Today's readings: Ps 122, 145, Amos 7:1-9, Rev 1:1-8, Matt 22:23-33
When we read Old Testament prophets like Amos, God may seem pretty keen on destroying Israel. Seven or so major prophets (depending on which version of the Bible you read) and a dozen minor ones are dedicated to spreading the message of possible destruction. Since Israel actually was destroyed more than once, to us these prophets may seem to be preaching a foregone conclusion. But each of these prophets – and God – were actually focusing on a message of repentance. Today’s passage from Amos tells us God was not only willing to forgive Israel, but that they willfully ignored the opportunity for God to save them.
In Amos’ vision, God responds to Amos’ pleas for mercy by relenting not once but twice from destroying Israel, first by famine (via locust) and second by fire. Prophetic visions are like dreams: packed with symbolism. So when God appears a third time and hangs a plumb-line from the city wall, it is not a judgment on their masonry skills. God wants Amos to remind Israel there is a standard against which their lives are measured. If they don’t meet the standard – if the foundations and walls of their lives are unbalanced, crooked and ready to topple – God doesn’t need to send natural disasters to crush them. They will implode thanks to their own carelessness. And Amos has been telling us they have been “careless” in every sense of the word, neither building their own lives in accordance with God’s blueprint, nor caring for the poor and needy as God requires.
If we held God’s plumb-line up to our own lives, would our construction be straight and true, or would the work be shoddy? God doesn’t present us with a standard for the purpose of harsh judgment, but to protect us from ourselves and our own tendencies toward carelessness. Conscience is the plumb-line God has instilled in each of us. When faced with difficulty or desire, we can be very skilled at ignoring that plumb-line, but we do so at risk of eventual self-destruction. When we use a plumb-line, we need to give it time to settle before it is accurate. If we use our consciences in the same way, not making snap decisions but waiting to be pointed in the most reliable direction, our walls will be strong and true.
Comfort: God provides all the tools we need.
Challenge: When making hard decisions, wait to hear your conscience.
Prayer: God of Peace, make my path straight and true.
Evening reading: Ps 40, 67
Discussion question:
When have you found it hard to follow your conscience?
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Naming Our Faith
Today's readings: Ps 24, 150, Amos 6:1-14, 2 Thess 1:5-12, Luke 1:57-68
Many cultures believe names – and knowledge of names – contains power. In some cultures a person has two names: one for public use, and a private, secret name known to a few or maybe only the one who bestowed it. In other cultures, a person acquires a new name upon completion of a rite of passage into adulthood. As Christians we don’t revere names as magical, but we do recognize the importance of identity. Christenings and confirmations are powerful examples.
In today’s reading from Luke, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth follows the instructions of an angel and gives her son the name “John” (or more accurately the Hebrew Yôḥanan meaning “God is gracious”). Doing so defies the Jewish tradition of naming the child for a family member. People are so upset about this break in tradition they consult the child’s mute father Zechariah, but he stuns them when he confirms his wife’s choice by writing it down. This act frees him from years of silence.
This act of naming – like John the Baptist himself – signifies a change in tradition. It shatters expectations. John defines his own wild, confusing, holy identity as the herald of the messiah. As Christians, we too are in the business of defying society to forge identities in Christ. That statement may seem dramatic in a predominantly Christian country like the U.S., but cultural Christianity and life in Christ are separate issues. Jesus fish magnets, Christian radio stations, and Christian dating websites are a sign that in some ways Christianity has become identified more with a consumer brand than a faith identity. Some Christians avoid calling themselves “Christian” because of negative associations with scandal and hypocrisy. Even within the Christian community, we struggle against deeply ingrained tradition and expectation to seek the true heart of Christ, and we are met with resistance and outright hostility from fellow Christians. When we have the courage to defy expectation and define our own names, our new voices – like Zechariah’s newly found voice – can redefine “Christian” in positive, meaningful, grace-filled ways.
Comfort: God does not name you as the world names you.
Challenge: With a small group, read and discuss The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
Prayer: God of Peace, name me as your servant.
Evening reading: Ps 25, 110
Discussion question:
If you could choose your own name (or have chosen it), what would it be?
(please comment)
Many cultures believe names – and knowledge of names – contains power. In some cultures a person has two names: one for public use, and a private, secret name known to a few or maybe only the one who bestowed it. In other cultures, a person acquires a new name upon completion of a rite of passage into adulthood. As Christians we don’t revere names as magical, but we do recognize the importance of identity. Christenings and confirmations are powerful examples.
In today’s reading from Luke, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth follows the instructions of an angel and gives her son the name “John” (or more accurately the Hebrew Yôḥanan meaning “God is gracious”). Doing so defies the Jewish tradition of naming the child for a family member. People are so upset about this break in tradition they consult the child’s mute father Zechariah, but he stuns them when he confirms his wife’s choice by writing it down. This act frees him from years of silence.
This act of naming – like John the Baptist himself – signifies a change in tradition. It shatters expectations. John defines his own wild, confusing, holy identity as the herald of the messiah. As Christians, we too are in the business of defying society to forge identities in Christ. That statement may seem dramatic in a predominantly Christian country like the U.S., but cultural Christianity and life in Christ are separate issues. Jesus fish magnets, Christian radio stations, and Christian dating websites are a sign that in some ways Christianity has become identified more with a consumer brand than a faith identity. Some Christians avoid calling themselves “Christian” because of negative associations with scandal and hypocrisy. Even within the Christian community, we struggle against deeply ingrained tradition and expectation to seek the true heart of Christ, and we are met with resistance and outright hostility from fellow Christians. When we have the courage to defy expectation and define our own names, our new voices – like Zechariah’s newly found voice – can redefine “Christian” in positive, meaningful, grace-filled ways.
Comfort: God does not name you as the world names you.
Challenge: With a small group, read and discuss The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
Prayer: God of Peace, name me as your servant.
Evening reading: Ps 25, 110
Discussion question:
If you could choose your own name (or have chosen it), what would it be?
(please comment)
Friday, December 2, 2011
Advent, Week 1: Dusting Off The Hope Diamond
Today's readings: Ps 102, 148, Amos 5:1-17, Jude 1-16, Matt 22:1-14
The first week of Advent is traditionally the week of Hope. That being the case, today’s scriptures may leave us thinking: “… Really?” The psalmist is so distraught he is feasting on ashes and slaking his thirst with tears. Amos addresses the many injustices experienced by the poor and the nearly invisible status of the hungry. Jude warns the recipients of his epistle they are surrounded by false teachers and Christians who pervert the Gospel to serve their own appetites. And Jesus’ parable about a wedding banquet? The guests not only don’t show up, but they murder the bearers of the invitations. And the poor guy pulled in off the street is tossed into the outer darkness for not wearing the right outfit. These readings seem to offer little if anything to inspire us.
Suffering. Injustice. Hunger. Bad religion. The collapse of civil society. Sound familiar? If these and other problems still dog us two thousand years after the messiah showed up, what cause is their for hope?
Plenty, it turns out. These things are addressed in the scriptures because God weeps and rages with us that the world is so broken. We can have hope because God doesn’t want us to remain in this brokenness. Our own dissatisfaction with the present world, mirrored in these scriptures, tells us God is bursting through in our own hearts and hopes for a better tomorrow. Who doesn’t appreciate a good inspirational story? Hearing how someone has transformed her life by refusing to let go of hope connects with us on a deep level because the God at our center promises the same for all of us. Jesus is not the savior of the never-been-broken, but of those needing resurrection. Jesus comes back for the one lost sheep.
Hope is a precious resource, but like diamonds it may require a lot of time, pressure and digging to emerge. Unlike diamonds, it can be found by anyone. When we dust off hope and polish it up, it shines not just for our own enjoyment but as a light to the world.
Comfort: Even buried hope can be recovered.
Challenge: Pick an inspirational movie to watch and discuss with family and/or friends.
Prayer: God of Hope, may others find hope in my example.
Evening reading: Ps 130, 16
Discussion Question:When and how has hope carried you through difficult times? Please comment.
The first week of Advent is traditionally the week of Hope. That being the case, today’s scriptures may leave us thinking: “… Really?” The psalmist is so distraught he is feasting on ashes and slaking his thirst with tears. Amos addresses the many injustices experienced by the poor and the nearly invisible status of the hungry. Jude warns the recipients of his epistle they are surrounded by false teachers and Christians who pervert the Gospel to serve their own appetites. And Jesus’ parable about a wedding banquet? The guests not only don’t show up, but they murder the bearers of the invitations. And the poor guy pulled in off the street is tossed into the outer darkness for not wearing the right outfit. These readings seem to offer little if anything to inspire us.
Suffering. Injustice. Hunger. Bad religion. The collapse of civil society. Sound familiar? If these and other problems still dog us two thousand years after the messiah showed up, what cause is their for hope?
Plenty, it turns out. These things are addressed in the scriptures because God weeps and rages with us that the world is so broken. We can have hope because God doesn’t want us to remain in this brokenness. Our own dissatisfaction with the present world, mirrored in these scriptures, tells us God is bursting through in our own hearts and hopes for a better tomorrow. Who doesn’t appreciate a good inspirational story? Hearing how someone has transformed her life by refusing to let go of hope connects with us on a deep level because the God at our center promises the same for all of us. Jesus is not the savior of the never-been-broken, but of those needing resurrection. Jesus comes back for the one lost sheep.
Hope is a precious resource, but like diamonds it may require a lot of time, pressure and digging to emerge. Unlike diamonds, it can be found by anyone. When we dust off hope and polish it up, it shines not just for our own enjoyment but as a light to the world.
Comfort: Even buried hope can be recovered.
Challenge: Pick an inspirational movie to watch and discuss with family and/or friends.
Prayer: God of Hope, may others find hope in my example.
Evening reading: Ps 130, 16
Discussion Question:When and how has hope carried you through difficult times? Please comment.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Advent, Week 1: Past Due Returns
Today's readings: Ps 18:1-20, 147:12-20, Amos 4:6-13, 2 Peter 3:11-18, Matt 21:33-46
Attend church regularly for a sufficient length of time, and you will undoubtedly encounter the following scenario: a regular attendee will disappear for an extended period of time; when this person returns he or she will explain the absence by claiming life had become difficult, or complicated, or troubled . Does it really make sense for us to abandon what is often the center of our spiritual life as a response to tough times?
Church is not the only place we might find peace or solace, but what does it say about our relationship to that community if we actively avoid it when we struggle? Perhaps our community is not really a place where we can bring our authentic selves. If everyone in church appears to be happy all the time, that’s a bad sign. Christians often feel pressured to present themselves to each other as having shiny, carefree lives. To be pleasant rather than real. They often feel hardship is a sign their faith is lacking. They may feel these ways because their churches encourage these ideas. The truth is very different. God promises to be with us during difficult times, but not to save us from all difficulties. If the culture at your church is uncomfortable with personal adversity, or if every group decision results in a unanimous vote, it needs an injection of reality.
On the other hand, the problem may lie within ourselves. Amos recounts how the people of Israel failed to return to God, despite famine, drought and plagues. If we turn to God only when things are easy or going our way, it’s time to re-examine our faith. The author of Psalm 18 knew many hardships, and had no delusions the world was anything but difficult and dangerous, yet through it all he relied on God. Faith that evaporates because we struggle is no faith at all.
Whether the problem resides in our community, our hearts or both, each of us is responsible for returning to God and offering and accepting authentic lives: the pain, the joy, and everything in between. Is your return in any way past due?
Comfort: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer” - Ps 18:2
Challenge: Consciously expand your awareness of friends, family, co-workers and church members who are struggling. Be present for them.
Prayer: God of Hope, thank you for being with me even in difficulty.
Evening reading: Ps 126, 62
Discussion Question (reply in comments):
When times are tough, are you more or less likely to reach out to God and/or your community?
Attend church regularly for a sufficient length of time, and you will undoubtedly encounter the following scenario: a regular attendee will disappear for an extended period of time; when this person returns he or she will explain the absence by claiming life had become difficult, or complicated, or troubled . Does it really make sense for us to abandon what is often the center of our spiritual life as a response to tough times?
Church is not the only place we might find peace or solace, but what does it say about our relationship to that community if we actively avoid it when we struggle? Perhaps our community is not really a place where we can bring our authentic selves. If everyone in church appears to be happy all the time, that’s a bad sign. Christians often feel pressured to present themselves to each other as having shiny, carefree lives. To be pleasant rather than real. They often feel hardship is a sign their faith is lacking. They may feel these ways because their churches encourage these ideas. The truth is very different. God promises to be with us during difficult times, but not to save us from all difficulties. If the culture at your church is uncomfortable with personal adversity, or if every group decision results in a unanimous vote, it needs an injection of reality.
On the other hand, the problem may lie within ourselves. Amos recounts how the people of Israel failed to return to God, despite famine, drought and plagues. If we turn to God only when things are easy or going our way, it’s time to re-examine our faith. The author of Psalm 18 knew many hardships, and had no delusions the world was anything but difficult and dangerous, yet through it all he relied on God. Faith that evaporates because we struggle is no faith at all.
Whether the problem resides in our community, our hearts or both, each of us is responsible for returning to God and offering and accepting authentic lives: the pain, the joy, and everything in between. Is your return in any way past due?
Comfort: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer” - Ps 18:2
Challenge: Consciously expand your awareness of friends, family, co-workers and church members who are struggling. Be present for them.
Prayer: God of Hope, thank you for being with me even in difficulty.
Evening reading: Ps 126, 62
Discussion Question (reply in comments):
When times are tough, are you more or less likely to reach out to God and/or your community?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Advent, Week 1: Wholly Holy
Today's readings: Ps 50, 147:1-11, Amos 3:12-4:5, 2 Peter 3:1-10, Matt 21:23-32
What do we think Amos might have to say about the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State? How might he respond to involved parties who claim they acted responsibly by fulfilling the minimum policy or legal requirements? Today’s reading from chapter 4 gives us a pretty good idea. Amos tells the Israelites God is tired of hearing them brag about their burnt offerings and tithes while they “oppress the poor and crush the needy” (Amos 4:1). It seems the tendency to confuse meeting a legal obligation with meeting a moral obligation is a timeless human trait.
That’s the problem with trying to be “holy” - we can check off a list of do’s and don'ts without truly encountering God or even other human beings. In the parable of the two sons found in Matthew, one child is rebellious but eventually does the right thing, and another pays lip service but is ultimately disobedient. Since parables are open to multiple interpretations, perhaps one interpretation is that attempting to appease God when our hearts are insincere is less acceptable than a messy struggle to find our way to God’s true calling. Amos and Christ both make it clear God does not desire for us to be holy humans, so much as for us to be wholly human, following God’s call beyond the realm of minimum requirements to a kingdom where the law is love.
We’re all tempted to be satisfied with the minimum. It’s difficult, confusing work to determine how to act in the absence of specific instruction. Sometimes it’s risky in very real ways, and we can always find excuses to avoid the risk. We may tell ourselves inviting a homeless person to stay with us—or simply welcoming them into our home for a hot meal—is dangerous, impractical, and disruptive. We may decide reporting suspected abuse, even in our own families, will expose us to embarrassment or retaliation. We can pray for the needy on Sunday and pass a beggar on the same street corner all week long without ever considering it might not be a scam. What good does it do us in the eyes of God to be holy, if we do not accept the wholeness God offers us?
Comfort: Life is only messy when you live it.
Challenge: For one day, love extravagantly rather than practically.
Prayer: God of Hope, write on my heart the law of love.
Evening reading: Ps 53, 17
Discussion Question: When have you settled for the minimum (at work, in a relationship, spiritually, etc) insteading of taking a risk?
What do we think Amos might have to say about the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State? How might he respond to involved parties who claim they acted responsibly by fulfilling the minimum policy or legal requirements? Today’s reading from chapter 4 gives us a pretty good idea. Amos tells the Israelites God is tired of hearing them brag about their burnt offerings and tithes while they “oppress the poor and crush the needy” (Amos 4:1). It seems the tendency to confuse meeting a legal obligation with meeting a moral obligation is a timeless human trait.
That’s the problem with trying to be “holy” - we can check off a list of do’s and don'ts without truly encountering God or even other human beings. In the parable of the two sons found in Matthew, one child is rebellious but eventually does the right thing, and another pays lip service but is ultimately disobedient. Since parables are open to multiple interpretations, perhaps one interpretation is that attempting to appease God when our hearts are insincere is less acceptable than a messy struggle to find our way to God’s true calling. Amos and Christ both make it clear God does not desire for us to be holy humans, so much as for us to be wholly human, following God’s call beyond the realm of minimum requirements to a kingdom where the law is love.
We’re all tempted to be satisfied with the minimum. It’s difficult, confusing work to determine how to act in the absence of specific instruction. Sometimes it’s risky in very real ways, and we can always find excuses to avoid the risk. We may tell ourselves inviting a homeless person to stay with us—or simply welcoming them into our home for a hot meal—is dangerous, impractical, and disruptive. We may decide reporting suspected abuse, even in our own families, will expose us to embarrassment or retaliation. We can pray for the needy on Sunday and pass a beggar on the same street corner all week long without ever considering it might not be a scam. What good does it do us in the eyes of God to be holy, if we do not accept the wholeness God offers us?
Comfort: Life is only messy when you live it.
Challenge: For one day, love extravagantly rather than practically.
Prayer: God of Hope, write on my heart the law of love.
Evening reading: Ps 53, 17
Discussion Question: When have you settled for the minimum (at work, in a relationship, spiritually, etc) insteading of taking a risk?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Hoping without Expecting
Today's readings: Ps 33, 146, Amos 3:1-11, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Matt 21:12-22
One of the great comforts of Advent is knowing that it will culminate in Christmas. This conclusion is such a given that most of us spend what is really the Advent season surrounded by Christmas trappings. But what if we weren’t so sure? What if we, like the Jews waiting for the Messiah, had no idea what was coming or how it would look when it got here?
Today’s psalms remind us we are foolish to place our hope in anyone or anything but God. The subsequent readings make it clear we would be wise not to wrap that hope in too many assumptions. Amos’ harsh word to the Israelites is that the hard times they are about to experience are a result of God’s love (Amos 3:2). Who saw that one coming? And Jesus confounds both contemporary and historical expectations when he curses a fig tree for failing to bear fruit. This action doesn’t fit comfortably with our present-day notion of a loving and forgiving Christ, and it was no less confusing for the disciples. (Matt 21:18-21).
Again and again, the God we trust defies our expectations and pre-definitions. To paraphrase John Lennon, “God is what happens while you are making other plans.” When we pray “Thy will be done,” are we really abandoning attachment to our own wills, or do we usually have a pretty good idea of what God’s will might be?
This Advent, can we hope without expecting? Can we, like Peter, admit God’s will is not defined by our interpretation, but by a love and spirit that is beyond definition (2 Peter 1:19-20)? Can we be open to the possibility that God’s will may take us places we don’t want to go with people we don’t want to know? The familiar manger scene that completes the Advent journey is only comforting because it has grown familiar. For Mary and Joseph, it was the terror of giving birth in a barn. Neither of them wanted to be there. Yet despite dashed expectations, their hope was rewarded. This Advent season, let’s commit to an unknown path instead of a well-worn rut, and find out where Hope can lead us.
Comfort: We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield (Ps 33:20).
Challenge: Change one thing about your Christmas traditions.
Prayer: God of Hope, Thy will be done.
Evening reading: Ps 85, 94
Discussion Question: Have you ever experienced a blessing when your expectations were overturned?
One of the great comforts of Advent is knowing that it will culminate in Christmas. This conclusion is such a given that most of us spend what is really the Advent season surrounded by Christmas trappings. But what if we weren’t so sure? What if we, like the Jews waiting for the Messiah, had no idea what was coming or how it would look when it got here?
Today’s psalms remind us we are foolish to place our hope in anyone or anything but God. The subsequent readings make it clear we would be wise not to wrap that hope in too many assumptions. Amos’ harsh word to the Israelites is that the hard times they are about to experience are a result of God’s love (Amos 3:2). Who saw that one coming? And Jesus confounds both contemporary and historical expectations when he curses a fig tree for failing to bear fruit. This action doesn’t fit comfortably with our present-day notion of a loving and forgiving Christ, and it was no less confusing for the disciples. (Matt 21:18-21).
Again and again, the God we trust defies our expectations and pre-definitions. To paraphrase John Lennon, “God is what happens while you are making other plans.” When we pray “Thy will be done,” are we really abandoning attachment to our own wills, or do we usually have a pretty good idea of what God’s will might be?
This Advent, can we hope without expecting? Can we, like Peter, admit God’s will is not defined by our interpretation, but by a love and spirit that is beyond definition (2 Peter 1:19-20)? Can we be open to the possibility that God’s will may take us places we don’t want to go with people we don’t want to know? The familiar manger scene that completes the Advent journey is only comforting because it has grown familiar. For Mary and Joseph, it was the terror of giving birth in a barn. Neither of them wanted to be there. Yet despite dashed expectations, their hope was rewarded. This Advent season, let’s commit to an unknown path instead of a well-worn rut, and find out where Hope can lead us.
Comfort: We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield (Ps 33:20).
Challenge: Change one thing about your Christmas traditions.
Prayer: God of Hope, Thy will be done.
Evening reading: Ps 85, 94
Discussion Question: Have you ever experienced a blessing when your expectations were overturned?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Advent, Week 1: Training Days
Today’s readings: Ps 122, 145; Amos 2:6-16; 2 Pet 1:1-11; Matt 21:1-11
Musicians. Athletes. Surgeons. Anyone truly dedicated to a craft, skill or study knows the process of growth and improvement never ends. Reaching the next level of performance requires dedication and practice. Each new level reveals previously unimagined possibilities. But every level contains echoes of the ones before it. When the quest for improvement seems stalled, performers often find revisiting the basics unlocks a breakthrough. Some early disciples were ineffective and unproductive - coasting on salvation and “forgetting they had been cleansed” (2 Pet 1:8-9). Effective disciples – like high-level performers – are humble enough to re-visit their roots and keep up the basics. Peter reminded his readers that goodness, knowledge, self-control and other Godly traits are not one-time achievements, but more like muscles in need of constant training.
The world certainly does not teach us excellence should result in increased humility, but then the world’s standards for success are not God’s standards. Christ was humble until death – the ultimate failure by worldly standards. So training our spiritual muscles may sting a little when the world judges us. Sometimes we have to sacrifice things like material goods and popularity in order to pack on the spiritual muscle. We may be uncomfortable defying the common perception of success. In the end we are stronger for it, and we learn that these pains are temporary and negligible in light of the rewards of the next plateau.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests outstanding excellence in a skill requires 10,000 dedicated hours of practice. Subjecting yourself to the same thing for 10,000 hours? That requires both humility and a high tolerance for repetition (including failures). How many of us can say we’ve dedicated the equivalent of five years at a full time job to honing our spiritual lives? Even at a rate of a solid hour a day, we’re talking more than 27 years.
The good news is we don’t need a special hour of prayer or meditation (though they can only help); with a little effort and intent we can incorporate our spiritual practice into most (if not all) of our waking hours. It’s no accident that Amos accuses Israel of selling the innocent for silver (Amos 2:6) and that we know the same will happen to Christ. The cyclical nature of creation permeates everything, including our spiritual practices. Refraining from gossip today makes it easier to refrain from slander tomorrow. As abuse follows a cycle, so does virtue. Be open to practicing perseverance, godliness and love in even the smallest situations today, and you’ll be a muscularly spiritual genius when the world needs it!
Comfort: It’s never too late to build your Christian muscles.
Challenge: Start tracking your spiritual progress like a training program.
Prayer: God of Hope, strengthen me.
Evening reading: Ps 40, 67
Musicians. Athletes. Surgeons. Anyone truly dedicated to a craft, skill or study knows the process of growth and improvement never ends. Reaching the next level of performance requires dedication and practice. Each new level reveals previously unimagined possibilities. But every level contains echoes of the ones before it. When the quest for improvement seems stalled, performers often find revisiting the basics unlocks a breakthrough. Some early disciples were ineffective and unproductive - coasting on salvation and “forgetting they had been cleansed” (2 Pet 1:8-9). Effective disciples – like high-level performers – are humble enough to re-visit their roots and keep up the basics. Peter reminded his readers that goodness, knowledge, self-control and other Godly traits are not one-time achievements, but more like muscles in need of constant training.
The world certainly does not teach us excellence should result in increased humility, but then the world’s standards for success are not God’s standards. Christ was humble until death – the ultimate failure by worldly standards. So training our spiritual muscles may sting a little when the world judges us. Sometimes we have to sacrifice things like material goods and popularity in order to pack on the spiritual muscle. We may be uncomfortable defying the common perception of success. In the end we are stronger for it, and we learn that these pains are temporary and negligible in light of the rewards of the next plateau.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests outstanding excellence in a skill requires 10,000 dedicated hours of practice. Subjecting yourself to the same thing for 10,000 hours? That requires both humility and a high tolerance for repetition (including failures). How many of us can say we’ve dedicated the equivalent of five years at a full time job to honing our spiritual lives? Even at a rate of a solid hour a day, we’re talking more than 27 years.
The good news is we don’t need a special hour of prayer or meditation (though they can only help); with a little effort and intent we can incorporate our spiritual practice into most (if not all) of our waking hours. It’s no accident that Amos accuses Israel of selling the innocent for silver (Amos 2:6) and that we know the same will happen to Christ. The cyclical nature of creation permeates everything, including our spiritual practices. Refraining from gossip today makes it easier to refrain from slander tomorrow. As abuse follows a cycle, so does virtue. Be open to practicing perseverance, godliness and love in even the smallest situations today, and you’ll be a muscularly spiritual genius when the world needs it!
Comfort: It’s never too late to build your Christian muscles.
Challenge: Start tracking your spiritual progress like a training program.
Prayer: God of Hope, strengthen me.
Evening reading: Ps 40, 67
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Advent, Week 1: Keeping House
Today’s readings: Ps 24,150; Amos 1:1-2:8; 1 Thess 5:1-11; Luke 21:5-19
Today, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the Christian year and the beginning of our journey toward Christmas, when we celebrate the arrival of Christ in the world. So why do our readings focus on endings?
During Advent we focus on preparing our hearts for the arrival of Christ. Even though we just did the same thing a year ago, our preparation is an ongoing effort, because Christ and God can always find new and broader doors into our hearts – if we have swept he way clear. Like the Thessalonians, we may need reminding that Christians live in a constant state of preparedness. Most of us may no longer be expecting Christ to return to Earth at any minute, but he may appear in our hearts at any time. We don’t want to respond like an embarrassed homeowner, crying “Come back later when I’ve tidied up!” Like a seasonal cleaning, Advent is a time to take stock and rid ourselves of the obstructions we may have accumulated so we can start fresh. Our lives and hearts don’t need to be in perfect order, but we should at least be able to let Christ through the door.
“But wait,” we may say, “I have been right with the Lord for a long time.” Tell it to Israel, or Judah, or any of the kingdoms that Amos says have fallen out of God’s favor. When these once-oppressed people rose to power, they grew as corrupt as the captors they had overcome. They assumed because God had delivered them once, they were in the right. Amos let them know they would have to be brought low again before they could return to acting like God’s people. Human justice is flawed, and when justice or righteousness begins to stink of corruption, it’s time to clean house. When we become certain of our own righteousness, we too are prone to spiritual corruption. If we become complacent about our spiritual growth - if we start to think we’ve grown as much as we need to – we aren’t extending new invitations to Christ, but hoarding photographs of old visits. Our commitment to Christ is more than a photo of an old friend in a dusty album. It is an open invitation for Christ to drop in unannounced, and a promise to respond to his strange, new requests.
This cycle of endings is not a cause for despair – it is an offer of hope. God gives us endless opportunity to embrace an increasingly abundant life. Advent formally reminds us once a year, but the opportunity to step into that embrace exists always because God loves us always. Sometimes we just need to clear the doorway to fall into it.
Comfort: God enters our hearts anew every time we offer an invitation!
Challenge: Dedicate yourself this Advent season to preparing your heart for Christ’s arrival. Set aside a little time every day to clean your spiritual house.
Prayer: God of Hope, I am yours: renew me as you will.
Evening reading: Ps 25, 110
Today, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the Christian year and the beginning of our journey toward Christmas, when we celebrate the arrival of Christ in the world. So why do our readings focus on endings?
During Advent we focus on preparing our hearts for the arrival of Christ. Even though we just did the same thing a year ago, our preparation is an ongoing effort, because Christ and God can always find new and broader doors into our hearts – if we have swept he way clear. Like the Thessalonians, we may need reminding that Christians live in a constant state of preparedness. Most of us may no longer be expecting Christ to return to Earth at any minute, but he may appear in our hearts at any time. We don’t want to respond like an embarrassed homeowner, crying “Come back later when I’ve tidied up!” Like a seasonal cleaning, Advent is a time to take stock and rid ourselves of the obstructions we may have accumulated so we can start fresh. Our lives and hearts don’t need to be in perfect order, but we should at least be able to let Christ through the door.
“But wait,” we may say, “I have been right with the Lord for a long time.” Tell it to Israel, or Judah, or any of the kingdoms that Amos says have fallen out of God’s favor. When these once-oppressed people rose to power, they grew as corrupt as the captors they had overcome. They assumed because God had delivered them once, they were in the right. Amos let them know they would have to be brought low again before they could return to acting like God’s people. Human justice is flawed, and when justice or righteousness begins to stink of corruption, it’s time to clean house. When we become certain of our own righteousness, we too are prone to spiritual corruption. If we become complacent about our spiritual growth - if we start to think we’ve grown as much as we need to – we aren’t extending new invitations to Christ, but hoarding photographs of old visits. Our commitment to Christ is more than a photo of an old friend in a dusty album. It is an open invitation for Christ to drop in unannounced, and a promise to respond to his strange, new requests.
This cycle of endings is not a cause for despair – it is an offer of hope. God gives us endless opportunity to embrace an increasingly abundant life. Advent formally reminds us once a year, but the opportunity to step into that embrace exists always because God loves us always. Sometimes we just need to clear the doorway to fall into it.
Comfort: God enters our hearts anew every time we offer an invitation!
Challenge: Dedicate yourself this Advent season to preparing your heart for Christ’s arrival. Set aside a little time every day to clean your spiritual house.
Prayer: God of Hope, I am yours: renew me as you will.
Evening reading: Ps 25, 110
Friday, June 3, 2011
Eat it: it's good for you!
Today's readings: Ps 96, 148; Ezek 1:28-3:3; Heb 4:14-5:6; Luke 9:28-36
Ezekiel’s vision of four-faced heavenly beings was vivid, but not something we can really relate to. On the other hand, the image he presents in today’s reading, while less fantastic, may pack more punch because we can actually picture it. God commissions Ezekiel as a prophet by presenting him a scroll and telling him to eat it. The scroll was covered with words of lament and mourning, and Ezekiel was commanded to share those words with the rebellious nation of Israel.
The image of consuming a scroll is simple, but it is rich with meaning. When God tells Ezekiel “eat what is before you,” (Ezek 3:1) he is confirming Ezekiel’s obedience, in direct contrast to the rebelliousness of the people. Scrolls in Ezekiel’s time were not made of paper, but either papyrus (the same basic material as sandals and baskets) or parchment (the skin of a kosher animal); neither would have been an appetizing proposition. Yet the scroll was sweet as honey in his mouth (v 3). Like Ezekiel, we may find the tasks to which God calls us less than appealing, but in the end we may find they provide us with a sweet fulfillment only discovered when following God. A popular riddle asks: “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: one bite at a time. The stumbling block for most efforts is motivating ourselves to take the first step. If we can bring ourselves into obedience and choke down that first bite of scroll, who knows how sweet the rewards might be!
Wouldn’t it have been easier for Ezekiel to hold onto the scroll and read it to people? Probably. Yet as a prophet, Ezekiel was called to literally internalize the word of God, to let it nourish and become part of his very being. Do we consume scripture and let it become part of us, or are our scrolls lying around collecting dust? The answer is the difference between a living relationship with God and scripture that we can’t help but share because it’s part of us, and devotion to an eternally external text that is an object of study but not sustenance.
God does not offer us a mere recipe, but the bread of life itself. Let’s devour it with gusto!
Comfort: Faith is lived, not just studied and kept to ourselves.
Challenge: At each meal, offer a prayer of thanks.
Prayer: Holy God, let others see your spirit filling me up!
Evening readings: Ps 49, 138
Discussion question: Have you ever been reluctant to "eat" a task God has handed you? (please comment)
Ezekiel’s vision of four-faced heavenly beings was vivid, but not something we can really relate to. On the other hand, the image he presents in today’s reading, while less fantastic, may pack more punch because we can actually picture it. God commissions Ezekiel as a prophet by presenting him a scroll and telling him to eat it. The scroll was covered with words of lament and mourning, and Ezekiel was commanded to share those words with the rebellious nation of Israel.
The image of consuming a scroll is simple, but it is rich with meaning. When God tells Ezekiel “eat what is before you,” (Ezek 3:1) he is confirming Ezekiel’s obedience, in direct contrast to the rebelliousness of the people. Scrolls in Ezekiel’s time were not made of paper, but either papyrus (the same basic material as sandals and baskets) or parchment (the skin of a kosher animal); neither would have been an appetizing proposition. Yet the scroll was sweet as honey in his mouth (v 3). Like Ezekiel, we may find the tasks to which God calls us less than appealing, but in the end we may find they provide us with a sweet fulfillment only discovered when following God. A popular riddle asks: “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: one bite at a time. The stumbling block for most efforts is motivating ourselves to take the first step. If we can bring ourselves into obedience and choke down that first bite of scroll, who knows how sweet the rewards might be!
Wouldn’t it have been easier for Ezekiel to hold onto the scroll and read it to people? Probably. Yet as a prophet, Ezekiel was called to literally internalize the word of God, to let it nourish and become part of his very being. Do we consume scripture and let it become part of us, or are our scrolls lying around collecting dust? The answer is the difference between a living relationship with God and scripture that we can’t help but share because it’s part of us, and devotion to an eternally external text that is an object of study but not sustenance.
God does not offer us a mere recipe, but the bread of life itself. Let’s devour it with gusto!
Comfort: Faith is lived, not just studied and kept to ourselves.
Challenge: At each meal, offer a prayer of thanks.
Prayer: Holy God, let others see your spirit filling me up!
Evening readings: Ps 49, 138
Discussion question: Have you ever been reluctant to "eat" a task God has handed you? (please comment)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Miaphysitism? YOU a physitism!
Today's readings: Ps 47, 147:12-20; Ezek 1:1-14, 24-28; Heb 2:5-18; Matt 28:16-20
This Thursday many churches celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, or the bodily ascent of the risen Christ into heaven. This story challenges the modern and scientific mind. Its accompanying readings are no less difficult. Ezekiel’s vision of four-faced beings and a god of fiery metal are highly symbolic and almost incomprehensible to anyone who’s not a dedicated Bible scholar. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews explains the human and divine interplay in the person of Jesus, part of the study called Christology. Heady material that for many of us is simply inaccessible.
In contrast, the Matthew reading is short and clear: Jesus asserts his authority and commissions the disciples to spread his commands and teachings to make and baptize more disciples. We should note his teachings did not include theories like hypostatic union or Miaphysitism: Christ’s nature in both the human and the divine, versus a nature which is of both. Clearly different… right? Yet centuries ago these semantics, which matter not one iota to loving as Christ instructed, caused schisms that last to this day. Passages like the one in Hebrews fueled the debate. What do we imagine Christ – who brought together Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles – might say about his followers dividing over such distinctions?
Such discussions have their place; after all, why follow Christ if we do not believe he is a unique confluence of the human and the divine? But sometimes we get so wrapped up thinking or talking about faith we become like people who believe reading a child psychology book equips them to be parents; being able to quote theories does not help us touch a human life in a loving way. Maybe we don’t denounce Monophysitism (don’t ask) on a daily basis, but based on mere opinion we do make “religious” distinctions of the kind Christ worked to overcome. Even our choice of Biblical translation may decide whether we are “in” or “out” with a specific clique, congregation or denomination.
Christ’s nature – human or divine – was radically inclusive. Any effort spent separating us from others, rather than loving them, betrays that nature. Christ tells us to love God and our neighbor. Why add more?
Comfort: Christ’s commands are simple.
Challenge: Look up “Christology” on Wikipedia or another reference.
Prayer: Holy God, may your love live in my heart and not just my head.
Evening readings: Ps 68, 113
Discussion Question: Does your head ever get in the way of your heart? (please comment)
This Thursday many churches celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, or the bodily ascent of the risen Christ into heaven. This story challenges the modern and scientific mind. Its accompanying readings are no less difficult. Ezekiel’s vision of four-faced beings and a god of fiery metal are highly symbolic and almost incomprehensible to anyone who’s not a dedicated Bible scholar. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews explains the human and divine interplay in the person of Jesus, part of the study called Christology. Heady material that for many of us is simply inaccessible.
In contrast, the Matthew reading is short and clear: Jesus asserts his authority and commissions the disciples to spread his commands and teachings to make and baptize more disciples. We should note his teachings did not include theories like hypostatic union or Miaphysitism: Christ’s nature in both the human and the divine, versus a nature which is of both. Clearly different… right? Yet centuries ago these semantics, which matter not one iota to loving as Christ instructed, caused schisms that last to this day. Passages like the one in Hebrews fueled the debate. What do we imagine Christ – who brought together Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles – might say about his followers dividing over such distinctions?
Such discussions have their place; after all, why follow Christ if we do not believe he is a unique confluence of the human and the divine? But sometimes we get so wrapped up thinking or talking about faith we become like people who believe reading a child psychology book equips them to be parents; being able to quote theories does not help us touch a human life in a loving way. Maybe we don’t denounce Monophysitism (don’t ask) on a daily basis, but based on mere opinion we do make “religious” distinctions of the kind Christ worked to overcome. Even our choice of Biblical translation may decide whether we are “in” or “out” with a specific clique, congregation or denomination.
Christ’s nature – human or divine – was radically inclusive. Any effort spent separating us from others, rather than loving them, betrays that nature. Christ tells us to love God and our neighbor. Why add more?
Comfort: Christ’s commands are simple.
Challenge: Look up “Christology” on Wikipedia or another reference.
Prayer: Holy God, may your love live in my heart and not just my head.
Evening readings: Ps 68, 113
Discussion Question: Does your head ever get in the way of your heart? (please comment)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Memory (and Reality) of Persistence
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| The Persistence of Memory (Salvador Dali) |
Today's readings: Ps 98, 146; Deut 8;11-20; James 1:16-27; Luke 11:1-13
Service projects – particularly those spanning several days and states – reveal a lot about people. Ask almost anyone rebuilding a home or painting a school and they will tell you they are working hard. Watch them a while, and you’ll see differences in performance that don’t necessarily depend on age, experience or ability. People believe they are working hard as long as they are working harder than they usually do. By the end of a lengthy service project, many people – young people in particular – have their eyes opened to the difference between what they think is hard work (based on past experience) and what is actually hard work.
Persistence is similar. Many of us think we are persistent, but crumple in the face of real resistance. In Luke 9, Jesus advises his disciples to be persistent in their faith. He says a neighbor woken in the middle of the night by a knock on the door does not respond out of an inner sense of charity, but because the knocker is persistent. Jesus isn’t telling us to pester God into submission, but that true persistence can accomplish what appeals to good nature may not. How often do we hear someone claim something was meant to be or not meant to be because it was or wasn’t convenient? How many dreams are abandoned because of a lack of persistence? How many poor decisions are based on expedience? Important things – building a career, raising a child, achieving social justice – require persistence. More than that, they require us to examine whether we are actually persistent, or whether we merely think we are.
On the other hand, let’s not confuse being persistent with being stubborn. When we follow urgings of the Spirit despite resistance, we are persistent. When we grow deaf to the Spirit and insist on our own way, we are stubborn. Persistence is the fulcrum that balances complacency and obstinacy. To achieve this balance, this practice of discernment, we must yoke persistence with prayer. As we grow in faith, what we thought was tremendous persistence yesterday may be a fraction of what we need for tomorrow. Or we may realize that while we’ve been knocking, what we need to ask for has changed. No matter the outcome, a healthy persistence leaves us knowing we’ve done what we were called to do.
Comfort: Success not yet achieved is not the same as failure.
Challenge: List some dreams you’ve let go. Is it time to pick one up?
Prayer: Holy God, strengthen me when my flesh is weaker than my spirit.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Service projects – particularly those spanning several days and states – reveal a lot about people. Ask almost anyone rebuilding a home or painting a school and they will tell you they are working hard. Watch them a while, and you’ll see differences in performance that don’t necessarily depend on age, experience or ability. People believe they are working hard as long as they are working harder than they usually do. By the end of a lengthy service project, many people – young people in particular – have their eyes opened to the difference between what they think is hard work (based on past experience) and what is actually hard work.
Persistence is similar. Many of us think we are persistent, but crumple in the face of real resistance. In Luke 9, Jesus advises his disciples to be persistent in their faith. He says a neighbor woken in the middle of the night by a knock on the door does not respond out of an inner sense of charity, but because the knocker is persistent. Jesus isn’t telling us to pester God into submission, but that true persistence can accomplish what appeals to good nature may not. How often do we hear someone claim something was meant to be or not meant to be because it was or wasn’t convenient? How many dreams are abandoned because of a lack of persistence? How many poor decisions are based on expedience? Important things – building a career, raising a child, achieving social justice – require persistence. More than that, they require us to examine whether we are actually persistent, or whether we merely think we are.
On the other hand, let’s not confuse being persistent with being stubborn. When we follow urgings of the Spirit despite resistance, we are persistent. When we grow deaf to the Spirit and insist on our own way, we are stubborn. Persistence is the fulcrum that balances complacency and obstinacy. To achieve this balance, this practice of discernment, we must yoke persistence with prayer. As we grow in faith, what we thought was tremendous persistence yesterday may be a fraction of what we need for tomorrow. Or we may realize that while we’ve been knocking, what we need to ask for has changed. No matter the outcome, a healthy persistence leaves us knowing we’ve done what we were called to do.
Comfort: Success not yet achieved is not the same as failure.
Challenge: List some dreams you’ve let go. Is it time to pick one up?
Prayer: Holy God, strengthen me when my flesh is weaker than my spirit.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Discussion question: When has persistence paid off for you? (please comment)
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Long Game
Today's readings: Ps 97, 145; Deut 8:1-10; James 1:1-15; Luke 9:18-27
Great coaches do not hang their hopes or reputation on any single game, tournament, or season. They focus on long-term goals for the team and the program. Many fans and players who prefer the gratification of short-term results can quickly become disgruntled. No one likes to see their team lose. No player likes to sit the bench, especially a former star in high school, college or the minors. Despite complaints, good coaches stick to the strategy, put in players who won’t put their own egos ahead of the team’s needs, and patiently mold a team into its optimal form,
God also plays a long game – the longest. As the Israelites entered the Promised Land after forty years of wandering the wilderness, Moses explained how their trials had prepared them. Their faith was tested, and refined when found lacking. As their endurance was pushed to its limits, they became a people who could face adversity and come out the other side. No matter how much they complained during the process, God forcefully but lovingly stuck to the program for the benefit of the people as a whole. In the end they learned the problem was not the program, but their ability to accept and live it.
Under the best circumstances, people appreciate great coaches. Under the worst, they replace them with someone who promises more immediate results. Like the golden calf worshipped by the Israelites while Moses was on the mountain, cheap substitutes satisfy the present urge, but fail to build character that sustains the team for the long haul.
Jesus certainly understood the importance of long range planning. When Peter admitted he thought Jesus was the Christ (Luke 9:20), Jesus told him to keep that information under wraps until all that needed to happen had happened. Events might have unfolded very differently if the Jewish authorities had believed Jesus was the messiah – different in ways that could have been easier on him – but he chose to stick with the program.
A good program adapts to the needs of the team, while simultaneously moving each team member closer to the goal. God can work similarly in our lives – if we are open to the program. Let’s come ready to play.
Comfort: Waiting is not the same as doing nothing.
Challenge: Write down some long range goals. Revisit them regularly.
Prayer: God, thank you for your patience and guidance when I wander.
Evening readings: Ps 124, 115
Discussion question: When are you tempted to take shortcuts in life? (please comment)
Great coaches do not hang their hopes or reputation on any single game, tournament, or season. They focus on long-term goals for the team and the program. Many fans and players who prefer the gratification of short-term results can quickly become disgruntled. No one likes to see their team lose. No player likes to sit the bench, especially a former star in high school, college or the minors. Despite complaints, good coaches stick to the strategy, put in players who won’t put their own egos ahead of the team’s needs, and patiently mold a team into its optimal form,
God also plays a long game – the longest. As the Israelites entered the Promised Land after forty years of wandering the wilderness, Moses explained how their trials had prepared them. Their faith was tested, and refined when found lacking. As their endurance was pushed to its limits, they became a people who could face adversity and come out the other side. No matter how much they complained during the process, God forcefully but lovingly stuck to the program for the benefit of the people as a whole. In the end they learned the problem was not the program, but their ability to accept and live it.
Under the best circumstances, people appreciate great coaches. Under the worst, they replace them with someone who promises more immediate results. Like the golden calf worshipped by the Israelites while Moses was on the mountain, cheap substitutes satisfy the present urge, but fail to build character that sustains the team for the long haul.
Jesus certainly understood the importance of long range planning. When Peter admitted he thought Jesus was the Christ (Luke 9:20), Jesus told him to keep that information under wraps until all that needed to happen had happened. Events might have unfolded very differently if the Jewish authorities had believed Jesus was the messiah – different in ways that could have been easier on him – but he chose to stick with the program.
A good program adapts to the needs of the team, while simultaneously moving each team member closer to the goal. God can work similarly in our lives – if we are open to the program. Let’s come ready to play.
Comfort: Waiting is not the same as doing nothing.
Challenge: Write down some long range goals. Revisit them regularly.
Prayer: God, thank you for your patience and guidance when I wander.
Evening readings: Ps 124, 115
Discussion question: When are you tempted to take shortcuts in life? (please comment)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
But where did you get the bootstraps?
Today's readings: Ps 98, 146; Jer 32:16-25; Rom. 12:1-21; Luke 8:1-15
Have you ever made a promise to God? Many of us have, often in the context of a negotiation: “Dear God, if you only grant [fill in the blank]… I promise to never/always [fill in the second blank].” Are we able to keep such promises? Sometimes, but not always. In retrospect, we may realize we were foolish to make them in the first place. God knows we can be weak when it comes to keeping promises or holding up our end of a deal.
In today’s reading, Jeremiah tells the story of how the Israelites lost the land given to them by God when they forgot God and lived sinfully – in other words, when they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. The nature of this story is so timeless as to be clichéd. How often do we hear about “self-made” athletes, entertainers or politicians who achieve success, only to forget their humble beginnings? And how often do these stories end with a fall from grace when the successful lose perspective? How frequently have we pleaded with God to deliver us – only to insist on our own way once things improve? When times are good do we, like the Israelites, forget the God who provides for us and return to the old ways that caused us trouble in the first place? When it’s no longer convenient, do we neglect our responsibilities to follow our own desires?
In Romans, Paul warns us not to overestimate our own wisdom (12:16). He is speaking about comparing ourselves to others, but it is good advice in many situations. When times are good, let’s not be so foolish as to think we have earned something others have not, and when times are bad let’s not rely solely on our own resources to get out of trouble. We learn from the Israelites that such attitudes can turn good situations to bad, and bad to worse. Our efforts count, but not for everything.
Promises do not help us convince God to act one way or another, and failing to meet promises – even with the best intentions – damages our character. Relying on promises is a way of telling God what to do – of relying on our own wisdom. Instead let’s seek God’s will in all circumstances, and live as if we’ve promised to make our lives a holy and living sacrifice (Rom 12:1).
Comfort: We have greater resources than our own thoughts.
Challenge: Meditate on promises you have kept… and broken.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for being constant when I am not.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Discussion question: When have you succeeded or failed in doing your part? How did it affect your sense of self? (please comment)
Have you ever made a promise to God? Many of us have, often in the context of a negotiation: “Dear God, if you only grant [fill in the blank]… I promise to never/always [fill in the second blank].” Are we able to keep such promises? Sometimes, but not always. In retrospect, we may realize we were foolish to make them in the first place. God knows we can be weak when it comes to keeping promises or holding up our end of a deal.
In today’s reading, Jeremiah tells the story of how the Israelites lost the land given to them by God when they forgot God and lived sinfully – in other words, when they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. The nature of this story is so timeless as to be clichéd. How often do we hear about “self-made” athletes, entertainers or politicians who achieve success, only to forget their humble beginnings? And how often do these stories end with a fall from grace when the successful lose perspective? How frequently have we pleaded with God to deliver us – only to insist on our own way once things improve? When times are good do we, like the Israelites, forget the God who provides for us and return to the old ways that caused us trouble in the first place? When it’s no longer convenient, do we neglect our responsibilities to follow our own desires?
In Romans, Paul warns us not to overestimate our own wisdom (12:16). He is speaking about comparing ourselves to others, but it is good advice in many situations. When times are good, let’s not be so foolish as to think we have earned something others have not, and when times are bad let’s not rely solely on our own resources to get out of trouble. We learn from the Israelites that such attitudes can turn good situations to bad, and bad to worse. Our efforts count, but not for everything.
Promises do not help us convince God to act one way or another, and failing to meet promises – even with the best intentions – damages our character. Relying on promises is a way of telling God what to do – of relying on our own wisdom. Instead let’s seek God’s will in all circumstances, and live as if we’ve promised to make our lives a holy and living sacrifice (Rom 12:1).
Comfort: We have greater resources than our own thoughts.
Challenge: Meditate on promises you have kept… and broken.
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for being constant when I am not.
Evening readings: Ps 66, 116
Discussion question: When have you succeeded or failed in doing your part? How did it affect your sense of self? (please comment)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Use Me
Today's readings: Ps 96, 148; Jer 31:1-14; Col 2:8-23; Luke 7:1-17
Today in Luke we read two short healing stories. Luke offers us many healing stories, but these two have particular lessons for us. Unlike the stories where a faithful woman touches Jesus’ garment (8:40-47), or a blind beggar calls out to him (18:25-42), the characters in today’s story are healed because of Jesus’ work through others
A Roman centurion who was too humbled to petition Jesus directly on behalf of a beloved servant. Instead, he sent Jewish elders and then friends to tell Jesus he had faith that if Jesus willed it, the servant would be healed; he didn’t need to impose a face-to-face meeting. When we pray or intercede for others, are we as wise and humble as the centurion? When we see an ailing co-worker, or a friend in a bad marriage, are we tempted to “fix” things? If so, we may think we need to pray or work hard enough to “convince” God to act. The truth is none of us can fix anyone else, and God will act as God will. Like the centurion and his friends, often the best we can do is to stand ready to let God use us. This is not a passive state – it is a decision to trust and to be open to possibility.
Jesus encountered a widow grieving her only son. His heart went out to the woman, and he commanded the son to rise from his funeral bier. Compassion is a powerful tool for God to use in the world. We may be unlikely to witness someone raised from the dead, but even in our greatest grief, God’s presence can spark new life. Consider John and Reve Walsh who, after the murder of their son Adam, founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Compassion both for the Walshes and from them made such an endeavor possible.
So are we to jump from cause to cause and expect miraculous results from every prayer dashed off on our way to the next one? Of course not. Such a life would be shallow and ultimately frustrating. But we learn from the centurion and the widow that we may knowingly or unknowingly become God’s instruments for someone else’s healing. Our faith life does not unfold in just our own lives, but in the lives of those around us. Let’s be alert and open to the time God chooses us to bring others to new life.
Comfort: God’s compassion is boundless.
Challenge: Pray for God to open your eyes to needs you might address.
Prayer: God of Freedom, thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Evening readings: Ps 49, 138
Discussion Question: When do you feel has God used you in someone's life, or used someone else in yours? (please comment)
Today in Luke we read two short healing stories. Luke offers us many healing stories, but these two have particular lessons for us. Unlike the stories where a faithful woman touches Jesus’ garment (8:40-47), or a blind beggar calls out to him (18:25-42), the characters in today’s story are healed because of Jesus’ work through others
A Roman centurion who was too humbled to petition Jesus directly on behalf of a beloved servant. Instead, he sent Jewish elders and then friends to tell Jesus he had faith that if Jesus willed it, the servant would be healed; he didn’t need to impose a face-to-face meeting. When we pray or intercede for others, are we as wise and humble as the centurion? When we see an ailing co-worker, or a friend in a bad marriage, are we tempted to “fix” things? If so, we may think we need to pray or work hard enough to “convince” God to act. The truth is none of us can fix anyone else, and God will act as God will. Like the centurion and his friends, often the best we can do is to stand ready to let God use us. This is not a passive state – it is a decision to trust and to be open to possibility.
Jesus encountered a widow grieving her only son. His heart went out to the woman, and he commanded the son to rise from his funeral bier. Compassion is a powerful tool for God to use in the world. We may be unlikely to witness someone raised from the dead, but even in our greatest grief, God’s presence can spark new life. Consider John and Reve Walsh who, after the murder of their son Adam, founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Compassion both for the Walshes and from them made such an endeavor possible.
So are we to jump from cause to cause and expect miraculous results from every prayer dashed off on our way to the next one? Of course not. Such a life would be shallow and ultimately frustrating. But we learn from the centurion and the widow that we may knowingly or unknowingly become God’s instruments for someone else’s healing. Our faith life does not unfold in just our own lives, but in the lives of those around us. Let’s be alert and open to the time God chooses us to bring others to new life.
Comfort: God’s compassion is boundless.
Challenge: Pray for God to open your eyes to needs you might address.
Prayer: God of Freedom, thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Evening readings: Ps 49, 138
Discussion Question: When do you feel has God used you in someone's life, or used someone else in yours? (please comment)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Is God speaking your language?
Today's readings: Ps 47, 14712-20; Jer 31:1-14; Col 2:8-23; Luke 6:39-49
The United Church of Christ (UCC) offers a promotional campaign featuring the slogan: “God is still speaking.” This campaign is controversial, because many Christians who identify themselves as “Bible-believing” are not comfortable with the idea that the Bible is not the complete and solitary source of God’s truth. But what if God is not saying new things, but old things in new ways?
For many people, the King James Bible – deliberately written in language archaic even for its time – has associated Biblical language with “smite,” “begat” and “yea, verily.” Biblical imagery is replete with ancient animal husbandry practices, arcane measurements (“What’s a cubit?” Bill Cosby asks in his famous Noah routine) and cultures which simply no longer exist. But Biblical texts were written to be understood. The Hebrew texts were transmitted orally, which meant the language needed to be memorable and accessible. And what good could a prophet do if his listeners couldn’t identify with his language? Biblical authors did not let language get in the way of understanding, and neither should we.
When Jeremiah tells the Israelites they will once again plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria (v. 5), he is telling people God restores them to wholeness. A contemporary example might be the end of apartheid and reparations in South Africa. When Paul wrote of the “uncircumcision of the flesh” (v. 13) he didn’t need to explain the meaning to his audience. Today we typically use more gender-inclusive imagery about the faithful. When Jesus told his listeners “People don’t pick figs from thorn bushes” (v. 44) he was speaking to people who actually picked figs. If he spoke to U.S. citizens today, maybe he would speak of raspberries and poison ivy.
The point is, God wants to be heard, in whatever ways we might be open to hearing. If we are really to see Christ in others, our vision can’t be limited to a book. If we want to speak Christ to others, we can’t do it with words we wouldn’t use ourselves. We don’t want to study or create poor translations that betray the spirit of the Gospel just to be modern or politically correct, but we don’t want to reflexively reject the modern either. The living God speaks to us through living languages – and living people.
Comfort: Anyone can hear God.
Challenge: Read a scripture translation you haven’t read before.
Prayer: God of freedom, thanks for the many ways you can be heard.
Evening readings: Ps 68, 113
Discussion question: How do you feel God speaks to you? (Please comment)
The United Church of Christ (UCC) offers a promotional campaign featuring the slogan: “God is still speaking.” This campaign is controversial, because many Christians who identify themselves as “Bible-believing” are not comfortable with the idea that the Bible is not the complete and solitary source of God’s truth. But what if God is not saying new things, but old things in new ways?
For many people, the King James Bible – deliberately written in language archaic even for its time – has associated Biblical language with “smite,” “begat” and “yea, verily.” Biblical imagery is replete with ancient animal husbandry practices, arcane measurements (“What’s a cubit?” Bill Cosby asks in his famous Noah routine) and cultures which simply no longer exist. But Biblical texts were written to be understood. The Hebrew texts were transmitted orally, which meant the language needed to be memorable and accessible. And what good could a prophet do if his listeners couldn’t identify with his language? Biblical authors did not let language get in the way of understanding, and neither should we.
When Jeremiah tells the Israelites they will once again plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria (v. 5), he is telling people God restores them to wholeness. A contemporary example might be the end of apartheid and reparations in South Africa. When Paul wrote of the “uncircumcision of the flesh” (v. 13) he didn’t need to explain the meaning to his audience. Today we typically use more gender-inclusive imagery about the faithful. When Jesus told his listeners “People don’t pick figs from thorn bushes” (v. 44) he was speaking to people who actually picked figs. If he spoke to U.S. citizens today, maybe he would speak of raspberries and poison ivy.
The point is, God wants to be heard, in whatever ways we might be open to hearing. If we are really to see Christ in others, our vision can’t be limited to a book. If we want to speak Christ to others, we can’t do it with words we wouldn’t use ourselves. We don’t want to study or create poor translations that betray the spirit of the Gospel just to be modern or politically correct, but we don’t want to reflexively reject the modern either. The living God speaks to us through living languages – and living people.
Comfort: Anyone can hear God.
Challenge: Read a scripture translation you haven’t read before.
Prayer: God of freedom, thanks for the many ways you can be heard.
Evening readings: Ps 68, 113
Discussion question: How do you feel God speaks to you? (Please comment)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Favor or failure?
Today's readings: Ps 98, 144; Jer 30:10-17; Col 1:15-23; Luke 6:12-26
Jeremiah is a complex book containing poems, history and prophecies from multiple authors. It does not tell a linear story, but describes the experience of a people whose faith in a protective God is strained to breaking when enemies defeat and enslave them. Jeremiah alternately claims Judah’s people have been wicked and lost God’s favor, and also that God loves and will save them. The end result, rather than painting a clear picture of their relationship with God, reflects their confusion and search for answers.
Today’s psalms also show us a God who both punishes and rescues the same people. For the Israelites, everything from harvests to the outcome of battle was assumed to be a result of God’s favor or displeasure. This view seems simplistic, but it complicates and even makes contradictory our relationship with God. Unless one is a prophet (and so few of us are!), such a belief structure makes it hard to determine whether we are in the middle of a punishment or a deliverance.
Yet many self-styled prophets are quick to blame personal and public disasters on God’s disfavor. Hurricane Katrina, tsunami’s in Haiti, an uncontrollable child: one doesn’t have to wait long or look hard for a preacher who blames specific “sinners.” And while the world is indeed broken in ways that need to be named and addressed, those who speak with eagerness and certitude about the people God is punishing never seem to consider their own sins might bring about such action. On the contrary, they often point to their own prosperity as a sign of favor.
Jesus’ words in Luke turn that notion upside down. He calls the blessed poor, hungry and mournful. The mirthful rich are the ones in trouble. So what are we to do? If the state of our pocketbooks and bellies doesn’t tell us whether we are living according to God’s plan, what does? Jesus calls us to be loving people no matter our external state. He assures us God always loves us, and is with us through both sorrows and joys. A godly life is constant in its humility and charity regardless of fortune. Living such a life renders the question of God’s favor pointless.
Comfort: God’s love for us is constant.
Challenge: Think of the times you’ve asked “Why me?”
Prayer: God of freedom, thank you for your constancy.
Evening reading: Ps 9, 118
Discussion question: At what moments in your life have you felt rewarded or punished by God? Has time changed your understanding of these moments? (Please comment)
Jeremiah is a complex book containing poems, history and prophecies from multiple authors. It does not tell a linear story, but describes the experience of a people whose faith in a protective God is strained to breaking when enemies defeat and enslave them. Jeremiah alternately claims Judah’s people have been wicked and lost God’s favor, and also that God loves and will save them. The end result, rather than painting a clear picture of their relationship with God, reflects their confusion and search for answers.
Today’s psalms also show us a God who both punishes and rescues the same people. For the Israelites, everything from harvests to the outcome of battle was assumed to be a result of God’s favor or displeasure. This view seems simplistic, but it complicates and even makes contradictory our relationship with God. Unless one is a prophet (and so few of us are!), such a belief structure makes it hard to determine whether we are in the middle of a punishment or a deliverance.
Yet many self-styled prophets are quick to blame personal and public disasters on God’s disfavor. Hurricane Katrina, tsunami’s in Haiti, an uncontrollable child: one doesn’t have to wait long or look hard for a preacher who blames specific “sinners.” And while the world is indeed broken in ways that need to be named and addressed, those who speak with eagerness and certitude about the people God is punishing never seem to consider their own sins might bring about such action. On the contrary, they often point to their own prosperity as a sign of favor.
Jesus’ words in Luke turn that notion upside down. He calls the blessed poor, hungry and mournful. The mirthful rich are the ones in trouble. So what are we to do? If the state of our pocketbooks and bellies doesn’t tell us whether we are living according to God’s plan, what does? Jesus calls us to be loving people no matter our external state. He assures us God always loves us, and is with us through both sorrows and joys. A godly life is constant in its humility and charity regardless of fortune. Living such a life renders the question of God’s favor pointless.
Comfort: God’s love for us is constant.
Challenge: Think of the times you’ve asked “Why me?”
Prayer: God of freedom, thank you for your constancy.
Evening reading: Ps 9, 118
Discussion question: At what moments in your life have you felt rewarded or punished by God? Has time changed your understanding of these moments? (Please comment)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Overcoming Biblical Slavery
Today's readings: Ps 56, 149; Isa 66:1-6; 1 Tim 6:1-21; Mark 12:35-44
Today’s selection from Timothy is another example of the Lectionary skipping or making optional an “objectionable” section of the biblical text. Specifically, it omits 6:1-5, which contains instructions for slaves to respect their masters so others won’t find an opportunity to bad-mouth the faith. We may find such passages uncomfortable or embarrassing, and understandably so. But we must confront them head-on and place them in context or we provide an opportunity for others to mock the faith.
First, we must understand biblical descriptions of cultural practices are not the same thing as endorsements. Slavery was a reality of the time, and the faith unfolded in its presence. When the Bible denounces cultural practices, it almost always does so to prevent the assimilation of pagan practices which might dilute the faith. Sadly, slavery existed among Jews and Christians and did not present a cultural threat.
Second, especially when we read the epistles, we must remember the Bible includes opinion, allegory, myth, poetry and parable. Even the books that are meant to be historical contain the same biases as any history text: the “winners” get to tell the story. The books that made the “final cut” did so because they have specific messages to convey. The author of 1 Timothy was concerned about how Christians comported themselves, not about the morality of slavery.
Third, we shouldn’t try to “explain away” the objectionable passages. Slavery is wrong, and the Bible does not say so. However, the abolition of slavery in England, America and other countries was driven by a specifically Christian agenda, in direct opposition to those who used the Bible to justify slavery. Rather than making excuses that fit our present sensibilities, we should embrace the idea that the faith continues to grow and evolve, and that God still shows us new ways to build his kingdom.
Slavery is just one example of how the Christian faith has matured beyond accepted social conventions. Biblical justification of any type of oppression has invariably been on the wrong side of history. On the other hand, faith helped end slavery and promote civil rights. If we use our faith to oppress, silence or exclude, what side are we on?
Comfort: God always moves us toward freedom and love.
Challenge: Ask yourself which of your beliefs might need challenged.
Prayer: God of Strength, give me conviction to correct my own thinking.
Evening reading: Ps 118, 111
Today’s selection from Timothy is another example of the Lectionary skipping or making optional an “objectionable” section of the biblical text. Specifically, it omits 6:1-5, which contains instructions for slaves to respect their masters so others won’t find an opportunity to bad-mouth the faith. We may find such passages uncomfortable or embarrassing, and understandably so. But we must confront them head-on and place them in context or we provide an opportunity for others to mock the faith.
First, we must understand biblical descriptions of cultural practices are not the same thing as endorsements. Slavery was a reality of the time, and the faith unfolded in its presence. When the Bible denounces cultural practices, it almost always does so to prevent the assimilation of pagan practices which might dilute the faith. Sadly, slavery existed among Jews and Christians and did not present a cultural threat.
Second, especially when we read the epistles, we must remember the Bible includes opinion, allegory, myth, poetry and parable. Even the books that are meant to be historical contain the same biases as any history text: the “winners” get to tell the story. The books that made the “final cut” did so because they have specific messages to convey. The author of 1 Timothy was concerned about how Christians comported themselves, not about the morality of slavery.
Third, we shouldn’t try to “explain away” the objectionable passages. Slavery is wrong, and the Bible does not say so. However, the abolition of slavery in England, America and other countries was driven by a specifically Christian agenda, in direct opposition to those who used the Bible to justify slavery. Rather than making excuses that fit our present sensibilities, we should embrace the idea that the faith continues to grow and evolve, and that God still shows us new ways to build his kingdom.
Slavery is just one example of how the Christian faith has matured beyond accepted social conventions. Biblical justification of any type of oppression has invariably been on the wrong side of history. On the other hand, faith helped end slavery and promote civil rights. If we use our faith to oppress, silence or exclude, what side are we on?
Comfort: God always moves us toward freedom and love.
Challenge: Ask yourself which of your beliefs might need challenged.
Prayer: God of Strength, give me conviction to correct my own thinking.
Evening reading: Ps 118, 111
Friday, February 18, 2011
Our Neighbors, Ourselves
Today's readings: Ps 130, 148; Isa 65:17-25; 1 Tim 5:17-22; Mark 12:28-34
When the Jewish scribes asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, he replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). He also volunteered the second most important: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (v 31). The scribes hadn’t asked him for the top two, so he must have felt very strongly about how we love our neighbors. We should note that in this statement is an implicit assumption that we do indeed love ourselves. As Christians, we are not always comfortable expressing a healthy love of self.
When we proclaim “I love my neighbor!” most people approve that sentiment. However, if we proclaim just as boldly “I love myself!” we can expect considerably less enthusiasm. But if God wants us to love our neighbors extravagantly, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, doesn’t logic say God wants us to love ourselves just as extravagantly? God loves us as much as he loves our neighbors. Can we do less?
Sadly, overt love of self is often mistaken for pride. We are allowed to celebrate the gifts and talents of others, but we are expected to be demure – often unnecessarily so – about our own. Why wouldn’t we celebrate the gifts, talents and traits our Creator has bestowed upon us? Certainly we don’t want to boast or elevate ourselves above others, but neither do we want to engage in the kind of self-talk that tells us we are less worthy, less beautiful or less loved in our creator’s eyes than is anyone else. Quite the opposite: if we are to love others as God expects us to, we must understand what it is to be loved.
Sometimes loving ourselves means being honest about our own shortcomings, but doing so in a way that builds us up rather than tears us down. For instance, if we need to make changes to improve our health we don’t do it by telling ourselves how terrible we are, but by recognizing our bodies are beautiful gifts from God that deserve the proper care and maintenance. Loving ourselves means unashamedly appreciating the gifts we have, and doing our best to honor and tend them.
Comfort: God wants us to love ourselves, because God loves us.
Challenge: Make a list of qualities you like about yourself.
Prayer: God of Strength, thank you for all my gifts.
Evening readings: Ps 32, 139
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 56, 149; Isa 66:1-6; 1 Tim 6:6-21; Mark 12:35-44
When the Jewish scribes asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, he replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). He also volunteered the second most important: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (v 31). The scribes hadn’t asked him for the top two, so he must have felt very strongly about how we love our neighbors. We should note that in this statement is an implicit assumption that we do indeed love ourselves. As Christians, we are not always comfortable expressing a healthy love of self.
When we proclaim “I love my neighbor!” most people approve that sentiment. However, if we proclaim just as boldly “I love myself!” we can expect considerably less enthusiasm. But if God wants us to love our neighbors extravagantly, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, doesn’t logic say God wants us to love ourselves just as extravagantly? God loves us as much as he loves our neighbors. Can we do less?
Sadly, overt love of self is often mistaken for pride. We are allowed to celebrate the gifts and talents of others, but we are expected to be demure – often unnecessarily so – about our own. Why wouldn’t we celebrate the gifts, talents and traits our Creator has bestowed upon us? Certainly we don’t want to boast or elevate ourselves above others, but neither do we want to engage in the kind of self-talk that tells us we are less worthy, less beautiful or less loved in our creator’s eyes than is anyone else. Quite the opposite: if we are to love others as God expects us to, we must understand what it is to be loved.
Sometimes loving ourselves means being honest about our own shortcomings, but doing so in a way that builds us up rather than tears us down. For instance, if we need to make changes to improve our health we don’t do it by telling ourselves how terrible we are, but by recognizing our bodies are beautiful gifts from God that deserve the proper care and maintenance. Loving ourselves means unashamedly appreciating the gifts we have, and doing our best to honor and tend them.
Comfort: God wants us to love ourselves, because God loves us.
Challenge: Make a list of qualities you like about yourself.
Prayer: God of Strength, thank you for all my gifts.
Evening readings: Ps 32, 139
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 56, 149; Isa 66:1-6; 1 Tim 6:6-21; Mark 12:35-44
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Spiritual Exercise
Today's readings: Ps 36, 147:12-20; Isa 65:1-12; 1 Tim 4:1-16; Mark 12:13-27
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul encourages the disciples to “train yourselves in Godliness” (4:7a). The Greek word translated as “train” is also the word for physical exercise. Like physical health, spiritual health is something we can improve with the proper nourishment and exercise.
A good doctor steers people away from fad diets and workout regimens that promise much and deliver little – or even cause damage. As our spiritual doctor, Paul warns the disciples to avoid fads like asceticism and celibacy which distract from true spiritual well-being. Instead he prescribes the basics of scripture, teaching and conduct that will nourish them best. Today we need to be just as careful to avoid trendy practices and beliefs that distract us from what we really need to do. Just as there is no magic belt that will melt away love handles in your sleep, there is no substitute for regular spiritual discipline.
Spiritual fitness has other similarities to physical fitness. Both result in incremental improvements over extended periods of time. As one-time (or even one-time-a-month) trips to the gym won’t turn your arms into steel bands, neither will isolated or sporadic instances of prayer or other disciplines develop your spiritual muscles. Furthermore, exercise of either variety is performed to develop strength and endurance. No one who begins a marathon without first putting in the proper time to train will make it to the end, and no one who waits until a crisis to pray is likely to endure spiritually. We exercise not for what we need today, but for what we hope to accomplish in the future.
Finally, we must exercise for the right reasons. Wanting to look good for others is a bad motivator for working out, and rarely leads to sustained success. Practicing spiritual disciplines to impress others or to get God to love you more are also poor motivators. Others don’t matter, and God already loves you as much as He ever will. Diet and physical exercise are about developing healthy relationships with our bodies, and spiritual exercise and discipline are about health relationships with God.
Comfort: Spiritual health, like a marathon, begins with a single step.
Challenge: Find a spiritual discipline (prayer, meditation, scripture, etc.) that works for you, and practice it regularly.
Prayer: God of strength, I dedicate myself to spiritual health.
Evening readings: Ps 80, 27
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 130, 148; Isa 65:17-25; 1 Tim 5:1-25; Mark 12:28-34
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul encourages the disciples to “train yourselves in Godliness” (4:7a). The Greek word translated as “train” is also the word for physical exercise. Like physical health, spiritual health is something we can improve with the proper nourishment and exercise.
A good doctor steers people away from fad diets and workout regimens that promise much and deliver little – or even cause damage. As our spiritual doctor, Paul warns the disciples to avoid fads like asceticism and celibacy which distract from true spiritual well-being. Instead he prescribes the basics of scripture, teaching and conduct that will nourish them best. Today we need to be just as careful to avoid trendy practices and beliefs that distract us from what we really need to do. Just as there is no magic belt that will melt away love handles in your sleep, there is no substitute for regular spiritual discipline.
Spiritual fitness has other similarities to physical fitness. Both result in incremental improvements over extended periods of time. As one-time (or even one-time-a-month) trips to the gym won’t turn your arms into steel bands, neither will isolated or sporadic instances of prayer or other disciplines develop your spiritual muscles. Furthermore, exercise of either variety is performed to develop strength and endurance. No one who begins a marathon without first putting in the proper time to train will make it to the end, and no one who waits until a crisis to pray is likely to endure spiritually. We exercise not for what we need today, but for what we hope to accomplish in the future.
Finally, we must exercise for the right reasons. Wanting to look good for others is a bad motivator for working out, and rarely leads to sustained success. Practicing spiritual disciplines to impress others or to get God to love you more are also poor motivators. Others don’t matter, and God already loves you as much as He ever will. Diet and physical exercise are about developing healthy relationships with our bodies, and spiritual exercise and discipline are about health relationships with God.
Comfort: Spiritual health, like a marathon, begins with a single step.
Challenge: Find a spiritual discipline (prayer, meditation, scripture, etc.) that works for you, and practice it regularly.
Prayer: God of strength, I dedicate myself to spiritual health.
Evening readings: Ps 80, 27
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 130, 148; Isa 65:17-25; 1 Tim 5:1-25; Mark 12:28-34
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Barnacle-Free Faith
Today's readings: Ps 12, 146; Isa 52:1-12; Gal 4:12-20; Mark 8;1-10
One trait of an effective movement, whether religious or secular, is an ability to stay focused. Unfortunately, the older and larger a movement grows, the more likely it is to lose focus. We need look only as far as the church to see a primary example. Early Christians were focused around the idea that Jesus was the savior, and through him all sin was forgiven. They had de facto leaders but no real bureaucracy, and were more focused on freedom and restriction. Is that what the church looks like today? Can we imagine Peter poring over building use policy revisions, or Paul reading the latest theories on why you should have one third more seats than you do members? These activities aren’t wrong in and of themselves, but if we’re not careful we may start thinking and behaving as if the point of church is to perpetuate church, rather than to serve God.
One of Paul’s purposes in writing to the Galatians was to encourage them to return to the basics of the faith. Like present-day churches, the simple ideas and practices that bound them as a community began to accrete individual and cultural restrictions. Like barnacles on a ship – sometimes known as fouling organisms – these additions adversely impacted the effectiveness and structure of the church. Paul told the Galatians they needed to scrape off “fouling” ideas, particularly a return to justification through the Law (via circumcision) rather than through Christ. Today’s church is just as prone to fouling ideas. Most of the time we can recognize them because they separate us from each other or the world around us. Any time we decide someone who professes dedication to Christ is not a “real” Christian because their denomination, practices, or identity don’t fit our mold, we are probably victims of fouled faith. People have been petty enough to create rifts because someone brought the “wrong” kind of bread for communion. As Christians, we are called to rise above such trivialities and unite rather than divide.
Faith is not always simple, but let’s resist the temptation to complicate it unnecessarily. If we focus on Christ, the barnacles on our faith fall away.
Comfort: Christ is the lens that focuses our faith.
Challenge: What barnacles have you accumulated? Scrape them off.
Prayer: God of Abundance, I will keep my eye on Christ.
Evening readings: Ps 36, 7
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 96, 147:1–11; ; Isa 52:13—53:12; Gal 4:21–31; Mark 8:11–26
One trait of an effective movement, whether religious or secular, is an ability to stay focused. Unfortunately, the older and larger a movement grows, the more likely it is to lose focus. We need look only as far as the church to see a primary example. Early Christians were focused around the idea that Jesus was the savior, and through him all sin was forgiven. They had de facto leaders but no real bureaucracy, and were more focused on freedom and restriction. Is that what the church looks like today? Can we imagine Peter poring over building use policy revisions, or Paul reading the latest theories on why you should have one third more seats than you do members? These activities aren’t wrong in and of themselves, but if we’re not careful we may start thinking and behaving as if the point of church is to perpetuate church, rather than to serve God.
One of Paul’s purposes in writing to the Galatians was to encourage them to return to the basics of the faith. Like present-day churches, the simple ideas and practices that bound them as a community began to accrete individual and cultural restrictions. Like barnacles on a ship – sometimes known as fouling organisms – these additions adversely impacted the effectiveness and structure of the church. Paul told the Galatians they needed to scrape off “fouling” ideas, particularly a return to justification through the Law (via circumcision) rather than through Christ. Today’s church is just as prone to fouling ideas. Most of the time we can recognize them because they separate us from each other or the world around us. Any time we decide someone who professes dedication to Christ is not a “real” Christian because their denomination, practices, or identity don’t fit our mold, we are probably victims of fouled faith. People have been petty enough to create rifts because someone brought the “wrong” kind of bread for communion. As Christians, we are called to rise above such trivialities and unite rather than divide.
Faith is not always simple, but let’s resist the temptation to complicate it unnecessarily. If we focus on Christ, the barnacles on our faith fall away.
Comfort: Christ is the lens that focuses our faith.
Challenge: What barnacles have you accumulated? Scrape them off.
Prayer: God of Abundance, I will keep my eye on Christ.
Evening readings: Ps 36, 7
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 96, 147:1–11; ; Isa 52:13—53:12; Gal 4:21–31; Mark 8:11–26
Monday, January 31, 2011
Who do you trust?
Today's readings: Ps 62, 145; Isa 51:17-23; Gal 4:1-11; Mark 7:24-37
Trust is an essential component of faith. Who (or what) we trust reveals where our true faith lies. We can easily say and believe we trust God, but when pressed, do we turn to God… or to something else? In this current recession, do we grow more generous in response to the increased needs of others, or do we cling more tightly to what we have? Do we trust our savior or our financial advisor? Psalm 62 warns us not to trust in increased riches (v 10), but we often place practicality above generosity.
Even Jesus needed reminders that living a life of abundance means not hoarding resources, even spiritual ones. When a Syrophoenician woman asked him to heal her demon-possessed daughter, he responded by saying it wasn’t fair to throw the children’s food to the dogs (Mark 7:27). The children were the Jewish people, and the dogs – a very pejorative term in his culture – were the Gentiles. When the woman reminded him even the dogs got the crumbs that fell on the floor (v 28), he relented and healed her daughter. In that moment, Jesus displayed a trust in an abundant God that was deeper than his understanding of his mission among the Jews. Do we trust God’s abundance enough to be open to those who are strangers or even foes to us, or does our self-defined sense of mission limit what God can accomplish through us?
Sometimes we need to undergo some self-examination to understand where we place our trust. Paul reminds the Galatians that a person who places his or her trust in anything other than God becomes enslaved to that thing. In the case of the Galatians he may have been speaking of the Law or of lesser spiritual beings. Today we may cling to the law instead of love, or make idols of creeds or ideas. We may define ourselves by our looks, popularity, intelligence, wealth or any number of things which are impermanent at best, instead of by our relationship with God. If we lost any of these – or all of them! – tomorrow, we would still have God. What things are we enslaved to; that is, what unworthy things divert our trust from God? Let’s trust God now, so we have nothing to regret later.
Comfort: When everyone and everything are gone, God remains.
Challenge: Meditate on what you really trust. When you begin to fear or worry, remind yourself to trust God.
Prayer: God of abundance, I place my trust in You.
Evening readings: Ps 73, 9
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 12, 146; Isa 52:1-12; Gal 4:12-20; Mark 8:1-10
Trust is an essential component of faith. Who (or what) we trust reveals where our true faith lies. We can easily say and believe we trust God, but when pressed, do we turn to God… or to something else? In this current recession, do we grow more generous in response to the increased needs of others, or do we cling more tightly to what we have? Do we trust our savior or our financial advisor? Psalm 62 warns us not to trust in increased riches (v 10), but we often place practicality above generosity.
Even Jesus needed reminders that living a life of abundance means not hoarding resources, even spiritual ones. When a Syrophoenician woman asked him to heal her demon-possessed daughter, he responded by saying it wasn’t fair to throw the children’s food to the dogs (Mark 7:27). The children were the Jewish people, and the dogs – a very pejorative term in his culture – were the Gentiles. When the woman reminded him even the dogs got the crumbs that fell on the floor (v 28), he relented and healed her daughter. In that moment, Jesus displayed a trust in an abundant God that was deeper than his understanding of his mission among the Jews. Do we trust God’s abundance enough to be open to those who are strangers or even foes to us, or does our self-defined sense of mission limit what God can accomplish through us?
Sometimes we need to undergo some self-examination to understand where we place our trust. Paul reminds the Galatians that a person who places his or her trust in anything other than God becomes enslaved to that thing. In the case of the Galatians he may have been speaking of the Law or of lesser spiritual beings. Today we may cling to the law instead of love, or make idols of creeds or ideas. We may define ourselves by our looks, popularity, intelligence, wealth or any number of things which are impermanent at best, instead of by our relationship with God. If we lost any of these – or all of them! – tomorrow, we would still have God. What things are we enslaved to; that is, what unworthy things divert our trust from God? Let’s trust God now, so we have nothing to regret later.
Comfort: When everyone and everything are gone, God remains.
Challenge: Meditate on what you really trust. When you begin to fear or worry, remind yourself to trust God.
Prayer: God of abundance, I place my trust in You.
Evening readings: Ps 73, 9
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 12, 146; Isa 52:1-12; Gal 4:12-20; Mark 8:1-10
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