God Will Wait

February 28, 2017February 28, 2017 / JJS / 2 Comments

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 42; 146, Deuteronomy 6:16-25, Hebrews 2:1-10, John 1:19-28

In church we learn to praise and worship our God. We thank God for the good things in our lives, and ask for his strength during the bad times. We admire people whose faith remains rock-solid during times of crisis, and aspire to have that kind of faith ourselves. Expressing negative emotions about God, not matter how true, seems out of place in most Christian settings.

So let’s thank him for one more thing: the psalmists! They were not afraid to rail at God when things got tough. The author of Psalm 42 declares: “My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’” This psalmist is not afraid to ask: “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?” And these were not private episodes behind locked doors where the other faithful could not see and judge: they were public declarations recorded for the ages. If psalms of lamentation made it into the Bible, maybe it’s all right to express such feelings ourselves, even in public.

God is not a a fair weather friend who turns away when his feelings are hurt. During Rosh Hashanah, faithful Jews make atonement for their failings, but part of the tradition also involves calling God to account for the state of the world. The very name Israel means “wrestling with God.” We are not required to be always happy or even satisfied with God. It might be impossible, since we are built to be in a relationship with God, and all deep relationships at some point experience conflict.

An argument does not end a real relationship. Handled properly, it is a chance for learning and growth – though when we argue with God it is almost certainly we are the ones who need to grow. The psalmist closes by telling his soul: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.” If at this or any moment you are angry with God, it’s not the end of the relationship. God will wait.

Comfort: God’s grace will always outlast your anger, sadness, or fear.

Challenge: When you are angry with God, be honest about it; God already knows.

Prayer: Thank you God for the loving patience you show me always. Amen.

Discussion: Are you comfortable expressing anger at God to yourself? To others?

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Who Built That?

February 27, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

toolbox

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 5; 145, Deuteronomy 6:1-15, Hebrews 1:1-14, John 1:1-18

Shortly before the Israelites ended their forty years of wandering in the desert, Moses spoke to them about how they were to live in the promised land. These sermons, which make up most of the book of Deuteronomy, were good news for the Israelites, but not for the Canaanites – who were already living in the promised land of Cana. Moses warned the people of Israel:

“When the LORD your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors […] — a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant — […] take care that you do not forget the LORD.”

How easy it is to believe we have received all the good things in our lives through our own merit, and to forget how much of it is due to the people who came before us. These people are not only direct ancestors, but those people who shaped our lives and societies through victories – and sometimes more poignantly through losses. Financial inheritance, good genes, a strong work ethic, economies stable enough to support business, roads, an education, natural resources beyond measure, civil rights: all these things which contribute to our success and survival were provided by others who either gave them or had them taken away. No matter how hard we’ve worked for what we have, we didn’t do it alone.

Our sense of gratitude is tied to our sense of history. Each person’s life is built on the bones of those who voluntarily and involuntarily contributed to it. Our sense of justice is also tied to our willingness to remember history. All societies, past and present, are a mix of what we’ve built, what we’ve been given, and what we’ve taken. When the Israelites remembered how God had delivered them to their homes, they also had to remember the people of Cana. When we give thanks for what we have, let’s also remember where it came from.

Comfort: We are all part of an ongoing story.

Challenge: Give thanks for the people who have helped you become what you are.

Prayer: God of history, help us to understand and honor the past so we may practice reverence in the present. Amen.

Discussion: Some people complain about being made to feel “guilty” about privilege. Guilt is inwardly focused and rarely constructive. What is a better attitude toward our own privilege?

The Letter Kills

February 26, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

forgiveness

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 103; 150, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 2 Corinthians 3:1-9, John 12:27-36a

Victor Hugo’s novel (and popular musical) Les Miserables opens as hero Jean Valjean completes a 19-year prison sentence that began with stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister. The yellow letter he must carry impairs his ability to rebuild his life, until a merciful encounter propels him into a new identity. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has a child out of wedlock. She and her daughter are forever outcast because of the scarlet “A” (for adultery) she must wear as a constant declaration of her sin.

In both stories, the heroes committed the original crimes, yet we root for them. We feel the injustice of their disproportionate and lifelong punishments. Yet somehow as a society our fictional compassion is divorced from our compassion for real people. We recognize the unjust legalism of the yellow and scarlet, but don’t quite make the connection to modern equivalents.

In most states job applications include a question about felony convictions. Honesty dramatically reduces the chances a former felon will even get an interview. “But wait,” you may think, “don’t employers have a right to know?” Maybe that’s too small a question. Of course child molesters shouldn’t be hired by a daycare, but if the system is meant to rehabilitate, why does it heap obstacles in front of a forty year old person who was foolish at twenty, has done their penance, and now seeks gainful employment? What separates them from Jean and Hester? Motivation? A catchy tune?

Forgiveness and relentless punishment are incompatible. If we argue it’s a civil matter and outside religious purview, then we have no business introducing Christian values into other civil matters. If we argue it’s a matter of risk, we have lost sight that following Christ always invites risk. We are meant to be outsiders, challenging the status quo of the empire. As Paul told the Corinthians: “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

In all matters, let us seek the life-giving Spirit. Justice seeks more than punishment – it seeks to heal the starving and the outcast before punishment appears on the page.

Comfort: No matter who seeks to punish you, Christ seeks to forgive you.

Challenge: Read this short article about removing the “felony checkbox” in Minnesota. If it raises questions, search for more to read.

Prayer: Spirit of God, I will seek life in you for myself and others. Amen.

Discussion: The “felony box” is just on example of how our penal system is at odds with mercy and rehabilitation. Can you think of others?

Keep It Real

February 25, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

Christian Symbol

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 122; 149, Ruth 4:1-22, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10, Matthew 6:1-6

In television’s Game of Thrones, a tyrannical, tantrum-prone prince named Joffrey assumes the throne and becomes angry when his court doesn’t seem to take him seriously. In frustration he screams “I am the king!” His grandfather Tywin interrupts him with a now famous line: “Any man who must say ‘I am the king’ is no true king.”

Might we substitute “Christian” for “king?”

Jesus told his disciples to pray in private and give alms (donations to the poor) without drawing attention: “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Flashy charity and public, wordy prayers were the habits of hypocrites.

We want to share the Gospel, but we must be careful not to blur the lines between evangelism and self-congratulations. The Good News is not that we have learned to condemn or avoid certain behaviors and people, or that we know who is going to heaven or hell. The Good News is not even that we live better lives. The Good News is that Jesus offers redemption to all who would accept it. If the message we’re spreading doesn’t express Christ’s love to Christians and non-Christians alike, we’re not evangelizing … we’re propagandizing.

Ever heard someone offer a compliment like: “So-and-so has money, but it’s ok because they don’t act like it?” That usually means the person is perceived as humble instead of snobby (or other negative traits fairly or unfairly associated with wealth). If someone said you were a Christian, but it was OK because you didn’t act like it, what would you think they meant? Probably they would mean you seemed humble and loving instead of self-righteous, condemning, or other negative associations we have fairly and unfairly earned. Would that be so bad?

Proclaiming ourselves Christians is not the same thing as proclaiming Christ. Of Christ we may and should speak boldly. Declaring ourselves his followers is and should be a humbling experience of being in service to others because we have been forgiven as much and more as anyone else.

Comfort: The evidence of your faith is written on your heart.

Challenge: Live so that people are drawn to the light that inspires you.

Prayer: I am the humble servant of Christ. Amen.

Discussion: If the word “Christian” didn’t exist, how would you explain your faith?

Clay Jars

February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

clay-jars

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 88; 148, Ruth 3:1-18, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12, Matthew 5:38-48

Where do you store your valuables? A safe? A vault? A storage unit? A coffee can buried in the back yard? Maybe what you value isn’t material, but you probably lock the door to your home or car to keep your family safe. Our instinct is to protect the things we find precious.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians of a different type of treasure: the extraordinary power of the light of the Gospel, a gift from God which we carry within ourselves. Other treasures might be locked behind heavy doors or surrounded by guards, but Paul says we keep ours in vulnerable clay jars – that is, our own fragile bodies that come from and return to the dust. No matter what happens to the jars, the treasure inside continues to “let shine light out of darkness.”

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

Clay jars aren’t much for security. They are relatively easy to break, cart away, or pour out. It’s almost as if … this treasure isn’t meant to be protected. As if those would break us to seize or destroy it are the ones most in need of experiencing its full glory revealed. As if turning the extra cheek or walking the extra mile, as Christ tells us to do, isn’t about saving ourselves at all, but about revealing that glory – that absolute love – to those who can’t imagine it is free to all, a gift and not an acquisition.

Jesus says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” after he warns we may need to part with eyes and limbs, respond to abuse with patience, and generally fall into what the world sees as foolishness and ruin. But if we are filled with that divine and inexhaustible treasure, every chip and crack in our vessel is an opportunity to let it flow into the world.

Comfort: You can’t run out of love by sharing it.

Challenge: Christians are not protected from bad things; but through them we may help reveal the glory of God.

Prayer: God of light and clay, shape me into a worthy vessel for your glory. Amen.

Discussion: Have you ever had a chance to demonstrate God’s grace through hardsheip?

The Bare Minimum Wages of Sin

February 23, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

greatboldness

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 143; 147:12-20, Ruth 2:14-23, 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Matthew 5:27-37

Mosaic law instructed farmers not to harvest the outermost edges of their fields, nor to retrieve what was scattered during the harvest. The remnants were left for the poor and the immigrant. When Boaz instructed his field hands to let Ruth, a Moabite immigrant, glean among the sheaves they had reaped and to pull stalks for her from the bundles, he went beyond what was required. While his reasons were not entirely selfless, we can infer he was not the kind of person who held onto things just because he could.

When Jesus spoke about temptations like adultery, he said “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus understood the difference between being tempted and surrendering to temptation. His larger message was that we shouldn’t be a people who skirt the technical boundaries of what is legal, regardless of whether it is right (a lusty look but not a touch), but a people who cultivate hearts that see others as more than an extension of our own needs and desires.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul described the law of Moses as written on stone, and the law of Christ as written on the heart. He called the first the law of death, and the second the law of life. A law carved in stone for everyone to read allows us to settle for the minimum amount of effort because then we’ve met our requirements. It encourages us to figure out exactly what we can get away with before earning punishment. Under a law of stone, we can trade our conscience and sense of ethics for a checklist.

The world tells us to make claim on all that we legally can, to think of justice as the greatest retribution we can legally extract, and to see others as competitors. This is the law of stone and death. The law of heart and life doesn’t leave the poor and alien scrounging at the edge of our fields because we are obligated to, but welcomes them to the table out of love.

Comfort: The law of love brings life.

Challenge: Loving your neighbor as Christ commands requires you to use your head and heart. Ask whether you are doing what is required, or what is loving.

Prayer: God of Life, teach me to read and obey what you have written on my heart. Amen.

Discussion: Many unethical actions are technically legal. Are there any that particularly bother you?

Gleaning Wisdom

February 22, 2017February 21, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

yardwork-1314840

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 65; 147:1-11, Ruth 2:1-13, 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17, Matthew 5:21-26

When Naomi returns with Ruth to Bethlehem, Ruth begins gleaning from the barley fields to find “someone in whose sight [she] may find favor.” Today the word “glean” usually describes a collecting of thoughts and ideas that originally belonged to others. Used biblically, “to glean” specifically means to collect the leftovers from a harvested field. Jewish law people explicitly instructed farmers not to harvest to the edge of a field, or to go back for what they had missed, so that widows, orphans, and impoverished aliens could find sustenance in what remained (Leviticus 19:9, 23:22). Naomi and Ruth both believed their future depended the fortunes of others, be it a farmer or husband.

Ruth eventually reaches the fields of Naomi’s cousin Boaz. Because of Naomi’s plight and Ruth’s faithfulness, he invites Ruth to drink from his harvesters’ vessels and to work among his people. He responds favorably to Ruth’s kindness to her mother-in-law. But what about others who suffer equally? Boaz wouldn’t have the resources to be as generous to all who gleaned, but in God’s eyes are others any less deserving? Jesus asks: “if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matt 5:47). Boaz’s response is commendable, but it also raises questions about the nature of charity. Most are willing to go above and beyond for a loved one, but few do so for strangers.

Today we might call gleaning a social safety net. It represents a mind-set that runs counter to the popular “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. Jewish culture assumed the poor would always be present, and mandated generosity. In America such approaches are highly controversial. Pro or con, we all can examine the social structures that make such safety nets ne cessary in the first place. Is society’s time better spent on perpetuating a gleaning mentality, or on eradicating the need for it by overcoming poverty? Can they be separated? The answers are not clear, but to participate in a society defined by God’s mercy and justice, we must continue to seek them.

Comfort: There is enough for all, if we don’t hoard more than we need.

Challenge: Meditate on these questions about charity: Who do you feel “deserves” it? How is it best managed? Does it matter to you whether it’s mandated or voluntary? If so, is that more about your needs or the needs of the less fortunate?

Prayer: God of abundance, teach me to see Christ in the needy. Amen.

Discussion: When do you find it easy to be charitable? Difficult?

We should be committed!

February 21, 2017February 21, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

ruth-1a

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 54; 146, Ruth 1:15-22, 2 Corinthians 1:12-22, Matthew 5:13-20

If today’s passage from Ruth sounds familiar, you may have heard it during a wedding ceremony. Ruth’s pledge of fidelity to Naomi is so moving, many select this scripture to reflect the commitment intended in marriage. The relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is very different from that between spouses, yet this scripture touches on something common to both.

Ruth has no legal or cultural obligations to her mother-in-law. Why would she choose not only to stay with the destitute Naomi, but to promise “Where you die, I will die?” In any relationship, there are three parties: the first person, the second person, and the relationship itself. Ruth, like a spouse would, commits herself not only to Naomi, but to the relationship between them. This may seem like a subtle distinction, but a relationship has needs distinct from the needs of either party. Absent an effort by both parties to meet those needs, the relationship will not survive. We all know couples who love each other but can’t make the relationship work, or friends who, despite best intentions, drift away over time. We describe such people as “growing apart,” but these words frequently mask an inability or unwillingness to nurture a relationship.

We can only commit to other people – whether through a marriage, a friendship, a faith community, etc. – when we recognize and honor that a relationship exists to serve not only our individual needs, but a greater purpose. When we don’t, we hold commitments lightly and break them easily. But when we do, we grow into the challenges and joys that are part of surrendering to something greater than ourselves. Sometimes this looks like foolishness to the world, but we know better in our hearts.

Through his letters to the church at Corinth (and other places) Paul is constantly telling the faithful their role in God’s larger realm transcends individual desires. A large part of Christ’s message is about being in right – and true – relationship with each other. Making a commitment to Christ means recognizing the needs of relationship do not extinguish but transform the desires of the individual.

Comfort: Being part of something larger helps us grow as people.

Challenge: Meditate on your relationships. Which require more or deeper commitment?

Prayer: Loving God, teach me to fill the space between me and other people with love. Amen.

Discussion: What are the common needs of platonic and romantic relationships?

Ruth

February 20, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

ruth1

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 57; 145, Ruth 1:1-14, 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, Matthew 5:1-12

Ruth is a short book, containing only 85 verses across 4 chapters. The book focuses on Naomi, a Jewish widow, and her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth. The Israelites considered the Moabites a cursed people because they were the descendants of an incestuous union between Lot and his older daughter (see Genesis 19 for the lurid details). As an ancestor of David (and therefore Jesus), Naomi is the focus of the tale but Ruth is its heroine.

This book explores interesting themes. First is the notion that God can be present in the world through anyone – even the “cursed and unclean.” While the Bible is full of instruction on how to be a proper Jew, and to a lesser extent how to be a proper Christian, many texts illustrate God’s unbreakable connection with all people. Beyond this story of a godly Moabite woman, Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan (a contradiction in terms for most of his contemporaries), Jonah explores God’s love for the reviled Ninevites, and Paul subjects himself to personal peril to extend Christ’s ministry to the Gentiles. As much as the Bible may be used to exclude people, it is also contains stories of radical inclusion, even in the Old Testament.

A second theme is the role of women in ancient cultures. The story springs from the lack of property rights for Israelite women, and the solidarity required to survive under such societal conditions. As we read Ruth, we can reflect on how things have changed for women, and how they still need to change.

A third theme is sexual behavior some might consider ungodly. In the pursuit of begetting a male heir for Naomi, Ruth instigates a sexual relationship with a man who isn’t yet her husband. Despite Jewish prohibitions around sex, there are no negative consequences for this action. Like inclusion of the outcast, this theme navigates an understanding of faith that is less black and white than we tend to make it. The book of Ruth challenges our understanding of what it means to be and to behave in the community of the faithful.

Comfort: Faith does not constrict us, but frees us.

Challenge: Pray for people you don’t like.

Prayer: Loving God, creator of this world of diversity, help me see you in all people. Amen.

Discussion: Have you ever been surprised to see God at work in someone?

Hearing The Voice

February 19, 2017 / JJS / Leave a comment

child-s-ear-1307271-1919x1284

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 67; 150, Isaiah 66:7-14, 1 John 3:4-10, John 10:7-16

One of the most popular images of Jesus is The Good Shepherd. Shepherding was a central part of his culture, so his audience would have been familiar with how tended their flocks. He contrasted the role of the true shepherd – who would lay down his life for his sheep – to the role of a hired hand, someone likely to flee if things got dangerous. He also spoke of the thief and the wolf, who scatter and harm the sheep out of greed and selfishness. Jesus is confident his own flock will hear and know him and be led to safety.

Sheep are not bright, but the constancy of their shepherd helps them come to know him as a companion, protector, and guide. They won’t survive long without listening. We, on the other hand, are free to follow our shepherd or not, to listen or to ignore. How can we learn to discern our shepherd’s call the hired hands and thieves who may be wolves in shepherd’s clothing?

We can know his words. Reading the Gospels ourselves is different than trusting others to interpret scripture for us. Many a thief has used scripture to bilk well-meaning sheep from their money and eventually their faith. Regularly studying the Gospels and reliable sources of instruction help us understand them in context and teach us to recognize that voice.

Our shepherd will lead us to abundant life. Any message that leaves us feeling diminished or unloved by God is being delivered by an inept hired hand. Our shepherd will challenge and correct us for our own good, but only in loving ways. Christ always calls us out of the wilderness onto the path of life, not into a tangle of thorny condemnation.

Finally, we can pray. Not long, bleating prayers to fill up the silence, but quiet prayers which leave room for the divine voice to reveal itself. If we are out of practice it may take us a while to hear that voice, but we’ll know it when we do.

Comfort: Jesus calls us home with a familiar, consistent voice.

Challenge: Make a point of regular scripture reading and prayer time to train yourself to hear the voice of Christ.

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for calling to me, even when I try not to hear. Amen.

Discussion: Have you ever been mislead by spiritual thieves or wolves?

Comfort & Challenge

a positive charge every day

Month: February 2017

God Will Wait

Who Built That?

The Letter Kills

Keep It Real

Clay Jars

The Bare Minimum Wages of Sin

Gleaning Wisdom

We should be committed!

Ruth

Hearing The Voice

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