Tag: truth

Storms of Dust

Psalm 19; Exodus 19:16–25; Mark 9:2–8

Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
One day gushes the news to the next,
and one night informs another what needs to be known.
Of course, there’s no speech, no words—
their voices can’t be heard—
but their sound extends throughout the world;
their words reach the ends of the earth.

Whether the story of God meeting the Israelites or the Transfiguration of Jesus, all of Creation proclaims the handiwork of God. While we look at Psalm 19 (or Psalm 148) and see the work of God celebrating God, there is quite a dark side to it. The bittersweet truth is that all the Creation that praises God today will die.

Part of Ash Wednesday includes, “From dust you came and to dust you return,” from Genesis 3:19. It also includes a small phrase spoken during many graveside funerals, “Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.” Our mortality is central to Lent, because sin is what led to death, and sin was what Jesus’ death on the cross was to absolve.

Sin leads to the death of Creation. Yes, Revelation expresses the concept of a new Heaven and a new Earth. New, however, indicates that the old is gone. The “old” Creation (the one in which we live) will go away.

From an absolute sense, this isn’t a bad thing. No one in their right mind would want to bring into something new all the tattered, worn out, bloody, hateful stuff into something beautifully new. It’s good that the old will be gone.

This long view of hope is unusual for the world. It is needed by the world. It is easy to conclude that much of the angst and anxiety of the world is that it does not have the hope that looks beyond the now and dying. The world knows it’s dying.

※Reflection※

Scripture has humanity starting as dust. Why is it important to humanity’s humility to understand that, regardless of what science might say different?

※Prayer※

You are the Lord of Life, Jesus. Help us to keep that in mind while we recall that we are dust. Amen.

2021-03-06
In God We Trust?
Psalm 19; Exodus 19:1–9a; 1 Peter 2:4–10

Trust is a scarce commodity. True trust. You and I trust that the person approaching the intersection will stop, but we’ve all had enough experience to undermine that trust (we even might be the reason we are this way at intersections).

All our actions operate on trust. In general, we “trust” for two reasons, (1) cultural training, (2) “enlightened” self-interest. We are culturally trained to trust people during transactions, though when lawyers are involved, maybe we don’t (no offense intended if you’re a lawyer). “Enlightened” self-interest really means that most people won’t do majorly wrong things out of fear of getting caught with the consequences.

The sad truth is that often our trust in and of God is the same. We trust God insofar as we think of God’s “enlightened” self-interest. If you read that aloud, you might have detected a note of scorn or sarcasm. It certainly is there, but it is self-aimed rather than God-aimed.

As we are human and much of our interaction, trust, and expectation of the world is based upon our experience, how could we not dangerously put God in the same spot as our fellow humans? Immediately, you might be saying, “not me!” Most of the time indeed it probably isn’t you.

It is the times that it is you (or me or anyone) that we need to examine openly with grace. As much as we often want to overlook our weaknesses, it is those weaknesses that make Christ a stumbling block even for his followers.

“…they refuse to believe in the word.” The Word is Jesus. Jesus is God. Perhaps the harsher truth is that we trust the Word as much as we trust the world.

※Reflection※
- Whom do you trust? Why? When have they betrayed the trust? How did you (and your relationship with them) move beyond the betrayal?
- Do you trust God more than you trust the world?
※Prayer※

Lord, trust is endangered in and by the world. Help our trust in you to be strengthened beyond all measure and exceed our distrust so that it is no more. Amen.
2021-03-04
What’s In A Name?
Genesis 16:7–15; Mark 8:27–30

Relational abuse is not something we should tolerate. This is with the understanding that abuse is the regular, deliberate intent to harm or diminish another. It’s important to address this based on Hagar’s statement to the Lord’s messenger.

Based upon the Scriptures, Hagar presumed too much. As the first (Sarah being the other) person to conceive a child of Abraham, Hagar no longer viewed Sarah as deserving her respect. Culturally, this would be the “second wife” taking over the place of “the first” wife in the family. That would have been a move of significant dishonor. In a culture that highly values honor, it’s almost like killing Sarah (yes, that would be the significance of dishonoring). Sarah would not have taken that well.

Hagar, on the other hand, would have likely viewed her (Hagar’s) place as being of greater honor due to conception. From Hagar’s viewpoint (honor and respect being integral), anything that Sarah did that “kept” Hagar in “her place” as second wife (even though a servant) would be insulting and harsh. From her perspective, Hagar “earned” her new place as first wife.

We have a hard time understanding this, as our enculturation includes monogamy. It is critical when reading the Scriptures to understand where our culture (and thus understanding) doesn’t mesh with the culture(s) portrayed in the Scriptures.

From a cultural standpoint, Hagar had betrayed the family. The messenger made no such accusation. The messenger just said, go back. The messenger also gave a name to the son to be born…Ishmael (he hears). God heard Hagar and the son was named to bear witness to this truth.

Assigning names is not a small thing. Names are both a beginning and an end. Multiple times in the Scriptures, a person gains a new name after a significant (God) event. Thus, when Jesus asks his disciples (his friends) who do they say he is, Jesus is being vulnerable.

We look at this passage knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, but when we think about it, when Jesus puts this question before the disciples, he is opening himself up to many things. The names/identities that the disciples say others are saying would not have the full effect or import.

One of the things that any of the identities/names that the disciples had put forth would, in some respects, diminish Jesus’ ministry. All of them were those that came before Jesus, so Jesus would have been “just” a repeat. They even brought up John the Baptist! Talk about a misunderstanding of God!

Jesus’ vulnerability to being misnamed is significant on multiple fronts. It showed his effectiveness. The disciples (or at least Peter) correctly identified Jesus. This provides a greater perspective regarding what Jesus did before, and what he did after.

“You are the Christ,” is similar to getting a new name. Something happened. In at least one disciple’s eyes, Jesus wasn’t just a good religious man. Jesus went from prophetic friend to the hope for change and rescue. For Peter, it may have also been one of the hardest things. His friend became someone undeniably more than ordinary.

※Reflection※
- What does your name mean to you? What did your name mean to your parents (if you know)?
- What nicknames do you have for people you know? How about for people you don’t know (like that driver who encroached or cut you off)? What do these names mean?
※Prayer※

Lord, we have many names and titles in this world. Thank you for the one the surpasses them all, Child of God. Amen.
2021-02-27
Face-to-Face With Jesus
Psalm 25:1–10; Genesis 9:8–17; 1 Peter 3:18–22; Mark 1:9–15

A number of years ago, I was part of a drama that was really a hellfire and brimstone (or “turn or burn”) presentation. As my theology has deepened, and my wrestlings with the Scriptures have continued, the over-simplification of it bothers me. Much of everything around it now bothers me.

Despite my misgivings, there was a prevailing Truth that it conveyed. We will all be standing before Jesus at some point, either having made a decision or needing to make a decision.

There will be some that question the doors that this statement opens. Noah and his family, for example, did not know Jesus (as we understand Jesus). They did experience God’s miraculous rescue from the Flood (that some call a prefiguring of Baptism). Noah’s faith and trust were enough to carry his family beyond the Flood, but what happens after is something different.

One of the biggest claims against Jesus Christ being the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and Jesus being the only way to God (and the everlasting life) is this apparent conflict between the unending grace, mercy, and love God and this restriction.

Thus, it is not a small thing to seek to understand what about those who don’t have the chance to accept or deny Jesus.

We have some foretaste of things with the story of Noah. It is, however, the knowledge shared 1 Peter 3 that provides the greatest hint. It is of such significance that the church has alluded to it for over 1600 years in the Apostle’s Creed.

The Spirit of Christ “preached” to the souls in the realm of the dead. The dead (in case that didn’t hit home…the dead) met Jesus Christ face-to-face. The dead had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior after they died!

This is not to say that we should just let everyone die to meet Jesus then. Absolutely not! It is, however, an answer to those who question the mercy, grace, and love of God’s salvation.

Does this give a perfect answer? Probably not. Those who look for any reason not to believe…will not believe. We are only expected to be faithful with and to the Word.

※Reflection※
- Have you ever had anyone question the “truth” of Jesus when it comes to those who hadn’t had the chance to hear the Gospel? What was your response? Was it helpful to them or you?
- Why does an understanding of the Gospel and salvation have an important part of our Lenten journey?
※Prayer※

Lord, there is no one that you do not want to turn to you for salvation. May we be the vessels of grace and mercy that draw people to the Gospel. Amen.
2021-02-21
So Over It

Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:15–25a; 2 Timothy 4:1–5

For nearly a year, we’ve had COVID. For nearly a year, there have been limitations in gathering and movement. Finally, 9 months in, there was news of a vaccine. Then there were multiple vaccines. Now we wait.

Still, though, we often catch ourselves asking, “when will this be over?” Or the question that many are asking, “when can we get back to normal?”

Daniel’s words really aren’t that different than ours. Yes, he’s talking about the Israelites. Yes, he’s talking about Jerusalem. “When can we go home?” “When can we return to the new normal?”

Just as the generations that passed in Egypt, breaking free of the practices left behind. Then leaving Egypt with new practices to learn and form. Those fleeing Egypt, “when can we go home (Egypt)?” “When can we go back to normal (slavery)?”

The words that Daniel received, “yes, Israel will go back.” “Thinks will seem to be positive and even (the new) normal.” “Then disruption again.”

The promise of return for the Israelites (though not really for Daniel) was not exactly all positive. There would definitely be loss. There might be gains. They just couldn’t judge the return to the before, because they were different.

Many people have spoken words similar to Daniel’s about “the people” not listening to God, and not following God’s commandments. The words were often spoken against the US culture as it appeared to diverge from its so-called Judeo-Christian roots. Whether it was a particular disease primarily affecting a “different” culture/people, or whether it was COVID or some other virus, or the internet, or rock music, or free love, or what have you.

Those who often spoke those words forgot important words: mercy, justice, grace.

When we read the words of Paul to Timothy, many often conclude with something like communism, capitalism, consumerism, any of a number of things. “They” don’t want to hear the “truth”. These words weren’t Paul’s to Timothy for the world. They were Paul’s words to Timothy about the church.

There are a lot of things the church is hearing, but doesn’t want to. While the church has been huddled in homes and buildings, God has been moving. While phrases such as, “the new normal” are becoming, well…normal. Everybody wants whatever the new normal is going to be to happen already.

※Reflection※

What if God doesn’t want us to “normalize”? What if God wants to shake us free of our (the church’s) complacency? What if we have 70 more years to go? What will you do?

※Prayer※

Lord, we don’t know what is coming. In Lent we are called upon to strip away that which is not for you. Help us, Lord, to follow your will in this. Amen.

2021-02-19
Wait and See
Psalm 110:1–4; Exodus 19:7–25; Hebrews 2:1–4

God tells the “master” (king) to “sit”. It is quite common today for rulers to sit while the armies go forth to wage war or defend the nation. When the Psalm was written, it was normal that kings/rulers went to war with the armies. So, for the ruler/master/king to sit was to say that the war/battle would be won without their presence. As it is God saying it, it’s more along the lines of, “I’ve got this.”

In our American thinking, we often think we have to do it ourselves. There is a reason why we think of “good” businesspeople having “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.” If we analyze that phrase, we can see that it may have not been a positive statement, but a tongue-in-cheek quip that someone was quite arrogant in thinking they did by themselves.

As we read the Scriptures, it becomes apparent that often the call on God’s people is not to do great things, but to witness and testify to the great things that God has done. When God has done great things, the pressure is often taken off of us, because it is not by our strength of will. When we testify, often we have to testify to our weakness and testify to God’s strength in the face of our weakness.

When the people meet God at Mount Sinai, their actions are minimal. They are to prepare, listen and respond. You might think that “obey” would be part of that, but obedience would be lived out, and obedience would be part of their testimony to the world of what God has done.

The story of Exodus may have a lot of anecdotal stories of Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel. However, most of the stories are witnesses of God’s glory and might. Even during the plagues, while Moses had his part, it was God who was the major actor.

Exodus was, along with the other books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) are formational to what it meant to be an Israelite. The books were not only a witness of God, they were also the witness to and for the Israelites.

As they were formational, they were core to being Israelite. Yet, it is amazing how people can be formed by something they do not know. We’d say that this couldn’t be, yet even being an “American” is often based upon far too many things we only think we know.

The author of Hebrews speaks of drifting away. Often, especially in a country as blessed as ours, it is very easy to quickly forget our salvation. Our lives are (despite a bad economy, COVID, and grace-less politics) blessed. This is not to diminish the hardships that people experience here. In fact, because of the blessedness, it makes such hardships an even greater travesty.

Drifting away is subtle. It takes time. A quick divergence (or apostasy) is easy to grasp. It is when it happens over time (years, decades, centuries) that it becomes the hardest to recognize. When it happens over time, it also becomes hard to determine Truth versus fact.

We are in such a time as this, if we’ve ever left it all. Perhaps this should be our greatest fear as the church…we have lost what should make us different than the world.

The deepest, darkest, and saddest aspect of this drifting away is that we cease being witnesses of God, and our lives ceasing being witnesses to God. While we are called to wait and see what will do, we are called to say what God has done.

※Reflection※
- What ways have you been tempted to “drift away” from faith?
- What kinds of “drifting away” damages our witness the most?
- What is the danger in not “waiting and see” what God does? What is the danger in “waiting and see”? How does discern when to be still and when to act?
※Prayer※

God, you have called us to witness what you have done, and to be witnesses. Help us to be faithful to that call. Amen.
2021-02-15
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
Life Giving God
Isaiah 46:1–13

Much of the Scriptures tells Truth through visual stories. Sometimes that imagery is disconcerting. It can also be mind-altering.

Many of us struggle with some of that imagery. Being the bride of Christ can seem odd. Or there is the thought of being the clay pot.

Most of us are very familiar with God as Father (in particular, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). So, when it comes to this passage in Isaiah it could be jarring. If you read this passage in the NIV, it won’t seem so, but most of the other translations have God being pregnant.

Yes, God is pregnant. Of course, it is an image. Yet, it is an important one.

One of the great mysteries (and, as a guy, great honors) that women have is the ability to bear children (definitely not saying pregnancy is easy). With God as Creator, perhaps we should be surprised that God isn’t identified more often this way.

The imagery in the context of this passage is critical. The comparison is between God (life-bearer) and idols (no life in them).

God addresses the reality that the Israelites have “treasured” their idols, and that they put so much value upon them. They put their hope to escape the surrounding powers. Instead, they are hauling their idols with them to exile. As the idols were often covered or made of precious metals and gems, the likelihood is that idols would be destroyed as part of the exile.

The idols that the Israelites made and worshiped so that they could maintain the lives they had…did nothing. The God they had abandoned promised to remain with them and to rescue them.

While carrying their empty, lifeless idols into captivity…God reached out. God said—in effect—I am here to carry you…and give you life.

※Reflection※
- What other symbols (i.e., pregnancy) can you associate with the life-giving aspect of God?
- What modern idols do people believe “give life”? How do they mimic life?
※Prayer※

God, thank you for your life-giving nature. May we embrace all that it means. Amen.
2021-02-05
What A Sight
Numbers 22:1–35

Moab feared Israel. Israel “just” had a military victory against major forces around Moab. Israel had marched around Moab and yet hadn’t done anything directly against Moab. Moab was deeply concerned that they were next.

According to Moses (in Deuteronomy 2:9), God had directed him to leave Moab alone. There is no record of “official” interaction between the Moabites and Israel, so it would seem that Moab’s fears were based on assumptions rather than experience. Which leads us to Balaam.

The King of Moab called upon Balaam to curse the Israelites. Accusing the Israelites of being, basically, locusts seems to be a case of hyperbole. Yet, there was unsurety in Moab. It’s safer to wipe out the “other” than to communicate with them.

At first, it seems that Balaam was a righteous God-follower. As we continue the story, it seems that perhaps it was not quite so. There is an implication that God condescends to Balaam going to prophesy on King Balak’s behalf. The “go” seems to be more along the lines of, “You can go. You’re going to anyway. So, I will use your human desires to bring glory to me (God).”

And then we come to the famous part of the story, which recently came up in a conversation. The entirety of the conversation was about a talking animal. Which I get it. None of us have had an animal speak to us in human speech.

While human speech is important, our dog communicates just fine: whines, stares, growls, barks, licks, gnaws, pounces on, and so forth. She generally is successful in communicating her needs without human speech. A human baby communicates. It’s usually the parents who get the subtle differences between, “I’m hungry” cry, and “my stomach hurts” cry.

We could blame children’s Sunday School for the emphasis on a talking beast of burden. The adults are just as nonplussed as the children, though. The talking animal wasn’t the point of the story, not even close.

The talking animal was more along the lines of, “Yes, you (Balaam) said you heard me (God), but you need to understand how important it is that you actually listen to me!”

In the church, preachers/pastors/teachers will often say something along the lines of, “Yes, this hard, but the Scriptures say…” Part of this is the reality that preachers/pastors/teachers don’t want to deliver hard truth. It’s hard, and we all want to be liked. In a community that respects the Word of God, that can work.

Balaam probably doesn’t have that particular protection. Like many people of power, and especially with the gods of that era and place, they thought with the right amount of money or right sacrifice they could “move” gods to do their will. God doesn’t work that way, and Balak would likely have little joy in being thwarted.

However, that talking donkey and then the vision of the sword-bearing angel? That imagery was probably quite strong in Balaam’s eyes and heart. Likely, it was that which gave him the strength to deliver the oracles for Israel despite Barak’s insistence on curses.

A vision/experience like that would give many of us the strength to face the world.

※Reflection※
- When you recall the talking donkey, what else do you recall? Do recall the rest of the story?
- Why is important, especially with stories like this, to understand that the Scriptures use imagery?
※Prayer※

Lord, may we have the strength of your vision as we navigate the chaotic waters of this world. Amen.
2021-01-31
Breaking Ties
Psalm 86; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

“But thank God, who is always leading us around through Christ as if we were in a parade. He releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us.” —2 Corinthians 2:14 (CEB)

I have to admit, I tried to be optimistic that I would be able to stop alluding and directly addressing US politics after the election. Bluntly, it gets rather tiring. However, as I see my brothers and sisters in Christ responding to the world, it may well be that politics is the greatest worldly vice that the church needs to confront. As a pastor, I cannot help but believe that addressing church politics may be a call for a while.

Much of the reason is that the church is hurting. As much as certain people would like to blame the current president for the situation, that is really denying reality. The blessing (yes, blessing) of the current (yes, soon to be former) president’s time in office is that the church, in particular the white evangelical brand, has had to confront how much it has been in the pocket of politics.

What has followed quickly behind, is the awareness that the so-called liberal (not sure the label applies) “side” of the church (universal) is equally in the pocket of politics, just a different side’s. We, as the church, need to confess that we are in bondage to sin…political power.

The Corinthians have been turning away (or withdrawing their affection) from Paul, as local influencers are successfully convincing them that Paul is a sham. Who these influencers are exactly is open to interpretation, but much of the challenge is due to the apparent difference in Paul’s tone and “presence” when he is away versus when he is physically present. Paul calls out the Corinthian church for being “yoked” to these unbelievers, rather than Jesus Christ.

The church has been unequally yoked with US politics and has seemed to cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ.

To be clear, I follow many Christians on both “sides” (which in and of itself is a sad witness of the church) of politics. The general lack of grace given to Christians and leaders of opposing political views breaks the heart of God. Whether we’re talking about splinters and logs (Matthew 7:2–4), abortion, the death penalty, homelessness, unemployment, COVID, we are called to love one another…ESPECIALLY our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In a republic, but even in a dictatorship, the church should use what influence it has to make the world look just a little bit more like the Kingdom of God. That can be a tall order. The world, however, has been successful in turning the Church into a loyal voting block rather than a prophetic witness against the ills of the world.

Being “unequally” yoked is an odd turn of phrase in this context. Yet, it is due to one thing…the world’s power is not the Church’s. The Church’s powers are not the world’s. The world seems to know that its power is not the same, so tries to convince the Church that the world’s power is the best way to “reach” the world. The truth? The Church cannot successfully wield the world’s power and remain the Church.

Paul’s admonition to the Church of Corinth is regarding the church allowing unbelievers to tell the church how to treat and behave toward fellow believers. That admonition stands today.

※Reflection※
- What do politics and politicians tempt you (personally) with? How might that interfere with Jesus’ call on your life?
- As harsh as it sounds, why might political power be a sin? How might it not be?
- As Christians, we are called to God’s Kingdom. As earthly citizens, we are called to exercise our right/responsibility to vote. How do we balance the 2 powers, and be faithful to being salt and light?
※Prayer※

Lord, forgive us. Help us have the patience, endurance, love, and grace to be healers of our homes. Amen.
2021-01-17