived, but he never lived this story down. It is the record of one of the few weak moments in the life of a kind and wise person. The desire to be independent and to keep to ourselves our trials, our tribulations, our embarrassments, and our troubles often causes humans to behave in odd and anti-social ways. Frank would not have dreamed of hurting a flea, but because he wouldn’t think of sharing his dilemma, he could have hurt a neighbor, another driver, or even his beloved.

The word for the day is share. Now most of us are willing to share the good things that God give us. But how willing are we to share the troubles that life puts in our path? The scriptures are very clear about the kinds of things that we are to share with our brothers and sisters:

2 Corinthians 1:7 – share in sufferings and consolation
Ephesians 4:28 – share with the needy
Philippians 4:14 – share in distress
2 Timothy 2:3 – share in suffering
Hebrews 11:25 – share ill-treatment with the people of God
Hebrews 12:8 – share discipline with the other children
Revelation 1:9 – share persecution

When we share our troubles, it means that we are truly able to share the good things in the life of faith as well:

Galatians 6:6 – share in good things with your teacher
Philippians 1:26 – share in boasting about God’s grace
Philippians 1:7 – share in God’s grace
Colossians 1:12 – share in the inheritance of the saints of light
1 Thessalonians 2:8 – share the gospel and ourselves
Titus 1:4 – share faith
Hebrews 13:16 – share what we have
Jude 3 – share salvation
Revelation 20:6 – share in the first resurrection
Revelation 22:19 – share in the tree of life and in the holy city

The other advantage of sharing the good and the bad in this world is that this openness makes us a believable person. People who expect to live without trouble in their lives live in a fantasy world. People who allow others to share the troubles in their lives avoid fantasy and engage in reality. At the same time, how do we balance that openness where we don’t whine about every problem, tell the secrets of other people, or overburden our friends? That’s where wisdom comes into the picture.

Be open, be wise today. Share.

Blessings,

Ron

One human soul

Sometimes we as Christians tend to compartmentalize our lives. We tend to be dualistic. What does this mean? There is our body, which lives on this planet, has needs, and seeks to find ways to satisfy them. And somewhere over here, floating in the same general neighborhood is our spirit, here but not really of this world, with needs, but needs which we sometimes think cannot be satisfied in this world. But this is not a biblical view of things.

The Bible teaches us that one human soul is a body that enfleshes a spirit, a spirit embodied in a human body. We don't really know where the dividing line is because, for example, how do you separate the consciousness of the spirit from the physical thinking process of the brain? As you think about that question, are you in the body or in the spirit? You are seeing the world with both, yet as one soul. We don't have to understand how it works, but it is important to understand that God has firmly linked the two together. The scriptures tell us that even when we are resurrected, we will be in some sort of body, just as Jesus was. I don't know how he is going to do that, but since he made this body and spirit once, I don't figure that re-creating me again will be particularly difficult.

This means that there is always a connection between the physical and the spiritual in our lives. Nothing that we do for our bodies is devoid of the spiritual, and the things that our spirits experience have tangible effects on our bodies. There is no hard and fast boundary between the two, despite our tendency to talk that way. Let me illustrate this.

In John 4, a physically thirsty Jesus meets a spiritually thirsty Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Sychar. Jesus asks for water from the woman, and the woman asks Jesus for living water, and, eventually, seriously so. As the encounter concludes, Jesus has spiritual food in such abundance that he is no longer physically hungry; he rebuffs the offer of food from his disciples. The woman is overflowing with living, spiritual water to the extent that she chooses to share it with her neighbors, while leaving her full but forgotten water jar (originally intended to satisfy her physical needs) at the well. The joy that the woman and Jesus feel is tangible. This narrative enacts the statement, "Man shall not live by bread alone," and demonstrates the move back and forth from the physical to the spiritual in the case of two different elements of the sacred: bread and water. The water and the bread that satisfy our physical needs are the same elements God uses to meet our spiritual needs; he is present in the meeting of either need, even for those who many might consider to be outsiders or infidels.

In John 21 (a narrative we referred to yesterday), seven disciples, including Peter, have gone fishing in Galilee after the death of Jesus. After fishing all night, these professional fishermen are hungry, naked, and empty-netted. In a matter of minutes, a resurrected Jesus fills their net full beyond belief, carefully maintaining their productive capacity by protecting every strained cord, and not only wishing them to be warm and filled, but doing it. In the early morning, this little community finds peace while warming at a charcoal fire and eating a breakfast of fish and bread. The simple earthly, physical acts of Jesus remind them that his spiritual and physical providence and presence are not limited by the cross. Jesus moves back and forth between the spiritual and physical totally unconcerned about whether some might wonder whether he was totally human or totally God. The spiritual healing and filling that that are intertwined with these simple physical acts reveal the creator of the universe to be interested in and active in both the physical and spiritual, interchangeably and permeably. So should we be.

How might this concept apply to our ministry context? At Westview, a family meal is among the first experiences that a young man confronts. Grace is said, usually by another boy, and a meal is shared. That meal may be the first recognizable extension of God's grace and providence that a child from poverty might experience. The nature of the Lord's Supper might remain a mystery for a long time (perhaps a lifetime), but an abundance of hot food can be a life-changing reality. This is true because so many children suffer from the systemic sins of our society: poverty, oppression, violence, and abuse. But eventually, if we can appropriately worship around the Lord's Table and our dinner table, these young people can come to understand that God has provided for all of our needs, both spiritual and physical. But he does this by dealing with the whole human: body and spirit, one soul.

As we go through this day, let us be whole people. This will allow us to better imitate Jesus for our own sake, and for the sake of those who live around us.

I wish you grace and peace for your whole person,

Ron

Multiplying forgiveness

Once again we come to the end of the week. Tomorrow, being Sunday, will be our regular Sabbath from this daily enterprise. Then, for the next week, Greg Steele will be writing the daily devotional thoughts and I will be forwarding them on to you. Greg has kindly consented to give me a break so that I can prepare for the board meeting next week, and rethink exactly how I want to continue with the devotional thought project. I think that it has some value. I know that some of you do, too, but also probably a few of you wish I would spend my time doing something else. I’m open to suggestions. I do think that maintaining a spiritual focus in our work is job one.

Now today’s thoughts.

To My Mother
by Wendell Berry

I was your rebellious son,
do you remember? Sometimes
I wonder if you do remember,
so complete has your forgiveness been.

So complete has your forgiveness been
I wonder sometimes if it did not
precede my wrong, and I erred,
safe found, within your love,

prepared ahead of me, the way home,
or my bed at night, so that almost
I should forgive you, who perhaps
foresaw the worst that I might do,

and forgave before I could act,
causing me to smile now, looking back,
to see how paltry was my worst,
compared to your forgiveness of it

already given. And this, then,
is the vision of that Heaven of which
we have heard, where those who love
each other have forgiven each other,

where, for that, the leaves are green,
the light a music in the air,
and all is unentangled,
and all is undismayed.

An imaginary dialogue
(You’ll have to guess who the speakers are)

Forgive.
OK, I will.

Forgive. Forgive.
Why should I? I already did.
I know; do it anyway.

Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
But they’re not even saying that they’re sorry!
Do you confess everything to me?
. . .
I guess that would be a “no.” Forgive.
OK.

Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Isn’t this solution just a bit simplistic?
It appears to be working in our relationship.
. . . Sometimes I just don’t know how to answer you.
Try saying, “Yes.”
Yes.

Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
This has got to stop; they’re not repenting.
So how are you coming along with your . . .
OK, OK, let’s not go there. I’ll try . . .
Do you want me to try, or to forgive?

Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
OK, I get that this is the seventy times seven thing, but
do you not see what this is doing to me?
Yes, I do.
But this is abusive.
It is my job to deal with impenitent abuse, not yours;
do you think you can cure abuse with abuse?
But this is killing me.
Do you really want to go there? It has already killed me.
You’re sounding pretty healthy now.
I will forgive the sarcasm and note that perhaps my good health
is connected to my ability to forgive.
It’s just that you don’t sound too broken up to me.
Every time a soul rebels against my Father it breaks my heart.
I understand.
I don’t mean this in a mean way, but there is no way
that you ever have, that you ever will understand
the depth or breadth or intensity of the pain in
the heart of God.
I’m sorry. It’s just that this is so painful.
Growth can be painful.
What does that mean?
Forgiveness is one of the disciplines that shapes
your character with the virtue of forgiving,
And shapes you into an image of me.
I will do what I can.
And I will help.

------
Jesus, forgive me for putting my words into your mouth,
but for millennia, my sisters and brothers have done this;
imagining what you might say, thinking about how
the conversation would go.
We search for answers knowing that you are the Truth.
May we know you well enough to speak the truth, to
speak a word of peace, on your behalf.
May that word of peace always imitate
Your grace and your forgiveness.

Show grace, discover peace.

Ron