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.

Full-Time Praise?

Psalm 148
From the looks of it, praising God is a full-creation job. It is clearly the intent of Psalm 148 to invite all of creation to share in giving glory to its Creator. There are two sections to the psalm: each begins with a call to praise the Lord addressed to certain elements of the created order, followed by a rationale for that praise. So the sun, moon, stars, angels, hosts, waters, and the highest heavens are called on to praise the Lord because it is the Lord who has created them and who has established them (vs. 1-6). Sea monsters, fire, hail, snow, frost, winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees and cedars, wild animals and cattle, things that creep and things that fly, kings and peoples, princes and rulers, men and women, the young and the old are also told to praise the Lord because God’s glory rises above earth and heaven (vs. 7-14). Praising God is a full-creation job.

But praising God is also a full-time job. Clearly the community of faith cannot limit the glorifying of God’s name to just one hour on Sunday mornings. But for a moment let’s assume that a person does attend a worship service each week. That service might average about 60 minutes depending on the place of worship. Then let’s assume this person also attends a mid-week service that lasts about half an hour. That’s 90 minutes a week of praising God. Next lets add an informal prayer time that this person might attend, and let’s say it lasts about 15 minutes, bringing the total to about 105 minutes. Three meals a day begun with a blessing would mean 21 blessings a week at about 1 minute each bringing the total to 126 minutes a week. Bedtime prayers, seven a week at about two minutes each, would add another 14 minutes for a total of 140 minutes. Some folks make a habit of praying in the morning as well, which might add an additional 35 minutes of praise each week for a total of 175 minutes. When it is all added together and some allowance is made for random acts of praise—say, 15 minutes worth a week––we might come up with about 190 minutes.

Wow! 190 minutes a week used to praise God. Pretty good, huh? The problem is, this leaves 9,890 minutes a week spent NOT praising God. In other words, even with all the worship and prayer opportunities that we listed, we are left praising God for about 1.9% of our time. Wow! That doesn’t sound very good, does it? Psalm 148 reminds us that praising God is a full-time, full-creation activity that demands our ongoing and constant attention. Otherwise we are reducing God to a minor aspect in our lives instead of recognizing God’s place as Sovereign Lord of all.

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, you alone deserve our praise and our adoration. Forgive us when we fail to honor you in our lives, for it is in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.

Picking a Team

Micah 3:9-4:5
“For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5). This verse begins with a rather obvious statement, that everyone chooses what god or gods they will serve and ends with a ringing affirmation, that the people of Israel will remain steadfast in their relationship with the God who led their ancestors out of Egypt.

Actually what the prophet Micah says is that all peoples will walk “in the name of” their own god. When I read these words I think of how fans often show support for their favorite teams by wearing jerseys or tee-shirts emblazoned with the team’s logo. Some fans are so dedicated to a team that they become known for that allegiance (and there is no end to the number of teams available to choose from). In sports terms I guess I walk in the name of the San Antonio Spurs or the Tennessee Titans. They are my favorite teams and I show them a certain amount of support and loyalty, I feel a sense of pride when they win games, and I try to keep up with their trades and statistics. But I don’t ever want to be defined on those terms alone. Instead I wish to be known as someone whose primary focus is on “God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth….” I would like to be known as someone who wears God’s jersey, so to speak, and who is attentive to God’s word.

“All the peoples walk, each in the name of its god….” Assuming this is true, whose jersey do we wear? Who do we serve? Who do we follow? If we take the words of Micah seriously there really is no question.

Prayer: O God, may we be devoted in our worship of you and in serving you faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Star Power?

Acts 14:1-18

“When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’" (Acts 14:11). This verse from today’s reading in Acts should sound familiar to us because it has been repeated over and over again in human history. We have become very adept at venerating other humans: athletes, musicians, politicians, entertainers, artists, TV personalities, authors. We collect autographs and pour over pictures of prominent people. We also absorb gossip and rumors about famous men and women. And though we would rather not admit it, much of this behavior echoes the words of the Lycaonians, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” We can become star struck and allow this condition to guide the way we live.

The problem is that when we allow ourselves to be distracted by the nature of celebrity it also means that we have taken our eyes off of the one God. Fame can be enticing, it can seduce us, and it can blind us to the reality of God’s presence in the world. But only God is Sovereign over all creation, and only God, the God, can truly address our lives with both judgment and grace. Movie stars may provide us with entertainment, musicians and authors may fill our lives with insight and texture, athletes may inspire us, but none of these are worthy of our praise the way God is. And while this is all seems so obvious, just reflect on how often we allow ourselves to be caught up in what amounts to idol worship at the expense of our attention to God’s will in our lives.

Enjoying the works of others, appreciating their efforts, following their achievements is all very appropriate. But once we take our focus off of God in order to be more attentive to mere humans we have fallen into the same trap that nearly snared the Lycaonians. Only God is God, and only God deserves to be worshiped.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remain focused on you in all we do so that we may live lives of justice and truth according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Festal What?

Psalm 89

On the count of three let’s all join together in the “festal shout” mentioned in Psalm 89:15, shall we? What, you don’t know what the festal shout is? Now that I think about it, neither do I. So what is the festal shout and why are the people who know it so happy?

Festal is a word that has to do with festivals or festivities, one that connotes joy and celebration. It probably refers to a part of the ancient liturgy use in the temple in Jerusalem. I doubt that it was some secret password, though. It is likely that anyone who worshiped regularly in the temple would have known what was meant by that. And that makes sense. The more you participate in the practices of a community the more you come to know what is going on and the more comfortable you become in taking part. But there is something even more important going on here, something that applies to all of us who seek to worship God.

Psalm 89:15 does not refer to a “liturgical moan”––it is a festal shout, and it grows out of a heartfelt desire to stand in the presence of God. Nor is it the “congregational giggle”––it is a festal shout and it is a responsible way, not only of worshiping, but also of living as part of a wider community. Nor is it the “Sunday sob”––it is a festal shout, and for Christians it comes as a response to the joyous news of the resurrection. Nor is it simply paying lip service to God­­––it is a glad offering of our very selves to the will of God.

The psalmist knew that the festal shout of Israel indicated a relationship between the worshiper and God. We, too, may demonstrate that relationship when we allow ourselves to guided in our worship, yes, but also in our living by the God of Israel whom we come to know in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with joy that we may serve you gladly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Natural High

Ephesians 5:1-32

“Do not get drunk with wine,” we read in Ephesians today, “for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20). If you want to find harmony in your life, join in the singing, the “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” being offered up by the community of faith. But do not resort to drinking and intoxication.

What an interesting parallel. On the one hand there is the admonition against debauchery and then, of all the alternatives that might be offered, Ephesians points to the presence of the Spirit that comes to those who are joined in song, the sense of well-being that develops when we praise God with all our heart. Call it a natural high, or musical contentment, or song-based sobriety. Whatever the case we are challenged to turn away from that which dulls the senses and instead to embrace God’s presence in our lives.

Singing is one of those activities that can draw people together. It happens around campfires, at civic gatherings, as a part of family celebrations, and of course during worship. When we sing we take many parts and fold them into one. And when we vocalize our thanks and praise to God our hearts are filled with song too, and filled with the Spirit of God. When we are numbed by our actions we lose touch with what God is doing in the world, but when—in good times or in bad—we sing we are connected to one another and to the Lord. If you want to find harmony in your life, just follow the sounds of praise, and then sing along.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your Spirit and give us voices with which to praise you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Face to Face

2 John 1:1-13

There is something about personal contact that cannot be duplicated by any other means. We may value the convenience of talking on the phone, or of texting or e-mailing, or of “following” one another on Facebook or Twitter, or of connecting via Skype or another form of video conferencing, but it simply is not the same as meeting someone in person and spending time in her or his company. The same idea is expressed in pre-technological terms by the author of 2 John. “Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 1:12). The church is a community of faith built on relationships, those among individuals and between Jesus Christ and humanity. To participate fully, then, we must be present with and to one another as we seek to serve our Lord. There is a time and a place for “paper and ink.” But only when we stand together do we find complete joy and fulfilled purpose.

Like virtually all congregations the one I serve celebrated Christmas Eve with a worship service. Attendance that evening was higher than at any time during my brief tenure. I suspect that when we reach Easter Sunday we will have a similar turnout. I’m not complaining. It is ALWAYS a blessing to worship God, no matter how many are present, and I am delighted whenever people are willing to participate. But it is essential for us to understand that we are not fully God’s people when we are not fully engaged with one another, and that means face to face.

The author of 2 John longed for the opportunity to put down his pen and instead to visit face to face with his sisters and brothers. That need still exists and can never be replaced – not even by a blog based on the daily lectionary!

Prayer: Lord, bring us together in the faith that we may serve you fully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come Together

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

In today’s epistle reading Paul offers an example of what the worship of God should be about. “What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). When we gather before God we each bring our own offering, our willingness to participate in the praise of our Creator. We may sing, we may preach, we may pray, we may listen attentively, we may contribute money. But whatever our offering may be, however it presents itself in our lives, we must first be sure we are building up the body of Christ, not tearing it down or causing it to fall to pieces.

Furthermore we must hear Paul’s words and take them seriously. Who is it who brings an offering for the worship of God? “Each one,” says Paul, by which he means each member of the community. Worship is not some sort of performance art, not a form of lecture, not a recital. Worship is an act of the body of Christ directed toward God. And as such we must strive to build each other up in our worship and in our living. This, of course, understands the essential nature of our gathering and of our worship. It is not optional, it is a part of what we do! Paul does not suggest that “if we should happen to gather…,” but states flatly, “whey you come together….”

So we must gather, must come together to worship God, each with our own gifts and offerings, and each focused not only on God, but on building up one another. Through such activity we find peace and joy in the presence of God.

Prayer: Lord, help to worship you with honesty and with enthusiasm, joined with our fellow-believers, and guided by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Pardon Me, Please

2 Kings 5:1-19

Naaman was a general in the service of the king of Aram. Naaman was also a leper who learned there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him. Elisha was that prophet who did in fact heal Naaman of his disease. Afterwards the general acknowledged that the God of Israel was the one true God in all the world and the only God that Naaman would worship. “But,” said Naaman to Elisha, “may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count” (2 Kings 5:18). Elisha then assures Naaman that he may go in peace.

I find this to be an odd moment. On a number of occasions God has claimed to be a jealous, insistent that the people of God have nothing to do with other deities. (Exodus 34:14 even says “…the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” And Exodus 20:5 specifically mentions bowing to other gods as unacceptable.) So why is it that Naaman is given permission to do these things, to attend the worship of another god and to bow with the king of Aram on those occasions? Frankly, I have no idea. When it comes to worshiping the God of Israel it would seem like Naaman should be “all in” or not, as opposed to “in (with exceptions).”

And yet clearly God meets us where we are and our relationships with God are not “one size fits all.” My needs are not necessarily the needs of another, my situation in life is not identical to anyone else’s. For this reason I take comfort in knowing that God relates to people within the community of faith just as we should relate to one another, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses we each carry, offering to do those things for which we are best suited. In his healing Naaman found the truth about God who already knew the truth about Naaman. What a blessing to know that God pays more attention to us than we do to God.

Prayer: Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. Bless us with what we need to live as your people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Worship and Doubt in Galilee

Matthew 28:16-20

It seems like an odd remark to make under the circumstances. “When (the eleven disciples) saw (Jesus),” Matthew says, “they worshiped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Some doubted? Really? How does a comment like that fit into such a pivotal passage in Matthew’s story, so close to the great commission, right at the very end of the book? Isn’t it a little late to be dealing with doubt? Maybe, but keep in mind that this is the first time that anyone except the women have seen the resurrected Jesus in Matthew’s account. The eleven did not share the experience at the empty tomb, they have only had the word of two women to go on. They was bound to be some skepticism. But of greater significance to me is the phrase that comes just before Matthew mentions doubt: “When they saw him, they worshiped him….” So there was praise that day in Galilee as well, mixed in with the feelings of uncertainty.

Now for a bold confession on my part: There are many days when, despite my best efforts at faith, I find myself doubting, questioning, wondering, being skeptical. I can’t help it. Doubt creeps in and infects my worship and praise of God in Jesus Christ. Maybe you have the same experience that I do. If so here is something I find helpful. Even in my greatest times of doubt and hesitation I find that worship and praise of God in Jesus Christ helps me to move ahead, to live beyond my doubt until my faith is renewed as it always is. Doubt my infect our worship, but worship sets back our doubt when we allow it to. And when that happens we stand with the man who cried, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) and with generations of Christians ever since who have struggled just the way we struggle. Doubt is not unusual even in the most faithful. But the great tragedy comes when we allow doubt to cut us off from the worshiping community. It doesn’t have to. Doubt is an honest reaction to events or information that sometimes overwhelm us. Worship, though, is the exercise regimen that keeps our hearts and minds attuned to what God is doing and prepared to do our part when we can.

Prayer: Lord, may our worship and praise continue, even in those times of greatest doubt, so that our lives may remain centered on you and your work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Fast God Chooses

Isaiah 58:1-12

One of the things to notice in reading from the prophets is how there is no separation between the worship of God and the ethical claims God makes upon us. Our reading from Isaiah today is a perfect example. While there are those who seek to worship and honor God with all they are and all they have, there are also others who give very little thought to what God really desires from God’s people, and as a result put little effort into the relationship.

“Is not this the fast that I choose,” asks God: “to loose the bounds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free…” (Isaiah 58:6)? If we set about to serve God with hallow rituals while neglecting acts of generosity and of kindness we’ve missed the point. God is not satisfied with such half-hearted response. What God really wants is for us to care for one another, to look after those in need, to remove oppression and injustice from our lands, to lift up the downtrodden and grant peace. If our worship of God does not lead us in that direction then we’ve missed the point. If, however, our worship allows us to turn outward and to meet the needs of our world, to share more generously, then we are following God’s for our lives.

It really is that simple. We can sit in our pew and give lip service to God, or we can allow God to motivate us, to guide us, to care for others through us and by doing so demonstrate to the world the grace of God and the love of God’s people. What sort of fast do you choose? One that you can get through quickly and forget about, or one that touches every facet of your life and the lives of others. If you said the second one, then you are on your way.

Prayer: O God, give meaning to our words and purpose to our actions, that our worship may lead us to serve others according to your will. Amen.