The voice of the Lord ...

Sometimes we use words without realizing their power.
Sometimes we doubt the power of the words in our prayers.
Sometimes we minimize the power of the words others use,
only to writhe under their influence all day long.
Yet nothing that we humans say is unnoticed by God -
no word falls into a complete vacuum.
It is especially important to remember:
none of God’s words fall to the ground fruitless.

Hear the word of the Lord:

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
worship the LORD in holy splendor.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, the LORD,
over mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!

May God help us to be aware of his power today.
May God help us to be aware of the power
of our words today.

Blessings,

Ron

One who rules justly ...

The texts for this week are about the reign of God, and the power and justice of those whom God chooses to rule over the people of God:

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:

The spirit of the LORD speaks through me,
his word is upon my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God,
like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

May we understand that God has given us a son of David
to rule over us in justice and mercy;
may we see that God blesses us as his house.

Feel blessed,

Ron

He would answer me ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Then Job answered:
"Today also my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy despite my groaning.
Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his dwelling!
I would lay my case before him,
and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would learn what he would answer me,
and understand what he would say to me.
Would he contend with me
in the greatness of his power?
No; but he would give heed to me.
There an upright person could reason with him,
and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.”

If I go forward, he is not there; or backward,
I cannot perceive him;
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me;
If only I could vanish in darkness,
and thick darkness would cover my face!”

Persist in your integrity ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"

Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it."

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason."

Then Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."

The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life."

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die."

But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Power and light ...

The devotional for today comes from Julia:

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord,
and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’
is the One who has shone in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God
and not from ourselves;
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being delivered
over to death for Jesus’ sake,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2 Cor 4:5-11 (italics and bold mine).

Today I read these verses and was crying before I finished reading them. This is our job in a nutshell. We do what we do so that these boys can see the life of Jesus lived out in our bodies. And just like Jesus, our bodies experience pain so that life can come out of it. We are tired—make that exhausted. We are verbally abused by boys. There are spiders and scorpions around our children. We are achy. We have to cook dinner…AGAIN. They test our mental prowess daily. For administration, there are trials, as well. The paperwork never ends. There’s always something else to be done…. (You know what I mean.) I could go on and on.

But THEY SEE JESUS IN US, which makes it all worthwhile, even if it takes our dying every day. And praise the Lord, He gives us the power daily to somehow make it through each day. Hope this encourages you. Reading those verses was exactly what I needed today.

Josh and I love you all very much.

Julia

Opening the doors of heaven ...

Hear the word of the Lord:

Yet he commanded the skies above,
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained flesh upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall within their camp,
all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
Psalm 78:23-29

This is beautiful Hebrew poetry,
parallel line answering and expanding its partner.
“Raining down on them manna” and
“Gave them the grain of heaven.”
This language is both powerful and beautiful,
while emphasizing the power and beauty of God.
Yet this psalm is more than beautiful language about God;
it is a description of God’s power for God’s people.

It is not just that God meets his people’s needs,
nor that he fills them, even with the bread of heaven.
It is that God delivers these blessings to our doorstep,
close enough to nearly make us stumble over them.
Not just in mere adequacy does he provide,
but his blessings are like “the sand of the seas.”
Surely a God like this deserves this beautiful psalm;
certainly our God is worthy of our most powerful praise.

May we see his blessings for us,
and not have to stumble over them.
May we praise him for those blessings today,
and not make him wait for our thankfulness.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Power and suffering ...

Hear Paul speak to the Corinthians:

For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise — again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it's not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I'm a nobody, a nothing, I wasn't second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you're so taken with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power.

Over time, I’ve come to believe that Paul was not alone in his life of great giftedness and great suffering. As I get to know more of God’s people, the clearer my understanding that so often, great strength emerges on the other side of unspeakable difficulty. If we can imagine a great warrior, gifted in that horrible art, we can only guess the hardships, the pain, the loss, the separation that such a life might require. Or, if we considered a great athlete, would we see only her grace, her skill, the moves honed to a beauty, precision, and speed that no machine can imitate? Or would we imagine the disciplined suffering through which she took her body in order to be able to experience this kind of power and performance?

Why do we disrespect greatness? Often we are distracted by the new, the exciting, or the well-marketed without considering, “What is the fruit of this?” The fruit of Paul’s life was immeasurably beyond that of the ”super apostles.” The super apostles were just better at singing their own praises (and can’t we tell that it provoked Paul to sarcasm to have to respond in like kind?).

The reality is that greatness is around us all of the time. We fail to see it, to praise it, to thank God for it, but that does not change the reality of its presence. Every human being bears the image of God. Every human being has the potential to help us see and understand God in some way that is unique to them, even if they deny that gift. Yet every human being also has a struggle, often directly proportionate to their potential to become a great instrument in the hand of God.

Let’s show a little respect and love for each other, and for the mixed bag of giftedness and suffering that each one of us represents.

Grace and peace,

Ron

2 Co 12:2-12 - THE MESSAGE

Taking charge of the ocean ...

Sometimes when we talk with God, we forget to whom we’re talking.
We can forget who it is that we’re asking questions.
The way that God answers Job may seem harsh in some ways,
Yet, to me, it is the voice of a loving parent,
Trying to remind a child of:
Who truly has knowledge of the world;
who has demonstrated who they are;
And who has proven what they can do.
Hear the word of the Lord:

And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:

"Why do you confuse the issue?
Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
and I want some straight answers.

Where were you when I created the earth?
Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that!
Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
and all the angels shouted praise?

And who took charge of the ocean
when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
a strong playpen so it couldn't run loose,
And said, 'Stay here, this is your place.
Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.'

Job 38:1-11 – THE MESSAGE

Grace and peace,

Ron

A noble cedar ...

When we were young, many of us learned a little poem to help us understand both the beauty of poetry, and its frequent subject, the wonder of nature:

Trees
Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

A tree, for Kilmer, is both substance and symbol of God’s power. Yes, only God can make this beautiful, powerful, worshipful form of life. And in both Kilmer’s poem and the pages of scripture, the tree stands as a symbol of God’s greater, broader, and deeper powers.

Yet there are powers opposed to the power of God. There are those powers that oppress God’s people, sometimes even from within those who claim to be the people of God. Have you ever been at a place where you couldn’t speak freely? You might not be in chains, or behind locked bars, but somehow you were at a place where you couldn’t say exactly what you meant? A place where saying what you meant might have immediate and personal consequences? That’s where Ezekiel finds himself.

Once again Israel has compromised itself. Instead of trusting in the power of God, the people of God have become attracted to the power of politics, the false security of military might, and the smooth efficiency of commerce. Babylon. Yet Israel has forgotten that their God is the God who raises nations up to the heights, and lowers them into the dust. It is as if the nations were so many trees in the woods. So Ezekiel speaks of the nations as trees:

Thus says the Lord God:

I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.

On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.

All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.

From this older cedar tree, one no longer useful, one dwarfed by its neighboring trees, God will take a sprig. This tree is from the root of Jesse, the kings of David, and after it has had enough years to bear new branches, God is going to take one of those distant branches to grow the tree of all trees. Jesus. Jesus and his kingdom.

In the limbs of this tree, Jesus restores life as he created it back in the tranquility of Eden: all kinds of birds live together in peace. His is a house of prayer and peace. The other trees, the other nations, belong to God. God will raise them up and lower them as it pleases Godself. But all in good time, all in God’s time, will God do these things. Tree work is slow work.

Peace and patience,

Ron

Ezekiel 17:22-24 – NRSV

Justice and equity to all ....

Hear the word of God:

Some time afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death, and one length for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

David also struck down King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah, as he went to restore his monument at the river Euphrates. David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots. When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. David took the gold shields that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. From Betah and from Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great amount of bronze.

When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him. Now Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze; these also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.

David won a name for himself. When he returned, he killed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and equity to all his people. Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.
2 Samuel 8:1-18 – NRSV

Philistines. Moabites. Syrians. Arameans. Amalekites. Edomites.

This is the Who’s Who of the enemies of Israel. Against one enemy after another, God sends, David attacks, God delivers, David dedicates, God lifts up, David worships, and then God sends all over again. Because of David’s faithfulness, even when his obstacles seemed overwhelming, God starts this cycle of success in the life of David.

Yet being a good king involves more than winning battles; the statement is so subtle that we might miss it at first. “David administered justice and equity to all his people.” The true marker of David’s reign over the people of Israel was not the use of his military power, but the use of his power for justice and fairness.

Human beings tend to glorify the use of military power, yet in the Christian scheme of things, physical force is one of the lowest forms of power. Frequently, the side effects of physical force outweigh the benefits. Still, sometimes it is tempting to take the action just short of violence: intimidation, which is nothing more than an implicit or explicit threat of force.

The calling of the king, though, is to give up the use of power for his own benefit, and to use his power in order to bring justice to his people: the outcast, the oppressed, the marginalized, and the poor. The calling from our king is the same.

Power. How do we use it? For what purposes? For or against whom? To what end?

Think about it. Pray about it.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Power and accountability ...

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

The words of Ishbaal made Abner very angry; he said, "Am I a dog's head for Judah? Today I keep showing loyalty to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me now with a crime concerning this woman. So may God do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what the Lord has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba."

And Ishbaal could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:1-11 - NRSV

After the death of Saul and the beginning of the civil war, the inevitable comes to pass: David’s house gains power while Saul’s house loses it. This transition is symbolized by the wives and sons of the two families. Each of David’s growing list of wives represent an alliance of power: political, military, or financial. Most of David’s wives produce an heir potential for the throne of Judah. Meanwhile, Saul’s enemies have killed many of Saul’s sons, and his friends have proven the survivors to be weaklings. Saul’s women are in enough jeopardy to seek alliances wherever they can. David’s growing power versus Saul’s diminishing strength.

What power remains in the house of Saul has been swallowed up by Abner. Since Abner’s power put Ishbaal into power, Ishbaal hasn’t complained about it. Not until now.

When kings died or experienced defeat, the new power figure would often take the wives and concubines of the old king into his harem. Thus the power that went with the alliances represented by these marriages went these women. For anybody else to sleep with the wife or concubine of a king is blatantly subversive. If Ishbaal is right, this sex is not about celebration or procreation; it is about power. Ishbaal accuses Abner, not just of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, but of rebelling against Ishbaal to the extent of beginning to act like the king of Israel himself.

If we listen to Abner carefully, we never hear him deny his relationship with Rizpah. He is adamant, though, that this was done neither to claim the throne for himself, nor to give it to David. The relationship is personal, not political. Essentially, Abner says, ”You think that I’m giving the throne to David? I’ll show you what it looks like to give the throne to David!” And so he does it. Ishbaal is so weak that he can do absolutely nothing to stop the transfer of Israel’s loyalty from the house of Saul to David.

Abner’s moves are all about power. He moves to take power that others can’t keep or handle. He uses the power for his own loyalties and purposes with absolute disregard for the lives or happiness of his pawns. Then he refuses to be accountable to anyone for his use of that power. Even if we grant Abner’s assertion that his relationship with Rizpah had nothing to do with the throne, Abner not only asserted his power to do whatever he wanted, even in the Ishbaal’s house, but he also told Ishbaal that he was accountable to no one for how he used that power. It’s all about Abner.

Fortunately none of us have issues with power. Right? None of us are a part of systems where other human beings have lost powerful supporting figures from their lives. None of us would ever be tempted to use our huge power differential over those less powerful people in our little worlds, would we? Surely we do things that are right for our house, and everyone in our whole house, and we don’t just do the things that please our obsessive-compulsive characters, right? We’re more concerned with boys discovering ways to deal with the difficulties of life for themselves than we’re worried about maintaining control. Isn’t that so?

Well, if it is so, it is because we have chosen to make ourselves accountable for the power that is in our hands. Accountable to God, the source of all power. Accountable to our peers, who best understand the kinds of power we possess and who can best assess whether or not our use of power is empowering or oppressive. Accountable to our boys, who ought to be able to breathe, who ought to have enough power in their lives to set some boundaries for us, too.

Let’s use our power like Jesus – emptying ourselves of the impulse to use power for ourselves, and instead, using it for others. And let’s allow others to hold us accountable for that use of it. Then we will truly have justice and peace in our little world.

Grace and peace,

Ron

The Field of Sword-edges ...

But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbaal, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool. Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us."

Joab said, "Let them come forward."

So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. Each grasped his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. The battle was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.
2 Sa 2:8-17 – NRSV

Abner, a close relative of Saul, is the real power behind the throne. Saul may have died in battle, but Abner isn’t done yet. He has been loyal for years to Saul and his family. He has paid his dues too many times just to pick up his cloak and go herd sheep. There are certain people who will not abide a vacuum in power, and Abner is such a one.

Abner is not unaware of the claims of David for the throne, but he also understands that David has his own people and his own loyalties. So, to keep the power that he has, he finds a puppet. It’s interesting how powerful people often have that peculiar sense and skill.

Once Abner hears that David has moved into Hebron, he feels the need to scout out the situation. And when he does, of course, he encounters Joab. Joab is the political mirror image of Abner. Except of course, David doesn’t make as malleable of a puppet as does Ishbaal. Joab is one of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister. Joab is fierce, loyal, single-minded, dangerous, and just as addicted to power as is Abner.

So, in a region where water is not plentiful, they meet at a pool like so many wild animals. Abner and Joab size each other up. Abner is a more experienced negotiator, but today he is spoiling for a fight just as much as Joab. Instead of an all-out battle, they choose to fight the battle by representatives. Each side chooses their twelve warriors, who fight it out on behalf of their side. Both Abner and Joab are readily willing to sacrifice a dozen lives for their purposes: Abner to maintain power, Joab to seize power. Twenty-four lives as toys in the hands of men who are old enough to know better. The word they use for what they do is to “make sport,” to “contest.” But it is never play when life and death are involved. For all practical purposes this is a deadly gladiatorial contest.

Except the fight doesn’t just stay among the twenty-four chosen.

When brother sees brother killed, they are no longer willing to sit silently. Someone from the killer’s family must pay. So these “games” turn into a melee where even more people must die. Did Abner or Joab suspect that this would turn into a civil war? It would be difficult for either of them to defend themselves from such an accusation.

How do we use power? We all have it, you know. Is our use of power really benevolent, really altruistic? Or are we altogether too willing to snatch up power someone else has left laying around and use it to make certain that people know who is boss? It is amazing how people whom you would never see as being very concerned with power become very aggressive when others start to intrude into the boundaries of their power.

Yet the way that Jesus used power was kenotic, or self-emptying. The scriptures say:

Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death —
even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 – NRSV

Power, used for others. That’s confidence in power.

Think about it.

Blessings,

Ron

Great power for us ...

Hear the word of God:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:18-21 (NLT)

Blessings,

Jason

Resisting God ...

Hear the word of God:

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.'" But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." …

That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors, "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.' Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will labor at it and pay no attention to deceptive words." …

So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, the same daily assignment as when you were given straw." And the supervisors of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, "Why did you not finish the required quantity of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?"

Then the Israelite supervisors came to Pharaoh and cried, "Why do you treat your servants like this?...”

He said, "You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Go now, and work … “

The Israelite supervisors saw that they were in trouble … As they left Pharaoh, they came upon Moses and Aaron who were waiting to meet them. They said to them, "The Lord look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his officials, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people."
Exodus 5 – NRSV

When we do the right thing, when we do that which we believe that God expects us to do, we expect good things to happen. Our tendency is to think that righteousness and reward are directly connected. Yet this story makes one thing perfectly clear – even for Moses the old saw is true: “Things tend to get worse before they get better.”

Why is that?

When we work to change a person or a community into one that is righteous, that brings about the stress of change. When circumstances force people to change, they frequently don’t behave very well. Pharaoh is about to have to deal with some change. He doesn’t like the change, and he doesn’t really think that he has to change, so he exercises his power to bring about a kind of change to his advantage that he believes will make the Israelites think twice before they ask for change again. Pharaoh acts out, before God, and before God’s people.

Still, God is patient; after all, he will give Pharaoh ten chances to change his mind. Yet Pharaoh will not be able to deny God his move to liberate his people. Pharaoh cannot stop God. Neither can anyone else. We humans can cost God time or resources. We can deny him ourselves by misusing our free will. Those decisions to resist God may cost the people of God pain and time, yet eventually those who frustrate God are the ones who find themselves frustrated, in pain, or worse. This pain does not necessarily come from the hands of God, but is sometimes a natural consequence of the misuse of that which God has given.

Every day we encounter parents and children who are trapped in unholy uses and abuses of power. Because they believe that they have the right to this power, or because they think that this is the only way that they can survive their situation, they will resist our redirecting their use of power to one that is holy and benevolent. Not only that, they may act out even more profoundly just so we understand just exactly who decides what.

Those are the times to endure the grief, pray for those resisting, and move patiently toward the future that God will establish.

May God bless us with such patience.

Ron

A stranger in a strange land ...

Hear the word of God:

But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh
and settled in the land of Midian;
and he sat down by a well.

A prince of Egypt has become a stranger and pauper in a foreign land.
Moses is not a young man, but he is a troubled soul with family and social issues.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters;
and they came to draw water,
and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
Then the shepherds came and drove them away,
but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
When they came to Reuel their father, he said,
"Why have you come back so soon today?"

Isn’t it odd that Reuel expects this chore to take longer?
Does he expect the girls to be harassed by the other shepherds?
Does he know that they would have to try more than once
to get the job done?
Or is this just an odd way to find a husband for one of his seven girls?

So they said, "An Egyptian delivered us
from the hand of the shepherds;
and what is more, he even drew the water for us
and watered the flock."
And he said to his daughters, "Where is he then?
Why is it that you have left the man behind?
Invite him to have something to eat."

It’s not just that Moses delivers the girls from their tormentors;
he also draws the water for them.
And since he doesn’t have anything else to do,
he waters the sheep while he’s at it.
So Reuel’s question is obvious:
“If a man would do this for you, where is he?”
In other words, where are your manners?
Where is your hospitality?

And Moses was willing to dwell with the man,
and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom,
for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

What does this episode tell us about the character of Moses?
Yes, he is strong and capable of both hard work and defense.
But there is something deeper than that.
Why was Moses by the well in the first place?
Isn’t it because, in a moment of passion, he did away with the life
Of a taskmaster who would oppress his people?
He won’t sit still and watch a crew of rowdy shepherds harass
Or oppress a covey of girls, either.
Moses has a deep-seated sense of social justice.
Moses hates oppression.
The shepherds ought to be thankful to get away alive.
Others have not. Others will not.
This virtue is why, I think, God picks this sojourner in a foreign land.
Moses understands what it is like to be the stranger,
what it is like to be powerless,
what it is like to be hurting,
what it is like to be an outcast.
How can our memories of belonging, and not,
Empower our ministry with children?

Blessings,

Ron

Exodus 2:15-22 - NASB

What is the story?

What is the story that shapes our lives?

In the worldly community, this is the story
that shapes that community:

Wealth is the ultimate objective,
because it enables satiation, security, and status.
There is no such thing as excess wealth
because as long as someone else has as much or more,
you can’t have security or status.
There is no such thing as excess wealth because
disasters can happen.
Whatever the problem is, if we have enough
resources (wealth), we can fix it.
People who have more are worth more.
People who have more are more powerful, and rightly so.
People with enough talent, opportunity,
and willingness to sacrifice everything else
can move up a few socio-economic notches in a generation.

In the Jesus community, this is the story that shapes that community:

Relationship is the ultimate objective,
because it enables satisfaction, security, and meaning,
and does away with the need for status.
There is no such thing as excess wealth
because those who have wealth help those who have need.
There is no such thing as excess wealth
because wealth is used to help others recover from disaster.
Whatever the problem is, God is the provider of resources
Who will enable us to cope with it, whether we can fix it or not.
People are worth more than things.
All people have at least some power over their own lives,
because God made it so.
Relationship with God is available to every generation,
and there is no way to move up from there.

How does that shape the story of our life today?

Blessings,

Ron

Away from home ...

Today’s text is full of great lessons, but we will only focus on a few. The kingdom of God is divided, and it is the time of the prophets and the kings. The prophet of the day is Elisha:

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

Naaman is a powerful and successful general. The God of Israel has given a series of great victories to him, even victories over God’s people. Yet Naaman remains unaware of the true source of his power. Whether he believes his power to come from his king, or from his god Rimmon is not clear. What is clear to Yahweh is that Naaman does not know him.

Remember that Naaman is not oppressed, he is the oppressor. Naaman is not weak, but powerful, both in battle and politics. Naaman is not the stranger, but the hero of his king and his people. Yet there comes into his life a problem that makes him an outsider. An issue that marginalizes him socially. Leprosy. This is a leprosy that the physicians, the priests, and even the king of Aram cannot heal.

So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

We need to see right through the notion that this is a hospitable exchange. The kings of Israel and Aram are not playing by the same rules. There is a real power differential here. On the surface, the request appears to be a reasonable request for hospitality; “We have heard of the healing power within your nation; heal my servant.” Yet there is a thinly veiled threat behind the written message which can be found in the person of the messenger. It reads something like this: “Heal this great and terrible warrior or it will amuse me to turn him loose on you and your people.” Believe me, the king of Israel gets the message. And he is desperate in his search for a way out of his dilemma.

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage.

Elisha does the hospitable thing: he issues an invitation to Naaman. This invitation relieves the pressure from Israel’s king and promises healing for Naaman. Yet when the general arrives at his tent, the prophet does not follow the normal course of hospitality and invite him in. Since Naaman is a leper, he might have expected that. Yet Elisha does not even come out of his tent to greet Naaman; he sends a messenger. Naaman takes this apparent social faux pas as an insult.

Why does Elisha do this? Is he afraid of Naaman? This doesn’t seem likely in view of the fact that he issued the invitation, and in light of the way that Elisha deals with an entire army around his tent (2 Kings 6). Is Elisha an introvert? Perhaps; there are some indications that he is socially hypersensitive (2 Kings 2:23-25). What seems more likely is the idea that Elisha is setting boundaries here. Elisha is willing to meet with Naaman (it does happen later in this story). But first Elisha must get it out of Naaman’s head that Naaman is in control of this situation. Without seizing power himself, Elisha manages to disarm Naaman of his power so that he can encounter the power of God. Naaman is not the one in power here.

Yet Naaman comes with all sorts of expectations, doesn’t he? Naaman likes it back home, yet he leaves there to come to this strange place because he grudgingly admits that he is not finding healing back home. He has clearly imagined, though, what this healing experience is going to be like, and he is greatly disappointed. Samaria is not what he expected. His host is not what he expected. The rules are not what he expected. He is not being allowed to be in control and rule his life the way that he is used to ruling his life. The fact that his experience is not meeting his expectation inevitably brings on anger. Deep seated anger. Does this story sound familiar to a community that welcomes hurting and outcast young men who are separated from their homes?

How does the story go? Everything is better back home: the rivers; the king, who is like a father to him; you name it. Things are better back in Aram. Yet the reality remains in his face. Literally. Leprosy. However good things appear to be back home, he could not find healing there.

But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?" So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant." But he said, "As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!" He urged him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, "If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord. But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count." He said to him, "Go in peace."

The healing is not so much about the water as it is about obedience. The healing is not so much about physical location as it being in the right location with the God of Israel. Submissive.

Once Naaman is convicted of the power of God, he is converted into a believer in God. Once he steps into a right relationship with God, all of his other relationships start to fall into their proper places. He now respects the man of God enough to be able to stand in his presence and have a conversation free from power plays. Yet at the same time, he maintains a real respect for his master, the king of Aram, so as to be able to serve him faithfully without serving Aram’s false god and Yahweh’s rival, Rimmon. And because these relationships are right, Naaman, the great warrior, can leave in peace.

Is there is a lesson in this for those of us who work with people, both young and old? Yes. As long as people plow through life unaware of the power that makes their life possible, sharing time and space with them can be difficult. But as people come to understand who they are, and who God is, things change. Relationships change. The ability to have hospitable relationships change. So we can work on relationship skills between human beings, and so we ought. But the real breakthrough happens when a human being truly discovers their right relationship with God. This cannot be forced, but relies upon the faithful action of God in the face of the free will of his children. Not everyone is as quick of a student as is Naaman.

May God give us insight into the ways that we use power, boundaries, and hospitality in our relationships today.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Power to the little people ...

We all know the story of Zacchaeus. His encounter with Jesus is more than a silly children’s song; it is a narrative full of penitence, hope and grace. Remember?

[Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.

Being rich doesn’t mean that one necessarily belongs, that one is an insider. The fact that Zacchaeus had accumulated his wealth as a tax collector kept the wealthy insiders at a remote distance, and pushed the poor away as a consequence of his oppressive work. His extreme slightness of stature reduced him to a comic figure whom both the rich and poor could easily ridicule. Zacchaeus was the worst kind of outcast – a self-made outcast. So what are we to do with outcasts? Doesn’t the Bible call us to bring them within the bounds of our hospitality, under our protection as host? What does Jesus do?

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner."

Zacchaeus would do whatever Jesus asks; he would have followed him to a table that Jesus hosted, or he would have joined him as a guest at a table to which Jesus had been invited. Yet Jesus yields the place of “status”, he gives up the position of power. Jesus elevates Zacchaeus to the role of host. At the same time, Jesus humbles himself to be the guest of one of low stature – a “sinner”.

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much."

Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

You have to say this about Zacchaeus; when he grasps the situation, he does his best to make it right. He may not have worldly status, nor may it be possible for him to ever gain it. So instead Zacchaeus does what it takes to move toward righteous kingdom behavior, and thus be a more fitting host to a guest, this extraordinary teacher, Jesus. And once again, the guest will not be out-given. “Salvation has come to this house!”

So what shape does this take in our world? Do we always force children into the role of guest, while we stand entrenched in the more powerful place as host? How tempting is it to tell a child, “This is my house, these are my rules …” Which is ironic when the child may have lived in this house as long as we have. Is there not a time to yield the position of power in hospitality so as to empower those with a lesser place? Think about it. May God help us to deal with hospitality in a godly way.

Blessings,

Ron

Luke 19:1-10 – NRSV

Voice: the word spoken and recognizable

Voice is the word that scripture and prayer illuminate for us today:

Hear the voice of Jesus:

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers . . . .

Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away —
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.
I have received this command from my Father.

John 10:1-18 NRSV

The voice we can scarcely hear
Walter Brueggemann

You are the voice we can scarcely hear
because you speak about dying and suffering,
and we are impacted by so many voices
that have to do with power
and competence
and success.

We do know that you are the voice that give life,
that you are the voice that opens futures to people who are hopeless.

We are part of a hopeless people,
because the other voices eat at our hearts
and we are immobilized
and we become deaf.

So we pray for new ears.

We pray that your voice may be more audible to us,
that we may be able to sort out the death-giving
from the life-giving voices among us.

We pray in the name of Jesus,
through whom you have spoken
in such inscrutable ways.

Amen

Blessings,

Ron

The kingdom isn't food and drink ...

How do we live in the Jesus community? In the kingdom of God?

Hear the words of Paul:

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Romans 14 - NRSV

How does this scripture shape our lives as a community today?

Blessings,

Ron