Tag: death

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

Grace. Unmerited favor. 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, loss, death, the (un)fairness of life, and other things that people question when in the throes of significant pain 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 ask 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 money. 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 character of God? What does a “fair” Christian 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 discern fair and right in your daily life?
※Prayer※

God of judgment, may the Holy Spirit shape and form us to be reflections of you in how we see and do fair and right. Amen.
2021-06-27
Our Warring Hearts
Psalm 30; Lamentations 2:18–22; Luke 4:31–37

In the science fiction series, Babylon 5, we learn about the “great” war. The great war was between two sides fighting for the benefit (or the evolution) of the “lesser” species. Each side has a different method to initiate change and improvement. One side (“the light”) seeks to change people through peaceful means. The other side (“the shadows”) seeks to change people through fear, pain, and, most importantly, war. The sad part about this is the ultimate conclusion from the series is that both sides are right and wrong. It really does echo human history.

For those who have grown up in these last few decades and for those who seek the love of God, passages of destruction and penalty are often emotionally hard to read and more difficult to understand the seeming conflict between the God of love and the apparent God of wrath.

When we read Lamentations it should, if we have our empathy intact, lead our hearts to ache for the loss and pain of Israel. It’s not that we do not understand that this is a consequence of Israel’s abandonment of God. We are human. We are called to empathize with others, even while we understand that these were consequences. Part of the struggle is that we long for comfort and security. We want our God to protect our understanding of our comfort and security. Whenever God even appears to challenge our comfort and security (even if it is for our own good), we cry out to and at God.

We will often sound like that man in Capernaum. “What have you do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”

Our earthly minds will often disregard the man either because of his possession, or (if we don’t believe in literal possession) because he is a mentally ill man (the modern view). Regardless of which choice, the man still sounds like many of us. “Don’t change us. We like the way we are living.”

Change often ends up being a little death and a little mourning. We either have the courage to face and embrace it, or we respond in fear and anger when it comes upon us.

※Reflection※
- Have you ever had a personal life change that felt a little like death (not talking about the death of a loved one)?
- Why do we often reject war (of many kinds) and pain, pursue and desire change, and yet often only change when thrust into the middle of war and pain?
※Prayer※

Help pursue a life of holy change. Train our hearts to see you and not the trials that temper us. Amen.
2021-06-26
Lamentable Change

Psalm 30; Lamentations 1:16–22; 2 Corinthians 7:2–16

The might of God both obvious and not-so should provide comfort for all who follow God. We should also be aware of it such that we do not wander far away. We read the triumphant story of Joshua yesterday, and today we read lament.

This lament is that of a person (in fact, a people) who has lost everything. They’ve lost their mooring to self, identity, nation, security. All that was had is now gone.

This rhythm of victory of God to leaving God and back again is pretty consistent in the history of Israel. It is also part of our lives.

It may not be as dramatic, yet the littlest steps that Israel followed away from God eventually led to their walking fully away from God. It can be the same for us.

We can also walk away for a short time or a long time. Whatever it is that drew us away from God may keep us away longer than other things.

Often, though, we get lost in our heads and hearts, and the evil one and evil thoughts keep us isolated from God. We allow the evil one and these thoughts between us and God. God’s still there.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 7:2–6 as if God (striking the problems) were writing the letter to you…“Make room in your hearts for me. I didn’t do anything wrong to anyone. I didn’t ruin anyone. I didn’t take advantage of anyone. I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty. I’ve already said that you are in my heart so that we die and live together with you. I have every confidence in you. I’m terribly proud of you. I’m filled with encouragement. I’m overwhelmed with happiness while in the middle of all your cares in the world. When I arrived in Bethlehem, I couldn’t rest physically. I was surrounded by problems. There were problems with foreigners, and there were problems in my extended family. However, I want to comfort you who are discouraged…I know about your desire to see me, how you were sorry, and about your concern for me, so that I was even happier. Even though my letter hurt you, I don’t regret it. Well—I did regret it just a bit because I see that letter made you sad, though only for a short time. Now I’m glad—not because you were sad but because you were made sad enough to change your hearts and lives. You felt holy sadness so that no one was harmed by me in any way. Holy sadness produces a changed heart and life that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets, but sorrow under the influence of the world produces death. Look at what this very experience of holy sadness has produced in you: such enthusiasm, what a desire to clear yourselves of blame, such indignation, what fear, what purpose, such concern, what justice! In everything, you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it wasn’t for the sake of the one who did wrong, or for the sake of the one who was wronged, but to show you your own enthusiasm …my bragging has also been proven to be true, just like everything I said to you was true… I’m happy because I can completely depend on you.”

Okay. It’s a stretch. The underlying truth isn’t a stretch. There is nothing that keeps God from wanting a relationship with you. Not a thing. Everything you’ve done…irrelevant. Everything you’ve thought…wiped away. Everything you’ve felt…embraced.

You are a child of God.

2021-06-24
Show Stopper
Psalm 65; Exodus 9:13–35; Acts 27:39–44

But I’ve left you standing for this reason: in order to show you my power and in order to make my name known in the whole world.
Exodus 9:16

Depending on your context and current life situation, these words could be good or they could be bad. The Scriptures have plenty of examples of where this was good for the God follower and bad for the person (or people) who doesn’t believe in God. There are, too, examples where the Scriptures point to the people who are followers of God who experience trials while others succeed.

In the case of Pharaoh, this was definitely not to his (or Egypt’s) advantage. Granted, Pharaoh had the opportunity to fix the issue but chose not to. On the other hand, and we often ignore them, there were Egyptians (including Pharaoh’s officials) who listened and obeyed. They, too, were also examples. They obeyed; their servants and livestock survived.

Sometimes, obedience is not the most pleasant, either. Paul was obedient insofar as heading to Rome. In fact, he could have avoided the whole situation, but we can infer that he believed that taking advantage of rules would dishonor the faith, and so chose the path to Rome, Caesar, and death.

The centurion wasn’t a particular enemy to Paul or God. Yet, he felt obligated or even connected to Paul for whatever reason and sought to keep him safe. In a different way, he, too, was there to display God’s power.

Humanity has plenty to be proud of. We have gone to the moon. We have sent exploratory devices to distant planets and comets. We have delved deep into the oceans (though there is still more to see). We have generated many theorems and rules to understand the universe. We have analyzed the very makeup of our biological existence (DNA).

All our achievements still cannot outshine God’s glory, will, or plans. We’re not really any closer to understanding them than the Disciples who walked with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee, but we know him. That all that really matters.

※Reflection※
- Have you seen where someone in opposition to God, ended up glorifying God? What were the circumstances, and how did it glorify God?
- Have you seen where the pain or trial person trusting in God glorified God, even when their pain or trial ended badly? How about where it ended well?
※Prayer※

Lord, help us be the light, even when it isn’t easy to bring glory to you. Amen.
2021-06-22
Moving Pain
Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32; Job 38:1–11; 2 Corinthians 6:1–13; Mark 4:35–41

The right time. God moved at the right time. God’s timing is perfect.

From a purely intellectual standpoint, these are easy to say. It is much harder to say this in the midst of trial and be at peace with that truth. We will often tell ourselves that we trust God, but that doesn’t mean we are at peace with it.

Sometimes we aren’t called to be at peace with it.

Pain, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, is God’s gift to us that something is wrong. One of the biggest ones is the pain of loss, particularly death. Death is the ultimate indicator that something is wrong in Creation.

Pain also often indicates that you need to do something. Just sitting in your pain, because you trust God’s timing or are “at peace” about, is not always the right or righteous move.

Pain, oddly enough, can also be disguised in positive events and positive moments, as these moments of transition mean letting go of the past.

The disciples didn’t just sit in their pain (fear). They woke Jesus up. That was wise.

Paul (and Timothy) didn’t just sit in their pain that the Corinthians appeared to be abandoning them or letting their love (of Paul and Timothy and/or God) grow cold. A letter was written and delivered. It was said aloud and shared among the Corinthians (and other churches).

Job didn’t just sit. He carthartically released his pain. We often think of the Book of Job as Job mostly sitting with the others. While he is, Job is also doing what a lot of us try to do when we are in pain (spiritual and emotional, especially)…we process.

※Reflection※
- What pain are you working through right now? What is the biggest obstacle for you in it?
- How is your pain impacting those around you, particularly those who are closest to you?
- How is your pain impacting your daily life and choices?
※Prayer※

God, you gave us pain to guide us. Help us to look at the pain we are dealing with to see how you can use it to transform us. Amen.
2021-06-20
Light It Up
Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32; Job 29:21–30:15; Acts 21:1–16

Life is full of ups and downs. Psalm 107 starts with such a positive tone. Then mishaps and adventures and trials occur. Then back to rejoicing in God. It doesn’t seem to really matter your place, station, or nation in life, there are ups and downs. Even in some of the harshest conditions, people will find positive things. Part of that is just how we maintain some sort of sanity (even if it’s by our fingernails).

This certainly is not to belittle anyone’s trials and tribulations. Even in midst of grieving over the loss of a loved one, people might see God’s beautiful Creation. They might laugh at a really bad Dad joke (yes, a dad joke and a bad joke are the same thing). They might have an enjoyable meal or a great time with friends. The pain remains, but something can still be good.

Job was respected. He cared for others. He honored God. He led others.

Job fell. He was despised. He was rejected. Others sought to lead him. Yet, he honored God.

All of Acts is a series of ups and downs. While this part of Paul’s journey is really the foreshadowing of his journey to Rome and to his death, it is still filled with stories of love, caring, loyalty, and faith.

The world is indeed a dark place. Often, the only thing that can keep us sane and even happy is hope. Only hope in Jesus Christ will endure through time.

※Reflection※
- Thinking of a dark time in your life, what were high points in the darkness? What made them that way?
- Have you ever questioned a joyful or happy moment in the midst of darkness? Did you feel as if you disrespected the time of darkness?
- What are ways that you have found to invoke light, joy, and hope in the midst of your darkness and the darkness of others?
※Prayer※

Jesus, you are the light to the world. Help us to be the smaller lights that bring hope to the world, and glory to you. Amen.
2021-06-18
The Fruit We Yield
Psalm 52; Jeremiah 22:1–9; Luke 6:43–45

Have you ever been somewhere with a beautiful bowl filled with fruit, then picked up a piece of fruit, and realized that it was fake? It looks pretty and improves the ambiance, but beyond that, it is useless for living.

Christians have a discrepancy (okay, we have many). We understand the “heart” of following Jesus. We also have a general understanding that we cannot earn our way into Heaven (i.e., “works righteousness).

Yet, here we are stuck in words of actions. There is the reality that actions can form us. This is why the ancient church focused so much on disciplines of behavior (bible reading, confession, etc), not because they, in and of themselves, reformed us, but so that the pattern of lives became set. Through that setting, we are more ready and willing to let the Holy Spirit transform us.

Despite those intentions—we see this in Jewish and Christian traditions—the rules intended to guide the heart became rules to follow. By following the rules, people were able to appear transformed, but their hearts were anything but.

Jeremiah’s call to live a just life continues from yesterday’s scriptures (Jeremiah 21:11–14). The battle being waged upon the hearts of Judah is about living life versus following rules. When we only follow rules, rather than live, we are only going to die unfulfilled (Romans 7:5, Romans 8:2). We also will be no better than the fake fruit in the bowl.

When Jesus talks about “good” fruit—kalos—there is actually a play on words that our translations miss and thus we do not connect other phrasings. Kalos (the Anglicization of καλός) has a focus on the outward appearance, which is similar to Jesus’ accusation of the teachers and Pharisees about being whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27). At the same time, there is also the implied meaning that there is still some use for the fruit despite the focus on outward appearance. A lot of big supermarkets have buyers who view the outside of the fruit, because they know what will sell at the market, and it is pretty fruit. That doesn’t mean that the fruit is necessarily really tasty, nor does that mean that there are not hidden issues. You, too, may have experienced buying a “nice to look at” piece of fruit, and then found something less than appealing after a bite or two.

We have to be careful when we draw too much on the good/bad dichotomy as (for example) good fruit goes rotten, too (thus becoming bad). The agricultural aspect of the “bad” fruit is more along the lines of being grown from a seedling (or volunteer) rather than controlled grafting.

The fruit from such trees is often inedible and so good for nothing but fertilizer. These trees will always produce fruit that is not edible. There is nothing to be done about it. A good tree will not always produce good fruit. The bad tree will always produce bad fruit.

Another way to think of this is ornamental fruit trees. They are beautiful. Their fruit is often beautiful to look at (weeping cherry comes to mind). The fruit, though, is not good, nor is there much fruit to go with the seed and skin. The tree is good as an ornament. It is not good for providing life-giving food.

※Reflection※
- What challenges you regarding good fruit and good trees versus bad fruit and bad trees?
- How is the appearance of good fruit similar to a whitewashed tomb? How is it different?
- How does living a strictly law-abiding life lead to “death” (as Paul calls it)? On the other hand, how can it lead to life?
※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, only you can transform us from bad trees to good. We give you permission and we ask for your aid to become good trees producing good fruit beyond measure. Amen.
2021-06-16
Choosing the Fruit
Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15; Genesis 3:14–24; Hebrews 2:5–9

There is something odd about the story in the Garden of Eden, and it isn’t the Fall (though that is central to our faith). The story in the Garden of Eden revolves around loving obedience/respect of God (that was a failure) and two trees.

The apple (usually red) is the fruit to represent the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Not being a red apple fan, it can be hard for me to see the attraction (as Eve was attracted to it). It really wasn’t an apple, maybe. We don’t know what it was.

Based upon what was provided in the story of the Fall, neither Adam nor Eve had experienced death or evil. Therefore, even their concepts of life and good were not very deep. Describing a beautiful sight to a person born blind, or beautiful sound to a person born deaf is kind of like trying to explain, good, evil, or eternal life to people who have no experience.

What did the fruit of the Tree of Life have? Some people have created imagery that show that the Tree of Life also produces apples. That similarity is interesting but peculiar.

It is the fruit of the trees, though, that show something about God. Some say that God put the trees as a test for humanity. It might be better to think of them as aspects of God in material form. As Christians, we talk about eternal life as the ultimate gift of following Jesus Christ. Eternal life was originally just a fruit. As Christians (and definitely as Nazarenes/Wesleyans/Methodists/etc), we talk about holiness and believe in it. To be holy, one must know what evil is…perhaps.

This, of course, will immediately cause many to shake or tremble, for by that logic, if God is holy (which God is), God must know evil. The fruit of the trees shows that. Knowing what evil is does not mean one is evil.

The fruits are a foreshadow of what is to come for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We will receive the “fruit” that remains in the Garden and will know what evil is so that we know what truly Holiness is.

※Reflection※
- How does knowing evil help you know what holiness is?
- Why is knowing holiness important?
- As you think of yourself on the spectrum of 1 (Holy) to 10 (Evil), where are you?
※Prayer※

God, you have made us lower than you and yet love us so much. Help us to know what evil is that we will instead know what it means to seek you. Amen.
2021-06-10
Utopia Maybe
Psalm 29; Isaiah 2:1–5; Romans 8:9–11

The statistics don’t seem promising. The percentage of regular church-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 religion 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 light 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 good news is that God isn’t done—not with the world and not with us.

The triumph and joy 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 Paul alludes to comes from this same basic concept…the fallen nature of humanity to strive upon the backs of others is contrary to God’s desire for his creation. 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 human 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 vision 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.
2021-05-28
Just Breathe
Psalm 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23

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

The Jesus Prayer (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 Christian tradition, consider that the Holy Spirit 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 blessing 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 “Shalom” (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 wages of sin, death)?
- Why do you think fire (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.
2021-05-26