Words to Ponder is a weekly post intended to offer you a few...well...words to ponder as you go about your week.
Lessons from a Woodpecker
November 22, 2020 - Kathryn Whitcomb Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Nick and I are savoring a leisurely walk through the retreat center meadow, leaves crunching beneath our feet, autumn colors feasting our eyes, and the calls of birds in the surrounding forest filling our ears. “Cuk-cuk-cuk!” Pleased that I could identify its cries, I tell Nick, “I recognize that bird: it’s a flicker!”
As we continue our stroll, we hear it again: “Cuk-cuk-cuk!” That’s awfully loud for a flicker—it’s as if he’s learned to project his cry with a booming bass voice. And when we hear him pecking on the trees in the woods around us, it resounds powerfully. That must be a really big flicker!
It dawns on me that I might not be as familiar with the flicker’s voice as I thought. Could this be one of his woodpecker relatives? Then we see him fly across our path: huge black wings with distinctive white bars—definitely not a flicker! “Pileated woodpecker” pops into my head. I open my bird app to look at the description: “In flight, look for prominent white underwings.” I listen to recordings of the pileated woodpecker’s calls. It’s a match: a cry that’s like the flicker’s but an octave lower!
Holy Spirit catches my attention. It seems He’s saying, “Learn from this. Don’t assume you already recognize what you’re hearing from Me. Listen a little more. Wait a bit longer. Pay closer attention. There’s more I want to reveal to you. You can’t fully understand if you think you already grasp what you’re hearing.”
The following afternoon, I’m resting on a bench along a forest path at the retreat center. Just sitting. Listening. Observing. Speaking to the Lord in my heart. The flap of wings catches my attention: the pileated woodpecker is back! This time I have a clear vantage point: brilliant red head with a crest that looks like a hairdo from the 50’s, massive beak as big as his head, huge black body the size of a crow. I watch him for ten minutes or more as he hammers away at one tree, then swoops to another to bang on that one. He’s fully exposed, fully revealed.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20 ESV).
If we accept our Savior’s invitation to open the door and take the time to sit down to the table with Him, it’s easier to grasp the fullness of what He’s saying. Similar to the way I sat watching the pileated woodpecker that day in the woods, when we quiet ourselves and linger at the table with Him, Jesus often has more that He wants to reveal to us.
Lord, help us to recognize Your voice as you invite us to open the door and spend some time with you to share a meal, listen to You, and grasp more of what You’re saying to us.
Photo credit: Image by Bryan Hanson from Pixabay
As we continue our stroll, we hear it again: “Cuk-cuk-cuk!” That’s awfully loud for a flicker—it’s as if he’s learned to project his cry with a booming bass voice. And when we hear him pecking on the trees in the woods around us, it resounds powerfully. That must be a really big flicker!
It dawns on me that I might not be as familiar with the flicker’s voice as I thought. Could this be one of his woodpecker relatives? Then we see him fly across our path: huge black wings with distinctive white bars—definitely not a flicker! “Pileated woodpecker” pops into my head. I open my bird app to look at the description: “In flight, look for prominent white underwings.” I listen to recordings of the pileated woodpecker’s calls. It’s a match: a cry that’s like the flicker’s but an octave lower!
Holy Spirit catches my attention. It seems He’s saying, “Learn from this. Don’t assume you already recognize what you’re hearing from Me. Listen a little more. Wait a bit longer. Pay closer attention. There’s more I want to reveal to you. You can’t fully understand if you think you already grasp what you’re hearing.”
The following afternoon, I’m resting on a bench along a forest path at the retreat center. Just sitting. Listening. Observing. Speaking to the Lord in my heart. The flap of wings catches my attention: the pileated woodpecker is back! This time I have a clear vantage point: brilliant red head with a crest that looks like a hairdo from the 50’s, massive beak as big as his head, huge black body the size of a crow. I watch him for ten minutes or more as he hammers away at one tree, then swoops to another to bang on that one. He’s fully exposed, fully revealed.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20 ESV).
If we accept our Savior’s invitation to open the door and take the time to sit down to the table with Him, it’s easier to grasp the fullness of what He’s saying. Similar to the way I sat watching the pileated woodpecker that day in the woods, when we quiet ourselves and linger at the table with Him, Jesus often has more that He wants to reveal to us.
Lord, help us to recognize Your voice as you invite us to open the door and spend some time with you to share a meal, listen to You, and grasp more of what You’re saying to us.
Photo credit: Image by Bryan Hanson from Pixabay
My Rock
November 15, 2020 - Allison Gardner - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Depths of despair
Try to swallow me whole
Leading me down where I
Don’t want to go
Sickness, pain, death
Hearts filled with anger
Pulling so strong
A very real danger
It seems I’m alone
Darkness closing inside
The very breath I need
Only He can supply
So lead me to the Rock
See it rise above the tide
He will never leave me
He will always be my guide
Even as waves
Rush over me still
I will stand on the Rock
My Hope in His will
Powerful and unwavering
Majestic and strong
My Rock rises above
All that seems wrong
He’s steady, unchanging
Firmly planted and secure
In Him will I stand
And through Him, endure
“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NIV).
Father, from the depths of our souls, we cry out to You. Thank you that You always hear, and You make a way for us. Be the solid Rock on which we stake our claims. Let it be so!
Try to swallow me whole
Leading me down where I
Don’t want to go
Sickness, pain, death
Hearts filled with anger
Pulling so strong
A very real danger
It seems I’m alone
Darkness closing inside
The very breath I need
Only He can supply
So lead me to the Rock
See it rise above the tide
He will never leave me
He will always be my guide
Even as waves
Rush over me still
I will stand on the Rock
My Hope in His will
Powerful and unwavering
Majestic and strong
My Rock rises above
All that seems wrong
He’s steady, unchanging
Firmly planted and secure
In Him will I stand
And through Him, endure
“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NIV).
Father, from the depths of our souls, we cry out to You. Thank you that You always hear, and You make a way for us. Be the solid Rock on which we stake our claims. Let it be so!
No One is Alone
October 31, 2020 - Kate Krumreig
Are you a person who remembers dates? Like, specific calendar dates when important and/or memorable things happened in your life? I weirdly remember specific dates for A LOT of things that have happened to me, some of them incredibly joyful and happy to recall and some of them just the opposite.
I have struggled emotionally this week as today approached. I was an absolute whirlwind of weepy, cranky, tired, angry, quiet, contemplative, back to weepy...you get the picture. October 31st holds two very memorable events for me.
On October 31, 2010, I moved into my first apartment after having lived with my best friend and her son for four months. My now ex-husband and I had made the decision to divorce, I was alone, and she didn't even blink and I when she graciously allowed me to live with her as I figured out what to do next. In time, I found this great upstairs of a duplex house in town and, now that I would be living solely on my part-time teaching salary, the price was right (still is, for that matter)! Moving day came and the closest members of my church family at the time moved me in. It was an exciting, scary, overwhelming day yet full of so much love and support. I remember two of my friends thinking that we needed a few "first week" supplies - dish soap, sponges, TP, etc... - and they made a quick Target run. They came back with all of that and then WAY TOO MUCH more, including a baker's rack for kitchen storage. I remember sitting on my kitchen floor once they all left and just crying, beyond grateful for the love they showed me that day and the support I knew I'd always have from them. Today marks 10 years that I have been in this apartment of mine and, despite the quirky habits of some of my downstairs neighbors over the years, I love this place. I am incredibly grateful to call this tiny spot my home and, sometimes, cannot believe that I have spend an entire decade here.
On October 31, 2013, I got in my car on dark and stormy night to go on my first date since my divorce. I met up with this guy I had known for years for a cup of Starbucks decaf tea and began the most beautiful relationship of my life. I will never forgot thinking that I had completely biffed this date because, after an hour of what I thought was an amazing conversation, he said he was tired and needed to get home to bed. Umm...what? It wasn't until he walked me to my car under his umbrella, gave me a hug and a very intentional kiss on the cheek, that I knew I had to see this man again. I later learned that he was tired from his earlier chemotherapy treatment and I was honored that he chose to spend that hour with me. I was beyond blessed to spend the next eight months of life with him. Our relationship did a number on my heart, healing and strengthening it from my failed marriage, bringing me laughter and joy that I didn't think I could experience again, and giving me hope that he and I would grow old and live the rest of our lives together. That, unfortunately, was not meant to be. Glioblastoma (a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer) took him quickly. I was alone again. 7 years have gone by since that first date and I find myself wondering, "How? When? Why?"
Approaching today, my brain has made me incredibly aware of my loneliness. I miss my people. I miss him. I miss hugs, and kisses, and having someone to come home to, and Saturday morning coffee together, and making meals with and for my friends and family, and lazy weekends, and impromptu road trips, and...the list can go on and on.
I have been reminded though, from that small, quiet, Holy Spirit voice in my heart, that I am never alone. No one is alone who is in Christ Jesus. He is always with me and I cannot be more grateful for that. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
If you are one who loves a musical connection (I am!), the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods, provides a beautiful one. The song below, No One is Alone, takes place just before the finale of the show, as the four remaining lead characters try to understand the consequences of their personal wishes, and begin to support others' wishes over their own. The song serves a dual purpose, showing that even when life brings you its greatest challenges, you do not have to face them alone, and also that life never guarantees us a "happily ever after".
No One is Alone from Into the Woods: https://youtu.be/5xaxP_kErTU
Father, thank you for the many, many blessings you have given me and continue to bring me every single day. I ask that you make yourself known to me today, reminding me that I am never alone, even if I may be feeling lonely. Encourage me to reach out to my family and friends when I am feeling this way and help me to find my strength and courage in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
I have struggled emotionally this week as today approached. I was an absolute whirlwind of weepy, cranky, tired, angry, quiet, contemplative, back to weepy...you get the picture. October 31st holds two very memorable events for me.
On October 31, 2010, I moved into my first apartment after having lived with my best friend and her son for four months. My now ex-husband and I had made the decision to divorce, I was alone, and she didn't even blink and I when she graciously allowed me to live with her as I figured out what to do next. In time, I found this great upstairs of a duplex house in town and, now that I would be living solely on my part-time teaching salary, the price was right (still is, for that matter)! Moving day came and the closest members of my church family at the time moved me in. It was an exciting, scary, overwhelming day yet full of so much love and support. I remember two of my friends thinking that we needed a few "first week" supplies - dish soap, sponges, TP, etc... - and they made a quick Target run. They came back with all of that and then WAY TOO MUCH more, including a baker's rack for kitchen storage. I remember sitting on my kitchen floor once they all left and just crying, beyond grateful for the love they showed me that day and the support I knew I'd always have from them. Today marks 10 years that I have been in this apartment of mine and, despite the quirky habits of some of my downstairs neighbors over the years, I love this place. I am incredibly grateful to call this tiny spot my home and, sometimes, cannot believe that I have spend an entire decade here.
On October 31, 2013, I got in my car on dark and stormy night to go on my first date since my divorce. I met up with this guy I had known for years for a cup of Starbucks decaf tea and began the most beautiful relationship of my life. I will never forgot thinking that I had completely biffed this date because, after an hour of what I thought was an amazing conversation, he said he was tired and needed to get home to bed. Umm...what? It wasn't until he walked me to my car under his umbrella, gave me a hug and a very intentional kiss on the cheek, that I knew I had to see this man again. I later learned that he was tired from his earlier chemotherapy treatment and I was honored that he chose to spend that hour with me. I was beyond blessed to spend the next eight months of life with him. Our relationship did a number on my heart, healing and strengthening it from my failed marriage, bringing me laughter and joy that I didn't think I could experience again, and giving me hope that he and I would grow old and live the rest of our lives together. That, unfortunately, was not meant to be. Glioblastoma (a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer) took him quickly. I was alone again. 7 years have gone by since that first date and I find myself wondering, "How? When? Why?"
Approaching today, my brain has made me incredibly aware of my loneliness. I miss my people. I miss him. I miss hugs, and kisses, and having someone to come home to, and Saturday morning coffee together, and making meals with and for my friends and family, and lazy weekends, and impromptu road trips, and...the list can go on and on.
I have been reminded though, from that small, quiet, Holy Spirit voice in my heart, that I am never alone. No one is alone who is in Christ Jesus. He is always with me and I cannot be more grateful for that. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
If you are one who loves a musical connection (I am!), the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods, provides a beautiful one. The song below, No One is Alone, takes place just before the finale of the show, as the four remaining lead characters try to understand the consequences of their personal wishes, and begin to support others' wishes over their own. The song serves a dual purpose, showing that even when life brings you its greatest challenges, you do not have to face them alone, and also that life never guarantees us a "happily ever after".
No One is Alone from Into the Woods: https://youtu.be/5xaxP_kErTU
Father, thank you for the many, many blessings you have given me and continue to bring me every single day. I ask that you make yourself known to me today, reminding me that I am never alone, even if I may be feeling lonely. Encourage me to reach out to my family and friends when I am feeling this way and help me to find my strength and courage in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
The Glasses on your Forehead
October 25, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
I assume that most of us have had an experience like looking for our glasses only to discover them resting on our forehead. Recently I read of a lady who was talking to a friend on her cell phone and was telling her that she was at wits end trying to find her cell phone.
We may be guilty of a similar thing as we struggle with the concept of a living, loving Lord. We can read the scriptures, involve ourselves in Bible studies, search writings from noted authors, etc. and still feel that we are far from God. We may find ourselves asking, “Where are you?” or even, “Who are you, Lord?” And the reason may be that we are looking in all the wrong places. We may be looking far away, while He is very near.
There is a quotation attributed to several authors, from Voltaire to Mark Twain, which says something like, “God made man in His image, and we have been trying to return the favor ever since.” In other words, rather than to embrace the greatness of God, we try to reduce Him to our image. For we can’t envision a God who is larger than ourselves.
Anselm, early 18th century Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote; “God is that, beyond which nothing greater can be conceived.” This basically testifies that if we took the accumulated knowledge of the greatest minds on the earth, and if we could extract their absolute best perception of God, it would still be far short of who He truly is. For God is immensely greater than anything we can conjure up.
We take this even further when we begin to think we know better than God; when we turn away from Him and rely on other authority. St. Paul spoke to this issue in Romans 9:21 as he chastised Israel for their rejection of God’s truth. “Does the potter not have power over the clay?” he asked. This rather echos Isaiah 64:8 “But now O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our potter; and all are the work of Your hand.”
The question of just who God is has been asked from the beginning. In Exodus 3:14 as Moses encountered God in the form of the Burning Bush and was instructed to rescue the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt, Moses asked, “Who shall I say has sent me?” And God responded. “I Am who I Am. Tell the people, I Am has sent me to you.” This is a mysterious statement in itself but is understood to be a revelation of God’s nature; that He is the very unique, eternal, and uncreated God. He is the ultimate truth and is beyond anything we can conceive.
Later, as recorded in John 8:58, Jesus would echo these same words when faced by questions and accusations by those who opposed Him and was asked, “who are you?” He responded, “I Am; before Abraham was, I Am.” This was immediately recognized as a statement in which Jesus identified himself as the Son of God. This, of course raised the ire of his accusers, causing them to plot His end.
Even as the question of “Who God is” persists since ancient times, it need not remain a mystery for us. In the Gospel of John, there are seven statements of Jesus which begin with “I am.” These can be found in chapters 6 through 15 and include familiar words such as, “I am the bread of life.” (Jn, 6:35) “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” (Jn. 14:6) and “I am the true vine.” (Jn. 15:1,5) This last being a statement of the necessity that we stay connected to Jesus if we are to be sustained in life, as a branch will thrive only when connected to the vine.
A search of all these “I Am” statements is encouraged as, if you are feeling a bit estranged from the Lord, or if the circumstances of your life is causing a strain in your faith, we encourage you to listen to the Lord as He speaks to you through His word, through prayer and meditation, and through God’s revelation of Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit. The answer is very near you, even as close as the glasses on your forehead.
We may be guilty of a similar thing as we struggle with the concept of a living, loving Lord. We can read the scriptures, involve ourselves in Bible studies, search writings from noted authors, etc. and still feel that we are far from God. We may find ourselves asking, “Where are you?” or even, “Who are you, Lord?” And the reason may be that we are looking in all the wrong places. We may be looking far away, while He is very near.
There is a quotation attributed to several authors, from Voltaire to Mark Twain, which says something like, “God made man in His image, and we have been trying to return the favor ever since.” In other words, rather than to embrace the greatness of God, we try to reduce Him to our image. For we can’t envision a God who is larger than ourselves.
Anselm, early 18th century Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote; “God is that, beyond which nothing greater can be conceived.” This basically testifies that if we took the accumulated knowledge of the greatest minds on the earth, and if we could extract their absolute best perception of God, it would still be far short of who He truly is. For God is immensely greater than anything we can conjure up.
We take this even further when we begin to think we know better than God; when we turn away from Him and rely on other authority. St. Paul spoke to this issue in Romans 9:21 as he chastised Israel for their rejection of God’s truth. “Does the potter not have power over the clay?” he asked. This rather echos Isaiah 64:8 “But now O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our potter; and all are the work of Your hand.”
The question of just who God is has been asked from the beginning. In Exodus 3:14 as Moses encountered God in the form of the Burning Bush and was instructed to rescue the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt, Moses asked, “Who shall I say has sent me?” And God responded. “I Am who I Am. Tell the people, I Am has sent me to you.” This is a mysterious statement in itself but is understood to be a revelation of God’s nature; that He is the very unique, eternal, and uncreated God. He is the ultimate truth and is beyond anything we can conceive.
Later, as recorded in John 8:58, Jesus would echo these same words when faced by questions and accusations by those who opposed Him and was asked, “who are you?” He responded, “I Am; before Abraham was, I Am.” This was immediately recognized as a statement in which Jesus identified himself as the Son of God. This, of course raised the ire of his accusers, causing them to plot His end.
Even as the question of “Who God is” persists since ancient times, it need not remain a mystery for us. In the Gospel of John, there are seven statements of Jesus which begin with “I am.” These can be found in chapters 6 through 15 and include familiar words such as, “I am the bread of life.” (Jn, 6:35) “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” (Jn. 14:6) and “I am the true vine.” (Jn. 15:1,5) This last being a statement of the necessity that we stay connected to Jesus if we are to be sustained in life, as a branch will thrive only when connected to the vine.
A search of all these “I Am” statements is encouraged as, if you are feeling a bit estranged from the Lord, or if the circumstances of your life is causing a strain in your faith, we encourage you to listen to the Lord as He speaks to you through His word, through prayer and meditation, and through God’s revelation of Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit. The answer is very near you, even as close as the glasses on your forehead.
Focused
October 11, 2020 - The Rev. Dr. Carolyn Allen - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“How am I going to get down this mountain? I’ll never make it!” My heart was gripped with terror, and tears started to come to the surface as I stood at the top of a Black Diamond Run on the ski slopes of Colorado. My cheeks were rosy from the cold. I could feel the dampness and smell the freshness of the mountain air. A beautiful moment. Except for the fact It was the first time I had ever been skiing, and all but one friend had already left on their journey down the slope.
In preparation for this trip with our friends, who invited us, we checked out books, did special exercises to strengthen our muscles, and went with anticipation of enjoyment and (to be honest) some anxiety on my part. We even took some lessons on the bunny slope.
But in no way was I prepared to ski on a Black Diamond Run – the most difficult graded run at the resort. Our group had taken the ski lift to the top of the mountain to have lunch and hot cocoa at a special lodge. Delightful, right? Well, I didn’t think about the reality of what goes up must come down. And I didn’t know it was a Black Diamond Run. I was doing well to stay upright on the bunny slope!
My friend, Jimmy, was an excellent skier and tenderhearted with me about my dilemma. He encouraged, “You can do this! I will help you get down this mountain.” And he proceeded to ski backwards all the way down, holding onto my hands, leading and coaching me.
At one point, I clearly remember him saying the following words to me because I was focusing on my feet to see how they were positioned and where they were going. I was desperately trying to remember what I had learned in the morning class on the bunny slope. Jimmy instructed, “Stop looking down. Instead look up. Keep your eyes on me and where you are going. You will make it!”
We made it to the bottom. I can’t say I was always in an upright position, but with triumph I was proud to be able to declare, “On my first ski trip, I went down a Black Diamond Run!”
I will never forget the lesson learned about the importance of where I put and kept my focus, which was crucial for success in my mission to get down that mountain in one piece.
My friends and I have had some good laughs over the years about that ski trip, but I have used that lesson many times in my personal life and in helping others grasp a principle of the Kingdom of God. That experience has helped Hebrews 12:1-5 come alive and active in my life. The application of this truth is real to me. I can still see that daunting slope right in front of me, hear the whipping wind, and feel the terror of the situation. But I also hear the encouraging words and feel the presence of a friend to take the journey with me. Once again, everything within me is on alert and ready for action, as I fix my eyes on Jesus and take His hand to face whatever overwhelming situation is before me.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV). (The Greek word for “looking” or “fixing” means “to look away from one thing in order to see another, to concentrate the gaze upon.”)
Are you currently facing a situation or relationship that is causing anxiety, frustration, or discouragement? What is filling your vision? What Black Diamond Run are you facing? Your focus will determine your perspective and will become your reality. What outcome does God have waiting for you? What focus will allow that to happen?
As you sort out these questions, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, in this moment I desire to allow my thoughts to be fixed on You. What thought do you want me to embrace so I can walk in the Spirit while exercising faith? I turn from the fearful, anxious thoughts about what could happen and instead ask, “What thought, scripture, song, or picture do You want me to see, hear, or sense?” I am asking and listening for Your truth.
Listen to the story of how the classic hymn,“Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus,” was written.
https://youtu.be/cmFnmuLNJdQ
In preparation for this trip with our friends, who invited us, we checked out books, did special exercises to strengthen our muscles, and went with anticipation of enjoyment and (to be honest) some anxiety on my part. We even took some lessons on the bunny slope.
But in no way was I prepared to ski on a Black Diamond Run – the most difficult graded run at the resort. Our group had taken the ski lift to the top of the mountain to have lunch and hot cocoa at a special lodge. Delightful, right? Well, I didn’t think about the reality of what goes up must come down. And I didn’t know it was a Black Diamond Run. I was doing well to stay upright on the bunny slope!
My friend, Jimmy, was an excellent skier and tenderhearted with me about my dilemma. He encouraged, “You can do this! I will help you get down this mountain.” And he proceeded to ski backwards all the way down, holding onto my hands, leading and coaching me.
At one point, I clearly remember him saying the following words to me because I was focusing on my feet to see how they were positioned and where they were going. I was desperately trying to remember what I had learned in the morning class on the bunny slope. Jimmy instructed, “Stop looking down. Instead look up. Keep your eyes on me and where you are going. You will make it!”
We made it to the bottom. I can’t say I was always in an upright position, but with triumph I was proud to be able to declare, “On my first ski trip, I went down a Black Diamond Run!”
I will never forget the lesson learned about the importance of where I put and kept my focus, which was crucial for success in my mission to get down that mountain in one piece.
My friends and I have had some good laughs over the years about that ski trip, but I have used that lesson many times in my personal life and in helping others grasp a principle of the Kingdom of God. That experience has helped Hebrews 12:1-5 come alive and active in my life. The application of this truth is real to me. I can still see that daunting slope right in front of me, hear the whipping wind, and feel the terror of the situation. But I also hear the encouraging words and feel the presence of a friend to take the journey with me. Once again, everything within me is on alert and ready for action, as I fix my eyes on Jesus and take His hand to face whatever overwhelming situation is before me.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV). (The Greek word for “looking” or “fixing” means “to look away from one thing in order to see another, to concentrate the gaze upon.”)
Are you currently facing a situation or relationship that is causing anxiety, frustration, or discouragement? What is filling your vision? What Black Diamond Run are you facing? Your focus will determine your perspective and will become your reality. What outcome does God have waiting for you? What focus will allow that to happen?
As you sort out these questions, pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, in this moment I desire to allow my thoughts to be fixed on You. What thought do you want me to embrace so I can walk in the Spirit while exercising faith? I turn from the fearful, anxious thoughts about what could happen and instead ask, “What thought, scripture, song, or picture do You want me to see, hear, or sense?” I am asking and listening for Your truth.
Listen to the story of how the classic hymn,“Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus,” was written.
https://youtu.be/cmFnmuLNJdQ
The Blame Game
October 4, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
“Then the Lord called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that You were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate.’” (Gen 3:9-12)
So started the blame game. Adam was caught in his sin, he had violated the direct command of God and when confronted he not only blamed his partner for plucking the fruit from the tree, but implied that it was God’s fault for giving him this woman to start with. We know the story: Eve then blamed the serpent, who certainly was guilty on many counts, but it wasn’t the serpent who had been told not to eat of the tree; it wasn’t even Eve. God had expressly told Adam not to eat this forbidden fruit, this fact is recorded in Genesis 2:17 which, in accordance with the chronology of Genesis 2, was before Eve was even created. Adam’s blame game did not hold up.
So, who paid the consequence? We all do. Certainly Adam and Eve as well as the serpent did. But “the seeds,” the offsprings of this first couple were affected, even infected; (Gen.3:15) and the earth itself became cursed. “Cursed is the ground for your sake; (or because of you.) in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Gen 3:17b) The Lord goes on to cite details of the effects of this curse with the final one being that death became a fact of life; “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19)
Okay, we have heard the bad news; let’s hear the good. It comes in the form of Jesus Christ. I trust we all have heard the Gospel and believe that Jesus died as atonement for our sin; that we are saved by his death and resurrection. Yes, even after hundreds of generations, we, the seed of Adam and Eve, still have sin within us, and face the same condemnation: -- “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” But the Good News comes in the continuation of this statement; “…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,…” (Rom 3:23-24)
But even as grace comes freely, God makes a demand of us. While Jesus was clear in his call and mission as in Luke 19:10 when He was being challenged for sitting with Zaccheus the tax collector, He declared, “..the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost;” He also preached from the very start of his ministry; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17)
Even in a secular dictionary, the word repent means to “turn from sin and resolve to reform one’s life.” Synonyms for repent include: bemoan, deplore, lament, regret, and rue. In no place in these do we find room for actions such as denial, excuses, rationalization, and certainly not blaming others.
The blame game is used heavily in our society; -- no one wants to accept their own fault. “It was my parents, my environment, it is the way I was taught, etc.” We blame authorities, and lack of authority; we can find reasons to blame anything and anybody when the truth of the matter is that sin is a choice we alone make.
Another common excuse for certain sins is, “It involves no one but myself, so it doesn’t matter.” This is a huge lie. Your sin does hurt you, and what hurts you affects those who love you. Plus, no sin is committed in a vacuum. Its effects will impact others whether you admit it or not. And some consequences are generational, their effects may not be seen until after we are gone.
The bottom line is, there is no value gained in blaming others, God didn’t ask Adam, “Who caused you to sin?” He asked, “What did you do?” He hasn’t changed; He still requires that we confess our sin, and repent of it.
So started the blame game. Adam was caught in his sin, he had violated the direct command of God and when confronted he not only blamed his partner for plucking the fruit from the tree, but implied that it was God’s fault for giving him this woman to start with. We know the story: Eve then blamed the serpent, who certainly was guilty on many counts, but it wasn’t the serpent who had been told not to eat of the tree; it wasn’t even Eve. God had expressly told Adam not to eat this forbidden fruit, this fact is recorded in Genesis 2:17 which, in accordance with the chronology of Genesis 2, was before Eve was even created. Adam’s blame game did not hold up.
So, who paid the consequence? We all do. Certainly Adam and Eve as well as the serpent did. But “the seeds,” the offsprings of this first couple were affected, even infected; (Gen.3:15) and the earth itself became cursed. “Cursed is the ground for your sake; (or because of you.) in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Gen 3:17b) The Lord goes on to cite details of the effects of this curse with the final one being that death became a fact of life; “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19)
Okay, we have heard the bad news; let’s hear the good. It comes in the form of Jesus Christ. I trust we all have heard the Gospel and believe that Jesus died as atonement for our sin; that we are saved by his death and resurrection. Yes, even after hundreds of generations, we, the seed of Adam and Eve, still have sin within us, and face the same condemnation: -- “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” But the Good News comes in the continuation of this statement; “…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,…” (Rom 3:23-24)
But even as grace comes freely, God makes a demand of us. While Jesus was clear in his call and mission as in Luke 19:10 when He was being challenged for sitting with Zaccheus the tax collector, He declared, “..the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost;” He also preached from the very start of his ministry; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17)
Even in a secular dictionary, the word repent means to “turn from sin and resolve to reform one’s life.” Synonyms for repent include: bemoan, deplore, lament, regret, and rue. In no place in these do we find room for actions such as denial, excuses, rationalization, and certainly not blaming others.
The blame game is used heavily in our society; -- no one wants to accept their own fault. “It was my parents, my environment, it is the way I was taught, etc.” We blame authorities, and lack of authority; we can find reasons to blame anything and anybody when the truth of the matter is that sin is a choice we alone make.
Another common excuse for certain sins is, “It involves no one but myself, so it doesn’t matter.” This is a huge lie. Your sin does hurt you, and what hurts you affects those who love you. Plus, no sin is committed in a vacuum. Its effects will impact others whether you admit it or not. And some consequences are generational, their effects may not be seen until after we are gone.
The bottom line is, there is no value gained in blaming others, God didn’t ask Adam, “Who caused you to sin?” He asked, “What did you do?” He hasn’t changed; He still requires that we confess our sin, and repent of it.
Bullseye Kindness
September 27, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Read Matthew 5:43-48
Kindness. It’s no longer just a buzzword or a hashtag. We are finding that, as we stumble through 2020, kindness is a life-saving, life-giving practice. It has gone from just something nice to do for someone, to a necessity for survival for ourselves and our nation!
Back in January of 2017, I proposed a challenge to our church and friends on social media called The Clean Sweep Challenge. Those words seemed to best represent what I felt was on God's heart for that particular challenge: to give an opportunity to detox our souls in a sweeping, intentional fashion giving us a clean slate upon which to write the new year. Included in that challenge were five activities to practice for 21 days — gratitudes, journaling, exercise, meditation/worship, and lastly, acts of kindness.
While tossing kindness around serendipitously on strangers certainly has its benefits, in the Clean Sweep Challenge, we focused our acts of kindness in a more intentional way, using the image of a bullseye. We found our target, released our arrow, and hit the mark! We intentionally chose unlikely people, enemies even if we had them, to bless with an act of kindness.
Today, in the fall of 2020, I want to revisit these suggestions to take up the challenge of Bullseye Kindness. I have chosen the word “bless” to signify the giving of an act of kindness.
Forms of kindness are wide and varied. Here are some suggestions. Whether you choose to do them anonymously or being known, the act is what matters.
By doing this, we are literally waging war against judgments, jealousy, criticism, and hatred — all the junk we want to detoxify from our minds and our nation, and we are building a culture of kindness.
Key Thought: By practicing Bullseye Kindness, we are adopting the mindset of God. “In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. (Matthew 5:45 NLT)
Kindness. It’s no longer just a buzzword or a hashtag. We are finding that, as we stumble through 2020, kindness is a life-saving, life-giving practice. It has gone from just something nice to do for someone, to a necessity for survival for ourselves and our nation!
Back in January of 2017, I proposed a challenge to our church and friends on social media called The Clean Sweep Challenge. Those words seemed to best represent what I felt was on God's heart for that particular challenge: to give an opportunity to detox our souls in a sweeping, intentional fashion giving us a clean slate upon which to write the new year. Included in that challenge were five activities to practice for 21 days — gratitudes, journaling, exercise, meditation/worship, and lastly, acts of kindness.
While tossing kindness around serendipitously on strangers certainly has its benefits, in the Clean Sweep Challenge, we focused our acts of kindness in a more intentional way, using the image of a bullseye. We found our target, released our arrow, and hit the mark! We intentionally chose unlikely people, enemies even if we had them, to bless with an act of kindness.
Today, in the fall of 2020, I want to revisit these suggestions to take up the challenge of Bullseye Kindness. I have chosen the word “bless” to signify the giving of an act of kindness.
- Bless the person you would least like to bless.
- Bless someone whom you don't believe deserves it.
- Bless someone who has done you wrong.
- Bless the person of whom you are most critical.
- Bless someone who is the polar opposite of you in your beliefs.
- Bless the one who irritates you the most (could be a member of your own family!)
Forms of kindness are wide and varied. Here are some suggestions. Whether you choose to do them anonymously or being known, the act is what matters.
- Send an encouraging text, private message, e-mail, or card.
- Send a homemade gift with a note of blessing.
- Authentically compliment or praise someone.
- Reminisce about good times with someone.
- Pay for coffee or a meal.
- Send a thank you note.
- And the old standby — send flowers.
By doing this, we are literally waging war against judgments, jealousy, criticism, and hatred — all the junk we want to detoxify from our minds and our nation, and we are building a culture of kindness.
Key Thought: By practicing Bullseye Kindness, we are adopting the mindset of God. “In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. (Matthew 5:45 NLT)
Kindness and Gratitude
September 20, 2020 - Peggy Lundy - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
See that 10-yr-old girl with the toddler and his chimp? There were other kids her own age to play with, but she never really felt part of that group. Then there was Bruce, the rambunctious toddler. He didn’t have anybody his age to play with. His parents were busy being missionaries, and the girl was one of the kids at the boarding school where they all lived and worked. The girl and the toddler became friends; they needed each other.
Bruce and his family returned to the States not long after the picture was taken, and the girl and her family returned a couple of years later.
Missionaries become like family while serving overseas. The kids usually call the adults aunt or uncle with a few exceptions for teachers and doctors. But the sense of family often remains even after decades have gone by. In this case, the girl still calls Bruce’s parents aunt and uncle.
Recently, the girl received an email containing this picture from the aunt. But the girl had no recollection of the picture being taken or of that day and barely any memory of Bruce. But his mom remembered how helpful the 10-year-old girl had been and the kindness she had shown the busy little guy. And now, more than 50 years later, Bruce’s mom, from her own wellspring of gratitude, said thank you once again. And the girl’s heart was touched, warmed, and encouraged. She had been given an unexpected blessing for something freely given and long forgotten.
It’s an example of the principles of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, and blessing and thankfulness. (Or is it thankfulness and then blessing?) Either way, be willing to give and invest however you can, how much you can, and whenever you can regardless of your age or situation. And someday, in someway, in God’s good time, you will receive a bountiful return.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:38 CEB)
By the way, if you haven’t figured it out or couldn’t tell by looking, that girl was me.
Bruce and his family returned to the States not long after the picture was taken, and the girl and her family returned a couple of years later.
Missionaries become like family while serving overseas. The kids usually call the adults aunt or uncle with a few exceptions for teachers and doctors. But the sense of family often remains even after decades have gone by. In this case, the girl still calls Bruce’s parents aunt and uncle.
Recently, the girl received an email containing this picture from the aunt. But the girl had no recollection of the picture being taken or of that day and barely any memory of Bruce. But his mom remembered how helpful the 10-year-old girl had been and the kindness she had shown the busy little guy. And now, more than 50 years later, Bruce’s mom, from her own wellspring of gratitude, said thank you once again. And the girl’s heart was touched, warmed, and encouraged. She had been given an unexpected blessing for something freely given and long forgotten.
It’s an example of the principles of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, and blessing and thankfulness. (Or is it thankfulness and then blessing?) Either way, be willing to give and invest however you can, how much you can, and whenever you can regardless of your age or situation. And someday, in someway, in God’s good time, you will receive a bountiful return.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:38 CEB)
By the way, if you haven’t figured it out or couldn’t tell by looking, that girl was me.
Why the World Needs Anglicanism
September 13, 2020 - Fr. Shane Tucker, Priest/Writer/Spiritual Director - St. Andrew’s Anglican Church / Soul Friend
Beginning with a title like ‘Why the World Needs Anglicanism’ makes me want to back pedal and ask ‘Does the World Need Anglicanism’? Does this world need this particular expression of faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ? I don’t know. But I do believe that Anglicanism offers much that is beneficial to the world.. particularly in our time. So what are our unique characteristics that we can lean into as Anglicans as we inhabit this world within our individual communities and cultures?
When I fell into Anglican Christianity in 2004 while living on the island of Ireland, I had just come through a time in the desert, spiritually-speaking. I had spent my whole life worshipping in an array of evangelical Protestant traditions. Prior to entering the Anglican Communion, I had begun to experience what I can only call a frustration, an irritation, in my soul. Whether it was due to personal circumstances, deconstructionism of cultural Christianity, or something else. I felt like I was in a sealed room and the oxygen was running out. I was restless, angsty and ready to jump ship - so I did. I didn’t renounce faith in Christ.. I invited God to engage me in my doubts and questioning as an active participant and conversation partner. Oh, and I resigned from my job in the UK with no other job to replace it.
With the clock ticking, my family and I had just a few weeks before we faced a subsequent move back to the U.S. to live in our parent’s home, while we reassessed our lives and sense of vocation, when I was offered a job within the Anglican Communion. The Church of Ireland Youth Department was in need of a Youth Ministry Development Worker for the Republic of Ireland. With no other non-churchy prospects, I accepted the role not knowing more than a pipe bowl full of tobacco about Anglicanism. But only a few years into my role, I heard myself say something I don’t remember thinking ahead of time.. “I could remain in this tradition for the rest of my life.” By the grace of God, I had found my tribe, my people, by walking backwards into the Anglican Communion.
After only 15 years in this quirky and wonderful band of believers, here’s what I have come to know and love about them (us!).. Anglicanism has a Reach, a Rootedness, and a Rhythm in the context of Relationships and Rest. I give you the ‘Five R’s of Anglicanism’! There have been times in my journey of faith when the underlying understanding of certain Christian traditions, and their implied applications, caused me to feel like I was navigating a narrow labyrinthian passage of colorless grey walls and low ceilings, in little light. I need space to breathe - actually and metaphorically. When I began living into the culture of Irish/British Anglicanism I started to feel alive again. My soul had room to run, dance (something I don’t often do), explore and wonder. There was an inbuilt flexibility which allowed for unique contextualization, not only in disparate cultures but within particular generational proclivities, without compromising the truth of God in Christ and the Scriptures. Anglicanism had breadth and depth. It had a Reach which I had not experienced to that point.
If any tradition is to call itself ‘Christian’ it must stand under both the Scriptures and the revealed Word of God in Jesus Christ. Most of the traditions I’ve participated in throughout my life have held the Bible in high regard, while worshipping Jesus Christ as Lord and God. When a community of faith does both, in word and deed, they become an enigma (or a perceived threat), in a world that worships self - naturally believing personal preference is a fundamental human right - even at the expense of the wider community. An untethered, esoterrogative (alert: intentionally made-up word) people need a cure for their souls outside themselves. What I found in Anglicanism is a Rootedness in the immutable Word of God, through regular, intentional participation in the private and public reading of it. Since its inception, Anglicanism has celebrated the public reading of the Bible so those within hearing would be saturated in words of life, and marinated in the light of God, in order to be transformed. As Cranmer intentionally employed in the Book of Common Prayer, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”.
Why the World Needs Anglicanism
Another captivating aspect of Anglicanism that I felt soon after discovering it was a distinct Rhythm which mirrored the seasons of the year, the passage of life and, more importantly, the grand Story of God. It took some time for me to get in step with the cadence of the liturgical year, but I now gratefully enter into the movement of it, celebrating its ebbs and flows through color, liturgy and pace. You are, quite literally, invited to enter into what God has done, is doing, and will do on behalf of His Creation. Our hyper-stimulated western society needs an antidote to its manic, distracted tendencies. The rhythm of tradition offers us a running partner to help us stay in step with God’s gait, His activity and the timbre of His voice as He, in Christ, continues His world-renewing work (Rev. 21:5).
In contrast to our human tendency to institutionalize and regulate through hierarchical systems, the Anglican Communion (in principle) is predicated upon maintaining good Relationships. This is the most aspirational aspect of Anglicanism, but one that is worth fighting for. Everything God does revolves around relationships. Embedded in the very triune nature of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, is the demonstration of healthy, wholesome relationship. The ancient notion of perichoresis illustrates God’s intention for His Creation, and specifically, His children. This Greek term depicts the three Persons of the Trinity mutually deferring to one another, as in a dance, allowing the others to take center stage. It’s the desire for the ultimate good of the other, and the intention to work toward it, that most clearly defines the relationship we, as God’s children, are invited to participate in. Relationship implies a connectedness and inter- dependency on one another that radically interrupts our fallen nature’s tendency toward independence. When the love of God does not take precedence above all else, things fall apart. But in its best moments, the Anglican Communion can be a beautiful glimpse of what is to come when Jesus Christ makes all things new.
Finally, due to its historical origins and its particular DNA, Anglicanism’s natural, default posture is one of balance. From the hard work exerted in its inception during the Elizabethan religious settlement, and the resulting mantra ‘via media’ (middle way), the Anglican Church has often sought to position itself between extreme modes of thought and practice, preferring instead to inhabit a place of tension between extremes. To the consternation of many who may have perceived Anglicans to be indecisive on certain issues, we have instead preferred the ‘third way’ which, in some cases, allows for a both/and, rather than an either/or, viewpoint. In our presently polarized society, seeking to find middle ground on many fronts (at the very least in mutual consent to respectfully disagree), is a priceless practice. I have come to greatly value this characteristically Anglican disposition of Rest, which I can morally, intellectually and faithfully inhabit as an environment that nurtures life by giving God space to act as He wills.
Does the world need Anglicanism? I don’t know. It does however need a people working for the renewal of all things who faithfully follow in the steps of the Savior, Jesus, who are fueled by the love of the Father, and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. These ‘Five R’s of Anglicanism’ - Reach, Rootedness, Rhythm, Relationship and Rest - are an invaluable resource which can inform the way we live as ‘Peregrini pro Christo’ (wanderers for Christ) while we have both feet on terra firma. What do you think? How can we be faithful to Christ, as we authentically lean into our Anglican tradition, for the good of our world? I’m certain of one thing.. with Jesus in the lead, the best is always yet to come! (Ephesians 1:3, 3:20-21).
When I fell into Anglican Christianity in 2004 while living on the island of Ireland, I had just come through a time in the desert, spiritually-speaking. I had spent my whole life worshipping in an array of evangelical Protestant traditions. Prior to entering the Anglican Communion, I had begun to experience what I can only call a frustration, an irritation, in my soul. Whether it was due to personal circumstances, deconstructionism of cultural Christianity, or something else. I felt like I was in a sealed room and the oxygen was running out. I was restless, angsty and ready to jump ship - so I did. I didn’t renounce faith in Christ.. I invited God to engage me in my doubts and questioning as an active participant and conversation partner. Oh, and I resigned from my job in the UK with no other job to replace it.
With the clock ticking, my family and I had just a few weeks before we faced a subsequent move back to the U.S. to live in our parent’s home, while we reassessed our lives and sense of vocation, when I was offered a job within the Anglican Communion. The Church of Ireland Youth Department was in need of a Youth Ministry Development Worker for the Republic of Ireland. With no other non-churchy prospects, I accepted the role not knowing more than a pipe bowl full of tobacco about Anglicanism. But only a few years into my role, I heard myself say something I don’t remember thinking ahead of time.. “I could remain in this tradition for the rest of my life.” By the grace of God, I had found my tribe, my people, by walking backwards into the Anglican Communion.
After only 15 years in this quirky and wonderful band of believers, here’s what I have come to know and love about them (us!).. Anglicanism has a Reach, a Rootedness, and a Rhythm in the context of Relationships and Rest. I give you the ‘Five R’s of Anglicanism’! There have been times in my journey of faith when the underlying understanding of certain Christian traditions, and their implied applications, caused me to feel like I was navigating a narrow labyrinthian passage of colorless grey walls and low ceilings, in little light. I need space to breathe - actually and metaphorically. When I began living into the culture of Irish/British Anglicanism I started to feel alive again. My soul had room to run, dance (something I don’t often do), explore and wonder. There was an inbuilt flexibility which allowed for unique contextualization, not only in disparate cultures but within particular generational proclivities, without compromising the truth of God in Christ and the Scriptures. Anglicanism had breadth and depth. It had a Reach which I had not experienced to that point.
If any tradition is to call itself ‘Christian’ it must stand under both the Scriptures and the revealed Word of God in Jesus Christ. Most of the traditions I’ve participated in throughout my life have held the Bible in high regard, while worshipping Jesus Christ as Lord and God. When a community of faith does both, in word and deed, they become an enigma (or a perceived threat), in a world that worships self - naturally believing personal preference is a fundamental human right - even at the expense of the wider community. An untethered, esoterrogative (alert: intentionally made-up word) people need a cure for their souls outside themselves. What I found in Anglicanism is a Rootedness in the immutable Word of God, through regular, intentional participation in the private and public reading of it. Since its inception, Anglicanism has celebrated the public reading of the Bible so those within hearing would be saturated in words of life, and marinated in the light of God, in order to be transformed. As Cranmer intentionally employed in the Book of Common Prayer, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”.
Why the World Needs Anglicanism
Another captivating aspect of Anglicanism that I felt soon after discovering it was a distinct Rhythm which mirrored the seasons of the year, the passage of life and, more importantly, the grand Story of God. It took some time for me to get in step with the cadence of the liturgical year, but I now gratefully enter into the movement of it, celebrating its ebbs and flows through color, liturgy and pace. You are, quite literally, invited to enter into what God has done, is doing, and will do on behalf of His Creation. Our hyper-stimulated western society needs an antidote to its manic, distracted tendencies. The rhythm of tradition offers us a running partner to help us stay in step with God’s gait, His activity and the timbre of His voice as He, in Christ, continues His world-renewing work (Rev. 21:5).
In contrast to our human tendency to institutionalize and regulate through hierarchical systems, the Anglican Communion (in principle) is predicated upon maintaining good Relationships. This is the most aspirational aspect of Anglicanism, but one that is worth fighting for. Everything God does revolves around relationships. Embedded in the very triune nature of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, is the demonstration of healthy, wholesome relationship. The ancient notion of perichoresis illustrates God’s intention for His Creation, and specifically, His children. This Greek term depicts the three Persons of the Trinity mutually deferring to one another, as in a dance, allowing the others to take center stage. It’s the desire for the ultimate good of the other, and the intention to work toward it, that most clearly defines the relationship we, as God’s children, are invited to participate in. Relationship implies a connectedness and inter- dependency on one another that radically interrupts our fallen nature’s tendency toward independence. When the love of God does not take precedence above all else, things fall apart. But in its best moments, the Anglican Communion can be a beautiful glimpse of what is to come when Jesus Christ makes all things new.
Finally, due to its historical origins and its particular DNA, Anglicanism’s natural, default posture is one of balance. From the hard work exerted in its inception during the Elizabethan religious settlement, and the resulting mantra ‘via media’ (middle way), the Anglican Church has often sought to position itself between extreme modes of thought and practice, preferring instead to inhabit a place of tension between extremes. To the consternation of many who may have perceived Anglicans to be indecisive on certain issues, we have instead preferred the ‘third way’ which, in some cases, allows for a both/and, rather than an either/or, viewpoint. In our presently polarized society, seeking to find middle ground on many fronts (at the very least in mutual consent to respectfully disagree), is a priceless practice. I have come to greatly value this characteristically Anglican disposition of Rest, which I can morally, intellectually and faithfully inhabit as an environment that nurtures life by giving God space to act as He wills.
Does the world need Anglicanism? I don’t know. It does however need a people working for the renewal of all things who faithfully follow in the steps of the Savior, Jesus, who are fueled by the love of the Father, and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. These ‘Five R’s of Anglicanism’ - Reach, Rootedness, Rhythm, Relationship and Rest - are an invaluable resource which can inform the way we live as ‘Peregrini pro Christo’ (wanderers for Christ) while we have both feet on terra firma. What do you think? How can we be faithful to Christ, as we authentically lean into our Anglican tradition, for the good of our world? I’m certain of one thing.. with Jesus in the lead, the best is always yet to come! (Ephesians 1:3, 3:20-21).
Passing the Baton
August 30, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“I will take it from here,” He asserted gently but firmly as I slowly opened my clenched fist and released my Baton.
I don’t know how long I stood there across from Him, my hand on one end of the Baton and His on the other. Perhaps years. But now it became clear I was wasting time. I wondered why He never yanked on It. Not once. But neither had He let go of it.
Slowly, I watched it slip through my fingers. The minute my Baton was completely in His hand, He took off like a bolt of lightning. He ran with the wind, leaving me standing there in a whirl of dust. Somehow, I knew He was making up for lost time. Time lost in the prolonged and delayed transfer. “Don’t drop it!” I shouted, wondering if He could hear me.
The Man turned His head and shouted back, “I’ve got it. We’re going to finish this race!” And then He was gone.
“Better to let go now than lose the race later,” came the words so clearly that I looked around me for the source. But I was alone. All was dry and desolate.
Like a scene from a Western movie, tumbleweed skirted by me hurrying on their way to nowhere. The desert wind continued to blow up little dervishes of sand around my feet as I thought, “What now? Where do I go from here?” I felt my heart sinking fast. “Should I go back to the beginning?” No, that didn’t seem like an option. But I knew I couldn’t stay here. There was no life here.
Just then, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder and I spun around. My husband! I was unaware he had been watching the scene unfold from a short distance. “I’m so glad you’re here!” I cried. “What do we do now? He’s gone.”
He pointed to a car parked in the distance. “Let’s drive to the finish line and wait there,” he spoke reassuringly. With our arms wrapped around one another and the wind whipping strands of hair around my face, we reached the car and welcomed the reprieve from the dusty gusts of wind.
The car was old, like a model from the 1950s, but it started right up. “Where did this come from?” I thought but didn’t ask him. I was just relieved for the provision, ancient though it was.
Relieved to being going somewhere else.
I was surprised at how quickly the scenery changed as we drove. The desert gave way to lush, green landscape. Pastures and fields outlined with trees and streams clicked by my view through the car’s window. Slowing the vehicle down, my husband pulled up to a field, and I could see a large crowd standing around in the distance. We got out and walked towards them. “Who are all these people?” I asked incredulously.
“These are the ones waiting for their own Batons to cross the finish line,” my husband replied. The crowd was abuzz with lively conversations. The whole group seemed engaged with one another although there appeared to be hundreds of thousands of people. I knew in an instant this is where we belonged and felt an incredible sense of gratitude. As we walked among the people, every few minutes a roar would go up as another runner crossed the finish line. Then the runner would be engulfed in a sea of people, waving and clapping and shouting.
My husband and I made our way to the finish line and began to look out across the field for our Baton…our son. Our hearts leapt as in the distance we saw him coming. However, not one man but two! Our Baton was no longer in the Man’s hand but was running beside Him in tandem. As they drew closer, we could see their faces, all sweaty and glowing. As soon as our son recognized us, a huge smile lit up his face, and he picked up speed. A group of family and friends gathered all around us in anticipation of The Crossing. Then he was in our arms, his chest heaving breathlessly, exhausted but exhilarated. He was taller and more muscular than I remembered him. Truly a man. Truly God’s man. And then the Man turned and winked at me.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7 NKJV)
Thoughts to Ponder:
* What is your Baton? A child, a ministry, a job? It could be anyone or anything God has given you management over that you have held onto. Has God asked you to surrender it to Him? Are you keeping the person or work in immaturity by not releasing it to God? Can you release your Baton to Him?
* My husband was a lifeline when he showed up in the story. It was at the point when I felt so helpless and hopeless like all had been lost after releasing the Baton. He gave direction and purpose. Who has shown up in your life at just the right time to give you hope and direction?
* The car was old, but it was reliable. What provision has God given you, which you may have disregarded? Are you willing to take another look at it? Are you willing to receive it as a gift and give thanks?
* God always leads us into life, even after the loss or surrender of someone or something important. How is He leading you into life right now?
* The passing of the finish line is not necessarily death and entrance into heaven. It can also represent the end of one thing and the beginning of another. It can be the maturation of a person or ministry. The fulfillment of a dream. The answer to a lifelong prayer. What “finish lines” have you crossed? Which one are you striving to cross?
Prayer: Father, to the best of my ability, I release my end of the Baton and leave it in Your hands to run with. I trust You to finish what You have started, not only in my life but in the lives of those I love. Amen.
I don’t know how long I stood there across from Him, my hand on one end of the Baton and His on the other. Perhaps years. But now it became clear I was wasting time. I wondered why He never yanked on It. Not once. But neither had He let go of it.
Slowly, I watched it slip through my fingers. The minute my Baton was completely in His hand, He took off like a bolt of lightning. He ran with the wind, leaving me standing there in a whirl of dust. Somehow, I knew He was making up for lost time. Time lost in the prolonged and delayed transfer. “Don’t drop it!” I shouted, wondering if He could hear me.
The Man turned His head and shouted back, “I’ve got it. We’re going to finish this race!” And then He was gone.
“Better to let go now than lose the race later,” came the words so clearly that I looked around me for the source. But I was alone. All was dry and desolate.
Like a scene from a Western movie, tumbleweed skirted by me hurrying on their way to nowhere. The desert wind continued to blow up little dervishes of sand around my feet as I thought, “What now? Where do I go from here?” I felt my heart sinking fast. “Should I go back to the beginning?” No, that didn’t seem like an option. But I knew I couldn’t stay here. There was no life here.
Just then, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder and I spun around. My husband! I was unaware he had been watching the scene unfold from a short distance. “I’m so glad you’re here!” I cried. “What do we do now? He’s gone.”
He pointed to a car parked in the distance. “Let’s drive to the finish line and wait there,” he spoke reassuringly. With our arms wrapped around one another and the wind whipping strands of hair around my face, we reached the car and welcomed the reprieve from the dusty gusts of wind.
The car was old, like a model from the 1950s, but it started right up. “Where did this come from?” I thought but didn’t ask him. I was just relieved for the provision, ancient though it was.
Relieved to being going somewhere else.
I was surprised at how quickly the scenery changed as we drove. The desert gave way to lush, green landscape. Pastures and fields outlined with trees and streams clicked by my view through the car’s window. Slowing the vehicle down, my husband pulled up to a field, and I could see a large crowd standing around in the distance. We got out and walked towards them. “Who are all these people?” I asked incredulously.
“These are the ones waiting for their own Batons to cross the finish line,” my husband replied. The crowd was abuzz with lively conversations. The whole group seemed engaged with one another although there appeared to be hundreds of thousands of people. I knew in an instant this is where we belonged and felt an incredible sense of gratitude. As we walked among the people, every few minutes a roar would go up as another runner crossed the finish line. Then the runner would be engulfed in a sea of people, waving and clapping and shouting.
My husband and I made our way to the finish line and began to look out across the field for our Baton…our son. Our hearts leapt as in the distance we saw him coming. However, not one man but two! Our Baton was no longer in the Man’s hand but was running beside Him in tandem. As they drew closer, we could see their faces, all sweaty and glowing. As soon as our son recognized us, a huge smile lit up his face, and he picked up speed. A group of family and friends gathered all around us in anticipation of The Crossing. Then he was in our arms, his chest heaving breathlessly, exhausted but exhilarated. He was taller and more muscular than I remembered him. Truly a man. Truly God’s man. And then the Man turned and winked at me.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7 NKJV)
Thoughts to Ponder:
* What is your Baton? A child, a ministry, a job? It could be anyone or anything God has given you management over that you have held onto. Has God asked you to surrender it to Him? Are you keeping the person or work in immaturity by not releasing it to God? Can you release your Baton to Him?
* My husband was a lifeline when he showed up in the story. It was at the point when I felt so helpless and hopeless like all had been lost after releasing the Baton. He gave direction and purpose. Who has shown up in your life at just the right time to give you hope and direction?
* The car was old, but it was reliable. What provision has God given you, which you may have disregarded? Are you willing to take another look at it? Are you willing to receive it as a gift and give thanks?
* God always leads us into life, even after the loss or surrender of someone or something important. How is He leading you into life right now?
* The passing of the finish line is not necessarily death and entrance into heaven. It can also represent the end of one thing and the beginning of another. It can be the maturation of a person or ministry. The fulfillment of a dream. The answer to a lifelong prayer. What “finish lines” have you crossed? Which one are you striving to cross?
Prayer: Father, to the best of my ability, I release my end of the Baton and leave it in Your hands to run with. I trust You to finish what You have started, not only in my life but in the lives of those I love. Amen.
Direct Line to God!
August 23, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
This morning I had to make a call to a technical service provider regarding a matter of their billing. Of course, I reached their Automated Message System (AMS) which ran me around every shrub and tree in the forest without ever directing me to a live person who could answer my one simple question. This caused me to wonder what it would be like if I had to use such a system to reach God when I needed to talk to him. If the Lord had an 800 number and an AMS would I have heard something like this?
“Hello, thanks for calling heaven. Your call is important to us. For English, press 1.” (I pressed 1 before it could list 87 other language options.) The AMS continued, “Do you have a current account with us, say Yes or No.” (I hesitated as I hoped I had an account but wasn’t sure what they needed.) AMS, “I’m sorry, we did not hear your response, do you have an account with us?” (with hope, I said “yes.) AMS, “Please key in your account number.” (Now I was about to panic but just to answer something I typed in my birth date.) AMS, “Thank you, that is helpful, but there are a few million
similar ID’s in our system. Please key in your full name, followed by the pound sign.” (This, I did.) AMS, “Thank you, that gets us closer. Now please key in your local postal zip code.” (I dutifully complied with only the slightest hesitation as I reconsidered if I really needed to make this call.) AMS, “Thank you, to help us serve you better, please listen carefully to our menu of services as they have recently changed. If you want to inquire about churches in your area, press 1. If you need a reference for Bibles, commentaries, and other print resources, press 2. If you need an answer to a theological question, press 3. If you want to speak to a guardian angel, press 4. To inquire of a prophet, press 5. If you just have to talk to …….” (Out of frustration and though I thought I whispered it, I audibly uttered, “What the hell is going on here?”) AMS, “I am sorry, we do not handle inquiries for hell. For further inquiry, please visit our website; PTL.Jesuslives.hvn. Goodbye, it has
been a pleasure serving you this day.” (Wait! Wait, I called out as the line went dead.)
Fortunately, I have long known that there is a much faster way to reach the Lord, God. For all I have to do is sit back, relax and say. “Good morning, Lord. It’s me again. First of all, I want to thank you for answering my prayer for a good night’s sleep, and to be able to awake this morning with those I love and with strength to do whatever it is you have for me this day. However, I do have a matter that is weighing heavy on me and I need your help.” And from here, I can carry on a conversation with the Lord. He is never too busy to hear by prayer, He never asks me to hold while He deals with other customers; for He is always read to answer my prayer, even if I have to wait a while to see how it all plays out. I am confident of this as I have his word for it, and I have now had enough experience with Him that my trust is solid.
If you need more than my testimony, consider these words from Jesus; “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) He also says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.” (Mk. 11-24)
All the great saints of God had learned how to communicate with Him in prayer, not the least being King David and the other Psalmists. “I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and My supplications. Because He has inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” (Ps. 116:1) “Certainly, God has heard me, he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” (Ps. 66:19)
You may still have to call your provider to answer technical questions relating to your electronics; but I suggest if you first talk to the One who is our Provider, -- your experience will go better and without all the frustrations.
“Hello, thanks for calling heaven. Your call is important to us. For English, press 1.” (I pressed 1 before it could list 87 other language options.) The AMS continued, “Do you have a current account with us, say Yes or No.” (I hesitated as I hoped I had an account but wasn’t sure what they needed.) AMS, “I’m sorry, we did not hear your response, do you have an account with us?” (with hope, I said “yes.) AMS, “Please key in your account number.” (Now I was about to panic but just to answer something I typed in my birth date.) AMS, “Thank you, that is helpful, but there are a few million
similar ID’s in our system. Please key in your full name, followed by the pound sign.” (This, I did.) AMS, “Thank you, that gets us closer. Now please key in your local postal zip code.” (I dutifully complied with only the slightest hesitation as I reconsidered if I really needed to make this call.) AMS, “Thank you, to help us serve you better, please listen carefully to our menu of services as they have recently changed. If you want to inquire about churches in your area, press 1. If you need a reference for Bibles, commentaries, and other print resources, press 2. If you need an answer to a theological question, press 3. If you want to speak to a guardian angel, press 4. To inquire of a prophet, press 5. If you just have to talk to …….” (Out of frustration and though I thought I whispered it, I audibly uttered, “What the hell is going on here?”) AMS, “I am sorry, we do not handle inquiries for hell. For further inquiry, please visit our website; PTL.Jesuslives.hvn. Goodbye, it has
been a pleasure serving you this day.” (Wait! Wait, I called out as the line went dead.)
Fortunately, I have long known that there is a much faster way to reach the Lord, God. For all I have to do is sit back, relax and say. “Good morning, Lord. It’s me again. First of all, I want to thank you for answering my prayer for a good night’s sleep, and to be able to awake this morning with those I love and with strength to do whatever it is you have for me this day. However, I do have a matter that is weighing heavy on me and I need your help.” And from here, I can carry on a conversation with the Lord. He is never too busy to hear by prayer, He never asks me to hold while He deals with other customers; for He is always read to answer my prayer, even if I have to wait a while to see how it all plays out. I am confident of this as I have his word for it, and I have now had enough experience with Him that my trust is solid.
If you need more than my testimony, consider these words from Jesus; “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) He also says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.” (Mk. 11-24)
All the great saints of God had learned how to communicate with Him in prayer, not the least being King David and the other Psalmists. “I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and My supplications. Because He has inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” (Ps. 116:1) “Certainly, God has heard me, he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” (Ps. 66:19)
You may still have to call your provider to answer technical questions relating to your electronics; but I suggest if you first talk to the One who is our Provider, -- your experience will go better and without all the frustrations.
Because He Is Worthy
August 16, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
Many years ago, in another life, I sat in a restaurant with three of four of my co-workers, all fairly equal in the hierarchy of our workplace, when the discussion somehow turned to how others might perceive our work, more specifically, our work ethic. Some misguided soul decided that we should engage in an exercise in which each of us would submit to a critique by the others. The exercise provided that each of us would be brutally honest in stating how the person in review was perceived by others. This produced some interesting and thought-provoking results, but let me say, it is an exercise I am not now recommending. For, those doing the critiquing often took very seriously the word, “brutal”.
Now, an honest self-examination is valuable, not so much as to discern what others think about us, but to ask, “What am I doing to honor God?” and perhaps, more importantly, “Am I doing anything to bring dishonor to Christ or to others?” Yet, the topic of self-worth remains a concern for many, especially to someone dealing with low self-esteem. Counselors will often coach such a client as to how they can learn to love themselves.
However, such efforts often fall short because our self-worth does not come from self, but from God. We are told this right at the beginning of Scripture when God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) This means we have no image other than that given by God and as is stated, it is a true reflection of His image. In Ps. 139: 14, we further hear; “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
When we speak of loving ourselves, we have to be careful. There are two dimensions to such love. There is the love that is conceited, prideful, and arrogant, which is sin. And then there is a natural love stemming from our knowledge of who we are in Christ, and being thankful for all that God has made in us. This second dimension of love is one rising out of humility, acknowledging that God made us the way He wanted us to be and has given us gifts specific to our life and purpose. Ours is to acknowledge those gifts, and commit ourselves to using them in the manner He has chosen.
I can give testimony to one who spent many years working in industry trying to find my self-worth in the praises of my peers and my bosses. And I can look back and believe that I mostly achieved good marks. Yet none of these satisfied, nothing could convince me that what I was doing was truly worthwhile, until I received the call of Christ on my life and committed it to serving Him. To the world, the choice I made to leave the corporate world in favor of dedicated service to God, may seem foolish. Yet it is here that I have found the peace that passes understanding; that in which I no longer have to ask, “What is this all about?”
Perhaps, no other verse of scripture demonstrates the truth of how God sees us, and affirms our value to Him and to the world, more than that which has become one of the most familiar and oft-quoted verses of scripture. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This means you! You are one God so loved that He willingly gave up His life to preserve. You are the one He established as being worthy in Christ.
NEVER GIVE ANYONE ELSE AUTHORITY OVER YOUR SELF-WORTH.
You belong to Christ and to Him, only.
Now, an honest self-examination is valuable, not so much as to discern what others think about us, but to ask, “What am I doing to honor God?” and perhaps, more importantly, “Am I doing anything to bring dishonor to Christ or to others?” Yet, the topic of self-worth remains a concern for many, especially to someone dealing with low self-esteem. Counselors will often coach such a client as to how they can learn to love themselves.
However, such efforts often fall short because our self-worth does not come from self, but from God. We are told this right at the beginning of Scripture when God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) This means we have no image other than that given by God and as is stated, it is a true reflection of His image. In Ps. 139: 14, we further hear; “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
When we speak of loving ourselves, we have to be careful. There are two dimensions to such love. There is the love that is conceited, prideful, and arrogant, which is sin. And then there is a natural love stemming from our knowledge of who we are in Christ, and being thankful for all that God has made in us. This second dimension of love is one rising out of humility, acknowledging that God made us the way He wanted us to be and has given us gifts specific to our life and purpose. Ours is to acknowledge those gifts, and commit ourselves to using them in the manner He has chosen.
I can give testimony to one who spent many years working in industry trying to find my self-worth in the praises of my peers and my bosses. And I can look back and believe that I mostly achieved good marks. Yet none of these satisfied, nothing could convince me that what I was doing was truly worthwhile, until I received the call of Christ on my life and committed it to serving Him. To the world, the choice I made to leave the corporate world in favor of dedicated service to God, may seem foolish. Yet it is here that I have found the peace that passes understanding; that in which I no longer have to ask, “What is this all about?”
Perhaps, no other verse of scripture demonstrates the truth of how God sees us, and affirms our value to Him and to the world, more than that which has become one of the most familiar and oft-quoted verses of scripture. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This means you! You are one God so loved that He willingly gave up His life to preserve. You are the one He established as being worthy in Christ.
NEVER GIVE ANYONE ELSE AUTHORITY OVER YOUR SELF-WORTH.
You belong to Christ and to Him, only.
The Blessing: Part III
August 9, 2020 - Kathryn Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
The Blessing – Part 3
One of our sons just celebrated his 36th birthday. As I sat looking at his birthday card, searching for just the right words to express all I’m wishing for him in the coming year, the blessing of Aaron from Numbers 6:24-26 came to my mind once again:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (ESV)
What better words could I find to speak over our son for his birthday?
I’m not surprised that the words of this rich benediction came to mind: they have been ringing in my heart for months, ever since I first heard the song based on this passage which has become so popular lately. In recent months, believers from all around the globe are singing The Blessing over their cities and nations as a unified declaration of God’s goodness in the face of COVID-19. Here’s one version sung by believers from more than 300 local churches throughout Australia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOt7baaVSbE
This song of blessing has also been translated into other languages, including Spanish. Believers from ten different nations throughout Latin America joined together to sing La Bendición - Latinoamérica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13TuS5egUVI
Ever since The Blessing came to the forefront, I’ve been hungry to delve more deeply into the richness of these words. So in this third and final look at Numbers 6:24-26, let’s look at some of the treasure that can be found in the last couplet of this blessing.
"Lift Up His Countenance Upon You"
One of our sons just celebrated his 36th birthday. As I sat looking at his birthday card, searching for just the right words to express all I’m wishing for him in the coming year, the blessing of Aaron from Numbers 6:24-26 came to my mind once again:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (ESV)
What better words could I find to speak over our son for his birthday?
I’m not surprised that the words of this rich benediction came to mind: they have been ringing in my heart for months, ever since I first heard the song based on this passage which has become so popular lately. In recent months, believers from all around the globe are singing The Blessing over their cities and nations as a unified declaration of God’s goodness in the face of COVID-19. Here’s one version sung by believers from more than 300 local churches throughout Australia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOt7baaVSbE
This song of blessing has also been translated into other languages, including Spanish. Believers from ten different nations throughout Latin America joined together to sing La Bendición - Latinoamérica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13TuS5egUVI
Ever since The Blessing came to the forefront, I’ve been hungry to delve more deeply into the richness of these words. So in this third and final look at Numbers 6:24-26, let’s look at some of the treasure that can be found in the last couplet of this blessing.
"Lift Up His Countenance Upon You"
What does it mean for the Lord to lift up His countenance upon us? The rich variety of ways these words are translated in different versions of the Bible hints at the wealth that can be found here:
So if God would “look you full in the face” right now, as The Message puts it, would you be able to meet His gaze? Take a moment now to stop and imagine what that might be like. What would you expect to see? Are you anticipating His approval? Would He turn to you with favor, as some of these translations would express it? What does God see when He looks at you? Are you His beloved daughter or son whom He looks upon with great pleasure and delight?
Or would you expect to see disappointment and frustration reflected in His eyes instead? Perhaps you’d expect God to correct or even reject you. Of course, if there’s something in the way—something you need to confess to Him—do it! Repent, and receive His loving forgiveness. Then look Him in the face and see what it’s like for the Lord to lift His countenance upon you.
"And Give You Peace"
- May the Lord's approval be resting on you (BBE)
- The Lord turn his face toward you (NIV)
- May the LORD be good to you (CEV)
- May the LORD look on you with favor (GNB)
- May the Lord watch over you (NCV)
- May the LORD turn to face you (ISV)
- May the Lord show you his favor (NLT)
- God look you full in the face (MSG)
So if God would “look you full in the face” right now, as The Message puts it, would you be able to meet His gaze? Take a moment now to stop and imagine what that might be like. What would you expect to see? Are you anticipating His approval? Would He turn to you with favor, as some of these translations would express it? What does God see when He looks at you? Are you His beloved daughter or son whom He looks upon with great pleasure and delight?
Or would you expect to see disappointment and frustration reflected in His eyes instead? Perhaps you’d expect God to correct or even reject you. Of course, if there’s something in the way—something you need to confess to Him—do it! Repent, and receive His loving forgiveness. Then look Him in the face and see what it’s like for the Lord to lift His countenance upon you.
"And Give You Peace"
Peace. Safety. Prosperity. Well-being. Health. Wholeness. These are a few of the many aspects of the Hebrew word שָׁלֹם (shâlôm) that is used here. Shalom is like a multi-faceted diamond with myriad ways it can be reflected.
What would it look like for these various facets of shalom to rest on your life? Which one are you longing for the most?
Although peace is something we all long for, it often eludes us—especially during this season when COVID-19 has caused so much upheaval, uncertainty, and loss in our lives. But in the verse that comes immediately after The Blessing, we can find a clue to receiving the peace God wants to give us:
So shall they put my name upon the people . . . (Numbers 6:27 ESV)
When this blessing is spoken over us, it puts God’s name on us. Names like Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The God of Peace (Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20, etc.). King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2). And as those names rest upon us, His very nature meets us in our places of need.
So let’s speak this blessing over one another, putting God’s name on each other. Let’s invoke God’s heart, His blessing, His name and His character over one another’s lives.
The Lord bless you
. . . so abundantly that it would cause the nations to kneel in awe.
And keep you
. . . guarded by His watchful eye and protective hedge.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
. . . with all the fullness of His Dayspring warmth and nurturing light.
And be gracious to you
. . . as He stoops low, mercifully extending His kindness to you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you
. . . a gaze brimming with love, favor, attention, and approval.
And give you peace
. . . that multi-faceted peace that permeates our lives with well-being.
What would it look like for these various facets of shalom to rest on your life? Which one are you longing for the most?
Although peace is something we all long for, it often eludes us—especially during this season when COVID-19 has caused so much upheaval, uncertainty, and loss in our lives. But in the verse that comes immediately after The Blessing, we can find a clue to receiving the peace God wants to give us:
So shall they put my name upon the people . . . (Numbers 6:27 ESV)
When this blessing is spoken over us, it puts God’s name on us. Names like Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The God of Peace (Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20, etc.). King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2). And as those names rest upon us, His very nature meets us in our places of need.
So let’s speak this blessing over one another, putting God’s name on each other. Let’s invoke God’s heart, His blessing, His name and His character over one another’s lives.
The Lord bless you
. . . so abundantly that it would cause the nations to kneel in awe.
And keep you
. . . guarded by His watchful eye and protective hedge.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
. . . with all the fullness of His Dayspring warmth and nurturing light.
And be gracious to you
. . . as He stoops low, mercifully extending His kindness to you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you
. . . a gaze brimming with love, favor, attention, and approval.
And give you peace
. . . that multi-faceted peace that permeates our lives with well-being.
The Blessing: Part II
August 2, 2020 - Kathryn Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
The Blessing: Part 2
I love sunlight. To sit on our patio, drinking tea, and watching the way the morning light dapples our Japanese maple, highlighting the vein pattern of each leaf—that’s a piece of heaven for me. I’m drawn to the sunlight. When there’s not enough of it, I can fall into depression. I need sunshine. We all do!
Sunlight warms us. It banishes our darkness. It reveals. It causes growth.
And it points us to the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Sunrise from on High (Luke 1:78), the Sun of Righteousness, who rises with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).
It’s no wonder then that the ancient blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 we’ve been delving into includes these words:
“The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” (verse 25, ESV)
Before we look at this couplet more closely, let’s step back a moment and consider this powerful blessing as a whole. It has recently come to the forefront because a song based on this passage has gone viral. Versions of The Blessing have been popping up around the globe as believers join together to bless their cities and nations in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. It started in May with 65 churches and movements in the UK collaborating to sing this benediction over their land:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U
Since then, believers from every corner of the earth have been invoking this ancient blessing over their nations. Here’s one from worshippers in Zimbabwe. It’s delightful to hear this benediction declared in so many of that nation’s languages!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA1tVs7VNcY
The blessing these believers are all singing contains three couplets, with each pair carrying a unique expression of God’s desire to benefit His people. Some commentators have suggested that each set reflects one member of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Martin Luther proposed that each couplet is intended to bless one facet of our being: body, soul, and spirit. So today, we’ll look at the second couplet, which could be considered to be the blessing from Jesus to our souls: “The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.”
“Make His Face Shine Upon You”
What happens when the Lord’s face shines on us? In the same way that sunshine provides us with light and warmth and causes plants to grow, when God’s face shines on us, we are enlightened and our hearts are warmed. His light brings revelation and nourishes us, causing us to grow and flourish.
John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, summed it up beautifully in his prophesy about Jesus:
“…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79 ESV)
Light in place of darkness and the shadow of death.
Guidance into the path of peace.
These are the gifts of God’s tender mercy that come to us when the Lord’s face shines on us.
I love sunlight. To sit on our patio, drinking tea, and watching the way the morning light dapples our Japanese maple, highlighting the vein pattern of each leaf—that’s a piece of heaven for me. I’m drawn to the sunlight. When there’s not enough of it, I can fall into depression. I need sunshine. We all do!
Sunlight warms us. It banishes our darkness. It reveals. It causes growth.
And it points us to the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Sunrise from on High (Luke 1:78), the Sun of Righteousness, who rises with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).
It’s no wonder then that the ancient blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 we’ve been delving into includes these words:
“The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” (verse 25, ESV)
Before we look at this couplet more closely, let’s step back a moment and consider this powerful blessing as a whole. It has recently come to the forefront because a song based on this passage has gone viral. Versions of The Blessing have been popping up around the globe as believers join together to bless their cities and nations in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. It started in May with 65 churches and movements in the UK collaborating to sing this benediction over their land:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U
Since then, believers from every corner of the earth have been invoking this ancient blessing over their nations. Here’s one from worshippers in Zimbabwe. It’s delightful to hear this benediction declared in so many of that nation’s languages!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA1tVs7VNcY
The blessing these believers are all singing contains three couplets, with each pair carrying a unique expression of God’s desire to benefit His people. Some commentators have suggested that each set reflects one member of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Martin Luther proposed that each couplet is intended to bless one facet of our being: body, soul, and spirit. So today, we’ll look at the second couplet, which could be considered to be the blessing from Jesus to our souls: “The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.”
“Make His Face Shine Upon You”
What happens when the Lord’s face shines on us? In the same way that sunshine provides us with light and warmth and causes plants to grow, when God’s face shines on us, we are enlightened and our hearts are warmed. His light brings revelation and nourishes us, causing us to grow and flourish.
John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, summed it up beautifully in his prophesy about Jesus:
“…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79 ESV)
Light in place of darkness and the shadow of death.
Guidance into the path of peace.
These are the gifts of God’s tender mercy that come to us when the Lord’s face shines on us.
Jesus’ face is shining on you right now. Take a moment to turn toward Him and bask in His presence. Feel His warmth. Welcome His light. Receive His nourishment. Listen for His words to guide you on the path of peace.
“Be Gracious to You”
There’s a beautiful Hebrew word here that is translated “gracious”: חָנַן (khaw-nan'). It literally means to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior. Can’t you just picture it? In His kindness, the Lord bends low to show us favor and mercy—to reveal His grace to us. This word is used 77 times in the Old Testament, often to depict God’s kind dealings with His people. As Jacob said, “God has dealt graciously with me, and I have enough.” (Genesis 33:11)
“Be Gracious to You”
There’s a beautiful Hebrew word here that is translated “gracious”: חָנַן (khaw-nan'). It literally means to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior. Can’t you just picture it? In His kindness, the Lord bends low to show us favor and mercy—to reveal His grace to us. This word is used 77 times in the Old Testament, often to depict God’s kind dealings with His people. As Jacob said, “God has dealt graciously with me, and I have enough.” (Genesis 33:11)
But חָנַן (khaw-nan') goes the other direction, too. It also means to beg, entreat, or plead. For example, David often used this word in his Psalms to cry out to God:
The Lord is bending down to show you kindness right now. Can you picture it? What kind of kindness do you need today? Are you lonely, distressed, languishing, or afflicted in any way right now? Tell God about it, confident that He is more than willing to stoop to you in His kindness and be gracious to you.
Next time, we’ll hear two more examples of The Blessing from around the world and look at the final couplet of this ancient benediction.
- When he was languishing (Psalm 6:2)
- When he was in distress (Psalm 4:1)
- When he was afflicted (Psalm 9:13)
- When he was lonely (Psalm 25:16)
The Lord is bending down to show you kindness right now. Can you picture it? What kind of kindness do you need today? Are you lonely, distressed, languishing, or afflicted in any way right now? Tell God about it, confident that He is more than willing to stoop to you in His kindness and be gracious to you.
Next time, we’ll hear two more examples of The Blessing from around the world and look at the final couplet of this ancient benediction.
The Blessing: Part I
July 26, 2020 - Kathryn Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
Illustrated by Rhonda Bailey
The Blessing: Part 1
Read: Numbers 6:22-27
Recently, my heart has been captivated once again by these powerful words of blessing God gave to speak over His people. A new musical setting was recently written for this passage—perhaps you’ve heard it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6aygmvzM4
In many places around the globe, Christians from different churches have joined together to sing this song as a way of blessing their nations and demonstrating unity in the face of the COVID19 epidemic. Believers from every corner of the earth are invoking this ancient blessing. Here’s a version from Malaysia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9vJw3tZ7E0
And what a rich blessing it is! Each of its three couplets carries a unique expression of God’s desire to benefit His people. Let’s start with the first pair: “The Lord bless you and keep you.”
“Bless”
We throw this word around with good intentions, expressing our hope that others will experience good things. But what does it really mean?
The Hebrew word here is בָּרַךְ (baw-rak'), which literally means “to kneel.” At first that doesn’t seem too helpful, but if you ponder that image awhile, it paints a vivid picture. We can “kneel” as we give and receive benefits, to and from God and others. Our kneeling—whether it’s literal or simply in our hearts—acknowledges that whatever benefits are being bestowed all ultimately come from one source: God’s hand.
Read: Numbers 6:22-27
Recently, my heart has been captivated once again by these powerful words of blessing God gave to speak over His people. A new musical setting was recently written for this passage—perhaps you’ve heard it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6aygmvzM4
In many places around the globe, Christians from different churches have joined together to sing this song as a way of blessing their nations and demonstrating unity in the face of the COVID19 epidemic. Believers from every corner of the earth are invoking this ancient blessing. Here’s a version from Malaysia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9vJw3tZ7E0
And what a rich blessing it is! Each of its three couplets carries a unique expression of God’s desire to benefit His people. Let’s start with the first pair: “The Lord bless you and keep you.”
“Bless”
We throw this word around with good intentions, expressing our hope that others will experience good things. But what does it really mean?
The Hebrew word here is בָּרַךְ (baw-rak'), which literally means “to kneel.” At first that doesn’t seem too helpful, but if you ponder that image awhile, it paints a vivid picture. We can “kneel” as we give and receive benefits, to and from God and others. Our kneeling—whether it’s literal or simply in our hearts—acknowledges that whatever benefits are being bestowed all ultimately come from one source: God’s hand.
And those benefits come in myriad shapes and sizes. בָּרַךְ (baw-rak') is used 330 times in the Bible and it includes things like:
Why don’t you take a moment right now to pause and kneel in gratitude for some of the specific ways you’ve experienced God’s blessing?
“Keep”
Here’s another Hebrew word that paints a vivid picture: שָׁמַר (shaw-mar') carries the idea of guarding and protecting by creating a hedge of thorns.
- Protection from our own foolishness (1 Samuel 25:32-34)
- Strength and peace (Psalm 29:11)
- Fruitfulness (Genesis 1:28)
- Success in the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 2:7)
- Health and forgiveness (Psalm 103:1-2)
Why don’t you take a moment right now to pause and kneel in gratitude for some of the specific ways you’ve experienced God’s blessing?
“Keep”
Here’s another Hebrew word that paints a vivid picture: שָׁמַר (shaw-mar') carries the idea of guarding and protecting by creating a hedge of thorns.
But similar to the word for “blessing,” there are many facets to the meaning of this Hebrew word. It’s used 440 times in the Bible, but let’s look at just a handful of the ways that God’s hedge of protection might be expressed:
What are some of the specific ways the Lord has “kept” you? Take a moment right now to remember and savor these times of blessing.
- He keeps His covenant with us (Nehemiah 1:5)
- His care preserves our spirits (Job 10:11)
- He keeps us as the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8)
- He protects and delivers us in times of trouble (Psalm 41:1-2)
- He preserves us in all of our coming and going (Psalm 121:8)
What are some of the specific ways the Lord has “kept” you? Take a moment right now to remember and savor these times of blessing.
Peacemakers
July 19, 2020 - Beth Bankert - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 KJV)
Jesus said, ”Blessed are the peacemakers..." He did not say," Blessed are the peacekeepers..." I once was a peacekeeper. I despised conflict and avoided rocking the boat. I attempted to keep the peace no matter what and even paid the high price of being dishonest with others and myself. Peacekeeping did not work. When my relationships started to crumble and deteriorate, I sought counseling. It was there I learned the difference between peacekeepers and peacemakers.
Peacekeepers avoid conflict, pretend everything is okay, and settle for fake peace where there is no resolve or restoration. Peacekeepers hide behind a mask trying to look humble and virtuous. They hide their heads in the sand while life falls apart around them. They are not about their relationships or the other person. They just want the conflict to go away at any cost. This creates a toxic environment and usually leads to breakdown in relationships or with oneself. Peacekeepers believe it is their responsibility to keep the peace, finding it difficult to trust God and His wonder-working power.
Peacemakers, on the other hand, are usually painfully honest with how they are feeling about themselves and others. They are willing to live in the tension until true and lasting reconciliation and restoration have occurred. Peacemakers are all about restoring relationship....they value their relationship over being right. Peacemakers are usually authentic people. They may not like tension or conflict, but they don't hide from it either. Peacemakers believe God wants to bring peace, will bring peace, and has brought peace. They trust Him with the hard stuff.
Jesus enters into conflict and tension. He speaks truth to power many times. When He speaks, light dispels darkness, bringing more than one "light bulb" moment for His disciples. Jesus is all about loving the other, and He places a very high value on His relationships with us. He is willing to get dirty while helping us with our messy lives. He definitely is not about relieving the tension — it’s often the tension in our lives that causes us to run to Him, where we find Him waiting and willing to help and restore. But sometimes, at the end of the day, the only result may be to respectfully agree to disagree with one another.
Social unrest persists in our nation and communities. It is a spiritual battle in a spiritual war. In our conversations with our spouses, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, speaking our opinion matters, but speaking the truth in love matters more, for it is there that peace can be found.
PRAYER: O Lord Jesus, who biddest thy Church to bring all men to thyself; make clear to each one of us his part in the task. Fire our minds with a vision of a more perfect society here on earth in which justice and right, peace and brotherhood, shall reign according to thy will; and helping each one to do our part, that thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. (Methodist Prayer Book)
Jesus said, ”Blessed are the peacemakers..." He did not say," Blessed are the peacekeepers..." I once was a peacekeeper. I despised conflict and avoided rocking the boat. I attempted to keep the peace no matter what and even paid the high price of being dishonest with others and myself. Peacekeeping did not work. When my relationships started to crumble and deteriorate, I sought counseling. It was there I learned the difference between peacekeepers and peacemakers.
Peacekeepers avoid conflict, pretend everything is okay, and settle for fake peace where there is no resolve or restoration. Peacekeepers hide behind a mask trying to look humble and virtuous. They hide their heads in the sand while life falls apart around them. They are not about their relationships or the other person. They just want the conflict to go away at any cost. This creates a toxic environment and usually leads to breakdown in relationships or with oneself. Peacekeepers believe it is their responsibility to keep the peace, finding it difficult to trust God and His wonder-working power.
Peacemakers, on the other hand, are usually painfully honest with how they are feeling about themselves and others. They are willing to live in the tension until true and lasting reconciliation and restoration have occurred. Peacemakers are all about restoring relationship....they value their relationship over being right. Peacemakers are usually authentic people. They may not like tension or conflict, but they don't hide from it either. Peacemakers believe God wants to bring peace, will bring peace, and has brought peace. They trust Him with the hard stuff.
Jesus enters into conflict and tension. He speaks truth to power many times. When He speaks, light dispels darkness, bringing more than one "light bulb" moment for His disciples. Jesus is all about loving the other, and He places a very high value on His relationships with us. He is willing to get dirty while helping us with our messy lives. He definitely is not about relieving the tension — it’s often the tension in our lives that causes us to run to Him, where we find Him waiting and willing to help and restore. But sometimes, at the end of the day, the only result may be to respectfully agree to disagree with one another.
Social unrest persists in our nation and communities. It is a spiritual battle in a spiritual war. In our conversations with our spouses, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, speaking our opinion matters, but speaking the truth in love matters more, for it is there that peace can be found.
PRAYER: O Lord Jesus, who biddest thy Church to bring all men to thyself; make clear to each one of us his part in the task. Fire our minds with a vision of a more perfect society here on earth in which justice and right, peace and brotherhood, shall reign according to thy will; and helping each one to do our part, that thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. (Methodist Prayer Book)
If You Water It, They Will Come
July 12, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
I didn’t expect to see him squatting there with his green and brown spotted coat blending in with the still damp soil and tiny weed sprouts. I had come to the gardens early in the day in search of red, juicy tomatoes for a salad lunch later.
“Well, hello there, little frog,” I murmured. “What brings you out this morning?”
Then I remembered how I had watered the garden last night, and the plants and soil were still moist. It’s been a long, hot, dry spell in northern Indiana. We haven’t seen a good rain in days, and the lawn is sun bleached and brittle. The vegetable and flower gardens with their bright greenery stand in stark contrast as they get watered nearly every day. Naturally, the frog set up shop where there was a source of water and refreshment.
I thought back to yesterday morning as I peeked out the kitchen window, the first rays of the sun promising another steaming, scorching day. The gardens were full of birds. They flitted in and out, disappearing momentarily among the green beans and bell pepper plants. Cardinals, sparrows, robins, and finches with little mincing steps danced choreographically in and out of the garden for this audience of one. Tiny droplets of water lingering on the plants washed over their feathers. This was their way of taking a morning shower, I surmised.
“If you water it, they will come,” the words sifted down upon my mind. “The water is intended for the plants, but others benefit from and depend upon it especially in the drought seasons.”
Ah, yes. I see where this is going…it’s our lives, our parched souls, our desperate need of living water. Intentional, daily watering (worship, meditating on Scripture, practicing the presence of God) is necessary for any hope of fruit. But something we might not consider is the secondary by-product of this watering. Others nearby, namely our spouses, children, friends, and strangers alike, all benefit, too. When we are well watered, others are drawn to us as we bring refreshment to them.
As I reached for a tomato, my little spotted visitor hopped away. I breathed a prayer, “Father, when the heat is on and souls are withering, help us live in such an intentional way that when anyone comes near us, they come under the influence of living water.”
“The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” (Isaiah 58:11,12 NLT)
“Well, hello there, little frog,” I murmured. “What brings you out this morning?”
Then I remembered how I had watered the garden last night, and the plants and soil were still moist. It’s been a long, hot, dry spell in northern Indiana. We haven’t seen a good rain in days, and the lawn is sun bleached and brittle. The vegetable and flower gardens with their bright greenery stand in stark contrast as they get watered nearly every day. Naturally, the frog set up shop where there was a source of water and refreshment.
I thought back to yesterday morning as I peeked out the kitchen window, the first rays of the sun promising another steaming, scorching day. The gardens were full of birds. They flitted in and out, disappearing momentarily among the green beans and bell pepper plants. Cardinals, sparrows, robins, and finches with little mincing steps danced choreographically in and out of the garden for this audience of one. Tiny droplets of water lingering on the plants washed over their feathers. This was their way of taking a morning shower, I surmised.
“If you water it, they will come,” the words sifted down upon my mind. “The water is intended for the plants, but others benefit from and depend upon it especially in the drought seasons.”
Ah, yes. I see where this is going…it’s our lives, our parched souls, our desperate need of living water. Intentional, daily watering (worship, meditating on Scripture, practicing the presence of God) is necessary for any hope of fruit. But something we might not consider is the secondary by-product of this watering. Others nearby, namely our spouses, children, friends, and strangers alike, all benefit, too. When we are well watered, others are drawn to us as we bring refreshment to them.
As I reached for a tomato, my little spotted visitor hopped away. I breathed a prayer, “Father, when the heat is on and souls are withering, help us live in such an intentional way that when anyone comes near us, they come under the influence of living water.”
“The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.” (Isaiah 58:11,12 NLT)
He’s Holding My Hand
June 28, 2020 - Peggy Lundy - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13 NIV)
When my son was a child, he didn’t mind holding my hand on the way into the store. But when I turned toward the groceries, and he turned toward the toys, the hand holding became restrictive instead of comforting.
How often do we feel the same when God holds our hand? His connection and care feel safe and reassuring when we think He’s leading us where we want to go. But when He takes us in a different direction, we hesitate, we balk, we pull away. We insist on continuing in the direction we were headed. Sometimes, we argue and remind Him of His promises, as if He tricked us into going with Him in the first place.
He stands there, like the patient Father He is, waiting for us to choose. Will we trust Him, take His hand and follow Him? Will we conquer our fear of the unknown, set aside our disappointment, and believe He has only good in store for us? Or will we head off on our own, away from His side, away from His protection, and away from His provision? Are we that determined to get what we want? Will our impatience win the day?
His word to us today is the same as it was to the ancient Judeans, “Don’t be afraid. I will help you.” He will help us overcome our disappointment. He will even help us break free from our stubborn independence. And He will most certainly help us exchange our fear of the future with eager anticipation for each new day. Just let Him hold your hand.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for taking hold of my hand. You are my help and the conqueror of my fears.
Photo courtesy of Marilyn Comer
When my son was a child, he didn’t mind holding my hand on the way into the store. But when I turned toward the groceries, and he turned toward the toys, the hand holding became restrictive instead of comforting.
How often do we feel the same when God holds our hand? His connection and care feel safe and reassuring when we think He’s leading us where we want to go. But when He takes us in a different direction, we hesitate, we balk, we pull away. We insist on continuing in the direction we were headed. Sometimes, we argue and remind Him of His promises, as if He tricked us into going with Him in the first place.
He stands there, like the patient Father He is, waiting for us to choose. Will we trust Him, take His hand and follow Him? Will we conquer our fear of the unknown, set aside our disappointment, and believe He has only good in store for us? Or will we head off on our own, away from His side, away from His protection, and away from His provision? Are we that determined to get what we want? Will our impatience win the day?
His word to us today is the same as it was to the ancient Judeans, “Don’t be afraid. I will help you.” He will help us overcome our disappointment. He will even help us break free from our stubborn independence. And He will most certainly help us exchange our fear of the future with eager anticipation for each new day. Just let Him hold your hand.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for taking hold of my hand. You are my help and the conqueror of my fears.
Photo courtesy of Marilyn Comer
That's My Dad!
June 21, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
If you are a father, perhaps you have fond memories of your children learning to talk. Perhaps their mother pointed to you and asked them, “Who is this?” Maybe it took some prompting; “Is that daddy?” before you finally heard the word, “Dada.” Later, there may have been a time when you went to pick your child up at a playground or at school and someone pointed to you and asked, “Who is that man?” and you heard the words proudly spoken, “That’s my Dad!”
It is a natural thing, in most households, for a solid and loving relationship to develop between father and son or father and daughter, a relationship often expressed with pride; “that’s my son,” or “that’s my Dad.” And such a relationship is best developed in the example of God as being our Father. It is not by accident that we look to the heavens, seek out the Creator of the universe, try to define that which is beyond what no human mind can fully perceive, and call Him Father. For that word defines what we really desire of our earthly fathers, -- the one who can fix all hurts, heal all wounds, teach all things, offer wise counsel, and above all, hold us close and let us know we are loved. Yes, we know that our fathers aren’t supermen. At least, after we have matured a little ourselves, we know this. But for most of us, they are super. -- “That’s him, He’s my Dad!”
We never get too old to need our fathers. How many of us have, after losing our fathers, thought to ask a simple question and instinctively reached for the phone; or, how many times have we driven by their old home, just to see if he might be sitting on the porch waiting for us to stop by?”
Shortly before her death in 1989, TV comedian and personality, Lucille Ball, did a TV interview with Merv Griffin. He asked her a very serious and pointed question: "Lucille, you’ve lived a long time on this earth and you are a wise person. What’s happened to our country? What’s wrong with our children? Why are our families falling apart? What’s missing?"
Lucille Ball answered without hesitation: "Papa’s missing. Things are falling apart because Papa’s gone. If Papa were here, he would fix it."
We just seem to know that our Dad can fix what is broken in us. While there are literally dozens of verses in scripture pointing to the importance, the responsibility and authority of the father, perhaps in no place do we find a more direct and poignant example of the father than in Luke 15, in the story of the prodigal son. After this man’s son had acted foolishly and sinfully, in short, after he had become a big disappointment to his father, and after finding himself destitute and starving; this son decided to “face the music,” as it were. He realized more than anything else, he needed to talk to his Dad. Then in verses 20-24 we find these words. “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
You know the story, the father did not condemn his son, but celebrated; for, as he said in verse 24, “This is my son who was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.”
The story goes on to speak of the reaction of the “prodigal’s” brother and their father’s counsel to him. But it says no more about the redeemed son’s thoughts or actions. So, let us imagine that, later that night, this son might have looked in on his father, now sleeping peacefully, and then looked to the heavens to see the glory of the universe and spoke some very important and healing words from his heart: -- “That’s my Dad!”
It is a natural thing, in most households, for a solid and loving relationship to develop between father and son or father and daughter, a relationship often expressed with pride; “that’s my son,” or “that’s my Dad.” And such a relationship is best developed in the example of God as being our Father. It is not by accident that we look to the heavens, seek out the Creator of the universe, try to define that which is beyond what no human mind can fully perceive, and call Him Father. For that word defines what we really desire of our earthly fathers, -- the one who can fix all hurts, heal all wounds, teach all things, offer wise counsel, and above all, hold us close and let us know we are loved. Yes, we know that our fathers aren’t supermen. At least, after we have matured a little ourselves, we know this. But for most of us, they are super. -- “That’s him, He’s my Dad!”
We never get too old to need our fathers. How many of us have, after losing our fathers, thought to ask a simple question and instinctively reached for the phone; or, how many times have we driven by their old home, just to see if he might be sitting on the porch waiting for us to stop by?”
Shortly before her death in 1989, TV comedian and personality, Lucille Ball, did a TV interview with Merv Griffin. He asked her a very serious and pointed question: "Lucille, you’ve lived a long time on this earth and you are a wise person. What’s happened to our country? What’s wrong with our children? Why are our families falling apart? What’s missing?"
Lucille Ball answered without hesitation: "Papa’s missing. Things are falling apart because Papa’s gone. If Papa were here, he would fix it."
We just seem to know that our Dad can fix what is broken in us. While there are literally dozens of verses in scripture pointing to the importance, the responsibility and authority of the father, perhaps in no place do we find a more direct and poignant example of the father than in Luke 15, in the story of the prodigal son. After this man’s son had acted foolishly and sinfully, in short, after he had become a big disappointment to his father, and after finding himself destitute and starving; this son decided to “face the music,” as it were. He realized more than anything else, he needed to talk to his Dad. Then in verses 20-24 we find these words. “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
You know the story, the father did not condemn his son, but celebrated; for, as he said in verse 24, “This is my son who was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.”
The story goes on to speak of the reaction of the “prodigal’s” brother and their father’s counsel to him. But it says no more about the redeemed son’s thoughts or actions. So, let us imagine that, later that night, this son might have looked in on his father, now sleeping peacefully, and then looked to the heavens to see the glory of the universe and spoke some very important and healing words from his heart: -- “That’s my Dad!”
Waiting in the Word
June 7, 2020 - Allison Gardner - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.” Psalm 119:114
Scrolling, reading, and watching. News that changes moment by moment. It feels so easy to sink into all the information, to pick up and shoulder all the worries, all the while waiting for the next tidbit of news, the next headline.
Instead of waiting in trepidation for the next announcement, what if we wait in the Word? When we can’t control the world around us (and that’s pretty much always), what if we stop waiting for the next ball to drop and instead wait for His presence to fall? Instead, wait for His Word to saturate us, fill us to overflowing.
Wait in the Word. Wait in worship. I don’t know what you are waiting for, but here is a good place to camp out as you wait.
He IS peace. He IS life. He IS breath. He IS I am. He is your friend, your Father, your hope, and your provider. He is your path, your strength, your guide, and your protection. His Word is the greatest love story, the most powerful weapon, the answer to every question, and the light to your path. He is our redeemer, our rightousness, our renewer and restorer. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is a strong tower, a light in the darkness, truth, and justice. There is power in His name, comfort in His presence, and healing through His sacrifice. He IS good. He IS for you. Hope in Him. Wait in His Word.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You are all we need. Thank You that Your timing is perfect, and Your plan is sovereign. Be with us in the waiting. Thank You for Your Word. It is what we need. Amen.
Scrolling, reading, and watching. News that changes moment by moment. It feels so easy to sink into all the information, to pick up and shoulder all the worries, all the while waiting for the next tidbit of news, the next headline.
Instead of waiting in trepidation for the next announcement, what if we wait in the Word? When we can’t control the world around us (and that’s pretty much always), what if we stop waiting for the next ball to drop and instead wait for His presence to fall? Instead, wait for His Word to saturate us, fill us to overflowing.
Wait in the Word. Wait in worship. I don’t know what you are waiting for, but here is a good place to camp out as you wait.
He IS peace. He IS life. He IS breath. He IS I am. He is your friend, your Father, your hope, and your provider. He is your path, your strength, your guide, and your protection. His Word is the greatest love story, the most powerful weapon, the answer to every question, and the light to your path. He is our redeemer, our rightousness, our renewer and restorer. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is a strong tower, a light in the darkness, truth, and justice. There is power in His name, comfort in His presence, and healing through His sacrifice. He IS good. He IS for you. Hope in Him. Wait in His Word.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You are all we need. Thank You that Your timing is perfect, and Your plan is sovereign. Be with us in the waiting. Thank You for Your Word. It is what we need. Amen.
Living Together in God's Time
May 24, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
My current favorite appliance in our house is a digital clock which not only shows me the time of day, but also tells me the day of the week, the date, and if it is morning or afternoon. In fact, if I get up in the middle of the night, it includes notations such as “after midnight” or “before dawn.” I am not really sure why this is necessary because if I am awake enough to read the clock, I ought to be able to look out the window to see if it is dark or light.
In any regard, I find myself increasingly dependent upon this gadget because, not only am I old, addled, and easily confused, but my current mostly stay-at-home existence allows one day to run into the next. Where I used to be able to count on our Sunday church gatherings to bring into correction any drift in my sense of time and space, I now sit in front of my computer watching the live streaming of the Sunday worship, an activity which isn’t all that different from what I do the other six days of the week. Now, I am not complaining about these broadcasts. I appreciate the efforts these folks have made to provide spiritual nourishment during our time of social distancing; aka “house arrest.”
I clearly remember the days when I worked in an office and often traveled from city to city in my employment. I found I was constantly aware of the clock, mentally calculating the time required for me to travel to a given appointment. I got used to defining distance in terms of hours and minutes instead of miles. And often I became weary of that sense of “being controlled by the clock.”
Now, the measure of time is not a bad thing. It was invented by God. He placed the sun and moon and planets in the heavens and set them in motion. He assigned regularity to their courses and taught us to observe their movement. In this way we were given a sense for time. Our year is a measurement of the time required for one orbit of the earth around the sun, the orbiting of the moon around the earth limits the months, and a day identifies a single revolution of the earth. Even the seasons are the result of the tilted axis of the earth as it makes its journey around the sun. God created time, it was up to man to devise instruments for measuring it and learning to use such devices to define and control their activities.
God’s word speaks a lot about time, primarily for the purpose of directing our thoughts and actions toward its perfect use according to His will. There is, of course, the oft-quoted line from Ecclesiastes 3, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” This is followed by a series of opposing thoughts, “A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted, etc.” This and similar passages of scripture speak to living in the will of God such as James 4:13-16 which includes the line, “You ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” For, ignoring the will of the Lord is living in ignorance of his timing and is likely to lead to failure and stress.
The Lord also warns against the wasting of our time. This is also expressed in the context of Eccl. 3, but perhaps best in Hebrews 12 which includes the encouragement, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” The clear message here is that we are to seek the Lord and steadfastly follow Him.
Now, it is true that the Lord has not asked us to ignore the effects of sin in the world and the fact that we will experience unforeseen circumstances as well as times of uncertainty like those we are now living. But St. Paul has adequately addressed these in Phil. 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Time is important, the Lord’s time. Let us not push ours ahead of His.
In any regard, I find myself increasingly dependent upon this gadget because, not only am I old, addled, and easily confused, but my current mostly stay-at-home existence allows one day to run into the next. Where I used to be able to count on our Sunday church gatherings to bring into correction any drift in my sense of time and space, I now sit in front of my computer watching the live streaming of the Sunday worship, an activity which isn’t all that different from what I do the other six days of the week. Now, I am not complaining about these broadcasts. I appreciate the efforts these folks have made to provide spiritual nourishment during our time of social distancing; aka “house arrest.”
I clearly remember the days when I worked in an office and often traveled from city to city in my employment. I found I was constantly aware of the clock, mentally calculating the time required for me to travel to a given appointment. I got used to defining distance in terms of hours and minutes instead of miles. And often I became weary of that sense of “being controlled by the clock.”
Now, the measure of time is not a bad thing. It was invented by God. He placed the sun and moon and planets in the heavens and set them in motion. He assigned regularity to their courses and taught us to observe their movement. In this way we were given a sense for time. Our year is a measurement of the time required for one orbit of the earth around the sun, the orbiting of the moon around the earth limits the months, and a day identifies a single revolution of the earth. Even the seasons are the result of the tilted axis of the earth as it makes its journey around the sun. God created time, it was up to man to devise instruments for measuring it and learning to use such devices to define and control their activities.
God’s word speaks a lot about time, primarily for the purpose of directing our thoughts and actions toward its perfect use according to His will. There is, of course, the oft-quoted line from Ecclesiastes 3, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” This is followed by a series of opposing thoughts, “A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted, etc.” This and similar passages of scripture speak to living in the will of God such as James 4:13-16 which includes the line, “You ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” For, ignoring the will of the Lord is living in ignorance of his timing and is likely to lead to failure and stress.
The Lord also warns against the wasting of our time. This is also expressed in the context of Eccl. 3, but perhaps best in Hebrews 12 which includes the encouragement, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” The clear message here is that we are to seek the Lord and steadfastly follow Him.
Now, it is true that the Lord has not asked us to ignore the effects of sin in the world and the fact that we will experience unforeseen circumstances as well as times of uncertainty like those we are now living. But St. Paul has adequately addressed these in Phil. 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Time is important, the Lord’s time. Let us not push ours ahead of His.
How Can We Know the Way?
May 17, 2020 - Kathryn Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way . . .’” (John 14:5-6a )
Thomas’ question could just as easily be ours today as we continue to face the upheaval and uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought to our lives. Even though the stay-at-home orders are being lifted in some locations, and a few steps are being taken to allow certain businesses to be reopened, we still have lots of unanswered questions—possibly even more than before. Some of us are asking things like:
Like us, Thomas and the other disciples were confused about which way to go. They wanted to follow Jesus, but there didn’t seem to be a clear path before them. Jesus’ striking answer is just as apropos today as it was when Thomas asked his question. But it’s an answer with a twist: Jesus doesn’t answer Thomas’ “How?” question. Instead He answers a “Who?” question and points Thomas—and us—to Himself!
So here we are with all of our questions. None of us has ever experienced a worldwide pandemic before; it’s not easy to follow Jesus through this uncharted territory. But He’s welcoming us to engage in conversations with Him about all of our quandaries and conundrums. He has answers for all of our questions, and He knows the path we each should take. He understands our unique needs, and He’ll point us in the right direction. He is more than happy to reveal to any one of us what our next step should be.
And one of the rich beauties of this all is that Jesus’ answer to each one of us might be different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all road: He provides a tailor-made path for each individual. He knows your unique way and mine because He is the way.
So as we face each new question that arises from this pandemic confusion, let’s keep turning to Jesus, who is offering Himself as the way forward.
Prayer
I’ve never been down this path before, Lord. I don’t know what to do, and it’s often difficult to know how to follow You. Be the Way for me today.
Key Thought
I know the way: it’s Jesus Himself.
Thomas’ question could just as easily be ours today as we continue to face the upheaval and uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought to our lives. Even though the stay-at-home orders are being lifted in some locations, and a few steps are being taken to allow certain businesses to be reopened, we still have lots of unanswered questions—possibly even more than before. Some of us are asking things like:
- How can I know the way when my finances are in complete disarray because of this pandemic?
- How can I know the way to help my children when I can hardly figure things out for myself?
- How can I know the way forward when I don’t know if my workplace will be safe when it reopens?
- How can I know the way to interact with others when some of my friends are taking precautions and others aren’t?
Like us, Thomas and the other disciples were confused about which way to go. They wanted to follow Jesus, but there didn’t seem to be a clear path before them. Jesus’ striking answer is just as apropos today as it was when Thomas asked his question. But it’s an answer with a twist: Jesus doesn’t answer Thomas’ “How?” question. Instead He answers a “Who?” question and points Thomas—and us—to Himself!
So here we are with all of our questions. None of us has ever experienced a worldwide pandemic before; it’s not easy to follow Jesus through this uncharted territory. But He’s welcoming us to engage in conversations with Him about all of our quandaries and conundrums. He has answers for all of our questions, and He knows the path we each should take. He understands our unique needs, and He’ll point us in the right direction. He is more than happy to reveal to any one of us what our next step should be.
And one of the rich beauties of this all is that Jesus’ answer to each one of us might be different. It’s not a one-size-fits-all road: He provides a tailor-made path for each individual. He knows your unique way and mine because He is the way.
So as we face each new question that arises from this pandemic confusion, let’s keep turning to Jesus, who is offering Himself as the way forward.
Prayer
I’ve never been down this path before, Lord. I don’t know what to do, and it’s often difficult to know how to follow You. Be the Way for me today.
Key Thought
I know the way: it’s Jesus Himself.
Mourning Dove
May 10, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” (Psalm 91:4 HCSB)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 NIV)
They were busy. The pair were fluttering in and out of the evergreen bush just outside our front door. More twigs, more grasses, and more mud were needed to line the nest, molded by the female to the shape of her breast. Soon the mourning dove couple had completed their nest and were ready for their first clutch of eggs for the season.
“Wooo-oo-ooo-oo-oo-oo,” they cried their haunting, sad song over and over evoking the feeling of grief for which they were named. This spring as I have heard them, I am reminded of the sense of national and worldwide grief, sorrow, and lament over the coronavirus and the multiple lives it has disrupted and taken. Repetitively, my heart joined in with the doves’ soulful sounds. “Oh, God, oh, God, oh God!” my spirit moaned searching for words but coming up empty.
Shortly, two white eggs appeared in the doves’ nest. Momma bird didn’t leave the nest often but brooded softly and silently, her tiny, black eyes watching me as I walked past the bush on my daily rendezvous with the mailbox.
One day during my dove observations, I became aware that the Holy Spirit is our national Mourning Dove brooding over us in expectation of birthing something new. Just as the momma bird cannot force the eggs to hatch but can only patiently wait, so we, too, cannot hasten this season too quickly. We must wait, under the wings of the emblematic Mourning Dove, for the full work of incubation to take place.
My prayers matched this awareness as I prayed for a spirit of godly sorrow and repentance to come to our nation. Repentance for how we have forsaken God, gone our own way, and lived independently of Him. I was reminded of this Scripture from Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, “For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:12 HCSB)
Day after day, I became increasingly aware how God was faithfully covering our nation under His wings. He had not abandoned us but was carefully brooding over us in this season of abrupt cessation of activity and “sheltering in place.” Will our eyes open? Will there be a new birth from this time? Will there be a Third Great Awakening for our nation?
Key Thought: As we grieve our losses, may we stay under the wings of the Holy Spirit, our Mourning Dove, as we turn our lament into trust and our waywardness into surrender.
Photo credit - Janet Mueller
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 NIV)
They were busy. The pair were fluttering in and out of the evergreen bush just outside our front door. More twigs, more grasses, and more mud were needed to line the nest, molded by the female to the shape of her breast. Soon the mourning dove couple had completed their nest and were ready for their first clutch of eggs for the season.
“Wooo-oo-ooo-oo-oo-oo,” they cried their haunting, sad song over and over evoking the feeling of grief for which they were named. This spring as I have heard them, I am reminded of the sense of national and worldwide grief, sorrow, and lament over the coronavirus and the multiple lives it has disrupted and taken. Repetitively, my heart joined in with the doves’ soulful sounds. “Oh, God, oh, God, oh God!” my spirit moaned searching for words but coming up empty.
Shortly, two white eggs appeared in the doves’ nest. Momma bird didn’t leave the nest often but brooded softly and silently, her tiny, black eyes watching me as I walked past the bush on my daily rendezvous with the mailbox.
One day during my dove observations, I became aware that the Holy Spirit is our national Mourning Dove brooding over us in expectation of birthing something new. Just as the momma bird cannot force the eggs to hatch but can only patiently wait, so we, too, cannot hasten this season too quickly. We must wait, under the wings of the emblematic Mourning Dove, for the full work of incubation to take place.
My prayers matched this awareness as I prayed for a spirit of godly sorrow and repentance to come to our nation. Repentance for how we have forsaken God, gone our own way, and lived independently of Him. I was reminded of this Scripture from Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, “For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:12 HCSB)
Day after day, I became increasingly aware how God was faithfully covering our nation under His wings. He had not abandoned us but was carefully brooding over us in this season of abrupt cessation of activity and “sheltering in place.” Will our eyes open? Will there be a new birth from this time? Will there be a Third Great Awakening for our nation?
Key Thought: As we grieve our losses, may we stay under the wings of the Holy Spirit, our Mourning Dove, as we turn our lament into trust and our waywardness into surrender.
Photo credit - Janet Mueller
The God who Sees
May 3, 2020 - Laura Strack - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me!”
“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!” (Genesis 16:13 MSG)
Her name was Zara. She was small in stature, usually quiet, and not very friendly, and was often rather cantankerous when she was out and about. She mostly kept to herself but would wander out once in a while to roam the halls on the Alzheimer’s unit where I had recently started not only a new job but a new chapter in my life. Zara also had a little bit of a reputation with the staff, who warned, “Watch out for her; she’s a little mean!”
One day Zara had come out of her room and was sitting in a chair in the common area by the nurse’s desk. I was on my way to fulfill some task, in a hurry as usual, and as I rounded the corner where she was sitting, she grabbed me by the hand as I passed by. I remember thinking, “Oh Lord, now what?” but I stopped and stooped down to see what she needed.
Zara placed both of her cold, wrinkled hands on my face, looked me square in the eye, and with complete clarity and compassion said, “Honey, God wants you to know how special you are and that you’re doing a good job. He loves you so much.” She dropped her hands from my face, and turned away, once again in her own little world. I was completely undone! I thanked her and searched for a quiet corner where I could collect myself so I didn’t start bawling like a baby!
Right there in the middle of an Alzheimer’s unit, I came face to face with God. He saw where I was, knew what I needed, and cared enough to communicate His love and understanding through the most unexpected of sources. He has a way of finding us in our low places, our fearful places, places we would least expect to see Him.
I began to ask questions about Zara’s history and background. I found out her name, Zara, means “princess,” and she had been very actively involved in church leadership before this disease took over her mind. God didn’t just see me, He also saw Zara. He saw the eternal part of her that belonged to Him, and it certainly changed the way I saw Zara. I took time to read the Psalms or sing hymns and choruses to her on occasion, but I don’t recall ever seeing her do anything again like she did that day.
Life today is such a challenge! We find ourselves isolated from one another because of the pandemic. Fear and frustration have been rampant, but God is not hindered by disease or isolation or fear or frustration. He SEES us. My prayer is that we will encounter God during these times and respond, “You’re the God who sees me!” Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!
“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!” (Genesis 16:13 MSG)
Her name was Zara. She was small in stature, usually quiet, and not very friendly, and was often rather cantankerous when she was out and about. She mostly kept to herself but would wander out once in a while to roam the halls on the Alzheimer’s unit where I had recently started not only a new job but a new chapter in my life. Zara also had a little bit of a reputation with the staff, who warned, “Watch out for her; she’s a little mean!”
One day Zara had come out of her room and was sitting in a chair in the common area by the nurse’s desk. I was on my way to fulfill some task, in a hurry as usual, and as I rounded the corner where she was sitting, she grabbed me by the hand as I passed by. I remember thinking, “Oh Lord, now what?” but I stopped and stooped down to see what she needed.
Zara placed both of her cold, wrinkled hands on my face, looked me square in the eye, and with complete clarity and compassion said, “Honey, God wants you to know how special you are and that you’re doing a good job. He loves you so much.” She dropped her hands from my face, and turned away, once again in her own little world. I was completely undone! I thanked her and searched for a quiet corner where I could collect myself so I didn’t start bawling like a baby!
Right there in the middle of an Alzheimer’s unit, I came face to face with God. He saw where I was, knew what I needed, and cared enough to communicate His love and understanding through the most unexpected of sources. He has a way of finding us in our low places, our fearful places, places we would least expect to see Him.
I began to ask questions about Zara’s history and background. I found out her name, Zara, means “princess,” and she had been very actively involved in church leadership before this disease took over her mind. God didn’t just see me, He also saw Zara. He saw the eternal part of her that belonged to Him, and it certainly changed the way I saw Zara. I took time to read the Psalms or sing hymns and choruses to her on occasion, but I don’t recall ever seeing her do anything again like she did that day.
Life today is such a challenge! We find ourselves isolated from one another because of the pandemic. Fear and frustration have been rampant, but God is not hindered by disease or isolation or fear or frustration. He SEES us. My prayer is that we will encounter God during these times and respond, “You’re the God who sees me!” Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!
Aging Stubbornly
April 26, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
Aging is a fact of life; it is what we do. When we are children, it is a vision of grown-up freedoms which can’t come fast enough. As young adults, it exists as some future calamity which perhaps can be avoided if we just live fast enough and smart enough. By middle age we have realized it is inevitable, yet we don’t know what to do with it; we mostly try to disguise it. As the years pass, we begin to take our aging more seriously, particularly as we deal with those who have died or are near death, and face our own mortality.
A perceived goal is to age gracefully. Some seem to age slowly, others do it more efficiently. For some, the process is an ordeal, for others it is an adventure. For those of faith, it’s a process with a glorious end. Yet it remains for us to live the life we are given, and we do it best if we have learned to age stubbornly.
Now, aging stubbornly does not mean being in denial. It is not about stubbornly denying our mortality. Instead, aging stubbornly speaks to the process in which we march steadily forward with a purpose. It means to acknowledge that God had a purpose for each of us when He created us. Our goal is to work out that purpose, and we do it to the degree we are able to hear Him clearly and follow Him faithfully. St. Paul called it running the race with the goal of seeking the prize of that upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Ref. Phil. 3:14) In short, aging stubbornly is to acknowledge that death to this life is a certainty, but one for which God has a remedy. Ours is to seek it steadfastly, -- that is, stubbornly.
The problem with aging seems to be that the inevitable changes which occur in our person and in those around us cause us to lose focus on our purpose. Rather than to focus on the prize, as St. Paul defined it, we become focused on our immediate situation. It has been said that a sure sign of getting old is when our primary conversations concern bodily functions; those which work and those which don’t. This goes along with the saying, “getting old isn’t for sissies.”
However, we can better handle and actually enjoy our aging when we are able to refocus on the task God has prepared for us. While we understand our greater call to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and souls and minds, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt. 22:36); we must also deal with the specific task God has ordained for each day.
Trust in the Lord means we maintain a confident vision of the bigger picture while concentrating on the present. It acknowledges that which the Lord God has prepared for each of us from the beginning, and encourages us to live out the purpose for which we have been uniquely selected. We are assured that the Lord will not call us to do anything for which He has not first prepared us. Therefore, any limitations we think we have can be overcome by accepting the fact that we live to fulfill His purpose. And we discover His purpose only as we stay focused on Him, remain steadfast in our faith, and are willing to take just one more step.
We live because He wants us to live, and we do it best when we are determined to age stubbornly for Him.
A perceived goal is to age gracefully. Some seem to age slowly, others do it more efficiently. For some, the process is an ordeal, for others it is an adventure. For those of faith, it’s a process with a glorious end. Yet it remains for us to live the life we are given, and we do it best if we have learned to age stubbornly.
Now, aging stubbornly does not mean being in denial. It is not about stubbornly denying our mortality. Instead, aging stubbornly speaks to the process in which we march steadily forward with a purpose. It means to acknowledge that God had a purpose for each of us when He created us. Our goal is to work out that purpose, and we do it to the degree we are able to hear Him clearly and follow Him faithfully. St. Paul called it running the race with the goal of seeking the prize of that upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Ref. Phil. 3:14) In short, aging stubbornly is to acknowledge that death to this life is a certainty, but one for which God has a remedy. Ours is to seek it steadfastly, -- that is, stubbornly.
The problem with aging seems to be that the inevitable changes which occur in our person and in those around us cause us to lose focus on our purpose. Rather than to focus on the prize, as St. Paul defined it, we become focused on our immediate situation. It has been said that a sure sign of getting old is when our primary conversations concern bodily functions; those which work and those which don’t. This goes along with the saying, “getting old isn’t for sissies.”
However, we can better handle and actually enjoy our aging when we are able to refocus on the task God has prepared for us. While we understand our greater call to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and souls and minds, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt. 22:36); we must also deal with the specific task God has ordained for each day.
Trust in the Lord means we maintain a confident vision of the bigger picture while concentrating on the present. It acknowledges that which the Lord God has prepared for each of us from the beginning, and encourages us to live out the purpose for which we have been uniquely selected. We are assured that the Lord will not call us to do anything for which He has not first prepared us. Therefore, any limitations we think we have can be overcome by accepting the fact that we live to fulfill His purpose. And we discover His purpose only as we stay focused on Him, remain steadfast in our faith, and are willing to take just one more step.
We live because He wants us to live, and we do it best when we are determined to age stubbornly for Him.
The Long, Dark Tunnel
April 19, 2020 - Peggy Lundy - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Isn’t spring wonderful? Sunshine, warm days, bright daffodils, vibrant violets, and soft new grass are reminding us life gets renewed. Nature continues to sing as if the only trouble it’s known lately was winter, just like every year since forever. And yet, in spite of all that reawakening, we have been put on hold . . . indefinitely.
Waiting has never been a hardship for me, especially when alone, but I’ve never enjoyed waiting for an indefinite length of time. The ever-moving, shifting date for the end of “hunkering down” is distressing. It’s like being in an ever-extending railroad tunnel, that no matter how long or how fast your train flies down the track, the light at the end is always far, far away. Voices all around you are frightened, nervous, demanding, threatening, and accusatory. You try clinging to hope but feel it disintegrate with the light. It seems as though the darkness could smother you. You take a deep breath, fearing it will be your last. Then you hear a voice of calm in the chaos saying, “Soon. The light will return. The tunnel grows shorter.”
The conductor. Of course! If anyone knows when the tunnel ends, he does. He’s certainly ridden these rails before. Your pulse slows. Another deep breath relaxes your straining nerves. And the tunnel becomes just another part of the journey, another detail along the way.
As we chug along this track through the spring of 2020, remember to listen for the voice of The Conductor. Here are some of His Words I have been hearing. What has He been speaking to you? Write them down. Repeat them until they take root in your thoughts.
“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28 NASB
“I will never leave you or forsake you.“ Hebrews 13:5b HCSB
“My plans are going to bless you, not bring you harm.” Jeremiah 29:11 (paraphrased)
“I make things work together for your good. Especially as you love me and pursue my purposes for your life.” Romans 8:28 (paraphrased)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:11 NASB
“Keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep giving thanks in everything.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (paraphrased)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 NASB
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that Your presence is always with us, comforting us and lighting our path. Please, attune our ears to more clearly hear Your voice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
*credit to Rhonda Bailey (Heartland Church of Fort Wayne) for this devotional's visual content.
Waiting has never been a hardship for me, especially when alone, but I’ve never enjoyed waiting for an indefinite length of time. The ever-moving, shifting date for the end of “hunkering down” is distressing. It’s like being in an ever-extending railroad tunnel, that no matter how long or how fast your train flies down the track, the light at the end is always far, far away. Voices all around you are frightened, nervous, demanding, threatening, and accusatory. You try clinging to hope but feel it disintegrate with the light. It seems as though the darkness could smother you. You take a deep breath, fearing it will be your last. Then you hear a voice of calm in the chaos saying, “Soon. The light will return. The tunnel grows shorter.”
The conductor. Of course! If anyone knows when the tunnel ends, he does. He’s certainly ridden these rails before. Your pulse slows. Another deep breath relaxes your straining nerves. And the tunnel becomes just another part of the journey, another detail along the way.
As we chug along this track through the spring of 2020, remember to listen for the voice of The Conductor. Here are some of His Words I have been hearing. What has He been speaking to you? Write them down. Repeat them until they take root in your thoughts.
“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28 NASB
“I will never leave you or forsake you.“ Hebrews 13:5b HCSB
“My plans are going to bless you, not bring you harm.” Jeremiah 29:11 (paraphrased)
“I make things work together for your good. Especially as you love me and pursue my purposes for your life.” Romans 8:28 (paraphrased)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:11 NASB
“Keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep giving thanks in everything.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (paraphrased)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 NASB
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that Your presence is always with us, comforting us and lighting our path. Please, attune our ears to more clearly hear Your voice. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
*credit to Rhonda Bailey (Heartland Church of Fort Wayne) for this devotional's visual content.
For Such a Time as This
April 12, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
“Mordecai told them to answer Esther: ‘Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’"
This passage from the Book of Esther speaks of a time when the King, Queen Esther’s husband, was being persuaded to destroy all the Jews of the province. The rules of the palace were so strict that even the Queen could not approach the King without invitation, under the penalty of death. Esther, a Jewess, had been asked by Mordecai, her cousin and a man who had earlier proven his loyalty to the king, to intercede with the King to save his people.To do this was quite risky for, yet Mordecai encouraged her to trust God and do what was right for her people; reminding her that she had been called “for just a time as this.”
We are now in a time when the people of our nation and of the world face an uncertain future. No, we are not greatly concerned that one political party or one ethnic group will annihilate another, (although rhetoric from some quarters approaches such thought.) but we are facing an enemy more feared in that it cannot be seen and no good weapon has been found to combat it. So we are on the defensive and have been instructed to separate ourselves from one another by staying home and avoid unnecessary traveling. And we are finding it difficult. So we are called to make sacrifices, we will have to suffer a little, some more than others; but we can do this, if we trust in the Lord. We can do this because He has prepared us for just a time as this.
St. Paul reminds us that Jesus came to earth in God’s perfect timing. Galatians 4:4-5; “But, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.” -- “In the fullness of time” means in God’s good timing. It means, “for just a time as this.”
Everything that Jesus has done and continues to do is in God’s timing. And if it is in God’s timing, it is for our benefit.
Jesus called his disciples, including us, to follow Him, for just a time as this.
He healed the sick, the blind, the deaf and the lame for just a time as this.
He cast demons out of the possessed for just a time as this. He called us to follow his examples of love and mercy and kindness for just a time as this.
Jesus taught us how to pray and to be disciplined in fasting and meditation on God’s word for just a time as this.
He showed us how He had the power to forgive sins and taught us to forgive others for just a time as this.
He chose to suffer and die for our sins, and promised to send the Holy Spirit to us for just a time as this.
Jesus lived and died and walked among us to grant us eternal life, as well as to enable us to be prepared and strong for such a time as this.
Celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord this Sunday from wherever you are, in full knowledge and strength that the work Jesus did on the cross was for you and for such a time as this.
This passage from the Book of Esther speaks of a time when the King, Queen Esther’s husband, was being persuaded to destroy all the Jews of the province. The rules of the palace were so strict that even the Queen could not approach the King without invitation, under the penalty of death. Esther, a Jewess, had been asked by Mordecai, her cousin and a man who had earlier proven his loyalty to the king, to intercede with the King to save his people.To do this was quite risky for, yet Mordecai encouraged her to trust God and do what was right for her people; reminding her that she had been called “for just a time as this.”
We are now in a time when the people of our nation and of the world face an uncertain future. No, we are not greatly concerned that one political party or one ethnic group will annihilate another, (although rhetoric from some quarters approaches such thought.) but we are facing an enemy more feared in that it cannot be seen and no good weapon has been found to combat it. So we are on the defensive and have been instructed to separate ourselves from one another by staying home and avoid unnecessary traveling. And we are finding it difficult. So we are called to make sacrifices, we will have to suffer a little, some more than others; but we can do this, if we trust in the Lord. We can do this because He has prepared us for just a time as this.
St. Paul reminds us that Jesus came to earth in God’s perfect timing. Galatians 4:4-5; “But, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.” -- “In the fullness of time” means in God’s good timing. It means, “for just a time as this.”
Everything that Jesus has done and continues to do is in God’s timing. And if it is in God’s timing, it is for our benefit.
Jesus called his disciples, including us, to follow Him, for just a time as this.
He healed the sick, the blind, the deaf and the lame for just a time as this.
He cast demons out of the possessed for just a time as this. He called us to follow his examples of love and mercy and kindness for just a time as this.
Jesus taught us how to pray and to be disciplined in fasting and meditation on God’s word for just a time as this.
He showed us how He had the power to forgive sins and taught us to forgive others for just a time as this.
He chose to suffer and die for our sins, and promised to send the Holy Spirit to us for just a time as this.
Jesus lived and died and walked among us to grant us eternal life, as well as to enable us to be prepared and strong for such a time as this.
Celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord this Sunday from wherever you are, in full knowledge and strength that the work Jesus did on the cross was for you and for such a time as this.
In a Time of Reset
April 5, 2020 - Laura Strack - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
How quickly times can change! I have had periods in my life, as we all have, when personal circumstances have changed, and I found myself at a loss ... fearful, sometimes angry, confused, stumbling around, and unsure of what to do. God has used those times to shape and mold me, teaching me to fear less and trust Him more, to not rely on my own strength but to turn to Him a little quicker, to take time to press into His word rather than leaning on my own understanding. And I have experienced times of corporate change at work, where changes in policies and schedules have affected my life. Change is inevitable, but I can honestly say I have never encountered anything such as the COVID-19 virus and the changes it has brought to all of our lives.
As I have been processing this trial and the ever-changing grid of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past couple of weeks, I keep hearing the word "reset" over and over again. I believe God has us in a time of reset and even though we may not like the restraints, inconveniences, uncertainty, panic, and all the seeming insanity of it all, it is not without purpose.
Resets are necessary at times. Maybe the power went out and you need to get back on the right time. Maybe your memory is too full on a device, and it needs to be reset so some of the clutter is removed and it can operate efficiently again. Maybe you fell and broke a bone, and it needs to be reset so it can heal properly and be restored. Maybe you have to reset a piece of machinery so it can make improvements or even a completely new part. Are you seeing these images as I think about things being reset? Timing, clutter being removed for a more efficient use, healing and restoration, something new?
Isaiah 55:6-8 (MSG) says, “Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
I don't know about you, but I am finding I need God to reset my thinking daily and often hour by hour. Am I going to give in to fear, depression, or anger? No, I am choosing to let Him reset my thoughts, emotions, and will. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get there, but I am determined to be reset as I come back to God and be transparent with Him and others and repent of my own wicked ways.
There was one more definition of reset from the Collins Dictionary that I found to be the most interesting of all. In Scottish, the word reset means the receiving of stolen goods. What?! Oh, I don't know about you, but I am ready to receive some things back that the enemy of my soul has stolen from me! Things like peace, health, relationships, family members back in right standing with God, and loved ones delivered from the enemy's hands.
Father, Your ways are not our ways and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Forgive us when we forget and allow our flesh to rule us and we complain or murmur about what You are doing. You are a merciful God, who will lavish Your forgiveness and mercy upon us when we come back to you and turn from our wicked ways. Help us be willing and mindful of the reset You want to do in our lives, both individually and worldwide, as we look to You. Amen.
As I have been processing this trial and the ever-changing grid of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past couple of weeks, I keep hearing the word "reset" over and over again. I believe God has us in a time of reset and even though we may not like the restraints, inconveniences, uncertainty, panic, and all the seeming insanity of it all, it is not without purpose.
Resets are necessary at times. Maybe the power went out and you need to get back on the right time. Maybe your memory is too full on a device, and it needs to be reset so some of the clutter is removed and it can operate efficiently again. Maybe you fell and broke a bone, and it needs to be reset so it can heal properly and be restored. Maybe you have to reset a piece of machinery so it can make improvements or even a completely new part. Are you seeing these images as I think about things being reset? Timing, clutter being removed for a more efficient use, healing and restoration, something new?
Isaiah 55:6-8 (MSG) says, “Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
I don't know about you, but I am finding I need God to reset my thinking daily and often hour by hour. Am I going to give in to fear, depression, or anger? No, I am choosing to let Him reset my thoughts, emotions, and will. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get there, but I am determined to be reset as I come back to God and be transparent with Him and others and repent of my own wicked ways.
There was one more definition of reset from the Collins Dictionary that I found to be the most interesting of all. In Scottish, the word reset means the receiving of stolen goods. What?! Oh, I don't know about you, but I am ready to receive some things back that the enemy of my soul has stolen from me! Things like peace, health, relationships, family members back in right standing with God, and loved ones delivered from the enemy's hands.
Father, Your ways are not our ways and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Forgive us when we forget and allow our flesh to rule us and we complain or murmur about what You are doing. You are a merciful God, who will lavish Your forgiveness and mercy upon us when we come back to you and turn from our wicked ways. Help us be willing and mindful of the reset You want to do in our lives, both individually and worldwide, as we look to You. Amen.
Don't Inconvenience Me!
March 28, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
Okay, I admit it, I am a bit discombobulated. I had plans for this morning. This is the day I meet with a small group of men for breakfast. We don’t do much; we are old men, and we mostly eat and tell stories about the way things used to be, while embellishing them a bit to make our adventures seem more exciting than they were. But, this is our ritual it is what we do. Then, the governor of our state has the nerve to order a shutdown of all restaurants. What a terrible disaster, a wrong, an affront, … okay it is an inconvenience at best.
For a few weeks now, I have been watching things unfold in our country as the news about the COVID-19 virus spread, and I perceived that the news media and politicians were using fear tactics to sway public opinion one way or another and it angered me. I kept remembering the warning from President Franklin Roosevelt at the start of World War II, -- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” -- and believed that we were seeing a real demonstration of that truth. And I still believe it to be a fair warning for this time.
But as I have also watched and experienced the words and actions of the citizens of our country, even those in my immediate surroundings, I am dismayed by the level of intolerance we have for one another, and our totally out of balance reaction to what has really, for most of us, been nothing more than an inconvenience. So we have to stay home a bit more. How many of us have hoped and prayed for a day off, a day which was not full of planned events? So, we have to skip a couple events we would have liked to have attended; so we have to endure a little slower pace. How many of us have begged for “just a little peace and quiet?”
Now, I know I am preaching to the choir here, as I am having just as much difficulty, and at my point in life, the truth is that I really have very little I absolutely have to do. I have all the food and supplies I am going to need for a while. I have heat and water and all these electronic gadgets that allow me much more access to the world than I either need or want. Yet I am fighting the dis-ease of being inconvenienced, of not being able to do what I want, when I want to do it. You see, it is really about pride. It is about the pride of thinking we are in control, that we able to direct our every situation in every moment.
But look around at the panic that is going on. Just visit a store, any kind of store, and see the results. People are panicking over a bare shelf in a store. AND NO ONE CAN CLAIM TO BE IN CONTROL WHEN THEY ARE IN A STATE OF PANIC.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-8)
Most likely you are familiar with this scripture. It may be among your favorites. It is just one of many which calls us not to worry about the matters of the world, but to put our trust in God. If nothing else, once we engage in an exercise of prayer and supplication to the Lord, we will find it very difficult to remain upset by the these mostly very minor
interruptions to our routines, and perhaps even find in them an opportunity to do some of those little things that we always said we were going to do someday. Maybe today, is your “someday?” Give thanks for the opportunity this is presenting you.
Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. “ (Mt. 11:28)
For a few weeks now, I have been watching things unfold in our country as the news about the COVID-19 virus spread, and I perceived that the news media and politicians were using fear tactics to sway public opinion one way or another and it angered me. I kept remembering the warning from President Franklin Roosevelt at the start of World War II, -- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” -- and believed that we were seeing a real demonstration of that truth. And I still believe it to be a fair warning for this time.
But as I have also watched and experienced the words and actions of the citizens of our country, even those in my immediate surroundings, I am dismayed by the level of intolerance we have for one another, and our totally out of balance reaction to what has really, for most of us, been nothing more than an inconvenience. So we have to stay home a bit more. How many of us have hoped and prayed for a day off, a day which was not full of planned events? So, we have to skip a couple events we would have liked to have attended; so we have to endure a little slower pace. How many of us have begged for “just a little peace and quiet?”
Now, I know I am preaching to the choir here, as I am having just as much difficulty, and at my point in life, the truth is that I really have very little I absolutely have to do. I have all the food and supplies I am going to need for a while. I have heat and water and all these electronic gadgets that allow me much more access to the world than I either need or want. Yet I am fighting the dis-ease of being inconvenienced, of not being able to do what I want, when I want to do it. You see, it is really about pride. It is about the pride of thinking we are in control, that we able to direct our every situation in every moment.
But look around at the panic that is going on. Just visit a store, any kind of store, and see the results. People are panicking over a bare shelf in a store. AND NO ONE CAN CLAIM TO BE IN CONTROL WHEN THEY ARE IN A STATE OF PANIC.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-8)
Most likely you are familiar with this scripture. It may be among your favorites. It is just one of many which calls us not to worry about the matters of the world, but to put our trust in God. If nothing else, once we engage in an exercise of prayer and supplication to the Lord, we will find it very difficult to remain upset by the these mostly very minor
interruptions to our routines, and perhaps even find in them an opportunity to do some of those little things that we always said we were going to do someday. Maybe today, is your “someday?” Give thanks for the opportunity this is presenting you.
Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. “ (Mt. 11:28)
Call to Prayer and Fast
March 22, 2020 - Archbishops Ben Kwashi and Foley Beach
GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Foley Beach and General Secretary Archbishop Ben Kwashi issue a call to prayer and fasting for this Sunday, 22 March, interceding against the spread of COVID-19 across the globe, swarming locusts in East Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and famine and hunger in regions of Africa.
In these days where global fear and anxiety are on the increase due to the pandemic spread of the Coronavirus, and the exponential growth of locust swarms and famine, we look to our Sovereign Lord God for refuge, consolation, intervention, wisdom, cure, and provision.
We know from Scripture and experience that God acts differently when we pray. We believe that He not only hears our prayers, but that He uses people like our leaders, scientists, and medical professionals to accomplish His will. We pray that God would grant them wisdom, insight and strength in these coming days. We pray that in this time, people will call on Jesus in their pain, suffering and worries and find the rest and hope that only He can provide.
We call on Anglicans around the globe to join together in the Holy Spirit, in prayer and fasting this Sunday, 22 March 2020.
Let us pray and fast for our nations:
“Return to Me with all your heart,” says the Lord, “with fasting, weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts, not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who know whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him. Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast.” - Joel 2:12-15
Let us pray:
Eternal God, whose son Jesus Christ bore our grief and carried our sorrows, hear us as we pray for those in distress:
the hungry and the homeless;
the incapacitated and the handicapped;
the mentally afflicted and depressed;
the sick and the dying;
the aged, the lonely, and the bereaved.
Help us, O Lord, who offer these prayers, to bear the sufferings of others as we seek to minister to them in your name, demonstrating your love and bringing your grace to bear in their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP, 2019 #44, page 659
Faithfully in Jesus Christ,
Archbishop Foley Beach, Gafcon Chairman
Archbishop Ben Kwashi, Gafcon General Secretary
In these days where global fear and anxiety are on the increase due to the pandemic spread of the Coronavirus, and the exponential growth of locust swarms and famine, we look to our Sovereign Lord God for refuge, consolation, intervention, wisdom, cure, and provision.
We know from Scripture and experience that God acts differently when we pray. We believe that He not only hears our prayers, but that He uses people like our leaders, scientists, and medical professionals to accomplish His will. We pray that God would grant them wisdom, insight and strength in these coming days. We pray that in this time, people will call on Jesus in their pain, suffering and worries and find the rest and hope that only He can provide.
We call on Anglicans around the globe to join together in the Holy Spirit, in prayer and fasting this Sunday, 22 March 2020.
Let us pray and fast for our nations:
- repenting of our sins and asking God's forgiveness
- asking God's intervention to stop the spread of this virus
- asking God’s intervention to stop the locusts
- asking God for healing for those who are sick
- asking God for miraculous provision for the hungry
- asking God to use us, his people, as agents of love and compassion
- asking God to draw people to himself through the saving power of Jesus on the cross.
“Return to Me with all your heart,” says the Lord, “with fasting, weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts, not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who know whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him. Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast.” - Joel 2:12-15
Let us pray:
Eternal God, whose son Jesus Christ bore our grief and carried our sorrows, hear us as we pray for those in distress:
the hungry and the homeless;
the incapacitated and the handicapped;
the mentally afflicted and depressed;
the sick and the dying;
the aged, the lonely, and the bereaved.
Help us, O Lord, who offer these prayers, to bear the sufferings of others as we seek to minister to them in your name, demonstrating your love and bringing your grace to bear in their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP, 2019 #44, page 659
Faithfully in Jesus Christ,
Archbishop Foley Beach, Gafcon Chairman
Archbishop Ben Kwashi, Gafcon General Secretary
Call to Prayer
March 15, 2020 - Archbishop Foley Beach - Anglican Diocese of North America
A letter from Archbishop Foley Beach calling for a day of prayer and fasting regarding COVID-19.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The President of the United States has called the nation to a day of prayer regarding the coronavirus this Sunday, March 15.
As a Province, let us join in this effort, whether from Canada, the U.S., or Mexico.
This Sunday, let’s pray and fast for our nations:
Let us remember the words God gave to Solomon:
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
In Christ Jesus,
The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The President of the United States has called the nation to a day of prayer regarding the coronavirus this Sunday, March 15.
As a Province, let us join in this effort, whether from Canada, the U.S., or Mexico.
This Sunday, let’s pray and fast for our nations:
- repenting of our sins and asking God’s forgiveness
- asking God’s intervention to stop the spread of this virus
- asking God for healing for those who are sick
- asking God to use us, his people, as agents of love and compassion
- asking God to draw people to himself through the saving power of Jesus on the cross.
Let us remember the words God gave to Solomon:
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
In Christ Jesus,
The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America
Why?
March 8, 2020 - Kathryn Kircher - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
“Isn't this the One who opens blind eyes? Why didn't he do something to keep Lazarus alive?" (John 11:37 The Passion Translation.)
Those nasty "Why?" questions. I'd stopped asking them. I had decided it was an expression of trust in God if I didn't even go there. I figured it would be better just to accept what has happened—I wanted to avoid making accusations like the one Lazarus' friends expressed here. Besides, there seldom seems to be an answer. . . . at least not one I can comprehend. These "Why?" questions seem so fruitless.
. . . and futile.
. . . and painful.
So when my friend, Judy, passed away a couple of months ago after a dreadful battle with cancer, I didn't let myself entertain the "Why?" questions, even though her death took me by surprise. I really thought she was going to beat this thing and return to the grace-filled, fruitful life of compassion that she was known for. But I didn't want to sound like Lazarus' friends, so critical and reproachful. So my "Why's?" went unasked.
But then I remembered: just a few verses earlier, Jesus had clearly told His disciples what was going on. When they thought Lazarus was just sleeping, He told them straight out: "Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I'm glad I wasn't there, because now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me." (vs. 14-15 TPT)
It struck me: What if I've been avoiding the "Why?" questions when Jesus actually wants to share some insights with me like He did with His disciples here? What if He is actually providing another opportunity to “see who He is” and extending an invitation to “learn to trust in Him.”
We’ve all got our own “Why?” questions. And maybe it's actually okay for us to ask them. Maybe the process of asking and listening will draw us deeper into Jesus' heart as we seek to grasp some of His motivations. Maybe we'll actually get some answers—and possibly even some peace—in places where we’re unsettled. We’ve all got our "Why's?" and Jesus doesn't seem to be offended by them. In fact, He's probably glad that we’re asking—that we want to hear what's going on in His heart.
So let’s ask.
Is there something that's going on in your life that just isn't making sense? Have you experienced a painful loss recently? How do you feel about asking Jesus the hard "Why?" questions? Is He extending an invitation to you to ask Him some of these questions?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You welcome us to ask our “Why?” questions. We’re grateful for the invitation to wrestle with you about the things that trouble our hearts. Please help us to see who You are and trust You a little more in the process. Amen.
Those nasty "Why?" questions. I'd stopped asking them. I had decided it was an expression of trust in God if I didn't even go there. I figured it would be better just to accept what has happened—I wanted to avoid making accusations like the one Lazarus' friends expressed here. Besides, there seldom seems to be an answer. . . . at least not one I can comprehend. These "Why?" questions seem so fruitless.
. . . and futile.
. . . and painful.
So when my friend, Judy, passed away a couple of months ago after a dreadful battle with cancer, I didn't let myself entertain the "Why?" questions, even though her death took me by surprise. I really thought she was going to beat this thing and return to the grace-filled, fruitful life of compassion that she was known for. But I didn't want to sound like Lazarus' friends, so critical and reproachful. So my "Why's?" went unasked.
But then I remembered: just a few verses earlier, Jesus had clearly told His disciples what was going on. When they thought Lazarus was just sleeping, He told them straight out: "Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I'm glad I wasn't there, because now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me." (vs. 14-15 TPT)
It struck me: What if I've been avoiding the "Why?" questions when Jesus actually wants to share some insights with me like He did with His disciples here? What if He is actually providing another opportunity to “see who He is” and extending an invitation to “learn to trust in Him.”
We’ve all got our own “Why?” questions. And maybe it's actually okay for us to ask them. Maybe the process of asking and listening will draw us deeper into Jesus' heart as we seek to grasp some of His motivations. Maybe we'll actually get some answers—and possibly even some peace—in places where we’re unsettled. We’ve all got our "Why's?" and Jesus doesn't seem to be offended by them. In fact, He's probably glad that we’re asking—that we want to hear what's going on in His heart.
So let’s ask.
Is there something that's going on in your life that just isn't making sense? Have you experienced a painful loss recently? How do you feel about asking Jesus the hard "Why?" questions? Is He extending an invitation to you to ask Him some of these questions?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You welcome us to ask our “Why?” questions. We’re grateful for the invitation to wrestle with you about the things that trouble our hearts. Please help us to see who You are and trust You a little more in the process. Amen.
Flirting with Temptation
March 1, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
As we enter into this first week of the Lenten season in the church, we may find that many Christians, indeed many churches, are tempted to ignore this most important season within the ecclesiastical year. There are many reasons why this may be true but I suspect that one major cause is that we just don’t want to be reminded of the ways in which we have given in to temptation and of our need to repent.
Temptation is a fact of life. It has been from the beginning. Genesis 3 tells the story of how Satan, having entered a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to the point of establishing sin as a fact of human nature. Yet being tempted, in itself, is not the sin. The sin comes when we entertain the temptation. It comes as we
cooperate with our enemy by grasping ahold of the tempting item or situation.
In truth, we not only grasp for things tempting but we seek them out. The entertainment world survives on our desire to pursue the temptations in our lives. In fact, the economy of the world runs on the knowledge that we can and will be tempted to buy and possess anything which can be presented to us as “must have”, must do, must see, and must try.
Yet, God’s word fully explains the nature of the temptation; that its overriding purpose is to destroy us. The Apostle John explains sin as existing in three basic forms. “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. – is not of the Father, but of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Two direct and major encounters God’s people have had with Satan in the Bible involve these three temptations. In Genesis 3:6, Satan presented a counterfeit description of that which God had said was forbidden fruit, persuading our first parents that the fruit was “good for food, (lust of the flesh) pleasant to the eyes, (lust of the eyes) and able to make one wise.” (the pride of life.) Then, in Luke 4:1-13, there is the story of how Satan chose a time, when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, a time when he thought the Son of God would be most vulnerable and promised him three things. “Food, “turn the stone into bread, (lust of the flesh) promised him authority over all the kingdoms of the world, (lust of the eyes) and tried to persuade Him to demonstrate His power by throwing himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.” (pride of life.)
While these temptations worked on Adam and Eve, they did not work on Jesus. Satan has not given up; he daily works on God’s people using the same three methods as John had stated and he has found ready participants in all people, even in God’s people!
Part of the problem seems to be that we like to see how close to the temptation we can get without, we think, actually succumbing to it. This is a dangerous game. All a person has to do is to hang around with those consistently tasting of the
forbidden and, chances are, they will one day stick their finger into the pie. And it can be a very addicting pie indeed.
Each year we are given this season of Lent to call our attention to the sin in our lives and to remind us of the remedy for it. We should not ignore it. Rather, we should do all we can to live the discipline it demands. It can pull us back from the brink of temptation’s chasm.
Temptation is a fact of life. It has been from the beginning. Genesis 3 tells the story of how Satan, having entered a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to the point of establishing sin as a fact of human nature. Yet being tempted, in itself, is not the sin. The sin comes when we entertain the temptation. It comes as we
cooperate with our enemy by grasping ahold of the tempting item or situation.
In truth, we not only grasp for things tempting but we seek them out. The entertainment world survives on our desire to pursue the temptations in our lives. In fact, the economy of the world runs on the knowledge that we can and will be tempted to buy and possess anything which can be presented to us as “must have”, must do, must see, and must try.
Yet, God’s word fully explains the nature of the temptation; that its overriding purpose is to destroy us. The Apostle John explains sin as existing in three basic forms. “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. – is not of the Father, but of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Two direct and major encounters God’s people have had with Satan in the Bible involve these three temptations. In Genesis 3:6, Satan presented a counterfeit description of that which God had said was forbidden fruit, persuading our first parents that the fruit was “good for food, (lust of the flesh) pleasant to the eyes, (lust of the eyes) and able to make one wise.” (the pride of life.) Then, in Luke 4:1-13, there is the story of how Satan chose a time, when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, a time when he thought the Son of God would be most vulnerable and promised him three things. “Food, “turn the stone into bread, (lust of the flesh) promised him authority over all the kingdoms of the world, (lust of the eyes) and tried to persuade Him to demonstrate His power by throwing himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.” (pride of life.)
While these temptations worked on Adam and Eve, they did not work on Jesus. Satan has not given up; he daily works on God’s people using the same three methods as John had stated and he has found ready participants in all people, even in God’s people!
Part of the problem seems to be that we like to see how close to the temptation we can get without, we think, actually succumbing to it. This is a dangerous game. All a person has to do is to hang around with those consistently tasting of the
forbidden and, chances are, they will one day stick their finger into the pie. And it can be a very addicting pie indeed.
Each year we are given this season of Lent to call our attention to the sin in our lives and to remind us of the remedy for it. We should not ignore it. Rather, we should do all we can to live the discipline it demands. It can pull us back from the brink of temptation’s chasm.
"God For Us": An Explanation of Lent and Some Suggested Practices for the Season
February 24, 2020 - The Rev. Kristen Yates - The Mission Cincinnati
Lent is almost here, friends, and we are excited at the Mission Cincinnati to journey through this season together. If you come from a tradition that does not follow the Christian Calendar, you may be wondering what Lent is all about.
Well, in the simplest terms, Lent is the 40-day period prior to Easter that starts with Ash Wednesday. It is a time of devotion and discipline as we prepare our hearts for the great celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday. (By the way, the Sundays in Lent are not counted in this 40-day penitential period since Sundays are always feast days.) As we journey through this 40-day period together, we keep a double focus.
On one hand, during Lent, we seriously consider sin and our fallen human condition. If we are truthful with ourselves, during this season of Lent, we say with the apostle Paul “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). During Lent, we admit that we are sinful individuals – that we continually wrestle with pride, self-centeredness, hatred, a need to be in control, envy, prejudice, and many other vices.
On the other hand, we also reflect on the Christian hope throughout the entire season of Lent. Though we are sinful, Christ so loved the world that He died for us while we were still sinners and then He was raised from the dead, opening up the possibility for those who believe to be reconciled with Himself.
Not only that, but he opened up the possibility of healing, transformation into Christlikeness, and abundant life through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. So, in Lent, we are always looking forward to the triumph of Easter Day even as we grapple with the our fallen conditions.
So while Advent (the Season before Christmas) can be said to be about “God with us”, Lent (the Season before Easter) can be said to be about “God for us”. As Greg Pennoyer says,
“If Advent/Christmas is a revelation of God’s presence with us, then Lent/Easter is a revelation of God’s desire to use all of life for our wholeness and our healing – the revelation that he will pull life from death. . . . Lent and Easter reveal the God who is for us in all of life – for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Lent and Easter remind us that even in death there can be found resurrection.” (Pennoyer, “God for Us”, x)
So with this great truth in mind, we enter into this season of Lent with a firm sense of God’s love for us, as well as a desire to engage practices that will open us up to God’s healing, liberation, and transformation.
And so friends, since the earliest of times, it has been typical in the season of Lent to take on some new rhythm of prayer, self-examination, confession, fasting, and giving/generosity. We give up certain habits and take on other habits so that we might we might become more like Christ and so that we might grow closer in our relationship with Him.
Some of you may be wondering, however, “how do we do this?” So, with this question in mind, I have compiled a list of suggested practices that you might take on during this season. You can find it below.
Before you check out this list, however, let me provide the following caution. Please do not feel as if you should do all of these. Especially if you are new to Lent, take on one or two new practices and put your energy into those.
Remember that the point of these practices is not to check off as may boxes as possible but to be self-reflective, to draw closer to Christ, and to open yourself up to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. So consider which practices will help you do this the best in this season. And if you are unfamiliar with these practices, consider coming to Oasis on Wednesday nights, where we will engage in some of them throughout the season. Also seek me out for guidance.
Blessings,
Kristen+
Practices for Lent - Some Online Resources
Daily Lenten Devotionals – Take on a daily Lenten devotional. There are many out there, but here are two that I suggest for you:
Prayer– Consider taking on practices of daily prayer, examen, or lectio divina during this season. You can find explanations of these practices at The Vine and the Way, my spiritual formation blog, as well as find links out to prayer resources.
Fasting and Feasting– Consider taking on rhythms of fasting and feasting during the Season. Here are three articles to help you understand what fasting is all about: “Fasting for Lent” and “Fasting and Feasting for Lent” and How to Fast for Lent. Also, you may consider fasting from a habit, a habit that in itself may not be bad, but seems to be increasingly taking you away from “loving God and loving neighbor”, a habit that is becoming a bit of an idol, is controlling you rather than you controlling it. (i.e., many people give up social media for Lent.)
Reading Scripture– Take on a Scripture reading plan or join a Bible study for this Season. If you are a woman, consider joining Katie Mosley’s Women’s Bible Study this Lent. As another option, Anne Rothaas also suggests this Bible study on Job that you can do on your own. If you would like to wrestle more with some of the content of Anne’s sermon from a couple of weeks ago, this could be a good study for you.
Article originally published March 1, 2019
Well, in the simplest terms, Lent is the 40-day period prior to Easter that starts with Ash Wednesday. It is a time of devotion and discipline as we prepare our hearts for the great celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday. (By the way, the Sundays in Lent are not counted in this 40-day penitential period since Sundays are always feast days.) As we journey through this 40-day period together, we keep a double focus.
On one hand, during Lent, we seriously consider sin and our fallen human condition. If we are truthful with ourselves, during this season of Lent, we say with the apostle Paul “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). During Lent, we admit that we are sinful individuals – that we continually wrestle with pride, self-centeredness, hatred, a need to be in control, envy, prejudice, and many other vices.
On the other hand, we also reflect on the Christian hope throughout the entire season of Lent. Though we are sinful, Christ so loved the world that He died for us while we were still sinners and then He was raised from the dead, opening up the possibility for those who believe to be reconciled with Himself.
Not only that, but he opened up the possibility of healing, transformation into Christlikeness, and abundant life through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. So, in Lent, we are always looking forward to the triumph of Easter Day even as we grapple with the our fallen conditions.
So while Advent (the Season before Christmas) can be said to be about “God with us”, Lent (the Season before Easter) can be said to be about “God for us”. As Greg Pennoyer says,
“If Advent/Christmas is a revelation of God’s presence with us, then Lent/Easter is a revelation of God’s desire to use all of life for our wholeness and our healing – the revelation that he will pull life from death. . . . Lent and Easter reveal the God who is for us in all of life – for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Lent and Easter remind us that even in death there can be found resurrection.” (Pennoyer, “God for Us”, x)
So with this great truth in mind, we enter into this season of Lent with a firm sense of God’s love for us, as well as a desire to engage practices that will open us up to God’s healing, liberation, and transformation.
And so friends, since the earliest of times, it has been typical in the season of Lent to take on some new rhythm of prayer, self-examination, confession, fasting, and giving/generosity. We give up certain habits and take on other habits so that we might we might become more like Christ and so that we might grow closer in our relationship with Him.
Some of you may be wondering, however, “how do we do this?” So, with this question in mind, I have compiled a list of suggested practices that you might take on during this season. You can find it below.
Before you check out this list, however, let me provide the following caution. Please do not feel as if you should do all of these. Especially if you are new to Lent, take on one or two new practices and put your energy into those.
Remember that the point of these practices is not to check off as may boxes as possible but to be self-reflective, to draw closer to Christ, and to open yourself up to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. So consider which practices will help you do this the best in this season. And if you are unfamiliar with these practices, consider coming to Oasis on Wednesday nights, where we will engage in some of them throughout the season. Also seek me out for guidance.
Blessings,
Kristen+
Practices for Lent - Some Online Resources
Daily Lenten Devotionals – Take on a daily Lenten devotional. There are many out there, but here are two that I suggest for you:
- An American Lent– Given our church’s context, I believe this would be a great devotional for us as a church to engage this season. Written by priests in our denomination, as well as others, this devotional will lead us through a process of understanding the 400 years of slavery, oppression, and racism that have existed in our country and will invite us into a process of reflection and prayer.
- Center for Christianity, Culture and Arts (Biola) Lenten Project -- This beautiful online devotional, which is newly re-imagined each year, takes you through Lent with beautiful art, music, and reflection on Scripture.
Prayer– Consider taking on practices of daily prayer, examen, or lectio divina during this season. You can find explanations of these practices at The Vine and the Way, my spiritual formation blog, as well as find links out to prayer resources.
Fasting and Feasting– Consider taking on rhythms of fasting and feasting during the Season. Here are three articles to help you understand what fasting is all about: “Fasting for Lent” and “Fasting and Feasting for Lent” and How to Fast for Lent. Also, you may consider fasting from a habit, a habit that in itself may not be bad, but seems to be increasingly taking you away from “loving God and loving neighbor”, a habit that is becoming a bit of an idol, is controlling you rather than you controlling it. (i.e., many people give up social media for Lent.)
Reading Scripture– Take on a Scripture reading plan or join a Bible study for this Season. If you are a woman, consider joining Katie Mosley’s Women’s Bible Study this Lent. As another option, Anne Rothaas also suggests this Bible study on Job that you can do on your own. If you would like to wrestle more with some of the content of Anne’s sermon from a couple of weeks ago, this could be a good study for you.
Article originally published March 1, 2019
Twice Owned
February 16, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
"Do you recognize this?" my sister asked me in a note accompanied by a photo of a blue blouse. I thought to myself, “No, should I?”
After pondering the photo for a while, I remembered she used to wear a blouse like this back in the 70's. But why was she sending me a picture of it? I called her to ask for an explanation, and she relayed to me this incredible story.
She had stopped at a vintage clothing store, one she had never been in before, in Des Moines. Her eyes landed upon a blouse, and she felt very drawn to it. She kept looking at it and studying it carefully. It was handmade with a hand-embroidered piece in the center. There were flaws in the seams, and the zipper was not sewn in straight.
Suddenly, it dawned on her that she had made this very blouse herself! She wore it when she was in high school 40 years ago in our hometown about 100 miles from Des Moines. How in the world did it get in this used clothing store?
She concluded that she had probably given boxes of clothing to Good Will when she moved into her current house 30 years ago. Someone evidently bought the blouse and just recently decided to sell it in a consignment shop that my sister just happened to walk into that particular day. She bought the blouse, of course, expensive as it was! It was her blouse, now twice owned. Once by virtue of creation. And once by virtue of paying the price.
Have you ever lost or sold something you made only to have it returned many years later? Do you remember the feeling of joyous astonishment? These kinds of stories tug at our hearts because they speak a universal truth to us. That which is created by someone will always hold a piece of their heart. Even if it is sold or lost, it remains theirs in an abstract sense because they were the creators of it. They hold a type of ownership over it because it originated in their mind or imagination.
So it is with our Creator. He made us, and He wants us back. He loves and likes us in spite of our flaws. We will always hold a piece of His heart. Will you place yourself there again?
“And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’” (Luke 15:9 NKJV.)
After pondering the photo for a while, I remembered she used to wear a blouse like this back in the 70's. But why was she sending me a picture of it? I called her to ask for an explanation, and she relayed to me this incredible story.
She had stopped at a vintage clothing store, one she had never been in before, in Des Moines. Her eyes landed upon a blouse, and she felt very drawn to it. She kept looking at it and studying it carefully. It was handmade with a hand-embroidered piece in the center. There were flaws in the seams, and the zipper was not sewn in straight.
Suddenly, it dawned on her that she had made this very blouse herself! She wore it when she was in high school 40 years ago in our hometown about 100 miles from Des Moines. How in the world did it get in this used clothing store?
She concluded that she had probably given boxes of clothing to Good Will when she moved into her current house 30 years ago. Someone evidently bought the blouse and just recently decided to sell it in a consignment shop that my sister just happened to walk into that particular day. She bought the blouse, of course, expensive as it was! It was her blouse, now twice owned. Once by virtue of creation. And once by virtue of paying the price.
Have you ever lost or sold something you made only to have it returned many years later? Do you remember the feeling of joyous astonishment? These kinds of stories tug at our hearts because they speak a universal truth to us. That which is created by someone will always hold a piece of their heart. Even if it is sold or lost, it remains theirs in an abstract sense because they were the creators of it. They hold a type of ownership over it because it originated in their mind or imagination.
So it is with our Creator. He made us, and He wants us back. He loves and likes us in spite of our flaws. We will always hold a piece of His heart. Will you place yourself there again?
“And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’” (Luke 15:9 NKJV.)
Losing Weight
February 9, 2020 - Allison Gardner - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Growing up, I had the absolute best dad. He was loving, funny, protective, and wise. I knew, no matter what, he was the guy I could depend on. But when my grandma passed away during my junior year in high school, something changed. The drinking became more frequent, and his behavior became more and more unpredictable.
There was one night I vividly remember. I sat on the front porch, staring blindly into the pitch black of night, begging God to make it all better. My dad still wasn’t home. It had happened before, and it would happen again.
That was the night I began gaining weight. It came in waves, and it compounded year after year, hurt after hurt. The weight of rejection and fear, the weight of shame and perfectionism, the weight of anxiety and the need to control.
For several years, I carried that weight around. It got heavier and heavier until it was more than I could bear. It was too much for me to carry. But God. He rescued me. You see, we were NEVER meant to carry those weights. He showed me that trading my weights for His was the way to freedom.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
What weight do you need to lose? Is jealousy weighing you down with its chains of comparison? Is the weight of bitterness or unforgiveness sagging your soul? Maybe it is anger crushing you. Maybe it is fear, lust, or rejection. The list is long. The weight is heavy.
BUT take heart. His weight loss plan is simple. Lay it down. Lay it at the feet of Jesus, and run into your newfound freedom that is only possible because of His sacrifice.
Watch and listen with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT5JrK1J6OU
Pray with me: Jesus, thank You that You bore every sin and took on every weight as You gave up Your life for us. Thank You that we don’t have to carry this weight any longer, and we can simply lay it down at the foot of the Cross. Thank You for the freedom You give us in exchange for this weight we were never meant to carry. Amen.
There was one night I vividly remember. I sat on the front porch, staring blindly into the pitch black of night, begging God to make it all better. My dad still wasn’t home. It had happened before, and it would happen again.
That was the night I began gaining weight. It came in waves, and it compounded year after year, hurt after hurt. The weight of rejection and fear, the weight of shame and perfectionism, the weight of anxiety and the need to control.
For several years, I carried that weight around. It got heavier and heavier until it was more than I could bear. It was too much for me to carry. But God. He rescued me. You see, we were NEVER meant to carry those weights. He showed me that trading my weights for His was the way to freedom.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
What weight do you need to lose? Is jealousy weighing you down with its chains of comparison? Is the weight of bitterness or unforgiveness sagging your soul? Maybe it is anger crushing you. Maybe it is fear, lust, or rejection. The list is long. The weight is heavy.
BUT take heart. His weight loss plan is simple. Lay it down. Lay it at the feet of Jesus, and run into your newfound freedom that is only possible because of His sacrifice.
Watch and listen with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT5JrK1J6OU
Pray with me: Jesus, thank You that You bore every sin and took on every weight as You gave up Your life for us. Thank You that we don’t have to carry this weight any longer, and we can simply lay it down at the foot of the Cross. Thank You for the freedom You give us in exchange for this weight we were never meant to carry. Amen.
Praying or Prying
February 2, 2020 - Janet Mueller - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
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So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zachariah 4:6 NIV.)
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16b NLT.)
I have been praying for years for the heart of someone I love to be open to Christ. As a simple reminder, I placed some Scrabble tiles on my kitchen window ledge to spell the word, PRAY. This was just a visual prompting to pray for my loved one whenever I stood at the kitchen sink.
One day as I was dusting the window frame, I accidentally knocked over the letter A. Now it spelled PRY. In that moment God asked me, “Which will it be? PRAY or PRY?”
Heading to the online dictionary, I read that pry means to move, raise, or open by leverage; to obtain, extract, or separate with difficulty, for example, to pry a secret out of someone. Was I going to trust the Holy Spirit to open the heart of this one or was I going to turn to the leverage I have to pry it open? If through leverage, I am able to get the result I want, will it be the result I would want years from now? Will it be genuine heart change? Will it come from the free will of the individual? Will it be lasting? Sadly, I knew it would not. Only the Holy Spirit’s power will work.
We all have been given good gifts that can serve as leverage to open difficult situations or people. Things like wisdom, persuasiveness, knowledge, strength, beauty, gifts, and yes, even love. “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20.) How and when we wield our leverage to turn a soul and whether it is in our own strength and will or in God’s way and time, determine the effectiveness. And sometimes God does things without any of our help. Because He can. Because He is God.
For eons of time, He has been opening darkened, deceived, blinded, and broken hearts. He has been reversing circumstances that have been set in stone for years. Impenetrable, immovable, and seemingly unchangeable situations can change in a moment. This one is no exception. Neither is yours.
Pray with me: Father, I yield my leverage to you. Help me to wield it when You say, “Now,” and not a moment before. Give me Your patience as silently and secretly the Holy Spirit works. Amen.
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16b NLT.)
I have been praying for years for the heart of someone I love to be open to Christ. As a simple reminder, I placed some Scrabble tiles on my kitchen window ledge to spell the word, PRAY. This was just a visual prompting to pray for my loved one whenever I stood at the kitchen sink.
One day as I was dusting the window frame, I accidentally knocked over the letter A. Now it spelled PRY. In that moment God asked me, “Which will it be? PRAY or PRY?”
Heading to the online dictionary, I read that pry means to move, raise, or open by leverage; to obtain, extract, or separate with difficulty, for example, to pry a secret out of someone. Was I going to trust the Holy Spirit to open the heart of this one or was I going to turn to the leverage I have to pry it open? If through leverage, I am able to get the result I want, will it be the result I would want years from now? Will it be genuine heart change? Will it come from the free will of the individual? Will it be lasting? Sadly, I knew it would not. Only the Holy Spirit’s power will work.
We all have been given good gifts that can serve as leverage to open difficult situations or people. Things like wisdom, persuasiveness, knowledge, strength, beauty, gifts, and yes, even love. “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20.) How and when we wield our leverage to turn a soul and whether it is in our own strength and will or in God’s way and time, determine the effectiveness. And sometimes God does things without any of our help. Because He can. Because He is God.
For eons of time, He has been opening darkened, deceived, blinded, and broken hearts. He has been reversing circumstances that have been set in stone for years. Impenetrable, immovable, and seemingly unchangeable situations can change in a moment. This one is no exception. Neither is yours.
Pray with me: Father, I yield my leverage to you. Help me to wield it when You say, “Now,” and not a moment before. Give me Your patience as silently and secretly the Holy Spirit works. Amen.
A Child's Confidence
January 26, 2020 - Janet Willig - Heartland Church of Fort Wayne
Hebrews 4:16 (NASB) “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”
At some point during most Sunday services at Heartland, two-year-old Zadok Frincke marches across the front of the auditorium and straight into Pastor Dave’s welcoming arms. It makes no difference to him if it’s during worship, communion, or in the middle of his daddy’s sermon. He knows he will always be received with a smile and a hug.
When Zadok was just learning to walk, his gait was unsteady, and he would often snuggle longer with his dad. Now he strides confidently, and usually he lingers for only a short time before he’s ready to be set down and released to his next adventure. Zadok can be confident because he has learned that his daddy is always happy to scoop him up and hold him as long as he wants.
Many of us smile as we watch Zadok because he’s cute! However, Pastor Dave drew a powerful spiritual analogy, which makes those weekly treks much more than simply cute. We can see in Zadok’s approach and Dave’s response a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. Each of us can approach God with childlike faith knowing that He is there for us. It makes no difference whether we’re hesitant and unsteady or confidently “touching base” before heading off to our next adventure. He’s always available, always ready to scoop us up, and always happy to hold us as long as we want or need.
Now sometimes when I watch that adorable little boy make a beeline for his daddy, I close my eyes and whisper, “Abba, Father.”
Lord, thank you that you are indeed our loving Heavenly Father. Please help us to remember that we can always come to you in childlike faith—with full confidence.
At some point during most Sunday services at Heartland, two-year-old Zadok Frincke marches across the front of the auditorium and straight into Pastor Dave’s welcoming arms. It makes no difference to him if it’s during worship, communion, or in the middle of his daddy’s sermon. He knows he will always be received with a smile and a hug.
When Zadok was just learning to walk, his gait was unsteady, and he would often snuggle longer with his dad. Now he strides confidently, and usually he lingers for only a short time before he’s ready to be set down and released to his next adventure. Zadok can be confident because he has learned that his daddy is always happy to scoop him up and hold him as long as he wants.
Many of us smile as we watch Zadok because he’s cute! However, Pastor Dave drew a powerful spiritual analogy, which makes those weekly treks much more than simply cute. We can see in Zadok’s approach and Dave’s response a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. Each of us can approach God with childlike faith knowing that He is there for us. It makes no difference whether we’re hesitant and unsteady or confidently “touching base” before heading off to our next adventure. He’s always available, always ready to scoop us up, and always happy to hold us as long as we want or need.
Now sometimes when I watch that adorable little boy make a beeline for his daddy, I close my eyes and whisper, “Abba, Father.”
Lord, thank you that you are indeed our loving Heavenly Father. Please help us to remember that we can always come to you in childlike faith—with full confidence.
I'm Still Here
January 19, 2020 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
A bit more than a year ago, October 16, 2018 to be exact, I wrote an article I called, “How Do You Keep a Tree From Dying?” The inspiration for that article was a large white pine tree which is a prominent feature of our front yard. At that time, the tree appeared to be dying. Its needles were turning brown and falling off, wholesale. I mentioned then that I had inquired of others, and several agreed with me, that the tree had reached the end of its life; I couldn’t bear to think of loosing that tree.
Well, from where I typically sit to write, I can look out my front window, and that pine tree still fills my whole view. It is as full of needles as it could be and looking as healthy as any I have seen. To see this tree in all its splendor, I have to walk out to the edge of my porch, lean out and look upward about 80 to100 feet. Better yet, I could walk the hundred yards of my driveway and look back to where I can see this tree in its full height and breadth. Did I say, it is a particularly beautiful tree? And its still alive!
All through last winter, I kept thinking that I would have to get someone to cut it down for me, yet my spirit kept saying, “Don’t get hasty, let’s see what God is doing.” And sure enough, when spring came, even while more dry needles were falling off, the new growth was evident and new needles began to replace the old ones. A few days ago, I had walked to the mailbox and, as I was returning, I stopped to enjoy the woodland surroundings (okay, I had to catch my breath) when, once again, my eyes focused on this tree. I thought I heard it whisper. “I’m still here!”
But then, maybe it wasn’t the tree I was hearing at all. Instead, it could have been the Lord speaking to me, reminding me of that truth. You see, it has not been a particularly good year for me, or for that matter, for many around me in regard to human life and times. Perhaps many of us are experiencing similar situations. I am rapidly approaching the end of my 7th decade and I seem to be spending far too many hours visiting folks in hospitals and funeral homes. I am a semi-retired priest and the majority of church services I have celebrated recently have been funerals and life memorials. These are sad times for the families involved, yet they are also times when the Lord reminds us that He is still here.
In that October 2018 message, I drew from the Book of Job where God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” This being part of a strong reminder that God is in charge and He has His purpose. If we keep our faith in Him, we will one day understand. We will be with Him for eternity.
Today, I am again reminded of the faithfulness of God. (He heard my cries and restored one single tree, perhaps for no other reason than He loves me.) In this event, I also hear the voice of Lord reminding me of the timelessness of God, that “to everything there is a season;” (Eccl. 3) and He hasn’t asked me to be in charge of this or any season. He does allow me to enjoy them.
None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, I can’t predict how long my pine tree will continue to stand erect to welcome me each morning. Current indications are that it will be for the rest of my life and beyond. Yet it could be no longer than the next windstorm. One thing I am quite certain of is that, whenever I am able to humble myself before him and continue to acknowledge that He is Lord of my life, and when I am able to listen, I will hear His comforting voice proclaiming, “I am still here.” And that is sufficient for me!
Well, from where I typically sit to write, I can look out my front window, and that pine tree still fills my whole view. It is as full of needles as it could be and looking as healthy as any I have seen. To see this tree in all its splendor, I have to walk out to the edge of my porch, lean out and look upward about 80 to100 feet. Better yet, I could walk the hundred yards of my driveway and look back to where I can see this tree in its full height and breadth. Did I say, it is a particularly beautiful tree? And its still alive!
All through last winter, I kept thinking that I would have to get someone to cut it down for me, yet my spirit kept saying, “Don’t get hasty, let’s see what God is doing.” And sure enough, when spring came, even while more dry needles were falling off, the new growth was evident and new needles began to replace the old ones. A few days ago, I had walked to the mailbox and, as I was returning, I stopped to enjoy the woodland surroundings (okay, I had to catch my breath) when, once again, my eyes focused on this tree. I thought I heard it whisper. “I’m still here!”
But then, maybe it wasn’t the tree I was hearing at all. Instead, it could have been the Lord speaking to me, reminding me of that truth. You see, it has not been a particularly good year for me, or for that matter, for many around me in regard to human life and times. Perhaps many of us are experiencing similar situations. I am rapidly approaching the end of my 7th decade and I seem to be spending far too many hours visiting folks in hospitals and funeral homes. I am a semi-retired priest and the majority of church services I have celebrated recently have been funerals and life memorials. These are sad times for the families involved, yet they are also times when the Lord reminds us that He is still here.
In that October 2018 message, I drew from the Book of Job where God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” This being part of a strong reminder that God is in charge and He has His purpose. If we keep our faith in Him, we will one day understand. We will be with Him for eternity.
Today, I am again reminded of the faithfulness of God. (He heard my cries and restored one single tree, perhaps for no other reason than He loves me.) In this event, I also hear the voice of Lord reminding me of the timelessness of God, that “to everything there is a season;” (Eccl. 3) and He hasn’t asked me to be in charge of this or any season. He does allow me to enjoy them.
None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, I can’t predict how long my pine tree will continue to stand erect to welcome me each morning. Current indications are that it will be for the rest of my life and beyond. Yet it could be no longer than the next windstorm. One thing I am quite certain of is that, whenever I am able to humble myself before him and continue to acknowledge that He is Lord of my life, and when I am able to listen, I will hear His comforting voice proclaiming, “I am still here.” And that is sufficient for me!
Short and Sweet!
January 12, 2020 - Kate Krumreig
No fancy words this week. Just two simple questions to ponder:
- How have you seen the Lord move in your life and the lives of those around you this week?
- When are you going to tell someone about how amazing that is?
A Resolution for the New Year
January 5, 2020 - Kate Krumreig
Are you someone who likes to make resolutions as a new year begins?
I am not.
In fact, if I'm being brutally honest, I sometimes scoff to myself when I hear or see others share their resolutions. I think, "Yeah right, good luck with that one. Let's see how long that lasts." I know that is incredibly wrong of me; Who am I to judge? Who am I to put people down behind their back? Would I appreciate someone not believing in me when I am committed to a healthy change in my life? NO! I should never assume someone will be unsuccessful in their goals, especially when they are excited to better themselves. I guess I'm just someone who struggles to see the point in making a plan that will, most likely, become a disappointment. I cannot stand to disappoint others and I very much cannot stand disappointing myself.
Wow, Kate. What are you even talking about? These are miserable words to ponder as we begin a new year in the Lord. I think I'll stop reading now.
Yeah. I don't blame you for wanting to stop. I wouldn't want to keep reading either if I were you...except that, as I've been typing, Jesus has been giving me that "Keep going. You'll get to My point" feeling in my stomach. Ever had that? It's a pretty convicting feeling.
As I've been writing today, He has been reminding me of my incredibly imperfect human nature and His unfathomably perfect ability to forgive. It is only through Him that we can be forgiven of our sins. We read in 1 John (1:5-9):
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I do not claim to be without sin. Father God, I am a sinner. I am most definitely a sinner. I confess that I have sinned against you and ask for forgiveness, Lord, for my ill thoughts towards others who want nothing more than to do good and be well. I ask that you guide my heart and my mind to do Your will. Help me today and each day to bring glory to Your name. Amen.
I suppose I should rethink that new year resolution thing. What can I resolve to do that will bring glory to my King in 2020? Maybe I should resolve to think before I think, speak, and act? Perhaps I should resolve to spend more time encouraging others and walking with them in their journey?
What will you resolve to do this year for the Lord?
I am not.
In fact, if I'm being brutally honest, I sometimes scoff to myself when I hear or see others share their resolutions. I think, "Yeah right, good luck with that one. Let's see how long that lasts." I know that is incredibly wrong of me; Who am I to judge? Who am I to put people down behind their back? Would I appreciate someone not believing in me when I am committed to a healthy change in my life? NO! I should never assume someone will be unsuccessful in their goals, especially when they are excited to better themselves. I guess I'm just someone who struggles to see the point in making a plan that will, most likely, become a disappointment. I cannot stand to disappoint others and I very much cannot stand disappointing myself.
Wow, Kate. What are you even talking about? These are miserable words to ponder as we begin a new year in the Lord. I think I'll stop reading now.
Yeah. I don't blame you for wanting to stop. I wouldn't want to keep reading either if I were you...except that, as I've been typing, Jesus has been giving me that "Keep going. You'll get to My point" feeling in my stomach. Ever had that? It's a pretty convicting feeling.
As I've been writing today, He has been reminding me of my incredibly imperfect human nature and His unfathomably perfect ability to forgive. It is only through Him that we can be forgiven of our sins. We read in 1 John (1:5-9):
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I do not claim to be without sin. Father God, I am a sinner. I am most definitely a sinner. I confess that I have sinned against you and ask for forgiveness, Lord, for my ill thoughts towards others who want nothing more than to do good and be well. I ask that you guide my heart and my mind to do Your will. Help me today and each day to bring glory to Your name. Amen.
I suppose I should rethink that new year resolution thing. What can I resolve to do that will bring glory to my King in 2020? Maybe I should resolve to think before I think, speak, and act? Perhaps I should resolve to spend more time encouraging others and walking with them in their journey?
What will you resolve to do this year for the Lord?
On the Fifth Day of Christmas
December 29, 2019 - Kate Krumreig
"On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me"...you know the words...sing it! FIVE GOLD RINGS!!!
I just love this part of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for so many reasons. First, I currently teach music to about 500 elementary school students and to hear them sing "five gold rings" at you (ok, maybe closer to shouting than singing on the last day of school before a two week break is a more accurate description) is a sound to behold.
Second, I cannot think of this song, particularly this part of the song, without thinking of the version recorded by John Denver and The Muppets where Miss Piggy adds her "ba dum bum bum" to the last 2 times through and the whole crew joins in on the last time. Don't know it? You will now! Click here to give it a listen.
Third, and maybe my most favorite reason, it that it is the first point in the song where things slow down and change what has come before it. The words remain the same for "four collied birds, three french hens, two turtle doves" but the melody changes and becomes, in my opinion, sweeter and no longer monotonous.
Isn't that just like God? Doesn't He jump right in when things feel like they're just going to be exactly the stay the same, when they're boring day after day, when you need things to change? Doesn't He shift the direction of your song? Read these words from Isaiah (43:19):
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
As we finish these final sixth-twelfth days of Christmas, ponder the idea that God is bringing you, one of His true loves, five gold rings. He is doing a new thing in you as he softens your heart regarding all that has happened in your 2019 song. He is making your song sweeter as He makes a way in the wilderness you face. He is preparing you not for monotony, but for new, exciting, and wonderful things to bring Him glory in 2020!
I just love this part of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for so many reasons. First, I currently teach music to about 500 elementary school students and to hear them sing "five gold rings" at you (ok, maybe closer to shouting than singing on the last day of school before a two week break is a more accurate description) is a sound to behold.
Second, I cannot think of this song, particularly this part of the song, without thinking of the version recorded by John Denver and The Muppets where Miss Piggy adds her "ba dum bum bum" to the last 2 times through and the whole crew joins in on the last time. Don't know it? You will now! Click here to give it a listen.
Third, and maybe my most favorite reason, it that it is the first point in the song where things slow down and change what has come before it. The words remain the same for "four collied birds, three french hens, two turtle doves" but the melody changes and becomes, in my opinion, sweeter and no longer monotonous.
Isn't that just like God? Doesn't He jump right in when things feel like they're just going to be exactly the stay the same, when they're boring day after day, when you need things to change? Doesn't He shift the direction of your song? Read these words from Isaiah (43:19):
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
As we finish these final sixth-twelfth days of Christmas, ponder the idea that God is bringing you, one of His true loves, five gold rings. He is doing a new thing in you as he softens your heart regarding all that has happened in your 2019 song. He is making your song sweeter as He makes a way in the wilderness you face. He is preparing you not for monotony, but for new, exciting, and wonderful things to bring Him glory in 2020!
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Fourth Week of AdventDecember 22, 2019 - Fr. Dale Minor - The Reclaim Ministry
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“And it will be said that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him.and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’” (Is. 25:9)
Perhaps every adult, while reflecting on their childhood, can remember a Christmas or Christmases when they had high hopes of receiving a special gift and the excitement that grew within them as the great day approached. Perhaps your dream was realized, perhaps it was not. I guess I have been fortunate enough to have experienced both, the realization that my dream gift was not to be obtained as well as the temporary joy of having been given my hearts desire.
I use the word “fortunate” in both circumstances because nearly seven decades of experience have afforded me an appreciation for the gift of anticipation. What I am getting to is the fact that so much of what we desire on this earth has only temporary value and thus can provide only momentary satisfaction; but the anticipation of the gift often leaves us with cherished memories and lasting rewards.
Yet today, I remember with a smile how I longed to find an electric train under the tree, but it never arrived. Later, I would just as fervently anticipate the gift of a new ball glove which I did receive. Yet, I can’t perceive how either event appreciably changed my life one way or the other. However, the anticipation of those gifts has stayed with me; perhaps because I now understand the sadness in my parents’ hearts when they were unable to provide my coveted toy, as well as the joy they shared when they were able to bless me.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote [in my weekly E-Musings] about the traditions of Advent and mentioned that the four candles of an Advent Wreath represent the gifts of hope, faith, joy, and peace. All of these can be seen as subsets of the greater gift of love, the Love that came down at Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ; and they most often are listed among the greatest of our heart’s desires.
Among the several lessons Jesus taught in what we know as The Sermon on the Mount is a section testifying to the Father’s desire to give good things to those He loves, and He loves us all. Matthew 7:7 begins, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Then, beginning in verse 9, He asks the following, “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?” Jesus then answers his own question for us: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask of Him!”
The issue here isn’t the gift but the love of the Father. Any loving father knows that sometimes the most loving thing he can do is to refrain from giving his child what they are asking for. It will do no good to grant the child his most heartfelt desire if the end result would be to do him harm. Even the harm of allowing his selfish wishes to be granted. But at the same time, a loving father will go out of his way to give his child the things which will benefit him most.
The season of Advent is arranged such to encourage and enhance our anticipation of the Coming of Christ. Not just a remembrance of His coming as a child in Bethlehem of Judea, but anticipation of His coming again to judge the living and the dead. This is an event worthy of anticipation; it is the gift that is assured.
Perhaps every adult, while reflecting on their childhood, can remember a Christmas or Christmases when they had high hopes of receiving a special gift and the excitement that grew within them as the great day approached. Perhaps your dream was realized, perhaps it was not. I guess I have been fortunate enough to have experienced both, the realization that my dream gift was not to be obtained as well as the temporary joy of having been given my hearts desire.
I use the word “fortunate” in both circumstances because nearly seven decades of experience have afforded me an appreciation for the gift of anticipation. What I am getting to is the fact that so much of what we desire on this earth has only temporary value and thus can provide only momentary satisfaction; but the anticipation of the gift often leaves us with cherished memories and lasting rewards.
Yet today, I remember with a smile how I longed to find an electric train under the tree, but it never arrived. Later, I would just as fervently anticipate the gift of a new ball glove which I did receive. Yet, I can’t perceive how either event appreciably changed my life one way or the other. However, the anticipation of those gifts has stayed with me; perhaps because I now understand the sadness in my parents’ hearts when they were unable to provide my coveted toy, as well as the joy they shared when they were able to bless me.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote [in my weekly E-Musings] about the traditions of Advent and mentioned that the four candles of an Advent Wreath represent the gifts of hope, faith, joy, and peace. All of these can be seen as subsets of the greater gift of love, the Love that came down at Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ; and they most often are listed among the greatest of our heart’s desires.
Among the several lessons Jesus taught in what we know as The Sermon on the Mount is a section testifying to the Father’s desire to give good things to those He loves, and He loves us all. Matthew 7:7 begins, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Then, beginning in verse 9, He asks the following, “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?” Jesus then answers his own question for us: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask of Him!”
The issue here isn’t the gift but the love of the Father. Any loving father knows that sometimes the most loving thing he can do is to refrain from giving his child what they are asking for. It will do no good to grant the child his most heartfelt desire if the end result would be to do him harm. Even the harm of allowing his selfish wishes to be granted. But at the same time, a loving father will go out of his way to give his child the things which will benefit him most.
The season of Advent is arranged such to encourage and enhance our anticipation of the Coming of Christ. Not just a remembrance of His coming as a child in Bethlehem of Judea, but anticipation of His coming again to judge the living and the dead. This is an event worthy of anticipation; it is the gift that is assured.
Third Week of AdventDecember 15, 2019 - Kate Krumreig
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Are YOU ready??
I survive on checklists. Well, checklists and coffee. OK, checklists and coffee and...that reminds me: I need to pick up half and half, romaine lettuce and cucumbers when I head to Aldi later. Oh, I keep forgetting dental floss. And gallon freezer bags, but the double lock ones, not the slide ones. Those things leak every time! Ugh, I need to write a checklist... Folks, this is my life. Anyone else?
I had the pleasure of having dinner with some of my best friends last night and, as we were in conversation enjoying our chips and queso, my friend said to everyone the table, "Wow, it's almost Christmas. Are you ready?" My mind immediately went to my Christmas gift checklist: Mom, check! Dad, check! Siblings, check! Oh my gosh, my nephew is going to love his new BoomWhackers (Don't know what these are? Look them up - they're fun!), Still need to get a gift for my friend Sara by Friday, Tracy, Isaiah... And then my brain made a drastic switch.
Mary. What about Mary? Was Mary ready for Christmas? Was Mary at all aware of what she was about to endure? Would Mary ever know that her son and his birth would be celebrated year after year? Did Mary have a checklist??
My guess is no. I don't think Mary was ready. I don't think Mary was aware. I don't think Mary would ever know and I certainly don't think Mary had a checklist. However, Mary had trust in her God, our God. Mary knew that, no matter what was coming her way, she had the favor of her Lord, our Lord.
I absolutely love the Magnificat - Mary's Song - as is written in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55).
And Mary said:“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
OK, God. I hear you. Thank you for redirecting my thoughts, not on "the stuff" of Christmas, but on the Christ of Christmas. Thank you for allowing me to spend time, as Mary did, considering Your greatness and praising You for Your mighty works. Thank you for reminding me to be humble, selfless, and to serve only You. Now, that's a checklist.
So...are YOU ready?
I had the pleasure of having dinner with some of my best friends last night and, as we were in conversation enjoying our chips and queso, my friend said to everyone the table, "Wow, it's almost Christmas. Are you ready?" My mind immediately went to my Christmas gift checklist: Mom, check! Dad, check! Siblings, check! Oh my gosh, my nephew is going to love his new BoomWhackers (Don't know what these are? Look them up - they're fun!), Still need to get a gift for my friend Sara by Friday, Tracy, Isaiah... And then my brain made a drastic switch.
Mary. What about Mary? Was Mary ready for Christmas? Was Mary at all aware of what she was about to endure? Would Mary ever know that her son and his birth would be celebrated year after year? Did Mary have a checklist??
My guess is no. I don't think Mary was ready. I don't think Mary was aware. I don't think Mary would ever know and I certainly don't think Mary had a checklist. However, Mary had trust in her God, our God. Mary knew that, no matter what was coming her way, she had the favor of her Lord, our Lord.
I absolutely love the Magnificat - Mary's Song - as is written in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55).
And Mary said:“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
OK, God. I hear you. Thank you for redirecting my thoughts, not on "the stuff" of Christmas, but on the Christ of Christmas. Thank you for allowing me to spend time, as Mary did, considering Your greatness and praising You for Your mighty works. Thank you for reminding me to be humble, selfless, and to serve only You. Now, that's a checklist.
So...are YOU ready?
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Second Week of AdventDecember 8, 2019 - The Very Rev. Mark A. Engel -
Gateway Church |
A Childlike Advent
Growing up in a small, Ohio village with a rich, German heritage, the advent wreath was always a part of our seasonal celebrations, both in church and in our family home. Terri and I continued that traditional, family practice in our home with our children as they grew.
I must admit, that as I reflect upon my own experience of this practice as a child, my mindset was, perhaps understandably, childish. While we read the appropriate Scriptures and prayed the appropriate prayers, the lighting of the candles was, in my view, a countdown to Christmas that focused on the soon to appear presents under the tree and the delicious, big family meal (both of which I still enjoy each year!). My focus was more on the fun aspects of celebrating the Christmas holiday (including the story of that first Christmas) than on a heightened expectancy at the hope and joy of Christ’s future appearing.
Now, like Paul, I am endeavoring to “…put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 – NKJV) Rather, I am aspiring to a more childlike advent season. Allow me to explain.
As a child, we lived on the north edge of town on the state route that bisected our village. My father, along with several of our neighbors, carpooled daily to work at the railroad terminal in the small town 4 miles north. Many late afternoons after school, I would wait in our front yard, watching for the carpoolers to appear and my father’s return home hoping for a quick game of “catch” in the front yard before supper. I waited and watched, hoped for and anticipated my father’s return. That is the heart attitude and focus of thought that I desire for this year’s season of advent. I want to be a believer in Christ who waits and watches with hope-filled anticipation of our Savior’s return! Lord, let me be numbered among the saints “…who have loved his [Jesus] appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 – ESV)
Will you join me in a prayerful longing that our hearts and minds will be rightly focused this advent season. Let us have hearts and minds that joyfully celebrate the reality of His first-appearing in the flesh and that expectantly look for His second-appearing in glory…“Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!”
Growing up in a small, Ohio village with a rich, German heritage, the advent wreath was always a part of our seasonal celebrations, both in church and in our family home. Terri and I continued that traditional, family practice in our home with our children as they grew.
I must admit, that as I reflect upon my own experience of this practice as a child, my mindset was, perhaps understandably, childish. While we read the appropriate Scriptures and prayed the appropriate prayers, the lighting of the candles was, in my view, a countdown to Christmas that focused on the soon to appear presents under the tree and the delicious, big family meal (both of which I still enjoy each year!). My focus was more on the fun aspects of celebrating the Christmas holiday (including the story of that first Christmas) than on a heightened expectancy at the hope and joy of Christ’s future appearing.
Now, like Paul, I am endeavoring to “…put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 – NKJV) Rather, I am aspiring to a more childlike advent season. Allow me to explain.
As a child, we lived on the north edge of town on the state route that bisected our village. My father, along with several of our neighbors, carpooled daily to work at the railroad terminal in the small town 4 miles north. Many late afternoons after school, I would wait in our front yard, watching for the carpoolers to appear and my father’s return home hoping for a quick game of “catch” in the front yard before supper. I waited and watched, hoped for and anticipated my father’s return. That is the heart attitude and focus of thought that I desire for this year’s season of advent. I want to be a believer in Christ who waits and watches with hope-filled anticipation of our Savior’s return! Lord, let me be numbered among the saints “…who have loved his [Jesus] appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 – ESV)
Will you join me in a prayerful longing that our hearts and minds will be rightly focused this advent season. Let us have hearts and minds that joyfully celebrate the reality of His first-appearing in the flesh and that expectantly look for His second-appearing in glory…“Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!”
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In November of 2013 a massive Typhoon hit the island nation of the Philippines. Roofs came off, buildings filled with water and then were swept away and many people ended up hanging on to debris as they floated through the flood. It was a good day to be an able-bodied young man…but of course not everyone in the typhoon had that luxury.
In the chaos of the storm, most people ended up fighting for their own lives, but not Dolores Baculanta and Oscar Macaray. These two workers at a government-run orphanage for about 100 orphans in Palos, one of the hardest hit cities, chose to rescue others. Dolores says she was getting ready to bathe all the preschool-aged children when all of the sudden she heard screams coming from the toddler room of the orphanage. Like most buildings in Palo, the roof was starting to fly off the building and the children were being swept up in an inflow of water. It would have made sense for Dolores and Oscar the security guard to simply grab what children they could see and run for the safest part of the building, but they didn’t. They risked their own lives, forcing their way into the toddler room, scooped up every screaming child and put them into two cribs, which as the waters rose became makeshift rafts. They managed to wheel the cribs out of that room just as the walls caved in and the swell rose. As the water seeped into the hallway they pushed the toddlers from room to room and helped other children crawl on top of tables and any other structure they could find until the waters subsided. Everyone prayed. The cement wall of the orphanage held. And when the waters subsided, not a single child had drowned.
It would have been easy, and even understandable for these orphanage workers to simply seek their own refuge in the face of that horrible storm. Who would miss a few dozen orphans in the midst of what seemed like the end of the world? These orphans have no mother or fathers to mourn them, no one threatening to sue the orphanage if they get hurt. What could a couple of aging day-care workers do against the power of a wind that could lift the roof right off a building? But in the moment, of crisis, Dolores and Oscar didn’t think like that; they had only one thought: save every child we can or die trying. They were heroes.
Of course Typhoon Haiyan isn’t the first time a giant surge of water has given people the chance to be heroes, and won’t be the last. In the Gospel reading for the first week of Advent, Jesus reminds his listeners of the terrible story of Noah’s flood.
Often in movie versions of the flood story, we see Noah and his family trying to save others. We see them begging other people to get in the ark with them…but actually, the Bible doesn’t say anything about that- Noah only saved the people and creatures God told him to save. When you actually read what the text says, you get the sense that the flood was more like how Jesus described it; no one else even saw it coming: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until flood came and swept them all away.”
No heroes putting toddlers in cribs here. The only people who saw this thing coming were working for PETA; everyone else drowns. This may be the most troubling story in whole of Scripture. It’s not like other troubling stories that tell of horrendous acts done by humans. In this story God destroys the earth. God kills unsuspecting men, women and children not to mention puppies and baby elephants. But according to Scripture, this isn’t just a simple act of violence. It’s an act of judgment, and it’s an act of mercy. The earth had gotten too evil. God couldn’t let it go on like that. Just as in the original sin of Adam and Eve, God instituted human death as both a judgment and a mercy, so now God intervenes in a sick, demonized society, to put an end to the cycles of human torture-it can’t go on forever. It’s got end. So God leaves no mourners, save eight brave survivors on an exotic floating zoo.
But after many days the waters receded and God told Noah and his family it was safe to leave the ark. Then God made a covenant with Noah, “never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God puts a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of hanging up his bow and arrow. God won’t be at war with humans anymore.
The rest of the biblical story from Genesis 9 on is about God living out that promise. God did not stop being a God of both judgment and mercy- God is good, which means God can’t just turn a blind eye to evil and injustice. Nevertheless, although every human heart has a taste for sin, God promises that never again will God destroy the whole earth, with only an ark full of righteous survivors to keep things going. Instead, God takes another approach, a costly approach, an approach that requires not just people who can escape judgment but who will be heroes in the midst of an evil age. God selects a people and tasks them not just with staying alive, but with becoming a blessing to every nation on the earth. Instead of an ark, God builds a church- a church not separated out of the wayward world, but engaged in it, inviting all people to be saved. And yet, God won’t let the age of human evil and sorrow continue forever. Another day of judgment will come.
Jesus says that as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be the coming of the Son of Man, by which he means, so will be the day that he, Jesus, returns again to judge the human race. Like we talked about a couple weeks ago, no one will be able to predict exactly when this day will come. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 24:36) And yet, just like Noah sitting in the ark waiting for the flood, we know that day will come…only unlike Noah we won’t be in the ark. Jesus says, “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (40-41). Those of us who trust in Jesus are not going to be on a ready-made zoo on the Day of the Lord. According to Jesus, we’re going to be out with our friends, alongside our co-workers or at home with our family members. And there in the midst of our ordinary, everyday lives, when we least expect it the day of reckoning will come…
In the season of Advent, Christians observe Advent by preparing themselves to greet Jesus. Some people choose to make more space for Jesus by fasting from things like streaming Netflix or Christmas sweets and remembering their need for a savior. Some pick up extra practices of prayer or good works. Thought these practices we try to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our savior.
But preparing for the coming of Jesus isn’t just about getting ourselves ready. It’s about calling the whole world to get ready also! Advent isn’t just a reminder that we personally must be ready to face the Day of the Lord. It’s a reminder that we are called to be heroes clothed in armor of light in the midst of a dark world. We are called to be the ark so that on the Day of the Lord, so that more of the people around us might be saved! That’s why we’re here.
Advent reminds us that once we’ve found Jesus our time on this earth has essentially two main tasks. The first is to prepare our own souls for the day we will meet Jesus face-to-face. We do this by rooting out all the seeds of darkness within us and submitting ourselves again and again to the Lordship of Christ. And the second, task is to be heroes- people who help the rest of the world meet Jesus now, so they will be ready on the Day of the Lord.
In the chaos of the storm, most people ended up fighting for their own lives, but not Dolores Baculanta and Oscar Macaray. These two workers at a government-run orphanage for about 100 orphans in Palos, one of the hardest hit cities, chose to rescue others. Dolores says she was getting ready to bathe all the preschool-aged children when all of the sudden she heard screams coming from the toddler room of the orphanage. Like most buildings in Palo, the roof was starting to fly off the building and the children were being swept up in an inflow of water. It would have made sense for Dolores and Oscar the security guard to simply grab what children they could see and run for the safest part of the building, but they didn’t. They risked their own lives, forcing their way into the toddler room, scooped up every screaming child and put them into two cribs, which as the waters rose became makeshift rafts. They managed to wheel the cribs out of that room just as the walls caved in and the swell rose. As the water seeped into the hallway they pushed the toddlers from room to room and helped other children crawl on top of tables and any other structure they could find until the waters subsided. Everyone prayed. The cement wall of the orphanage held. And when the waters subsided, not a single child had drowned.
It would have been easy, and even understandable for these orphanage workers to simply seek their own refuge in the face of that horrible storm. Who would miss a few dozen orphans in the midst of what seemed like the end of the world? These orphans have no mother or fathers to mourn them, no one threatening to sue the orphanage if they get hurt. What could a couple of aging day-care workers do against the power of a wind that could lift the roof right off a building? But in the moment, of crisis, Dolores and Oscar didn’t think like that; they had only one thought: save every child we can or die trying. They were heroes.
Of course Typhoon Haiyan isn’t the first time a giant surge of water has given people the chance to be heroes, and won’t be the last. In the Gospel reading for the first week of Advent, Jesus reminds his listeners of the terrible story of Noah’s flood.
Often in movie versions of the flood story, we see Noah and his family trying to save others. We see them begging other people to get in the ark with them…but actually, the Bible doesn’t say anything about that- Noah only saved the people and creatures God told him to save. When you actually read what the text says, you get the sense that the flood was more like how Jesus described it; no one else even saw it coming: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until flood came and swept them all away.”
No heroes putting toddlers in cribs here. The only people who saw this thing coming were working for PETA; everyone else drowns. This may be the most troubling story in whole of Scripture. It’s not like other troubling stories that tell of horrendous acts done by humans. In this story God destroys the earth. God kills unsuspecting men, women and children not to mention puppies and baby elephants. But according to Scripture, this isn’t just a simple act of violence. It’s an act of judgment, and it’s an act of mercy. The earth had gotten too evil. God couldn’t let it go on like that. Just as in the original sin of Adam and Eve, God instituted human death as both a judgment and a mercy, so now God intervenes in a sick, demonized society, to put an end to the cycles of human torture-it can’t go on forever. It’s got end. So God leaves no mourners, save eight brave survivors on an exotic floating zoo.
But after many days the waters receded and God told Noah and his family it was safe to leave the ark. Then God made a covenant with Noah, “never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God puts a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of hanging up his bow and arrow. God won’t be at war with humans anymore.
The rest of the biblical story from Genesis 9 on is about God living out that promise. God did not stop being a God of both judgment and mercy- God is good, which means God can’t just turn a blind eye to evil and injustice. Nevertheless, although every human heart has a taste for sin, God promises that never again will God destroy the whole earth, with only an ark full of righteous survivors to keep things going. Instead, God takes another approach, a costly approach, an approach that requires not just people who can escape judgment but who will be heroes in the midst of an evil age. God selects a people and tasks them not just with staying alive, but with becoming a blessing to every nation on the earth. Instead of an ark, God builds a church- a church not separated out of the wayward world, but engaged in it, inviting all people to be saved. And yet, God won’t let the age of human evil and sorrow continue forever. Another day of judgment will come.
Jesus says that as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be the coming of the Son of Man, by which he means, so will be the day that he, Jesus, returns again to judge the human race. Like we talked about a couple weeks ago, no one will be able to predict exactly when this day will come. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 24:36) And yet, just like Noah sitting in the ark waiting for the flood, we know that day will come…only unlike Noah we won’t be in the ark. Jesus says, “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (40-41). Those of us who trust in Jesus are not going to be on a ready-made zoo on the Day of the Lord. According to Jesus, we’re going to be out with our friends, alongside our co-workers or at home with our family members. And there in the midst of our ordinary, everyday lives, when we least expect it the day of reckoning will come…
In the season of Advent, Christians observe Advent by preparing themselves to greet Jesus. Some people choose to make more space for Jesus by fasting from things like streaming Netflix or Christmas sweets and remembering their need for a savior. Some pick up extra practices of prayer or good works. Thought these practices we try to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our savior.
But preparing for the coming of Jesus isn’t just about getting ourselves ready. It’s about calling the whole world to get ready also! Advent isn’t just a reminder that we personally must be ready to face the Day of the Lord. It’s a reminder that we are called to be heroes clothed in armor of light in the midst of a dark world. We are called to be the ark so that on the Day of the Lord, so that more of the people around us might be saved! That’s why we’re here.
Advent reminds us that once we’ve found Jesus our time on this earth has essentially two main tasks. The first is to prepare our own souls for the day we will meet Jesus face-to-face. We do this by rooting out all the seeds of darkness within us and submitting ourselves again and again to the Lordship of Christ. And the second, task is to be heroes- people who help the rest of the world meet Jesus now, so they will be ready on the Day of the Lord.
All I Want for Advent
November 25, 2019 - Fr. William Eavenson - The Mission Cincinnati
It’s happening again.
Commercials about new cars topped with giant red bows are filling up the ad breaks in my Hulu shows, rumors of Black Friday specials are creeping into my newsfeed, and for some reason I can’t get that stupid song “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,” out of my head.
You know what this means: “the holidays” have arrived.
As a little kid, I loved this season. The annual ritual of driving from Atlanta (where I grew up) to Knoxville for Thanksgiving, and returning home in time to decorate the house for Christmas (ALWAYS on the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving!) is deeply etched into my emotional memory. I still have my childhood Advent calendar, and I still remember waiting with my sister outside my mom’s bedroom door on early December Saturdays for “mommy wrapping machine” to finish disguising yet another exciting present we would have to wait a few more days to open. I remember how Christmas Eve used to feel like magic as my mind was a-blur with the mingled stories of Santa and Jesus, lit candles and wrapped gifts. Perhaps what I loved most about those days each year, was how powerful the sense of expectation was.
We lose things as we grow up.
Many of us lose our childhood sense of wonder as we learn more and more about how the world really works and that (**spoiler alert!) Santa isn’t real. There are no mysteries anymore for the initiated. Everything in our mechanical universe has an explanation. Some of us lose our joy over what we wanted to be when we grow up when we actually become that doctor (or astronaut), when we actually find that long-imagined lover and start a family and learn that communication is hard work and kids are messy and loud. Some of us lose spouses, friends, or loved ones to divorce, death, or the slow separation of time and distance. And when we stare into the face of our losses, Christmas and “the holidays,” feel less magical and more masochistic; a societal choreography forcing us to move through the motions of a feigned joy that does nothing more than remind us of the good things we used to have but don’t anymore.
I want things for Christmas this year…but not presents.
I want my childhood wonder back. I want my friend’s divorce undone, his marriage repaired, and his heart healed. I want people around me who have died this year to come back to life. I want the power to fix other people’s pain, to be able to press a button and end their hurt. I want peace between nations and peace in my heart. I want to lock anxiety in a box and ship it to Mars or drop it in the deepest part of the ocean. I want to see our politics de-polarized, and for us to stop our ridiculous partisan bickering. I want my friends who have lost their faith to find it again. I want to be able to express my love to my family and friends in a way that is clear and not needy. I want people everywhere to have real hope.
I can’t manufacture those things and Santa can’t deliver them. But Jesus can.
For the last few years, I have needed Advent even more than Christmas. Because I need intellectual honesty in my faith. I need room to reconcile the hard things I experience with the good things I believe. Advent makes space for this. In their wisdom, Christians in history designated time on the church calendar before Christmas, to live deeply into a season of anticipation and expectation for Christ to come into the world as an infant in the glory of the Incarnation, and to come back again at the end of time as benevolent King of a fully-realized, cosmic Kingdom. In Advent, we wait. We long. We GROAN. We sit with recently exiled Ancient Israel whose people haven’t heard God speak to them in 500 years. We clutch the letter of Revelation desperate for hope and assurance of God’s love for us, alongside 1st century Christians whose friends had been ripped from their homes, strung up on trees in Emperor Nero’s Garden, and lit on fire as mood lighting for parties. And we cry out “how long!?” with our brothers and sisters whose families are driven from their homes by violence in Africa, or whose lives are torn apart by drugs and gun violence on our own American streets. Advent affirms that waiting and longing have always been part of what it means to be a Christian. This season shows me that I can feel deep sadness AND hold on to real hope. I can acknowledge the truth of ALL the hard things in the world, feel ALL of the emotions, and still be a Christian. And Advent also reminds me, that the full range of human experience and emotion takes place between the starting point of our world’s creation at the hands of a God of inestimable love, and its conclusion when Jesus, the Son of that same God comes back to topple oppressors, end violence forever, raise dead people, and wipe every tear from every eye.
THAT LAST PART IS ALL I WANT FOR ADVENT. It’s what every Christian throughout history has wanted. And it’s not just an empty promise. It’s a true and certain hope that we can bank on.
The Apostle Paul says it this way in Romans 13:11-12: “the hour has come for you to awake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now that when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So the let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
You may not get back all the things you’ve lost in this life. I can’t promise you will feel the same wonder tomorrow you felt yesterday. But if you are in Christ, you WILL get Jesus: coming back to you at the end of time to set every wrong right, heal every wound, and make all things new. And as Advent reminds us, its okay to WANT THAT. To LONG for Christ’s return and the final repair He will bring, to cry out with every fiber of your being—in grief or in joy—for Him to come back and make our world new. Because practicing that longing is not an exercise in wishful thinking. It is a pressing of our souls into the deepest and most true reality of the universe that is meant to give us ultimate and durable joy and hope: Jesus is coming back to make everything new.
That’s all I want for Advent. How about you?
From The Mission Cincinnati blog - November 19, 2019 - http://www.missioncincinnati.org/blog/2019/11/19/all-i-want-for-advent
Commercials about new cars topped with giant red bows are filling up the ad breaks in my Hulu shows, rumors of Black Friday specials are creeping into my newsfeed, and for some reason I can’t get that stupid song “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth,” out of my head.
You know what this means: “the holidays” have arrived.
As a little kid, I loved this season. The annual ritual of driving from Atlanta (where I grew up) to Knoxville for Thanksgiving, and returning home in time to decorate the house for Christmas (ALWAYS on the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving!) is deeply etched into my emotional memory. I still have my childhood Advent calendar, and I still remember waiting with my sister outside my mom’s bedroom door on early December Saturdays for “mommy wrapping machine” to finish disguising yet another exciting present we would have to wait a few more days to open. I remember how Christmas Eve used to feel like magic as my mind was a-blur with the mingled stories of Santa and Jesus, lit candles and wrapped gifts. Perhaps what I loved most about those days each year, was how powerful the sense of expectation was.
We lose things as we grow up.
Many of us lose our childhood sense of wonder as we learn more and more about how the world really works and that (**spoiler alert!) Santa isn’t real. There are no mysteries anymore for the initiated. Everything in our mechanical universe has an explanation. Some of us lose our joy over what we wanted to be when we grow up when we actually become that doctor (or astronaut), when we actually find that long-imagined lover and start a family and learn that communication is hard work and kids are messy and loud. Some of us lose spouses, friends, or loved ones to divorce, death, or the slow separation of time and distance. And when we stare into the face of our losses, Christmas and “the holidays,” feel less magical and more masochistic; a societal choreography forcing us to move through the motions of a feigned joy that does nothing more than remind us of the good things we used to have but don’t anymore.
I want things for Christmas this year…but not presents.
I want my childhood wonder back. I want my friend’s divorce undone, his marriage repaired, and his heart healed. I want people around me who have died this year to come back to life. I want the power to fix other people’s pain, to be able to press a button and end their hurt. I want peace between nations and peace in my heart. I want to lock anxiety in a box and ship it to Mars or drop it in the deepest part of the ocean. I want to see our politics de-polarized, and for us to stop our ridiculous partisan bickering. I want my friends who have lost their faith to find it again. I want to be able to express my love to my family and friends in a way that is clear and not needy. I want people everywhere to have real hope.
I can’t manufacture those things and Santa can’t deliver them. But Jesus can.
For the last few years, I have needed Advent even more than Christmas. Because I need intellectual honesty in my faith. I need room to reconcile the hard things I experience with the good things I believe. Advent makes space for this. In their wisdom, Christians in history designated time on the church calendar before Christmas, to live deeply into a season of anticipation and expectation for Christ to come into the world as an infant in the glory of the Incarnation, and to come back again at the end of time as benevolent King of a fully-realized, cosmic Kingdom. In Advent, we wait. We long. We GROAN. We sit with recently exiled Ancient Israel whose people haven’t heard God speak to them in 500 years. We clutch the letter of Revelation desperate for hope and assurance of God’s love for us, alongside 1st century Christians whose friends had been ripped from their homes, strung up on trees in Emperor Nero’s Garden, and lit on fire as mood lighting for parties. And we cry out “how long!?” with our brothers and sisters whose families are driven from their homes by violence in Africa, or whose lives are torn apart by drugs and gun violence on our own American streets. Advent affirms that waiting and longing have always been part of what it means to be a Christian. This season shows me that I can feel deep sadness AND hold on to real hope. I can acknowledge the truth of ALL the hard things in the world, feel ALL of the emotions, and still be a Christian. And Advent also reminds me, that the full range of human experience and emotion takes place between the starting point of our world’s creation at the hands of a God of inestimable love, and its conclusion when Jesus, the Son of that same God comes back to topple oppressors, end violence forever, raise dead people, and wipe every tear from every eye.
THAT LAST PART IS ALL I WANT FOR ADVENT. It’s what every Christian throughout history has wanted. And it’s not just an empty promise. It’s a true and certain hope that we can bank on.
The Apostle Paul says it this way in Romans 13:11-12: “the hour has come for you to awake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now that when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So the let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
You may not get back all the things you’ve lost in this life. I can’t promise you will feel the same wonder tomorrow you felt yesterday. But if you are in Christ, you WILL get Jesus: coming back to you at the end of time to set every wrong right, heal every wound, and make all things new. And as Advent reminds us, its okay to WANT THAT. To LONG for Christ’s return and the final repair He will bring, to cry out with every fiber of your being—in grief or in joy—for Him to come back and make our world new. Because practicing that longing is not an exercise in wishful thinking. It is a pressing of our souls into the deepest and most true reality of the universe that is meant to give us ultimate and durable joy and hope: Jesus is coming back to make everything new.
That’s all I want for Advent. How about you?
From The Mission Cincinnati blog - November 19, 2019 - http://www.missioncincinnati.org/blog/2019/11/19/all-i-want-for-advent