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Devotion.al

Tag: human

  • The Right Ground

    1 Corinthians 15:35–49, Mark 4:1-20, John 12:12-28
    A life of holiness is a hard pill to swallow in many respects. We look around us and wonder how could any one of these fallen human beings be holy. When we look in the mirror and think even more so. Holiness has often been twisted to be living a certain way (with or without something, usually) or doing (or not doing) certain things. It has often been twisted to mean that anything that is outside of our so-called Christian culture is bad without analysis. In other words, a life of holiness has often about fulfilling certain rites, rules, and regulations.

    Now, truth be told, following God’s ways is holiness. However, it is our hearts’ response to following those ways that is a life of holiness rather than rules that makes all the difference. There have been many people who have followed the “holiness” rules of men and driven people further from Jesus Christ. There are probably people who have practiced behaviors contrary to so-called holiness rules of men that have brought more people to Jesus Christ that all of us reading this combined. Are there ways that God calls us to live? Yes. We just often have to be careful that it is not our cultural biases, prejudices, or family traditions that are imposing our way of seeing world onto God’s ways.

    Holiness starts with death. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Yet, it is death that invites us into a life with Jesus Christ. The first death, of course, was Jesus’ own on the cross. The second is our own. When Paul is talking about death, he really is speaking about the death of this body that you have. He understands that this body went through things that God never intended for his creation to be. This body was corrupted by the sin that preceded its birth, and by the sin that has corrupted its very life. Its death, therefore, is a good thing. Paul says that this death will lead to a body that is as God intended. This is the good death. Yes, that sounds strange. Death as good.

    Jesus would seem to be calling us to a brand new life. In fact, in our current sermon series, the Very Good Life. Sometimes, however, the Very Good Life isn’t exactly what we expected. Sometimes our familiarity with certain Bible stories leads us to lazy thinking. This is one of those parables that Jesus actually explained to his disciples. This is a significant event. So, we should pay particular attention to it. Based on Jesus’ explanation, we are quick to read through it and move on.
    Reread Mark 4 verses 6 and 16—17. What if we are the stony ground? Pushing on new believes (or new church people) so hard without developing their roots in faith that we destroy what roots grew and become the reason someone fell away from the church and Jesus.

    Reread Mark 4 verses 7 and 18–19. What if we are the thorns? What if our understanding of church, holiness (or “right” living), society, or politics rip and tear at people that church or we become such that we cause more pain than they can bear?

    We have all been trained to see the seeds and what ground they fell on as a parable of Jesus’ words and our readiness and willingness to listen. However, many of Jesus’ parables were not about those who were not yet followers, but about the people that claimed to follow and obey God.

    Tying both of Paul’s letter and Jesus parable of sowing are Jesus’ words in John. This becomes another what if, sort of. For a seed to truly bear fruit, it “dies”. The seed ceases to be a seed and becomes something more. Often we become so obsessed with the seed and its potential that we protect the seed—keeping it a seed—so that the seed does absolutely nothing. The potential becomes trapped. Many of us have found ourselves in that exact state. Stuck. Often times, however, we are so excited for the potential that actually developing the potential scares us. What if we do it wrong? We ask. At what point, do we take risks to develop seeds with deep roots, so that the land is expanded.

    One thing to keep in mind with the sower parable is that we are talking about wheat. This is important for a different reason. If you’ve ever been up to a mountain you have probably seen trees grow in really strange places. A tree seed lands in a crack in a rock with some dirt. Against what seems to be all odds (except that it happens a lot), the tree takes root. Over time, the tree’s roots dig deep into the rock. Eventually the rock gives and breaks. One of two things then happens. Either the tree developed enough roots to stand on its own, or it falls over and dies. However, because of its effort, another tree may grown there, where none could grow before.

    1) How have you been stony ground to others, whether in faith or in life?

    2) How have you been the thorns to others?

    3) Dying takes on many forms. Death of dreams, solitude, partnership, and other things. Scripture, however, teaches that death has been redeemed. What deaths (not just bodily) deaths can you seen in your life that have transformed you or others?

  • Perfect Perfectionism

    Matthew 5:43–48, 2 Corinthians 12:1–10

    Perfection. There are many well-meaning people that say perfection is the enemy of progress, profit, completion, excellence, or that perfection is the disease of a nation or a disguise of insecurity. Generally, however, it is not perfection that is the issue but perfectionism. This is where all the energy to accomplish something is put into making sure that it is perfect. Sorry, we’re human. Perfectionism needs to die. Perfection, on the other hand, needs to be lifted up.

    When Jesus talks about being perfect like the our Heavenly Father is perfect, it is the goal, in the same way that it is the goal to be perfect parent. It is the goal, not that we will ever achieve it on this side of life. There is the reality that you cannot hit what you are not aiming at, and balancing that against being too overwhelmed at not hitting the mark.

    Perfectionism, a trap that many people (Christian and not) fall into. Perfectionism is a performance evaluation, and often not a very good one. Perfectionism can also be the trap (or escape) keeping you from even trying in the first place (i.e., “It won’t be perfect, so why try.”).

    In the context of Jesus’ words, that perfection is lived out in love.

    Paul’s understanding of perfect seems to be slightly different, and it is. Perfection (God’s power being made perfect in weakness) has more the meaning of being fully expressed. How is God’s power being fully expressed in God’s weakness? Paul’ humbling due to the thorn. What the thorn actually is doesn’t really matter. The thorn forces Paul to be a lot more humble in his behavior (according to him). He brags about someone else and not himself.

    This is an aspect of Jesus’ “be perfect” in that Paul is loving (by building up) this other person, and also loving in his humble yet firm approach with the Corinthians. There isn’t a dictatorial admonishment here, but the loving reproach of a father to his children. Did Paul “perfectly” live out live, probably not. Did he strive to? Absolutely.

    1) What is your “gut” response to Jesus’ call to be perfect? Why?

    2) What is your “gut” response to God’s power being made perfect through Paul’s affliction? Why?

    3) Do you see a difference between perfection and perfectionism? What are the similarities? Why do you think these two terms get confused?

  • Avoiding Shaping

    Psalm 103, 2 Peter 1:3–11, 1 John 1:5–2:2

    Have you ever whittled, shaping a piece of wood cut-by-cut, flick-by-flick, putting something into life that was only in your mind?

    While God does not use a knife to whittle on us, through others and life’s trials God does shape us. Sometimes it is to bring something new and good out of us that we didn’t know we had. Other times God removes things and we don’t like it. It doesn’t happen all at once. Part of who we are is our flaws, personality traits, and our unredeemed nature. As we work with God, these are changed and transformed into something new.
    Peter reminds us that God’s divine power (i.e., not our efforts) gives us everything we need. We have to be willing sharing that power. It sounds strange. Share God’s power. However, if we look at human nature, humanity often will avoid that as it seeks its own way through its own power. Peter gives us the blueprint of adding to our faith. With this adding, there is a bit-by-bit transformation. There is an end goal, and it is to be fruitful. When we speak about our transformation it is so that we are able to add to God’s kingdom.

    Sometimes (okay, maybe every day), we have to do a self-check on what we’ve done and not done. Sometimes we can not love others as ourselves. Sometimes we don’t love God first. It is all part of our human condition. As we are “added to” (per Peter) every day, we hope that we will be improved. However, we all know that there will be missteps, mistakes, and sins. While God gives us the power to avoid sinning, sometimes we lack the wisdom and maturity to not misstep or make mistakes. We do not have to be down on ourselves or be too harsh on ourselves. John tells us to have a life of confession. We need to confess our sins. Does it fix everything? No. It does, however, remind us where the true orientation of our heart needs to be.

    1) Why do you think Peter uses “adding to” when he talks about the path of holiness he is laying out?

    2) What does it mean to you that you share God’s power?

    3) How does confession help to bring us to the Very Good Life?

  • All To Be Reconciled

    Genesis 4:1–17, Ezekiel 33:10–20

    Cain is often portrayed as the human embodiment of evil. In popular media, he’s the ultimate bad guy. Which makes sense. Cain invented murder. Yet, Cain lived. Later, the rules would be set, he would be dead according to the penalties, but for this time and age, he lived. What about the “mark” of Cain? Some people have drawn from Revelation what that symbol could look like. It must have been pretty significant for it to be instantly recognized. We focus on a lot of that, but perhaps we ought to focus on something slightly different. God’s grace.

    Where is God’s grace in this? Cain’s protection. Cain being able to, in some way, move on with his life. Cain was able to have a family, and even began to be settled. This not the story of a man on the run, but the story of a man who did a horrible wrong, but was yet a recipient of God’s grace and protection.
    We don’t know the story behind the story. Was Cain’s relationship with God reconciled? The Bible doesn’t say. John, Jude, and the author of Hebrews don’t have much confidence in Cain’s rehabilitation, but nothing is impossible with God.

    The reason this matters is summed up in the words of Ezekiel. God doesn’t want anyone to not be reconciled. Bad men become righteous. Just like Adam and Eve, however, good can become bad because of a choice made. We forever are stuck with the consequences of the choices we have made. However, those choices do no prevent us from approaching God.

    1) What are some of the worst choices you ever made? How did they affect your relationships with others and your relationship with God?

    2) Do you think it is possible (regardless of likely) that God showed Cain grace? Why or why note?

    3) Thinking of Ezekiel’s words, what is the flip (or possibly negative) side of God’s grace?

  • Surrender the Pain

    Isaiah 52:13-53:11, Luke 22:39–23:56

    You might wear a cross. You might have one on a wall in your home. You probably have one on your bible. Today the cross has lost much of its brutality and disgrace. Movies like the “Passion of the Christ” attempt to convey the brutality, but it is so very hard to convey and understand the disgrace of the cross. Especially on this day, you need to see the cross not as what it became, but see it as the people of 2000 years ago saw it. The day they saw it on Good Friday. It was disgraceful. It was ugly. It was the ruling powers’ symbol of might, conquest, and oppression. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that could be remotely good or positive about, and there could be nothing good or positive about the one on it. We are often tempted to diminish the cross, lightly saying we have a cross to bear. The cross is no light burden.

    The disciples had a light burden. Accompany Jesus to the garden. And the succumbed to temptation. The world is full of temptation. There are many things which seem good, and are, but become bad, as we follow them away from God. Especially in the United States, we have a, “I can do it myself” mentality. There is also the success ladder, of ever-increasing hours spent working. There are all the things that we are told we just have to have. Sometimes the temptation is to simply sleep, when God has told us to be praying, as what happened here with the disciples. Jesus wasn’t chiding the disciples for falling asleep, but for not praying when he asked. Temptation takes on many guises. Judas and Peter were tempted.

    Judas Iscariot will forever be known as the traitor. Peter will be ever known as one of Jesus’ closest followers. Yet, Peter denied Jesus to others. One of the biggest differences between Judas Iscariot and Peter is not their respective betrayal, for they both betrayed Christ, but that Peter’s heart was open to correction. Judas Iscariot took things, including his self-condemnation, without grace. Peter understood and accepted the unmerited grace of Jesus, but Judas Iscariot did not believe it applied to him. Instead of being forever the traitor, he could have repented, and been redeemed. Betrayal is not just turning Jesus over, or denying Jesus, but saying that Jesus offer of unmerited grace does not apply to you or others. Grace is the key to healing the world and reconciling it to God. However, the fallen human heart turns to violence instead.

    Violence is a cruel part of this world. Wars, robbery, school violence, abuse, bullying, anger, disrespect are all acts of violence. When we hear the word violence, we generally think of physical acts. However, Jesus tells us that violence is as much against the soul and well-being of the individual (both the perpetrator and the recipient), as it is the body. In fact, much, if not all of the violence that is physical done, at the root, is caused by the violence done to the soul and mind.

    Jesus spoke while on the cross, in the midst of pain, and the climax of abuse, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” The victim of violence, while being violated, asked for them to be forgiven.

    We hold our griefs, our pains, our anguish often so close to our hearts that God doesn’t come near. Not because God can’t, for nothing is impossible for God, but because God doesn’t want to be violent toward us. When we release these things, God steps in, joyfully, desiring to help us surrender the pain that we hold onto keeping God away from us.

    1) What are your temptations that pull you away from God and God’s mission of reconciliation? Can you be honest with yourself and God that those temptations have been nailed to the cross, and that you will leave them there?

    2) Who has shown you grace? If you can’t think of anyone, then you have work to do. At some point in your life, someone gave you a lot of grace. What does God’s grace mean to you? What could God’s grace lived out in the world actually do?

    3) What pain keeps your heart from being fully yielded to God, and being God’s willing aide? Will you look at the nails of the cross, and leave that pain nailed there?

    May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, keep you and strengthen you, now and forever.

  • Whys of Betrayal

    Psalm 55, 2 Samuel 16:15–17:10, John 13:21-32

    Betrayal. It’s not that we expect our enemies or adversaries to “play” fair, but our friends? Co-workers? Family?

    It’s hard. It hurts. We often feel absolutely powerless in the midst of it. Then we feel angry. All very human.

    The psalmist (probably not David, but maybe) goes through the woes of life. Things are not going well for the psalmist. The dark pit of despair, sorrow, and anguish. Those who have lost a very dear loved one and those that suffer with severe depression (or other similar conditions) know this place far too well. The human part of us flees for shelter. For many it is anger. For others it can be many other things, with many of them being unhealthy. Sadly, when caught in the pit, and feeling powerless, these hurting people hurt those they can, not because they want to, but because of a perverse need to. This is not to call them evil, but to call it what it is, a sign of a fallen world, filled with sin.

    When Absalom overthrow’s his father, David, two of his father’s counselors come to him. Hushai deceitfully tells Absalom that he (Hushai) serves the king, whoever the king is. This is interesting as this should be exactly the words of Ahithophel, for this is the heart of Ahithophel. He seeks to advise the king, whoever the king is. Both are betrayers on the surface. One betrays the son to help the father (the rightful ruler) regain the throne. The other cares little, it seems, for who is on the throne, as long as he has power and influence over the one who sits on the throne. Sometimes, when there is a role reversal (like being de-throned), it can seem betrayal when a person keeps their position in the new power structure (like Ahithophel). To that person it may not seem betrayal, but the right thing, such as supporting the organization, and not the person. Often, betrayal is not straightforward.

    Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was not straightforward. From a Wesleyan perspective, Judas always had a choice. He made the wrong wrong one. Is this where we say, “thank you, God, for Judas’ betrayal?” Sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Yet, Judas’ betrayal seemed to be a key ingredient to the cross. Half a year’s wages to betray a friend? If asked, how many of you would look at your paycheck and say, “sure, I’ll betray a friend for half of a year’s pay.” None of us (hopefully). Yet, sadly, we betray each other for far less.

    Rumors, pride, envy, greed can all lead to betrayal, if they are not outright betrayal. What about that lie (white or not)? Is that betrayal? How about that thing you did that nobody knows about? Is that betrayal? When we look at Judas, we had better be sure we don’t say, “I would have never betrayed my friend like that.” Sure. Maybe. Take out the “…like that,” and rethink your response.

    1) Judas’ betrayal seems so easy to see, yet we won’t see our betrayal’s of others. Is this another case of judging others?

    2) We often justify betrayal based on, “the bigger picture” or “protecting” someone. Does that really make it okay to betray others?

    3) If we evaluate our behaviors, betrayal is something we try to avoid acknowledging. Why do you think that is?

  • Good At The End

    Proverbs 19:16-25, Jeremiah 24:1-10

    Wisdom is all around us. It’s on our phones. Just ask Google. True wisdom starts with God. That is the premise of Proverbs. How is such wisdom gained? There are a number of ways.

    The best (and easiest) is to learn from others (Proverbs 19:20). Proverbs is one of the wisdom storehouses in Scripture. One of the thing that puzzles and frustrates people when trying to read Proverbs straight through is that it seems to contradict itself. Often as we read Proverbs, we can find answers to riddles we didn’t know we had. Yet, too often we ignore this valuable book.

    However, sadly, wisdom is often learned another way…the hard way. You could never apply that to anyone you know, right? Certainly not yourself? Let’s be honest with ourselves, often we learn through pain (Proverbs 19:25).

    The Israelites were in pain. They were in trouble. Jeremiah’s vision is very interesting. There were a lot of good figs! Those good figs got stuck in a mess with the bad figs, that the bad figs started! Or did the bad figs really start it alone? Often, all it takes is a good person to allow the bad person to have their way, and all is lost. At least that is the human perspective. It is not God’s.

    There is good at the end. God uses the trouble to clean up some of the bad fruit so that the people who return will be less inclined to turn their hearts away.

    1) When has God used your mistakes to teach you? How have you tried to share those lessons with others?

    2) Often wisdom comes from unusual or even uncomfortable sources. Can you think of a time recently when you dismissed the wisdom of others because they weren’t like you?

    3) God’s redemptive plan is always at work. There is no time too late to turn to God on this side of the veil of death. Whose salvation are you praying for? If no one, then it’s time to add at least one to the list.

  • Long Roads Together

    Genesis 22:1–18, Isaiah 45:11–17, Matthew 4:1–11

    Genesis has many passages in it that Christians, Jews, and non-believers stumble over. Often it is our own pride, and sometimes it is us looking back upon those “backward and ignorant” people, with all our knowledge and obviously “better” culture. This passage in Genesis (22:1–18) is often one of the hard ones, as God calls upon Abraham to sacrifice his only son of his wife Sarah. This appears problematic as God later condemns such human sacrifice. It is to result in the death penalty. Yet, God still calls for it. The easy answer is that God was “just” testing Abraham. God already knew that a ram would be provided. If so, to us it is a cruel test. To Abraham and the cultures around him, it was still cruel, but it was part of god worship (note, not God worship). We also have to understand that Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham regarding descendants. God requested that Abraham kill the very legacy (so it seemed) that God had promised.

    The harder answer, but perhaps more Christian answer is that Abraham was foreshadowing God the Father. God made a request of Abraham, the God the Father would completely fulfill generations later. God would sacrifice the Son for all of humanity. God’s only Son. The Son, part of the Trinity, would be born as man, so that mankind would become the legacy intended if sin had not come. As Isaiah speaks from God, righteousness stirred up. The holy city (a place of relationship with God) rebuilt. The exiles (those separated from God) set free, but not by money or exchange of goods. Then Isaiah says that Israel will be saved by God. The only true savior is God. With God being the savior, salvation is eternal. God becomes incarnate. God is with us (Emmanuel).

    Even as God with us, Jesus walks our road. The temptations that Jesus faced in the desert are common to mankind (survival, security, pride/power). Since Jesus walked with us and Jesus is God, humanity and God became united in a way that Abraham could never have imagined, and Isaiah couldn’t fully comprehend. Even we really cannot fully comprehend it, and we (through the church) have had a long time to figure it out.

    1) During his temptations, Jesus says, “Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,” quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. If Jesus is the word (John 1:1–3), and Jesus is the bread, how does that cause you to rethink Jesus’ answer?

    2) God called on Abraham to sacrifice his legacy. How can God call on us to sacrifice our legacy for an even greater legacy?

    3) How can we discern when God is asking us to sacrifice our legacy, versus calling on us to sacrifice our pride?

  • Welcomed To The Table

    Genesis 12:1-7, Ruth 2:13–19, Job 31:24–32

    For many of us (if not most), the call of Abram (who would become Abraham) doesn’t seem that significant from a strictly human perspective. Yes, any of us would find being called by God significant, but the calling away from relatives and land is not so strange. This is not the case here. There is a relationship with the land. The land of one’s ancestors. There is also the concept of leaving one’s family.

    American culture, especially Western American culture, has some significant breaks with the culture of Abram. The settler and/or explorer mentality which underlies much of American founding is not conducive to family roots, or least always staying near home. America celebrates individuality and individual freedom to culturally understand what God is having Abram do. The only exception to this break had been agricultural families, but with the increasing transformation from family to corporate farms, even that is going away.

    Abram was separated from his family and land by choice. Yes, it was God’s direction, but in his culture, leaving was a big break. While he had his household, he was now a household of wanderers. Where is home for such wandering group? By leaving the ties of the land, Abram would now effectively be a guest wherever he went.

    Ruth was the same. Yes, she had married an Israelite, but he was dead. She didn’t have to leave her homeland. However, in her heart she had made a decision that her husband’s family was truly her own, breaking her family ties. What made her decision even more significant was that all that was left of her husband’s immediate family was his widowed mother. Not much of a family structure for support. Now that Ruth and Naomi were back in Israelite land, Ruth was now responsible for both. By the grace of God, she fell into the care of Boaz, a distant relative. Boaz welcomed her above and beyond a servant. He truly welcomed her to his table to eat. She had no functional value to him, yet he welcomed her.

    And welcoming others to the table is what Job did, too. He was righteous in this. It wasn’t that he had a long line of people that would take advantage of this ( strong cultural taboo against it), so turning people away likely didn’t happen. He welcomed people to the table.

    1) Abram was a guest. Why would other landowners welcome him to their table? Why might they not?

    2) Culturally, much of American culture has turned away from welcoming strangers (hospitality). Why do you think that is? When do you think it started to change?

    3) Generations Community Church (along with the Church of the Nazarene) practices “Open Communion.” How does that apply to Abram, Ruth, and Job? How do Abram, Ruth, and Job apply to “Open Communion?”

  • Out of Line Annunciation

    Job 28:12–28, Luke 1:24–45, Hebrews 10:4–10

    It is often the case that humanity has to confront reality. Humanity is quite foolish. When confronted by its own folly, humanity tries to hide it in so many ways. While searching for knowledge and wisdom, it analyzes and categorizes. Humanity can only be so knowledgeable and so wise. True knowledge and wisdom come from the one who created everything, including us. Part of the issue may be that we expect God to be predictable. Somehow, we seem to think that we are capable of understanding God. Perhaps that is the legacy of the decision made in the Garden of Eden. Faith is often not understanding, but accepting anyway.

    Elizabeth and Mary were in that exact situation. They didn’t completely understand, but they trusted God anyway. It probably seems strange that in the midst of Lent to talk about the Announcement of Jesus’ birth, but timing is pretty close (though not exact). While on the journey to the cross, we include the beginning. There is indeed an echo of a beginning in the end. Lent is the journey to the cross, which is basically the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. On the other hand, the cross along with the Resurrection is the beginning of a completely new chapter in regards to a relationship with God. Why not talk about the announcement of the coming Messiah. Oh, right, God moved (again) in a way that humanity couldn’t just categorize and analyze. The announcement of Jesus, along with his birth was not “how it was supposed to be”. God broke the rules, again. The rules? Human understanding and wisdom that is far short of God.

    The author Hebrews recognizes that humanity often doesn’t get it. The author reflects on the sacrificial system that is so superficial that it ignores the whole point: relationship with God. The sacrificial system was never intended to be a “check this as done” system, but an orientation to God that was really to recognize the distance that man had put between itself and God. In its quest to categorize and analyze, humanity destroyed the wisdom that God had presented.

    1) When was the first time that you recognized that God did not respond the way you expected or were taught to expect?

    2) Why is it important to remember that our wisdom is not God’s wisdom?

    3) What does the announcement of Jesus’ coming and the journey to the cross teach you about God’s wisdom