Tag: father

Embracing Difference

Genesis 29:18-35, Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Psalm 5

Jacob found himself in a strange situation. The wife he thought he had spent 7 years of his life to earn the right to marry was not the one his father-in-law had presented to him. Laban set up a dysfunctional marriage (two, actually) by doing this. The sisters would be competing for their husband’s affections. Children became trophies over the other sister. Yet, God chose these children born in a family of broken relationships to become (eventually) the leaders of a tribe that changed the world.

All of us have experiences of family brokenness, whether it was our immediate family, extended family, spouse’s family, the family of a friend, or the family that we have in the church. Sadly, the majority of human relationships involve brokenness, whether ours or someone else’s.

In the midst of his last commission to the Israelites, Moses brings in two forms of brokenness. The first is in the form of family: fatherless and widowed. This truly would be a sign of familial brokenness, as there were no family to take care of: children with no parents, and widows with no children. In a culture that valued family, and relied upon family to function, this was catastrophic. The orphaned and widowed could be viewed as cursed. Being so alone without family was inconceivable. Then Moses goes a step further and brings in the foreigner. This person, whether by war, slavery, abandonment, fleeing, was not only not with family, they were among people of completely different families.

The orphan, the widow and the foreigner were the ultimate example of broken family connections, as they had none. Even today, we avoid those that are different than we are. There is something in the case of orphaned, widowed and foreigner (even in the U.S., a country of immigrants) that triggers some of our deepest fears and insecurities.

Moses calls on the Israelites to love them anyways. As we are called through the love of God, we are also called to live this life of love.

1) How can we show love to others?

2) Orphaned, widowed and foreigner are relational terms. Think beyond their immediate definition. For example, the foreigner may be the new person in the neighborhood, at work or at church. Who are the orphaned, widowed and foreigner that God has placed in your lives?

3) Why do we often get so obsessed with the differences between ourselves and others, rather than focus on the similarities?

KD) How do welcome and love people different from you?

2018-12-21
Abandoned to Joy

1 Chronicles 15:11-29, 2 Samuel 6:16-22, Luke 15:4-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9

Have you ever leapt for joy? David did. He and his men were proudly and joyfully bringing God’s Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the underlying emotion of all David’s celebrating/leaping/whirling/skipping is joy. David is so filled with joy, he expresses it in such a physical way that the bride of his youth despises him. We know little about Michal, but we can guess that she had certain expectations of how the King (oh, and her husband) should behave. David was having nothing to do with her expectations. His audience of joy was God. David did understand that others understood David’s behavior better than proud Michal.

The shepherd and woman in Jesus’ parables also acted exuberantly. It was time to Holy Party and it was okay for them to party. They were “only” lowly people. The kind that Michal looked down upon. Jesus makes it clear, though, that Heaven doesn’t care about where they fit in society. To add insult to the Michals of the world, Jesus then tells a tale of the wealthy father who dropped everything and gave a huge party for his wayward son who had abandoned his family, but had now returned. It was disgraceful.

David’s “inappropriate” joyful leaping and the wealthy father’s “disgraceful” party represent the unbounded love of God and the inhabitants of Heaven as one more person turns to Jesus as Savior. Think of the mess that accompany the opening of presents by little children. The paper and tape and ribbon and…it’s everywhere. Undisguised and unabashed abandon at ripping off the paper and ribbons. Yep, God can’t wait to open the “present” of someone turning to him.

Many of us were taught that God was angry, or vengeful, or judgmental, or unloving, or distant. Contrast this to the dirty shepherd hugging the missing sheep, the woman who turned her house upside down to find a coin, a dignified king willing to be a fool, and a father who saw his son and not a failure. That IS God. We talk about joy during Christmas. Any (and hopefully every) day is “Christmas” for God as he opens another present of a person rescued!

1) Why is it important to understand abandoning oneself when joyful?

2) Can you think of a time you “forgot” yourself, and where you were, and just let go? Think back, and compare the feeling (body, soul, mind) of “abandoning” joy, versus a time when you controlled your joyful response. Is there a difference?

KD) What do you do when you are joyful? Do you dance, sing, scream, or run around? Do you think God does that when someone chooses Jesus? Why or why not?

2018-12-19
Beyond Hope

Luke:1:46b-55, James 5:7-10, Hebrews 12:1-2

Mary’s song/poem of praise is often called the Magnificat in the Protestant/Roman Catholic tradition, or the Ode of the Theotokos (Bearer of God) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is a joy-filled response to God by Mary that appears to be a response to Elizabeth’s joy-filled pronouncement of the Sprit-filled joy of John the Baptist (in utero, of all things) to hearing the voice of the Mother of God (Jesus).

The double-meaning of Mary’s praise of “…my spirit rejoices in God my savior…” is the Jewish understanding of God (the Father) as the savior of their people, along side the coming salvation of Jew and Gentile through the death of Jesus (God the Son). There is the reality of God as past, present and future savior.

The Jews knew many experiences of God as savior. The expectation for the coming Messiah was built upon an understanding of a God that was faithful and would fulfill promises made.

As a Jew, James had the same Jewish understanding as pregnant Mary, and he had seen fulfillment of the Messiah’s coming and salvation. Now James is passing the hope on. It is the expectation based upon God’s faithfulness that the Messiah will come again and the hope that remains strong in the face of adversity.

In Hebrews, the author notes that Jesus went to the cross joyfully, not because Jesus was looking forward to the pain, anguish, betrayal and death. Jesus was looking beyond the cross, beyond the grave, and even beyond the Resurrection. The author notes that Jesus’ prize was the throne of God. Though the author doesn’t say it here, the other prize was you and me before the throne of God, not in fear of judgement, but as Children of the Most High God.

Elsewhere, the author of Hebrews notes that Jesus, our Savior, is continually interceding on our behalf and for all eternity. No matter how you feel about yourself being worthy, it doesn’t matter. As shirts and bumper stickers read, “I may not be perfect, but Jesus thinks I’m to die for.” That is our hope and joy.

1) Are hope and joy the same thing?

2) Why are having hope and joy important for a Christian?

3) Why is it important to look at the Old Testament in regards to salvation?

KD) Why does the author of Hebrews compare faith to running a race?

2018-12-17
Joy and Expectation

Job 33:14-30, Psalm 126, Luke 1:35-45

In many respects, joy is both easy and incredibly difficult to truly understand. On one hand, we understand that joy is something much deeper than the feelings of the moment. Yet, on the other hand, we use the word joy often when we really mean happy or maybe happier than usual, but still happy.

It is time for us to claim joy. This is not a “name it to claim it” kind of thing. We must have a definition that makes sense within the context of Christianity and that helps us use the word in a similar way. Let us define joy as a deep-seated emotion that provides assurance, resolve, positive outlook, and is life-giving through building up of self and others, and is based upon the character and nature of God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As we look through most translations of scripture, we can see where joy is not used in the above way and that’s okay. This word is for us to use when we especially talk about the joy of Christmas.

Reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth and Zechariah were expecting their first child in their advanced age. This pregnancy was a result of God’s faithfulness (not Zechariah’s) and was life-giving in two ways. First, Elizabeth and Zechariah were ashamed (life-taking) due to the lack of a child. Second, their child would go before the Messiah, announcing the Messiah’s coming (giving life and hope to others).

Many years ago, I heard a Christmas Eve sermon that was startling. In fact, my family and I were appalled at the sermon. It started with, “Tonight, we are all pregnant.” It took me many years to actually understand—more than just intellectually—what he meant.

With wanted pregnancies, the two biggest emotions are joy and expectation. These are the two (or should be) biggest emotions of Christmas. Not for the presents or family or food or parties, but for Jesus. The Savior of the world, and of you and me.

1) Are you really looking forward to Jesus coming?

2) Christmas looks: to the past when Christ was born in a manger; to the now for transformed lives; to the future when Jesus comes again. How does that perspective change how you view Christmas this year?

3) It’s easy to get into the habit of “just” another annual celebration with Christmas (as with any holiday or observance). What will you do to keep it fresh this year?

KD) If you knew you were not getting any presents this year for Christmas, would you still look forward to Christmas? Why, or why not?

2018-12-16
Trusting Joy

Psalm 37:3-6, Joel 2:12-13, Isaiah 12:2-6, James 1:2-4

Integrity, so it is said, is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. It can be tempting to do the wrong thing when no one is watching. It is often easy to do the right thing when everyone is cheering.

It’s when no one is cheering, or people are even grumbling or threatening those who do right, that we come to the hard part of living out our faith.

“Trust in the LORD, and do what is good…”
Psalm 37:3

“…I will trust [the LORD] and not be afraid…”
Isaiah 12:2

When it gets tough to do right, all we can do is trust God. Sounds easy, but how often do we fail to trust God, and instead trust ourselves, others, or things?

James calls on us to be filled with joy in these situations. Joy? Yes, even in these situations. Perhaps, joy is most critical in these situations. The freedom to feel joy is fully reliant on trusting God.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we know with our heads that we need to trust you. As we are frail human beings, help our hearts to trust you further than yesterday, and even more so tomorrow. Grant us the peaceful assurance of your grace, compassion, patience and love. Help us to continue to seek the coming Messiah, and to be filled with joy of knowing you.

Holy Spirit, be with us through the remainder of the Advent season, stirring our hearts to not take Christmas for granted, but to be stirred into action of joy-filled praise of the Father, Son, and You. Continue to quicken our hearts and aid us in our journey of faith.

Jesus, Son of God, thank you for becoming like us. Thank you for experiencing a life like ours. We are thankful that you know temptation, yet did not sin, giving us strength to choose the God-lit path of faith that goes through the darkness.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we lift you up on our praise. Help us to joyfully sing your praise, for your glory.

Amen.

2018-12-14