Devotion.al

Tag: word

  • Broken Family; Broken Community

    Genesis 38:1–30, Deuteronomy 25:5–10, Ruth 4:1–10, Mark 12:18–27

    Migration has long been the story of humankind. People would move from place to place. The States mythos includes a strong migratory component, from the theorized migration of First Nations peoples over the Bearing Land Bridge to the European migration to the Western Expansion, along with 2 Gold Rushes and the huge population shifts with the Great Depression and World War II. This creates a strong cultural influence on dynamics and in the wider society. The Census Bureau estimates that from 2013-2017, 41.5% of the US population did not live in the same state (or country for foreign-born) as they were born in. How can this not impact our with people, family, and place?

    Until the last 70 years, or so, when people moved from a different country to the US or even state-to-state, the family ties were broken or became perfunctory rather than profound. If you are one of those that have remained in the same state you were born in, it is still likely that your parents, or grandparents came from. Advances in transportation have allowed for some of these familial ties, but this is more likely for middle- and upper-class people. With the of more and more connective technologies, there is greater potential to maintain these connections. It is too soon to tell if that will actually happen, though based on current evidence it doesn’t look likely.

    What does all of this have to do with our passages? They show a huge difference between ancient cultures and our own. That is part of the problem. In the first 3 passages from the Old Testament, the significance of the “kinsman ” (an epithet we get from the book of Ruth) is lost in today’s culture. Put your siblings or your children into these stories as either kinsman redeemer or needing such, and gauge your responses. Most people have a negative response to it. We generally don’t get it. Many centuries later, this is still a question, as we can see with Sadducees’ question of .

    Connections. . Obligation. Sense of place. This should help us understand why we have such a problem with ekklēsia (ἐκκλησία). This Greek is often translated as “church”. It originally meant a public gathering. Through the resilience of God’s Word, church as a gathered community became the dominant definition. Community.

    In many respects, the church became more of the ekklēsia during the Westward Expansion, as it was the only common gathering place. However, as transportation “improved” and the suburbs became a reality, community began to fade. Now, in the Pacific Northwest, even the ekklēsia isn’t really a community. In many churches, and some say ours, many people do not feel that they are part of the community. For some, the ekklēsia is a fancy word for an hour-long meeting on Sunday, that doesn’t really feed into the other 6 days of the week.

    1. What do you do to build community? To build community, do you think you should look to yourself, first? Or do you need to look to ?
    2. If you were to describe your ideal church community, what words would you use? If you were to describe your ideal community where you live, what words would you use? How are the words and intent both the same and different?

  • Work to Death or for Life

    Acts 6:1–7, James 2:14–26

    In his book, With Unveiled Faces, Kieth Drury writes, “Serious Christians get into lifesaving boats and go to sea to people in need, refusing to sit in our warm lighthouses waiting for the shipwrecked to wash up on shore.”
    As we talk this week about connecting with God through the work of our hands, one of the biggest ways the has done this is through serving the poor. Sadly, there has come a time where serving the poor has become business dressed in the clothes of . This does not excuse Christians from serving the poor, but it does require greater discernment than it has in the past.

    Does this mean that everyone is called to directly the poor? No. That’s why there were certain people tasked with doing it, as shown in Acts. However, the “greater” church was behind them both in moral support, but also with the resources necessary.

    One of the big (and valid, to a point) arguments against the church helping those outside of “the church” is that “charity starts at home.” This was actually written by Charles Dickens. There is a great amount of truth in that statement, and it should be the case within the framily. However, “start” is the operative . It must start at home, for that is where the groundwork is laid. It is groundwork. It is foundational. Yet, just like for a home, a foundation is only the beginning.

    Martin Luther struggled with the book of James, in particular this passage. Luther struggled with the concept of works as . James’ words were too similar to earning one’s way to Heaven, one of the issues that was at the root of his separation from the Roman Catholic church. James’ point was not that works would earn , but works were the evidence of faith and grace poured out.

    1) Many Christians have been taught to avoid “works ”. What are they? What is the difference between that and “faith and grace” poured out?

    2) Why are actions so important in regards to our faith?

    3) Why do we struggle so much with ?

  • Blessed Title

    Luke 1:39–45, Luke 11:27–28

    Mary was indeed blessed to be ‘ mother. In fact, like many mothers, she was blessed. Motherhood is a . It can be a huge blessing. It is also a heavy weight to carry.

    It is a blessing to be a mom. Yet, often the title of mother takes over the person, to where who the person was before being a mom disappears.

    The reality is that this occurs with many positions and roles: president, general, governor, and so on. The person who was gets lost in the position. We can see it on the news with the behavior of many (more than 4 or 5) world leaders. We see it with celebrities and company executives. People forget the person they were.

    Titles are great, but titles are nothing in the .

    “…blessed are those who the of God and keep it…”

    1)Have you have pursued a title or position that you wanted really badly? How did the pursuit go?

    2) Have you ever defined yourself by your roles, career, or titles? Why? Which one means the most to you?

  • Long Haul Saving

    Numbers 21:4–9, Galatians 5:22–24, 2 Corinthians 6:3–13

    The story is of the staff is fascinating, and we can see its long-reaching effects even today (look at many ambulances). However, as fun as that might be, we need to talk about one of the underlying causes of the tale…the impatience of the Israelites.

    In many ways, the tale of the Israelites is like a long car ride with children…are we there yet?
    One commentator pointed out that the staff forced the Israelites to stop looking down at the world and their problems, and look up to God for life. Seems pretty poetic when we look at it that way.
    In many respects, the impatience of the Israelites was based upon them looking at their situation, and thinking it has to be better than this. They spoke against God and Moses. Now, in earlier devotionals and during the sermon series on suffering, we talked/read/listened to how God can handle our anger. For those who are parents and have withstood their children’s anger, imagine what it took God to get to this point.

    The Israelites were impatient to get to this great home that they had been promised and had been told about for generations. Knowing the active imaginations of today, what “fairy” tales and legends did they or invent. Maybe none. The tale that brought the was already pretty impressive.
    If we take a step back, however, from the Israelites, we can see that while the Israelites are on a quest to “go home”, for God this is where they belong to be the (foreshadowed) in the . Israel was an ancient thoroughfare. By being where they were, they could (if they were ) be able to God with the ancient world. Granted, they did. Imagine, however, what could have happened if they had truly trusted and waited on God. In other words, what if they had been patient (not just in the story from Exodus), and had let God’s (good) plan for them unfold.

    Patience is not a any of us like, and often don’t like to live. We often are impatient to do something, when patience could have done it better. When Paul speaks of patience as a fruit of the spirit, he is talking about the . As a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit working inside of you. That means you have patience. That doesn’t mean you like it. However, patience (and long-suffering) are key tools for missions and outreach.

    In today’s world, impatient evangelism will not win as many long-term salvations. It is long-term relationships. Are they quick? Nope. The is that we are no longer at a cultural point where quick evangelism will work. The “ground” is hard, rocky, and/or filled with weeds. It will take a very long time to work the ground into what it could (and should) be…fertile ground for the Word of God.

    The fruit the spirit is for the mission, not to say, yay, we made it. The mission is to reach people for Jesus Christ. When it comes to the , patience isn’t a virtue, it is a necessity.

    1) What is the dark side of patience? What problems for sharing the Gospel can too much patience create?

    2) Who is someone you are being patient with? Why?

    3) Do you think it is true that the fruit of the spirit is for the mission? Why or why not?

    4) What do you think was the mission of the people of Israel?

  • Who Restores

    Deuteronomy 30:1–5, Jonah 2:2–9, Isaiah 44:24–28

    Have you ever recognized that there is an implied title and of God that gets missed? Restorer.

    We use Healer, often, which is close. Another word could be Reconciler. We don’t use Restorer or Reconciler, because in most cases of their use (restore and reconcile), they are action verbs, not nouns.

    Yet, and are at the of . Think of it this way. Through Jesus’ sinless walk on Earth and his sacrificial on the cross, we are reconciled to God (). Through and Jesus’ , we are restored (position) to the “place” we would have had prior to the Fall (Adam and Eve).

    It can be easy to fall into the reconciliation way of thinking, because while on Earth that is both our expectation and our experience.

    We get a taste of restoration in baptism, but it really is a poor experience in comparison to the full restoration once we are in Heaven.

    1) What do you think of restoration and reconciliation?

    2) How do you think restoration and reconciliation work with other people?

    3) We can understand how reconciliation works with our interpersonal . How does restoration work? Thinking about restoration as God restores, is it possible for a damaged relationship to be restored? Why or why not?

  • The Duty to Pass On

    1 Timothy 4:13–16, Romans 12:3–8, Acts 20:22–32

    Teaching is a core function of passing on the . There have been plenty of stories (and continue to be) of people coming to without being taught about Jesus. The moves as God wills. By and large, though, people need to be taught about Jesus.

    Teachers of the Word, as some like to say, are very important to the passing on of the faith. They are not parents (in this context), they are not spiritual mentors (again, in this context). They teach the parents and the spiritual mentors in their faith so that they will pass it on. Preaching and teaching are the primary modes of this teaching.

    What also was tied into teaching, was care. In today’s , we call it being a pastor (or pastoring). It is not just the domain of Pastors, it is also the responsibility of elders (wisdom and duration, not age) in the faith. The reason this is part of it is in hopes to prevent people from introducing false beliefs and pulling people away from the faith.

    The reason all of this is important is that there really is a call in scripture for there to be pastors, leaders, and elders. The purpose is for any to lord over other and authority, but to help prevent people from adding and taking away pieces of the faith.

    Many Christians now look at the as an ancient tie that needs to be tossed away. Scripture does not give us that freedom, nor does human nature. In Robert Robinson’s hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, he writes, “…Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee…” It is nature of fallen humanity to wander away from God. Without accountability to something greater to ourselves, we will wander away. It may be with good intentions, but those intentions need to be tempered.

    1) Whether teacher, pastor, “”, elder, parent, mentor, how is your passing on of the faith held accountable? If it is not, what can you do bring such accountability into your ?

    2) What are some bad reasons, do you think, that people want to throw “church” into the trash bin? What are some good reasons?

    3) What do you find beneficial in regards to church? What can you do to build that up with ?

  • Grumbling and Arguing

    Philippians 2:12–18

    The Philippians may be slacking off in ‘s absence. At least that seems to be Paul’s concern. When Paul speaks about “working out” , a better way to phrase it may be, do the in all that you do. Don’t just sit there. He notes that God works through them, but that doesn’t spare them from doing something.

    Step 1 (left): Don’t grumble

    Step 2 (right): Don’t

    Step 1 (left): Don’t grumble

    Step 2 (right): Don’t argue

    How are you doing? We all need to grumble and argue less. That’s us “working out” our .

    It’s Paul’s small tucked in the midst of this which should provide some drive. “…You shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the of life…”

    We are all overwhelmed by the barrage of negativity. We are all overwhelmed by strident voices that are more about making a point, rather than a difference. When we look to the , we are called to make a difference, not a point. That’s really hard though.

    When talking about slacking off, it means that we are arguing and we are grumbling.

    1) When you have argued recently, was the Kingdom at the forefront of your mind, or was it you?

    2) When you last grumbled, how was the Kingdom affected?

    3) A star of the world, what effect do grumbling and arguing have on your ?

  • A Clean Tongue

    Colossians 3:1–11

    ‘s list of idolatrous tendencies to be put to seems pretty straightforward. Sexual immorality is (basically) sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Impurity continues the sexual theme, but it is less specific. Lust is lust. desire is not the actual sexual immoral act, but its very thought. If fact almost all of these are sex. Except for greed. It seems strange to throw greed (or covetousness) into this, but we can recognize that all of these are selfish things that hurt, oppress, or steal from .

    It’s the next words that become interesting. Anger is more of the always angry person (i.e., temperament), rather than being angry (though do not in your anger, Ephesians 4:26–27). Wrath is more akin to jealous anger so as to diminish others. Malice is seeking to do harm (physically or verbally). Slander is speaking badly of others so as to diminish their reputation. Do not lie to one another. All of these seem pretty simple. It’s the one that was skipped that is very tricky as the culture changes around us.

    Filthy language. From a church , and even a few cultural decades, filthy language seemed pretty clear cut. However, as the culture changes, so too does our awareness of “filthy”. Obscene is still pretty straightforward. However, aischrologia (the Greek used here) also means culturally inappropriate. And, this dear framily should cause us to pause.

    Regardless of how one feels about much of the discourse in general society, there are certain words that are not so culturally appropriate and even more when considering the context. In fact, there are many words and phrases that are no longer appropriate. The list is rather long, and it regularly changes. Instead of being offended by our words being taken as offensive, the better tactic is to work and not speaking in a way that offends.

    Now, this does not mean silence the witness. This does mean that your choice of words “tells” another person how much you value them. If you willingly speak words or phrases that are no longer culturally acceptable, then others will cease to value your words.

    This often becomes a cultural battle of they shouldn’t be “snowflakes” or “super-sensitive”. Yet, we are to answer for our witness. While many may agree or with your perspective of others, it’s Jesus’ perspective of them that should matter most.

    1. Can you think of a time recently where you thought of others less because they were hurt by a common word or phrase? What do Paul’s words tell you about that?
    2. There appears to be an increase of verbal sensitivity, on the one hand, yet an increase in uncivil discourse. How do you think Paul’s words and Jesus’ perspective should inform your to both?
    3. Regarding obscene/filthy language, much of the culture no longer finds it so. How do you think Paul’s words apply in that case?