2 Corinthians 3:1-18
“Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit…” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6a). These words are a great comfort to me. They remind me to give thanks to God for all that I am able to accomplish. They remind me to do my best in any situation and to trust God to bless the outcome. They remind me that it is not I who achieve, but God who achieves through me. Paul’s words free me to worry less about whether I can do something and instead to give thought to how something might be done.
The work of ordained ministers has changed in recent decades. While preaching, teaching, and pastoral care were long considered the primary concerns of clergy, we now find ourselves dealing as much with staff development, budgets, endowments, boards of agencies, volunteer recruitment, fund raising, facilities, in short, administration. There are always plenty of reasons to stay in my office even though I feel like my work should take me into the world meeting needs and touching lives. It really seems that few people can do all that the ministry requires today. But not all ministry is done by “ministers.” Much of what the church is about is best done by lay people, those with the skills and talents needed for such tasks. It is, I believe, a matter of matching the person with the right talents to the job that needs doing. Even then, though, even when we get people pointed in the right direction, it is by the grace of God that they succeed in their work.
Each of us, no matter our skill level, is dependent on God to give us the insight and wisdom, the talent and determination, the skill and imagination necessary to act in faithful obedience. “Our competence is from God,” said Paul, which means not only that we give God glory for what we are able to do, but that we should never waver in our determination, never falter in the face of difficult tasks, because until we try we will never know what God has given us the ability to accomplish. And there is no telling what the Spirit of God will lead us to do next.
Prayer: Lord, only you can give us competence, only you can give us what we need to succeed. Help us, then, to be about your work in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Heavenly Mandate
Luke 3:1-14
According to Luke’s account, John the Baptist gives clear guidance on what one does in order to live a righteous life. “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages’” (Luke 3:10-14). The underlying theme is community, caring for one another and living in right relationship. Those with plenty should care for those in need. Those in authority should be careful not to abuse their power. In fact, all that is required to live a godly life seems to be summed up in John’s admonition to the soldiers, “and be satisfied with your wages.” Those who seek more than they need—be it in terms of wealth or power––are at risk of God’s judgment. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it,” quipped the old-time preacher. Here, the faithful obedience for which God calls is straight-forward and clear-cut. If you have enough, be satisfied with it as you seek to care for those who are without.
What also strikes me about these words is the complete absence of any human mandate. All the generosity, hospitality, responsibility, restraint, and respect, that John’s words imply are to be established according to the will of God and not because of a governmental decree or social policy. Regardless of what legislatures or agencies may (or may not) decide, the role of the believer is obvious: care for one another in obedience to God. As Paul says of the fruit of the Spirit, “There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:23b).
How might John’s words inform our living today? For one thing, the people of God must demonstrate the human capacity for generosity and compassion instead of waiting for or demanding it of others. Governments serve a vital purpose and can do many good and essential things. But caring for others and sharing with those in need is too important to be relegated to elected officials. Likewise, while there are many points of disagreement between people of faith, there should be something close to unanimity when it comes to caring for the lost, the lonely, the poor, and the outcast. There are many ways to address the needs of the world, but only one Spirit necessary to motivate our actions.
John lays down an indelible pathway toward the coming kingdom with his challenge to “be satisfied” with what we are given as we work to mend the brokenness of our neighbors. As the old-time preacher reminds us, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”
Prayer: Gracious God, help us to live with love and compassion for those around us, meeting needs and mending wounds, and so to live as an example to the world of what it means to follow you
According to Luke’s account, John the Baptist gives clear guidance on what one does in order to live a righteous life. “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages’” (Luke 3:10-14). The underlying theme is community, caring for one another and living in right relationship. Those with plenty should care for those in need. Those in authority should be careful not to abuse their power. In fact, all that is required to live a godly life seems to be summed up in John’s admonition to the soldiers, “and be satisfied with your wages.” Those who seek more than they need—be it in terms of wealth or power––are at risk of God’s judgment. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it,” quipped the old-time preacher. Here, the faithful obedience for which God calls is straight-forward and clear-cut. If you have enough, be satisfied with it as you seek to care for those who are without.
What also strikes me about these words is the complete absence of any human mandate. All the generosity, hospitality, responsibility, restraint, and respect, that John’s words imply are to be established according to the will of God and not because of a governmental decree or social policy. Regardless of what legislatures or agencies may (or may not) decide, the role of the believer is obvious: care for one another in obedience to God. As Paul says of the fruit of the Spirit, “There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:23b).
How might John’s words inform our living today? For one thing, the people of God must demonstrate the human capacity for generosity and compassion instead of waiting for or demanding it of others. Governments serve a vital purpose and can do many good and essential things. But caring for others and sharing with those in need is too important to be relegated to elected officials. Likewise, while there are many points of disagreement between people of faith, there should be something close to unanimity when it comes to caring for the lost, the lonely, the poor, and the outcast. There are many ways to address the needs of the world, but only one Spirit necessary to motivate our actions.
John lays down an indelible pathway toward the coming kingdom with his challenge to “be satisfied” with what we are given as we work to mend the brokenness of our neighbors. As the old-time preacher reminds us, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”
Prayer: Gracious God, help us to live with love and compassion for those around us, meeting needs and mending wounds, and so to live as an example to the world of what it means to follow you
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Step Right This Way
Psalm 66
Walk among the sideshows at the circus or at the fair and you may find yourself enticed by the cries of the carnival barker. A barker, of course, is the person whose job it is to drum up a crowd, to build interest, and to generate as much business for the sideshow as possible. “Hurry, hurry, step right this way. Don’t you dare miss the awesome wonder that is the four-headed cow,” he might say. Or the bearded lady, or the frozen mermaid, or the man-eating geranium. And if we are willing to let ourselves believe the unbelievable, we will pay our money and take a look at what we know cannot be true. For a carnival barker to be effective, he or she must display enough enthusiasm to overcome our natural skepticism, to make us do something that we would not normally do.
Psalm 66:5 has the ring of a carnival barker to it. “Come and see what God has done,” it calls to us. “(H)e is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” There is a great deal of enthusiasm here for what God is doing in the midst of God’s people. “Look here! Step right up! Don’t you dare miss the awesome deeds of God!” What deeds are these? Well for one thing, says the psalmist, God “turned the sea into dry land; (God’s people) passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations…” (vv. 6-7). And again––later in the psalm––we are told to “come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried aloud to him… (T)ruly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer” (vv. 16, 19).
Call this evangelism Israelite style. It is a charismatic cry to the people to put aside any doubts they might have harbored and to listen to what God has done, both on a grand scale, and on a personal level. It is the sort of invitation offered by Paul throughout the Roman empire as he called men and women to hear and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. It is the sort of invitation offered by countless saints throughout the generations as they shared their own stories and called others to believe as well. It is the sort of invitation that we, too, are called on to offer to the world, baptizing and making disciples, working to overcome the skepticism the confronts our message.
The invitation of the psalmist, and of Paul, and of the church in all generations is an invitation to praise the living God. “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth,” we read, “sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds” (vv. 1-3a). When we can respond to God with praise, when we can marvel at God’s awesome works in our midst, then for us the skepticism is less acute. When our hearts are full of praise and worship, then they are also ready to work and minister in God’s name, to feed the hungry, to revive the dispirited, to comfort the distressed, to house the homeless, then we are ready to enthusiastically invite others to come and see what God has done.
The carnival barkers do not remain in one place long. They follow the circus, or head to the next fair, and they take with them the four-headed cow, and the frozen mermaid. The God of all creation remains in our midst and invites us to remain at work with enthusiasm calling others to join in.
Prayer: Lord, guide us by your word and your will to serve you faithfully in all that we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Walk among the sideshows at the circus or at the fair and you may find yourself enticed by the cries of the carnival barker. A barker, of course, is the person whose job it is to drum up a crowd, to build interest, and to generate as much business for the sideshow as possible. “Hurry, hurry, step right this way. Don’t you dare miss the awesome wonder that is the four-headed cow,” he might say. Or the bearded lady, or the frozen mermaid, or the man-eating geranium. And if we are willing to let ourselves believe the unbelievable, we will pay our money and take a look at what we know cannot be true. For a carnival barker to be effective, he or she must display enough enthusiasm to overcome our natural skepticism, to make us do something that we would not normally do.
Psalm 66:5 has the ring of a carnival barker to it. “Come and see what God has done,” it calls to us. “(H)e is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” There is a great deal of enthusiasm here for what God is doing in the midst of God’s people. “Look here! Step right up! Don’t you dare miss the awesome deeds of God!” What deeds are these? Well for one thing, says the psalmist, God “turned the sea into dry land; (God’s people) passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations…” (vv. 6-7). And again––later in the psalm––we are told to “come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried aloud to him… (T)ruly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer” (vv. 16, 19).
Call this evangelism Israelite style. It is a charismatic cry to the people to put aside any doubts they might have harbored and to listen to what God has done, both on a grand scale, and on a personal level. It is the sort of invitation offered by Paul throughout the Roman empire as he called men and women to hear and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. It is the sort of invitation offered by countless saints throughout the generations as they shared their own stories and called others to believe as well. It is the sort of invitation that we, too, are called on to offer to the world, baptizing and making disciples, working to overcome the skepticism the confronts our message.
The invitation of the psalmist, and of Paul, and of the church in all generations is an invitation to praise the living God. “Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth,” we read, “sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds” (vv. 1-3a). When we can respond to God with praise, when we can marvel at God’s awesome works in our midst, then for us the skepticism is less acute. When our hearts are full of praise and worship, then they are also ready to work and minister in God’s name, to feed the hungry, to revive the dispirited, to comfort the distressed, to house the homeless, then we are ready to enthusiastically invite others to come and see what God has done.
The carnival barkers do not remain in one place long. They follow the circus, or head to the next fair, and they take with them the four-headed cow, and the frozen mermaid. The God of all creation remains in our midst and invites us to remain at work with enthusiasm calling others to join in.
Prayer: Lord, guide us by your word and your will to serve you faithfully in all that we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
It’s All About Your Mindset
Romans 8:1-11
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Paul’s words to the Christian community in Rome offer a challenge to all who hear them. Before us lie two choices. On the one hand we have all that the world has to offer, what Paul refers to as the flesh. Wealth, prominence, power, easy solutions and quick fixes, all that dulls the mind or numbs the senses to the presence of God: these all belong to the flesh and to follow them leads us away from God and therefore toward death. But there is hope, because on the other hand there is that which emanates from God through the Holy Spirit. To accept the Spirit into our lives, to focus on what it means for us, and to embrace all that it entails leads not only to abundant life in its fullest, but to a sense of peace and wellbeing as well. This is the promise that God holds out to us, even in the most difficult of times.
It is all a matter of mindset, of where we place our priorities, and of how we perceive the world. If we are driven by an overarching sense of competition, of looking out for ourselves first and foremost, of self-satisfaction as a primary motivation, then we have already separated ourselves from God and the community that God is building in our midst for we have embraced the flesh as our guide. But if we are mindful of others, if we give of ourselves with generosity and kindness, if we seek justice for all people and reconciliation among those who are divided, then we already standing on the side of God and God’s will for humanity. This is to live by the Spirit.
The way of the Spirit is not an easy path. It is a challenge that requires great effort on our part. But the ability to live as one of God’s people is a gift to us from God and something that God makes possible. Where will we place our focus? What will be our mindset? Will we choose the ways of the flesh that lead to separation from God, or will we be enlivened by the Spirit and the fullest life we can live?
Prayer: Lord, help us to live our lives according to the Spirit and not the flesh, so that in fullest life we may serve you faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Paul’s words to the Christian community in Rome offer a challenge to all who hear them. Before us lie two choices. On the one hand we have all that the world has to offer, what Paul refers to as the flesh. Wealth, prominence, power, easy solutions and quick fixes, all that dulls the mind or numbs the senses to the presence of God: these all belong to the flesh and to follow them leads us away from God and therefore toward death. But there is hope, because on the other hand there is that which emanates from God through the Holy Spirit. To accept the Spirit into our lives, to focus on what it means for us, and to embrace all that it entails leads not only to abundant life in its fullest, but to a sense of peace and wellbeing as well. This is the promise that God holds out to us, even in the most difficult of times.
It is all a matter of mindset, of where we place our priorities, and of how we perceive the world. If we are driven by an overarching sense of competition, of looking out for ourselves first and foremost, of self-satisfaction as a primary motivation, then we have already separated ourselves from God and the community that God is building in our midst for we have embraced the flesh as our guide. But if we are mindful of others, if we give of ourselves with generosity and kindness, if we seek justice for all people and reconciliation among those who are divided, then we already standing on the side of God and God’s will for humanity. This is to live by the Spirit.
The way of the Spirit is not an easy path. It is a challenge that requires great effort on our part. But the ability to live as one of God’s people is a gift to us from God and something that God makes possible. Where will we place our focus? What will be our mindset? Will we choose the ways of the flesh that lead to separation from God, or will we be enlivened by the Spirit and the fullest life we can live?
Prayer: Lord, help us to live our lives according to the Spirit and not the flesh, so that in fullest life we may serve you faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A Journey With the Family
Psalm 34
My father-in-law's health has been less than stellar of late, so naturally I have spent time thinking about him recently, about the impact he has had on many lives as a minister and as a friend. Those lives include mine. The Christian faith really is a family in so many ways; not one of birth or marriage, but one of covenant and community. My father-in-law has done much over the years to help me feel at home in the family of faith and I think of people like him when I read words like those found in Psalm 34. "O magnify the Lord with me," says the psalmist, "and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3). These are words of invitation meant to make us feel at home in the family of faith. These are words that say "come and share in a life of purpose and joy that can only be found in serving God." They say "come and be a part of God's people, the community of the covenant. Come and belong." These are words my father-in-law has embodied through decades of ministry and discipleship.
Each of us who considers him- or herself a Christian has a different story as to how we came to have faith in Jesus Christ. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, you may have experienced conversion from a life that was leading you in one direction when you experienced a change of heart that led you in another. Or perhaps like Timothy, you may have simply grown up in the faith, never realizing it was possible not to believe. In any case, there were others who played a part in getting us to where we are today in our journey with God, whether it was friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors, fellow church members, even strangers. Any of these may have touched us at an appropriate time and helped guide us on our way. The end result is that we stand in community, in covenant with one another and with God. We now have the opportunity to reach out to others the way that others have reached out to us, to say with the psalmist, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
Obviously, we are not the source of the message; it is Jesus Christ who calls us into relationship with God. But we have a vital role to play nonetheless. The community of faith as we know it is always in flux. It is not a rigid, fixed group of people, in lockstep, marching along the road of faith. It is, instead, a changing, dynamic collection of saints at various stages of their respective faith journeys. The joyous call to discipleship, then, is not an invitation to a sit-down, black-tie dinner. It is a "come as you are" affair, a ramble along the road that leads to the coming kingdom. It is a trip that changes us from what we were into what we can be. It is a trip without much in the way of a fixed starting point, but it has a goal: full, self-giving service to God through Jesus Christ. Our words of invitation, addressed to the world, can be the starting point for someone else's trip along the road to the kingdom, and it may be the only invitation that some people ever receive. So let us magnify the Lord, and let us exalt his name together.
Prayer: Lord, on our journey of faith help us to remain open to what you are doing in and through us and to what we may do through you for others. In Jesus' name. Amen.
My father-in-law's health has been less than stellar of late, so naturally I have spent time thinking about him recently, about the impact he has had on many lives as a minister and as a friend. Those lives include mine. The Christian faith really is a family in so many ways; not one of birth or marriage, but one of covenant and community. My father-in-law has done much over the years to help me feel at home in the family of faith and I think of people like him when I read words like those found in Psalm 34. "O magnify the Lord with me," says the psalmist, "and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3). These are words of invitation meant to make us feel at home in the family of faith. These are words that say "come and share in a life of purpose and joy that can only be found in serving God." They say "come and be a part of God's people, the community of the covenant. Come and belong." These are words my father-in-law has embodied through decades of ministry and discipleship.
Each of us who considers him- or herself a Christian has a different story as to how we came to have faith in Jesus Christ. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, you may have experienced conversion from a life that was leading you in one direction when you experienced a change of heart that led you in another. Or perhaps like Timothy, you may have simply grown up in the faith, never realizing it was possible not to believe. In any case, there were others who played a part in getting us to where we are today in our journey with God, whether it was friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors, fellow church members, even strangers. Any of these may have touched us at an appropriate time and helped guide us on our way. The end result is that we stand in community, in covenant with one another and with God. We now have the opportunity to reach out to others the way that others have reached out to us, to say with the psalmist, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
Obviously, we are not the source of the message; it is Jesus Christ who calls us into relationship with God. But we have a vital role to play nonetheless. The community of faith as we know it is always in flux. It is not a rigid, fixed group of people, in lockstep, marching along the road of faith. It is, instead, a changing, dynamic collection of saints at various stages of their respective faith journeys. The joyous call to discipleship, then, is not an invitation to a sit-down, black-tie dinner. It is a "come as you are" affair, a ramble along the road that leads to the coming kingdom. It is a trip that changes us from what we were into what we can be. It is a trip without much in the way of a fixed starting point, but it has a goal: full, self-giving service to God through Jesus Christ. Our words of invitation, addressed to the world, can be the starting point for someone else's trip along the road to the kingdom, and it may be the only invitation that some people ever receive. So let us magnify the Lord, and let us exalt his name together.
Prayer: Lord, on our journey of faith help us to remain open to what you are doing in and through us and to what we may do through you for others. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, March 8, 2013
It’s Not About Us
Romans 6:1-11
Paul offers us words of great hope this morning in his letter to the Romans. “For if we have been united with [Christ Jesus] in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.…The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5, 10-11). In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we have been freed from the power of sin that once overshadowed our present and our future and are now able to live toward the will of God and what God is doing in the world. When we embrace this truth, when we accept it as reality, we find it to be a colossal shift in the meaning of life. No longer is it all about us. Our failings, our shortcomings, our faults are not what define us. We are now defined by the will of God and what God is doing in and through us. We are freed to move beyond our fears and regrets and to walk in the light of a new hope and a new future.
It isn’t easy, of course. We still feel the tug of our former lives clutching at us to draw us back to what we once were. But now, since we have new life in Christ, we also have ample reason to make the effort and to face the challenges. There is reason to hope; it is the certain knowledge that we live by the grace of God who claims us as God’s own and who experienced death for our sake and for the sake of the world. If we have a share in the death of Christ Jesus (and Paul assures us we do), then we most certainly have a share in his resurrection from the dead. So not only does life have renewed meaning—freed as it is from the darkness of sin—but death is no longer to be feared, for with it comes our final restoration in the life eternal, when, by grace, it still won’t be about us, but about God and God’s majestic glory. Our lives, then, belong to God, now and forever.
Prayer: God of all time and space, by your grace you have freed us from the power of sin and death and allowed us to live in and through your will. Bless us today in all that we do, that we may serve you with joy and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Paul offers us words of great hope this morning in his letter to the Romans. “For if we have been united with [Christ Jesus] in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.…The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5, 10-11). In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we have been freed from the power of sin that once overshadowed our present and our future and are now able to live toward the will of God and what God is doing in the world. When we embrace this truth, when we accept it as reality, we find it to be a colossal shift in the meaning of life. No longer is it all about us. Our failings, our shortcomings, our faults are not what define us. We are now defined by the will of God and what God is doing in and through us. We are freed to move beyond our fears and regrets and to walk in the light of a new hope and a new future.
It isn’t easy, of course. We still feel the tug of our former lives clutching at us to draw us back to what we once were. But now, since we have new life in Christ, we also have ample reason to make the effort and to face the challenges. There is reason to hope; it is the certain knowledge that we live by the grace of God who claims us as God’s own and who experienced death for our sake and for the sake of the world. If we have a share in the death of Christ Jesus (and Paul assures us we do), then we most certainly have a share in his resurrection from the dead. So not only does life have renewed meaning—freed as it is from the darkness of sin—but death is no longer to be feared, for with it comes our final restoration in the life eternal, when, by grace, it still won’t be about us, but about God and God’s majestic glory. Our lives, then, belong to God, now and forever.
Prayer: God of all time and space, by your grace you have freed us from the power of sin and death and allowed us to live in and through your will. Bless us today in all that we do, that we may serve you with joy and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Not So Different
Galatians 1:1-17
Our reading from Galatians today includes Paul’s reference to himself as one called, not by any human institution, by God to minister: “Paul an apostle — sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead….” Paul’s point is that he received his authority as an apostle directly from Jesus Christ in an encounter on the road to Damascus and not from any human source. Paul had reason to make such a strong statement. His confrontation with the risen Christ had wrenched him free from his previous life, one spent persecuting the church and imprisoning its members. And while Paul’s experience differentiated him from some like Stephen who had been ordained as a deacon by the early church, it also served to heighten the responsibility or sense of purpose that Paul must have felt. God had called him through the presence of Jesus Christ, and had led him to a new and challenging way of life.
On the other hand, when we look at the nature of the Christian faith, at the meaning of discipleship, we may find that Paul was not really all that different from any other believer. There is a traditional Cuban hymn text that underscores the importance of responding to God’s will in our lives, regardless of what that may be.
Sent by the Lord am I;
my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place
in which the kingdom comes.
The angels cannot change a world of hurt and pain
into a world of love, of justice and of peace.
The task is mine to do, to set it truly free.
Oh, help me to obey; help me to do your will.
We all have been called, set aside, commissioned to serve God by sharing the good news of the gospel with the world. Throughout history, God has chosen men and women to minister in the world, to share the love of the gospel with those who are suffering or alone. We may not experience call in the dramatic fashion that Paul did, but God has continually set aide folks like you and me to live lives of faithful obedience, to do the work that angels can not, work that is ours and ours alone.
Paul had reason to point to his conversion to Christianity and his work as an apostle. But we, too, have work to do and we, too, are called to “make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.” In this way we are not so different from Paul.
Prayer: God of grace, help us to serve you faithfully in all we do, that your will may be done and the entire world be filled with your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our reading from Galatians today includes Paul’s reference to himself as one called, not by any human institution, by God to minister: “Paul an apostle — sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead….” Paul’s point is that he received his authority as an apostle directly from Jesus Christ in an encounter on the road to Damascus and not from any human source. Paul had reason to make such a strong statement. His confrontation with the risen Christ had wrenched him free from his previous life, one spent persecuting the church and imprisoning its members. And while Paul’s experience differentiated him from some like Stephen who had been ordained as a deacon by the early church, it also served to heighten the responsibility or sense of purpose that Paul must have felt. God had called him through the presence of Jesus Christ, and had led him to a new and challenging way of life.
On the other hand, when we look at the nature of the Christian faith, at the meaning of discipleship, we may find that Paul was not really all that different from any other believer. There is a traditional Cuban hymn text that underscores the importance of responding to God’s will in our lives, regardless of what that may be.
Sent by the Lord am I;
my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place
in which the kingdom comes.
The angels cannot change a world of hurt and pain
into a world of love, of justice and of peace.
The task is mine to do, to set it truly free.
Oh, help me to obey; help me to do your will.
We all have been called, set aside, commissioned to serve God by sharing the good news of the gospel with the world. Throughout history, God has chosen men and women to minister in the world, to share the love of the gospel with those who are suffering or alone. We may not experience call in the dramatic fashion that Paul did, but God has continually set aide folks like you and me to live lives of faithful obedience, to do the work that angels can not, work that is ours and ours alone.
Paul had reason to point to his conversion to Christianity and his work as an apostle. But we, too, have work to do and we, too, are called to “make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.” In this way we are not so different from Paul.
Prayer: God of grace, help us to serve you faithfully in all we do, that your will may be done and the entire world be filled with your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Faith As A Road To Joy
Romans 15:1-13
The Rev. Dr. Jack Rogers, Presbyterian minister and theologian, has written, “If you read a passage in scripture that you believe is telling you to hate or hurt your neighbor, then you have misunderstood it.” I would add a corollary to Rogers thought. If you read scripture and believe it is telling you that faith has nothing to do with joy or hope, you have misunderstood that passage as well. Paul puts it more clearly. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). Believing in God—the God of hope––is about embracing life in this world and striving earnestly toward life in the world to come. It should never be about fear or subjugation, it should instead be filled with openness and community, light and peace. In short, to believe in the God of hope is to be opened to the joy and peace that only the Holy Spirit can truly offer.
Does this sound too good to be true? Maybe. But that is the miracle of God’s grace, that even in a dark world there are springs of fresh water where those who thirst for something better, something more sacred may drink before moving on in their journey. The mountains are high, but God’s watchfulness is never-ending. And so we believe, and we hope, and by the Holy Spirit we are filled with joy and peace. Our struggles remain, but in God they are struggles that have a higher purpose.
Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with joy and our days with peace. And if we struggle, may it be with the knowledge that your steadfast love remains with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Jack Rogers, Presbyterian minister and theologian, has written, “If you read a passage in scripture that you believe is telling you to hate or hurt your neighbor, then you have misunderstood it.” I would add a corollary to Rogers thought. If you read scripture and believe it is telling you that faith has nothing to do with joy or hope, you have misunderstood that passage as well. Paul puts it more clearly. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). Believing in God—the God of hope––is about embracing life in this world and striving earnestly toward life in the world to come. It should never be about fear or subjugation, it should instead be filled with openness and community, light and peace. In short, to believe in the God of hope is to be opened to the joy and peace that only the Holy Spirit can truly offer.
Does this sound too good to be true? Maybe. But that is the miracle of God’s grace, that even in a dark world there are springs of fresh water where those who thirst for something better, something more sacred may drink before moving on in their journey. The mountains are high, but God’s watchfulness is never-ending. And so we believe, and we hope, and by the Holy Spirit we are filled with joy and peace. Our struggles remain, but in God they are struggles that have a higher purpose.
Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with joy and our days with peace. And if we struggle, may it be with the knowledge that your steadfast love remains with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Approved
Luke 11:37-52
I love the subtle connections we find throughout scripture. In fact, we have a good example of one today. We know that the author of the gospel of Luke is also the author of Acts, so look at these two passages, one from today’s gospel reading and the other from a familiar account in Acts.
“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs” (Luke 11:47-48).
“Then (Stephen) knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died. And Saul approved of their killing him” (Acts 7:60-8:1).
Jesus condemned the lawyers and Pharisees with whom he speaking in the very strongest of terms, going so far as to say they had concurred with the murder of prophets generations before. Based on that passage, then, what are we led to think about the man who would later become one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the Church? When first we see Paul (still called Saul), he is witnessing and approving of the murder of a Christian by a crowd made up of lawyers and Pharisees. (Paul was still a Pharisee at this time, as well.) Are we supposed to like Paul at this point in the story? Are we supposed to expect great things from him as an apostle? Hardly! In fact, Luke would have us understand what a devious and dangerous man Paul really was. And yet, when the time was right even this Pharisee had a role to play in the life of the Christian faith.
Now turn back to the account from Luke. Knowing that Paul will one day find a role in the life of the Church, are we free to assume that those to whom Jesus is speaking are beyond redemption? No! If Paul can be converted, so can anyone. Why? Because the Pharisees and lawyers in Luke’s account are figuratively guilty—they act out their approve of the killing prophets long before. But Paul was literally guilty of aiding and abetting in the murder of Stephen. If Jesus can redeem Paul, Luke tells us, then we must be slow in assuming anyone is beyond the redemptive power of God in Jesus Christ which, by the way, goes for you and me as well.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we sin and help us to live as your people, sharing the good news of our own redemption with the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I love the subtle connections we find throughout scripture. In fact, we have a good example of one today. We know that the author of the gospel of Luke is also the author of Acts, so look at these two passages, one from today’s gospel reading and the other from a familiar account in Acts.
“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs” (Luke 11:47-48).
“Then (Stephen) knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died. And Saul approved of their killing him” (Acts 7:60-8:1).
Jesus condemned the lawyers and Pharisees with whom he speaking in the very strongest of terms, going so far as to say they had concurred with the murder of prophets generations before. Based on that passage, then, what are we led to think about the man who would later become one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the Church? When first we see Paul (still called Saul), he is witnessing and approving of the murder of a Christian by a crowd made up of lawyers and Pharisees. (Paul was still a Pharisee at this time, as well.) Are we supposed to like Paul at this point in the story? Are we supposed to expect great things from him as an apostle? Hardly! In fact, Luke would have us understand what a devious and dangerous man Paul really was. And yet, when the time was right even this Pharisee had a role to play in the life of the Christian faith.
Now turn back to the account from Luke. Knowing that Paul will one day find a role in the life of the Church, are we free to assume that those to whom Jesus is speaking are beyond redemption? No! If Paul can be converted, so can anyone. Why? Because the Pharisees and lawyers in Luke’s account are figuratively guilty—they act out their approve of the killing prophets long before. But Paul was literally guilty of aiding and abetting in the murder of Stephen. If Jesus can redeem Paul, Luke tells us, then we must be slow in assuming anyone is beyond the redemptive power of God in Jesus Christ which, by the way, goes for you and me as well.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we sin and help us to live as your people, sharing the good news of our own redemption with the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What You Don’t Know That You Don’t Know
Acts 19:1-10
It was in Ephesus that the Apostle Paul encountered some disciples whose knowledge of the faith was limited. “(Paul) said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’” (Acts 19:2). According to Acts, Paul quickly shared the gospel with them, and when they were baptized in the name of Jesus “the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied - altogether there were about twelve of them” (v. 6b-7).
It seems significant that the number of these “disciples” was twelve. That of course is the number of the original disciples called by Jesus. It is also the number of the tribes of Israel. The number twelve also shows up in accounts of the feeding of the five thousand as the number of baskets needed to collect the leftovers (Matthew 14:20, and John 6:13). This is a fairly common number associated with the Christian faith, and not to oversimplify the point, but when the author of Acts tells us there were “about twelve” of these disciples it would seem to indicate that they, as a group, are representative of the gospel enterprise as a whole, all those who have been called, set aside, and tended to by God through Jesus Christ. In other words they represent you and me as people of faith. If this group of twelve had more to learn about what they believed (in their case, the existence of the Holy Spirit), then it appears that all of us have more to learn.
What is it that we need to know? Sometimes the only way to answer that question is to pay attention. A friend of mine is fond of saying, “It’s amazing what you know that you didn’t know you knew.” The reverse of that would also be valid: it’s amazing what we don’t know that we don’t know. The best way to deal with this lack of knowledge is to study, and to ponder, and to pray, and to share, and to consider, and to ask, and to compare notes, and to attend church and Sunday school, and to read, and to reflect, and to do all sorts of other things in order to learn what it is we didn’t know we didn’t know. Then we, like the twelve disciples of Acts 19, may live more fully for God because we, like them, will have more of the tools we need to do the work of God’s reign.
Prayer: God, help us to open our hearts and minds to your word, humbly receiving its truth for our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
It was in Ephesus that the Apostle Paul encountered some disciples whose knowledge of the faith was limited. “(Paul) said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’” (Acts 19:2). According to Acts, Paul quickly shared the gospel with them, and when they were baptized in the name of Jesus “the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied - altogether there were about twelve of them” (v. 6b-7).
It seems significant that the number of these “disciples” was twelve. That of course is the number of the original disciples called by Jesus. It is also the number of the tribes of Israel. The number twelve also shows up in accounts of the feeding of the five thousand as the number of baskets needed to collect the leftovers (Matthew 14:20, and John 6:13). This is a fairly common number associated with the Christian faith, and not to oversimplify the point, but when the author of Acts tells us there were “about twelve” of these disciples it would seem to indicate that they, as a group, are representative of the gospel enterprise as a whole, all those who have been called, set aside, and tended to by God through Jesus Christ. In other words they represent you and me as people of faith. If this group of twelve had more to learn about what they believed (in their case, the existence of the Holy Spirit), then it appears that all of us have more to learn.
What is it that we need to know? Sometimes the only way to answer that question is to pay attention. A friend of mine is fond of saying, “It’s amazing what you know that you didn’t know you knew.” The reverse of that would also be valid: it’s amazing what we don’t know that we don’t know. The best way to deal with this lack of knowledge is to study, and to ponder, and to pray, and to share, and to consider, and to ask, and to compare notes, and to attend church and Sunday school, and to read, and to reflect, and to do all sorts of other things in order to learn what it is we didn’t know we didn’t know. Then we, like the twelve disciples of Acts 19, may live more fully for God because we, like them, will have more of the tools we need to do the work of God’s reign.
Prayer: God, help us to open our hearts and minds to your word, humbly receiving its truth for our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
He’s Been Everywhere
Acts 14:19-28
How does this sound as an itinerary? “The next day (Paul) went on with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch…Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed” (Portions of Acts 14:20b-26). Names of cities are flying around in this passage almost as fast as they do in the old Johnny Cash song, “I’ve Been Everywhere.” In it Cash sings,
I've been to:
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.
While Cash’s song is lots of fun, we need to recognize the significance of the reading from Acts. The sort of evangelism in which Paul is engaged is not for the faint of heart nor for the weak of spirit. It is grueling work demanding nearly tireless efforts, boundless energy, and, yes, the willingness to move about. Paul might have found a comfortable spot somewhere under a tree beside a river and waited for folks to come by, but instead he went (nearly) everywhere in order to find those in need of grace and to call them to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Not all of us have that kind of energy or drive, not all of us are able to travel so extensively, but for those who are so blessed the ministry of evangelism is, in many ways, its own reward for it allows people of faith to see, firsthand, the gospel at work in ways that may not be imaginable otherwise.
So thanks be to God for those who are willing to travel and to witness and to share their faith with others. And may each of us find our own way to serve God.
Prayer: God of energy and movement, help us to serve you in whatever way you need us, but always according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Watch the Road!
Acts 9:19b-31
Talk about a change of perspective. Paul, the scourge of the early Church, had gone to Damascus for the purpose of arresting believers and dragging them back to Jerusalem in chains. But on the way there he experienced a conversion that led him to become an outspoken adherent to the new faith and a follower of Jesus Christ. “All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’” (Acts 9:21). It was as if Paul had come to a fork in the road of his life and, given the chance to amend who he was, had struck out in a completely different direction. Paul repented of who he had been, cast off his old life, and became a new person dedicated to serving the Lord.
We are all on a journey of faith, and from time to time we may find ourselves at a junction, a place of decision, where we must choose which path to take. Seldom will this moment be as dramatic for us as it was for Paul, but all such moments are important nonetheless. How do we make the correct choices? The answer is to look to Jesus Christ for direction and seek his guidance, to welcome the input that the faith offers us and do the best we can to move ahead. Bad decisions are a part of life. Sin causes us to make wrong turns, to lose our way, to get lost. But the one who offers us true guidance remains steadfast. By turning to him we will always find the way to live in faith.
Paul became a new person on the road to Damascus; people hardly recognized him after his experience. We may not undergo such a radical change, but by faith in Jesus Christ we get where we need to be.
Prayer: Lord, guide us all the days of our lives that we may follow you and not waver in our faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Right Down To The Smallest Detail
Romans 16:17-27
How’s this for an odd little verse? “I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord” (Romans 16:22). There may not seem to be much by way of theology here, but I happen to think verses like this one are often full of insight if we will only give them a chance to speak. So what is Romans 16:22 telling us?
For one thing, the spread of the gospel has always been a “team effort.” Paul may have displayed extraordinary zeal but there were always people like Tertius working behind the scenes, making sure that things got done. Look at the number of individuals mentioned in this passage alone: Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Gaius, Erastus, and Quartus all join Paul in sending their greetings. Paul was not alone in his efforts; Tertius had a role to play even if it was taking dictation from Paul.
Which brings us to a second point. The fact that Paul was dictating leads us to the possibility that the content of Romans drew heavily on what Paul would normally have said were he speaking directly to his audience. There has always been a place for oratory in the life of the church, for preaching and proclamation, which requires proximity. Paul was far more accustomed to evangelizing face to face than he was by letter, so much so that in his letters he frequently mentions his desire to be present with his readers. The Christian faith is based on relationships as much or more than it is on particular content, a fact the modern church would do well to remember.
Finally, even in this snippet of scripture, Jesus remains the point. Tertius offers his greeting “in the Lord” and not by the authority of Paul, or the church in Ephesus or Corinth, or even the Apostles in Jerusalem. Jesus is always the heart and soul of the message, even when one Christian says hello to another.
The faith is built upon community, connection, and the person of Jesus Christ, all of which are present in Romans 16:22.
Prayer: Lord, may we see your grace in even the smallest details or our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Are We “Sleepy Christians”?
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 26:36-46
Jesus was distressed to find his disciples literally sleeping at a crucial time. “Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Matthew 26:40-41). Paul warned his readers in Rome of the dangers of spiritual sleep as well. “Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep” (Romans 13:11). In each case the intent is to keep us from becoming “sleepy Christians,” those who snooze when we should be alert and active, tending to our faith and our relationship to God.
This is an easy analogy to pass over without much thought. But what might being a “sleepy Christian” actually mean for us in our world today? Is there starvation, hunger, deprivation to which we fail to respond, injustice against which we fail to speak? Is there a word from the Lord, a call to ministry, a sense of purpose that we have conveniently overlooked? Is there someone crying, or praying, or singing, who would welcome our presence and our comfort? Spiritual and physical sleep may keep us from reaching our full, God-given potential. It may rob us of the means by which to serve our Lord.
There is a time and place for sleep. The body needs enough rest in order to work efficiently. But there is also such a thing as too much sleep. Laziness and sloth may deter us from serving God so we must remain robust! We must remain active and alive. We must live as though the hour is at hand, for according to Paul and Jesus, it is.
Prayer: Lord, help us to rise from our stupor and work for the coming of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, help us to rise from our stupor and work for the coming of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)