Devotion.al

  • The Proper Guest

    Psalm 104:1–15, John 6:53–58, 1 Corinthians 11:17–11:27

    From the , God breathed into us. We’re not just talking about the lungs, but the spiritual life, too. God is the great sustainer. While there are those whose perspective of God is the Clockwork God (the concept that God started the whole thing and “walked away”) and for whom it is only biological life and no , most people seem to be between. The two “extremes” operate within the framework that God is not active, and God does not interact with . Again, because one perspective has God off who knows where, and the other perspective has no God (or other “force” for that matter). There is an odd in-between version of the as a non-personal “force”, but that is even harder to comprehend.
    From an orthodox Christian perspective, without God’s spirit, we would truly be nothing more than mere biological machines. When we look at humanity, despite its often horrible state, we cannot help perceiving that there is something far more significant than just being a machine.

    What happens, though, when someone takes normal things and makes them anything but normal? Ask Jesus.

    When Jesus calls on people to eat his flesh and drink his blood, let’s be honest, it isn’t normal. The church has long held the view that there is definitely something going on here. On one hand, there are those that believe that when we take communion, we are literally (not just spiritually) eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus (called transubstantiation, if you want to know). There are those that believe that it is merely (and only) a memorial, we do it solely because Jesus (and Paul) told us to (which are good reasons), and because the church has done it for centuries (tradition is not a bad reason either). There are two other major perspectives. Consubstantiation is a belief that it is both body and bread, and blood and wine. The last belief is that while it is “just” bread and wine (in the Nazarene and other denominations, grape juice), it is far more than “just” that. There is an understanding that Jesus is present at the table presiding over communion, in the same spirit as the Last Supper.

    Think of that. You’re eating in the presence of Jesus, as a guest.

    Regardless of your perspective on communion, the church (Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Protestant) calls it a sacrament. What is a sacrament? It is something instituted by an of Jesus. Within the larger Protestant grouping, it is one of two sacraments, the other being . Other traditions count additional acts as sacraments, but communion and baptism are universal.

    There is another aspect that is crucial to the sacraments…ourselves. Sacraments are instituted by God, so we don’t make them holy. However, Paul warns everyone to take them seriously. This is why an understanding of at whose table you are eating is so important. Not only are you eating and drinking with your local church , there is the larger denomination, the church as a whole (again, across denominations), and with the church universal (both before and after us). It should never be something approached flippantly. This does not you cannot be joyful. In fact, joyful and thankful should be the exact perspective we bring to the table.

    1) For some communion should be done rarely; at most, once a month. For others, communion is weekly. For others still, it is every worship (which can be many times in a week). What is your perspective? Why? Can you see why others might have a different perspective?

    2) Do you ever think of Jesus hosting your table during communion? Does that impact how you view communion, and your participation in it?

    3) Why do you think Jesus and Paul emphasize the body and blood? What is the significance of those two words?

  • False Sacraments

    Joshua 22:9–34, 1 Samuel 2:12–17, Psalm 40

    What’s for dinner?

    In other denominations, Fridays in Lent are meat-free. No steak or burgers. No bacon. Oddly, due to the latin root “carno” (i.e., carnivore), fish isn’t a “meat”. So, fish Friday it is. If you’ve ever gone out to dinner on a Friday, there is always clam chowder. This originates from the Roman Catholic tradition of not have fish on any Friday. After Vatican II (a revision of the Roman Catholic ways), fish Friday became a thing only during Lent, like today. So, what’s for dinner, again?

    Why this? Did you know about the reasons why clam chowder on Fridays? Some geographic areas follow this same observation, but often don’t know why. It just is. There are a lot of “that’s the way it is.” Do we ever wonder why? Let’s unpack this a little. Our supermarkets full of pork, beef, chicken, fish are an historical anomaly. Sheep, goats, beef (okay, not pork for Israelites) were not part of the diet. Such meat was eaten as either part of the (hence the deep sin of Eli’s sons) or a celebration. Both of these events have a deep tie to worship and thanksgiving to God. While in the early church, eating such meats (beef, sheep, goat, etc.) was still not a regular practice, it was decided that to honor Good Friday throughout the year, meat (i.e., flesh) was not eaten in honor of God (Jesus) who died in the flesh.

    How we approach Fridays in Lent, Good Friday, , 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas is very important. Even secular holidays are important in how we observe them. As Christianity fades from our culture, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Christmas, and other Christian observances, how we mindfully observe them becomes critical, for it becomes our witness. How the culture raises other observances into almost a sacramental view is important for us to understand. It is because something is missing.

    When the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built their alter it was a sort-of good thing. It was a hedge against being forbidden from worshipping at the Tabernacle. That sounds smart until you think through the . They didn’t trust their fellow Israelites. For some reason, there was already an emotional barrier in place. The heart of worship is supposed to be God. The sacrifice is an act to remind us of God’s . When a culture raises things to the point of God-relational act (such as sacrifice or worship), it becomes a secular holy thing. It wasn’t that long ago, that the Super Bowl was the event of the year. Yet, because it really isn’t important (sorry, football fans), it loses its shine. Something else will replace it. When the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh build this altar they effectively declared that the altar defined their with God. They even put it in God-honoring language that the remaining Israelites bought into.

    So, what does this have to do with dinner? There are many things (habits and traditions) we do that we are not even aware of, or are so accustomed to that to not do them seems wrong. To most of us, fish Friday is not a religious act of devotion, yet it remains one for . Eli’s sons didn’t care about the sacrifice, but more about the choice food. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar that their descendants became entrapped and confused (in regards to worshipping and relating to God). As we approach a discussion of sacraments and legacy, sometimes our legacy can be false sacraments we left behind.

    1) Think of a normal worship service (whichever you attend). What’s one thing, that if removed, would keep you from feeling as if you were truly worshipping God?

    2) Spiritual Disciplines often can become actions we do, but have no life. What spiritual disciplines do you practice? How do they you life?

    3) If you chose to abstain from something during Lent, have you been consistent? If not, why not? If so, have you experienced and changes or had significant reflections?

  • Rock Stories

    Rock Stories

    Joshua 4:1–13, Jeremiah 10:11-13

    A pile of rocks. What is this supposed to mean, exactly? Thanks for the field trip to the river. It’s a pile of rocks. I can make my own at home.

    How we connect the past to today is essential to passing history. If we make it boring and dry, some of it might stick, but most won’t. An enthusiastic teacher might be slightly more successful than the boring teacher, but it is still connecting it that matters. If the dry or enthusiastic sharing of facts doesn’t connect, should we just be quiet? Probably not. Only by sharing is there any at all of passing it on.

    So, then what? Story. Even the family stories that make a person roll their eyes. Some have probably heard (or even said), “I used to walk 2 (or more) miles to school uphill (uphill is important) both ways in knee-deep (or deeper) snow.” There might be some wind in there, too. Some of you probably smiled or groaned. Sounds familiar? As a child it might indeed have seemed forever to walk, the snow too deep, and the wind too cold. A re-walk of those exact steps as an adult is a completely different . It’s the story that connects.

    At some point, it seems the pile of rocks pulled from the middle of a raging river, during flood stage, yet walking on dry ground, lost its magic. Did the Israelites during the time of Judges forget? Did somebody the stones? How could the symbol of God’s amazing act turn into something boring? Easy. We can take a mirror and reflect our culture. History (except for a few) has become part of the dusty books on the back shelf. We’re not talking knowing all the amazing, angering, distressing, -wrenching stories, for who can know them all? We are talking about a common understanding of the way of things. Instead of common culture, we now have facts. And before one tears down the media or education, this is a long-germinating issue. It’s over a century, at this point.

    Christianity, with its own and longer history, has the same issue. We have to start sharing our God-encounter stories with each other. Whether the story is large or small, it is our story with God at the center that needs to be shared. When we all develop a culture of sharing our God encounter stories, they stop being strange or odd. It becomes no longer uncomfortable to . There is a caveat, however. The stories have to be shared in . If you walk up to another person, even someone at , without a developed relationship, the story will seem awkward, and will likely fall flat.

    1) What story from American (or your country of origin) history do you ? What about that story connects with you?

    2) What God-centered story from a fellow do you remember? What about that story connects with you?

    3) Have you ever shared a God-centered story with a non-Christian? Why? What was the occasion? Did it connect with them? Why or why not?

  • Passing On Legacy

    Psalm 78, Judges 17:1–13

    “We will not hide [the miracles of the past], but will tell a future generation…” Except what are we telling?

    This is a very personal question for anyone. There have been generations of self-defined Christians whose entire families have walked away from the . It may be because the church is full of broken people. That certainly is the case. However, that cannot be the only cause. Many of the families “grew up” in church. Many “met ” at a young . That is the “fire insurance” tendency of people.

    Verses 7 and 8 are the crux of it. We share the legacy of God’s story so that they know (information) and live out (relation). The American church has done a great job of information, but often only stops at a surface relation with Jesus. So much of church was keeping up appearances. It had to wear out eventually. Once the pretty shell wore off, the ugliness showed through, and people left. The church struggles to this day with the ugliness that often shows through, and strange things happen.

    The story in Judges itself is strange. A mother curses the person (we infer) who took her . When her confesses, she blesses (?) him. Then in an already confused situation, they use “church” language, which apparently makes it better (?), and make an . So, Micah (the son) builds a “temple” and assigns his son as priest. This is in the context of Israel. The idol is bad. Only one family is supposed to be priests, and Micah’s family is not part of it. Then a person from the right bloodline (Levite) walks by and is hired to be the priest. As there is no mention that this Levite is a descendant of Aaron (the “true” priests), it just gets better and better. Then, oddly, Micah (a father with apparently adult sons) tells the Levite that he (the Levite) will be his spiritual father.

    During the time of the book of Judges, there was definitely a soul of independence that believed the “other” was not family (even if of Israel, too), and people could do as they wished. It was controlled anarchy. In the US, we have well over 1200 denominations (not counting all the non-denominational—which have some sort of affiliation—churches). Sounds vaguely like controlled anarchy, too. As we watch big churches and even bigger denominations struggle with leaders who do bad things, we should be able to sympathize with people who if we Christians really do have a single . Based on some behaviors, we could even wonder if the church has a bunch of people like this Levite, who has the credentials but is all about the money (or power).

    1) Why is it important to sympathize with the perception of the church by those outside of the church? How can such perceptions hinder sharing about Jesus? More importantly, how can they help to share about Jesus?

    2) This story (which actually has a second part) is very much about people not being under the authority of a king? Can you think of the Jewish/Israelite reason for this? How can this inform how we interact with each other inside and outside of the church?

    3) Denominations pass on legacies of beauty and dedication. Denominations can also pass on legacies of pride and power. How are denominations used by God? How can denominations be dangerous to the mission of God?

  • Worthy Legacy

    Psalm 84, 1 Chronicles 28:1–29:9

    When we speak of , it is usually about what we leave behind. In Shakespeare’s play Julias Caesar, Anthony says, “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.” That sad truth is that often the bad that people do (even if simple, stupid mistakes) outlast the good. Even the awareness of the good (even good that outweighs the bad) fades, as we seem to be attracted to the bad.

    Planning your legacy is important. If you are a parent of younger children, start thinking about it now. If your children are middle- or high-school, it takes a different kind of planning. If your children are out of the house, yet a different. If you have no children, pour into those younger than you. Legacy isn’t a thing, it is an for the now.

    David wanted to now to build a for God. He made the building plans. He probably started storing supplies for the building. He was to go! Then he was stopped by God. Was his legacy to be stopped by God? In a way. There is definitely Godly separating the warrior king and his warrior ways from God’s holy temple. One can infer that while God (because of humanity’s fallen nature) tolerated and used war to preserve the Israelites, it really wasn’t the goal or intention. Despite being stopped, however, David’s plans still came to fruition.

    When David’s son, Solomon, became king, the temple project went from plans to fruition. The temple is still referred to as Solomon’s Temple, yet David designed (with Godly inspiration) and provided for its construction. While it was “Solomon’s Temple”, it was still David’s legacy. Through David’s legacy, people worshiped God. David just didn’t get all the credit.

    1) Our best legacy can often be what could have had our attached but doesn’t. What legacies can you think of that would still be worthwhile even if you are forgotten as part of it?

    2) It’s never too late to start a legacy. Even if your is broken, or you are broke. You choose your legacy. What legacy will you choose?

    3) We all leave a legacy. It may only last a generation in a form we recognize. How can a legacy transform and beyond what we ourselves did?

  • Out of Line Annunciation

    Job 28:12–28, Luke 1:24–45, Hebrews 10:4–10

    It is often the case that humanity has to confront reality. Humanity is quite . When confronted by its own folly, humanity tries to hide it in so many ways. While searching for and , it analyzes and categorizes. Humanity can only be so knowledgeable and so wise. True knowledge and wisdom come from the one who created everything, including us. Part of the issue may be that we expect God to be predictable. Somehow, we seem to think that we are capable of understanding God. Perhaps that is the of the decision made in the Garden of Eden. is often not understanding, but accepting anyway.

    Elizabeth and Mary were in that exact situation. They didn’t completely understand, but they trusted God anyway. It probably seems strange that in the midst of Lent to talk about the Announcement of ‘ birth, but timing is pretty close (though not exact). While on the journey to the cross, we include the beginning. There is indeed an echo of a beginning in the . Lent is the journey to the cross, which is basically the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. On the other hand, the cross along with the is the beginning of a completely new chapter in regards to a with God. Why not talk about the announcement of the coming Messiah. Oh, right, God moved (again) in a way that humanity couldn’t just categorize and analyze. The announcement of Jesus, along with his birth was not “how it was supposed to be”. God broke the rules, again. The rules? Human understanding and wisdom that is far short of God.

    The author Hebrews recognizes that humanity often doesn’t get it. The author reflects on the sacrificial system that is so superficial that it ignores the whole point: relationship with God. The sacrificial system was never intended to be a “check this as done” system, but an orientation to God that was really to recognize the distance that man had put between itself and God. In its quest to categorize and analyze, humanity destroyed the wisdom that God had presented.

    1) When was the first time that you recognized that God did not the way you expected or were taught to expect?

    2) Why is it important to remember that our wisdom is not God’s wisdom?

    3) What does the announcement of Jesus’ coming and the journey to the cross teach you about God’s wisdom

  • Sharing Where The Food Is

    Isaiah 55:1-9, Matthew 6:1-15

    When one works with the homeless, one learns that the homeless have an amazing network of information. This network includes which ministry provides food on which day. It can include which ministry provides sundries and clothes. Then there are the ministries that provide free clothes cleaning. They are quick to what will aid one another. Regardless of your perception or feelings regarding ministry to the homeless, their connection to one another cannot be denied. When we set aside our pride and our stuff, Christians more than anyone else ought to be aware that we are truly homeless. This world is not our home.

    Just like the homeless who share about the sustaining things around, Isaiah announces God’s mighty , , and gifts. Imagine if all of Christ’s followers couldn’t help themselves from sharing this amazing gift that God has given them. We talk about so much that is present in Isaiah’s words: the value (or lack thereof) of money, God’s great food, new covenant, not of this world. Yet, more and more, Christians are really nothing special. Now, that isn’t to say that they aren’t, but that they no longer know that they are. By and large, most people view them as political blocks or hate-filled people. Christians have allowed themselves to become this. We are no longer (by-and-large) Isaiah (or the homeless) saying, “come this awesome guy, Jesus!” Because of our career positions or career locations, we are not free to share our faith. We now have to become wiser than serpents to share the . However, we have to become like Isaiah and believe we have to actually share.

    The church has come up with many schemes and methods to share the good news.

    It is good news, right? Is it, perhaps, time to return to simpler words and ways?

    When Jesus provides the template for prayer, it is intended to be an antidote to the excessive prayers of those who made a show of their false piety. Later, it would also serve as a counterpoint to the Roman tendency for long-winded oratories that were so prized by the intellectual culture. The Lord’s Prayer (as we it now) is so simple that a child can learn (and memorize it). Yet, the depth of the Lord’s Prayer from the of God to our place in God’s kingdom here on earth. The Lord’s Prayer really is the tension between the ideal and our reality. We are often uncomfortable with the tension between the two, yet that is where the energy and ability to call those struggling in this life to the new life offered by new in Jesus Christ.

    1) Is your life with Christ still an important part of your life that you want and seek to share with ?

    2) When was the last time you prayed the Lord’s Prayer? What do you see as its positives and negatives?

    3) We talk about inviting people to church. When was the last time you invited a person to a new life with Jesus?

  • Learn What Was Lost

    Psalm 63:1–8, Isaiah 5:1–7, Luke 6:43–45

    “…Your is better than .” Do you ‘s love for you that way? Greater than life. This is similar to ‘ words about surrendering one’s life to the cross (Luke 14:25–27). David’s psalm is full of love of and for God. It is full of . This how God’s love is indeed better than life: trust.

    Yet, all too often people look at God’s love as not all that great. Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard talks about how people have despised what God had done preparing the Promised Land for the people of Israel. What more could God have done? What so many people often seem to want God to do…make them. God, being God, does not make us (or the Israelites) follow, obey, or love him. Instead, God tears down his work. If they despise his gifts, why should they have them at all? Of course, the goal is not destruction or , but it is to what they have lost.

    In many ways, God sought to prune Israel and Judah of what turned them from God…pride. When Jesus turns to trees, instead of vineyards, the is the same. A tree, to produce more fruit, will be pruned. However, Jesus sets this as an all or nothing. Jesus says that a tree (person) produces either good or bad fruit. We all produce good and bad fruit, it would seem.

    1) As we look at the Song of the Vineyard, what insights does it provide you in regards to the parable of the good tree and the bad tree?

    2) Often we are more aware of the bad in our lives than the good. Can you see in your life where God has “built” your vineyard? What are the signs?

    3) People want , and yet often want people someone to “make them” do the right thing, just like the Israelites and Jews. Why do you think people are like this? Where do you see this behavior in your life?

Devotion.al

The Proper Guest

Psalm 104:1–15, John 6:53–58, 1 Corinthians 11:17–11:27

From the perspective, God breathed into us. We’re not just talking about the lungs, but the spiritual life, too. God is the great sustainer. While there are those whose perspective of God is the Clockwork God (the concept that God started the whole thing and “walked away”) and for whom it is only biological life and no spirit, most people seem to be between. The two “extremes” operate within the framework that God is not active, and God does not interact with creation. Again, because one perspective has God off who knows where, and the other perspective has no God (or other “force” for that matter). There is an odd in-between version of the as a non-personal “force”, but that is even harder to comprehend.
From an orthodox Christian perspective, without God’s spirit, we would truly be nothing more than mere biological machines. When we look at humanity, despite its often horrible state, we cannot help perceiving that there is something far more significant than just being a machine.

What happens, though, when someone takes normal things and makes them anything but normal? .

When Jesus calls on people to eat his flesh and drink his blood, let’s be honest, it isn’t normal. The church has long held the view that there is definitely something going on here. On one hand, there are those that believe that when we take , we are literally (not just spiritually) eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus (called transubstantiation, if you want to know). There are those that believe that it is merely (and only) a memorial, we do it solely because Jesus (and ) told us to (which are good reasons), and because the church has done it for centuries ( is not a bad reason either). There are two other major perspectives. Consubstantiation is a belief that it is both body and bread, and blood and wine. The last belief is that while it is “just” bread and wine (in the Nazarene and other denominations, grape juice), it is far more than “just” that. There is an understanding that Jesus is present at the table presiding over communion, in the same spirit as the Last Supper.

Think of that. You’re eating in the presence of Jesus, as a guest.

Regardless of your perspective on communion, the church (Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Protestant) calls it a sacrament. What is a sacrament? It is something instituted by an act of Jesus. Within the larger Protestant grouping, it is one of two sacraments, the other being baptism. Other traditions count additional acts as sacraments, but communion and baptism are universal.

There is another aspect that is crucial to the sacraments…ourselves. Sacraments are instituted by God, so we don’t make them holy. However, Paul warns everyone to take them seriously. This is why an understanding of at whose table you are eating is so important. Not only are you eating and drinking with your local church , there is the larger denomination, the church as a whole (again, across denominations), and with the church universal (both before and after us). It should never be something approached flippantly. This does not you cannot be joyful. In fact, joyful and thankful should be the exact perspective we bring to the table.

1) For some communion should be done rarely; at most, once a month. For others, communion is weekly. For others still, it is every worship (which can be many times in a week). What is your perspective? Why? Can you see why others might have a different perspective?

2) Do you ever think of Jesus hosting your table during communion? Does that impact how you view communion, and your participation in it?

3) Why do you think Jesus and Paul emphasize the body and blood? What is the significance of those two words?