For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (1 Timothy 4:4 NIV)
I usually don't do a Friday devotion since I meet with my reunion group at 7:30 in the morning, but I wanted to get this out for the first of November, so I am sending it out tonight.
These days, Christmas starts so early. We prepare and celebrate for a good two months. Even Halloween is getting a whole month. But Thanksgiving gets a day.... maybe a long weekend for those with large families. I think gratitude is more important than that, so I am dedicating the month of November to thanksgiving and gratitude. I hope some of you will join me.
My devotions will be from my readings which will include rereading a wonderful book on gratitude called, "One Thousand Gifts," by Ann VosKamp and using the study guide as a private bible study. I will also be reading her blog at aholyexperience.com. Part of the blog is a challenge to list 3 things every day that you are grateful for within a specific category she suggests. There is even an app for that! If you would like the app, search your App Store for 1000 Gifts.
Another thing I am going to do is a 21 Days of Gratitude meditation that you can register for (it's free!) at mentorschannel.com that begins Monday, November 4.
The experts say that a true sense of gratitude can improve your life in many ways, including giving you an improved immune system, sense of well-being and a higher sense of social connectedness. It can help you sleep better, improve your love relationship, lower your blood pressure and helps you cope with loss. Who doesn't want all of that?
I hope you will join me in at least one of these things. If nothing else, keep a gratitude journal for the month of November. You will be surprised at how your outlook changes... even if you are already a generally happy person.
Father,
Help us to be truly and deep-down grateful for every gift that comes from your hand, whether directly or through the hand of another. Amen.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
A Matter of Focus
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)
C.S. Lewis said:
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.“
One of my favorite spiritual authors, Ann VosKamp wrote in her blog yesterday:
"...stillness with God is always a matter of focus, not of circumstances."
and:
"the only thing that God ever asks is that you answer no long enough to the loud to have time to be out standing in this field where real yield is found in the yes to His proposal of intimacy"Every answer to life is found in time alone with God and yet we still choose to be too busy. Too busy to receive peace. Too busy to receive comfort. Too busy to receive true joy... real happiness. We would rather hold on to our precious too-busyness and struggle with every bit of life. It's just plain crazy!
Being busy is like the new "keeping up with the Joneses" thing. When we speak with an acquaintance our small talk is likely to be be a one-up-manship about who has been busier. Oh, we say it like it's a burden, but we are secretly enjoying our martyrdom. And besides, our friends are truly impressed with how much we manage to fit into one week.
But the thing is, even busy people can manage to spend plenty of time with God. As Ann VosKamp wrote, "(it's) a matter of focus, not of circumstances." Even in the middle of our busy-ness we can shift our focus from the noise and activity around us to intimate time with God.
It is the only place to draw strength and peace and everything else we need to make our busy-ness productive. If we don't have that focus, it is all in vain.
If you like being busy, be busy. But don't forget to keep your focus on God. Take time to break away from the loud to find the real yield.
Father,
Forgive us for how we run around our lives doing things that often don't matter. Help us to shift our focus from trying to out-busy our neighbor to a real connection with you. Amen.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Feast
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6-8 NIV)
Have you ever been to a really extravagant buffet? I don't mean like at Golden Corral... but a buffet of the finest quality foods. I remember a Mother's Day Brunch Buffet I went to many years ago. It was fabulous. The finest cuts of meat sliced to order in front of me. Fresh vegetables cooked to perfection. Breads and bakery items with aromas to make one swoon. And the dessert line!! Not to mention Mimosas and Sangrias and Bloody Marys.
I remember feeling overwhelmed. There was no way a person could sample all of it. What to choose? I also remember thinking how wasteful it all was. Though there were many people there, a tremendous amount of fantastic food would go to waste. What about those who could not afford to attend such a fabulous buffet? What about those who could not afford food at all? I remember that those thoughts really put a damper on my experience.
One day though... one day God promises to equalize it all. The age to come is often depicted as a great feast. And we are ALL there... from the least of us to the greatest. Only once there, there is no least and no greatest. And there is plenty for everyone. No lines. No envy over someone getting better or more. No guilt over having more or better than another. And then there is the fabulous fellowship that goes with a fine feast.
For now though, we need to share our better and more with those who have less. And we need to create that fellowship with "the least of these." As I write these words I can't help but think of Holy Cross and our annual Project Matthew that puts groceries for a Thanksgiving meal into the hands of over 100 families each year. I love being there when we distribute those groceries and meet the families and welcome them and serve them refreshments and pray with them over the life circumstances that brought them there to begin with. It's a little taste of that feast to come... I'm sure of it.
Father,
Thank you for the little glimpses on earth that foretell the feast to come. Amen.
Have you ever been to a really extravagant buffet? I don't mean like at Golden Corral... but a buffet of the finest quality foods. I remember a Mother's Day Brunch Buffet I went to many years ago. It was fabulous. The finest cuts of meat sliced to order in front of me. Fresh vegetables cooked to perfection. Breads and bakery items with aromas to make one swoon. And the dessert line!! Not to mention Mimosas and Sangrias and Bloody Marys.
I remember feeling overwhelmed. There was no way a person could sample all of it. What to choose? I also remember thinking how wasteful it all was. Though there were many people there, a tremendous amount of fantastic food would go to waste. What about those who could not afford to attend such a fabulous buffet? What about those who could not afford food at all? I remember that those thoughts really put a damper on my experience.
One day though... one day God promises to equalize it all. The age to come is often depicted as a great feast. And we are ALL there... from the least of us to the greatest. Only once there, there is no least and no greatest. And there is plenty for everyone. No lines. No envy over someone getting better or more. No guilt over having more or better than another. And then there is the fabulous fellowship that goes with a fine feast.
For now though, we need to share our better and more with those who have less. And we need to create that fellowship with "the least of these." As I write these words I can't help but think of Holy Cross and our annual Project Matthew that puts groceries for a Thanksgiving meal into the hands of over 100 families each year. I love being there when we distribute those groceries and meet the families and welcome them and serve them refreshments and pray with them over the life circumstances that brought them there to begin with. It's a little taste of that feast to come... I'm sure of it.
Father,
Thank you for the little glimpses on earth that foretell the feast to come. Amen.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Love is...
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV)
I have been receiving C.S. Lewis daily devotionals through Bible Gateway. C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" had a huge influence on my Christian development. He just has a way of making spiritual matters make sense. Here is an excerpt from this mornings devotional:
The story is told of a couple who went to a marriage councilor to no avail. When divorce seemed like the only solution, the man - bitter from hurt - privately asked the councilor how he could most hurt his wife back. The councilor said, "This is very unprofessional of me, but I have seen how badly she hurt you. What you should do is make her love you again. Then, the divorce will devastate her." The man thought that was a great idea, and wooed his wife and won her love. The man went back to the councilor to tell of his success and the councilor asked, "So when is the divorce?" The man said, "Divorce? We have never been more in love!"
Of course we all have those "toxic" people in our lives... those who just drain us emotionally. How do we love them? Love does not mean allowing others to emotionally (or physically) abuse you. I have discovered that it simply boils down to deciding to love these people for who they are without trying to change them or point out their flaws while always drawing firm boundaries. In extreme cases, this may mean limiting or severing contact. Prayer (the listening kind) will help you know where and how to draw those boundaries.
Hate is one of those emotions that harms ourselves much more than the one we hate. It is a cancer whose only cure is love. It is so hard to hate in the face of real love.
Father,
Help us to act as if we love until we really do. Help us to dig down deep in our hearts and look honestly at our relationships and our prejudices and begin to love more. Amen.
I have been receiving C.S. Lewis daily devotionals through Bible Gateway. C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" had a huge influence on my Christian development. He just has a way of making spiritual matters make sense. Here is an excerpt from this mornings devotional:
"The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he ‘likes’ them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on—including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.This same spiritual law works terribly in the opposite direction. The Germans, perhaps, at first ill-treated the Jews because they hated them: afterwards they hated them much more because they had ill-treated them. The more cruel you are, the more you will hate; and the more you hate, the more cruel you will become — and so on in a vicious circle for ever."I will never forget one of my first adult Sunday school classes at Holy Cross when we were discussing loving your neighbor... I asked, "How do you love your neighbor, when you don't?" A wise person suggested, "Act as if you do!" Once we "act as if" we love someone, before long, we find that we actually do love them.
The story is told of a couple who went to a marriage councilor to no avail. When divorce seemed like the only solution, the man - bitter from hurt - privately asked the councilor how he could most hurt his wife back. The councilor said, "This is very unprofessional of me, but I have seen how badly she hurt you. What you should do is make her love you again. Then, the divorce will devastate her." The man thought that was a great idea, and wooed his wife and won her love. The man went back to the councilor to tell of his success and the councilor asked, "So when is the divorce?" The man said, "Divorce? We have never been more in love!"
Of course we all have those "toxic" people in our lives... those who just drain us emotionally. How do we love them? Love does not mean allowing others to emotionally (or physically) abuse you. I have discovered that it simply boils down to deciding to love these people for who they are without trying to change them or point out their flaws while always drawing firm boundaries. In extreme cases, this may mean limiting or severing contact. Prayer (the listening kind) will help you know where and how to draw those boundaries.
Hate is one of those emotions that harms ourselves much more than the one we hate. It is a cancer whose only cure is love. It is so hard to hate in the face of real love.
Father,
Help us to act as if we love until we really do. Help us to dig down deep in our hearts and look honestly at our relationships and our prejudices and begin to love more. Amen.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Being Grateful to One Another
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. -Ephesians 1:15-16
I read a devotion this morning that talked about Newton's Third Law of Motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." You know... like the recoil of a gun. The author went on to say how this isn't only a law of physics, but it is an emotional and spiritual law as well.
Think about it... when we lash out in anger, we are certain to be responded to in the same way. Negativity begets negativity. Violence begets violence. So why not start breaking the law? If someone lashes out in anger at you, return kindness. Be positive and uplifting with a negative person. Be gentle in the face of violence... yes... even turn the other cheek. It is not weakness, it is world-changing strength.
More than that... sow the emotion you want to receive.
Last week, my family and I were the recipients of an act of gratitude. Richard is currently stationed at Fort Bragg in the Wounded Warriors program. While there, he is given therapy and treatment for any injuries incurred while serving in active duty. The Currituck community of the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina has a program to show their gratitude to Wounded Warriors and my family was a recipient of that gratitude.
We received a week in a beautiful beach resort community home... plenty of room for me, Richard our two boys, their wives and children. And that is all we expected. That in itself was a gift worth probably $2000-2500 or more. We were thrilled! What we didn't expect was all the gift baskets and gift cards from local businesses! We had deeply discounted or free tours, gift cards for grocery stores, restaurants, movie theater, wine shop... a gift basket filled with beach needs and another filled with snacks. And each time we redeemed a coupon or a card, we were told, "thank you for your service."
Our reaction to all this gratitude? Why gratitude, of course! An equal and opposite reaction. Serving our country was Richard's job. But people recognized the importance of his job and reached out in gratitude. Isn't everyone's job important in some way? If it weren't, the need for the job wouldn't be there. When is the last time you showed real gratitude to a teacher, pastor, police officer, fire fighter....or even a banker or a business owner or someone who works a line in a manufacturing plant? Perhaps we thank our own pastor or our own child's teacher, but they ALL impact our communities, don't they?
What would happen if we really treated one another as though we really appreciated the job they do? And that we really care about them as people with something to contribute? Maybe we would get better service from the service industry. Maybe we would get better products from the manufacturing industry. Maybe we would get honest and ethical handling of our finances from the banking industry. Maybe all our children would come out of schools well-prepared for life.
Criticism and blame beget defensiveness and counter blaming. Gratitude and kindness beget loyalty and a desire to do our best work.
November... a month for gratitude... is almost here. Make it a point to show your gratitude to someone each day of November. Watch what happens to your life!
Father,
Thank you for all the incredible gifts we receive from your hand. But help us to be mindful and grateful of the gifts we receive from one another each and every day. Show us ways that we can show our gratitude. Amen.
I read a devotion this morning that talked about Newton's Third Law of Motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." You know... like the recoil of a gun. The author went on to say how this isn't only a law of physics, but it is an emotional and spiritual law as well.
Think about it... when we lash out in anger, we are certain to be responded to in the same way. Negativity begets negativity. Violence begets violence. So why not start breaking the law? If someone lashes out in anger at you, return kindness. Be positive and uplifting with a negative person. Be gentle in the face of violence... yes... even turn the other cheek. It is not weakness, it is world-changing strength.
More than that... sow the emotion you want to receive.
Last week, my family and I were the recipients of an act of gratitude. Richard is currently stationed at Fort Bragg in the Wounded Warriors program. While there, he is given therapy and treatment for any injuries incurred while serving in active duty. The Currituck community of the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina has a program to show their gratitude to Wounded Warriors and my family was a recipient of that gratitude.
We received a week in a beautiful beach resort community home... plenty of room for me, Richard our two boys, their wives and children. And that is all we expected. That in itself was a gift worth probably $2000-2500 or more. We were thrilled! What we didn't expect was all the gift baskets and gift cards from local businesses! We had deeply discounted or free tours, gift cards for grocery stores, restaurants, movie theater, wine shop... a gift basket filled with beach needs and another filled with snacks. And each time we redeemed a coupon or a card, we were told, "thank you for your service."
Our reaction to all this gratitude? Why gratitude, of course! An equal and opposite reaction. Serving our country was Richard's job. But people recognized the importance of his job and reached out in gratitude. Isn't everyone's job important in some way? If it weren't, the need for the job wouldn't be there. When is the last time you showed real gratitude to a teacher, pastor, police officer, fire fighter....or even a banker or a business owner or someone who works a line in a manufacturing plant? Perhaps we thank our own pastor or our own child's teacher, but they ALL impact our communities, don't they?
What would happen if we really treated one another as though we really appreciated the job they do? And that we really care about them as people with something to contribute? Maybe we would get better service from the service industry. Maybe we would get better products from the manufacturing industry. Maybe we would get honest and ethical handling of our finances from the banking industry. Maybe all our children would come out of schools well-prepared for life.
Criticism and blame beget defensiveness and counter blaming. Gratitude and kindness beget loyalty and a desire to do our best work.
November... a month for gratitude... is almost here. Make it a point to show your gratitude to someone each day of November. Watch what happens to your life!
Father,
Thank you for all the incredible gifts we receive from your hand. But help us to be mindful and grateful of the gifts we receive from one another each and every day. Show us ways that we can show our gratitude. Amen.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Prayer Gift Registry
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)
Gift registries are great, aren't they? Go on line. Check the items in your budget range... and click. Gift bought. Even wrapped if you so desire. The recipient gets what he/she wants and you don't spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out what they would like.
But... it also takes all the fun out of gift-giving. There is joy in thinking about that person and what they like and what would bring them joy. Then there is the "hunt" as you shop for that idea that sprung to mind while thinking about the person and then more joy as you watch their reaction as they open it.
And it is also more fun for the recipient. I've been to some showers where gift opening time seemed like more of a chore than anything else. They knew what they were getting and the people in attendance didn't even really pay attention because they knew what was on the registry and that's what was being opened.
Occasionionally, however, there is a surprise. Someone strays from the list to give something more personal... more meaningful. And you can tell the one opening the gift is suprised and appreciative. It is probably something they would never have thought of for themselves, but it's just the right gift.
We all have our own prayer "gift-registry" too. We have this list we bring to God with the color, size and shape of the things we think we need and want. We don't give God much "wiggle-room" to be creative. And we miss out on the most amazing gifts! Pray this prayer today:
God,
I open my hands and my heart to whatever you want to give me today. Help me to see it when it comes for the miracle it is and let me receive it with joy knowing it is better than anything I could have asked for. Amen.
Gift registries are great, aren't they? Go on line. Check the items in your budget range... and click. Gift bought. Even wrapped if you so desire. The recipient gets what he/she wants and you don't spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out what they would like.
But... it also takes all the fun out of gift-giving. There is joy in thinking about that person and what they like and what would bring them joy. Then there is the "hunt" as you shop for that idea that sprung to mind while thinking about the person and then more joy as you watch their reaction as they open it.
And it is also more fun for the recipient. I've been to some showers where gift opening time seemed like more of a chore than anything else. They knew what they were getting and the people in attendance didn't even really pay attention because they knew what was on the registry and that's what was being opened.
Occasionionally, however, there is a surprise. Someone strays from the list to give something more personal... more meaningful. And you can tell the one opening the gift is suprised and appreciative. It is probably something they would never have thought of for themselves, but it's just the right gift.
We all have our own prayer "gift-registry" too. We have this list we bring to God with the color, size and shape of the things we think we need and want. We don't give God much "wiggle-room" to be creative. And we miss out on the most amazing gifts! Pray this prayer today:
God,
I open my hands and my heart to whatever you want to give me today. Help me to see it when it comes for the miracle it is and let me receive it with joy knowing it is better than anything I could have asked for. Amen.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Moving Mountains
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20 NKJV)
Faith is a strange thing. Individually it is so inconsistant within us. Sometimes our faith is so strong, we are sure it can never be shaken. Our hands are touching His garment. We see His movement all around us. Our spiritual senses are so strong we have no doubt that God is here... working, moving, acting, speaking.
But other times, we have trouble even remembering when our faith was strong. We feel alone. We even wonder if there is any truth to this "God thing." Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling. The world seems to be cold and we see evil winning. Where is God?
I guess most of the time, most of us hang in the middle of the two extremes. We have our moments on both ends of the spectrum, but for the most part, we have a general sense of God's presence and just hold on to trusting that He is there even when we don't feel it.
The thing is, each of us are at different places along that spectrum at any given time. This is why community is so terribly important. We need our brothers and sisters to have faith when our own faith fails. And they need us for the same reason. It is what keeps faith alive.
Have you ever recited the Creed at church with the rest of the congregation and thought..."hmmm... not really sure I believe that part." Well, someone else in that congregation DOES believe it... and you are believing for someone else the parts they aren't completely sure of.
It is our faith as a community that moves the mountains and can handle whatever God gives or doesn't give. It's our trust in God's goodness as a community that makes us know that whatever happens, it is all going to be okay. Our own faith just cannot get us through the death of a beloved child. But the faith of a community can. Our own faith cannot see beyond the divorce or the layoff or the cancer diagnosis. But the faith of our community can. It is not the mustard seed of MY faith that moves that mountain... it is the mustard seed of OUR faith.
Without a community of faith, we risk losing our own faith with ever twist of life... with every breeze of doubt that crosses our heart.
Father,
Thank you for a community that holds my faith when I can't and for opportunities to hold up that faith for my brothers and sisters when they struggle. Amen.
Faith is a strange thing. Individually it is so inconsistant within us. Sometimes our faith is so strong, we are sure it can never be shaken. Our hands are touching His garment. We see His movement all around us. Our spiritual senses are so strong we have no doubt that God is here... working, moving, acting, speaking.
But other times, we have trouble even remembering when our faith was strong. We feel alone. We even wonder if there is any truth to this "God thing." Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling. The world seems to be cold and we see evil winning. Where is God?
I guess most of the time, most of us hang in the middle of the two extremes. We have our moments on both ends of the spectrum, but for the most part, we have a general sense of God's presence and just hold on to trusting that He is there even when we don't feel it.
The thing is, each of us are at different places along that spectrum at any given time. This is why community is so terribly important. We need our brothers and sisters to have faith when our own faith fails. And they need us for the same reason. It is what keeps faith alive.
Have you ever recited the Creed at church with the rest of the congregation and thought..."hmmm... not really sure I believe that part." Well, someone else in that congregation DOES believe it... and you are believing for someone else the parts they aren't completely sure of.
It is our faith as a community that moves the mountains and can handle whatever God gives or doesn't give. It's our trust in God's goodness as a community that makes us know that whatever happens, it is all going to be okay. Our own faith just cannot get us through the death of a beloved child. But the faith of a community can. Our own faith cannot see beyond the divorce or the layoff or the cancer diagnosis. But the faith of our community can. It is not the mustard seed of MY faith that moves that mountain... it is the mustard seed of OUR faith.
Without a community of faith, we risk losing our own faith with ever twist of life... with every breeze of doubt that crosses our heart.
Father,
Thank you for a community that holds my faith when I can't and for opportunities to hold up that faith for my brothers and sisters when they struggle. Amen.
Monday, October 14, 2013
1,000 Gifts and 10,000 Reasons
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:19, 20 NIV)
Yesterday at church we had a really interactive sermon on thankfulness. Pastor Chad asked us to share those ministries and things about Holy Cross that we are thankful for. And people shared... deeply. It really was very moving. And then we sang, "10,000 Reasons" and that made me think about the book "One Thousand Gifts," by Ann VosKamp.
During the sermon, Pastor Chad reminded us that the word "Eucharist" meant "thanksgiving." Probably my favorite part of the book I mention above are these passages:
"The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning "grace." Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks. But there is more, and I read it. Echaristeo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivitave, the Greek word chara, meaning "joy."I just love the thought of thanksgiving, grace and joy all wrapped up together in one word...one idea...one action...one purpose for life. If we could only fully grasp this concept, how beautiful life would be!
Charis. Grace.
Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving.
Chara. Joy.
A threefold cord that might hold a life? Offer a way up into the fullest life?
Grace, thanksgiving, joy.
Eucharisteo. A Greek word...that might make meaning of everything?"
Father,
Fill our hearts to overflowing with thanksgiving, grace and joy. Amen.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Death and Ressurection Opportunities
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV)
It's hard to read this story of the ten lepers and not get out our two sorting boxes: good and bad. Clearly the one who returned to give thanks would be sorted into the "good" box, while the rest would go into the "bad" box. Jesus praised the one that gave thanks, but is it because he did what he was "supposed to do?" Or was it because Jesus saw spiritual growth in him? I would bet that every one of those 10 healed lepers were happy and grateful, but only one realized that there was a spiritual connection and he went to find out more.
Faith is not about being good or bad. It is not about doing what we are "supposed to do." Would it have been any great thing if the healed leper had said the words, but not really felt them? Faith is about change. It's about death and ressurection. It's about connecting our day-to-day-experiences with something greater.
True gratitude is a very spiritual thing. It is knowing that we can have nothing... that we ARE nothing... without God. Jesus did not praise the grateful leper because he DID the right thing. He praised him for realizing where the gift came from and knowing how amazing it was. Jesus praised him - not because Jesus was insulted that the others did not give thanks - but because this one man had a death and resurrection experience and he had grown a little closer to God and his life would never be the same.
Father,
Our faith should be a continuing series of deaths and resurrections... those epipany moments that help us to see you more clearly and grow closer to you. Help us to keep our hearts soft that we may greet every death and resurrection opportunity that comes our way. Amen.
It's hard to read this story of the ten lepers and not get out our two sorting boxes: good and bad. Clearly the one who returned to give thanks would be sorted into the "good" box, while the rest would go into the "bad" box. Jesus praised the one that gave thanks, but is it because he did what he was "supposed to do?" Or was it because Jesus saw spiritual growth in him? I would bet that every one of those 10 healed lepers were happy and grateful, but only one realized that there was a spiritual connection and he went to find out more.
Faith is not about being good or bad. It is not about doing what we are "supposed to do." Would it have been any great thing if the healed leper had said the words, but not really felt them? Faith is about change. It's about death and ressurection. It's about connecting our day-to-day-experiences with something greater.
True gratitude is a very spiritual thing. It is knowing that we can have nothing... that we ARE nothing... without God. Jesus did not praise the grateful leper because he DID the right thing. He praised him for realizing where the gift came from and knowing how amazing it was. Jesus praised him - not because Jesus was insulted that the others did not give thanks - but because this one man had a death and resurrection experience and he had grown a little closer to God and his life would never be the same.
Father,
Our faith should be a continuing series of deaths and resurrections... those epipany moments that help us to see you more clearly and grow closer to you. Help us to keep our hearts soft that we may greet every death and resurrection opportunity that comes our way. Amen.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Things We Take For Granted
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1 NIV)
Our lives seem to be getting harder and harder every day these days. The economy, crime, natural disasters, epidemic cancer striking our loved ones if not ourselves... It's so hard to remember to be grateful. But the fact is we take so much for granted.
When is the last time you thanked God for the everyday miracles in your life? Things like sight and hearing and the ability to walk? I remember seeing a video of a young woman who was deaf since birth and received a cochlear implant. The video shows her hearing her own voice for the first time in her life. It was ver emotional to see her gratitude for something most of us take for granted.
Oh, the things we take for granted each and every day.... We have so much and yet it is our tendency to focus on what we do not have. If we have our health, food on the table every day and a roof over our head, we have much more than a great percentage of the rest of the world.
The thing is, it's not about appearing ungrateful before God. Gratitude changes our own hearts. When we live gratefully, we can't be negative. When we live gratefully we become so much more generous. Gratitude is just another tool God gives us to find the joy and abundance in our lives.
Spend some time today thanking God for things you haven't thanked him for lately... the things you are used to having... the things that you have taken for granted. You will have a great day if you do it.
Father,
Thank you for the incredible miracle of sight and hearing. Thank you that I can walk. Thank you that both my husband and I are employed. Thank you for dependable vehicles, food on the table each day and a comfortable bed to sleep in at night. Thank you for air conditioning to help me through the summer and heat to get me through the winter. Thank you for these things and the hundreds of other things I just assume will be mine each day. Amen.
Our lives seem to be getting harder and harder every day these days. The economy, crime, natural disasters, epidemic cancer striking our loved ones if not ourselves... It's so hard to remember to be grateful. But the fact is we take so much for granted.
When is the last time you thanked God for the everyday miracles in your life? Things like sight and hearing and the ability to walk? I remember seeing a video of a young woman who was deaf since birth and received a cochlear implant. The video shows her hearing her own voice for the first time in her life. It was ver emotional to see her gratitude for something most of us take for granted.
Oh, the things we take for granted each and every day.... We have so much and yet it is our tendency to focus on what we do not have. If we have our health, food on the table every day and a roof over our head, we have much more than a great percentage of the rest of the world.
The thing is, it's not about appearing ungrateful before God. Gratitude changes our own hearts. When we live gratefully, we can't be negative. When we live gratefully we become so much more generous. Gratitude is just another tool God gives us to find the joy and abundance in our lives.
Spend some time today thanking God for things you haven't thanked him for lately... the things you are used to having... the things that you have taken for granted. You will have a great day if you do it.
Father,
Thank you for the incredible miracle of sight and hearing. Thank you that I can walk. Thank you that both my husband and I are employed. Thank you for dependable vehicles, food on the table each day and a comfortable bed to sleep in at night. Thank you for air conditioning to help me through the summer and heat to get me through the winter. Thank you for these things and the hundreds of other things I just assume will be mine each day. Amen.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Barriers
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:1-7 NIV)
Why was it difficult for the paralyzed man to get to Jesus? Because of the crowd around Jesus. But look who made up the front of that crowd. It says that "some teachers of the law were sitting there." If they were sitting there, you can bet they were front row. The way I read it, it means that those who interpreted the law and the scriptures were keeping others from getting close to Jesus, especially those who needed him the most.
It still happens today. Those who need Jesus the most are kept away from him by self-appointed interpreters of scripture. They are a huge barrier. They tell othes, "If you want to know Jesus, you have to be just like me." Those who need Jesus just don't have the strength to get past this wall. So it is up to us. We must make friends and be friends and bring our friends past the self-righteous crowds to show our friends who Jesus really is.
A popular quote from Ghandi: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." We cannot attract anyone to Christianity by showing them other Christians. We can only do it by showing them Christ himself. And it helps to bring them to Christ through a community where the barriers aren't quite so thick... a community that is more about following Jesus than interpreting law and scripture... a community that loves more than criticizes... a community that values grace over judgement. I'm so blessed to be a part of a faith community like that.
Lord Jesus,
Help us never to be a barrier to those seeking you. Help us to lead our friends directly to you. Thank you for Holy Cross and other Christian communities that really try to reflect your love. Amen.
Why was it difficult for the paralyzed man to get to Jesus? Because of the crowd around Jesus. But look who made up the front of that crowd. It says that "some teachers of the law were sitting there." If they were sitting there, you can bet they were front row. The way I read it, it means that those who interpreted the law and the scriptures were keeping others from getting close to Jesus, especially those who needed him the most.
It still happens today. Those who need Jesus the most are kept away from him by self-appointed interpreters of scripture. They are a huge barrier. They tell othes, "If you want to know Jesus, you have to be just like me." Those who need Jesus just don't have the strength to get past this wall. So it is up to us. We must make friends and be friends and bring our friends past the self-righteous crowds to show our friends who Jesus really is.
A popular quote from Ghandi: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." We cannot attract anyone to Christianity by showing them other Christians. We can only do it by showing them Christ himself. And it helps to bring them to Christ through a community where the barriers aren't quite so thick... a community that is more about following Jesus than interpreting law and scripture... a community that loves more than criticizes... a community that values grace over judgement. I'm so blessed to be a part of a faith community like that.
Lord Jesus,
Help us never to be a barrier to those seeking you. Help us to lead our friends directly to you. Thank you for Holy Cross and other Christian communities that really try to reflect your love. Amen.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Lessons Learned From My Granddaughter
Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. (Proverbs 17:6 NIV)
Today is Cecelia's fifth birthday. It is a birthday of sorts for me as well. Five years ago today I became a grandmother. It has changed me. My heart has become softer. And it is so much easier to share grace. Once you have loved as a grandparent loves, you come much closer to understanding how God loves. Completely. Absolutely unconditionally. Forever.
Here are some things I have learned from Cecelia over the last five years:
Today is Cecelia's fifth birthday. It is a birthday of sorts for me as well. Five years ago today I became a grandmother. It has changed me. My heart has become softer. And it is so much easier to share grace. Once you have loved as a grandparent loves, you come much closer to understanding how God loves. Completely. Absolutely unconditionally. Forever.
Here are some things I have learned from Cecelia over the last five years:
- If you feel like dancing, then dance! Cecelia has danced in church, at stores, in restaurants and on the soccer field (when she should have been chasing the ball!) She doesn't always even need music... there is an endless supply of music in her heart. I am convinced that the pharmaceutical industry would lose a lot of money if only we all would dance more.
- Everybody can be your BFF; just find out what you have in common. I was so proud when Cecelia told me I was her best friend... until she told me everyone was her best friend. She has since elaborated: The little girl who wore braids when Cecelia wore braids is her "hair BFF." The person in the store wearing a blue shirt while Cecelia wore a blue shirt was her "shirt BFF." Wouldn't it be a lovely world if we all focused on what we had in common, rather than our differences?
- Keep your prayers short and to the point; and the most important prayer is telling God you love him. Asked to lead the closing prayer at Vacation Bible school, Cecelia prayed, "Dear God, Thank you for the food. We ate it. It was good. Amen." Cece made a picture prayer book in Sunday school. When she sees it, it reminds her to pray and she always picks the page that reminds her to tell God she loves him. Our "wish list" prayers don't really matter. God knows what we need. The best way to open our hearts to God in prayer is to just spend quiet time loving him and listening to him and feeling his love for us. Fancy words are not necessary.
- Children should be included in Communion. Cecelia has been taking communion at Holy Cross ever since she was old enough to hold out her hand for a wafer. Once, going to another church with her mother, she was by-passed for the bread and wine receiving only a blessing from the pastor. On her way back to her seat, she exclaimed in her no-so-quiet three-year-old voice... "Hey! Where's MY Jesus?!" It is not up to us to limit the means of God's grace. Even Jesus broke the rules when something more important was going on.
- Our gifts are meant to be used to bring joy to the world. If one moment stands out in the last five years with Cecelia, it is when she spontaneously decided to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" at her Daddy and step-mom's wedding reception. She grabbed the microphone and held the room in rapt attention. Her sweet little voice brought joy to many hearts that day. How can you use your gifts and talents today to bring joy to someone else?
I could certainly go on, but I would end up with a book. Even if you are not a grandparent, there is probably a small child in your life. Watch them. They are closer to God than you might realize. They have a simple wisdom that Jesus talks about when he tells us to have the faith of a child. Emulate their faith and their joy for life. The world would be a much better place if we would.
Father,
Help us to find our childlike faith. Help us to love more easily and share more joyfully. Amen.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Nothing
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. (Genesis 1:1, 2 MSG)
Nothing. It's a word most often used in dispair or boredom or weariness. "What do you have?...Nothing." "What are you doing?...Nothing." But "nothing" is actually a pretty exciting word. Nothing is what God works best with. God created the universe from nothing. God placed babies is barren (nothing) wombs. And God used a few (nothing) loaves and fishes to feed 5 thousand. "Nothing" is full of God possibilities.
I think that too often our problem is that we try to come to God with too much. We have the work half done and then ask for God's help. We know what we want and then ask God to help us achieve it. We think we can't come to God until we fix our own brokeness first. We have it wrong. God wants our "nothing." He wants our emptiness and brokeness and start-from-scratchness. I have had my greatest ministry successes when I didn't have a clue what I was doing and had to rely totally on God... teaching Sunday school as a new church goer...starting a drama/clown ministry and writing scripts. I came to God with nothing, and he filled me with everything.
When Jesus tells us we must die to ourselves and be born again he is telling us that God wants us to become nothing so that he can recreate us. We must empty ourselves and let God start from scratch. It's powerful and exciting stuff! We just need to let go of what we think we already have and let God give us what we need.
Father,
Help us to start from nothing each and every day so that we may live the exciting and abundant lives you want for each of us. Amen.
Nothing. It's a word most often used in dispair or boredom or weariness. "What do you have?...Nothing." "What are you doing?...Nothing." But "nothing" is actually a pretty exciting word. Nothing is what God works best with. God created the universe from nothing. God placed babies is barren (nothing) wombs. And God used a few (nothing) loaves and fishes to feed 5 thousand. "Nothing" is full of God possibilities.
I think that too often our problem is that we try to come to God with too much. We have the work half done and then ask for God's help. We know what we want and then ask God to help us achieve it. We think we can't come to God until we fix our own brokeness first. We have it wrong. God wants our "nothing." He wants our emptiness and brokeness and start-from-scratchness. I have had my greatest ministry successes when I didn't have a clue what I was doing and had to rely totally on God... teaching Sunday school as a new church goer...starting a drama/clown ministry and writing scripts. I came to God with nothing, and he filled me with everything.
When Jesus tells us we must die to ourselves and be born again he is telling us that God wants us to become nothing so that he can recreate us. We must empty ourselves and let God start from scratch. It's powerful and exciting stuff! We just need to let go of what we think we already have and let God give us what we need.
Father,
Help us to start from nothing each and every day so that we may live the exciting and abundant lives you want for each of us. Amen.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Truth
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)
Good is not the opposite of evil. Truth is. Being good - or acting good - does not find and eradicate the evil that is within us. Truth does. When someone loves us enough to tell us the truth, it usually makes us angry first. But if we are open to the truth, we will see it and we will be set free from the lies we have been telling ourselves.
Prayer is a call to truth. It is an invitation to open our hearts to God and to ourselves. If we will set aside our wish lists when we pray and instead, just commune with God and converse with him and listen to him, we will begin to see many truths. And it will - as Jesus said - set us free.
Being good is fine, but ultimately, being good is about our own egos. It is about showing others that we know the rules and know how to follow them. But truth is knowing when we should break the rules. Truth is knowing when the rules have been twisted and hurt more people than they help.
From "Pastrix," by Nadia Bolz-Weber:
Father,
Help us to find truth so that we may die to ourselves and become new and free. Amen.
Good is not the opposite of evil. Truth is. Being good - or acting good - does not find and eradicate the evil that is within us. Truth does. When someone loves us enough to tell us the truth, it usually makes us angry first. But if we are open to the truth, we will see it and we will be set free from the lies we have been telling ourselves.
Prayer is a call to truth. It is an invitation to open our hearts to God and to ourselves. If we will set aside our wish lists when we pray and instead, just commune with God and converse with him and listen to him, we will begin to see many truths. And it will - as Jesus said - set us free.
Being good is fine, but ultimately, being good is about our own egos. It is about showing others that we know the rules and know how to follow them. But truth is knowing when we should break the rules. Truth is knowing when the rules have been twisted and hurt more people than they help.
From "Pastrix," by Nadia Bolz-Weber:
"There's a popular miscocnception that religion, Christianity specifically, is about knowing the differeence between good and evil so that we can choose the good. But being good has never set me free the way truth has. Knowing all of this makes me love and hate Jesus at the same time. Because, when instead of contrasting good and evil, hecontrasted truth and evil, I have to think about all the times I've substituted being good (or appearing to be good) for truth."There it is. Everytime we hear truth, death and resurrection is involved. There is just no getting around it. If we want that new, abundant, joyful life that God wants us to have so badly that he became flesh and showed us what to do... if we want it, we have to die for it. No amount of being good will do it for us.
"The truth does crush us, but the instant it crushes us, it somehow puts us back together into something honest. It's death and resurrection every time it happens."
Father,
Help us to find truth so that we may die to ourselves and become new and free. Amen.