Tag: heart

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 mission 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 glory years of David and Solomon. It would be something new.

For those who remembered the old Temple, 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 identity.

Part of our new way of being is the reality that Christians are a minority, and even the treasured word 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 division 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, change of heart, and resurrection.

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 relationship 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 love so that we see others as bearers of the image of God, no matter about which we disagree. Amen.
2021-04-19
Go and (p)Reach
Psalm 4; Luke 24:36b-48; Acts 3:12-19; 1 John 3:1-7

The disciples are still struggling with the Resurrection. You’d think they’d have accustomed themselves to Jesus being alive, but they were obviously still struggling. As part of this last appearance, Jesus explained the Scriptures and His place in them. This is not the first time he did this after the Resurrection.

This time, though, it comes with a command, to preach the Resurrection and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sin. This mission doesn’t start immediately. It has to wait until the heavenly power comes (the Holy Spirit at Pentecost).

Waiting in Jerusalem, however, does not mean being inactive. Peter’s healing of the lame man (Acts 3:1-10) opened the door (so to speak) to begin the mission. Peter tells his listeners what it is all about, “But this is how God fulfilled what he foretold through all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer. Change your hearts and lives! Turn back to God so that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:18-19, CEB)Much later, John wrote that we have hope in Jesus as we (progressively) purify ourselves (so as to become more Christ-like). This reflects the changing of hearts that Jesus and Peter made known.

Jesus’ and Peter’s declarations could also be restated as it is in Matthew 28:19–20, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you…” [CEB]While the passage in Matthew could be interpreted as only applying to the disciples, the passage from Luke cannot be (without serious contortions). The changed heart is also consistent across the Scriptures.

We are all called to tell the world about Jesus, sin, redemption, and the place of changed hearts in all of that. In the current culture, we are having to learn how to do this well. Sadly, we are in the midst of getting rid of the baggage that we’ve been carrying, and that is painfully difficult. So much so, that most of us no longer have effective tools or methods to reach (and “preach to”) others.

In all likelihood, the Western Church will have to relearn how to live in a true and deep community. We have all become accustomed to the shallow community of the Western Church, not the Christian fellowship as described in the Scriptures.

This does not excuse any of us from looking for opportunities to talk about the grace of Jesus Christ and the change in our hearts. Perhaps, rather than excuse it, it should drive us more.

※Reflection※
- Are you doing anything that resembles telling the world about Jesus in the way Jesus talks about in Luke?
  - If you are, it going?
  - If you aren’t, why not?
- In regard to telling the world, is it your responsibility or someone else’?
※Prayer※

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace thankfully to receive his inestimable benefits, and daily to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [Third Sunday of Easter Collect, Book of Common Prayer 2019]
2021-04-18
How Far Do We Go
Psalm 135; Daniel 3:1–30; 1 John 2:3–11

The fiery furnace story with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) is one of those ever-present Sunday School stories. It is a great story of faith, trust, and most importantly…love.

Love. Yes. Faith and trust really only go so far, especially when it comes to one’s death. Love conquers all. If we were to use the phrase used to King David, perhaps that will help. “A man [in this case, men] after the Lord’s own heart.”Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were men after the Lord’s own heart. Their faith and trust in God had transformed into love. This may seem like a stretch, and that is understandable. Love, though, would seem to be the only movement that would the 3 men to say what they said in response to the king.

The letter from John provides some insight into this conclusion, “But the love of God is truly perfected in whoever keeps his word.” Keeping God’s word (i.e., “not worshiping other gods”) was definitely what the 3 men did, and in a way that is both legend and example.

While a miracle did occur, they did not hold a lack of one against God. As many of us are going through hard times and harder losses, there is a strong temptation to hold the lack of miracles against God. We often want our belief to buy us something with God.

That is not love. That is bargaining. That is not trust. That is exchange. That is not faith.

※Reflection※
- How should this understanding of love affect our interactions with others? How should this affect our understanding of church?
- What are lessons that you have learned about the fiery furnace in you life? How did you apply them?
※Prayer※

Lord, you have have given us the gift of faith and love. May we continue to deepen our trust in you that we truly able to trust you fully in all things. Amen.
2021-04-12
God’s Earthly Love
Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24; Song of Solomon 3:1–11

If there ever was a book of the Bible that was inappropriate for younger audiences it would be the Song of Solomon (or the Song of Songs). In some traditions, the Song of Solomon is not permitted to be read until adulthood. That should tell you something, indeed.

It definitely dances around avoiding certain specifics. On the other hand, it is quite open about the intimacy between the male and female main characters.

This is one of those books that both Jewish and Christian interpreters actually interpret mostly the same thing…this is about the intimacy between God and God’s people. Some people struggle with this (self included). It seems a little odd to think of our relationship with God in this manner.

The gift that both Jewish and Christian interpreters think the same allows us to strip (pun intended) us of our American Puritanism. American Puritanism isn’t all bad, but when it conflicts with the plain reading and even allegorical reading of the Scriptures, it needs to be confronted and removed. Wrestling with the Scriptures is not a bad thing. Often we Christians look at the words of Jesus as challenging and life-changing (they are). We will dismiss (unwisely) the books that discuss the violent mess that birthed the Promised Land. We will also avoid the books of Law and Purity, even though they provide insight into the heart of God once we look beyond the words of the Law.

What does this have to do with the Song of Solomon? A lot. The Jews view this book as the love story of God for his people (the Jews). Christians view it as the love story of Jesus and his bride (the church). The intimacy of husband and wife should be embraced as the view of God’s love for us. We, on the other hand, seem to be more of the wandering away type.

What would our Christian lives be like if this described us…
```
     I will rise now
          and go all around the city,
          through the streets and the squares.
     I will look for the one whom I love
          with all my heart…
     I held on to him
          and now I won’t let him go,
```
On the Evangelical side, we’ve largely dismissed a whole group of people whose life is defined by being “married” to God, the monks, and (more often) nuns of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It seems that we evangelicals are finally maturing to the point where we are able to honor those who walk this path willingly or not.

One of the side-effects of this is that we can remove the pressure to “get married” (for solely getting married, not talking about other moral issues). This means we can open our concept of a faithful and fulfilling Christian life. Married and single life both provide valuable reflections on this loving God that called the Jewish people his wife, and the self-sacrificing Son who calls his church his bride.

※Reflection※
- What do these verses in the Song of Solomon tell us about God? How do the words from Psalm 118 affect your thoughts in comparison to the Song of Solomon?
- What have you learned about love from Christian singles in your life? What have you learned about love from Christian married couples in your life? If the same questions are asked in regards to non-Christians, do any answers change?
- The Song of Solomon isn’t the only Scripture that challenges our remote/separate/pure view of God. Which other verses or stories in the Scriptures do that? How do they affect your view of and relationship with God?
※Prayer※

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in the fullness of his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen [Wednesday of Easter Week Collect, Book of Common Prayer 2019]
2021-04-07
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.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was more than the coming King sitting on a donkey, which represented conquering in peace. 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 perspective 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 together. 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 end believed the Truth.

This is not about the education, but the blindness of heart that often goes along with it. There is a dark reality to the internet, 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 glory 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 knowledge often blind us to the presence 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.
2021-03-28
Depths of Lent

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

Lent has various aspects. The first is our mortality (“from dust you came; to dust you return”). The second is sin. Mortality and sin are connected. Without the original sin, there would be no death. 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 Good Friday, 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 “giving 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), internet, 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 hope to become something new.

That hope, as small as it often is, is that same sort of redemptive hope and life change 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?

※Prayer※

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

2021-03-23
Cursing Blessings
Numbers 21:4–9; Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Ephesians 2:1–10; John 3:14–21

One of the biggest dangers of constant blessings is that we often disdain them. We become so accustomed to them that we become blind to them. Even worse, we then grow to despise them.

The Israelites were in the middle of the desert. They were being sustained by the hand of God. Instead of looking at the blessing and the miracle that they were experiencing. they instead wanted to go back to slavery. The rejection of the blessing and the rejection of protection.

The interplay between the Israelites, Moses, and God is interesting. The consequence? Poisonous snakes. The response? We were wrong. The directive? Make a snake statue. The result? Get bit, look at the snake, and live. However, if the Israelites were really sorry, would the snakes have remained?

One could argue that the snakes were an ongoing consequence. However, as the snakes were a consequence of bad behavior, it also can be concluded that the Israelite really didn’t have a change of heart, but a desire to avoid the consequences. Yes, it is a stretch assumption from the Scriptures, but it certainly isn’t in regard to human behavior.

Paul’s notes such about how all of us followed the ways of destruction before coming to Jesus, and that all those who do not yet know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior still have that tendancy (i.e., spirit). We all are better than we were (just being aware puts us in a slightly better position), but we all have struggles and issues that we are dealing with as we strive to be more like Jesus.

The biggest struggle though for Western Christians are the blessings that they despise. One of the biggest has been Christianity. This applies both with those who despised Christianity by doing ill in its name, and for those who took Christianity for granted and did not put the effort in to pass on the faith (or care to learn it). In addition, there has become the human arrogance of blessing where people begin to assume it’s God’s blessing on their ways, rather than God’s blessings so as to be shared with others.

The blessings then become cursed, which is certainly not what God wanted it to be for us. We became sucked into the world’s desire for more and more blessing. That pursuit of blessing becomes death-dealing.

The promise of life, and not just a worldly life, has always been part of the pull to follow God. Paul emphasizes that salvation and new life cannot be earned. Only God can grant it. Only God can gift it.

Worldly life, such as the the bronze serpant represented, still ends in death. It is the life found in the cross lifted up that is everlasting.

※Reflection※
- Can you, have you, counted your blessings?
- Have you ever taken any of your blessings for granted?
- Have you ever looked at a blessing and thought it was actually a curse?
※Prayer※

Lord, help us to remember your blessings and the life you have given us. Amen.
2021-03-14
Chosen
Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Genesis 9:8–17; Ephesians 1:3–6

I don’t remember elementary school sports very much. I do know that while I was never picked first, I was rarely picked last. I was neither particularly good nor bad at sports, hence being a middle pick. I did have preferences for whose team I wanted to be on, though. While I didn’t, therefore, have the angst of being picked last, I certainly didn’t want to be on just any team. I wanted to be on my choice of team.

In some ways, I think of both passages as God saying, “I choose you!”

God chose you, too!

In team sports, there is some sort of expectation of performance. Every year, professional teams hold a draft, competing with each other for the “next best” young player. Big-name colleges will scout and try to recruit high school players.

The difference between God’s selection and a draft is God isn’t looking at performance (we already blew it), God is looking at the heart. God calls everyone. However, just like a draft, one can refuse.

We often try to justify ourselves. Sometimes we try to justify our very existence. God just said, “I chose you. I love you. That is the justification of your existence.”

※Reflection※
- What does being chosen by God mean to you?
- Why is it hard to understand why a person would not want to be chosen by God?
- Is being chosen by God a gift, a sacrifice, both?
※Prayer※

Thank you, Lord, for choosing me. May I continue to strive to honor the gift. Amen.
2021-03-11
Missed A Spot
Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1–16; Mark 11:15–19

If you are unaccustomed to the lectionary (again, what is being used this year for the passages), it can seem odd, annoying, and definitely repetitious to see the same Psalm for multiple days. As I, too, am reading it each day, I try to glean something new from it each time. This time I thought of a mess.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a light rail system there (that was supposed to be for Seattle) called BART. As it was close, I could walk to the BART station and get to many places in the area.

One of the things I didn’t like was all the pigeons. They had found hard to reach (for humans) places to nest and congregate. BART did try to put up barbs to keep them from landing there, but it didn’t really work. So, it could be a hazardous trip to get your ticket or even wait for the train. You had to learn to look on the pavement for the telltale droppings of pigeons so that you could usually avoid being hit.

Even the sparrow found a place in the Temple. If you’ve seen sparrow colonies, they’re not much better than pigeons. The sparrow lays eggs beside the altar.

We read about temple purity laws. They were significant and had severe penalties for violation. The laws were almost impossible to bear. Yet the sparrow found rest and security in the Temple of God.

Jesus cleansed the Temple, not because of sparrow dropping, but because the hearts of humanity had turned from God to gain, and from God’s praise to humanity’s power. Although, if we think about it, if they were selling animals in the temple, it was probably much worse than a few sparrows.

Of course, the Psalmist might be taking some poetic liberty. On the other hand, if you read the Law, the rules almost all apply to people. This means that there may have not been a “purity” concern regarding sparrows in the Temple.

Sometimes our house is a mess. It could be your house. It could be God’s house. Truly, all of us recognize that at least something in our life is not as it should be, and it may be something completely out of our control…such as a sparrow in the Temple.

This shouldn’t discourage us, however. We are called to come to God in good times and bad. We are called to come dirty and clean, with both being relative. Was there something about ritual purity? Yes. However, as Jesus displays through his actions, ritual purity is not necessarily the heart.

※Reflection※
- What things/thoughts/so-called “dirtiness” keep you from approaching God?
- How does being ritually pure (usually outside performance) differ from purity of heart regarding our relationship with God? How do we confuse them?
- What “sparrows” are nesting in your house?
※Prayer※

Lord, all of Creation praises you. Let us not be distracted from praising you and seeking fellowship with you, no matter what the world throws at us. Amen.
2021-03-10
Feeling Real
Psalm 84; 1 Kings 6:1–4, 21–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–23

Based upon the description of the First Temple, it was impressive. The structure perched on a hill made it even more so. Culturally, physically, and religiously, it was the center of the Israelite city. We are often amazed and awed by impressive architecture. If you’ve ever been to any of the nation’s capitals (state or nation), you have likely seen something that impressed you.

Our cities historically were built around some center point, but as cities have grown in odd fashions, often the original center is at an extreme end of the city as it expanded in a single direction out from center. Our homes also have a center, but perhaps that is no longer the case. There was a time where the dining room table or the kitchen was the center of family life.

There was a time when that seemed to be fading away. One of the blessings of the COVID reaction is that we may see a recovery of the home as the center. It is also just as likely, sadly, that this is only a blip.

The trouble with a physical center is that when it becomes too much of the focus, it can distract us from the real focus, especially when it comes to our relationship with God.

Paul alludes to the understanding that each follower of Christ is a temple of God due to the Holy Spirit being present in each believer. However, while he uses the implication of a physical temple to describe things, it is about the inner working of the Holy Spirit in the believer. This change of emphasis would indeed be different for both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Jew and Gentile were both very concerned about the rituals and practices of their former lifestyles. The change from external to internal was very significant.

Often, we focus on the external because it’s easier. Whether it is idols, temples, buildings, what have you. Physical is easier for us to interact with. The physical can also draw us away from God.

※Reflection※
- When have you found the physical to cause struggles with your relationship with God?
- What kind of physical things could (maybe not for you) cause people to struggle with their relationship with God?
※Prayer※

Dear Lord, keep our hearts focused on you. Amen
2021-03-08