Devotion.al

Tag: end

  • Enter In

    Enter In

    Psalm 80; Isaiah 65:17–25: John 14:18–31

    I might be a nerd (okay, “might” should be replaced by “am”). When I was young I was fascinated by the stories of elves. In particular, I grew up with the Pinis’ Elf Quest. As I got older, I learned about the “real” elves of The Silmarillion (Tolkien’s Elves). I was fascinated by their mythic slowness. , death, marriage, war, and all those things that define much of life changed in such strange ways.

    This came to mind as I read the passage of Isaiah. A person who dies at a hundred will be as if cursed. These days, we celebrate those who live beyond one hundred, trying to their secret (there doesn’t seem to be one).

    As Isaiah continues, he shares how God will provide the life essentials to everyone. God will provide a way where everyone need not fear for their well-being. The implication of no orphans or widows (the weakest and most vulnerable) is there too.

    How these verses end is also interesting. The serpent is definitely an allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose food continues to be dust. On the other hand, the life and death (and the taking of life to live) of and its creatures ends, too. It indeed would be a new creation, or perhaps Creation as intended before the Fall.

    The totality of this promise of warmth and belonging won’t be experienced on this side of life. The does still us, however, and that is ours to hold onto.

    Remaining “in” the Father and “in” though is a little more than just sitting. It is an active pursuit of a with God, through the gift of the . It is the Spirit that remains to teach and guide us, even today.

    Yet, just because the Holy Spirit is here and present, does not mean that we do nothing. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach us. Teaching, though, requires students. Until we die (and maybe even after), we are all, to be constantly learning about God.

    ※Reflection※

    • How can the finite (us) not continue to learn more about God (infinite) day-by-day?
    • What are you doing to learn more about God?
    • Who are you bringing with you as you learn?
    • Is anyone bring you along with them as they learn?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, nudge our hearts and minds to pursue relationship with you that we know God better than we did yesterday. Amen.

  • Alien Calling

    Alien Calling

    Psalm 23; Genesis 46:28–47:6; Acts 4:1–4

    I have moved around 15 times in 25 years. I have told that to even some military families and they look at me in shock. That is, honestly, a stupid number of moves. Some were big. Some were small. All were disruptive. My childhood was somewhat similar. My biological parents had divorced by the time I was 2. I went to my dad’s on weekends and spent the week with my mom. As a child, where home was, well, questionable. Many of us have some part of us that is unsettled. Whether it is dissatisfaction at home (I pray not, but it is reality), work, school, or even , we may not feel welcome or whole or as if we belong. It can be spiritual, emotional, financial, or even something else.

    We shouldn’t be particularly surprised by this. We have the image of God () in us. This world, as the saying goes, is not our home.

    Jacob (Israel) and his settled in Goshen. Goshen became (for all intents and purposes) the home of the Hebrews. Yet, even while there, from beginning to , it was not really their home. The Promised Land was to be their home. The place their children’s children’s…children would be.

    Those that joined the Way (one of the original names for Christians) both joined a new place of belonging and alienated their origin belonging (whether Jew or Greek). They became aliens in their own land.

    Being (or strangers) in one’s own land can seem to be peculiar. That is actually one of the issues that American Christians have (or perhaps should have). American Christians are often that…Americans that happen to be Christians. That isn’t quite as strange as Christians that happen to be American. Seems the same? Except the primacy is different. first; American second.

    And I lost some people right there. None of us want to be strangers in the country in which we were born. Perhaps, though, we are called to be strangers more than familiar.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why might it be more important for a Christian to be a stranger in rather than a citizen of the country in which they live (even if born there)?
    • What can a stranger often see that the comfortable cannot?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we are ambassadors of your . Thus, we are not of this world. Help us to realize this in the depths of our souls. Amen.

  • Take the Message Forward

    Take the Message Forward

    Psalm 150; Jeremiah 30:1–11a; 1 John 3:10–16

    We have a lot in front of us. The end of the COVID-era seems to be approaching. Although there seems to be a step back for every step forward, at least we are moving forward. This doesn’t mean we’ll be going back to normal. In fact, the normal we knew before is dead.

    Many of will grasp for the past looking for the comfortable. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, if the past we hold onto results in two steps back for every step forward, then that is not effective, nor does it fulfill our to Go and (p)Reach. The promise of restoration that we find in Jeremiah is indeed a message of hope. In it, though, is an underlying truth. The restoration is to the place of home/old with a new model.

    The exiles would certainly enter the Promised Land again. However, they wouldn’t return to either the ways that led them to exile, nor would they return to the years of David and Solomon. It would be something new.

    For those who remembered the old , the new (to be built) temple would be a shadow of the old, and they would (understandably) mourn its loss while rejoicing with the new. Others would have only legends, dreams, and “when I was your age” stories. They would not be able to rely on the old ways. They would have to forge a new way of being in the midst of their ongoing .

    Part of our new way of being is the reality that Christians are a minority, and even the treasured Evangelical is almost a curse at this point. It right and understandable to mourn and grieve. It is also expected that we will be in a mode of reflection and repentance for a while, as we try to heal the rifts of our own brokenness, and the solidified because of it and the brokenness of others.

    John writes that we shouldn’t be surprised that people of the world hate us. Nor should we look for their hatred, which sometimes seems to be our default response. Nor are we to behave in a way that will solidify their hatred or their negative opinion of us. Of course, this does not mean we water down the message of reconciliation, repentance, of heart, and .

    How we do it is in a state of flux. Relations are definitely a way to allow communicating the message. There will always be a place of action of the heart (i.e., compassionate ministries). There will also always be a place for preaching. There is no one way, anymore. In fact, there never was.

    We are in an awkward place where we need to be functioning in a reconciling, repenting, and heart-changing with our fellow Christians. That may indeed need to come first, and only a united church will reach the world (and denominations have their place, too). Only when Christians aren’t ripping into each other and living the moral life that they are called will the world bother to listen to us. Maybe, just maybe, then they will be open to hearing about Jesus.

    The future is never fully in focus. The church may be a shell. It may be completely reinvented. It may return to the First Century. The church may change, but the message never will.

    ※Reflection※

    • What has been the hardest thing about interacting with people the last year or so? What has been the greatest thing?
    • What is the one thing you are holding onto from our pre-COVID era? What are you grieving about that we are losing from the pre-COVID era?
    • These things that we are holding onto, are they for the benefit of the mission to reach the world for Christ, or are they our place of comfort?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, the Giver of Life, we need to find the path that will lead us in such a way as to bring life and life-giving water to the world. Help us to be strong in the face of difficulties and change. Fill us with your grace and so that we see others as bearers of the image of God, no matter about which we disagree. Amen.

  • End of Ends

    End of Ends

    Psalm 4; Daniel 9:1–19; 1 John 2:18–25

    Eschatology. It is a fabulous theological word. It means the study of the Times. You can watch plenty of End Times theology on TV. It usually involves zombies, nuclear weapons, or (my personal favorite) large reptilian creatures that like to stomp cities.

    Less the actual Eschatological part, that was all tongue-in-cheek. Sort of. How we view the End Times says a lot about our of the world, our personal struggles, and even our cultural struggles.

    A number of years ago I read a summary (only the summary) of research regarding End Times (also called the , not the mutant—comic book reference). There was a cross-section of media stories and fiction that would get a bigger depending on the general cultural gestalt. Japan, for example, is still dealing with the cultural scars of the nuclear bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Godzilla, in particular, is a cultural image representing nuclear power running amok, and the underlying fear of the results.

    Even as we read about the “Four Horsemen” of the Apocalypse (famine, war, pestilence, death) we can see (with the first 3) some things that were constant companions of fear regarding the end. Death, of course, comes to us all.

    Death is a pretty universal fear. There are very few people in history that do not fear (death is “merely” the result). The power of death over the is significant, and when added to an eschatological framework (see, I used it later) those “things” that we fear most in regards to dying and death become part of our End Times thinking.

    Sometimes death of the self is mixed into the perceived death of culture, , and other things. In the case of Daniel, the End Times includes the concept of the death of Israel as a people and a .

    Other times death can be overridden.

    As a result of the , the sting of death has been removed. It is no longer permanent for the believers in Christ. What this also allows for is the ability (should we so choose) to separate our fears of death, End Times, and pretty much everything else.

    With the Resurrection before us, the End Times, or more correctly the fear of the End Times, loses much of its weight for the End Times are merely the opening act to eternity.

    ※Reflection※

    • What are your thoughts about End Times? Have you thought about them recently?
    • What emotions do End Times thoughts evoke in you?
    • Why might understanding that End Times are not the end times for believers in Christ be important?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to deepen our in you so that the anxieties of the world do not shake our foundation based upon your love. Amen.

  • Acclaim or Quiet

    Acclaim or Quiet

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–16

    HOSANNA! The cry of the people before the gates of Jerusalem was filled with this word. Hosanna is a Hebrew contraction meaning, “save, we pray,” which you just read in Psalm 118:25. Hosanna is used as part of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, which was a commemoration of Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Part of the commemoration even involves going around the altar waving palm branches.

    ‘ entry into Jerusalem was more than the coming King sitting on a donkey, which represented conquering in . By using hosanna, the people were putting Jesus where we understand he belongs (as God), but the religious leaders saw it as blasphemous. The palm leaves were part of a celebration. From the of those in the religious seats of power and influence, this was completely wrong.

    John was a little harsh on the Disciples, John described them as clueless. They seemed unable to see all the symbolism that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem included, and what it portended.

    We could dismiss the disciples as ignorant. They were. John notes something significant, though, once they witnessed Jesus glorified, the pieces came . The difference between the well-educated and those who were not is very apparent. Those that had the education saw the signs, put the puzzle together, and denied the truth in front of them, and then denied the greater Truth. Those that had the lesser education (if any at all), saw the signs, couldn’t put the puzzle together, yet, in the believed the Truth.

    This is not about the education, but the blindness of that often goes along with it. There is a dark reality to the , and that is an answer is only a search away. Similar to education, the internet often blinds us to the Truth, even Christians. Savior and King (and God) entered Jerusalem. The Truth would set them free, eventually, if they accepted it. That’s where this story continues to be told with imagery. Entering on a donkey, meant that Jesus was coming in as the King in peace. Jesus then left the city. There was a mass celebration, but no similar acceptance. Jesus came in but left in quiet.

    ※Reflection※

    • Palm Sunday (Liturgy of the Palms) usually focuses on the triumphant entry. Why do we not talk about Jesus’ much quieter exit that same day?
    • How does education and/or often blind us to the and handiwork of God?
    • Do you think Jesus’ loud entry contradicts Jesus’ quiet departure?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we are drawn to the dramatic. Help us to be sensitive to your quiet workings that we all too often are blind to. Amen.

  • At The Gates

    At The Gates

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:10–16; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52

    When we read the word “barren” in Jeremiah, we often think it is talking about the land, in particular the environment. The barrenness is in regard to people, in particular, God’s people (and their herds). They will soon no longer reside in the Promised Land, praising and worshiping God.

    Poor decisions made by the People of God led to the barrenness and their exile. In response to their despair of exile, God promises them restoration. They have not even repented and God already promises their . God spoke hope into the . God spoke hope in the face of the people’s fear.

    Fear is often a response to the unknown. Fear is also a response when we think we know what bad will come to pass. Those that followed behind the Disciples likely presumed the demise of this Messiah (self-declared Messiahs weren’t unknown, and they all died). They weren’t wrong.

    This particular journey of Jesus to Jerusalem would indeed in Jesus’ death. Those that feared weren’t wrong. Without being too specific (we have to remember that we often read the end into Jesus’ words, and the Disciples weren’t there, yet), Jesus spoke hope to the fear. Even while describing what would happen to him, Jesus spoke hope into the darkness.

    The story of blind Bartimaeus seems to be just one of those stories of Jesus, but don’t overlook its placement within the context of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. Bartimaeus was physically blind. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, had spiritual vision. We could just dismiss his cries to Jesus as pure desperation. Jesus, though, doesn’t seem to to sole desperation at other points in the Scriptures. Bartimaeus was something more. It seems quite reasonable that Bartimaeus’ place in the was to represent a counterpoint to the physically sighted who were spiritually blind.

    The particularly glaring issue with the spiritually blind was how much vision they thought they had regarding spiritual issues, and definitely someone as significant as the Messiah. The so-called enlightened being compared to the least (a physically impaired person whose only source of income was through begging) would have been quite insulting.

    Mark’s intent likely was that jarring comparison. As Mark wrote after the life, death, and of Jesus, Mark (along with other followers of Jesus) would be striving to confront those that thought they were spiritually enlightened with the world-changing Jesus.

    ※Reflection※

    • Which is your strongest tendency? (1) Seeing the bad that can/will happen and being overwhelmed with your fear of it (i.e., like those who followed the Disciples), (2) So consumed with the spectacle that your are blind to the darkness around or ahead of you (i.e., the Disciples), (3) Are sure you know that bad or darkness ahead but face it with the and strength of God (i.e., like Jesus)?
    • Are you quick to you have Godly spiritual vision, or do you if you are spiritually blind?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, each of us have different responses to the world and its struggles. Help us to build Godly responses to the darkness. Amen.

  • Depths of Lent

    Depths of Lent

    Psalm 119:9–16; Isaiah 44:1–8; Acts 2:14–24

    has various aspects. The first is our mortality (“from you came; to dust you return”). The second is . Mortality and sin are connected. Without the original sin, there would be no . Sin brought death to Creation.

    From there, to some degree, sin is broken into original sin (that which brought death into Creation), and personal sin. Personal sin is often what we confront when it comes to Lent. This that sin which personally maintains separation from ourselves and God. More importantly, it is us through our sin that maintains that gap. The known end of Lent is , the commemoration of when God died to bridge the chasm of holiness between God and man. This makes our personal sin all the more tragic.

    Lent will often include some sort of spiritual discipline that is usually a “ up” of something. There was a time when it was primarily meat (still is in Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic communities). As that was in a time where meat was in short supply already, there is some question as to how “sacrificial” it was. Now we think in terms of news, social media, phones (that would nice), , alcohol (for those who drink), a meal (not just meat). All this with the intent, though rarely practices, to instead use that time to approach the throne of God.

    Lent is really a time of pretend. That’s not mean in a bad way. In many respects, we blessed so much that it is hard to lament or mourn because we know what’s on the other side of Good Friday. Many of us have such a life of ease, that we don’t understand just how important God’s words are to the broken.

    We are not just talking about the Christian-ese of the “lost” or the “wayward” or the “not-yet Christian” or the “cold to Christ”. We are talking about people abandoned and lost. As much as this may grate on you, this includes people fleeing to the US from their native country. While there are some who are truly not doing this to become a part of the US people, the majority are giving up (and gave up) everything for a sliver of a to become something new.

    That hope, as small as it often is, is that same sort of redemptive hope and life hope that God had promised to the Israelites for generations. That is the hope in the darkness that Lent exemplifies. Unless we have been in a dark place, any understanding of hope in the face of despair is an intellectual exercise lacking depth.

    To not take this as dismissive. This is coming from the depths of my own heart’s darkness these last few weeks. Certainly, not the darkest, but only by a few shades. As I look at that, I understand even then how much I cannot comprehend the depth and breadth and length of the despair of Israel, that was answered by the depth and breadth and length of God’s redemptive love.

    ※Reflection※

    What life experience can you use to relate to the hope in despair of Israel?

    ※※

    Jesus, thank you for walking the road of the cross for us. May we pick up our cross and follow you. Amen.

  • 45 Days Countdown

    45 Days Countdown

    Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Daniel 12:5–13; Ephesians 1:7–14

    We love countdowns. Before service starts, we have a countdown. Every sporting event has a countdown. Part of its attraction is the pressure. It moves us.

    Another attraction of a countdown is finitude. We know there is an , even if our team is losing (or maybe especially). It will end.

    As we read Daniel, it’s often about the visions and their exact meanings. They are visions. Sometimes I trust interpreters of visions about as much as I trust an interpreter of dreams. After a few psychology sections on dreams, I realized that what people determined the meaning of certain objects would not connect with me. So, when it comes to the greater vision of God and God’s vast , we should be cautious in our interpretation.

    In this passage, what struck me was not the vision, or that it would be sealed, but the time. Happy are those who make it to 1,335 days. The bad stuff timeline is 1,290 days. The difference from misery to happiness is 45 days. For comparison, that 1,290 days is more than a quarter gone since the beginning of the COVID era (not that the vision and COVID are comparable or related.

    The vision doesn’t state that the 45 days will be easier than the 1,290 before it. It could be inferred that the 45 days will actually be worse. Can you imagine counting down those 45 days, and knowing that you would be happy?

    It would be similar to the climax mentioned by Paul in Ephesians. It would be that moment when all, for no matter how long or short, would be well.

    This countdown mentality, however, can also be the greatest detriment to our . If we are so focused on “that” will make me happy, we miss so much of what God has already graced us with. As Paul told the Ephesians, we have the down payment (the Spirit) of our inheritance, why are we looking for more, right now?

    Should we not be using what we have to make a difference now, rather than effectively burying our inheritance in the ground where it does not even gain interest? We are often told to be , though perhaps it is the results that we are to be patient with, not with what gets us there.

    In a place I used to live, hay was grown. When growing hay (and many crops) time is of the essence, and sometimes just timing. Certain farmers planted their hay just a week earlier than . More often than not, they could get 4 cuts (i.e., 4 harvests), while those (their neighbor) who planted a week later got 3. It was all based on temperature and rain. The third cut was usually the cut that you went financially from red to black. The fourth cut was profit.

    Other crops have a different problem. Once the crop starts to ripen, you have 2-3 days to get all the fields done. Some of these farms were really large. I watched the equipment still working in the dark as the harvest continued for 24 hours a day for 3 days.

    Sometimes you have to at the beginning. Sometimes you have to wait at the end. We just cannot that all waiting is the same or always appropriate.

    ※Reflection※

    • What can you think of that you waited too long before acting?
    • What can you think of that you acted too quickly instead of waiting?
    • What is your process to determine when to act and when to wait? How is God part of that? How is wise council part of that? When do you listen to those outside your comfortable circle?

    ※Prayer※

    , guide us when to wait and when to act. Soften our hearts and open our ears so that we will listen to you. Amen.