Care Instructions

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Our Old Testament reading for today offers a good example of the tension between God’s sovereignty over all creation on the one hand and the divine concern for individuals in need on the other. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords,” we read, “the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18). To live in relationship with God, then, is to live out the meaning of that tension, God’s sovereign “above-ness” that in no way limits God’s nearness. For example, when we worship God, we should hold these two aspects of God’s activity side by side. Our praise should be heartfelt and joyous, our hymns and prayers sung and spoken with the reverence that is appropriate for the Creator of all there is. But this same praise and worship is dishonest at best and meaningless at worst if it does not lead us to show care and compassion for those around us, if it does not direct our attention to a world full of need and pain. Our day to day lives as well must be guided by the recognition that our majestic God is also an imminent God. Though we might wish to move spiritually from one “mountaintop experience” to another, blinded to the world by the radiance of God’s presence, we walk a false path of discipleship if we do not also enter that world, eyes wide open to the poverty and the injustice that clamors for our attention, and which calls us to deeds of self-sacrifice on behalf of the lost and lonely.

The story of creation tells us in vivid terms that when God brought human life into existence it was as a reflection of the divine image. And the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the word of God made flesh – reveals the willingness of God to enter into human society as one of us and to live as the poorest among us, the most oppressed of our world, live. If, then, we are to give ourselves fully to God and to truly glorify God’s name, we must be willing to follow the divine imperative, recognizing God’s Lordship over all, but humbling ourselves in service to those in need. This is what it means to be the people of God.

Prayer: God of majesty and might, lead us not only to acts of praise and worship, but also to deeds of kindness and concern, that we may fully reflect your love to the world and may rightly serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Who’s Making All That Noise?

Isaiah 52:1-12
It isn’t always easy to perceive the work of God in our midst. God’s grace, God’s love, God’s mercy all take interesting forms and can come at us from surprising directions. But one thing of which we can be sure is that God does remain active transforming lives and restoring creation. This is, after all, the message that lies at the very heart of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, God was – and is – reconciling the world to God’s self. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to a time when the message of God’s salvation would ring loudly and clearly throughout the land. “Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see 
the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8). To me the most obvious modern version of these particular sentinels is the church, and it seems appropriate that the people of God, called to be the body of Christ at work in the world, should lift their voices with exultation in order to proclaim God’s presence so that all the world may know and rejoice.

The key, I believe, is Isaiah’s call to “sing for joy.” Normally this would be a funny thing for sentinels to do. It brings to mind images of the knights of Camelot performing their wacky dance number in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But true joy has that affect, it causes us to dance and sing and become giddy with delight until others begin to wonder why and perhaps even to join in. The church, then, is a sentinel called to scan the horizon, not in dread of what may be coming, nor in gleeful anticipation of God’s fiery condemnation of “everyone else,” but with expectation and hope, knowing that God comes with power and might – yes – but also with love and justice. And when we see signs of God’s activity, when we glimpse grace unfolding in our midst “in plain sight,” we most certainly should “lift up (our) voices, (and) together sing for joy” in response.

Worshipping with a local congregation, serving in the wider community, offering prayers, reflecting on scripture, accepting others as God’s creatures as we strive to find common cause, giving generously of our time and talents: these are all appropriate ways to “sing for joy,” to make known that the Lord is near and that the kingdom of God has dawned. As the people of God let us rejoice at what the Lord is doing and let the good news be shared.

Prayer: Lord God, give us voices to praise you and the willingness to serve you in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Is Anything But Passive

Zephaniah 1:7-13
There are many ways to respond to God’s presence in the world, but in our Old Testament reading for today the prophet Zephaniah condemns one in particular. “At that time,” we read, “I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm’" (Zephaniah 1:12). Think what you will about God, but if you assume God is unwilling or unable to act, and if you allow that belief to take root in your life until you become overly confident, you will be judged for your misguided lifestyle. What Zephaniah is addressing is not atheism or even agnosticism. He is speaking to the conviction that God exists but is powerless or unwilling to address human activity. It is the belief in a passive God, and God is anything but passive.

Unfortunately, much of our modern culture is predicated upon the thought that God is inactive, or perhaps even approving of the way we live. I believe this rises from a sort of spiritual blindness that fails––or refuses––to see the hand of God at work in significant ways. What faith knows to be a gift of Providence, complacency takes as a stroke of luck or even the result of one’s own effort. People of faith have a job to do, pointing out the work of God when and where it takes place, teaching the world to recognize divine blessing, opening eyes that are blind to God’s activity, and correcting the world’s complacent vision.

God is active; to assume otherwise is to invite the prophetic condemnation.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see through eyes of faith the work you are doing in our world, and help us to respond with gratitude. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

To Be Continued

October 15, 2012
Psalm 112
It’s happened to me on more occasions than I care to remember. I’ve settled in to watch a favorite TV program, usually a mystery or cop show, I’ve kept up with the twists and turns in the plot, I’ve begun to anticipate the end when the mystery will be solved and the questions will be answered, when, glancing at my watch I realize that there really isn’t enough time left in the hour to finish up the program. And that’s when it hits me, I’m watching the first half of a two-part program. Then the dreaded words appear on the screen: To be continued. I’m going to have to wait another week to see how it all turns out, assuming that I’m actually at home the next week and not out doing something more important. Needless to say I find “to-be-continued” TV shows very irritating.

Oddly enough in his commentary on the book of Psalms, Jim Mays suggests that if we really want to understand Psalm 112 –– one of our evening psalms for today –– we must really begin with Psalm 111. The two belong together, says Mays. One of the several ways that the two are connected can be seen in the last verse of Psalm 111 and the first of 112 which echo similar themes between them. 111 ends with the words, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10). Then 112 begins saying, “Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments” (Psalm 112:1).

Wisdom and commandments, fear of the Lord, praise for God; each psalm uses these and other phrases. It is as fir Psalm 111 ended with the words “to be continued.” And frankly, this shouldn’t surprise nor disconcert us. After all, what is scripture? It is the story of God’s continuing involvement with a chosen people, beginning at the very start, at creation, and running right up to the place where it points to the future, our future. All of scripture is, in one way or another, “to be continued” because God has not and never will cease to be a part of our lives, of our history. God is with us for the long haul, though every episode we might say, and God’s grace abounds throughout. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: God of all that is, continue to bless your people with all we need to live and to serve you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Restoring God’s Renown

Habakkuk 3:1-18

The prophet Habakkuk offered these words to God in prayer. “O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). What would it mean for God to revive the divine renown, the holy work in our day and age? What would it mean for God to remember mercy in the midst of wrath today? In other words, can these be our words as well? Is this an appropriate prayer for Lent 2012 and beyond?

In truth, God has been visibly at work in our world all along and has, “in our own time,” continued to show profound mercy and compassion. In Jesus Christ God entered our lives and suffered alongside us, going so far as to die for our sake, and to rise again with a promise of eternal life. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit performed spiritual CPR on a small band of terrified believers and emboldened them to share the good news. On the Damascus road Paul caught sight of our risen Savior and a new meaning for his own life. At every step of the way God has remained steadfast and merciful, leading God’s people to serve and to share with heart, mind, soul, and strength. When we have failed and faltered God has judged us and held us accountable but has never once ceased to love us or forgive us when we have confessed. Today the people of God–inspired by the Holy Spirit, guided by the will of Jesus Christ–are involved in countless forms of outreach and ministry, all to the glory of God.

So is Habakkuk’s prayer suitable for our own time? Is it even necessary? The answer is yes. I say this because we, the people of God, need constant reminding of whose we are and who we serve. To pray with the prophet is to reflect on the needs of the world and our own shortcomings. It is to lay claim once more to the charge that Jesus gave us saying, “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). It is to reflect on where we are and where we need to be. In short, to pray with Habakkuk is to use the season of Lent for repentance and renewal.

Prayer: O Lord, in our own time revive you renown and make your work known; and in wrath may you remember your mercy. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

NOTE: Beginning on February 25, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.

The Story Continues

Genesis 26:1-6, 12-33

The covenant first established between God and Abraham (Genesis 12:1-7) was not limited to one generation. “[The Lord said to Isaac], ‘Reside in this land as an alien, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all these lands; and all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing for themselves through your offspring…’" (Genesis 26:3-4). Indeed the wording of the two covenants is nearly identical and the intent of each is the same.

The God of the parents continues to be the God of the children. The God of the past continues to be the God of the present (with a promise for the future). From the very beginning God has kept the long view, has looked ahead and invited the chosen people to look ahead as well. We cannot outgrow God, nor does God remain locked in a particular historic context. Ultimately, then, our lives should be focused on God and not the institutions or cultural patterns that we hold so dear. They will come and go just as generations of humans slowly march past. Even the church has a limited lifetime. But God keeps abreast of it all, and God remains current no matter what. The story will continue to unfold, and only God knows how and when it will end.

Prayer: Lord, you have blessed us throughout history with the knowledge of your presence. Continue to walk beside us and those who will follow, that your will may be done in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Someone We Should Recognize

Nehemiah 9:26-38

Our Old Testament reading for today should sound familiar. “And you [God] warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey” (Nehemiah 9:29). We’ve heard this story before, of how a rebellious and incorrigible people turned away from God’s will and ignored God’s efforts to bring them back. But Nehemiah has a trick up his sleeve. “You [God] have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly…” (v. 33). Now instead of talking about past generations alone, the author speaks directly to his own audience. This is their story he is telling, these are their sins he is recounting. They, too, are guilty. But there is more.

As God’s people this is our story, too. The account Nehemiah shares is one in which we play a part, even if we are centuries removed from the events. We, too, have fallen short of God’s intentions for our lives. We, too, have displayed stubborn shoulders and stiff necks. But scripture also reminds us of God’s unending love, of the redemption that we have received in Jesus Christ. Even if our history is one of shortcomings God’s story is not completed, for the reign of God will come in its fullness and by grace God’s people will find a home in it. Stiff necks and all.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live away from our sins and toward your coming reign. In joy and thankfulness may we recognize all that you have done for us and the forgiveness that you have shown us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Big, Big Picture

Ezra 1:1-11

“In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia…” (Ezra 1:1). We’ve seen this sort of thing before. On several occasions, according to the book of Exodus, God affected the heart of Pharaoh in his interaction with Moses and Aaron. Now God has stirred the spirit of the king of Persia in order that God’s will might be accomplished. God also appeared to the prophet Ezekiel by the River Chabar, far from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 1:1ff).

None of this should surprise us. This is the same God who brought the entire world into being and who gave life to all people. Just because God had covenanted with one particular nation did not mean that God had ceased to operate on a global-or universal-stage. Nor is God somehow barred from working though those who may or may not believe in such a God. If it is God’s will to harden the heart of an Egyptian ruler, God can do so. If God wishes to stir the spirit of the king of Persia, God can do so. There is no boundary on God, no invisible fence that God must acknowledge. God is free to act according to God’s will.

That’s good news, of course. Though we may not fully grasp what God is doing in our world today we know that God is at work touching lives, stirring spirits, maybe even hardening hearts if that is God’s will. In Jesus Christ God made a universal claim to all people calling each and every one of us into a restored relationship. The universe remains God’s theater of operations, and God is capable of transcending our expectations, of moving beyond any limits even we might try to impose.

Prayer: Lord, your concern for us knows no boundaries, no limitations, no end. Help us to live as your people and to accept your presence in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Proactive God

2 Kings 23:36-24:17

In our Old Testament reading this morning the writer of 2 Kings offers an editorial comment that speaks volumes. Of the difficulties facing Jerusalem and the surrounding country the author says, "Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, for all that he had committed, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed..." (2 Kings 24:3-4a). The implications of this statement are clear. Nothing could happen to Jerusalem without God's permission. Actually, according to this passage the hardships that befell Judah were at the behest of God. God was not simply watching events unfold, allowing them to happen, God was the primary force behind them.

God's intentions for the people had been clear all along. Turn away from other gods, walk in the way of the Lord with conviction, follow God's commands, and reap the blessings. When the people failed to respond as God desired, God not only removed the devine protection from them but set in motion the events that would lead to their destruction. In a manner of speaking, God was proactive in the matter.

Fast forward in human history. When the time was right God sent Jesus Christ into the world to redeem us from our sins and save us from the power of death. God was proactive. I doubt this would have been a surprise to the author of 2 Kings. It certainly should be no surprise to us. This is what God does. God takes part, plays a role as God wills within creation. Our hope in God is not misplaced.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our living and help us to see your grace which surrounds us at all times. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Such An Odd God

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Who would do such a thing? That’s the underlying question in our reading from Deuteronomy for today. Or rather, what god has done such a thing? “…(H)as any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself,” we read, “from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by terrifying displays of power, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). Obviously it’s a rhetorical question, but we know the answer. First of all, what other god is there? And while our God, the God, could have accomplished the divine will in all sorts of ways, why God chose this particular path is unknown and unknowable.

But what we call the Exodus is an event unparalleled in human history. A weak people, enslaved to a mighty nation, were led to freedom by a stammering messenger. Throughout, God used whatever means were necessary to accomplish the task. Was it really necessary to do things this way? Only God could say, but through the events surrounding the Exodus God became known to the Hebrew people and ultimately made covenant with them to be their God as they were God’s people. To this day, Jews and Christians point to this series of events as a turning point in God’s relationship with humanity; the weak have seen a promise of strength; the oppressed have seen hope of justice; the poor and hungry, the homeless and naked have heard the word of God and rejoiced.

My, but don’t we worship an odd God, one who cannot be second-guessed or fully anticipated, one who reveals only as much as God wishes to reveal, one who acts with mighty power one time but in subtlety and gentleness the next? The Exodus was a moment of revelation and of release. It has led to an ongoing relationship of great importance to us all. But don’t try to fully understand it. It can’t be done.

Prayer: Lord, help us to receive your gift of grace without trying to understand or to critique it, so that we may live faithfully as your people. Amen.

Last Words

Jonah 3:1-4:11
Revelation 11:14-19
Luke 11:27-36
The connection between our readings from Luke and Johan is obvious. In Luke Jesus compares and contrasts his ministry to that of the prophet and points to the impact Jonah had on Nineveh as opposed to the response Jesus receives from his own people. But I find a very compelling point of reference between the reading in Jonah and that in Revelation, because in each case God’s word is final.

In fact, the final verses of Jonah come to an abrupt end with God making an emphatic point and leaving the prophet no opportunity to reply (Jonah 4:10-11). That’s the way it is, Jonah, says God, and that’s that. The finality of God’s word in our reading from Revelation is less implied than that in Jonah. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever,” we read (Revelation 11:15). Not only has God put an end to the discussion, God has brought the kingdom to consummation. There are still plenty of visions for John to relate to us, but already we know how the story will end. God will reign “forever and ever” over the “kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.” From now on this is how it will be. And that’s that.

There is a joke about how American Civil War movies always end the same way. The North wins every time. Of course that’s history, a look back. Revelation is a look ahead, but the effect is the same. No matter how many times we read the Bible it always ends the same way, even if that end is sometime in the future. As with John of Patmos, there are still plenty of visions for us to see, a lot of situations for us to experience, ample opportunities for us to choose between the kingdoms of the world or the kingdom of God. But already we know how the story will end. When creation reaches its “final verse” God will make the last emphatic point and that will be that. It will all be over except for the joy and the peace of God’s endless reign.

Prayer: Almighty God, may our prayers of praise and adoration rise before you as we await the final coming of your kingdom. Guide our feet that we may walk in the paths of righteousness until that day dawns with the light of your glory. Amen.