These are busy days. Days filled with so much to do, so many people to see, so many things to decide. Sometimes we can become so immersed in small, but important, things that we lose track of the big picture. Our concern about getting things done becomes doubt, and if neglected long enough doubt can cause us to lose hope.
How do we find hope? How do we strengthen it? I have a wise friend who believes that prayer and hope are consistently linked in scripture. I believe that he is right. But I believe that God has other ways to help us find and strengthen this most important virtue in our lives.
One of the ways in which God builds hope is meditation on scripture. Now, I want to make clear that merely reading the text as so many words won’t do this. We need to be silent, and welcome the word of God in the midst of silence, and dwell with it for a while. If we lift up our hearts and hands to receive the word, it will not leave us unchanged. In the text, we may find conviction or affirmation, but we will also find God. If we will do this, then we will find enough hope for the moment and perhaps even a little joy. We will find ourselves sent out into our world by the word of God to join in the mission of God.
Consider the case of Nehemiah and the people:
When the seventh month came — the people of Israel being settled in their towns — all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.
He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Nehemiah 7:73-8:12 – NRSV
May you find hope and joy in your day.
Blessings,
Ron
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
She who is in labor ...
Together, let us meditate on the word of the Lord:
Micah 5:2-5a
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Can anything good happen in a small town? Can anything worthy of note come from Bethlehem, this “house of bread,” this tiny village? How often does God work with the small things - with places, things, or persons held in low esteem by humanity? The American equivalent of Bethlehem would be a small rural town on the margins of a politically insignificant state, perhaps somewhere in Oklahoma.
From this nowhere comes one who will not merely rule the world, but one who moves to restore it. This One knows how to restore this planet to its original and intended beauty because, quite simply, he was there when it was formed. To even speak of his origin reveals our ignorance.
Therefore he shall give them up until
the time when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
This small town on the margins of a small clan is a part of a larger nation. That nation wavered, time after time, in its faithfulness to its God. Every time this people chose to repent and return, God received them back. Every time, that is, until the last. When the fickleness of God’s people finally became a joke among the nations, then God let them go. God did not merely give up Jerusalem, or the Temple; the Holy One of Israel gave up the people of Israel. The holy temple was defiled, the holy city razed, the holy people scattered to the four corners of the earth. God gave them up.
But not forever. When “she who is in labor” bears her child, then the reunification of God and the people of God is to begin. Evidently the purpose of this child’s birth is to call all of God’s children back into relationship with God.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
He who stands is one who is thoroughly acquainted with the truth about humanity; he knows our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities. A relationship with this majestic one brings a vulnerable people into a safe place. In the midst of that safe place are resources, provision for daily living, bread for body and soul. Is it mere coincidence that the “Bread of Heaven” comes from the “house of bread?” Yet, this majestic one will point the thankful to the source of all providence, the faithful God of Israel. The wonder of the place in which this Shepherd stands becomes even more apparent as others come to understand this great One, and open their lives to him.
and he shall be the one of peace.
Knowing the truth of our weakness and unfaithfulness, the Shepherd nonetheless hopes. Amazingly, he has made peace between his God and his people. That is his truth, but what is his hope? I believe that he hopes for those who have chosen peace to choose to keep it, and for those who have yet to choose peace to do so as well. May it be so.
Peace, peace, in him there can be peace.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Micah 5:2-5a
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Can anything good happen in a small town? Can anything worthy of note come from Bethlehem, this “house of bread,” this tiny village? How often does God work with the small things - with places, things, or persons held in low esteem by humanity? The American equivalent of Bethlehem would be a small rural town on the margins of a politically insignificant state, perhaps somewhere in Oklahoma.
From this nowhere comes one who will not merely rule the world, but one who moves to restore it. This One knows how to restore this planet to its original and intended beauty because, quite simply, he was there when it was formed. To even speak of his origin reveals our ignorance.
Therefore he shall give them up until
the time when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
This small town on the margins of a small clan is a part of a larger nation. That nation wavered, time after time, in its faithfulness to its God. Every time this people chose to repent and return, God received them back. Every time, that is, until the last. When the fickleness of God’s people finally became a joke among the nations, then God let them go. God did not merely give up Jerusalem, or the Temple; the Holy One of Israel gave up the people of Israel. The holy temple was defiled, the holy city razed, the holy people scattered to the four corners of the earth. God gave them up.
But not forever. When “she who is in labor” bears her child, then the reunification of God and the people of God is to begin. Evidently the purpose of this child’s birth is to call all of God’s children back into relationship with God.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
He who stands is one who is thoroughly acquainted with the truth about humanity; he knows our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities. A relationship with this majestic one brings a vulnerable people into a safe place. In the midst of that safe place are resources, provision for daily living, bread for body and soul. Is it mere coincidence that the “Bread of Heaven” comes from the “house of bread?” Yet, this majestic one will point the thankful to the source of all providence, the faithful God of Israel. The wonder of the place in which this Shepherd stands becomes even more apparent as others come to understand this great One, and open their lives to him.
and he shall be the one of peace.
Knowing the truth of our weakness and unfaithfulness, the Shepherd nonetheless hopes. Amazingly, he has made peace between his God and his people. That is his truth, but what is his hope? I believe that he hopes for those who have chosen peace to choose to keep it, and for those who have yet to choose peace to do so as well. May it be so.
Peace, peace, in him there can be peace.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Who keeps faith forever ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Psalm 146
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 146
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
My portion ...
One of my favorite songs of praise
Actually comes from Lamentations.
You probably know the words altogether
too well, so slow yourself down as you read;
speak the words softly or sing them, but imagine
what the psalmist might have been thinking.
Hear the word of God:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for one to bear
the yoke in youth,
to sit alone in silence
when the Lord has imposed it,
to put one's mouth to the dust
(there may yet be hope),
to give one's cheek to the smiter,
and be filled with insults.
For the Lord will not
reject forever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.
Blessings,
Ron
Lamentations 3:22-33 – NRSV
Actually comes from Lamentations.
You probably know the words altogether
too well, so slow yourself down as you read;
speak the words softly or sing them, but imagine
what the psalmist might have been thinking.
Hear the word of God:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for one to bear
the yoke in youth,
to sit alone in silence
when the Lord has imposed it,
to put one's mouth to the dust
(there may yet be hope),
to give one's cheek to the smiter,
and be filled with insults.
For the Lord will not
reject forever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.
Blessings,
Ron
Lamentations 3:22-33 – NRSV
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Who could stand?
Hear the word of the Lord:
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
To be down in the depths is to be in over your head,
Buried in things to do, responsibilities to cover,
Jobs that get missed, commitments that fall short.
Anyone with any sense would cry out to God;
plead with him for help,
pray for his undivided attention.
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
If God really were a cosmic traffic cop,
there would be so many warrants for our arrest
that Dillinger would blush for looking the amateur.
If God were the kind of judge some of my brethren
expect to meet “on the day”, then I would advise
that they go stock up on barbecue sauce, because
they’ll be on the rotisserie soon enough. Yet,
Somehow God knows of our iniquities, and
We’re still standing as if nothing happened.
Something significant has happened, though;
God has been true to his real identity:
He cleans up messes that Hercules wouldn’t touch.
He is helper of the certifiably helpless.
He is the redeemer of those who have indebted
themselves into a slick pit of slavery.
He is the savior of lost people in lost causes,
and the praise of our lips, our lives,
is all that we can hope to offer him.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
That is not to say that this Holy One, this Other,
will jump to our whim, our whistle, or our whining.
Sometimes he seems even to miss when we’re
really in need, really victims, really righteous.
We had best understand that we don’t understand
how he works, or when he works, at all.
We are not told to understand, though,
but to be found faithful, to be found waiting.
Sometimes the wait is long, as long as the night
watch in the hours before dawn: dark, dark,
and dark until a soul is dizzy with the dark.
Yet no matter how dark the dark, or deep the dark,
or long the dark, we must not lose hope.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
His steadfast love will save his people;
that is why I want to be found waiting among
his people, today, and in the day.
Blessings,
Ron
Psalm 130 – NRSV
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
To be down in the depths is to be in over your head,
Buried in things to do, responsibilities to cover,
Jobs that get missed, commitments that fall short.
Anyone with any sense would cry out to God;
plead with him for help,
pray for his undivided attention.
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
If God really were a cosmic traffic cop,
there would be so many warrants for our arrest
that Dillinger would blush for looking the amateur.
If God were the kind of judge some of my brethren
expect to meet “on the day”, then I would advise
that they go stock up on barbecue sauce, because
they’ll be on the rotisserie soon enough. Yet,
Somehow God knows of our iniquities, and
We’re still standing as if nothing happened.
Something significant has happened, though;
God has been true to his real identity:
He cleans up messes that Hercules wouldn’t touch.
He is helper of the certifiably helpless.
He is the redeemer of those who have indebted
themselves into a slick pit of slavery.
He is the savior of lost people in lost causes,
and the praise of our lips, our lives,
is all that we can hope to offer him.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
That is not to say that this Holy One, this Other,
will jump to our whim, our whistle, or our whining.
Sometimes he seems even to miss when we’re
really in need, really victims, really righteous.
We had best understand that we don’t understand
how he works, or when he works, at all.
We are not told to understand, though,
but to be found faithful, to be found waiting.
Sometimes the wait is long, as long as the night
watch in the hours before dawn: dark, dark,
and dark until a soul is dizzy with the dark.
Yet no matter how dark the dark, or deep the dark,
or long the dark, we must not lose hope.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
His steadfast love will save his people;
that is why I want to be found waiting among
his people, today, and in the day.
Blessings,
Ron
Psalm 130 – NRSV
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Only one ...
Hear the word of God:
Ephesians 4
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."
Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Blessings,
Jason
Ephesians 4
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."
Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Blessings,
Jason
Monday, March 16, 2009
Feel the glow ...
In Pennsylvania, it begins to get cloudy around November and it stays cloudy until around early April. As a break from the gloom one year, we were able to fly down to Florida to be with Misty's family. We had a great time in the sun and a great time in the warmth. When we came back from Florida, people at our congregation noticed how nice and tanned we were. We had gotten some sun, the very thing that they had not seen in months. You could look especially at my face and see how much sun I had been exposed to. I had a massive sunburn. I could feel the glow and warmth of the burn on my face. Although the people were jealous of the sun and fun we had in Florida, no one was envious of the pain.
In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai where God chiseled the new tablets that held the ten commandments. He spent 40 days and 40 nights away from his people, away from food, and away from water.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
I have always thought this was an amazing story. Moses would spend so much time with his God: listening, worshiping, and speaking with Him, that he would walk away with a glowing face. The people would see this glow and know that Moses had been with God. He just glowed with the warmth, love, joy, glory, and presence of the Lord. How awesome! We are told in 2 Corinthians that Moses would veil his face to keep the people from seeing the glow fading away from his face.
How much time do we spend with our God? What is our worship time like with God? Is it amazing and hope-filled? Do we leave with this joy in our heart and this love to share? Moses would just sit, walk, and talk with God. He would come back with God-burn! Just like I came back with sun-burn, Moses had his own version. I know that I have days where my time alone with God in personal worship and my times in public worship have left me feeling like I had God-burn. I felt like I was just glowing from my wonderful, awe-inspiring time with our God. I pray for days like that. I pray for worship times like that. I pray that for you as well. If you are longing for that relationship, it starts where you are. You make the effort to stop all you are doing and try to quiet your soul enough to just "Be" with God.
God-burn, what a way of overflowing to those around you! If you choose to take the time to spend with him, forget the sun tan lotion, and get ready to soak up that time with your Father. Get ready to share that time with someone else.
Jason
In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai where God chiseled the new tablets that held the ten commandments. He spent 40 days and 40 nights away from his people, away from food, and away from water.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
I have always thought this was an amazing story. Moses would spend so much time with his God: listening, worshiping, and speaking with Him, that he would walk away with a glowing face. The people would see this glow and know that Moses had been with God. He just glowed with the warmth, love, joy, glory, and presence of the Lord. How awesome! We are told in 2 Corinthians that Moses would veil his face to keep the people from seeing the glow fading away from his face.
How much time do we spend with our God? What is our worship time like with God? Is it amazing and hope-filled? Do we leave with this joy in our heart and this love to share? Moses would just sit, walk, and talk with God. He would come back with God-burn! Just like I came back with sun-burn, Moses had his own version. I know that I have days where my time alone with God in personal worship and my times in public worship have left me feeling like I had God-burn. I felt like I was just glowing from my wonderful, awe-inspiring time with our God. I pray for days like that. I pray for worship times like that. I pray that for you as well. If you are longing for that relationship, it starts where you are. You make the effort to stop all you are doing and try to quiet your soul enough to just "Be" with God.
God-burn, what a way of overflowing to those around you! If you choose to take the time to spend with him, forget the sun tan lotion, and get ready to soak up that time with your Father. Get ready to share that time with someone else.
Jason
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sing for joy ...
Hear the word of God:
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning
and the evening shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65 – NRSV
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning
and the evening shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65 – NRSV
Friday, February 20, 2009
Expectation of liberation ...
A prayer of hope:
Our Father in heaven!
We anticipate the day that we will
be with you in heaven, yet
we live in expectation that somehow now, today,
we will be in your presence,
we will live within your protection,
we will experience your joy.
May your Name be kept holy.
We trust that you will cleanse our lips
as we dare to speak your Name;
we hope to echo your Word so that
we might properly speak of your person;
we desire to live holy lives so that our story
might not defame your holy name
but lift it up to glory.
May your Kingdom come,
This is our expectation of liberation.
Yet we would be free from our sin today,
And we would help free our neighbors
As we have been freed ourselves.
We trust that your will might be done on earth,
just as it moves forward among your holy ones in heaven.
May we seek to enact your wisdom so that
glimpses of your community, your holy people,
might give hope to a world awaiting us
in eager expectation.
Give us the food we need today –
and since more than enough comes our way,
help our trust in your providence empower
our practice of sharing, not just our food,
but our story and our table.
Forgive us what we have done wrong,
but more than that, transform us
into people who bear your true image.
Shape the mind of Christ in us so that
we might practice the virtue of grace.
Thus, we too, will have forgiven those who have wronged us,
and find ourselves free from resentment’s burden
And cynicism’s caustic hardness.
And do not lead us into hard testing,
Yet if we must travel through your wilderness,
Fix our eyes on the signs of your presence, day and night,
In order that we might faithfully follow your path.
But keep us safe from the Evil One
So that we might not be persuaded to see the word
Or the world as he would have us see them.
For kingship, power and glory are yours forever,
And these are the fullness of our hope.
Amen.
Blessings,
Ron
From CJB, Matthew 6:9-12
Our Father in heaven!
We anticipate the day that we will
be with you in heaven, yet
we live in expectation that somehow now, today,
we will be in your presence,
we will live within your protection,
we will experience your joy.
May your Name be kept holy.
We trust that you will cleanse our lips
as we dare to speak your Name;
we hope to echo your Word so that
we might properly speak of your person;
we desire to live holy lives so that our story
might not defame your holy name
but lift it up to glory.
May your Kingdom come,
This is our expectation of liberation.
Yet we would be free from our sin today,
And we would help free our neighbors
As we have been freed ourselves.
We trust that your will might be done on earth,
just as it moves forward among your holy ones in heaven.
May we seek to enact your wisdom so that
glimpses of your community, your holy people,
might give hope to a world awaiting us
in eager expectation.
Give us the food we need today –
and since more than enough comes our way,
help our trust in your providence empower
our practice of sharing, not just our food,
but our story and our table.
Forgive us what we have done wrong,
but more than that, transform us
into people who bear your true image.
Shape the mind of Christ in us so that
we might practice the virtue of grace.
Thus, we too, will have forgiven those who have wronged us,
and find ourselves free from resentment’s burden
And cynicism’s caustic hardness.
And do not lead us into hard testing,
Yet if we must travel through your wilderness,
Fix our eyes on the signs of your presence, day and night,
In order that we might faithfully follow your path.
But keep us safe from the Evil One
So that we might not be persuaded to see the word
Or the world as he would have us see them.
For kingship, power and glory are yours forever,
And these are the fullness of our hope.
Amen.
Blessings,
Ron
From CJB, Matthew 6:9-12
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Root of all hopes ...
Christians have more than one hope.
We hope for the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6; 24:15).
We hope in God’s promises (Acts 26:6).
We hope to share the glory of God (Romans 5:2).
We hope that the creation will be freed from decay (Romans 8:20).
We hope in our share of blessings here on earth (I Corinthians 9:10).
We hope for rescue (2 Corinthians 1:10).
We hope in heaven (Colossians 1:5).
We hope for grace (1 Peter 1:13).
Yet the root of all hopes, and the sum of them, is Jesus Christ.
"The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope."
Romans 15:12
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-12
We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope …
1 Timothy 1:1
For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:10
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11-13
Without Christ, no hope is adequate. To act as if we were hopeless is to deny Christ and the hope that abides in him. To have Christ is to have hope. To live in that hope is to find the power to face life as it confronts us.
Choose hope.
Blessings,
Ron
All scriptures are NRSV.
We hope for the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6; 24:15).
We hope in God’s promises (Acts 26:6).
We hope to share the glory of God (Romans 5:2).
We hope that the creation will be freed from decay (Romans 8:20).
We hope in our share of blessings here on earth (I Corinthians 9:10).
We hope for rescue (2 Corinthians 1:10).
We hope in heaven (Colossians 1:5).
We hope for grace (1 Peter 1:13).
Yet the root of all hopes, and the sum of them, is Jesus Christ.
"The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope."
Romans 15:12
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-12
We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope …
1 Timothy 1:1
For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:10
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11-13
Without Christ, no hope is adequate. To act as if we were hopeless is to deny Christ and the hope that abides in him. To have Christ is to have hope. To live in that hope is to find the power to face life as it confronts us.
Choose hope.
Blessings,
Ron
All scriptures are NRSV.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Grasping for hope ...
Today’s devotional thought is from Shiann:
I spent my growing up time in what I've always thought of as mainstream Churches of Christ. We openly discussed many things some churches avoided, yet our practices were primarily considered conservative. As a result, I had not been exposed to, and never fully understood, the concept of one’s raising hands in worship, prayer, and so forth.
Being a primarily logical sort, I generally rejected that which I didn't understand. In college, I tried to explore the subject of lifting hands further because of my desire to understand the people around me and their motivation. “Lifting holy hands” was mentioned in scripture, so I did not disdain those who participated in this expression, but I still just didn't "get it." It continued to seem a bit awkward to me, and sometimes even showy. (Here I must insert that my expression of worship at this time was almost solely hands-on service.)
I continued to live in the tension of not understanding the raising of holy hands until one rainy day in early spring just a couple of years ago. My understanding came, not during a worship service, but during a funeral service. The funeral honored the life of a twenty-something man who had passed unexpectedly. The father of this young man expressed an array of emotions during the service, as one might expect. He and his wife clung to each other as parents, confused and deeply hurting. With his other hand, he reached up as far as he could. It seemed as if the man was grasping for the very hand of the Father. He reached for the comfort and hope that only the Creator could give. His reach appeared painful as his hand stretched so long and so far to grasp at hope.
Many lessons come from this story. At times, hope is easy to hold onto. Sometimes we have so much hope, we need to use both hands to keep it all in, in an almost palpable fashion. Sometimes, we must reach so far for hope and yet we still do not feel it in our grasp.
Hear I Corinthians 13:13 from The Message: "But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
Hope is one of the things we have to hold onto as we lean deeper into a completeness of our relationship with our Father/Brother/Comforter/King.
Blessings,
Shiann
I spent my growing up time in what I've always thought of as mainstream Churches of Christ. We openly discussed many things some churches avoided, yet our practices were primarily considered conservative. As a result, I had not been exposed to, and never fully understood, the concept of one’s raising hands in worship, prayer, and so forth.
Being a primarily logical sort, I generally rejected that which I didn't understand. In college, I tried to explore the subject of lifting hands further because of my desire to understand the people around me and their motivation. “Lifting holy hands” was mentioned in scripture, so I did not disdain those who participated in this expression, but I still just didn't "get it." It continued to seem a bit awkward to me, and sometimes even showy. (Here I must insert that my expression of worship at this time was almost solely hands-on service.)
I continued to live in the tension of not understanding the raising of holy hands until one rainy day in early spring just a couple of years ago. My understanding came, not during a worship service, but during a funeral service. The funeral honored the life of a twenty-something man who had passed unexpectedly. The father of this young man expressed an array of emotions during the service, as one might expect. He and his wife clung to each other as parents, confused and deeply hurting. With his other hand, he reached up as far as he could. It seemed as if the man was grasping for the very hand of the Father. He reached for the comfort and hope that only the Creator could give. His reach appeared painful as his hand stretched so long and so far to grasp at hope.
Many lessons come from this story. At times, hope is easy to hold onto. Sometimes we have so much hope, we need to use both hands to keep it all in, in an almost palpable fashion. Sometimes, we must reach so far for hope and yet we still do not feel it in our grasp.
Hear I Corinthians 13:13 from The Message: "But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
Hope is one of the things we have to hold onto as we lean deeper into a completeness of our relationship with our Father/Brother/Comforter/King.
Blessings,
Shiann
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
With a great hope ...
Hear the word of God from the book of Samuel …
The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns. Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling …
Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is at Migron …
Saul faces circumstances which are indeed overwhelming: his enemy has vastly superior technology (they have chariots; he has none), and they outnumber him exceedingly (there are 10 enemy horsemen to every one of his men). What is he to do? How is he to respond? The writers of Samuel rarely bother to tell us what is going on inside someone’s head, but they give an account that is so vivid that you can deduce much from a character’s actions. We have two clues. First, Saul moves his troops to a place inaccessible to chariots, and then sits down under a pomegranate tree. He is not moving, not doing anything. Second, look at his people! They are hiding in any hole that they can find. They have crossed past despair into abject fear.
What does this tell us about Saul? How a people behave tells us something about their leadership. To quote Julius Campbell from Remember the Titans, “Attitude reflects leadership.” If the people are in despair, it’s very possible that leadership is as well. And when Saul stops doing anything, that is the sign that he, too, has lost hope.
Fortunately, that is not the end of the story:
One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father … In the pass, by which Jonathan tried to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. One crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will act for us; for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few." His armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine." Then Jonathan said, "Now we will cross over to those men and will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up; for the Lord has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us."
From a worldly point of view, it is hard to blame Saul and the people for their despair. But they have forgotten the divine perspective! Jonathan has not. He lives with a great hope: “It may be that the Lord will act for us.” Jonathan has hope that God will take care of him, but he acts with the realization that both he and God are persons with free will. Just because he wants God to act in a certain way doesn’t mean that God will. Yet, underneath his great hope is an unshakable one: “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many, or by few.” Nothing can stop God from making hope into history! Notice one other thing: because Jonathan refuses despair but chooses hope, his armor-bearer follows his lead: “I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.” Jonathan’s hope makes hope credible for others. What is that hope? God is the saving God. Nothing can stop him from taking care of his people. Just as this is Jonathan’s hope, it should be ours as well.
How does the story end? There are twists and turns, yet the hope and action of Jonathan and his armor bearer reveal the power of God acting for a mighty victory that day. God’s people triumph overwhelmingly. Still, someone had to hope. Some human being had to do something, even if that something seemed insignificant at the time. Jonathan was that hopeful someone.
Ultimately, hope is revealed in godly action just as despair is revealed in faithless inaction.
May God help us act today in hope of his mighty saving power.
Ron
1 Samuel 13:5-7; 15; 14:1-10 – NRSV
The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns. Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling …
Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is at Migron …
Saul faces circumstances which are indeed overwhelming: his enemy has vastly superior technology (they have chariots; he has none), and they outnumber him exceedingly (there are 10 enemy horsemen to every one of his men). What is he to do? How is he to respond? The writers of Samuel rarely bother to tell us what is going on inside someone’s head, but they give an account that is so vivid that you can deduce much from a character’s actions. We have two clues. First, Saul moves his troops to a place inaccessible to chariots, and then sits down under a pomegranate tree. He is not moving, not doing anything. Second, look at his people! They are hiding in any hole that they can find. They have crossed past despair into abject fear.
What does this tell us about Saul? How a people behave tells us something about their leadership. To quote Julius Campbell from Remember the Titans, “Attitude reflects leadership.” If the people are in despair, it’s very possible that leadership is as well. And when Saul stops doing anything, that is the sign that he, too, has lost hope.
Fortunately, that is not the end of the story:
One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father … In the pass, by which Jonathan tried to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. One crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.
Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will act for us; for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few." His armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine." Then Jonathan said, "Now we will cross over to those men and will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up; for the Lord has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us."
From a worldly point of view, it is hard to blame Saul and the people for their despair. But they have forgotten the divine perspective! Jonathan has not. He lives with a great hope: “It may be that the Lord will act for us.” Jonathan has hope that God will take care of him, but he acts with the realization that both he and God are persons with free will. Just because he wants God to act in a certain way doesn’t mean that God will. Yet, underneath his great hope is an unshakable one: “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many, or by few.” Nothing can stop God from making hope into history! Notice one other thing: because Jonathan refuses despair but chooses hope, his armor-bearer follows his lead: “I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.” Jonathan’s hope makes hope credible for others. What is that hope? God is the saving God. Nothing can stop him from taking care of his people. Just as this is Jonathan’s hope, it should be ours as well.
How does the story end? There are twists and turns, yet the hope and action of Jonathan and his armor bearer reveal the power of God acting for a mighty victory that day. God’s people triumph overwhelmingly. Still, someone had to hope. Some human being had to do something, even if that something seemed insignificant at the time. Jonathan was that hopeful someone.
Ultimately, hope is revealed in godly action just as despair is revealed in faithless inaction.
May God help us act today in hope of his mighty saving power.
Ron
1 Samuel 13:5-7; 15; 14:1-10 – NRSV
Monday, February 16, 2009
More than a pleasant dream ...
Our devotionals last week led us to consider truth, and the virtue and practice of truth-seeking and truthfulness. For centuries, these virtues have been central to Christians. The trouble is, sometimes an awareness of truth, and the reality that truth makes harshly clear, bring us to despair. Truth can be troubling. We understand what God’s truth requires of humanity. We understand what kind of humanity we are. The difference is enough to overwhelm us.
How about an example? As Christians, we understand that Jesus prayed for us to be one as he and the Father are one (John 17:11, 21, 22). Paul tells us that “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Yet it does not take a very sophisticated analysis to reveal the truth that the church is far from united, no matter how you define church. Those of us who have worked toward even uniting a relatively small group of people can tell you that the challenges involved with this task very quickly bring one into an encounter with the temptation to despair. Those who don’t have the heart for despair tend to become cynics.
Why do I say that considering despair is a temptation? Because despair is denial. It doubts the victory of Jesus. It questions the love of God. It ignores our status as favored children. Christians are to continue faithfully, even when “we are afflicted in every way.” We might be perplexed, but we ought not be crushed. We are “not driven to despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8). Despair is a sin. Despair practiced is a vice. Despair is depression gone to seed and raised to the second and third generation. Despair is not a godly practice for any Christian.
Instead, Christians ought to practice hope. Practicing hope leads to hope. After all, we have been called to “one hope” (Ephesians 4:4). Hope is more than some pleasant dream, some fond wish, or even a hard-worked for desire. In the Bible, and in our faith, hope is the reasonable, even unshakable belief that God will do what he said he will do. God is not ignorant of truth. God is Truth. God knows the reality of his hope and the realities of humanity better than humanity knows itself. Yet this God of Truth acts toward making our hope reality. To deny hope and take up despair or cynicism is to slap the God of Hope in the face.
If any Christian was ever tempted to cynicism or despair, it would have to have been Paul. Yet hear the good news about hope that pours from his pen:
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:1-5
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:18-25
As we explore the practice and virtue of hope this week, may we see that it is not blindness to reality, simple optimism, or a delaying tactic. Instead, let us practice hope and see that it is the key that opens up a new godly reality in our world today. Today.
May God stir in us a powerful hope,
Ron
All scriptures are NRSV.
How about an example? As Christians, we understand that Jesus prayed for us to be one as he and the Father are one (John 17:11, 21, 22). Paul tells us that “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Yet it does not take a very sophisticated analysis to reveal the truth that the church is far from united, no matter how you define church. Those of us who have worked toward even uniting a relatively small group of people can tell you that the challenges involved with this task very quickly bring one into an encounter with the temptation to despair. Those who don’t have the heart for despair tend to become cynics.
Why do I say that considering despair is a temptation? Because despair is denial. It doubts the victory of Jesus. It questions the love of God. It ignores our status as favored children. Christians are to continue faithfully, even when “we are afflicted in every way.” We might be perplexed, but we ought not be crushed. We are “not driven to despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8). Despair is a sin. Despair practiced is a vice. Despair is depression gone to seed and raised to the second and third generation. Despair is not a godly practice for any Christian.
Instead, Christians ought to practice hope. Practicing hope leads to hope. After all, we have been called to “one hope” (Ephesians 4:4). Hope is more than some pleasant dream, some fond wish, or even a hard-worked for desire. In the Bible, and in our faith, hope is the reasonable, even unshakable belief that God will do what he said he will do. God is not ignorant of truth. God is Truth. God knows the reality of his hope and the realities of humanity better than humanity knows itself. Yet this God of Truth acts toward making our hope reality. To deny hope and take up despair or cynicism is to slap the God of Hope in the face.
If any Christian was ever tempted to cynicism or despair, it would have to have been Paul. Yet hear the good news about hope that pours from his pen:
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:1-5
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:18-25
As we explore the practice and virtue of hope this week, may we see that it is not blindness to reality, simple optimism, or a delaying tactic. Instead, let us practice hope and see that it is the key that opens up a new godly reality in our world today. Today.
May God stir in us a powerful hope,
Ron
All scriptures are NRSV.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Clear your blurred vision ...
Shiann brings today’s devotional thought by reminding us that one of the ways that we practice being a truthful people is by allowing God to heal our perspective through our hope and imagination:
Hear the words of Paul:
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
Philippians 3:12-16 &20-21 from the Message
This scripture is so ripe with promise! May it be true that when I truly learn to keep focused on the goal, that God will “clear my blurred vision.” I have such need for that to happen! It is in the daily process where we work to bend our will that He changes our vision, changes our focus. Isn’t it beautiful that this is a work in tandem? It is not Him alone or me alone doing this great thing. He wouldn’t force it on me and I can certainly not do it without Him!
I long for the completion of the process here I am made whole. That longing can give birth to hope and imagination. Hope and imagination are risky tasks. I don’t frequently have the courage to embark on this journey. So, how hard must it be for one who has even fewer resources?
I wonder how often our guys imagine feeling whole. Only a few temperaments are inclined in this way. The others of us must learn it. Wholeness is a promise! It most certainly won’t look the way we think it should. It certainly will not be in the timing we think should be.
May God bless us with the courage and hope to look at ourselves and see where we are not on track, where His “powerful skill” can work to improve our hearts.
Shiann
Hear the words of Paul:
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
Philippians 3:12-16 &20-21 from the Message
This scripture is so ripe with promise! May it be true that when I truly learn to keep focused on the goal, that God will “clear my blurred vision.” I have such need for that to happen! It is in the daily process where we work to bend our will that He changes our vision, changes our focus. Isn’t it beautiful that this is a work in tandem? It is not Him alone or me alone doing this great thing. He wouldn’t force it on me and I can certainly not do it without Him!
I long for the completion of the process here I am made whole. That longing can give birth to hope and imagination. Hope and imagination are risky tasks. I don’t frequently have the courage to embark on this journey. So, how hard must it be for one who has even fewer resources?
I wonder how often our guys imagine feeling whole. Only a few temperaments are inclined in this way. The others of us must learn it. Wholeness is a promise! It most certainly won’t look the way we think it should. It certainly will not be in the timing we think should be.
May God bless us with the courage and hope to look at ourselves and see where we are not on track, where His “powerful skill” can work to improve our hearts.
Shiann
Saturday, January 17, 2009
For my hope is from him ...
Hear the word of God from Psalm 62:
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person,
will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,but inwardly they curse.
Selah
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress;
I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah
Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all according to their work.
NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person,
will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,but inwardly they curse.
Selah
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress;
I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah
Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all according to their work.
NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
Friday, January 16, 2009
But give us hope ...
How does that which we see around us affect our prayers?
Can we see what we see each day
and have the courage to pray this prayer?
A Prayer of Hope
Francis Brienen
Do not give us rest, Lord,
while people are hungry
and we are rich.
As long as justice is a dream
press us on
and do not give us rest.
Do not give us peace, Lord,
while people live in fear
and we are safe.
As long as hatred stifles love
stir us up and do not give us peace.
Do not give us comfort, Lord,
while people are desperate
and we are well.
As long as lives are lived in pain
disturb us
and do not give us comfort.
But give us hope to share, O Christ,
hope that disturbs and stirs and shakes,
the hope of Job,
the hope of the lame,
a hope of new life
beyond the pain.
Until all find comfort
and peace
and rest,
Christ, give us hope to share.
May God in his grace give us hope.
Ron
Can we see what we see each day
and have the courage to pray this prayer?
A Prayer of Hope
Francis Brienen
Do not give us rest, Lord,
while people are hungry
and we are rich.
As long as justice is a dream
press us on
and do not give us rest.
Do not give us peace, Lord,
while people live in fear
and we are safe.
As long as hatred stifles love
stir us up and do not give us peace.
Do not give us comfort, Lord,
while people are desperate
and we are well.
As long as lives are lived in pain
disturb us
and do not give us comfort.
But give us hope to share, O Christ,
hope that disturbs and stirs and shakes,
the hope of Job,
the hope of the lame,
a hope of new life
beyond the pain.
Until all find comfort
and peace
and rest,
Christ, give us hope to share.
May God in his grace give us hope.
Ron
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Nothing too good to be hoped for ...
Does your load ever seem heavy?
Does your pain seem unbearable?
Or your stress seem unmanageable?
Then pray this prayer:
A Prayer of Hope
Lesslie Newbigin
O Christ, King and Lord of all,
teach me to know that with you
nothing is too bad to be cured;
nothing too good to be hoped for;
nothing too hard to be attempted;
and nothing so precious that it cannot
be surrendered for your sake;
who lives and reigns
with the Father
in the Unity of Spirit
for ever and ever.
May God kindle hope in our hearts,
Ron
Does your pain seem unbearable?
Or your stress seem unmanageable?
Then pray this prayer:
A Prayer of Hope
Lesslie Newbigin
O Christ, King and Lord of all,
teach me to know that with you
nothing is too bad to be cured;
nothing too good to be hoped for;
nothing too hard to be attempted;
and nothing so precious that it cannot
be surrendered for your sake;
who lives and reigns
with the Father
in the Unity of Spirit
for ever and ever.
May God kindle hope in our hearts,
Ron
Friday, January 2, 2009
Those who hope ...
Dwell on the words of the psalmist today.
Listen for the words trustworthy, faithful, steadfast.
Discern the potential sources of hope for the psalmist,
and then consider what you hope for,
and in what or whom you hope today.
How does faithfulness connect to hope,
both for the one who hopes,
and the one in whom one hopes?
Psalm 33
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth —
he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Grace and peace,
Ron
NRSV
Listen for the words trustworthy, faithful, steadfast.
Discern the potential sources of hope for the psalmist,
and then consider what you hope for,
and in what or whom you hope today.
How does faithfulness connect to hope,
both for the one who hopes,
and the one in whom one hopes?
Psalm 33
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth —
he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Grace and peace,
Ron
NRSV
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Time to spread our wings ...
There is a song we have sung many times in many places. It is a song that meant a lot to some dear saints I have known. Some of them sang it from the day that it first was sung in our churches:
I’ll Fly Away
Albert E. Brumley
Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away;
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away.
When the shadows of this life have grown,
I’ll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I’ll fly away.
Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away;
To a land where joys shall never end,
I’ll fly away.
I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away;
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away.
Now, I have to tell you that I have always been fond of this song because of the people with whom I have sung it, and the places where we sang it. But lately, that fondness is more for sentimental feelings than theological reasons. What’s the problem?
Life seemed pretty grim nearly everywhere in 1932, the year that Albert wrote this song. There was a Depression, and it seemed to people that the efforts of humanity were futile. The Modern future that seemed so bright just a couple of decades previously had taken a severe beating from a World War, and then came a world-wide economic disaster. Over the next decade, things would get much worse before getting any better. If there was any hope, it didn’t appear to be on this planet, but in the next world.
Consequently, this world became something to endure: life, shadows, prison bars, and weary days. Even in pain or poverty, is this how God means for us to see this world? Are these the feelings that we are meant to experience in these difficult days and circumstances? Is our hope merely for the final coming of Jesus? I think not.
Our future is not when this life is over, it is not when the shadows have lengthened into those of the Psalmist’s valley, it is not after a few more weary days. Our future is our next instant, our next moment in time. The future is not however many days, months or years from now that God takes us to heaven, but the end of this paragraph.
Our hope is that the power of God working through his people can make the world a little better today so that tomorrow starts off from a better place. Such a place will require constant tending, but hope tells us that there is a way for things to be better. It may not be better everywhere, but with our hope and action, and God’s approval and providence, it is possible for it to be better here, soon.
Yes, the kingdom of God has come, and the church is the vanguard of it. But it is not yet completely here. We are called to be co-workers in that kingdom, not spectators. It is our job to bring a little more of the kingdom into this world day by day. We will never complete the job in our lifetime, but surely redeeming humanity and this planet is something that was intended to be our lives’ work, and not a mess to be left entirely for God to clean up in the “end times.”
Yes, I believe that God has a home on his celestial shore, but I also believe that he has one in Hollis, Oklahoma. It may not seem like heaven all of the time to all of its inhabitants, but our job is to make it the closest approximation that we can with the time and the resources that God has given to us. Heaven won’t have prison bars, but neither does this; we have the free will to choose ways to be a people who love and nurture needy children for the glory of God. He has given us freedom to work, and worship, and yes, even to play so as to delight in that freedom and glorify him with it. Yes, joys will never end in heaven, but we ought to find plenty of them here. We should be doing a little more than taste-testing the delights of paradise.
O, I’ll fly away one of these days, but that means that I had better learn how to spread my wings now. I don’t want to wait until I’m shoved out of the nest to see what they feel like.
Grace and peace,
Ron
I’ll Fly Away
Albert E. Brumley
Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away;
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away.
When the shadows of this life have grown,
I’ll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I’ll fly away.
Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away;
To a land where joys shall never end,
I’ll fly away.
I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away;
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away.
Now, I have to tell you that I have always been fond of this song because of the people with whom I have sung it, and the places where we sang it. But lately, that fondness is more for sentimental feelings than theological reasons. What’s the problem?
Life seemed pretty grim nearly everywhere in 1932, the year that Albert wrote this song. There was a Depression, and it seemed to people that the efforts of humanity were futile. The Modern future that seemed so bright just a couple of decades previously had taken a severe beating from a World War, and then came a world-wide economic disaster. Over the next decade, things would get much worse before getting any better. If there was any hope, it didn’t appear to be on this planet, but in the next world.
Consequently, this world became something to endure: life, shadows, prison bars, and weary days. Even in pain or poverty, is this how God means for us to see this world? Are these the feelings that we are meant to experience in these difficult days and circumstances? Is our hope merely for the final coming of Jesus? I think not.
Our future is not when this life is over, it is not when the shadows have lengthened into those of the Psalmist’s valley, it is not after a few more weary days. Our future is our next instant, our next moment in time. The future is not however many days, months or years from now that God takes us to heaven, but the end of this paragraph.
Our hope is that the power of God working through his people can make the world a little better today so that tomorrow starts off from a better place. Such a place will require constant tending, but hope tells us that there is a way for things to be better. It may not be better everywhere, but with our hope and action, and God’s approval and providence, it is possible for it to be better here, soon.
Yes, the kingdom of God has come, and the church is the vanguard of it. But it is not yet completely here. We are called to be co-workers in that kingdom, not spectators. It is our job to bring a little more of the kingdom into this world day by day. We will never complete the job in our lifetime, but surely redeeming humanity and this planet is something that was intended to be our lives’ work, and not a mess to be left entirely for God to clean up in the “end times.”
Yes, I believe that God has a home on his celestial shore, but I also believe that he has one in Hollis, Oklahoma. It may not seem like heaven all of the time to all of its inhabitants, but our job is to make it the closest approximation that we can with the time and the resources that God has given to us. Heaven won’t have prison bars, but neither does this; we have the free will to choose ways to be a people who love and nurture needy children for the glory of God. He has given us freedom to work, and worship, and yes, even to play so as to delight in that freedom and glorify him with it. Yes, joys will never end in heaven, but we ought to find plenty of them here. We should be doing a little more than taste-testing the delights of paradise.
O, I’ll fly away one of these days, but that means that I had better learn how to spread my wings now. I don’t want to wait until I’m shoved out of the nest to see what they feel like.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Friday, December 19, 2008
A star that does what stars do not ...
This is no natural phenomenon.
These men know and understand nature.
They have traced the arcs of the stars.
They have searched out the eccentricities of the
bright and orbiting planets.
If they were to see a comet,
it would not be their first.
Yet what they see shakes them,
it moves them to leave their ivory towers
to seek out the remarkable person marked
by this bright portent, this luminous omen.
It is a star; a star where once there was none.
A star that does what stars do not:
Stand still.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12 – NRSV
These learned and wise ones come bringing gifts,
Offering tribute to what must be a great and mighty king.
Somehow the starry signal is so clear,
somehow the child seems so extraordinary,
that the simple shepherds and the simple surroundings
do not distract from the message or its power, but,
instead, make clear just what kind of message
God is sending through this child.
These wise ones come bringing gifts, yet
They leave feeling that they have been out-given.
Now, it is true that wisdom can lead to despair,
much learning can make one too timid to act,
and scholarship too frequently provokes cynicism,
but these wise ones have been given hope.
And courage.
And faith.
A Prayer
Kim Kwan Suk
Give us hope
To look forward
To happy tomorrows.
Give us courage
To face hardships
Without losing hope.
Give us faith
So that the joy of receiving Christ
Will lead us to serve our fellow [human].
Give us appreciation
For the gifts we have received
That we might use them responsibly
Daring to give
Friendship, service, and love.
Give us Christmas throughout the year
Blessings,
Ron
These men know and understand nature.
They have traced the arcs of the stars.
They have searched out the eccentricities of the
bright and orbiting planets.
If they were to see a comet,
it would not be their first.
Yet what they see shakes them,
it moves them to leave their ivory towers
to seek out the remarkable person marked
by this bright portent, this luminous omen.
It is a star; a star where once there was none.
A star that does what stars do not:
Stand still.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12 – NRSV
These learned and wise ones come bringing gifts,
Offering tribute to what must be a great and mighty king.
Somehow the starry signal is so clear,
somehow the child seems so extraordinary,
that the simple shepherds and the simple surroundings
do not distract from the message or its power, but,
instead, make clear just what kind of message
God is sending through this child.
These wise ones come bringing gifts, yet
They leave feeling that they have been out-given.
Now, it is true that wisdom can lead to despair,
much learning can make one too timid to act,
and scholarship too frequently provokes cynicism,
but these wise ones have been given hope.
And courage.
And faith.
A Prayer
Kim Kwan Suk
Give us hope
To look forward
To happy tomorrows.
Give us courage
To face hardships
Without losing hope.
Give us faith
So that the joy of receiving Christ
Will lead us to serve our fellow [human].
Give us appreciation
For the gifts we have received
That we might use them responsibly
Daring to give
Friendship, service, and love.
Give us Christmas throughout the year
Blessings,
Ron
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)