Devotion.al

  • Worship Even Here

    Worship Even Here

    Psalm 20; Numbers 9:15–23; Revelation 4:1–8

    Trusting God is hard. Trusting that all things work for good is hard. How can COVID be good? How can a bad economy be good? How can not being able to be with our ones be good? A lot of this hasn’t been good.

    For the psalmist, that isn’t the question. For the psalmist, it is that God hears, , and remembers. This doesn’t mean that everything will be easy going . It means that God is with you.

    Assuming that this by or about David, note that there really isn’t a mention of rescue. Not really. David had experienced many hard times (some as a consequence of his own actions). God didn’t spare him hard times. God was with David and responded to David in the hard times. Much of this would seem to come from David’s rhythm of and communion with God. From what we can gather (which is, granted, limited), David had a regular practice of seeking God.

    The pattern that the Israelites had wandering in the wilderness was different. Most of us cannot imagine being wanderers, whether the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula or the homeless around the corner. The Israelites had a wandering pattern for 40 years.

    The pattern wasn’t fully predictable. For those of you have traveled with children, or been in the military, the ability to gather everyone and their stuff in a short amount of time is trying. Imagine trying to do that every day. Most nomadic cultures about seasonally, but the Scriptures imply that more than once they got settled down for the night, and had to pack the next day.

    During pauses between travel time, the Tabernacle (or The Tent of Meeting) would be assembled, and worship would begin. While we can read the takedown and set up, what we miss is the worship that goes along with it. The cloud was the presence of God. We can that on the that they would not travel (it’s a safe assumption, at least).

    While this seems strange to us—especially for those that worship at the same building week after week—we can read in Revelation worship that is beyond our comprehension. 24 people praising God day and night, and saying the same thing. While this is really a vision, thus not necessarily exactly how it will work, the difference between the Israelites wandering and the people praising would seem to be stark.

    It is. It is, that is, only if you focus on the how. Worship of God is not limited to a building one day a week. Communion with God is not necessarily in that perfect time. Both can happen at any time. We just need to be looking for it.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do you think these different visions of worship and rhythms tell us about God?
    • What do you think these different visions of worship and life rhythms tell us about ourselves?
    • Do any of these cause to reflect on any changes that are possible for you worship rhythms?

    ※Prayer※

    , guide the worship rhythm’s of our hearts. Help us to find ways and places to worship God in the face of all circumstances. Amen.

  • Unity of Three

    Unity of Three

    Isaiah 6:1–8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12–17; John 3:1–17

    In the current age, the concept of the Trinity has been attempted to be explained by books such as “The Shack” (which acknowledges itself as an allegory and not as doctrine, a key response to those who decry it), or an egg (shell, white, yolk), water (which, under special circumstances, can exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time).

    In older ages, the three-leaf clover, the sun (sun, light, heat), and the Triquetra and triples circles (the symbol on the featured image) were used in an attempt to explain the Trinity. All of these are allegorical (whether current or older). While, if used wrongly, they may lead to false theology, there is no adequate way to really describe the Trinity.

    The Athanasian Creed is an attempt to define the Trinity, but honestly is a theologian’s way to describe and cover all the bases and is really (overly) complicated. It is traditional in liturgical churches to read it today, as today is Trinity Sunday. It is long, so I will not include it in the devotion itself (you can read it here). While it is complicated, it is essential. Even in its complication and desire to cover the entirety of the Trinity, it cannot explain the Trinity fully.

    The reality is that the Trinity is indeed one of the hardest things to understand, and on this side of life barring perhaps someone at the theoretical physics level and higher plane theological level (there’s an interesting combination), none of us will fully get it. It is truly a matter of .

    It is also an important one. If you have been baptized, the baptizer should have said, “I baptize you in the of the , the Son, and the Holy .” Though in some churches they may eschew “the Father” for “the Mother” (which is an issue, but probably not one that is salvational, though that is up for discussion), or use “God” (which is definitely an issue, as Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God), the Trinitarian form is still followed.

    Much of the theology of the (and thus orthodox Christianity) is built upon the Trinity. We can see glimpses of the Trinity in the , but it is (when we’re honest) threads woven through the tapestry of and the Scriptures that we, as humans, try to codify and define in our constant attempt to understand God, Creation, and ourselves.

    Even devotionals (like today) get stuck in theology when talking about the Trinity, for we just want to understand.

    ※Reflection※

    • How would you explain the Trinity to others?
    • How do you explain to yourself, or understand for yourself, the Trinity?
    • Why do you think it could be an important part of your faith?

    ※Prayer※

    Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. —Book of Common Prayer, 2019

  • Pridefully Divine

    Pridefully Divine

    Psalm 29; Isaiah 5:15–24; John 15:18–20, 15:26–27

    When we read about “divine beings” we, understandably, think about angels. What, however, makes a divine being…divine? Apart from God, there is no divine being that isn’t of God. Which becomes a little daunting theologically when we recognize we have the in us.

    To be clear, we are not gods (except, perhaps in our deluded fallen minds). We a created beings with the spark of divinity inside of us. It may be a fine line to some. It is a line as large as itself to . Yet, part of the divine spark responds to God, and God completes us. So, it’s not wrong (totally) to think in terms of the divine beings in Psalm 29:1. Just like those divine beings, we are called and made to glorify God.

    This seems contrary, in some ways, to the initial verses of Isaiah. Humanity will be brought low. Yet, it is often the arrogance of humanity that results in wars, animosity, and the general inability of getting along. It is also that particular thing, that when brought low, places humanity in the position of accepting God. One cannot truly accept God through arrogance.

    Even as we read further, the arrogance continues with demanding that God hurry up and accomplish God’s work. This all merely so humanity can understand it. Perhaps arrogance is the wrong word. Self-absorbed is probably closer, while arrogance remains part of it.

    There there is a lot of doom.

    The last of today’s verses in Isaiah though starts with purifying. If you catch the wording, “tongues of fire”, might it remind you of when tongues of fire appeared? In this case, the tongues of fire are more of purification rather than empowerment. But that God and the “holy one” are tied into the same verse as “tongues of fire” really do seem to be somehow tied to Pentecost. Then again, that very well be reading too much into it (but it’s fun).

    And, while it doesn’t seem to be related when we understand the pride and arrogance of humanity as observed in Isaiah, ‘ words to his disciples (and thus to us) make more sense. The fallen nature of humanity has striven against God. For far too many, it evolved into hate. To be, once again, more along the lines of a divine being rather than fallen creation would indeed cause striving fallen humanity to hate and lash out at those who have been touched by God in such a way.

    If we take all of today’s into the picture, it makes perfect sense why Jesus warns the disciples that no matter how much they now have (or will have after Pentecost), they are still not greater than God. A good warning, as not too long after Pentecost, Peter performed his first miracle. The Companion (Comforter, Counselor) would come, and they would be tempted to think more of themselves, and even be called gods ( and Barnabas).

    ※Reflection※

    • When has your pride hampered your relationships with others?
    • When has your pride hampered your with God?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, guard our hearts against the pride of the world. Let our pride be that you us and that you work through us recognizing that it is for you and for ourselves that we about the world. Amen.

  • Utopia Maybe

    Utopia Maybe

    Psalm 29; Isaiah 2:1–5; Romans 8:9–11

    The statistics don’t seem promising. The percentage of regular -goers has been falling generation by generation for the last four generations. While the percentage of Americans that say they are Christian is high (relatively), a very high percentage of them say isn’t that important to them, and all religions are the same.

    The usual accusation is that it is a significant cultural shift that is at fault. There is truth in that. There is also a denial of reality. Culture is always shifting. Sometimes it is slow. Sometimes it is fast. As we look around the world in places like China and India, there are fast and slow cultural shifts. The problem with this accusation is that it ignores the self. Without introspection and honest self-evaluation, the church will see the number decline.

    This sounds depressing. It is, and it should be. We are called to be the to the world as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. In many, perhaps even most, respects, the church has been (culture) warrior first and ambassador a distant last.

    The is that God isn’t done—not with the world and not with us.

    The triumph and of the passage of Isaiah is palpable. All nations would (willingly, longingly) submit to God. God would judge between nations echoes how the Israelite priests were to judge between the Israelite tribes and members. It foreshadows that all of humanity, not just the Israelites, would be equal before God.

    The last piece always catches my attention in this passage. When I was a child, my mom had a button that said, “swords into plowshares.” She had joined (?) an arms reduction organization of some sort and explained weapons (tools of death) being transformed into agricultural tools (tools of life). Regardless of one feels about war (just war or not) or policing (or its abolishment), the concept of sword into plowshare is powerful. Humanity would no longer feel the need for war, for their deepest needs were being filled by God.

    The selflessness that alludes to comes from this same basic concept…the fallen nature of humanity to strive upon the backs of is contrary to God’s desire for his . It isn’t merely weapons of war. This can include anything from cars to homes, to stuff, to power. It covers that which we seek to fill needs that ultimately will be filled by God.

    While we can look at Isaiah’s passage as a utopia, that isn’t it. We can look at Paul’s compliments of the Romans as sanctification, it isn’t that (it is, but it isn’t). What we see in both passages is that being fulfilled by God leads to us being fulfilled by others and seeking to fulfill others. Sounds pretty nice.

    ※Reflection※

    • Where do you see the of Isaiah being fulfilled in your life?
    • Where do you see the vision of Paul being fulfilled in your life?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to bring “your Kingdom come” in the one area we can with your help…ourselves. Amen.

  • Natural Freedom

    Natural Freedom

    Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1–4, 16–20; Romans 8:1–8

    Psalm 29, without question, is a praise of God. It observes God’s power, strength, and presence. Almost the entire Psalm is about who God is. The last verse, though, is different. It is more of a plea to God about the people of Israel.

    A cynical person could infer that the whole Psalm was intended to curry favor with God. A more joyful person could infer that the Psalmist did an add-on along the lines of, “if you would be so kind.” A more balanced view could infer that the last verse is a statement of trust, because of who God is, which had just been declared. Regardless, the Psalm was neither a simple praise nor a simple .

    What should become startling, but really isn’t when it comes to nature, is that at the same time they would recite a Psalm such as this, the Israelites were abandoning God. Isaiah’s opening words for today include abandon, despise, and turning their backs. In regards to abandon and despise, the Hebrew implies something as strong as blasphemy. It wasn’t just ignorance or turning away, it was something far deeper.

    The Hebrew for turning their backs is a combination phrase of stranger and back. In other words, the Israelites are no longer (from their hearts’ point of view) God’s people. They might have claimed and proclaimed that they were, but Isaiah’s words say it was so much more. A more poetic way of thinking of it, God was left in a cloud of in a rearview mirror, and the Israelites did what they could to speed away faster and look back in disgust.

    Yet, the verses from Isaiah don’t there (mercifully). We often try to skip over the ugly verses. It is the ugly verses that the and forgiveness of the last phrases of Isaiah the deepness that they have.

    The verses of Romans explain the why. To some theologians, they explain the how. The is that God could never (per God’s nature and character) look in the rearview mirror at his people, and speed away.

    ※Reflection※

    • When you read the Psalm, which kind of person were you (cynical, joyful, balanced)? Why? Is it learned or natural?
    • Why is understanding God’s character crucial to our to those who turn their backs on God?
    • How might the selfishness of the Israelite (and mentioned in Romans) be reflected in us?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you gave us so much and yet we give so little in return. Thank you for your . Amen.

  • Just Breathe

    Just Breathe

    Psalm 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23

    In the Eastern Orthodox , there is a simple practice performed by many, where they say, “Lord Christ, Son of God…” while breathing in and then “…have mercy on me, a sinner,” while exhaling.

    The Jesus (as it is called in the Orthodox tradition) is a prayer practice, of course. However, it is also a breath practice. As we, in the larger tradition, consider that the was breathed into dirt to make humanity, it makes sense to develop a prayer based upon spiritual life and the sacrificial life of Christ.

    This same breath is also the breath that God directs Ezekiel to prophesy to. This vision of breath “breathing” life into the dead makes perfect sense as dead bones are just as empty of spiritual life as dirt.

    This leads us to Jesus. His disciples weren’t dead. Their bones weren’t dry (or in an ossuary). In some ways, though, they were dead. They were dead in fear. They were dead to knowing what was next. They were dead to what God was really doing.

    Then Jesus breathed on them. Some commentators view this as a of sorts. Others more directly tie this to the Spirit as given to humanity to begin with and the Spirit that brought the bones back to life. Within the context, Christians would generally choose the latter (it goes well with Pentecost, after all, and that is how John explains it). Yet, blessing also makes perfect sense, as part of this short passage is about Jesus telling the disciples to be…at peace, which as “” (Hebrew for all-encompassing wholistic peace and unity) also makes perfect sense.

    The leads us back to the Jesus Prayer. Breathe in the Breath of Life (the Holy Spirit). Breathe out the deathly breath of sin, despair, and alienation.

    ※Reflection※

    • Do you think much about breathing? Why or why not?
    • What would it mean to you if you thought of breathing as breathing in the Holy Spirit, and breathing out all your sin (and the of sin, death)?
    • Why do you think (a symbol of Pentecost) and the Holy Spirit (wind) complement each other as a blessing of God for the Church?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of the World, have mercy on us, we humble sinners. Amen.

  • Divided Beauty Multiplied

    Divided Beauty Multiplied

    Psalm 104:24–34; Genesis 11:1–9; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27

    The US is not the biggest country in the world, not by landmass, not by population. Just like other countries our size and bigger, there are some weird things that happen as you change states, regions, and sometimes even counties. There is a certain section of Washington that adds an “r” so that Washington becomes Warshington or washing becomes warshing. It’s an oddity that has even of those born and raised in Washington confused.

    There are certain things one can say in the Western states that one avoids saying in the Eastern states. There is definitely a divide between the Northern states and the Southern states in regards to language. Sometimes the differences are functional, sometimes they are just some differences that bubbled up as languages and peoples came together or divided.

    Sometimes, even more strangely, is that when a number of people come together and form a new language, that becomes even more confused and nuanced. The , and all things connected through it, is like that now. New ways of communicating (emojis and abbreviations) are being used and often very misunderstood. There are even manufactured languages (Esperanto, Klingon, for example). We are constantly looking for new ways to communicate.

    The fall of the Tower of Babel echoes this need but in reverse. Humanity had this universal language. Humanity could communicate apparently quite well. Humanity, however, had lost its praising of God and now wanted to become God. Perhaps, even more than the story of the Fall in the Garden of Eden, this short story of the Tower of Babel illuminates the fallen heart.

    As with many things in the , though, redemption still breaks through. comments that the church (the Body and of Christ) is made of many parts. Humanity is made of many parts and many languages. God is not limited by “the many”.

    Arguably, God is actually more glorified by the many differences that make up humanity and its languages. There are a few (sadly, too few) Christian songs that can cross language barriers, where one can translate the original language into a different one, and still keep the meter and rhythm. Hearing a song you know sung in a different language and still being able to sing along is a beautiful sign of what God can do.

    It is humanity that is divided by language, people, skin color, nation, or ideology. The Holy Spirit speaks through all of God’s people that they can sing praises to God from the depths of their hearts the best way they know how.

    ※Reflection※

    • Where are places you have seen the of humanity bring to God?
    • How do you see divided humanity its divisions?
    • Do you think artistic activities are better able to overcome the differences than non-artistic? Why are why not?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we recognize that we are divided. Through the Holy Spirit we are not called to be united, we are united through. Transform our lives so that they match what the Spirit has done. Amen.

  • Little Pieces Together

    Little Pieces Together

    Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11

    Before churches had stained glass, there were two ways the church would decorate and—more importantly—tell the stories of the Bible (and the church) in pictures. The first was primarily on the wall and ceilings, and that was paintings. The second was primarily on the floor, but also sometimes on walls, and was mosaics.

    Many ancient sites were discovered to be churches often because of the mosaics. As they were made of stone and/or ceramic, they would withstand dirt, mud, and being buried. If you have the chance to check out YouTube, you should be able to find videos where you can watch archaeologists unbury and then restore the beautiful mosaics to their former glory (in time-lapse, of course). Symbolic of we humans restored by the blood of Christ from messy and dirty (and buried in death and sin) to the beauty of God’s child.

    As an art form, mosaics are often made from broken pottery and put into a larger picture. Whether it is the church, humanity as a whole, or as a whole, they are made up of smaller pieces that are often broken or damaged and are a beautiful bigger picture. One could even say that each is greater than the sum of its pieces.

    Within the respective circles of church, humanity, and Creation, there is a cycle of death, birth, and growth. The psalmist says that God makes the face of the earth new again (Psalm 104:30). The cycle of is both renewal and . Nothing is ever quite the same.

    Through Joel, God tells the people that things will be good again in regard to land, crops, security. Even so, underlying that is the reality that things will never be exactly the same. Things certainly won’t be as they were in David’s and Solomon’s time (especially as David and Solomon’s time would have grown into mythic proportions).

    The relationship between the people and God would be restored. The Promised Land would be restored. The people’s place in the Promised Land would be restored. Still, things would not be exactly the same. Other prophets also told the people that they would be restored, but it would be different and in a good way.

    ‘ advent was even more so a new way of things that the world needed to adjust to (and is still adjusting to). With Jesus’ departure, the coming would change things all the more. People had had their roles to play. Some were moved by the Holy Spirit. This new coming, however, was different. Roles were one thing (still are), but gifts were a new thing.

    Now everyone had a gift. Each of those gifts had a purpose and place in the here on earth. All the gifts (the mosaic) make Jesus’ beautiful , the church.

    ※Reflection※

    What makes a gift “spiritual” versus “natural” or “trained”? Do you know which spiritual gifts you have? If so, what are they, and what are they doing? If not, God to guide you in searching, that you may have a greater effect for the kingdom (Don’t worry. It can take time.)

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we be renewed and empowered to do your will. Amen.

Devotion.al

Worship Even Here

Psalm 20; Numbers 9:15–23; Revelation 4:1–8

Trusting God is hard. Trusting that all things work for good is hard. How can COVID be good? How can a bad economy be good? How can not being able to be with our ones be good? A lot of this hasn’t been good.

For the psalmist, that isn’t the question. For the psalmist, it is that God hears, , and remembers. This doesn’t mean that everything will be easy going forward. It means that God is with you.

Assuming that this by or about David, note that there really isn’t a mention of . Not really. David had experienced many hard times (some as a consequence of his own actions). God didn’t spare him hard times. God was with David and responded to David in the hard times. Much of this would seem to come from David’s rhythm of and communion with God. From what we can gather (which is, granted, limited), David had a regular practice of seeking God.

The pattern that the Israelites had wandering in the wilderness was different. Most of us cannot imagine being wanderers, whether the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula or the homeless around the corner. The Israelites had a wandering pattern for 40 years.

The pattern wasn’t fully predictable. For those of you have traveled with children, or been in the military, the ability to gather everyone and their stuff in a short amount of time is trying. Imagine trying to do that every day. Most nomadic cultures about seasonally, but the Scriptures imply that more than once they got settled down for the night, and had to pack the next day.

During pauses between travel time, the Tabernacle (or The Tent of Meeting) would be assembled, and worship would begin. While we can read the takedown and set up, what we miss is the worship that goes along with it. The cloud was the of God. We can assume that on the that they would not travel (it’s a safe , at least).

While this seems strange to us—especially for those that worship at the same building week after week—we can read in Revelation worship that is beyond our comprehension. 24 people praising God day and night, and saying the same thing. While this is really a vision, thus not necessarily exactly how it will work, the difference between the Israelites wandering and the people praising would seem to be stark.

It is. It is, that is, only if you focus on the how. Worship of God is not limited to a building one day a week. Communion with God is not necessarily in that perfect time. Both can happen at any time. We just need to be looking for it.

※Reflection※

  • What do you think these different visions of worship and life rhythms tell us about God?
  • What do you think these different visions of worship and life rhythms tell us about ourselves?
  • Do any of these cause to reflect on any changes that are possible for you worship rhythms?

※Prayer※

Spirit, guide the worship rhythm’s of our hearts. Help us to find ways and places to worship God in the face of all circumstances. Amen.