13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -Psalm 139:13-14
What a perfect morning at South Mountain yesterday! 65 degrees, perfect shade of Carolina blue skies and recent rains had the waterfall looking particularly beautiful. Driving into the park, I saw a couple of deer grazing beside the road. I stopped to look and they just stood there looking back. It was peaceful and beautiful and the tips of the trees are just starting to show signs of autumn. Perfect!
Several weeks ago, I purchased some spa services from the Groupon web site (a site that offers discounts to use at local businesses). It was a gift to myself for some successful weight loss. However, I have found that each time I have the time to use it, I end up going hiking instead! Who'd have thought that I would prefer hiking to a massage and a facial!
But I have discovered something about myself through these solitary hikes. I have always known that I'm a bit of an introvert and I prefer the quiet to noise and busyness. And I've always felt that I have a more contemplative spirit. But these past several weeks of hiking in solitude have confirmed it beyond what I even supposed. I come back from my hikes feeling rejuvenated... physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
For years, I have been led to believe that being an extrovert is somehow "better" and have spent most of my life trying to become one. And I have learned to act enough like an extrovert that it often surprises people to find out that I am actually an introvert. But it is only acting. Spending a lot of time around a lot of people stresses me out. Not that I don't enjoy people... I do! But I also need plenty of time with just myself to balance it out.
I think what I have finally learned is that it is perfectly okay to be me. After all, that is who God created me to be. I will never be the person who strikes up conversations with strangers about Jesus. I will never be the person who knows that a caregiver could use some time off and just drop in on them to take over their duties. I will never be the hostess with the mostest. I will never be the most articulate person in a group prayer. I know people who are great at all those wonderful things, but it's not me and God doesn't expect me to be someone I am not.
What my contemplative nature does promote is doing things like this blog, or spending a little one-on-one time with someone who seeks out my council or advice, or share things I've learned through my reading and study. And I have learned to hear God speak to my heart during my times of quiet, contemplative prayer. I know a lot of extroverts who aren't quite as good at those things.
We are all so unique. We have to stop thinking that we need to be more like someone else and focus on the personality, gifts and talents that God has given us. Certainly we should try new things, but we should try them in our own unique style.
If everyone would embrace their true spiritual nature, the Body of Christ would be everything it is supposed to be.
Lord,
Help us to find who we really are instead of trying to be who the world thinks we should be. Help us to nurture our nature so that we can do great things in our unique style for you. Amen.
Joys: Grazing deer by the roadside; Cooler days of early fall; weekend
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Faith Watchers
Train yourself in godliness, for while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. -1 Timothy 4:7-8
I remember several years ago when Kevin was really into physical training. He lifted weights, ran, rode his bike, and worked for neighbors around the neighborhood doing physical outside labor for extra cash and the physical benefits it brought him. He was so proud to show off his strength and new look! And I enjoy watching him. I was very proud to see him succeed in what he set out to do. It takes a lot of self discipline and a strong desire to make those kinds of changes. You can’t just sit around and hope to have a better body… you have to work at it.
Likewise, you can’t just sit around and wait for the fruits of the Spirit to bloom within you. You have to work at it. You have to exercise each fruit as you would each muscle. Happily, our equipment doesn’t include weight benches, treadmills and stationary bikes… but a bible, other spiritual reading matter, weekly worship, prayer, giving and serving. Unfortunately, we have just as much of a tendency to let this equipment get dusty as we do the treadmill.
When we work on our bodies, we know how much it helps to be a part of a club or organization where we receive encouragement when we slide and pats on the back for a job well done. We need to be more intentional about doing the same for each other in our spiritual lives. That is what a faith community is all about… encouraging one another in our spiritual growth.
Maybe we should form a “Faith Watcher” group and develop a point system to follow each week. But, unlike Weightwatchers, in this case, points would be good! 5 points for every chapter of the Bible read… 5 points for every 15 minutes spent in prayer, 50 points for bringing an unchurched friend to church with you… etc. The benefit? Promise for this life and the life to come. Even Weightwatchers can only make promises for this life.
Lord God,
Thank you for faith community that encourages and supports one another in our daily spiritual walk. Help us to be faithful as we give that encouragement and support to others. Amen.
Joys: Watching Cecelia enjoy her "giant" cupcake; yummy "no noodles" lasagne; looking forward to my morning hike in this perfect weather
I remember several years ago when Kevin was really into physical training. He lifted weights, ran, rode his bike, and worked for neighbors around the neighborhood doing physical outside labor for extra cash and the physical benefits it brought him. He was so proud to show off his strength and new look! And I enjoy watching him. I was very proud to see him succeed in what he set out to do. It takes a lot of self discipline and a strong desire to make those kinds of changes. You can’t just sit around and hope to have a better body… you have to work at it.
Likewise, you can’t just sit around and wait for the fruits of the Spirit to bloom within you. You have to work at it. You have to exercise each fruit as you would each muscle. Happily, our equipment doesn’t include weight benches, treadmills and stationary bikes… but a bible, other spiritual reading matter, weekly worship, prayer, giving and serving. Unfortunately, we have just as much of a tendency to let this equipment get dusty as we do the treadmill.
When we work on our bodies, we know how much it helps to be a part of a club or organization where we receive encouragement when we slide and pats on the back for a job well done. We need to be more intentional about doing the same for each other in our spiritual lives. That is what a faith community is all about… encouraging one another in our spiritual growth.
Maybe we should form a “Faith Watcher” group and develop a point system to follow each week. But, unlike Weightwatchers, in this case, points would be good! 5 points for every chapter of the Bible read… 5 points for every 15 minutes spent in prayer, 50 points for bringing an unchurched friend to church with you… etc. The benefit? Promise for this life and the life to come. Even Weightwatchers can only make promises for this life.
Lord God,
Thank you for faith community that encourages and supports one another in our daily spiritual walk. Help us to be faithful as we give that encouragement and support to others. Amen.
Joys: Watching Cecelia enjoy her "giant" cupcake; yummy "no noodles" lasagne; looking forward to my morning hike in this perfect weather
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
God's Beauty Pageant of Nature
I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.-Deuteronomy 11:14
I think Fall is the most amazing season of the year. Nature is beginning to go into hibernation. But it sure doesn't go quietly! First there is a burst of Fall wild flowers... and they are the flowers with the deepest colors... dark gold and brown asters and deep blue lavender. But if that's not enough, God astonishes us with the annual leaf extravaganza of color. There is nowhere on earth like the North Carolina mountains in the Autumn. Gorgeous!
But why? Wouldn't it all work out just as well if the leaves simply dropped to the ground without turning color? Why would flowers need to bloom so late in the year? They won't last very long... what is the purpose?
As someone who spent most of her childhood and youth in South Florida where the seasons don't change much, I see this final burst of beauty as having only one purpose. It is an extravagant gift of God only for the purpose of bringing joy to his children.
I love the changes of both Spring and Autumn, but it is the beauty of a mountainside of trees dressed in red, gold and orange that makes me gasp out loud in awe. I know that some dreary winter days of cold, rainy weather on bare trees and brown grass are coming, but I don't mind so much when it is preceded by the wonder of God's beauty pageant of nature.
Father,
Thank you for the wonders of every season, but thank you for showing us that there is even beauty in death. We praise you that we know that in a few months all that has died will be resurrected in the Spring when all the earth comes alive again. Amen.
Joys: hearing how much Cecelia enjoyed her first day at day care; finally receiving my certified copy of my birth certificate (you have no idea how hard it is to get from another country these days!); Lunch with a friend
I think Fall is the most amazing season of the year. Nature is beginning to go into hibernation. But it sure doesn't go quietly! First there is a burst of Fall wild flowers... and they are the flowers with the deepest colors... dark gold and brown asters and deep blue lavender. But if that's not enough, God astonishes us with the annual leaf extravaganza of color. There is nowhere on earth like the North Carolina mountains in the Autumn. Gorgeous!
But why? Wouldn't it all work out just as well if the leaves simply dropped to the ground without turning color? Why would flowers need to bloom so late in the year? They won't last very long... what is the purpose?
As someone who spent most of her childhood and youth in South Florida where the seasons don't change much, I see this final burst of beauty as having only one purpose. It is an extravagant gift of God only for the purpose of bringing joy to his children.
I love the changes of both Spring and Autumn, but it is the beauty of a mountainside of trees dressed in red, gold and orange that makes me gasp out loud in awe. I know that some dreary winter days of cold, rainy weather on bare trees and brown grass are coming, but I don't mind so much when it is preceded by the wonder of God's beauty pageant of nature.
Father,
Thank you for the wonders of every season, but thank you for showing us that there is even beauty in death. We praise you that we know that in a few months all that has died will be resurrected in the Spring when all the earth comes alive again. Amen.
Joys: hearing how much Cecelia enjoyed her first day at day care; finally receiving my certified copy of my birth certificate (you have no idea how hard it is to get from another country these days!); Lunch with a friend
Monday, September 26, 2011
No's Into Yeses
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go.-Matthew 21:28-29
I read/heard two different perspectives about yesterday's gospel story about the two brothers whose father asked them to go into the field and work. One said "yes" but didn't and one said "no" but did.
The first perspective was from a daily devotional I receive in my email. It talked about how we say "yes" in church each week, but then walk out the church doors and back to our everyday life of "no." It made me feel guilty. It made me feel like I will never measure up in God's eyes.
The other perspective was in the sermon from Pastor Chad. He told us that it is God who works through our honest "no" to make it a "yes." He reiterated that our good works don't come from us, but from God working through us to will it and provide the tools and the gifts and talents and opportunities. It made me feel like all things really are possible with God... that he can even take my mostly self-centered life and use it to serve others even when I think I can't.
Judgment/Grace. It's there in every passage of the Bible. We can choose to see it either way. Some would call the grace perspective the "feel good" perspective. But I think it is the "God is in control" perspective. Judgement is the "I am in control" perspective.
Left to our own devices, we would deserve nothing but harsh judgment and all the guilt that comes with it. But when we give our lives to God, we literally do just that. God works through us in ways we could never accomplish on our own. Even when we say "no," God is working in us and in the world around us to turn it into a "yes" and our lives are never the same.
Father,
On my own I can only say "no." Thank you for turning my no's into yeses that I may experience more abundant life. Amen.
Joys: the grace perspective; a fun weekend with my granddaughter; morning yoga in a quiet house
I read/heard two different perspectives about yesterday's gospel story about the two brothers whose father asked them to go into the field and work. One said "yes" but didn't and one said "no" but did.
The first perspective was from a daily devotional I receive in my email. It talked about how we say "yes" in church each week, but then walk out the church doors and back to our everyday life of "no." It made me feel guilty. It made me feel like I will never measure up in God's eyes.
The other perspective was in the sermon from Pastor Chad. He told us that it is God who works through our honest "no" to make it a "yes." He reiterated that our good works don't come from us, but from God working through us to will it and provide the tools and the gifts and talents and opportunities. It made me feel like all things really are possible with God... that he can even take my mostly self-centered life and use it to serve others even when I think I can't.
Judgment/Grace. It's there in every passage of the Bible. We can choose to see it either way. Some would call the grace perspective the "feel good" perspective. But I think it is the "God is in control" perspective. Judgement is the "I am in control" perspective.
Left to our own devices, we would deserve nothing but harsh judgment and all the guilt that comes with it. But when we give our lives to God, we literally do just that. God works through us in ways we could never accomplish on our own. Even when we say "no," God is working in us and in the world around us to turn it into a "yes" and our lives are never the same.
Father,
On my own I can only say "no." Thank you for turning my no's into yeses that I may experience more abundant life. Amen.
Joys: the grace perspective; a fun weekend with my granddaughter; morning yoga in a quiet house
Friday, September 23, 2011
Real Joy
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”-Hebrews 1:9Have you ever noticed that when we are studying a certain aspect of our faith, reinforcement seems to come from everywhere? Bible studies on the subject arise from places we hadn't considered before. Pertinent scripture pops up in unrelated devotions, or in normally secular places like billboards or television shows. Sometimes we'll even read adages from other religions or from ancient philosophers that back up our studies.
As you probably know if you have been reading my devotions, I have been studying gratitude or "eucharisteo" - a worshipful thankfulness that helps us to see God's hand in everything, everywhere, all the time. Yesterday this reflection popped up on my Facebook page from a sight I "like":
Words to reflect upon: Gratitude is the sweet song of appreciation & can turn any experience into a gift, if we are willing to receive it.This practice is more than just "looking on the bright side" of a bad situation. It is the ability to never look at a situation as "bad" in the first place, but to find the gift and blessing and opportunity in everything. It's not that we will never grieve or be angry or depressed. God gave us emotions and we should not be ashamed to feel them. They are part of the process of opening an unexpected gift.
When we learn how to have "eucharisteo" in all circumstances, even though we might be grieving or angry or depressed we will also feel something else at the same time... joy. A deep-down-settled-in-your-soul joy that cannot be taken away by mere emotions.
We usually think of "joy" as a synonym for "happiness," but real joy is not an emotion. Real joy is a state of a soul cradled in faith in, and gratitude to, God. If we have real joy, it cannot be taken from us. It cannot simply disappear.
We should, however, try to stay in touch with it. We can ignore our joy with selfishness or ingratitude, or overshadow it with worry or stress. But we can always renew it when we are willing to receive all of life as a gift and a blessing and an opportunity to see God.
Father,
Help us to see your hand at work in every corner of our lives and in every corner of the world. Amen.
Joys: The first day of Autumn and looking forward to seeing the changes nature will bring in the next several weeks; my favorite (large-size) coffee mug filled with steaming, aromatic coffee; looking forward to a weekend with Cecelia
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Arguing With God
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”-Genesis 18:27-28
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”-Exodus 32:30-32
I raised two boys and they were very, very different. Richard and I had to use two different parenting styles. Daniel was always ready and willing to do what he was told. If he did something wrong, all it took was "the look" to get him back on track. Kevin, however, argued about absolutely everything. It didn't take long for me and Richard to figure out that we should let Kevin argue us into what we were going to do anyway. A little "reverse psychology, if you will. Of course we had to be on our toes and see the argument coming. We weren't always able to head him off. But when we did, It was beneficial in a couple of ways. It made life a little less stressful around the House of Hayes, plus Kevin had the opportunity to reason out why things were being done the way Richard and I did them.
When we read these stories in the Bible, do we really think that Abraham or Moses are "winning" arguments with God? ...Like they have come up with some fresh ideas that God hadn't already thought of? Yeah, right. Where do you think I got my parenting idea for raising Kevin?
I think God has pretty much made up his mind about how things are going to be and I don't think God is going to take "no" for an answer. I don't think any of our theological arguments are going to make a difference either. And I certainly don't think we are going to come up with anything in an argument that God hasn't already taken into consideration.
Just like worship and prayer, our arguments with God are beneficial to us, not God. Worship teaches us to revere God. Prayer keeps us connected to God. Arguing with God helps us to understand (if only a little) why God does things the way he does them.
Certainly we make our own choices, and we can say "no" to God in the short term (to our own detriment), but God will have his way in the grand scheme of things. In terms of eternity, in a way we cannot quite grasp, God has already succeeded in his plans.
Go ahead and argue! God encourages it. He knows it's a great way for us to increase our understanding.
Father,
Thank you for understanding when we argue with you out of frustration or lack of seeing your plan. Help us to trust you more. Amen.
Joys: Being at home with no place to go on a rainy day; Donald Duck- my favorite Disney character - and having Cecelia as my excuse to watch; photos and videos shared on Facebook by far-away family
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”-Exodus 32:30-32
I raised two boys and they were very, very different. Richard and I had to use two different parenting styles. Daniel was always ready and willing to do what he was told. If he did something wrong, all it took was "the look" to get him back on track. Kevin, however, argued about absolutely everything. It didn't take long for me and Richard to figure out that we should let Kevin argue us into what we were going to do anyway. A little "reverse psychology, if you will. Of course we had to be on our toes and see the argument coming. We weren't always able to head him off. But when we did, It was beneficial in a couple of ways. It made life a little less stressful around the House of Hayes, plus Kevin had the opportunity to reason out why things were being done the way Richard and I did them.
When we read these stories in the Bible, do we really think that Abraham or Moses are "winning" arguments with God? ...Like they have come up with some fresh ideas that God hadn't already thought of? Yeah, right. Where do you think I got my parenting idea for raising Kevin?
I think God has pretty much made up his mind about how things are going to be and I don't think God is going to take "no" for an answer. I don't think any of our theological arguments are going to make a difference either. And I certainly don't think we are going to come up with anything in an argument that God hasn't already taken into consideration.
Just like worship and prayer, our arguments with God are beneficial to us, not God. Worship teaches us to revere God. Prayer keeps us connected to God. Arguing with God helps us to understand (if only a little) why God does things the way he does them.
Certainly we make our own choices, and we can say "no" to God in the short term (to our own detriment), but God will have his way in the grand scheme of things. In terms of eternity, in a way we cannot quite grasp, God has already succeeded in his plans.
Go ahead and argue! God encourages it. He knows it's a great way for us to increase our understanding.
Father,
Thank you for understanding when we argue with you out of frustration or lack of seeing your plan. Help us to trust you more. Amen.
Joys: Being at home with no place to go on a rainy day; Donald Duck- my favorite Disney character - and having Cecelia as my excuse to watch; photos and videos shared on Facebook by far-away family
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Joy Well
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. -Genesis 21:15-16, 19
Do you remember the story of Hagar? She was Sarah's handmaid given to Abraham to bear the child Sarah thought she couldn't have. Hagar bore Ishmael, but when Sarah became a mother to Isaac, she became jealous of Hagar and Ishmael and had Abraham send them away. On their journey they ran out of provisions and they were ready to die from thirst when God opened Hagar's eyes to a nearby well.
Isn't that the way we are today? God's blessings are always close at hand, but we just don't see them. Perhaps we've forgotten to trust God to provide, or we just aren't looking. Or maybe we are looking for the wrong thing.
We tend to have very definite ideas of what we "need" in life, so those are the things we pray for and those are the only things we expect to see when we look for the answers to our prayers. But often what we think we need and what God knows we need are two entirely different things. So we believe we are going to die of thirst when the well is only a few feet away. The water we are really thirsting for is always joy. And the well that is always at hand is filled with this joy water.
So even if the gift doesn't come looking the way we expect it to look, receive it with thanksgiving and gladness and you will find what your heart is truly seeking... joy.
Father,
Open our eyes to the joy well at hand. May we accept it with thanksgiving. Amen.
Joys: the sound of busy activity of family around the house; taking Cecelia for breakfast at Waffle House and the smiles in the room as she sang (in typical loud 2-year-old fashion), "Waffle House, Waffle House, how I love the Waffle House!"; forgiveness (completely forgot to show up for my annual paid staff review!!!)
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. -Genesis 21:15-16, 19
Do you remember the story of Hagar? She was Sarah's handmaid given to Abraham to bear the child Sarah thought she couldn't have. Hagar bore Ishmael, but when Sarah became a mother to Isaac, she became jealous of Hagar and Ishmael and had Abraham send them away. On their journey they ran out of provisions and they were ready to die from thirst when God opened Hagar's eyes to a nearby well.
Isn't that the way we are today? God's blessings are always close at hand, but we just don't see them. Perhaps we've forgotten to trust God to provide, or we just aren't looking. Or maybe we are looking for the wrong thing.
We tend to have very definite ideas of what we "need" in life, so those are the things we pray for and those are the only things we expect to see when we look for the answers to our prayers. But often what we think we need and what God knows we need are two entirely different things. So we believe we are going to die of thirst when the well is only a few feet away. The water we are really thirsting for is always joy. And the well that is always at hand is filled with this joy water.
So even if the gift doesn't come looking the way we expect it to look, receive it with thanksgiving and gladness and you will find what your heart is truly seeking... joy.
Father,
Open our eyes to the joy well at hand. May we accept it with thanksgiving. Amen.
Joys: the sound of busy activity of family around the house; taking Cecelia for breakfast at Waffle House and the smiles in the room as she sang (in typical loud 2-year-old fashion), "Waffle House, Waffle House, how I love the Waffle House!"; forgiveness (completely forgot to show up for my annual paid staff review!!!)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Greatest of These
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.-1 Corinthians 13:13
The other day I re-watched one of my favorite movies: "A Beautiful Mind." The movie is based on the biography of John Nash, a Nobel prize winner in the field of mathematics. He was a genius but fought the disease of paranoid schizophrenia. Since the drugs for his condition would not allow him to use his brain, he decided to fight the disease only with his own mind. He eventually learns to ignore his delusions. He goes back to work at Princeton University, but it takes him a while to be accepted by students and colleagues. Near the end are some very touching scenes showing students beginning to seek him out as a teacher and mentor and his colleagues showing acceptance and respect.
In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, John Nash says:
If we had met a crazy old person like John Nash on the street, most of us would never believe that he had anything of value to share with the world. But his mathematical theories are used in a wide range of areas from accounting to artificial intelligence to military theory.
How many gifts has the world missed because we were not willing to love enough to listen? How much better might our lives be today if we loved and respected those who seemed a little "too" different? What if we all took the risk to love the seemingly unlovable? The social outcasts of the world might just be our greatest untapped resource.
Yes, we need to have faith and we need to have hope. But St. Paul was right... the greatest of these is love.
Father,
It is easy for us to say that we should love one another, but so much harder to do, especially when we meet someone who very different and we don't understand. Help us to look beneath the surface and love because you love and love as we are loved. Amen.
Joys: Listening to a couple different people reflect on their recent spiritual retreats; homemade soup; good movies
The other day I re-watched one of my favorite movies: "A Beautiful Mind." The movie is based on the biography of John Nash, a Nobel prize winner in the field of mathematics. He was a genius but fought the disease of paranoid schizophrenia. Since the drugs for his condition would not allow him to use his brain, he decided to fight the disease only with his own mind. He eventually learns to ignore his delusions. He goes back to work at Princeton University, but it takes him a while to be accepted by students and colleagues. Near the end are some very touching scenes showing students beginning to seek him out as a teacher and mentor and his colleagues showing acceptance and respect.
In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, John Nash says:
I've always believed in numbers and the equations and logics that lead to reason. But after a lifetime of these pursuits I ask, what truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me through the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional, and back. And I have made the most important discovery of my career; the most important discovery of my life: it is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logical reasons can be found. I’m only here tonight because of you. You are the reason I am. You are all my reasons. Thank you.St. Paul said it best when he said that without love we are only clanging symbols. Our lives, our work, our words mean absolutely nothing if we don't both give and receive love. Not just the kind of love we have for our family, but the love that gives us respect and admiration for other people no matter how different or "strange" they might appear to us. We don't know the battles others are fighting. We don't know the baggage they carry.
If we had met a crazy old person like John Nash on the street, most of us would never believe that he had anything of value to share with the world. But his mathematical theories are used in a wide range of areas from accounting to artificial intelligence to military theory.
How many gifts has the world missed because we were not willing to love enough to listen? How much better might our lives be today if we loved and respected those who seemed a little "too" different? What if we all took the risk to love the seemingly unlovable? The social outcasts of the world might just be our greatest untapped resource.
Yes, we need to have faith and we need to have hope. But St. Paul was right... the greatest of these is love.
Father,
It is easy for us to say that we should love one another, but so much harder to do, especially when we meet someone who very different and we don't understand. Help us to look beneath the surface and love because you love and love as we are loved. Amen.
Joys: Listening to a couple different people reflect on their recent spiritual retreats; homemade soup; good movies
Monday, September 19, 2011
Miracle Water
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”-John 4:9-15
I read a FaceBook post this morning about someone who couldn't believe a program she was watching that was hawking a product called "Miracle Water." It got me curious, so I Googled it. Unbelievable. This video is about 7 minutes long... I couldn't even force myself to watch the whole thing, but try to catch a few minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhWT7-OIGM8&NR=1
Granted, they are offering the water for free, but can you imagine getting on their calling and mailing list? And if you are gullible enough to think this water has magic properties, they will probably be able to fleece you of your life savings in no time. I am not an advocate of judgment and hell preaching, and I suppose God's grace extends even to people such as these, but deep down, I like to think that there is a special corner of hell reserved for those who take advantage of others in the name of religion.
There is a kind of miracle water though. If you are a Christian, you have probably been drenched in the refreshing waters of baptism. Whether as an infant, child or adult, that water (combined with the Word of God) has miracle properties. It cleanses us, refreshes us and brings us into the family of God.
And then there is the living water that Jesus spoke of when he met the Samaritan woman at the well when he said :
Yes, water IS important to our faith. And once baptized, we need to "walk wet" all the days of our lives. And we need to keep going back to the font to re-wet our cross. Dear friends, I doubt anyone reading this could get sucked into the kind of nonsense spouted by Peter Popoff and his ilk, but remember that there is a kind of miracle in water... there is the miracle of remembering your baptism each time the rain falls, or each time you take a shower. You can remember God's promises as you look on the scene of a beautiful water fall or stand amazed at the power of the ocean. And don't miss the opportunity to get your cross wet the next time you are near the baptismal font.
Father,
I pray for those fall victim to those who use your name only as a means to get rich. Lead them to your absolutely free truth. Amen.
Joys: Fun day in Asheville with Richard Saturday; yummy lunch out Sunday at a Thai restaurant; Kevin bringing his girlfriend to church for her first Lutheran experience
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”-John 4:9-15
I read a FaceBook post this morning about someone who couldn't believe a program she was watching that was hawking a product called "Miracle Water." It got me curious, so I Googled it. Unbelievable. This video is about 7 minutes long... I couldn't even force myself to watch the whole thing, but try to catch a few minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhWT7-OIGM8&NR=1
Granted, they are offering the water for free, but can you imagine getting on their calling and mailing list? And if you are gullible enough to think this water has magic properties, they will probably be able to fleece you of your life savings in no time. I am not an advocate of judgment and hell preaching, and I suppose God's grace extends even to people such as these, but deep down, I like to think that there is a special corner of hell reserved for those who take advantage of others in the name of religion.
There is a kind of miracle water though. If you are a Christian, you have probably been drenched in the refreshing waters of baptism. Whether as an infant, child or adult, that water (combined with the Word of God) has miracle properties. It cleanses us, refreshes us and brings us into the family of God.
And then there is the living water that Jesus spoke of when he met the Samaritan woman at the well when he said :
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)There is a lot of symbolism in water that makes us think about our faith. I love the story of the little girl who regularly attended church with her parents. She would often watch people dip their fingers in the baptismal bowl and make the sign of the cross on their foreheads before communion. During one service she impulsively ran up to the font to do it for herself. When her mother asked why she did that, she explained, "I needed to get my cross wet."
Yes, water IS important to our faith. And once baptized, we need to "walk wet" all the days of our lives. And we need to keep going back to the font to re-wet our cross. Dear friends, I doubt anyone reading this could get sucked into the kind of nonsense spouted by Peter Popoff and his ilk, but remember that there is a kind of miracle in water... there is the miracle of remembering your baptism each time the rain falls, or each time you take a shower. You can remember God's promises as you look on the scene of a beautiful water fall or stand amazed at the power of the ocean. And don't miss the opportunity to get your cross wet the next time you are near the baptismal font.
Father,
I pray for those fall victim to those who use your name only as a means to get rich. Lead them to your absolutely free truth. Amen.
Joys: Fun day in Asheville with Richard Saturday; yummy lunch out Sunday at a Thai restaurant; Kevin bringing his girlfriend to church for her first Lutheran experience
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -Psalm 139:13:14
I haven't watched a beauty pageant since I was a little girl, but some news from the recent Miss Universe pageant caught my eye. Leila Lopes from Angola won the crown. Remember those questions that were asked toward the end of the contest that were supposed to test the poise of the contestants? Well, this came from that part of the show:
There is a billion-dollar industry based on the lie that we are NOT "fearfully and wonderfully made." Most of us are extremely dissatisfied with our appearance. So we diet, work out, apply makeup, spend thousands of dollars on fashionable clothes, put permanent art work on our skin, poke holes in our ears as well as some of the most unlikely places so we can stick shiny stones or metals in them, wear jewelry, inject poison under our skin and even get surgically altered.
I think Miss Lopes hit on something important though. I think the youth and beauty industry has a pretty easy time of convincing us to spend our money on their wares because deep down inside, we think the outward beauty will in turn bring us inner beauty. If we feel beautiful on the outside, we believe that all of our insecurities and psychological flaws will evaporate.
But experience shows that it works completely oppositely. The more we perfect our inner beauty, the more physically beautiful we appear. We have all known people who when we first see them don't seem particularly attractive, but once we got to know them they seem beautiful... that's what our inner beauty does for us.
We can undergo a complete beauty transformation just by being a more godly person... and it's so much cheaper and safer than surgery! Trust that you are indeed both "fearfully AND wonderfully made." Let your inner beauty shine through!
Father,
We know that true beauty really has nothing to do with wrinkles, cellulite or acne, but with how we treat one another. Help us to focus at least as much energy on our inner beauty as we do our outward appearance. Amen.
Joys: Open window weather; lunch with a friend; Saturday
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -Psalm 139:13:14
I haven't watched a beauty pageant since I was a little girl, but some news from the recent Miss Universe pageant caught my eye. Leila Lopes from Angola won the crown. Remember those questions that were asked toward the end of the contest that were supposed to test the poise of the contestants? Well, this came from that part of the show:
"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said, responding to the question of what part of her body she'd change. "I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."Admittedly, this is not an amazing answer from someone who is young, thin and naturally gorgeous. But in 30 years and after a baby or two, that all will change. But the inner beauty can last a lifetime.
There is a billion-dollar industry based on the lie that we are NOT "fearfully and wonderfully made." Most of us are extremely dissatisfied with our appearance. So we diet, work out, apply makeup, spend thousands of dollars on fashionable clothes, put permanent art work on our skin, poke holes in our ears as well as some of the most unlikely places so we can stick shiny stones or metals in them, wear jewelry, inject poison under our skin and even get surgically altered.
I think Miss Lopes hit on something important though. I think the youth and beauty industry has a pretty easy time of convincing us to spend our money on their wares because deep down inside, we think the outward beauty will in turn bring us inner beauty. If we feel beautiful on the outside, we believe that all of our insecurities and psychological flaws will evaporate.
But experience shows that it works completely oppositely. The more we perfect our inner beauty, the more physically beautiful we appear. We have all known people who when we first see them don't seem particularly attractive, but once we got to know them they seem beautiful... that's what our inner beauty does for us.
We can undergo a complete beauty transformation just by being a more godly person... and it's so much cheaper and safer than surgery! Trust that you are indeed both "fearfully AND wonderfully made." Let your inner beauty shine through!
Father,
We know that true beauty really has nothing to do with wrinkles, cellulite or acne, but with how we treat one another. Help us to focus at least as much energy on our inner beauty as we do our outward appearance. Amen.
Joys: Open window weather; lunch with a friend; Saturday
Friday, September 16, 2011
!!!
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.-Psalm 77:14
If I had helped to write the Bible, there would probably be a whole lot more exclamation points in it! Like "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (!!!)" or, "God gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (!!!)" or "Jesus turned and saw her and said, 'Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed at that moment (!!!)
Or what about when Jesus turned the water into wine (!!!) or when he walked on the water (!!!) or when he fed the 4,000 (!!!)? It seems the miracles usually came without a lot of fanfare.
I think that's why we often fail to recognize the miracles in our own lives. We don't hear the drum roll or the trumpets or see the fireworks displays that we think should precede them. But think about some of the miracles we've found in our lives... they are usually very quiet moments: the second scan comes back clear; after years of trying, the pregnancy test stick turns blue; the answering machine holds the offer of that job we wanted so badly; the college acceptance letter is found among the pile of rejections.
The miracles just happen. Just like in the Bible. No drum rolls. No fireworks. No exclamation points. No advance notice. They often come after you've stopped hoping. Stopped waiting and wishing. And suddenly there it is in your lap. And because it happens that way, we think of these wondrous miracles as just "a turn of events" and we don't even put our own exclamation points to them and we forget to give thanks.
Where do the exclamation points belong in the story of your life?
Lord God,
We are people who expect flash and fanfare with miracles. Help us with our perspective. Teach us to to see the quiet miracles in our lives. Amen.
Joys: A grandchild who came into my life at just the right time (!!!); a job I love (!!!); the way things just seem to "work out" when I'm worried about family finances (!!!)
If I had helped to write the Bible, there would probably be a whole lot more exclamation points in it! Like "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (!!!)" or, "God gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (!!!)" or "Jesus turned and saw her and said, 'Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed at that moment (!!!)
Or what about when Jesus turned the water into wine (!!!) or when he walked on the water (!!!) or when he fed the 4,000 (!!!)? It seems the miracles usually came without a lot of fanfare.
I think that's why we often fail to recognize the miracles in our own lives. We don't hear the drum roll or the trumpets or see the fireworks displays that we think should precede them. But think about some of the miracles we've found in our lives... they are usually very quiet moments: the second scan comes back clear; after years of trying, the pregnancy test stick turns blue; the answering machine holds the offer of that job we wanted so badly; the college acceptance letter is found among the pile of rejections.
The miracles just happen. Just like in the Bible. No drum rolls. No fireworks. No exclamation points. No advance notice. They often come after you've stopped hoping. Stopped waiting and wishing. And suddenly there it is in your lap. And because it happens that way, we think of these wondrous miracles as just "a turn of events" and we don't even put our own exclamation points to them and we forget to give thanks.
Where do the exclamation points belong in the story of your life?
Lord God,
We are people who expect flash and fanfare with miracles. Help us with our perspective. Teach us to to see the quiet miracles in our lives. Amen.
Joys: A grandchild who came into my life at just the right time (!!!); a job I love (!!!); the way things just seem to "work out" when I'm worried about family finances (!!!)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Helping Those We Don't Know
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”-Luke 10:29
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan. If you need a review, read Luke 10:25-37 I think most of us would like to think that we'd react the way the good Samaritan did... certainly not the way the priest or the Levite did. I mean, can you imagine, not getting involved because you're on your way to church?!
But would we really act out of pure concern for another human being? When we give, a lot of us want to know things about the person or people who are receiving. Will they appreciate it? Will they use it to buy alcohol or cigarettes? Are they getting more than their fair share of help... or do they just "work" the system? Are they truthful about their needs? Are they in this country legally? Are they able-bodied enough to help themselves?
And what will we get out of the deal? Recognition? A tax write-off? The approval of our peers? A feeling of superiority... over those we help and over those who aren't as "good" as we are?
If we think about it, we might find that we put a lot of conditions on helping strangers. The Good Samaritan knew nothing about the person he helped. For all he knew, the man may have been the original attacker and thief who picked on the wrong person.
John Dancoff shared a YouTube video that I'd like to share with you here. It's about 10 minutes long but it is really worth the time. I promise, you have never seen this done before. It took place at Firestone Wesleyan Church in Gastonia. Please watch it before you read the rest of the devotion....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtxHFmx3QE
One of my first thoughts after watching this was: It sure would have been more powerful if the delivery guy had broken down and told them that he needed exactly that much money to pay his rent by that evening or he and his wife and baby would have been evicted. But, you know, the pastor was right. If this person is delivering pizza, chances are, he really could use a few extra bucks. Maybe it wasn't a life or death need... maybe it just means he doesn't have to sweat out where his next tank of gas is coming from or he can take his girlfriend out for a nice dinner.
God wants us to be "one" with one another. He wants us to rejoice when another rejoices and grieve when others grieve. He wants another's problem to be our own problem. He doesn't want us to pick and choose based on how deserving people are of our help.
No, we can't help everyone, especially in these days of tremendous need. But occasionally, someone crosses our path and we hear the Holy Spirit telling us that this is our moment to be the Good Samaritan and to never mind asking question, and don't worry about being late for church... just help.
Lord Jesus,
Help us to put those things you have taught us into practical use. Tune our hearts to hear the Holy Spirit speak. Amen.
Joys: Cecelia telling me I'm her "best friend"; silly Veggie Tales songs; sermons that create lasting impressions
We all know the story of the Good Samaritan. If you need a review, read Luke 10:25-37 I think most of us would like to think that we'd react the way the good Samaritan did... certainly not the way the priest or the Levite did. I mean, can you imagine, not getting involved because you're on your way to church?!
But would we really act out of pure concern for another human being? When we give, a lot of us want to know things about the person or people who are receiving. Will they appreciate it? Will they use it to buy alcohol or cigarettes? Are they getting more than their fair share of help... or do they just "work" the system? Are they truthful about their needs? Are they in this country legally? Are they able-bodied enough to help themselves?
And what will we get out of the deal? Recognition? A tax write-off? The approval of our peers? A feeling of superiority... over those we help and over those who aren't as "good" as we are?
If we think about it, we might find that we put a lot of conditions on helping strangers. The Good Samaritan knew nothing about the person he helped. For all he knew, the man may have been the original attacker and thief who picked on the wrong person.
John Dancoff shared a YouTube video that I'd like to share with you here. It's about 10 minutes long but it is really worth the time. I promise, you have never seen this done before. It took place at Firestone Wesleyan Church in Gastonia. Please watch it before you read the rest of the devotion....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtxHFmx3QE
One of my first thoughts after watching this was: It sure would have been more powerful if the delivery guy had broken down and told them that he needed exactly that much money to pay his rent by that evening or he and his wife and baby would have been evicted. But, you know, the pastor was right. If this person is delivering pizza, chances are, he really could use a few extra bucks. Maybe it wasn't a life or death need... maybe it just means he doesn't have to sweat out where his next tank of gas is coming from or he can take his girlfriend out for a nice dinner.
God wants us to be "one" with one another. He wants us to rejoice when another rejoices and grieve when others grieve. He wants another's problem to be our own problem. He doesn't want us to pick and choose based on how deserving people are of our help.
No, we can't help everyone, especially in these days of tremendous need. But occasionally, someone crosses our path and we hear the Holy Spirit telling us that this is our moment to be the Good Samaritan and to never mind asking question, and don't worry about being late for church... just help.
Lord Jesus,
Help us to put those things you have taught us into practical use. Tune our hearts to hear the Holy Spirit speak. Amen.
Joys: Cecelia telling me I'm her "best friend"; silly Veggie Tales songs; sermons that create lasting impressions
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Spiritual Senses
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?-2 Corinthians 2:14-16
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good-Psalm 34:8
29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.-Revelation 2:29
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. –Hebrews 11:3
Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. –Luke 6:19-20
Our faith employs all ten of our senses. Ten??? Well, okay, there are only five senses in one "sense." But in another "sense" we really have ten. There is sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. But for each one of these physical senses, we also have a spiritual sense.
When Kevin was a little boy he once asked me how I knew God was real. I asked him how he knew I was real and he said because he could see me and touch me and hear me. I told him that he could use his physical senses to know I was real because I am a physical being. But since God is a spiritual being, we must use our physical senses... the eyes of our heart... the fingers of our soul. We taste his goodness during communion and we "hear" the Holy Spirit's guidance in our hearts. And as God's children, we even carry the aroma of Christ everywhere we go.
Using our spiritual senses takes practice, but they are as real as our physical senses. They make us as sure of the the spiritual realm as we are of the physical world. Have you ever "felt" someone praying for you? Have you ever "smelled the aroma" of Jesus on someone who was there for you when you were in distress? Have you ever "seen" Christ in the midst of a community coming together in the wake of a natural disaster?
We just need to pay attention. We can see, hear, taste, feel and smell God all over this world if we only take the time to watch, listen, partake, touch and sniff with the senses of our souls.
Lord,
We want to see you. Help us to use our spiritual senses to know you are present here with us. Amen.
Joys: Sharing a breakfast smoothie with Cecelia this morning; little girls in pajamas; the scent of Autumn in the air on my mountain hike yesterday
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Unique Discernment
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”-Matthew 20:16
From a blog from the Living Lutheran website:
When we discover how to answer our call... however that is... we will find joy in our life; whether we are to die young as a martyr or live a long life surrounded by family we will have found joy in the call and a full and abundant life. It is not what we do, but how we do it and the attitude in which we do it.
Father,
Help us to rightly discern our call so that we may serve you and one another with joy and receive abundant life. Amen.
Joys: the rush of nostalgia from my childhood from the taste of concord grapes; cool late summer mornings; looking forward to a morning hike
From a blog from the Living Lutheran website:
In the book, “The Song of the Bird,” Anthony deMello writes:
Our calls are so different. We can even hear the same call from God and interpret it differently. And yet we can all have the "right" answer. We should not be comparing ourselves to others. We are created so uniquely! Not all of us have the gifts and temperament to go off to foreign soil and live our lives serving the poorest of the poor. But all of us can still love our neighbor in whatever ways God created us to do so.Two brothers heard God’s call to love their neighbor. The older brother went away to serve the poorest of the poor. When a persecution arose he was tortured and put to death. In heaven, God said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord.”The younger brother stayed home, raised a family and raked his neighbors’ leaves or plowed their snow. He died full of years surrounded by his family. God said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord.”The older brother observed this and said to God, “If I had it to do all over again, I would still have lived my life just the same for you.”
When we discover how to answer our call... however that is... we will find joy in our life; whether we are to die young as a martyr or live a long life surrounded by family we will have found joy in the call and a full and abundant life. It is not what we do, but how we do it and the attitude in which we do it.
Father,
Help us to rightly discern our call so that we may serve you and one another with joy and receive abundant life. Amen.
Joys: the rush of nostalgia from my childhood from the taste of concord grapes; cool late summer mornings; looking forward to a morning hike
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Work of the Church
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.-Mark 10:45
At my church committee meeting yesterday (Finance committee... ughhhh!) we had a visitor from the NC Synod of the ELCA. It's been a rough couple of years for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and now that the dust is beginning to settle, our local Synod is working to communicate better with the individual churches, sending representatives to speak to church leaders to find out what we need and let us also know what their needs are.
Our visitor last night told us about something new that the Synod was going to do at next summer's NC Synod Assembly. The Assembly is a gathering of appointed lay delegates and clergy from each church in the Synod that meets to vote on issues and make policies for the church body as well as voice opinions on issues that will be voted on at the national assembly. The 3-day gathering is normally filled with business, workshops, speakers and worship.
I've been to a couple of these and I have really enjoyed the worship. Some of the workshops have been interesting and the speakers can be inspiring. And if there are any hot issues, the pre-voting conversation can be "rousing" ;) . But it can also get pretty boring.
Last night, our Synod guest told us that next year they were going to do away with the key-note speaker. Instead, they are going to spend Saturday morning serving the local neighborhood! They will be wearing colorful shirts proclaiming that they are from the ELCA church and will be getting their hands dirty in soup kitchens, at Habitat Houses, and doing a variety of other things in the area that need volunteers. The delegates and clergy as well as anyone else from their churches who would like to help will be doing the work of the Church instead of listening to a key-note speaker telling us that we OUGHT to be doing the work of the Church. How refreshing is that?!
We should all take a lesson... It's time to stop talking about what we OUGHT to be doing and just do it!
Lord Jesus,
You came to teach us how to live and you did it by example. Help us to teach the world by example instead of just words, words, words. Amen.
Joys: ELCA Disaster Relief and all the good work they do; having Donna back at church; teaching pre-school Sunday school
At my church committee meeting yesterday (Finance committee... ughhhh!) we had a visitor from the NC Synod of the ELCA. It's been a rough couple of years for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and now that the dust is beginning to settle, our local Synod is working to communicate better with the individual churches, sending representatives to speak to church leaders to find out what we need and let us also know what their needs are.
Our visitor last night told us about something new that the Synod was going to do at next summer's NC Synod Assembly. The Assembly is a gathering of appointed lay delegates and clergy from each church in the Synod that meets to vote on issues and make policies for the church body as well as voice opinions on issues that will be voted on at the national assembly. The 3-day gathering is normally filled with business, workshops, speakers and worship.
I've been to a couple of these and I have really enjoyed the worship. Some of the workshops have been interesting and the speakers can be inspiring. And if there are any hot issues, the pre-voting conversation can be "rousing" ;) . But it can also get pretty boring.
Last night, our Synod guest told us that next year they were going to do away with the key-note speaker. Instead, they are going to spend Saturday morning serving the local neighborhood! They will be wearing colorful shirts proclaiming that they are from the ELCA church and will be getting their hands dirty in soup kitchens, at Habitat Houses, and doing a variety of other things in the area that need volunteers. The delegates and clergy as well as anyone else from their churches who would like to help will be doing the work of the Church instead of listening to a key-note speaker telling us that we OUGHT to be doing the work of the Church. How refreshing is that?!
We should all take a lesson... It's time to stop talking about what we OUGHT to be doing and just do it!
Lord Jesus,
You came to teach us how to live and you did it by example. Help us to teach the world by example instead of just words, words, words. Amen.
Joys: ELCA Disaster Relief and all the good work they do; having Donna back at church; teaching pre-school Sunday school
Friday, September 9, 2011
Lord, I Want to See
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."-Luke 18:40-41
"What do you want me to do for you?" Imagine Jesus asking you that question. No matter what your answer, don't we all in some way answer the same as the blind man?... "Lord, I want to see."
All of our prayers... all of our deepest desires... really center on wanting to see. Wanting to see God's plan. Wanting to understand how our lives and everything we experience and endure fit into that plan. We feel like we can bear the pain, if only we could see. If only we had the assurance that it all makes some kind of cosmic sense.
And Jesus gives us the answer! He says it is through our faith we receive that sight! Faith that God works for the good of those who love him in all things. Faith that God walks with us through every storm and carries us when we cannot continue. Faith that God is good... ALL THE TIME.
How simple our prayers of petition can be. We can sum them all up in the words, "Lord, I want to see."
Lord, forgive me. Lord, thank you. Lord, I want to see. Amen.
Joys: Watching Disney princess movies with Cecelia; the way the setting sun lights up cumulus clouds; Kevin dressed up in suit and tie
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."-Luke 18:40-41
"What do you want me to do for you?" Imagine Jesus asking you that question. No matter what your answer, don't we all in some way answer the same as the blind man?... "Lord, I want to see."
All of our prayers... all of our deepest desires... really center on wanting to see. Wanting to see God's plan. Wanting to understand how our lives and everything we experience and endure fit into that plan. We feel like we can bear the pain, if only we could see. If only we had the assurance that it all makes some kind of cosmic sense.
And Jesus gives us the answer! He says it is through our faith we receive that sight! Faith that God works for the good of those who love him in all things. Faith that God walks with us through every storm and carries us when we cannot continue. Faith that God is good... ALL THE TIME.
How simple our prayers of petition can be. We can sum them all up in the words, "Lord, I want to see."
Lord, forgive me. Lord, thank you. Lord, I want to see. Amen.
Joys: Watching Disney princess movies with Cecelia; the way the setting sun lights up cumulus clouds; Kevin dressed up in suit and tie
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Hard Forgiveness
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.-Matthew 6:14
In 2006 there was a tragic and terrible school shooting in an Amish community. The thing I remember most about this one was the immediate message of forgiveness that came afterward. They were heavily criticized by non-Christians and Christians alike who said that forgiveness without remorse denies the existence of evil. However, Amish scholars explained that the community believes that Amish willingness to forgo vengeance does not undo the tragedy or pardon the wrong, but rather constitutes a first step toward a future that is more hopeful.
We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of 9-11. I've heard the question posed by a few people... "How would the last 10 years have been different if we had forgiven those who sinned against us so terribly on 9-12?" The very idea sounds pretty politically naive, doesn't it? But Jesus often turned typical human reaction on its head by espousing the exact opposite: "Give everything away to become rich," "Love those who hate you," "Turn the other cheek," "Give more to those who steal from you," and even, "Die in order to live."
The Amish community was able to move on with peace in their hearts. Our country has had 10 years of war... the loss of young men and women sworn to protect us. We have had 10 years of economic crisis and 10 years of of revenge in our hearts. Will we continue this for another 10 years insisting that we must first see remorse? Or will we love our enemies as Jesus instructed and forgive as we are forgiven?
I don't think for a moment that this is the easy way. Forgiveness is hard work. Forgiveness is a process. But it is a process that starts with a decision... the decision to forgive.
How different might our observation of 9-11 be in 2021 if we forgive today? Are we ready for a "future that is more hopeful?"
Father,
We pray for our country as we approach the 10th anniversary of the painful loss and devastation of 9-11. Help our hearts to heal. Help us to forgive as a country so that we can move on to the very important things we have neglected in the name of revenge... our education, health care, infrastructure, and economy. Amen.
Joys: Richard's birthday today!; my sweet Cecelia and lots of hugs, kisses and snuggles; wonderful mountain hike yesterday morning.
In 2006 there was a tragic and terrible school shooting in an Amish community. The thing I remember most about this one was the immediate message of forgiveness that came afterward. They were heavily criticized by non-Christians and Christians alike who said that forgiveness without remorse denies the existence of evil. However, Amish scholars explained that the community believes that Amish willingness to forgo vengeance does not undo the tragedy or pardon the wrong, but rather constitutes a first step toward a future that is more hopeful.
We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of 9-11. I've heard the question posed by a few people... "How would the last 10 years have been different if we had forgiven those who sinned against us so terribly on 9-12?" The very idea sounds pretty politically naive, doesn't it? But Jesus often turned typical human reaction on its head by espousing the exact opposite: "Give everything away to become rich," "Love those who hate you," "Turn the other cheek," "Give more to those who steal from you," and even, "Die in order to live."
The Amish community was able to move on with peace in their hearts. Our country has had 10 years of war... the loss of young men and women sworn to protect us. We have had 10 years of economic crisis and 10 years of of revenge in our hearts. Will we continue this for another 10 years insisting that we must first see remorse? Or will we love our enemies as Jesus instructed and forgive as we are forgiven?
I don't think for a moment that this is the easy way. Forgiveness is hard work. Forgiveness is a process. But it is a process that starts with a decision... the decision to forgive.
How different might our observation of 9-11 be in 2021 if we forgive today? Are we ready for a "future that is more hopeful?"
Father,
We pray for our country as we approach the 10th anniversary of the painful loss and devastation of 9-11. Help our hearts to heal. Help us to forgive as a country so that we can move on to the very important things we have neglected in the name of revenge... our education, health care, infrastructure, and economy. Amen.
Joys: Richard's birthday today!; my sweet Cecelia and lots of hugs, kisses and snuggles; wonderful mountain hike yesterday morning.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Praise Him At the EDGE of the Storm
I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.- Psalm 55:8
Since starting my Gratitude List, I have found things to be thankful for that I would never have otherwise thought of. For instance, the dozens and dozens of steps leading from the base of the waterfall to the top of the waterfall at South Mountain where I try to hike at least once a week. I found that I am thankful for these steps because they have been a major benefit in my quest to lose weight and be healthier.
When I first started my hiking, I would only venture to the base of the waterfall and turn back. After two or three hikes, Richard encouraged me up those steps and I ended up not just on top of the waterfall, but I felt on top of the world as well. It was a real struggle. It is still a bit of a struggle to get up all those steps, but it is so much easier now and is now just "part of the hike" rather than an extra added push. Those steps represent victory!
Yesterday morning on my drive to work, I was thankful for the strange and awesome beauty of the gathering storm clouds. The clouds portend heavy rain, flooding, lightning and even tornadoes. They speak of the possibility of coming destruction, and yet at this beginning edge of the storm, I still see beauty that tells of the power and might of God and the timelessness of creation.
I am beginning a difficult chapter in the book One Thousand Gifts. It is about giving thanks for the hardest things in life that we must bear. Sometimes we find ways to do that after the fact. We find God working in our lives and we see our spiritual development and the wonderful ways that tragedy brings people together. But how can we thank God for these things in the midst of it all... or for that matter, when we are sitting at the edge of the storm and see it coming?
A quote from a customer review of this book on Amazon.com:
How often I have seen in emails or heard in sharing when people have talked of fearful things turning out good. The biopsy is clear. The fever subsided. The job came through. The marriage was reconciled. The possibly tragic accident was avoided. And people respond: "God is good!" or "Praise the Lord!" And I can't help but think about the biopsies that were filled with cancer; the fevers that ended in death; the jobs denied; the divorces that happen; the people who die in accidents everyday. Does that mean in those cases God is NOT good or that God is NOT worthy of our praise?
Ann says it so much better than I can:
Perhaps we can start with being thankful for the stuff we see as good. Maybe with practice we will be able to "Praise Him In the Storm." But I doubt that on this side of eternity we will be able to really be thankful in our hearts when we are trembling at the approach of a violent storm. It is just human nature to want to run to our beds to hide under the covers. But once we see that God will stay with us and we see him at work in our own lives and in the world around us, we will give thanks... even if we would still rather have things they way they were before.
Dear Lord,
Let our hearts know you are indeed good "all the time" and let our souls praise and magnify you after the storm, within the storm and even as we see the storm clouds gather. Amen.
Joys: Cold water to drink; Rain pouring down hard; grasshoppers and dragonflies enlivened at my footstep
Since starting my Gratitude List, I have found things to be thankful for that I would never have otherwise thought of. For instance, the dozens and dozens of steps leading from the base of the waterfall to the top of the waterfall at South Mountain where I try to hike at least once a week. I found that I am thankful for these steps because they have been a major benefit in my quest to lose weight and be healthier.
When I first started my hiking, I would only venture to the base of the waterfall and turn back. After two or three hikes, Richard encouraged me up those steps and I ended up not just on top of the waterfall, but I felt on top of the world as well. It was a real struggle. It is still a bit of a struggle to get up all those steps, but it is so much easier now and is now just "part of the hike" rather than an extra added push. Those steps represent victory!
Yesterday morning on my drive to work, I was thankful for the strange and awesome beauty of the gathering storm clouds. The clouds portend heavy rain, flooding, lightning and even tornadoes. They speak of the possibility of coming destruction, and yet at this beginning edge of the storm, I still see beauty that tells of the power and might of God and the timelessness of creation.
I am beginning a difficult chapter in the book One Thousand Gifts. It is about giving thanks for the hardest things in life that we must bear. Sometimes we find ways to do that after the fact. We find God working in our lives and we see our spiritual development and the wonderful ways that tragedy brings people together. But how can we thank God for these things in the midst of it all... or for that matter, when we are sitting at the edge of the storm and see it coming?
A quote from a customer review of this book on Amazon.com:
Angie Smith, at a recent conference said (paraphrased) about the loss of her infant daughter , Audrey Caroline, "for all that her death has brought me...the understanding of God, the opportunities to comfort others and show them God's grace...I would still rather have Audrey." And my heart nods in agreement.I know a few families that would shout an "Amen" to that. Sometimes the storm is so great we wish we could just go back in time and erase the whole thing from happening at all... no matter the blessings that come from it eventually. How do we thank God for these things? Is it even possible? But if we can... if we can possibly get to that level of gratitude... or as Ann Voskamp calls it, "eucharisteo"... we will find complete joy. Ah, but we know "complete joy" is unattainable on earth. I think it is this hard thanksgiving that makes complete joy unattainable in the here and now.
How often I have seen in emails or heard in sharing when people have talked of fearful things turning out good. The biopsy is clear. The fever subsided. The job came through. The marriage was reconciled. The possibly tragic accident was avoided. And people respond: "God is good!" or "Praise the Lord!" And I can't help but think about the biopsies that were filled with cancer; the fevers that ended in death; the jobs denied; the divorces that happen; the people who die in accidents everyday. Does that mean in those cases God is NOT good or that God is NOT worthy of our praise?
Ann says it so much better than I can:
What is good? What counts as grace? What is the heart of God? Do I believe in a God who rouses Himself just now and then to spill a bit of benevolence on hemorrhaging humanity? A God who breaks through the carapace of this orb only now and then, surprises us with a spared hand, a reprieve from sickness, a good job and a nice house in the burbs—and then finds Himself again too impotent to deal with all I see as suffering and evil? A God of sporadic, random, splattering goodness—that now and then splatters across a gratitude journal? Somebody tell me: What are all the other moments?
Voskamp, Ann (2010). One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are (pp. 85-86). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Perhaps we can start with being thankful for the stuff we see as good. Maybe with practice we will be able to "Praise Him In the Storm." But I doubt that on this side of eternity we will be able to really be thankful in our hearts when we are trembling at the approach of a violent storm. It is just human nature to want to run to our beds to hide under the covers. But once we see that God will stay with us and we see him at work in our own lives and in the world around us, we will give thanks... even if we would still rather have things they way they were before.
Dear Lord,
Let our hearts know you are indeed good "all the time" and let our souls praise and magnify you after the storm, within the storm and even as we see the storm clouds gather. Amen.
Joys: Cold water to drink; Rain pouring down hard; grasshoppers and dragonflies enlivened at my footstep