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August 15, 2018 · 7:12 am

Oops!

I just posted a blog I wrote early Monday morning–and today is Wednesday.  I could have sworn that I had hit “publish”, but maybe I didn’t.  Oh well.  Sorry for the confusion just in case you have already seen it.

These late summer mornings are a great time to sit down and reflect, so here I am in the swing again, the sun trying to shine above the thin, spotting clouds.  Ralph, our bassador, seems to be hunting under our shed.  He goes out there, and barks.  The only clue I have is that it looks like something may be under it.  He is 11 years old and has arthritic pain in his hips and spine, so being active like this is good for him.

This Wednesday morning, though, my mind is numb.  The rain that was suppose to leave almost 2 inches, left just under a half inch and the plants in the woodland flowerbed have not even lifted their foliage up.  The wild ginger is the most obvious with its circular leaves lying flat on the ground.  So, this morning, I give in to watering.  It takes 30 minutes in 4-5 different spaces to complete the job and it is easy for me to get distracted, so I set a timer.

Setting a timer seems a little anal, but when I start one project, I have a tendency to get so engrossed that I forget everything else.  Today I need to order my days so I can get things done without overlooking something or putting it off–again.

Having a dyslexic and ADD brain can be frustrating, but days are never boring.  I certainly do not think linear (from point A to point B to Point C, etc.) and have a problem moving from one task to another.  My brain works more like a maze:  point A may be where I start, but it might be in walking to complete point A, I stumble into point Z which becomes the priority–at least until I shift and stumble into point

So here I sit in the swing, still sleepy from a less than 7-hour sleep, and the timer about to go off for the first sprinkler move, the dryer buzzer, too.  And what have I accomplished?  Only a bit of social network cleaning.  Guess I had better close for now.  Hope each of you have a delightful, productive, even restful day.

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February 21, 2018 · 4:36 pm

Social media are today’s glass houses

The familiar saying, “He who lives in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” keeps bubbling up in my head.  This morning I suddenly realized that today’s social media is the equivalent of the glass house in this saying.

According to the website, https://www.phrases.org.uk/, which I accessed this morning,  “PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN’T THROW STONES – “Those who are vulnerable should not attack others. The proverb has been traced back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ .”   . . . [and] Benjamin Franklin also referenced this saying with a slight adjustment,  “‘Don’t throw stones at your neighbors’, if your own windows are glass.'”

Today we live in a transparent world when we step onto the world wide web through any of the social media available to us.  The social media is our glass house and what we post has the potential to damage another as easily as a stone destroys glass.

When I taught high school students journalism, I used to ask students would they want their grandmother to read what they wanted to print (yes print medium rather than broadcast medium was the standard in the 1970s and 1980s) if that was said about them. It seemed such an easy way to have them self-edit their work before publishing anything.

Today, that no longer serves as a good test as we are so removed from the social stigma’s of the ’70s and ’80s when grandparents were part of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation.  Now the grandparent has evolved to those in the Baby Boomer generation who lived through the 1960s and 1970s when social standards began shifting–or tumbling.

Today we need to teach our young people, and maybe reteach even the younger Baby Boomers, that what they post on social media is forever printed in one manner or another.  The social media makes spreading gossip or menacing words so easy and once posted is there forever.

True, the social media has the positive value when spreading good news or complimentary words, but sadly our society seems not to share them as readily as they do the negative–another concept that needs direct teaching.

Today, teachers and parents must teach the young people from the first click of the electronic devices that what they say has tremendous power to damage someone else’s life.

Today, teachers and parents must teach the young people the power of the social media to do good, also.

Once that final click to post is made, there is no way to take away the effect of the words posted.

Let’s use the social tools we have available to keep the glass houses in tact rather than destroy with social media stones.

 

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February 27, 2016 · 12:00 pm

Dare to Dream

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February 27, 2016 · 12:00 pm

Vacation Reflections: Love God. Love life. Love one another.

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February 27, 2016 · 11:59 am

Teacher Appreciation

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February 27, 2016 · 11:58 am

Mission Rebounds: The Old Testament scorebook

given on Sunday, February 28, 2016

Scripture connection: Isaiah 55, NLT

Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

55 “Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
    Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
    I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
    I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
    and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
12 You will live in joy and peace.
    The mountains and hills will burst into song,
    and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
    Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
    they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

 

Basketball season is wrapping up and it is almost time for the big college playoffs commonly referred to as The Final Four. Locally the game keeps everybody on pins and needles, too. What is it that makes competition so entertaining! Adrenalin surges when there is a foul or the opponents score. The heart beats hard and the crowd comes alive when the home team rebounds adding points to the team’s score.

Lent is a season of reflection much like when a season ends and it is time to review the team’s performance. The Christian team uses Lent to carefully analyze how well we carry out the mission God has given us: to love one another. If we follow God’s game plan, the result will be the transformation of not only our lives, but the world’s. God’s mission will rebound returning to the Garden of Eden He created.

In order for God’s mission to rebound, Christians must reflect on our individual performance as well as evaluate the team’s performance. This can be rewarding but it also is painful. Lent is the time for such analysis.

Every team does this. Each player must review his or hers own performance, the coach must review the overall function of the team plus his or hers own coaching skills. Then the team comes together for reflection and creates an improved game plan. The mission, God’s mission must rebound.

Right now the video of the world seen daily in the news broadcasts might seem like God’s scorebook filled with losses. Lent is God’s annual video replay. The game plan began with God choosing the team, the ancient tribes of Israel. The playbook opens with the Law now preserved in the first five books of the Old Testament.

Today we know that the Old Testament story is filled with mistakes of the people. The leaders of Israel made mistakes much like coaches who fail to develop a winning team. There is no doubt that the Law of Moses was simple: just 10 rules to follow and none of them complicated. Unfortunately, God’s opponent Satan was uncannily good at convincing humans to make mistakes.

Still, the dismal record of failure also includes opportunities God provided to repent, to make right some wrongs, and to be forgiven. Even when leaders made terrible mistakes breaking the God’s law, God did not give up on his team. Wrongs were righted. God forgave them. They were redeemed.

But look at what else is included in the Old Testament. Not only is the Law provided, illustrated with stories, but also the prayer book. The book of Psalms includes the prayers, hymns and liturgy that we use even today. The prayers reflect the full spectrum of human emotions. Some psalms praise and some cry out, but one thread ties all of them together—God’s love wins; the mission rebounds.

The psalms are the cheers and rants of the crowds. In sports, cheerleaders lead fans to spur the team to put out that extra energy to rebound and make a change in the team’s performance.

Certainly there are times when the cheers fail, but the cheerleaders, the coach, and the team work together to rebound. The psalms are tools that help the faithful continue the mission. God sees; God hears; and God loves. He responds, too, when he hears the cheer “Two. Four. Six. Eight. Who do we appreciate!” The psalms respond, “GOD!”

The Old Testament helps teach men and women how to live a God-centered life. God-centered living affects every facet of life, and reading Proverbs, we find how the wise sayings can guide the faithful to continue God’s work. The scriptures are God’s instruction manuals   including the library of videos to review.

Sadly, as we know in our own lives, humanity has repeated mistakes. It is a pattern we try to stop, but the world throws so many temptations at us that we become distracted from God and we make mistakes again. In reading through the verses of Isaiah, we are told:

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

 

Every time we err, God knows and he is always ready to forgive. The reflective time of Lent gives us that opportunity to honestly evaluate how well we are following God’s mission. The words of Isaiah assure us that God knows and listens for our awareness and confession so that he can forgive us.

The Old Testament records how the faithful succeeded and how they failed to maintain God’s mission. The different stories march God’s story through time. The story does not change even though the culture changes, education changes, political leaders change, commerce changes, and even the climate changes.

Prophets tried to warn the generations that failure to keep God’s mission would lead to destruction. Some prophets, of whom Isaiah is one, spoke openly about how God loves us and forgives us. But forgiveness comes only when one is honestly aware of what they have done wrong. Isaiah’s verses in chapter 55 speak to us yet today:

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.

 

Are you reading the scriptures? Are you reviewing the video of your life right now? Are you doing your best to stay God-centered?

In the lectionary’s commentary, the only way God’s mission rebounds is if. . .

. . . [we] name our sins and repent of them so that we might have life. . . . Pay attention to the way sin has us in its grip. To truly repent, we need an awareness of what we’ve done—and not done—that’s led us into this waterless land. Repentance reorients us toward God’s love and mercy, where we find sustenance and rest.

 

This is the same thinking a coach has as he reviews the game’s video and enters the next practice. He then offers guidance or advice as to how the player improves. And with each rebound, the mission to win the game becomes one play closer to reality.

Certainly honest reflection and corrective action is necessary and often painful, but the outcome is winning eternal life with God. The commentary shared Augustine’s thoughts about our restless desire to win:

. . . [God] understands our restlessness to be a result of our sin; we are restless because of our repeated attempts to take refuge in something other than God.   When we mistake any other good thing—whether it be love of another person, food, money, material possessions, sex, you name it—for the Ultimate God, Augustine argued, our hearts remain restless, unsettled.

 

God is our coach and he has assistants that are recorded in the Old Testament as prophets. In the New Testament, the story continues with the Apostles teaching God’s commandment to love one another.

God’s mission depends on our rebounding from our sin to follow his commandments. The coaches in our lives are God’s co-workers who can review the video and guide us to improve. Read the scripture from Genesis through Revelation to know the story and to learn how God’s mission is our mission, too. We are responsible for God’s mission to rebound.

Closing Prayer

Dear God,

Each day I read your word,

See your world,

And meet your children.

I am reminded of your love.

 

As we reflect on our lives,

Help us see our actions honestly.

Help us listen to our coaches,

And help us name our errors.

Then accept our pleas for repentance.

 

As we rebound and recommit to your mission

To transform the world by loving one another,

Coach us to improve living a God-centered life

So we can score redemption leading to life eternal

Beside you and your son Jesus Christ. –Amen

 

 

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February 20, 2016 · 1:13 am

Mission Failed: The Fall of Man & Woman

to be given on Sunday, February 21, 2016–2nd Sunday of Lent

 

Scriptural connection: Genesis 3:1-11, NLT

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

 

Text references:

  • Study Notes from Genesis in the Life Application Study Bible.
  • Chapter 2 in Christopher J.H. Wright’s The Mission of God’s People,

 

Reflection:

One of the earliest life lessons taught children begins: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Regardless of when or where this saying originated, it reflects how God wants us to live. Unfortunately, evil is all around us. We see it, hear it, and sadly we speak it. Would God’s mission, assigned to us, be successful or even necessary if these three simple principles were maintained?

God created a world designed to meet our needs and all he asked was that we take care of it. That mission seems so simple, but the decisions humanity makes damages our world. From the smallest piece of trash we drop on the earth’s surface to the worst crime against one another, the mission has failed.

Consider the Garden of Eden’s story if the old maxim “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” had been applied. Eve would not have seen the apple nor heard the serpent. She would not have goaded Adam into eating the fruit.

But considering the “what if” of the story will not make a difference. The Bible story summarizes one of the very raw truths about humans—we make mistakes over and over. The literature of the Bible carries us through every type of mistake men and women make generation after generation. We failed God’s mission. We still fail God’s mission and fearfully we will continue to err:

  • We see evil. Consider what we watch on TV, the big screen, our tablets and computers. We see evil portrayed fictionally and in reality, even watching in real time when networks interrupt with breaking news. Evil exists in Christian and non-Christian communities. Evil is visual as images degrade human worth or record horrors of war. Evil is packaged as entertainment or as news. Evil no longer is masked, it is publicized, and sometimes presented as good while greed is interpreted as profits.
  • We hear evil. The words we hear are in casual conversation, possibly overheard in a store, or through the scripts of the entertainment we choose. Evil is expounded in what is said as well in how it is said. Evil is modeled through bigotry, unguarded comments around young people, and screamed as road rage boils over. Language can severe relationships, erode self-images, and even start wars. Sadly language is oral and words spoken cannot be erased. Evil fills our ears and destroys us.
  • We speak evil. What we see and hear all too often causes us to speak evil outwardly, too. Consider how young children brought up in homes where abuse is part of daily life. The words they hear all too often are repeated outside of their homes. We speak what we learn. We tell others what we hear in rumors. We risk sharing negative opinions without knowing the ‘rest of the story.’ Each time we speak out in anger or ignorance we speak evil. What words we share have the potential to create or to reproduce evil in so many ways.

 

Back to the story of Adam and Eve: If Eve had not seen the serpent (Satan), not heard his words, would she have talked Adam into eating the fruit? This is a “what if” question that is no longer important to consider literally, rather it is a question to ask of ourselves. If we do not see or hear evil ideas, do we still speak evil?

In Wright’s text The Mission of God’s People, the failure of the mission is analyzed on four levels: physically, individually, socially, and spiritually:

Human disobedience and rebellion against the Creator God brought disastrous results (Genesis 3-11). Evil and sin weave their way into every aspect of God’s creation and every dimension of human personhood and life on earth. . . . God’s mission is the final destruction of all that is evil from his whole creation. Our mission therefore has to be as comprehensive in scope as the gospel the whole Bible gives us. (p.40-41)

 

Right now, Lent is the season to reflect on our lives as Christians. Are we living a God-centered life that keeps us focused on the mission of loving one another and caring for our world or are we failing the mission?

Granted evil surrounds us and living in a country that allows for each person to define one’s own ideology, it is difficult to live out a mission to share the message of loving one another; but if we do not do our best, what happens? Will evil win or will we see that God wins?

As God’s co-workers, let’s turn the old adage around:

  • See the evil through God’s eyes. Do not look away when evil appears. Look at the news through God’s eyes and offer a prayer for those who offend as well as for those who are victims. Show others through your own actions how to love that will counter evil’s effect.
  • Hear the evil with God’s ears. Using God’s ears, hear the words that can hurt our children, our spouses, our families and our friends. Listen carefully to learn why evil words are spewed out. Identify the source of evil and do whatever you can to relieve that source.
  • Speak the love of God. Whenever possible, use your words to share God’s love. Step in and say “Stop!” when someone is using evil words, hurtful words. Love one another unconditionally. Speak the message to all that you meet in as many ways as you can. The more love we share orally, the more evil we can destroy.

 

Yes, the mission creation created failed when Eve and Adam ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge. The act of disobedience and rebellion is considered to the “the fall of Man/Woman.”

God had created the Garden of Eden because he loved us so much that he wanted to meet our every need. All He expected was that we take care of His creation—the earth and all that is in it, including flora, fauna, and one another. By taking care of God’s creation, we defend ourselves from evil. As Christians we accept the responsibility to carry out the mission.

Can we change things? We cannot go back and fix evil that has happened since the beginning of time, but we can pick up God’s mission and do all that we can for all we can in as many ways as we can as long as we can. We can see evil through God’s eyes; hear evil through God’s ears, and speak God’s love through our words and our actions out loud in the community in which we live.

Closing prayer:

Dear God,

We read the scripture, remember the story,

and now stop to reflect, to review, and to renew

the mission you created.

We see the evil surround your earth and the people in it,

and we stop to ask ourselves how have we failed

to keep the mission you created.

We look forward from creation throughout history

and seek guidance from generations of the faithful

struggling to carry out your mission.

Thank you for loving us unconditionally despite failing

to trust your words and your messengers

teaching us how to live your mission today.

Let our efforts to live a love-filled life caring for your creation

demonstrate your unconditional love to others

and keeps the mission alive for generations yet to come.

–Amen

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February 13, 2016 · 9:59 pm

Mission begins with creation

given on Sunday, February 14, 2016–first Sunday of Lent and Valentine’s Day

From Lent’s lectionary: Romans 10:8b-13

8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”[a]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[b] 12 Jew and Gentile[c] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[d]

Scripture base for “Mission begins with creation”

  • Genesis 1:1-2:3 – creation of earth and inhabitants

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. . . .

6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” . . .

9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. . . .

14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. . . .

.20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” ,,,

24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. . . .

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,[c] and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings[d] in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. . . .

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!   . . .

2 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested[e] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

Lent’s 1st Reflection: Mission begins with Creation

Not one day begins or ends without knowing the value of God’s creation. We are blessed to live in his world filled with all the glory of the sunrises, birds singing, breezes blowing, and even the sunsets while the moon and stars begin appearing. Each time we look around our world and take in the awesomeness of God’s creation we need to remember that our mission begins with His creation.

In our corner of the world, talking about the wonder of creation may seem out of sync with the seasons. The calendar places us in the midst of winter (here in the Northern Hemisphere, in the middle of North America, even the middle of the continental United States) when the snow typically is mounded up and turning black from weeks of ice, salts and cinders, melting and then refreezing. Winter when the sun shines but we shiver in the artic blasts just does not fill our thoughts with the awesomeness of Gods’ creation as recorded in Genesis.

Yet, creation begins everything; and whether it is in the dead of winter’s most intense artic blast or whether the sun heats up the parched land in the middle of a heat wave, God created this massive world that needs our care. God created us to be the caretakers; God assigned a mission when he created us and we need to make sure we fulfill that mission.

How does mission connect to Lent? Lent is a time for reflecting on faith and while many are giving up on religion and living lives centered on themselves, God continues providing us all that we need. Are we doing all that we need to do as God’s missionaries in his creation?

The Word is a record of God’s creation and includes all the instructions needed for us, his children. Do we know The Word well enough to do God’s work? Do we know history well enough not to repeat the same mistakes over and over?

A couple of weeks ago I presented a challenge: over Lent, fast by adding daily scripture reading, studying, journaling and/or discussing the Word with others. Our mission to be caretakers of the earth is assigned in the earliest chapters of the Bible:

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

God created us with a clear mission to care for the earth—not just the land, the flora, and the fauna, but everything and that includes each other. Are we carrying out our mission or not? Lent is a time to reflect on the job we do as Christians fulfilling God’s mission, and that means knowing The Word.

According to a new format of the story, Max Lucado and Randy Frazee want to make sure that The Word is shared with everybody in a reader-friendly manner. [Share the Lucado/Frazee book The Word as a visual example] The first chapter begins with the very same words from the Bible included in our worship today:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

            And God said, “Let there be light,” . . .

 

The Story does not change. The mission does not change. The concern and the reason for a season of reflection is that we change. Adam and Eve represent all of humanity, and throughout history we humans have failed to fulfill the mission.

What began with creation, regardless of when or even how that happened, continues. The Story continues. In Lucado’s and Frazee’s welcome to the new format of the Bible, we are invited to reconnect with God:

This book (or any version of the Bible) tells the grandest, most compelling story of all time: the story of a true God who loves his children, who established for them a way of salvation and provided a route to eternity. Each story in these 31 chapters (an abridged format of the Bible) reveals the God of grace—the God who speaks; the God who acts; the God who listens; the God whose love for his people culminated in his sacrifice of Jesus, his only Son to atone for the sins of humanity.

What’s more: this same God is alive and active today—still listening, still acting, still pouring out his grace on us. His grace extends to our daily foibles; our ups, downs, and in-betweens; our moments of questions and fears; and most important, our response to his call on our lives (our mission). . . .

 

God created a world that was to meet all the needs humanity as long as we fulfilled our mission. Therefore:

  • Read The Word and determine the mission of God’s creation.
  • Read The Word to see how God struggled to teach us how to live.
  • Read The Word to learn from the mistakes of others.
  • Read The Word to find the secrets to a joy-filled life.
  • Read The Word to understand how God loved us so much that he “[sacrified] his only Son to atone for the sins of humanity.”
  • Read The Word to find the promise of eternal life.

 

Read The Word and reflect throughout the season of Lent. Make it a mission to know The Story and how your life reflects God’s love.

Closing prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Creator of our world,

Thank you for all the beauty that surrounds us,

even the changes of the seasons.

Thank you for entrusting each one of us,

past, present and future, with your creation.

Help us to remain faithful to the mission

of caring for the world and its inhabitants.

Help us to live confidently knowing you love us

even when we fail the mission.

Thank you, too, for the time and space to reflect

on how we live to fulfill the mission.

Thank you for The Word and the Christian family

surrounding us, supporting us, and working together

to fulfill the mission creation began. –Amen

 

[Lucado, Max & Frazee, Randy. The Story: the Bible as one continuing story of God and his people in NIV.   Zondervan; 2005. Available at CBD.com for $5.00.]

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February 8, 2016 · 1:24 am

Veil or Mirror

given on Sunday, February 7, 2016 

 

 

Veil or Mirror?

 

Scripture Foundation: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 NLT

12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

Reflection:

 

            Waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror is not one of the more reassuring steps of the day. The eyes are not focused, the skin looks tired, the hair is a fright, and a frown seems permanently cemented in the mirror. Thank goodness no one else sees it.

Yet a transfiguration does occur once you complete the morning routine. Maybe it is a cup of coffee or tea to begin or maybe it starts with a morning shower or a shave. Each routine step begins changing the image in the mirror. By the time you finish the routine and the shoes are on, the watch adjusted on the wrist, and the last check in the mirror shows a much-improved image ready to face the day.

The transformation from the sleepy image in the mirror to the polished image ready for the day takes a well-practiced routine each day. The transfiguration that Moses underwent was a result of the face-to-face meeting with God on the mountain. The transfiguration of Jesus came in the meeting with Moses and Elijah while praying on the mountain. Our personal transfiguration is a process that must be followed daily.

Consider each example as outlined in scripture:

  • Exodus 34: 9 When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant,[a] he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.
  • Luke 9: 29 And as he (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

 

The stories of these transfigurations provides a range of comparisons and contrasts, but the results were the same—the radiance. Both experiences are recorded as a radiance that was so bright, so dazzling white that it could blind those seeing their faces.

In the Old Testament story of Moses, the radiance was so intense that people were frightened. Moses began wearing a veil to hide the radiance while he was out with the people and he removed the veil when in the presence of God only.

Jesus’ transfiguration did not frighten the people in the same manner. Instead, the radiance in Jesus’ face drew people to him. The veil protected the ancient Israelites, but with Jesus the veil was removed—allegorically. With Jesus, the radiance is love. Love, God’s love, reaches out to others and they are drawn to those who mirror God’s love.

The question for each of us is “Does our face reflect God’s radiance?” When others meet us at home, at work or at play do they see radiance or do they see a veil? When you look in the mirror each morning, do you see a veil or do you see God’s radiance?

Today, Christians celebrate the transfiguration and many will also share the bread and the cup in the sacrament of communion that reminds us of God’s . Following Jesus transforms our lives. Each morning, we must look at the mirror image and prepare to face a new day. Do we radiate God’s image or do we put on a veil?

Moses chose to wear a veil when he was not in the temple because his transfiguration resulted in such a brilliant image that it frightened others. Jesus did not wear a veil to cover the radiance evident to the disciples. The radiance no longer needed a veil; rather it needs a mirror.

Paul was blinded in order to get his attention. Yet, when he accepted Jesus as his savior, his life mirrored that radiance as he began his missionary work. Paul’s transfiguration drew others to Christ. Certainly he did not wear a veil; he mirrored God’s radiance.

In the second letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church, the process to be a mirror of God is provided:

4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

 

The way to be transfigured into a mirror of God begins with accepting the gift of his son Jesus Christ. It means acknowledging that Christ died for our sins, to simplify the Law of Moses into the New Law–love one another.

Sharing in the bread and the cup is much like looking into the mirror each morning. Each time we partake in the ritual, we are removing the veil from our faces. We commit ourselves to being the mirror image of God in all that we do.

Paul told the Corinthians:

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Look in the mirror each morning and check to see if you are wearing a veil or whether you are mirroring God’s image radiating love to all you meet.

Take the bread, take the cup and lift the veil from your life. Let God’s love transfigure your life so that you are a mirror of God’s love. The process includes reading scripture, prayer, worship, and service. Over the next 40+ days of Lent, challenge yourself to read Scripture. Share what you learn, discuss it with others, and pray. The transformation will mirror God’s love to all you meet.

Closing prayer:

Dear Loving Father,

Without you, mornings are cloudy

And my image does not mirror your love.

With you, clouds are cleared

And your love radiates even from me.

Thank you for the gift of your son.

May we drop the veils from our lives

And mirror your radiance

So others may see the transfiguration

In their own lives. –Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

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February 8, 2016 · 1:19 am

The Word is Power: The Word was, is, and will be power

 

given on Sunday, January 24, 2016

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.

–John 1:1-2, NLT

Scripture reference: Luke 44:14-21, NLT

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[a]”

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Reflection

Words communicate what we need and/or want shortly after we are born. We hear words of comfort and words of correction. We learn the proverbs of life and discover that sticks and stones may break bones, but words . . . well, words are not suppose to hurt us. Yet, words have power.

The scripture today tells the story of Jesus’ public declaration that he is the fulfillment of the scriptures’ prophecy. Walking into the temple, locating the prophecy from the scroll of Isaiah, he read The Word and then proclaimed to be that person. Powerful words!

The Word is God. Jesus is God. I Am is God. Jesus says, “I Am God.” The scripture is the written record of The Word and the foundation of our faith. The Word is God and translates into power, especially when the faithful follow The Word’s message.

Following The Word’s message can be challenging. The first scriptures were handwritten on scrolls that could not be reproduced in mass so each family could have their own copy. The scrolls were kept safe in the temple and read publically only during worship.

The Word has to have power to survive throughout history making the transition from oral to handwritten scrolls and finally into mass production. The Word also has power to spread from the tribes of the Israelites to homes circling the globe today. The Word is so powerful that it carries the message through the millenniums crossing the cultural and political boundaries.

Wordsmiths or, more academically, linguists continue to studyThe Word, carefully tracking the origin, preserving the message’s accuracy and translating the words into languages for each different culture. Such analytical work has maintained the power of The Word. The work is God-driven.

Consider the various titles that prophets used to identify Jesus: Messiah, Savior, and Redeemer.

  • Messiah (noun): 1. the promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people. 2. Jesus Christ, regarded by Christians as fulfilling this promise and expectation. John 4:25, 26. 3. (usually lowercase) any expected deliverer. 4. (usually lowercase) a zealous leader of some cause or project.
  • Savior(noun): 1. a person who saves, rescues, or delivers: the savior of the country. 2. (initial capital letter) a title of God, especially of Christ. 3. (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. an epithet of Artemis.
  • Redeemer (noun): 1. a person who redeems. 2. (initial capital letter) Jesus Christ.

 

These three terms are very similar but the connotative or emotional meanings demonstrate different ideas of how The Word demonstrates power.

Even King Herod knew about the prediction of “King of the Jews.” Clearly his perception was that a king would be a challenge to his own position or title. As a king, Herod was a political leader, and the news that a new King was born caused him to expect a challenge to his power. Look at the word king:

King: 1. a male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country and people. 2. (initial capital letter) God or Christ.

  1. a person or thing preeminent in its class: a king of actors.

 

These definitions place an entirely different understanding of Herod’s concern that a new king had been born. The Word has power even over a king.

Lectionary readings this week focused on the power The Word has on the lives of the faithful whether in the earliest days of creation to the current day in which we struggle to apply The Word in our personal setting. For this very reason, taking time to read and to study the scriptures is critical or the power of The Word is lost.

If we teach children that “sticks and stones may break bones, but words can never hurt me,” then we must teach and reteach ourselves The Word. The Word is a powerful defense to the innuendoes, the slurs, the name-calling, the false statements, the slander and even the ridicule that we sling at each other—even towards ourselves.

The Old Testament is filled with the stories of ancient people facing the very same problems we face today. The environment may not be the same as the ancient settlements along the Jordan River. Lifestyles, careers, communication, transportation and technology may be dramatically different today than when Jesus began sharing The Word.

All these differences today do not change the power of The Word. During the ancient times, the Scriptures were read during Temple and the listeners spent hours listening. They wanted to hear the Law read to them. Today society has changed the way The Word is heard, but the power is the same.

This week Martin Luther King’s speeches echoed along the air waves. His powerful words reflected God’s Word and have driven the dream to value each human equally is one of this country’s most constitutional ideas. The Word to love one another, even your enemies, is powerful.

And still, there are those who have not followed The Word. Many have not even been exposed to it. They live in different cultures, they are illiterate, or they simply are unchurched. The Word needs us to share the good news. As long as there is one person who does not know The Word, Christians—each one—is responsible to share the message of God, The Word. The Word is power, but the power must be sustained,

Today you are challenged to know The Word personally. Read The Word, listen to The Word, study the word, discuss The Word, and practice The Word. The Word is power but it must be activated.

Closing prayer

Dear God, Almighty,

The Word brought Jesus to us so many years ago;

But today The Word seems to be missing.

The Word is power that fuels so much good,

But today the bad seems to disconnect us from The Word.

The Word promises to power us with love,

But today love seems to be losing strength.

Send The Word to empower each one of us

So today we can fuel others with your love.

The Word is power that never runs dry,

So today fill us up so The Word burns brightly.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

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