August 31, 2014

Humble Yourself under His Hand

All summer we’ve been working through Romans 12:9-16, a passage John Stott called guidelines for Christian living. Paul tells us, “Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

I have learned some new things about the depth of meaning in this passage, and hope my readers have too. We’ve looked at what it is to have genuine love and to discern the good. We’ve considered zeal and joy and hope and patience as attributes of the Christian walk. There have been difficult sections, like remembering that we are told by Jesus to ‘love one another’, and that’s not just those we like. Blessing can be a bit easier when we have empathy and harmony, but it is still not always easy.
St. Paul’s final admonition is “do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.” Another translation says we should not be ‘conceited’. This is not an original concept. Paul no doubt is remembering Proverbs 3:7 which says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” Or maybe he was thinking of the warning in Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” Jesus tells his disciples, “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) In fact, earlier in chapter 12, Paul cautions the Romans “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, there is a scene where Indie has to pass through the obstacles put in place by the Knights of the Crusades to protect the Chalice of the Last Supper. The first is whirling blades that come from 2 directions. His father has figured out the clues to get past each obstacle. The first is “The Breathe of God; only the penitent man will pass.” As Indie moves forward slowly he tries to figure out what it means. Suddenly, he understands, “the penitent man is humble before God…kneels before God.” Just before the blades swish past, he falls on his knees…and is able to get past that dangerous obstacle.
We probably won’t have to face actual whirling blades but we do face adversities and problems and conflicts that force us to look at who is in charge-us or God. It’s human nature and culturally applauded to work to ‘fix’ the problem ourselves. “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” was one of my father’s favorite sayings, meaning, don’t depend on anyone to help, do whatever yourself. We can easily get caught up in that way of thinking and forget Who is really in charge.

However, we probably are well advised to put God first and to kneel in humility. It is the only way to really serve the God of Love. Only when we let go of ‘my way’ can we get out of God’s way. I know it is true for me that when I am able to quit trying to manage the outcome, to let go and let God, that things can fall into place. Good things happen, when we are humble and allow God to be in charge. As I Peter 5:6 reminds us, “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
Like the bees in the photo of the purple sage (they really are there!) who know their task in life, we can find peace and harmony when we work with God in loving humility. When we let God be in charge, we might just find it easier to bless, and welcome, and relate to one another more fully in love… In the world of tempests and whirling blades, it’s certainly worth a try.

After Labor Day, we’ll start a new series based on the Lord’s Prayer that will take us to Advent. Come along and explore this well-known and much loved prayer using the right side of your brain. 

August 24, 2014

Live in Harmony

Harmony and Humility are the last 2 aspects of living a Pentecost life, according to Romans 12:8-16. This week Paul tells us, “Live in harmony with one another.” What exactly is ‘harmony’. It’s not a word much in use for relationships any more. Other translations say to live in ‘agreement’ or to ‘be of the same mind’ with each other.

There are other verses in the Epistles that urge us to act in harmony and agreement with each other. In 2 Corinthians 13:11, we are told to “rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul urges that community, “make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2) Even St. Peter calls on the young church to “be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (I Peter 3:8)

The dictionary says that harmony is a friendly agreement, a pleasing combination [of sounds] or notes sung or played together. This brings to mind a collection of songs by John Michael Talbot called The Master Musician. In songs like Words and Music and the Conductor, as well as the title song Master Musician, Talbot compares a song to our lives in God. In Words and Music he says, “The song exists from the time of eternity, written by an ancient hand of God. The earthly composer has only to uncover what was written by the Spirit all along.” We work in unity with God to uncover and live the melody we were created for. The chorus of the song Master Musician echoes this. “We too are like musicians lifting calloused hands to pray. From cloistered hearts and cathedraled minds we music work with human effort responding to God‘s grace, making melody for love.” We sing our melody and others sing theirs. All together we make the symphony of life.
If ‘harmony’ is acting in agreement and becoming a ‘pleasing combination of notes together’, what can we do to be more active in ‘responding to God’s grace, making melody for love’? How do we uncover what was ‘written by the Spirit all along’?

St. Paul has given us the guidelines in the preceding verses. Have genuine, sincere love for each other and discern the good and right. We are to remember what Mother Teresa said, “Reconciliation begins not first with others but with ourselves: by allowing Jesus to clean us -- to forgive us, to love us.” (June 29) We honor and serve one another with enthusiasm, joy and patience, offering hospitality. Further, we are not to live this way just we those who are ‘like’ us, but with all of Creation!
Acting in harmony with someone we disagree with isn’t easy. Very often it means taking that extra (and really hard) step to reach out a hand. It might mean accepting the hand held out to us by someone we’ve been at odds with, too. It could, as we saw last time, require that we “repay evil with blessing” (I Peter 3:9). A long time ago I clipped out a poem called Let me Be a Little Kinder, to use as a prayer. Turns out it’s a song by Glen Campbell that is actually called Less of Me. Either way, it is a way to live in harmony as we ‘think more of my neighbor, and a little less of me’.

Let me be a little kinder
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me

Let me praise a little more

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me


Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be


Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me


Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am strivin' for


The good news is that we are not alone in doing this work of living in harmony and offering reconciliation. God is with us and in us with Grace to help us begin ‘making melody for love.’ Jesus promises to send “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14: 17-18).
Next week, we'll conclude this series with a look at what Paul says about humility in our Pentecost lives. After Labor Day, we'll move into some rather 'right brained' activities based on the Lord's Prayer.
Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

August 17, 2014

Empathy and Tolerance

We are almost at the end of this series that has been looking at Romans 12:9-16 as a way to live Pentecost lives that proclaim the presence of God. According to John Stott these 7 verses are guidelines to living just that sort of life.

Last week we noted that “Mother Teresa’s Prescription” included 10 tenets that followed St. Paul’s advice rather closely. Tolerance was number 7. Paul says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” This implies not only tolerance but empathy toward one another.

Jesus tells us “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). The New Living Translation of verse 12 says we should not “curse [our enemies, instead]; pray that God will bless them.” It is hard to pray a blessing on those who are mistreating us and even harder to pray for those who are killing those we care about. We have only to read the headlines of wars and atrocities to find plenty of opportunity for praying for our enemies.

It is not easy to look beyond the death and destruction caused by so many, too often in the name of religion, and to pray for them. Not easy, but part of our life as Pentecost people. I Peter 3:9 offers this advice: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

Peter and Paul are both reiterating our Lord’s mandate to “love one another, as I have loved you”. Jesus loved us to the giving up of His life. As followers of the One, we too are called to pray blessings on all of God’s children. Like it or not, that means every man, woman, and child on this planet! I wonder what the world would be like if we really tried praying for those who ‘persecute’ us-whether in physical or mental ways. Might it not be worth a try?

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary notes that we cannot make distinctions about when and how we pray and bless others. “Bless, and curse not. It means thorough good will; not, bless them when at prayer, and curse them at other times; but bless them always, and curse not at all. True Christian love will make us take part in the sorrows and joys of each other.”

The second part of this citation is really part of the same theme. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” says Paul to the Romans. If we really have empathy and tolerance, then we not only pray blessings for them, but we understand their joys and sorrows. As the old saying goes, we “walk a mile in their shoes” in order to see the world through their eyes. We might then feel the deep hurt that causes a teenager to brutally murder a homeless man. Perhaps we would get a glimpse of the devastating emptiness that makes a person take their own life. With empathy we might see through the eyes of the fanatic who believes that killing is the only way to cleanse the world. In trying to rejoice and weep with the joys and sorrows of others, we might discover that those we name ‘different’ really aren’t so very different from us.

It is easy to take up stones to throw at someone. Then Jesus looks at us and says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone”. We hesitate and realize that we are not without fault. Like the men who wanted to stone the adulterous woman (John 8), we go “away, one by one.” Then Jesus is left with the offender. In love we hear Him say “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” And He says the same to me and to you and to the murderer and fanatic and thief.

With Christ on the Cross we can and must pray “Father forgive, for they know not what they do.” And we must pray for the courage, wisdom, empathy and tolerance to do so and to pray blessings on those we fear and even hate.
Next time we'll take a look at Harmony and end the series with Humility.

 Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are

August 10, 2014

Hospitality and Service

Earlier in this series we saw that the basis for our lives is love: genuine, pure, brotherly love offered in service to God. Last time we looked at 3 key ingredients to living into our Christian call of genuine love as found in Romans 12. According to Paul these are: joy, patience, and prayer. The final 4 marks of a Christian teach us to look outward and actively share Christ’s love.

In Romans 12:13, St. Paul says, “When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (NLT) That is a seemingly simple concept, isn’t it? Help those in need and practice hospitality. Hospitality encompasses a sense of welcome, warmth, openness, friendliness, and generosity. How hard can that be?
In the RSV translation, we are urged to go a step further with our hospitality and offer it “to strangers”. We are to reach out beyond our comfort zone to welcome those who we may not know, and even those who might be ‘different’. Sometimes that’s a little harder.

This past weekend, I heard a speaker talk about how we offer ‘service’, a type of hospitality. She noted that there are studies that have shown that serving one another is good for our health! Service can raises our self-esteem and self-confidence. She noted that Mother Teresa was interviewed by Paul Wright for his book Mother Teresa’s Prescription. He wanted to know how she kept on giving and giving of herself. She finally granted an interview and shared her “prescription” of 10 things*.
1.      Commitment to community
2.      Reverence for all human life
3.      Compassion and love
4.      Contentment and gratitude
5.      Faith
6.      Humility
7.      Tolerance
8.      Patience
9.      Forgiveness
10.   Honesty

These are, perhaps not surprisingly, similar to what Paul is telling the Roman community. In verse 13 he encourages helping ‘the saints’ (those in the community). When he says ‘extend hospitality to strangers’, he is asking us to show a reverence for all humanity. Earlier Paul’s words about holding fast to the good and honoring each other fulfill Mother Teresa’s guideline of compassion and love. He says to ‘rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, ardent in prayer’ (as we looked at last week). Mother Teresa suggests that an attitude of contentment and gratitude along with faith must be the hallmark of a servant leader.
We will get to humility, tolerance, and forgiveness over the next couple of weeks. Mother Teresa and Paul both wrap up all their instructions in genuine or honest love.

How then do we find what fits us as a way to ‘contribute to the needs of the saints [and] extend hospitality’? Not all of us are wealthy and can support the cause of our choice with mounds of money and not everyone is equipped or able to go out into the community to ‘do’ service.
The speaker last weekend suggested we should each start in the areas we feel most connected. Are you interested in helping children, or the aged, or the ill, or… (fill in the blank). There is information in your community and maybe even your church to help you get connected. Schools, shelters, and nearly all volunteer programs are looking for help. She did note that many now require background checks, so don’t be offended by that.

If you cannot get out and actively help, even a couple of dollars is helpful to nearly every charity and church, so don’t think that because you cannot fund a hospital wing that you cannot ‘contribute to the needs’. I’m sure many, if not all, who read this are already active in helping in your community and I commend you for it. If you are looking for something new, consider Paul’s and Mother Teresa’s guidelines as you look around.
Next time, we’ll consider empathy toward all-what Mother Teresa labeled as tolerance.

* You can see the entire section of the talk about Mother Teresa here.

 Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are

August 3, 2014

Joy, Patience, Prayer

Last time we considered how to have enthusiastic zeal for our work in the Kingdom. In order to carry on, we have to be strengthened and that happens when we “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12). The NIV translation is even simpler: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Three easy steps to maintaining our connection to God-right? Yes, when we can remember to follow those steps. In Gill’s Exposition of the Bible we are reminded that we are “Rejoicing in hope...of the glory of God.” He says, “…nothing tends more to animate the people of God to a cheerful serving of him, or to make them more patient under afflictions, than a hope of being forever with the Lord.” Our service is not for ourselves, or even for those we are working to help. All our work and life ought to point to God.
Verses 11 and 12 of Romans 12 together are a summary of the way we can remain linked to God and God’s love. “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” It requires enthusiasm in service as well as remaining in contact through the good times and bad with hope and patience. Ultimately the only way to do that is through prayer. In Hebrews 10:36, we are reminded to “persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary notes, “[God] is honored by our hope and trust in him, especially when we rejoice in that hope. He is served, not only by working for him, but by sitting still quietly, when he calls us to suffer. Patience for God's sake, is true piety. Those that rejoice in hope, are likely to be patient in tribulation. We should not be cold in the duty of prayer, nor soon weary of it.”
We can too easily forget the prayer part of remaining in connection with God, esp. when we are actively and enthusiastically involved in a ministry that is close to our heart. Prayer tends to slip to the back of the line, until we are confronted with a problem. Maybe, if we could keep prayer at the front of the line, we wouldn’t be caught off guard by challenges…! Prayer helps us to remain “Patient in affliction” and to “be joyful in hope”. It all works together. Isn’t that wonderful!

The three steps are:
Be joyful in hope” and “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
“[be] Patient in affliction” because “if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:25)
When we are “Faithful in prayer” it joins us with the long line of saints through the ages starting with those in the upper room before Pentecost when “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14)

Are there steps this week I can take to be more enthusiastic, joyful in my relationship to God and to stay joined to God in an active prayer life? Maybe I can look for the good and give others the benefit of the doubt, undergirding it all with intentional prayer, esp. when I feel put out about something or someone...what about you?
Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are

Lent 5: Justice and Peace and Dignity

  In Lent we are looking at the many ways the Baptismal Covenant calls us to serve Christ in each other. Fellowship, prayer, repentance, eva...