Devotion.al

  • Servant Life

    Servant Life

    Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

    In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the most famous servants in US culture is a man named Alfred Pennyworth. He is the butler of Bruce Wayne, whose alter ego is The Batman. Yes, he’s merely a fictional . And, yes, he is one of the few positive US depictions of a servant.

    When working through the Scriptures, we often try to “soften” the imagery around servants, indentured servants, and slaves. Part of it is our US ethos of rugged individualism. The other part is our darker history of exploitation through both indentured servitude and slavery.

    To add insult to injury, or misunderstanding to the Scriptures, US culture diminishes waitstaff (a respectable path elsewhere), cooks, or anyone who doesn’t fit certain narratives.

    This becomes crucial when we read passages such as Psalm 123:3. As a servant waits for their master, so our eyes wait upon the mercy of God. Our cultural baggage with both master and servant removes our ‘s ability to see this verse as it is intended. The servant of which the psalmist writes loves their master. They love their master so much that it isn’t a burden; it is an . Their orbits the master. They wait to do the master’s bidding so that the master is satisfied. The servant’s satisfaction comes from the master’s.

    In our context, we usually then respond, what about the needs of the servant or our needs (if we read ourselves into the role of the servant)? Then, are we really any different than the hardheaded and hardhearted descendants of Israel and Judah that God points to in Ezekiel 2: 4? Or are we more like the braggart that Paul tries not to be in 2 Corinthians 12:6, yet still think that we are greater than being a servant (which Paul didn’t)?

    The cultural shift that would make servants (and the service “industry”) more respectable or honorable may never come. Or, if Gen Z can become effective in many of its ideals, It may dovetail into the conversations around the minimum wage, livable wage, and permanent income.

    As a result of a recent with a Gen-Z-er (~born 1995–2015), I realized that perhaps we are more servants than we realize. As employees, we serve our organization. An organization serves its stakeholders. That’s a little oversimplified, but you get the idea.

    However, most of us will immediately respond negatively to this imagery. We don’t want to serve. That should probably us pause when we think of living our lives for God.

    ※Reflection※

    • What is your to being a servant (not serving)? Why? What is the difference between serving and being a servant?
    • called himself a servant. If God calls himself a servant, and we are his followers, why do we have problems with this concept when it comes to living the Christian life?

    ※Prayer※

    Servant of the World who stepped down into darkness. That you for your servant’s heart and sacrifice which brings us into the . Amen.

  • Give It Up

    Give It Up

    Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:27–34; Matthew 8:18–22

    There was this guy who science. He loved nature. He pursued the academics to take care of the wilds. Except he was stubborn. You see, what he loved wasn’t the science, but . In fact, he wasn’t good at it at all. He stuck with that choice for 4 years. Sadly, no one gave him wise advice (not that he would have listened) to give it up. It wasn’t meant for him. 4 years of misery and disappointment vanished into smoke. You might know such a stubborn person.

    The basic gist of God’s words to Jeremiah: give it up. No matter what you do, they won’t listen. No matter what acts of penance and remorse they out…they are acting and their hearts aren’t in it. The people of Judah seemed to revel in their disobedience to God. Blaspheming the Temple of God with idols of false gods. Killing their sons and daughters and giving them to fires.

    Give it up, Jeremiah. They won’t see the errors of theirs ways until the places of these sacrifices are filled with corpses of war, famine, and pestilence, and these so-called sacred places of sacrifice are themselves blasphemed. Oh, and maybe not even then. Give it up.

    We are in a time and place where even conversations with friends and acquaintances are “given up” as there can be no discussion or resolution. The hearts are hard and the ears are closed. Sometimes all we can do is give it up. That is until it comes to us.

    Jesus’ words seem somewhat harsh to our ears. Yet, they hold a profound that much of Western Christianity, especially the US iteration, is in the process of rediscovering. Give it up.

    The legal expert would have had a decent home and security. Jesus told him, basically, give it up. The disciple (since unnamed, probably not one of the 12) says, let me bury my . In other words, let me to follow you until my father wouldn’t disown me or be ashamed of me. Jesus responded, who is your father in comparison to me? Give it up.

    We have become far too comfortable. Whether it is being the majority confessed (rather than followed) religion, or the “majority” skin color (if you are), or the nice buildings, or our ties to political power, or our ties to monied power, or the practices we hold dear, or the ability to openly about Jesus, we’ve been comfortable.

    Jesus’ point to these two was that comfort isn’t the call…Jesus is the call.

    In certain Christian traditions that hold only men may be pastors/priests, they are struggling to find men to fill the roles. Often the response is that they should accept women. Those who that way will often point to those denominations (like the Church of the Nazarene) that do ordain women. Yet, the real question, the real deficit, is that people don’t want to give it up. They don’t want to give up their lives.

    None of us do, really. Even those denominations that do ordain women still have a problem, and that is the people themselves who don’t want to give it up for Jesus. It is not a matter of men or women. It is not a matter of , money, , or other things. It is that people don’t want to give it up for Jesus.

  • Seriously

    Seriously

    Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:16–26; 2 Corinthians 10:7–11

    The understanding of God is one of , forgiveness, and grace. These are often the primary characteristics on which we focus. If we are honest, it’s because, with such a God, a lot of pressure is off of us. There are many, however, who claim these same three characteristics are God’s and yet talk only about God’s judgment, anger, and destruction. Today’s passages would seem to have that same .

    In today’s verses, the opening words to Jeremiah are brutal. “Don’t pray…or plead for them…” First, this tells us about Jeremiah. Jeremiah prayed. Jeremiah hurt for the people and the with God that they had lost.

    One could say that God’s words were unloving, except perhaps we have the wrong focus. What if God’s focus (in the opening verse, at least) wasn’t really the Israelites, but Jeremiah. Like a parent or grandparent long praying for the of a child or grandchild, perhaps that was Jeremiah (God did tell him to not pray). Perhaps Jeremiah was deeply upset (he was often called the Weeping Prophet), and God wanted him to let go.

    There is also the high possibility that God knew that the hearts of the Israelites would not be repentant before the time of reckoning. If this is indeed the case, the of “don’t pray” would have been, “release your burden, for it is not yours to bear.” That would be in the face of .

    In some ways, Jeremiah is as states, “The Lord gave us that authority to build you up and not to destroy you.” Jeremiah certainly didn’t want the power to destroy the Israelites. He wanted to build them up so that they returned to God.

    This is where the hard reality of the Scriptures hits us, and we don’t like it…at all. We say that we don’t like this God of “meanness” and try to cover up what we think is “wrong” with language that God loves everyone.

    Oh, God does. Without question, God loves all of Creation, even these broken and dysfunctional parts called humans. There does, though, come a point where it all has to .

    We don’t like this point. We don’t like the thought of lost loved ones not knowing God at the end. GOOD! We’re not supposed to like it! Perhaps, just perhaps, that God is showing us that it is a serious matter (even deadly), and we ought to be serious about it, too.

    ※Reflection※

    • What were your initial thoughts about God when reading Jeremiah? How about Jeremiah? The Israelites?
    • What lessons can you learn from God’s words and actions?
    • What lessons did you learn from Jeremiah’s words and actions?
    • What lessons did you learn from the Israelites?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, loving you is often easy, but your love for us and our betterment is often beyond our understanding. Guide us in your ways. Amen.

  • The God of Where

    The God of Where

    Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:1–15; 1 Corinthians 4:8–13

    The change between Jeremiah and Corinthians cannot be overstated. The clash between law and is right there before us.

    The CEB (the primary translation currently being used to write and to read for this devotional) and NRSV translated Jeremiah 7:7 as, “…only then will I dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time.” The NIV and CSB translate more like, “… then I will let you live in this place…”These different translations would seem to add something else to this , yet, the understanding from a Jewish standpoint was God was present in the place, thus being allowed to live in this space (NIV/CSB) is very much along the lines of living with them (CEB/NRSV).“With” is very particular though. Living with a person is specific. One lives with a spouse. Children (for a time) live with their parents.

    The “with” sounds awesome, but as you look at the verses surrounding it, you can see a lot of requirements. We look at these, and we say, “of course!” Truly reform your ways and actions. Treat each other justly. Don’t take advantage of the immigrant or the orphan or the wide. Don’t shed innocent blood. Don’t follow other gods.

    The last few years have seen Christians, as a whole and around the world, fail each one of these. Many of these failures were very visible in the eyes of the world, and each damaged the of the church. In other words, Christians of all types, nations, political leanings, and so on would have failed to these “easy” requirements outlined in Jeremiah.

    In contrast, “You’ve been filled already!” Filled with what? Filled with the . Filled with God! God isn’t with. God is in! Perhaps we might better combine the ways of the Jews “with” and the way “in” to “within”, for God is both with us and in us. That is a great as we Christians have not been the givers of cold water (refreshing, live-giving) as we should be, as we are called to be.

    Unlike the list in Jeremiah (which is a very short version of the Law, with much removed), God within calls for a change of , rather than obedience to rules. This does not spare us from obedience. It changes (or should change) our perception and motivation from fear to .

    Much of what has occurred over the last few years, but really over history, is that fear often motivates us far more than love. The fear that the orphan may lie, cheat and steal. In my family history, there was an adoption that indeed went horribly wrong in exactly that way. It was used as a lesson to fear the orphan. The stories of witches (the classic, not the modern neo-pagan) often revolved around the widow, who became maligned, unknown, and eventually feared. Immigration, especially during the era of the modern state (last 300 years or so), has also grown to a place of fear.

    Fear over love.

    When we fear, we become powerless. When we love (with God’s love), only God’s power is greater.

    ※Reflection※

    • How do you “with”, “in” and “within” your , both in the past and today?
    • How does fear impact who you love and how you love them? (It may not be fear of them, FWIW)
    • How does love become interpreted as fear?
    • How might (or should) the “with”, “in”, and “within” of God affect your fears and love?

    ※Prayer※

    God, may we deepen our awareness of you being with us, in us, and within us. Amen.

  • Begging In Faith

    Begging In Faith

    Psalm 88; 2 Kings 20:1–11; Mark 9:14–29

    Regardless of your views on the COVID vaccine, medical science (including vaccines) has been miraculous over the years. How medical practices have been improved is amazing (My grandfather once told me of a vaccine he received as a kid. The process was highly unsanitary.). Medical science continues to improve.

    It is possible that Hezekiah’s illness could have been healed by modern medicine. Many of the illnesses in the are quite possible to be healed. This doesn’t minimize the miracle that occurred, especially the manner in which it occurred (a prompt—almost immediate—response to ).

    As our modern medicine improves, it becomes even more likely that modern folks will dismiss the stories of the Scriptures as ignorant people, who didn’t understand any science (which is true). Many contemporary people will then also attribute that same ignorance of science to Christians today. If Christians are not wise in their , and in their defense of it, they may contribute to the reduction of faith in those around them.

    It would be interesting to know whether considers the generation he called faithless to be more or less faithless than today’s. It would be unwise to presume that it must be today’s, as Jesus had to deal with a lot of that.

    The of the asked for faith in the face of his unbelief. The disciples still didn’t get their own disbelief. Disbelief was all around. Disbelief is all around us.

    ※Reflection※

    • In what areas of your is your faith currently be challenged? How are you getting prayer support for this challenge?
    • Do you think there is a difference between unbelief and faithlessness? Why or why not? If there are differences, how do you see them in your life or the lives of others?
    • What is more important for the right now, the faithlessness of the world or the faithlessness of those who themselves Christian? As a Christian, what does it mean to be faithless?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help the ongoing war in our hearts and souls against unbelief and faithlessness. Amen.

  • Passed The Gates

    Passed The Gates

    Psalm 88; Leviticus 15:19–31; 2 Corinthians 9:1–5

    I have long felt this passage in Leviticus to be unfair to women. No, not because of certain cultural influences of today. Perhaps it was the era I grew up in, or because my mom worked as a school teacher. Or in conjunction with that, my dad was a single who cleaned and cooked great food. Or, as a child, being one of the few with divorced parents (as I grew up, I was no longer alone in that, sadly). Either way, I’ve tended to view men and women as equal, while we are yet neither wired nor designed the same.

    It still seems reasonable to tie this passage back to the Fall and the difficulties of childbirth as part of the (Genesis 3:16). With menstruation being part of the process of childbirth, along with the “shedding” of blood, or in particular, the consumption of blood (Deuteronomy 12:23–24), as blood is life (ancient understanding). It still seems unfair to our modern mind, but this way we can grasp some of the why.

    The last piece of the why is in verse 31, the separation of the Israelites from their uncleanness (part of life after the Fall) from the of being God’s people and the holiness of God’s dwelling (whether Tabernacle or Temple).

    Many people question such a God. The reality though is that if you were ritually clean all the time, would you be in God’s dwelling the entire time? Probably not. So, people who on this, don’t realize what they’re arguing for. They’re arguing to get into God’s dwelling!

    Whether believer or not, we appear to unconsciously recognize that there is something dirty about humanity. We also seem to have an unconscious understanding that this isn’t right (right versus fair). God’s that goes before (prevenient grace) gives all of humanity the ability to recognize this.

    So, while we theologically understand that things aren’t right (due to fallen humanity). We also understand that because of that, humanity is “dirty” insofar as being not . We also know that is not the end.

    Wesleyan-Holiness theology understands that God’s grace walks the road before us (prevenient grace). This means we (as in all of humanity) are able to know (at least in our souls) that despite our not holiness and despite the mar of sin, God has made a way for us to be not just at the dwelling place (tabernacle, temple, or church for today), but to fully live in the of God all the days of our lives and beyond.

    ※Reflection※

    • Do you ever think that you are too dirty for God? Do you ever think that about ?
    • How do you “” your when you get “dirty”?
    • Do you perform regular spiritual checks with others for both yourself and them?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, thank you for your grace that gives us the standing to be in your presence despite what we may have done.

  • Knowing Limits

    Knowing Limits

    Psalm 88; Leviticus 21:1–15; 2 Corinthians 8:16–24

    What is your limit? Or, perhaps, who is your limit? Republicans? Democrats? Communists? Libertarians? Capitalists? Roman Catholics? The homeless? The hungry? A different skin color? A different nationality? A different ? Neighbors? Friends? ? Children? Spouse?

    Relations and relationships are some of the biggest variables in existence. One child may everything to take care of their parent. Another child may do nothing at all. The driver of the car in front of you may give to a panhandler, and you may not (a description, not a judgment).

    For early and non-Western cultures, the family was a critical relationship. Not having a family was risky. The family was what defined and supported you. Unless that is, you were the High Priest of Israel.

    Commentators come to different conclusions about what was meant by leaving the temple. Some commentators interpret verse 12 as only apply when family died to keep them safe from defilement. Other commentators propose that the High Priest never left, though none of those commentators could figure out ultimately how that worked.

    Regardless, the COVID-era gave us an idea of the kind of sacrifice required by the High Priest. People lost loved ones they could never visit. Loved ones died and funerals and memorial services didn’t happen. Many people were angry, sad, and hurting for they lost the opportunity for closure. A taste of the High Priest’s sacrifice for us all.

    It may be a stretch, but there is a similarity between the passage of Leviticus and 2 Corinthians; doing right in the eyes of God.

    definitely was concerned about “doing right” in the eyes of . It was, though, secondary to doing right in the eyes of God. What is the point of being right in the eyes of men, if you will be wrong in the eyes of God? Of course, one has to be careful about that.

    In our era, a person such as the High Priest would be looked down upon for abandoning his family to God in such a way. Granted, our understanding of things has somewhat changed, both in regards to family, priests, and ritual holiness. If we were to meet such a man today, we would probably think there was something wrong with him.

    ※Reflection※

    • Where have you found conflict in your life in pursuing God’s glory versus the acclaim of man?
    • Have you experienced what you thought was following God’s plan and then discovered it was not?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to know your will. Holy , guide us to the right things before you and our fellow humanity. Amen.

  • Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

    . Unmerited . Overwhelming love. Not words that would usually be associated with Lamentations. With the content of Lamentations being a result of the fall of Israel (and in particular, Jerusalem), it is peculiar to think of grace.

    Lamentations is poetry, lament, and theology all wrapped into one. In Lamentations, probably more than even in Job, someone (or someones) wrestles with grief, , death, the (un)fairness of life, and other things that people question when in the throes of significant of the heart.

    Despite all that they have gone through, including their recognition of their sin and transgressions, God hasn’t abandoned them. For a time, they would be wandering in a new kind of wilderness, but God would not let that way remain forever.

    The world really isn’t fair. We often aren’t fair to the ones we love, or even ourselves. One of the biggest and most painful lessons we learn as children is that the world is not fair. What makes that even more interesting is that no matter how deep that wound is, there is something that we cannot tolerate about things not being fair.

    Even in the verses of Mark, there are “not fair” examples. Some leader gets to Jesus into his home. Normal people wouldn’t get to do that. Some random woman touches his outer garment and is completely healed. There were probably others touching Jesus’ garment, and they didn’t get healed. It’s not fair.

    Then Paul dares to ask the Corinthians to send . He doesn’t demand it. He puts it in nice gentle language. He still wants our money. It’s not fair.

    Except, Paul’s point, God’s point isn’t fairness. It’s not even reciprocity. It’s doing right because it is right. Not because it’s fair (or unfair, honestly).

    Fair and right are often at odds. When we add time to the mix, it becomes even more difficult, for the long-term consequences may well change what is truly fair and right.

    With this in mind, it is important for us, as followers of Jesus, to pursue fair and right from the perspective of God. Of course, what that means is up for debate in the current era, which is a problem in and of itself. When we are no longer able to determine fair or right, or we really the children of God?

    ※Reflection※

    • What does fair mean to you? How does “fair” reflect the nature and/or of God? What does a “fair” do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
    • What does right mean to you? How does “right” reflect the nature and/or character of God? What does a “right” Christian do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
    • How do you learn and fair and right in your daily life?

    ※Prayer※

    God of judgment, may the Holy shape and form us to be reflections of you in how we see and do fair and right. Amen.

Devotion.al

Servant Life

Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the most famous servants in US culture is a man named Alfred Pennyworth. He is the butler of Bruce Wayne, whose alter ego is The Batman. Yes, he’s merely a fictional character. And, yes, he is one of the few positive US depictions of a servant.

When working through the Scriptures, we often try to “soften” the imagery around servants, indentured servants, and slaves. Part of it is our US ethos of rugged individualism. The other part is our darker history of human exploitation through both indentured servitude and slavery.

To add insult to injury, or misunderstanding to the Scriptures, US culture diminishes waitstaff (a respectable path elsewhere), cooks, or anyone who doesn’t fit certain narratives.

This becomes crucial when we read passages such as Psalm 123:3. As a servant waits for their master, so our eyes upon the of God. Our cultural baggage with both master and servant removes our heart’s ability to see this verse as it is intended. The servant of which the psalmist writes loves their master. They their master so much that it isn’t a burden; it is an honor. Their life orbits the master. They wait to do the master’s bidding so that the master is satisfied. The servant’s satisfaction comes from the master’s.

In our context, we usually then , what about the needs of the servant or our needs (if we read ourselves into the role of the servant)? Then, are we really any different than the hardheaded and hardhearted descendants of Israel and Judah that God points to in Ezekiel 2: 4? Or are we more like the braggart that Paul tries not to be in 2 Corinthians 12:6, yet still think that we are greater than being a servant (which Paul didn’t)?

The cultural shift that would make servants (and the service “industry”) more respectable or honorable may never come. Or, if Gen Z can become effective in many of its ideals, It may dovetail into the conversations around the minimum wage, livable wage, and permanent income.

As a result of a recent with a Gen-Z-er (~born 1995–2015), I realized that perhaps we are more servants than we realize. As employees, we serve our organization. An organization serves its stakeholders. That’s a little oversimplified, but you get the idea.

However, most of us will immediately respond negatively to this imagery. We don’t want to serve. That should probably give us pause when we think of our lives for God.

※Reflection※

  • What is your to being a servant (not serving)? Why? What is the difference between serving and being a servant?
  • called himself a servant. If God calls himself a servant, and we are his followers, why do we have problems with this concept when it comes to living the Christian life?

※Prayer※

Servant of the World who stepped down into . That you for your servant’s heart and which brings us into the light. Amen.