Tag: praise

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
All Are Called
Psalm 22:23–31; Genesis 15:1–6, 12–18; Romans 3:21–31

You are loved by God. Yes, you. If you are reading this, and are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you are loved by God. If you are Jewish, and not a believer in Jesus Christ, you are part of God’s Chosen People. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God.

Whether non-Christian Jew, Messianic Jew, or Christian, we are called to praise, honor, and stand in awe of God. Actually, we are all (believer or not) called to praise, honor, and stand in awe of God.

All too often, though, modern people make judgments about God when they do not understand the significance of the stories. The story of Abraham and the smoking pot is a story of vast significance, especially when we talk about this passage in Romans.

The symbolism of everything surrounding the smoking pot can be summarized. God made a covenant with Abraham. Abraham made a covenant with God. The penalty for breaking the covenant: death. God took the place of Abraham and God as the covenanter who would pay the price upon violation of the covenant.

“…God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice…”—Romans 3:25

Sometimes writing too much takes away from the Scriptures. This is one of those times. Read again the passage from Romans with the knowledge or reminder that God had promised to die long before Israel (Jacob) was even born.

※Reflection※
- What does this tell you about God?
- What does this tell you about us?
- What are you going to do with this?
※Prayer※

Lord, let us not forget that you knew the price of loving us while maintaining your holiness. Thank you for your unending grace, mercy, and love. Amen.
2021-02-25
Freely
Psalm 147:1–11; 1 Corinthians 9:16–23

Psalm 147 opens up powerfully. It really is good to sing praise to God. Every worship leader hopes that it is the pleasure of everyone who attends church (whether physically or online) finds it a pleasure to praise God through singing.

Of course, the psalmist is a songwriter/performer, so is obviously a tad biased towards this form of praise. There is indeed something powerful about music. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who find their best time of worship and praise through prayer or stillness.

The heart of worship is honoring God. A heart that honors God, worships God. Those people faithfully wait for the next experience of God’s faithful love.

The expectation of experiencing God’s faithful love produces a response that can seem odd to a person who does not believe the same. Paul has such an expectation. That is part of what motivates his approach to his (Christ directed) mission to share the Good News.

Paul’s response to God’s faithful love? Share the Good News freely. Not only freely in regard to cost, but also freely to whomever, and freely however.

In many respects, the whomever and however continue to be a problem in regard to sharing the gospel. In some church somewhere, someone is saying, “Let’s not share the Good News with those people.” In another church (or maybe the same one), someone is saying, “We just can’t do it that way.”

It’s easy to say, “Paul would…,” but the reality is that we don’t know what Paul would have done. We can only at the “heart” of Paul as seen through his words.

We are often quite ready to put boundaries on many things in our lives. With whom and how (granted, without changing the Truth) however, the fewer boundaries we place the more likely we are to be where God already is.

※Reflection※
- What surprising/unexpected ways have you seen the Good News shared/spread?
- How should honoring/praising/worshiping God lead to sharing the Good News of the Gospel?
※Prayer※

Lord, may we find ways to share the Gospel that builds bridges of faith and love. Amen.
2021-02-07
Purple Vision

Numbers 27:15–23; 2 Timothy 2:8–13

Having worked for family-owned and -run businesses, I know that one of the business’ concerns is, who’s next? Perhaps it might be better to say that the success of a family-owned and -run business is who will successfully lead it with vision and tenacity once the current leadership steps down.

I have seen it work well. I have seen it work not-so-well. One business had a plan, and the other business made laissez-faire assumptions.

Moses had spent a lot of time getting the Israelites to the Promised Land. He had been frustrated, belittled, and probably cursed by the same Israelites. He still wanted them to succeed in the Promised Land. So, Moses asked God for the next leader.

God selected Joshua. Now, it could be said that this was obvious, as other than Aaron, only Joshua is noted as Moses’ aide, and even accompanied Moses when he received the Ten Commandments. Joshua, as Moses’ aide, indeed saw the dark side of leading the Israelites.

I think it is appropriate to presume that God had guided Moses’ selection of Joshua, thus make Joshua the “obvious” choice. On the other hand, we could also presume that Moses’ experience in Pharaoh’s house would have taught Moses how to choose a leader, and then God used that.

Who was next to lead would set the Israelites for success or failure in the Promised Land.

In some respects, that is the same view many people have of the incoming Presidential administration and the Congressional seating. Success or failure. In a republic, it’s a little harder to really hit that success or failure button (though pundits try).

As we look at the days, months, and years to follow this election, we all need to ask ourselves about a few things. For the last few election cycles, the country has been color-coded with red and blue. The animosity between red and blue is approaching that of the Bloods and Crypts from decades ago, who differentiate themselves by red or blue.

Wearing the wrong colors in the wrong neighborhood was a recipe for being harmed by the other gang’s members. Now people are being assaulted by the “opposing” group just for wearing t-shirts, hats, or participating in their constitutionally protected right to protest.

There has been a centrist movement calling itself “purple”. However, there is something ironic in that. This mix of red and blue representation of republic political alignment has a completely different meaning…royalty.

Theoretically, the War of Independence was intended to “free” the American colonies from the oppression of British royalty. Instead, we developed an elected aristocracy.

There is one good thing, though, about the purple. Who we recognize as royalty, who we recognize as king makes all the difference. When we recognize and believe the Jesus Christ is King, we can gladly declare ourselves purple, for we seek to follow the True King.

※Reflection※

What will it take, do you think, for Christian conversations on politics to be purple first, rather than last? What is one behavior or conversation of yours was not purple during this recent political season? How can you develop a practice of purple thoughts and speech, rather than red or blue?

※Prayer※

Lord, you are the King of the Universe. Through you, Creation came into being. Only you are worthy of our worship and praise. Thank you for giving us the freedom to choose. Thank you for loving us enough so that through the Holy Spirit, we can become wise. Amen.

2020-11-22
A Promise

Isaiah 44:21–28; Ezekiel 34:25–31; Mark 14:22–26

Remember. We are called on to remember things every day. Some have become so ingrained (putting undergarments, I hope) that we don’t actually remember them; we just do them.

Like many things that are ingrained, relationships aren’t. We might take them for granted, but that doesn’t make them ingrained.

Isaiah’s call to the descendants of Jacob was REMEMBER! Remember God, who formed them, called them and redeemed them. They needed to be reminded…again.

This time, they are called to celebrate. Celebrate freedom. Celebrate redemption. Celebrate a relationship with God.

The unfolding of their redemption, eventually, results in a new covenant of peace. This new covenant was to change the very face of the Promised Land.

The promise of this covenant was delivered while talking about their return from captivity and exile. This makes the promise sure, as they were indeed delivered. So, where was the fulfillment of this new covenant?

We Christians say that of course, it is Jesus. Jesus’ life and death personified the concepts of relationship and redemption. The Resurrection is the exclamation point of the promise in Ezekiel.

In the Kingdom of God, the lion and the lamb lie down together.

※Reflection※

For you, what is the most important fact about God’s promises? Why?

※Prayer※

God, you have been faithful to us, even when we wander. We give you praise, glory, and thanks for your grace-filled love. Amen.

2020-11-20
Gather Where

Exodus 3:1–6; Ezra 3:8–13; Matthew 23:37–24:8

I visited Rome many years ago. I have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of church buildings. It seemed that there wasn’t a block that didn’t have one. There is a Roman Catholic church building dedicated to every country in the world, and that’s not even half of the Roman Catholic church buildings in Rome. There are also plenty of non-Roman Catholic churches and house churches.

If one based faith on the number of buildings, then Rome would be bursting with faith. It isn’t. This certainly isn’t just a Roman Catholic issue.

There are plenty of communities in the US that have a high number of church buildings, but the number of Christians is just not significant (population-count-wise). Just as in Rome, all the church buildings could indicate a place bursting with faith. Instead, the buildings are just withering on the vine.

Moses found a burning bush. God was there. The ground was holy.

Think about it, though. Moses wasn’t the first herdsman of Israel. In fact, the lineage of Israel consisted of herdsmen. Did all the herdsmen not worship God while they were in the fields?

Many people do, in fact, their greatest God connection when amid God’s unspoiled Creation. For some, it might be mountains, or lakes, or seashores, or deserts. Others will find it in cathedrals build by man. It doesn’t matter. God is there.

The new temple in the midst of its rebuild, and even after it was completed, was not the impressive piece of architecture as the original. In comparison, it was a block of wood in comparison to a shining jewel. Ultimately, though, it was a place set aside to worship God, and to provide a focal point of faith practices.

Despite the second temple being nothing in comparison to its predecessor, the people of Jesus’ day still viewed it as sacred. Jesus pointed out that it was only a building. It too would fall. While people took great offense at his statement, it was only truth. The world is perishing; so too would the temple.

According to some recent numbers, 30% of churches pre-COVID will not return to their building post-COVID. For them, the building is done. For some congregations, this means that the congregation is done, and the people will join other congregations or none at all. For others, this means a new expression of the gathering: Cafe Church, Circle Church, Church in a Bar (yes, this is a non-Nazarene thing), and who knows what else people will discover as they seek to be the gathered community.

How buildings of worship will change, remain, and how they will be part of our faith life is still to be seen. Without question, place is very important. It can be under a tree (as many African Church of the Nazarene congregations do). It can be in a sheet metal building. It can be in a building of concrete. It can be in a house. It can be in a yard.

※Questions※

1) Can you see yourself worshiping (well) in a “place” different than the “church” building? What “calls” to you?

2) Do you think a “place” to gather in community is important? Why or why not?

※Prayer※

God, you have called us to gather in community. Help us, as the world drastically changes, continue to seek ways to gather to build up one another and bring praise and worship to you. Amen.

2020-11-06
My Rules Not Yours

Mark 10:1–9; Luke 1:69–75; Galatians 3:1–5

The rule of having to wear masks when going out into public (with some exceptions in the US and elsewhere) is grating. Really. Who wants to wear a mask all day? No one wants to.

Many are concerned that we are being conditioned to wear masks and have our freedoms curtailed. That concern is reasonable, up to a point. What’s particularly interesting is the social experiment regarding rules.

The political “right” is generally a law and order type of people. Yet, that group is resisting the mask rule. The political “left” is (theoretically) more of a “no rules” yet practices many rigid rules.

This is not to pick on either, but to show that even in our “crystal clear” political bents, we are often not clear ourselves. Yet, one of the core pieces of Christian theology, especially Protestant theology, is freedom from the Law.

Of course, someone will often respond that the Law is different than rules. Yes, the Law is a series of religious rules that defined appropriate behavior and a penalty for when that behavior was violated.

The “trick” became that the people treated the Law as if it were the relationship that mattered, rather than their relationship to God. That is also a simplification of it. Another way to say may be, they focused on the rules so much that they neglected the relationship.

Jesus gets the rules of divorce question. Is that really the question, though? Is the question more along the lines of, “what can I do that I think makes me happy while still getting to Heaven?” The question of divorce is a question of relationship on one hand and what can be gotten away with. The way Pharisees brought this to Jesus was about the law. It wasn’t about a man looking for a younger wife or a prettier one, or even one the nagged him less. It was about using the Law to break relationship.

When anyone becomes more concerned about the rules (whether to follow them or disobey them) than the relationships that the rules are about, we lose sight of people. Zechariah’s praise (from Luke 1) is all about the relationship. Zechariah would have been one of those concerned about the rules (he was a priest). The relationship with God and God with God’s people mattered more.

The other side of the rules, and a significant focus of the Protestant reformation, was the thought that one could earn their way into Heaven by following rules, rituals, or purchasing one’s way in. The last of these 3 is not Paul’s concern in his letter to the Galatians. What concerned him was that the Galatians seemed to have tossed out grace and relationship and embraced rules.

This is not to say rules are not important. They provide guidance and boundaries, which we seem to need to thrive. Yet, if we adhere to the rules (or oppose the rules) without understanding the why and the who that the rules are about we skip the people that we are called to love.

※Questions※

1) Thinking of relationships regarding authority, how do rules and relationships work with and against each other?

2) What rules that bother you? Why? What relationships might those rules impact?

※Prayer※

Jesus, you came to earth to show us the Way of Life. Help us to find both the freedom and constraints of following you. Amen.

2020-10-07
It’s All About…

Psalm 5; 2 Corinthians 10:7–18; James 1:22–27

In this internet age, getting oneself out in front of potential employers has become a big issue. Whether it is the applicant or the HR Manager, differentiating is an issue.

Out of this has come the concept of a “personal brand”. In many regards, it often seems that personal branding is all about boasting and shining the spotlight on oneself. There is training for one’s “personal brand”.

Boasting isn’t all bad. By definition, boast means to have a strong affirming opinion of or confidence in a person. In black and white, that looks like a very positive. Already, we can see an issue.

The definition of boasting is not often the one we use. Our general definition (though the context may change that) is that it is groundless or overly inflated opinion of another, but usually oneself.

The Hebrew actually goes along well with the “official” definition. Often, such as in Psalm 5, it is translated as exult or praise and with God usually being the subject of it. That is very reasonable.

Even in the Greek, the issue is the same. What we miss through the written word is the modifier: empty, shallow, false, or something else. We will imply or infer when we hear or speak of “boasting”, but we often mislead others when we rely on inference or implication.

When Paul is talking about boast, the context is crucial to understanding what he means. It is also incredibly important that we see the “emptiness” that Paul is referring to. The false measurement that the nameless are comparing themselves to is…themselves.

Or, if we take James’ words into account, people who forget who they really are and then measure themselves by a false image.

Boasting, as said earlier, isn’t necessarily bad. It is groundless boasting that is the issue. People can boast for others (think of a job or personal references). However, the danger in boasting is the foundation upon which it is based.

When Paul talks about boasting in the Lord, that’s a pretty safe foundation. Yet, when Paul talks about it, it is more along the lines of “look what God did” rather than “look at what God did through me.” Still, either one is better than “look how well I did.”

※Prayer※

Lord, let our hearts be humble towards others and you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Is there a difference between bragging and boasting?

2) How does the mirror concept of James help understand the concept that Paul is trying to convey?

3) Taking the opening definition of boasting and comparing it to our “street” understanding of it, what other words can you think of that have something similar? How might they affect how you read Scripture?

2020-08-26
Using Ways

Luke 16:1–9

This is one of those interesting parables.

I knew a small business owner who taught a Sunday School lesson on this passage. He was quite honest that he hated it. As a small business owner, he could not understand the apparent praise for a person who reduced what was owed.

This is understandable. He viewed this as stealing by the manager and by those who owed the rich man. In most respects, he (the small business owner) was right.

The rich man is more the vehicle of the story. The first thing to recognize is that the rich man received an accusation. That’s it. In Jewish law, it took 2 or 3 witnesses to convict.

Jesus tells the story in such a way that we understand that there is truth to the accusation. Of course, the manager freaking out pretty much made it clear that there was a lot of truth in that accusation.

There are two really important things to learn from this particular parable.

The first is Jesus’ admonition to use the ways of the world wisely to gather friends. This does not mean that Jesus is suggesting theft or unGodly methods. Jesus is suggesting using the world’s ways (i.e., books, TV, radio, the internet) to make friends and to influence others.

This is good advice. In fact, without being open to the world’s ways, we often have no common ground with which to open conversations that lead to God. The world’s ways include business, politics, education, and pretty much everything. Yes, let’s use it all to bring people to God!

The second piece is often overlooked. I have certainly overlooked it.

The rich man and even the manager are successful in the world. We often focus on that, which shows our own hearts.

The people for whom the manager reduced the debt were the poor. We have to remember that our concept of middle-class is historically a pretty recent one. Most of these people owed debts that they may never be able to pay.

They would be, effectively, owned.

Why is this important? Well, the underlying implication is that the poor will have the eternal dwellings (i.e., heaven), and the only way the rich man or (specifically) the manager will have a place in eternity is through those that he gave mercy.

The concept of “class warfare” predates Karl Marx by centuries. While this passage and conclusion would seem to reinforce such a concept, at the same time, all things are possible with God, especially with a contrite heart.

※Prayer※

Heavenly Father, may we—your children—be always looking for ways to use the world’s ways to expand your family, kingdom, and glory. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What do you think of the rich man and his response to the manager’s initiative?

2) What ways of the world can you think of that you can use to bring people to God?

2020-08-04
Will You Follow

Matthew 8:5–13; Matthew 8:18–23; 1 Corinthians 12:12–28 (read online ⧉)

Amazingly…no, really…amazingly…people aren’t perfect.

Leaders are people. Therefore, leaders aren’t perfect.

Yet, when we look at our leaders, whether they are political, corporate, or church leaders, we often expect perfection. Political leaders are the most afflicted with this. It often takes only one mistake (or even just a difference in perspective) and a political leader’s career is over. Corporations are somewhat more resilient in that regard, yet with the increasing weight of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, even corporations are behaving in such a way.

While, mercifully, a lot more grace is shown in church circles, a leader’s failures can tank everything. This is not to say that criminal or unChristian behavior should be allowed, just that the Scriptures do have a way to deal with that.

The ultimate danger, though, becomes both fear of failure and fear to try something new. This is often lived out with the infamous phrase, “we’ve never done it that way before.”

There are several kinds of leaders out there. There are two big ones in the church. One of the big leader types is the manager/maintainer. This is the person that seeks to maintain the status quo. Often portrayed negatively, they are often the ones that keep people from going off the rails.

There are the visionary leaders. These are the people that break things, all for the right reasons (hopefully), but breaking hurts, because often it is things we’ve (unknowingly) setup as idols that get broken.

There are 3 other character traits, though, that deeply affect the culture of the church, leaders, and even of our lives. First is the follower. Most of us follow at least somewhat, and followers are for tomorrow. For now, let’s talk about rebels and mavericks. This was great insight provided by Larry Walkemeyer.

Often the church views the mavericks and the rebels as the same. On the surface, that may well be true. It certainly would seem to fit with the things they often break.

However, the rebel (such as the family leaders from yesterday’s readings) is in it to achieve something for themselves, almost always at a cost to others, and importantly will neither report nor submit to authority. For the church, whose Savior submitted unto death, a lack of submission is often a sign of spiritual immaturity.

The maverick, on the other hand, is there to achieve something, and it might even be gratifying. However, if the cost is others, then they are open to correction. Mavericks also, despite their independent and solo tendencies, will submit to authority. The church needs a lot more mavericks. However, mavericks, oddly enough, need to put themselves within a framework so that there are limits and responsibilities. However, as their spiritual maturity deepens, the limits are removed, and they can shake the world.

Lastly, though, is the part where there are two problems. Those in authority often like neither rebels (which is understandable) or mavericks. Thus they limit the catalyst for change. In addition, leaders also must be able to admit that they were wrong regularly and openly, and church culture doesn’t like that much, let alone the leaders. Thus the mavericks are turned into rebels by those who dislike challenge and/or change.

Church and Christian leadership starts with submission to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father (not necessarily in that order). Without that submission, one of the biggest points is missed.

※Prayer※

Oh, God, you have called us to be humble, and we often fail at that. You call us to yield our will to yours, and we often fail at that. You love us despite our failings, and for that, we give you praise. As we walk through this life with our fellow Christians, help us to submit to you and to one another in love. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Have you ever seen a “rebel” leader? What was the context? What was the result?

2) Have you ever seen a “maverick” leader? What was the context? What was the result?

3) Why is perfection the enemy of leadership? How does that apply to our lives?

2020-06-11