Devotion.al

Tag: creation

  • Wall Fall

    Wall Fall

    Jeremiah 19:1–15; Revelation 18:11–20

    Whether big or small, the demise of a city is no small thing. It could be because of failing to God, or if it’s because of mismanagement, or if it’s because of something out of the city’s control.

    A city is a home to many people, and its demise should never be glossed over. Often, especially in the Scriptures, the fall of the city is the larger picture of the fall of humanity.

    Imagine Jeremiah prophesying the demise of Jerusalem, a city he if for no other reason it was the place God put God’s name. There is a reason why Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet. He mourned the of Jerusalem.

    The heartbreaking part is that the loss and fall of Jerusalem meant that God was taking God’s name and blessing away. While Jeremiah foretold , it wouldn’t be for a long time. It is also quite possible that Jeremiah wondered if Israel would really return.

    The fall of Jerusalem was because of the unfaithfulness of the people. That unfaithfulness was in the Promised Land and in the City of God! It is quite possible that he was afraid that they would fall so far when they were in exile, that they would defy God again.

    Babylon could be considered symbolic of that exact scenario. The time for possible redemption had long since passed. Babylon had knowingly and willingly gone against God. It became a place of abandonment. Even those allied to it, and who benefitted from it stayed away as it fell.

    Those around Jerusalem would celebrate its fall as they looked to benefiting from its demise. On the other hand, Babylon was mourned as it fell, not because of the people, the depravity, or the lack of God, but because people would no longer benefit (especially make ) from it.

    The “death” of both cities was something mourned by God. God wants Creation to seek redemption and . Eventually, Jerusalem (or those who descended from it) did. Babylon is in the last throes of the of times. There is no turnaround for it.

    While time flows, there is always time for redemption and reconciliation. However, at some point, time will end, and redemption and reconciliation are no more.

    ※Reflection※

    • Just as people’s ability to reconcile to God has an end, so does our time on earth (death). Is there some reconciliation and redemption that you need to seek or grant?
    • With the painful throes of politics, economies, lives, and viruses, have perceived the end of time, yet? If so, what has changed in how you approach regarding the ? If not, why do you think you haven’t been impacted?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we see the end of things as imminent, no matter how far away they are. Help to feel the urgency and importance of sharing the Gospel. Help us to partner with you to reconcile and redeem the world. Amen.

  • Why So Serious?

    Why So Serious?

    Luke 18:15–17

    is a serious business. It’s true. From an orthodox Christian perspective, it has an impact. So, it is serious.

    Serious, though, doesn’t mean solemn.

    A few years ago, I experienced a -changing question: what is your first experience of God? I was flummoxed. I had no idea. I knew my (relatively) more recent experiences, but my first?

    I was grateful that I would be answering the question last. I sat and prayed. “God, when was it the first time I encountered you?”

    God responded (to my /mind), “remember the scar?”

    The scar is right below my right eyebrow. After so many years, it wasn’t important.

    God reintroduced me to the memory of a hike with my father and some of his acquaintances.   I was 4 or 5, I think, and the only kid. We were walking up a hill on a trail/road. I had looked out to the valley below and “it” hit me. I then tripped and fell. I now had a bleeding gash. My dad cleaned me up, put a butterfly bandage on it, and off we went.

    The people in my group were a little puzzled. How could that possibly be a God encounter? Part of my spiritual wiring is trees and mountains. For me that’s almost an automatic response…God is here.

    That feeling of awe and isn’t so solemn. Thanks be to God!

    Awe and wonder are indeed a from God. The of children is that they can still have simple awe and wonder.

    If we cannot wonder, then what kind of relationship do we have with God? If we have no awe, we are often only filled with . That isn’t a good relationship either.

    This passage is often brought up as an encouragement to raise children in the faith. I wonder (I had to), though, if this was the first or only time this happened.

    Children often know a person who authentically loves them. They like hanging around such a person. Often, they are louder, more joy-filled, and just want to have fun!

    What if the adults were so solemn, they saw a prophet and were afraid? What if the children saw a friend, and were full of joy?

    ※Reflection※

    When was the last time you just wondered at, with, and about God?

    ※Prayer※

    God, may we wonder in your and see all of through your eyes. Amen.

  • We Love Talking About It

    We Love Talking About It

    1 Samuel 15:7–15; Acts 5:1–11

    Every pastor’s favorite sermon topic is tithing/. Every pastor absolutely loves talking about you are to give freely to God by giving to the church and other missional activities.

    In case you’re wondering, that was sarcasm. Most pastor’s hate it. And, most people hate hearing it, because they often feel guilty about it. Hatred of the topic may be a veneer over the fear of Christianly dealing with money.

    John Wesley had a famous sermon on money. From it was gained a saying, “… all you can… all you can…Give all you can….” Part of the problem with this saying is all the “…” that are part of it. They show that there is far more than just these 12 words. The context of each set of 4 words makes a lot of difference in how one interprets them.

    “All you can” is the real crux of the issue. “All you can” at what cost? John Wesley had a distinct moral code regarding “Gain all you can.” Some of today’s business owners might be okay. Others might not. Still others would not be able to figure it out.

    John Wesley was concerned that people who sought to gain would do it at the expense of others. In many respects, we could call capitalism with a . On the other hand, we could view it as capitalism with a long view for the benefit of humanity.

    If the long view of a business, and its profit, is for the benefit of humanity, that’s a good start. Destroying the environment would be harming God’s creation, so it would fail Wesley’s test, too. Much of our modern profiting, though, is a lot grayer.

    Saving is the next thing. Saving is not hoarding. Saving is more along the lines of protection of the wellbeing of one’s family and self. Hoarding is gathering as much as one can and preventing others from gaining.

    In John Wesley’s era, far too many people owed money. It was a way of life. For some, it was the only way to feed their families. Today we think of credit card debt, home mortgages, student loans, and car loans. The amount of most of those loans could have been greatly reduced with good planning and a willingness to delay gratification. This is (for example) one area that the Church could be both a better of and of prophecy.

    “Give all you can” can be a guilt trip. Often, even those of us in the Wesley use it or perceive it as more of a guilt scale. Wesley, while big on charity, didn’t seem to be particularly guilt-driven. However, by some accounts, he failed the “save all you can” for his family, for he gave all he could.

    Gain(earn)/save/give is a balancing act.

    Many Christians are like Saul. “Oh, I’ll give the difficult or unwanted stuff to God.” Sounds like many people who give broken stuff to a church. The church then often must pay to dispose of it. Saul turned a commandment from God into we’ll benefit, oh, and maybe God will like a little bit, too.

    The path of Ananias and Sapphira was “look at what we did. We gave everything (oh, except that part we kept back).” They wanted the accolades about the total , rather than just giving freely and joyfully. If they’d given 90% and kept 10% and were honest about it, everything would have been fine.

    Far too many preachers (and non-profit type) folks speak about a person’s checkbook as the litmus test. It isn’t. It would be nice if the 10% rule (from the time of Israel) had been sufficient. It wasn’t. When a person has a rule (10%), the heart doesn’t have to go along.

     It is the motive behind our use of money that is the point of tithing and giving.

    God created the world. God already has the money (as if God needed it). God wants our heart.

    ※Reflection※

    • When a church or non-profit person starts talking about money, what’s your first ? How about an entrepreneur, investor, banker, or politician?
    • What is so captivating about money and stuff?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, may you be the Lord of our heart. May the spirit of mammon in us be overwhelmed and transformed by the of Holy Spirit. Amen.

  • Remembrance of Change

    Remembrance of Change

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    Genesis 1:1–5; Acts 19:1–7; Mark 1:4–1

    Approximately 70% of the earth is covered by water. Around 3% of that is readily drinkable. On average, a is 60% water. Depending on weather and health, a human can survive 2–7 days without additional liquid.

    We all know water is important. Even those of us whose water only habits are lackluster understand that we need liquids to keep our bodies going. There are those that are so concerned about their water habits that they have apps that remind them to drink water.

    Other than a few desert cultures, people bathe using water.

    From an ancient perspective, water (deep waters, like oceans, especially) also represented death. When we think about it (even today), the depths of the ocean have the air of death and often because we are unable to see below the surface.

    As a of repentance and/or the fulfillment of a vow or for other requirements of the purity laws, a bath (or mikveh) was (and still is) performed to fulfill ritual cleanliness.

    Part of the path of a Christian is being baptized. This is to show, in symphony with the mikveh cleanliness, that what was unclean (the old person, the person separated from God) is now clean and .

    Yet, the most mysterious baptism is Jesus’. The Perfect One didn’t need cleansing. The of God didn’t need to be reconciled to the (God). The water of baptism brings . Jesus didn’t change, though it could be argued that Jesus’ ministry truly did not begin until after he was baptized.

    The other change is a “handing-off”. John the Baptist could be (and probably should be) viewed as the last Old (or First) Testament prophet. This “old school” prophet “passes the torch” from the way of the Law to the revealed way, which is Jesus.

    ※Reflection※

    • It is not “evangelical” or “ of the Nazarene” to remember (i.e., observe the anniversary of) our baptisms. For such a significant event, why do you think that is?
    • Other than your own, what is the most significant baptism story that you remember? What made it powerful?
    • Why do you think it is important to and for “the church” (thus, all believers) to remember Jesus’ baptism?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, as your testimony of your humility, you were baptised by your own . May your humility guide us into your , and away from the truth of the world. Amen.

  • Burning Light

    Burning Light

    As the more reclusive type (i.e., sitting alone, or with my wife, quietly in a space without other people), it is easy to fall into a rhythm of not interacting with people. In fact, it’s too easy. These times of non-interaction, however, can produce new thoughts.

    Joni, my wife, baked springerle this Christmas. Springerle is a traditional anise-flavored German cookie that has, for generations, been made by rolling dough into intricate hand-carved molds. She only found a “rolling-pin” style, but it got the job done.

    Springerle molds often served the same purpose as stained-glass windows: telling the story of God through pictures to people who could not read. In preparation for next year (maybe I’ll help do something other than eat the cookies), I started looking for springerle molds.

    One of the websites I found was in German (which makes sense). They had many molds. One of the ones I found was for a lighthouse. In German, lighthouse is “leuchtturm”. Look at that for a moment.

    Perhaps it is just my mind. I saw lectern. According to learned people, lectern’s root is the Latin word “lectus”. However, as the term lectern was (supposedly) only used for the reading of the Scriptures, perhaps leuchtturm is the true origin of our lectern.

    Just as “Star of Bethlehem” drew (the “wise” men or ) from afar, so does the speaking and reading of the Scriptures bring into the world that is in and dying. Similarly, a lighthouse casts its light into the dark seas, guidance and the promise of security to ships.

    While writing devotionals can be difficult, I’ve now spent enough time with God’s word burning that I cannot help but write.

    I will never be that “great” pastor/writer that people talk about. I am only beginning to understand God’s call on my , knowing that it is still growing and changing. I’m okay to not be okay with not knowing, yet still trusting.

    Those magi “trusted” that something amazing was going to happen. “trusted” that God’s call on his life was to the Gentiles (people he himself once viewed hostilely). I “” that God is using me through these devotionals.

    ※Reflection※

    What is God calling you to do more of? If you already have a ministry, what is God calling on you to change to fulfill His commission for you?

    What new thing might God be calling you to this year?

    ※Prayer※

    God, Epiphany calls upon us to remember that even Creation (a star) will draw people to you. Help us to remember that the Gospel is for all people, and that you desire that all people come to know you. Help us to be your , trusting, and open servants. May we be ready and responsive to your call on our lives. Amen.

  • Purple Vision

    Purple Vision

    Numbers 27:15–23; 2 Timothy 2:8–13

    Having worked for family-owned and -run businesses, I know that one of the business’ concerns is, who’s next? Perhaps it might be better to say that the success of a family-owned and -run business is who will successfully lead it with vision and tenacity once the current leadership steps down.

    I have seen it work well. I have seen it work not-so-well. One business had a plan, and the other business made laissez-faire assumptions.

    Moses had spent a lot of time getting the Israelites to the Promised Land. He had been frustrated, belittled, and probably cursed by the same Israelites. He still wanted them to succeed in the Promised Land. So, Moses asked God for the next leader.

    God selected Joshua. Now, it could be said that this was obvious, as other than Aaron, only Joshua is noted as Moses’ aide, and even accompanied Moses when he received the Ten Commandments. Joshua, as Moses’ aide, indeed saw the dark side of leading the Israelites.

    I think it is appropriate to presume that God had guided Moses’ selection of Joshua, thus make Joshua the “obvious” choice. On the other hand, we could also presume that Moses’ experience in Pharaoh’s house would have taught Moses how to choose a leader, and then God used that.

    Who was next to lead would set the Israelites for success or failure in the Promised Land.

    In some respects, that is the same view many people have of the incoming Presidential administration and the Congressional seating. Success or failure. In a republic, it’s a little harder to really hit that success or failure button (though pundits try).

    As we look at the days, months, and years to follow this election, we all need to ourselves about a few things. For the last few election cycles, the country has been color-coded with red and blue. The animosity between red and blue is approaching that of the Bloods and Crypts from decades ago, who differentiate themselves by red or blue.

    Wearing the wrong colors in the wrong neighborhood was a recipe for being harmed by the other gang’s members. Now people are being assaulted by the “opposing” group just for wearing t-shirts, hats, or participating in their constitutionally protected right to protest.

    There has been a centrist movement calling itself “purple”. However, there is something ironic in that. This mix of red and blue representation of republic political alignment has a completely different meaning…royalty.

    Theoretically, the War of Independence was intended to “free” the American colonies from the oppression of British royalty. Instead, we developed an elected aristocracy.

    There is one good thing, though, about the purple. Who we recognize as royalty, who we recognize as king makes all the difference. When we recognize and believe the Jesus Christ is King, we can gladly declare ourselves purple, for we seek to follow the True King.

    ※Reflection※

    What will it take, do you think, for conversations on politics to be purple first, rather than last? What is one behavior or of yours was not purple during this recent political season? How can you develop a practice of purple thoughts and , rather than red or blue?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you are the King of the Universe. Through you, came into being. Only you are of our and . Thank you for us the freedom to choose. Thank you for loving us enough so that through the Holy , we can become wise. Amen.

  • Clear the Earth

    Clear the Earth

    Exodus 10:3–15; Joel 1:2–4; Mark 1:4–8

    We read the Little House on the Prairie series to our kids. Ingalls relates how locusts one annihilated their crops. A family that barely lived on a shoestring certainly couldn’t afford that . That same swarm swept much of the States, causing horrendous loss of crops and farms.

    When we read the story of the plague of locusts in Exodus, we can be very clinical in our reading of it. We can also be judgmental (they got what they deserved). Most of the Egyptians were probably not as anti-Hebrew as the leadership, certainly Pharaoh. Many innocent people suffered as a result of disobedience to God.

    The story of the plagues was a story of victory to the Israelites for Generations. Even today, for both Jews and Christians, this story is still told as a victory for the of God.

    We must , though, that one of the biggest issues for the pharaoh (and the Egyptians) was pride. Pharaoh’s pride (with and without God’s hardening) was a key factor of the whole story. It was a person’s pride against God.

    By the time of Joel, the pride of Israel/Judah was the issue. It was their pride against God. Like other prophets, Joel was warning the descendants of Israel to turn to God. In Christian parlance, we’d say “REPENT!”

    The devastation of locusts would directly affect any harvest festivals and . It threatens the lives of the people. It might well drive them to go outside of the lands of Israel to survive. It threatened the destruction of Israel by abandonment.

    Through advanced agricultural science (and serendipity, supposedly), locust swarms like that from the late 1800s are no more in the US. It seems, then, that it is pointless to talk about locusts. Except that there are two major things to reflect upon.

    The first thing is that the locusts are no longer six-legged creatures, but two-legged. Some are blatant despoilers of . take advantage of others through perceived needs ( and corporations both practice this).  The locusts of being like the Jones (or, I guess, the Kardashians) despoil families and futures by over-consuming the , time, and energy of people.

    The second thing, and that which is, even more, the issue, is pride. Humans are full of pride. We are all too full of pride. Often the locusts are just the result of human pride, seeking to consume everything at others’ expense.

    Often, we are unaware of our own pride and so sometimes become the locusts. We are quick to see such behavior in others; we always find it difficult to see in ourselves. As our culture (and the world’s) becomes more of a “throw-away” society, whether for convenience or the ability to reasonably fix something, the locust-effect increases in both potential and actual.

    As convenience and throw-away become a way of thinking, it doesn’t take that long before we start to think that way about people or God.

    ※Questions※

    1) How does pride “clear the earth” similar to locust swarms?

    2) How does this behavior damage or hinder our relationship with God and with others?

    3) How does John’s eating locusts give us an image of God’s actions in the world?

    ※Prayer※

    Creator, you have created all things. Help us to look at all things to more deeply about you and your love. Amen.

  • Gather Where

    Gather Where

    Exodus 3:1–6; Ezra 3:8–13; Matthew 23:37–24:8

    I visited Rome many years ago. I have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of buildings. It seemed that there wasn’t a block that didn’t have one. There is a Roman Catholic church building dedicated to every country in the world, and that’s not even half of the Roman Catholic church buildings in Rome. There are also plenty of non-Roman Catholic churches and house churches.

    If one based faith on the number of buildings, then Rome would be bursting with faith. It isn’t. This certainly isn’t just a Roman Catholic issue.

    There are plenty of communities in the US that have a high number of church buildings, but the number of Christians is just not significant (population-count-wise). Just as in Rome, all the church buildings could indicate a place bursting with faith. Instead, the buildings are just withering on the vine.

    Moses found a burning bush. God was there. The ground was .

    Think about it, though. Moses wasn’t the first herdsman of Israel. In fact, the lineage of Israel consisted of herdsmen. Did all the herdsmen not God while they were in the fields?

    Many people do, in fact, their greatest God connection when amid God’s unspoiled . For some, it might be mountains, or lakes, or seashores, or deserts. Others will find it in cathedrals build by man. It doesn’t matter. God is there.

    The new in the midst of its rebuild, and even after it was completed, was not the impressive piece of architecture as the original. In comparison, it was a block of wood in comparison to a shining jewel. Ultimately, though, it was a place set aside to worship God, and to provide a focal point of faith practices.

    Despite the second temple being nothing in comparison to its predecessor, the people of ‘ day still viewed it as sacred. Jesus pointed out that it was only a building. It too would fall. While people took great offense at his statement, it was only truth. The world is perishing; so too would the temple.

    According to some recent numbers, 30% of churches pre-COVID will not return to their building post-COVID. For them, the building is done. For some congregations, this means that the congregation is done, and the people will join other congregations or none at all. For others, this means a new expression of the gathering: Cafe Church, Circle Church, Church in a Bar (yes, this is a non-Nazarene thing), and who knows what else people will discover as they seek to be the gathered .

    How buildings of worship will , remain, and how they will be part of our faith is still to be seen. Without question, place is very important. It can be under a tree (as many African Church of the Nazarene congregations do). It can be in a sheet metal building. It can be in a building of concrete. It can be in a house. It can be in a yard.

    ※Questions※

    1) Can you see yourself worshiping (well) in a “place” different than the “church” building? What “calls” to you?

    2) Do you think a “place” to gather in community is important? Why or why not?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have called us to gather in community. Help us, as the world drastically changes, continue to seek ways to gather to build up one another and bring and worship to you. Amen.