This week we’ve been exploring the story of the miracle when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding. Yesterday, as we took a closer look at Jesus’ response to his mother’s grave concern that the wedding had run out of wine, we saw that Jesus, in fact, was not indifferent to what was happening, or uncaring about the shame that this fiasco would have brought. And with altogether surprising and quite spectacular grace, he responded in a way that meant that there was an abundance of the very finest wine!
So let me ask you, what are the concerns of your heart right now? For a child or grandchild perhaps, who is in need? For a spouse, who may be far from God? For a parent who is growing frail? For a friend or colleague in turmoil? For this nation in this challenging moment of our history? For the people of Haiti in the chaos and anguish that is theirs following the recent devastating earthquake that rocked that nation? For the earth as it groans under the burden of pollution? For yourself perhaps, feeling anxious or alone? What are the concerns of your heart right now?
Whatever they may be, do not think that God stands idly by, unmoved by the things that you carry as a weighty burden. As the mother of Jesus did, bring your concerns to him, and as you do you will discover that you are not alone. And as you trust the sufficiency of Christ’s grace to freely respond however he might choose, may your eyes be opened to see the ways in which he graciously turns water into wine still, enabling the wedding feast that is your life to continue with thanksgiving and joy.
In concluding these devotions for this week I’d like to tell you about a remarkable man by the name of Dr Paul Farmer. He qualified as a medical doctor from Harvard Medical School in the mid 1980’s, and had a promising and lucrative career in front of him as a physician in the USA. But Paul Farmer had a deep concern – a concern for the poor of the world, and their lack of access to quality medical care. It was a concern shared by God.
And so in 1987, at the age of 28, he co-founded an organization called Partners in Health. It began in Haiti, offering free treatment to the poor. Partners in Health uses a community based model of healthcare in which local people are hired as community health workers to monitor the needs of the community and to deliver health care and medication directly to patients. Significantly, it’s a model of healthcare that doesn’t rely on buildings to be effective.
With the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti earlier this month, much of the infrastructure of that nation was destroyed, including many hospitals and clinics. But Partners in Health is operating, utilizing the human resources it has developed over the years, and is at the forefront of the medical rescue efforts in that disaster area even now.
What a remarkable story of the surprising ways in which God works. It began with a concern of a young doctor. A concern that if fact was shared by God. And now, in Haiti’s hour of greatest anguish and need, there is a sign of hope as Partners in Health becomes a vessel in which water is indeed being turned into wine.
May that be true for us too, as our concerns move us closer to the God who holds the concerns of all in his heart. And may we come to see the altogether surprising ways in which God is able to respond, bringing fresh hope and life, like new wine, to us and to our world.
PRAYER
Thank you Lord God that you share the concerns of our hearts. Move us that we, more and more, may share the concerns of your heart too. And may we become a people who bring our concerns to you, and in so doing become part of the great miracle of grace in which you move and act in surprising ways to turn water into wine. Amen
SCRIPTURE
Ps 36:7-9
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings
They feast on the abundance of your house
and you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life.
Friday 29 January 2010
Thursday 28 January 2010
What is your concern?
This week we’ve been reflecting on the story of the wedding in Cana, that’s in John 2:1-11. A wedding where the wine ran out. And so the mother of Jesus came to him with the news, ‘They have no wine.’
Now this is where the story gets really interesting and a little tricky too. Because Jesus’ response to her seems quite sharp and rather rude. ‘Woman,’ he says, ‘what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’
On the face of it, it sounds like Jesus doesn’t care. It sounds like he’s irritated, like he really doesn’t want to get involved, that it’s not the right time for him to demonstrate his power. It seems like he’s saying, ‘Stop hassling me Mom!’
But if that is what Jesus is saying or feeling, then why did he respond by turning the water into wine? Why didn’t he just say ‘Sorry. Nothing doing.’ Did he feel manipulated? Did he feel coerced? Did he do it begrudgingly out of a sense of filial duty or obligation? Muttering under his breath, ‘If it weren’t for that ruddy 5th commandment to honour your father and mother. What was I thinking when I made up that one?’
That surely can’t be the case. For one thing, it’s not consistent with the picture of Jesus that is portrayed in John’s gospel, in which he is never coerced or controlled by other peoples’ agendas but always acts with freedom according to his own choices and convictions.
So we have to struggle with Jesus’ response a little more to understand what’s really going on here. I think that the key lies in the question Jesus asks his mother, “What concern is that to you and to me?”
Maybe this is not a rhetorical question as many would suppose, but is one that is earnestly asked. ‘What concern is that to you and to me?’ If so, we could paraphrase his words like this, “This terrible thing that has happened that will bring great shame on these dear friends of ours, what is it to you, and what do you think it is to me? What is the concern of your heart, and how does that compare to the concern of my heart? This is an important question because my hour has not yet come. My hour of suffering for the world, in which it will be revealed on the cross for all to see that the deepest concerns of humanity are the concerns of God also. But that hour has not yet come, so consider whether your concerns in fact are my concerns also. But consider too whether my concerns, in fact, encompass far more than your concerns. ”
And Jesus’ mother gets it. She understands that her son is not callously indifferent to what is going on. She trusts that his response will be sufficient, even though she does not know what that response will be. And so she tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. And as the story unfolds, Jesus responds to the disaster in a way that far exceeded her expectations by turning water into an abundance of the very finest wine.
PRAYER
Thank you, gracious God, that the things that matter to us matter to you too. Thank you that you are not callously indifferent to the shameful, painful agonies that we often endure. Thank you that your great concern encompasses not only our individual concerns but the concerns of the whole world. Help us to trust that your grace is sufficient, and that your response to our experiences of suffering far exceeds anything we might have wished or imagined. Help us to look with eyes of faith to see the surprising interventions of grace that you lovingly offer every day. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Now this is where the story gets really interesting and a little tricky too. Because Jesus’ response to her seems quite sharp and rather rude. ‘Woman,’ he says, ‘what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’
On the face of it, it sounds like Jesus doesn’t care. It sounds like he’s irritated, like he really doesn’t want to get involved, that it’s not the right time for him to demonstrate his power. It seems like he’s saying, ‘Stop hassling me Mom!’
But if that is what Jesus is saying or feeling, then why did he respond by turning the water into wine? Why didn’t he just say ‘Sorry. Nothing doing.’ Did he feel manipulated? Did he feel coerced? Did he do it begrudgingly out of a sense of filial duty or obligation? Muttering under his breath, ‘If it weren’t for that ruddy 5th commandment to honour your father and mother. What was I thinking when I made up that one?’
That surely can’t be the case. For one thing, it’s not consistent with the picture of Jesus that is portrayed in John’s gospel, in which he is never coerced or controlled by other peoples’ agendas but always acts with freedom according to his own choices and convictions.
So we have to struggle with Jesus’ response a little more to understand what’s really going on here. I think that the key lies in the question Jesus asks his mother, “What concern is that to you and to me?”
Maybe this is not a rhetorical question as many would suppose, but is one that is earnestly asked. ‘What concern is that to you and to me?’ If so, we could paraphrase his words like this, “This terrible thing that has happened that will bring great shame on these dear friends of ours, what is it to you, and what do you think it is to me? What is the concern of your heart, and how does that compare to the concern of my heart? This is an important question because my hour has not yet come. My hour of suffering for the world, in which it will be revealed on the cross for all to see that the deepest concerns of humanity are the concerns of God also. But that hour has not yet come, so consider whether your concerns in fact are my concerns also. But consider too whether my concerns, in fact, encompass far more than your concerns. ”
And Jesus’ mother gets it. She understands that her son is not callously indifferent to what is going on. She trusts that his response will be sufficient, even though she does not know what that response will be. And so she tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. And as the story unfolds, Jesus responds to the disaster in a way that far exceeded her expectations by turning water into an abundance of the very finest wine.
PRAYER
Thank you, gracious God, that the things that matter to us matter to you too. Thank you that you are not callously indifferent to the shameful, painful agonies that we often endure. Thank you that your great concern encompasses not only our individual concerns but the concerns of the whole world. Help us to trust that your grace is sufficient, and that your response to our experiences of suffering far exceeds anything we might have wished or imagined. Help us to look with eyes of faith to see the surprising interventions of grace that you lovingly offer every day. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Wednesday 27 January 2010
When the wine runs out
As we continue our exploration of the story in John 2:1-11, we come today to the dramatic crisis point in the story. At this wedding, at this great communal celebration of life’s greatest gifts where the spirit of hospitality was being expressed in such a wonderfully inclusive way, as it should be, a terrible thing happened. A scandalous thing.
The wine ran out!
In those days this would have been more than a mere social embarrassment – it would have been a calamity that undermined the entire celebration and brought great shame to the bridal couple and their families.
Which begs the question, ‘Why on earth did the wine run out?’ If it were so important to have enough wine, then surely the wedding wouldn’t have taken place if there was any doubt at all about the capacity to provide the kind of hospitality that was required. Surely, that most important detail would have been taken care of.
So why did the wine run out?
It’s a question that the text doesn’t answer. It just happened.
Which, of course, is how life often is, isn’t it? Sometimes we find that the wine has run out, and we’re not sure why. Sometimes we find that the hopes and dreams of life at its best have been dashed. Sometimes we can see this written large on the great pages of human history, like what happened earlier this month in Haiti with the devastating earthquake that happened there. And sometimes it’s in the smaller details of our individual circumstances that this can be seen. And while the reasons for this are sometimes clear enough, more often than not there is no definite answer as to why the wine has run out.
If the truth about us, as was said yesterday, is that our lives are truly a wedding feast – with much reason for joyous celebration – then the further truth is that at the wedding feast of our lives, sometimes the wine runs out. It happens.
Just like it happened at that wedding in Cana long ago.
Is there any hope for us?
Thankfully there is, which we will hear over the next two days as we allow this remarkable story to lead us to a grace-filled encounter with Jesus.
PRAYER
Lord, it’s true. Sometimes the wine in our lives runs out. Sometimes we find that the joy, the delight, the love, the laughter, the hope and happiness of life has seeped away. Sometimes this is because of our own deliberate fault, but often we’re really not too sure why or how this happened. But it’s real. And so we acknowledge our deep need of you, and ask you to help us. Please. Amen
The wine ran out!
In those days this would have been more than a mere social embarrassment – it would have been a calamity that undermined the entire celebration and brought great shame to the bridal couple and their families.
Which begs the question, ‘Why on earth did the wine run out?’ If it were so important to have enough wine, then surely the wedding wouldn’t have taken place if there was any doubt at all about the capacity to provide the kind of hospitality that was required. Surely, that most important detail would have been taken care of.
So why did the wine run out?
It’s a question that the text doesn’t answer. It just happened.
Which, of course, is how life often is, isn’t it? Sometimes we find that the wine has run out, and we’re not sure why. Sometimes we find that the hopes and dreams of life at its best have been dashed. Sometimes we can see this written large on the great pages of human history, like what happened earlier this month in Haiti with the devastating earthquake that happened there. And sometimes it’s in the smaller details of our individual circumstances that this can be seen. And while the reasons for this are sometimes clear enough, more often than not there is no definite answer as to why the wine has run out.
If the truth about us, as was said yesterday, is that our lives are truly a wedding feast – with much reason for joyous celebration – then the further truth is that at the wedding feast of our lives, sometimes the wine runs out. It happens.
Just like it happened at that wedding in Cana long ago.
Is there any hope for us?
Thankfully there is, which we will hear over the next two days as we allow this remarkable story to lead us to a grace-filled encounter with Jesus.
PRAYER
Lord, it’s true. Sometimes the wine in our lives runs out. Sometimes we find that the joy, the delight, the love, the laughter, the hope and happiness of life has seeped away. Sometimes this is because of our own deliberate fault, but often we’re really not too sure why or how this happened. But it’s real. And so we acknowledge our deep need of you, and ask you to help us. Please. Amen
Tuesday 26 January 2010
There was a wedding…
By Rev Roger Scholtz
This week we’re exploring the story in John 2:1-11 when Jesus turned water into wine.
The story begins like this: “On the third day there was a wedding…” A wedding! A wedding is never an arbitrary event. A wedding is always something very special. It’s usually planned months in advance and is eagerly awaited. No detail is too small to be included in the planning of a wedding, and rightly so. Because a wedding is all about the celebration of love and intimacy and sacred commitment. It’s about new beginnings and togetherness and the sharing of life – and not just for the couple getting married. Weddings are also about families, and more than that, entire communities.
At this particular wedding, the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus also had been invited. So if Jesus and his mom were there it suggests that there was some kind of family connection. Maybe Jesus’ mother and the mother of the groom had been in the same book club, and had watched their boys growing up, and had planned family picnics together. Maybe the bride or groom was a cousin of Jesus. Maybe Joseph had helped to set up the father of the bride with a franchise of his carpentry business in Cana, for which he had always been grateful, and now, since Joseph had died, insisted that Jesus and his mother be at his daughter’s wedding. Of course, this is all imaginative speculation. What we do know is that Jesus and his mother were at this wedding. And even though his work of ministry had already begun, it was important for Jesus, and his mother, to be there.
But notice too that this wasn’t just a “family-and-close-friends-only” affair. We read that the disciples of Jesus had also been invited – even though they had only just recently met Jesus themselves. Did he have a quiet word with the bridegroom explaining his situation, that he was no longer just on his own?
Interesting how the circles of inclusion are always being broadened and expanded whenever Jesus is around. Which, incidentally, is a great test for any church – for if we’re growing richer in our diversity and more inclusive in our embrace then we can be pretty sure that we’re following in the way that Jesus has already walked.
So if we think about what all a wedding represents, and this wedding especially with its open and inclusive spirit of hospitality, it becomes a powerful and concentrated metaphor for the richness of life at its very best. (It’s no surprise that Jesus used a wedding as the setting for a number of his parables about the Kingdom of God.)
Which prompts some interesting questions for further reflection: If your life were a wedding feast, what kind of wedding feast would it be? What are the things in your life that are worthy of celebration? And who would be invited to share in that celebration? Think about those questions, because tomorrow we’ll get into the real drama of this story as the wine at this wedding runs out – which has a whole lot to say about the painful realities of our lives also.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, it’s so reassuring to know that while you were here on earth you accepted wedding invitations! It points to the great truth that you are One who celebrates the good things of life, and rejoices when abundant life is being lived and shared. May your presence with me today inspire me to look upon my life in a new way, to recognise all that is worthy of celebration. And may I live today with a greater sense of gratitude for the many good things that make up the wedding feast of my life. Amen
This week we’re exploring the story in John 2:1-11 when Jesus turned water into wine.
The story begins like this: “On the third day there was a wedding…” A wedding! A wedding is never an arbitrary event. A wedding is always something very special. It’s usually planned months in advance and is eagerly awaited. No detail is too small to be included in the planning of a wedding, and rightly so. Because a wedding is all about the celebration of love and intimacy and sacred commitment. It’s about new beginnings and togetherness and the sharing of life – and not just for the couple getting married. Weddings are also about families, and more than that, entire communities.
At this particular wedding, the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus also had been invited. So if Jesus and his mom were there it suggests that there was some kind of family connection. Maybe Jesus’ mother and the mother of the groom had been in the same book club, and had watched their boys growing up, and had planned family picnics together. Maybe the bride or groom was a cousin of Jesus. Maybe Joseph had helped to set up the father of the bride with a franchise of his carpentry business in Cana, for which he had always been grateful, and now, since Joseph had died, insisted that Jesus and his mother be at his daughter’s wedding. Of course, this is all imaginative speculation. What we do know is that Jesus and his mother were at this wedding. And even though his work of ministry had already begun, it was important for Jesus, and his mother, to be there.
But notice too that this wasn’t just a “family-and-close-friends-only” affair. We read that the disciples of Jesus had also been invited – even though they had only just recently met Jesus themselves. Did he have a quiet word with the bridegroom explaining his situation, that he was no longer just on his own?
Interesting how the circles of inclusion are always being broadened and expanded whenever Jesus is around. Which, incidentally, is a great test for any church – for if we’re growing richer in our diversity and more inclusive in our embrace then we can be pretty sure that we’re following in the way that Jesus has already walked.
So if we think about what all a wedding represents, and this wedding especially with its open and inclusive spirit of hospitality, it becomes a powerful and concentrated metaphor for the richness of life at its very best. (It’s no surprise that Jesus used a wedding as the setting for a number of his parables about the Kingdom of God.)
Which prompts some interesting questions for further reflection: If your life were a wedding feast, what kind of wedding feast would it be? What are the things in your life that are worthy of celebration? And who would be invited to share in that celebration? Think about those questions, because tomorrow we’ll get into the real drama of this story as the wine at this wedding runs out – which has a whole lot to say about the painful realities of our lives also.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, it’s so reassuring to know that while you were here on earth you accepted wedding invitations! It points to the great truth that you are One who celebrates the good things of life, and rejoices when abundant life is being lived and shared. May your presence with me today inspire me to look upon my life in a new way, to recognise all that is worthy of celebration. And may I live today with a greater sense of gratitude for the many good things that make up the wedding feast of my life. Amen
Monday 25 January 2010
On the third day
Over this next week in these Barking Dog-Collar devotions, we will be exploring the story of when Jesus turned water into wine. The account comes from John’s gospel:
READING
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
REFLECTION
Notice that the passage begins with the words, ‘On the third day.’ Now in John’s gospel, the times and sequences of events are often used and even rearranged to serve the broader theological purpose of the gospel. For example, immediately after this passage in chapter 2 Jesus goes to Jerusalem to clear the temple at the start of his ministry, whereas in the other gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke, the clearing of the temple happens at the very end of Jesus’ ministry, in the final week before his crucifixion. John’s sense of time is not bound by a literal chronology. And so when we read the words ‘On the third day’ it’s not just a literal reference to a particular day of the week when this incident took place. It’s pointing to something more.
For believers the words, ‘On the third day’ has a strong and immediate association with the resurrection of Christ. For it was on the third day that he rose again. Maybe John intends this story of water being turned into wine to be heard with the resurrection in mind. To hear it as a kind of resurrection story - which he places at the very start of the gospel as a foretaste of what will happen at the end.
If we hear this story as a resurrection story, it means that the miracle of water being turned into wine is not just something that happened once as an isolated incident in the ministry of Jesus long ago, but that the miracle of water being turned into wine is something that continues to happen over and over again for those who believe, because Jesus is alive.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you are alive. You are risen from the dead – alive and active in our midst. Thank you that the good news of resurrection means that your transforming love and power are present with us and available to us here and now. Come, and turn water into wine in our lives. Amen
READING
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.
When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
REFLECTION
Notice that the passage begins with the words, ‘On the third day.’ Now in John’s gospel, the times and sequences of events are often used and even rearranged to serve the broader theological purpose of the gospel. For example, immediately after this passage in chapter 2 Jesus goes to Jerusalem to clear the temple at the start of his ministry, whereas in the other gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke, the clearing of the temple happens at the very end of Jesus’ ministry, in the final week before his crucifixion. John’s sense of time is not bound by a literal chronology. And so when we read the words ‘On the third day’ it’s not just a literal reference to a particular day of the week when this incident took place. It’s pointing to something more.
For believers the words, ‘On the third day’ has a strong and immediate association with the resurrection of Christ. For it was on the third day that he rose again. Maybe John intends this story of water being turned into wine to be heard with the resurrection in mind. To hear it as a kind of resurrection story - which he places at the very start of the gospel as a foretaste of what will happen at the end.
If we hear this story as a resurrection story, it means that the miracle of water being turned into wine is not just something that happened once as an isolated incident in the ministry of Jesus long ago, but that the miracle of water being turned into wine is something that continues to happen over and over again for those who believe, because Jesus is alive.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you are alive. You are risen from the dead – alive and active in our midst. Thank you that the good news of resurrection means that your transforming love and power are present with us and available to us here and now. Come, and turn water into wine in our lives. Amen
Friday 22 January 2010
From God’s hands
FROM GOD’S HANDS by St Irenaeus (2nd century)
It is not you who shape God;
it is God that shapes you.
If then you are the work of God,
await the hand of the Artist
who does all things in due season.
Offer the Potter your heart,
soft and tractable,
and keep the form in which
the Artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist,
lest you grow hard and lose
the imprint of the Potter’s fingers
GOD’S HANDS by Barbara Brown Taylor
To believe in one’s own priesthood
is to see the extraordinary dimensions
of an ordinary life,
to see the hand of God at work in the world
and to see one’s own hands
as necessary to that work.
Whether those hands are
bathing a baby,
assembling an automobile,
or balancing a corporate account;
they are God’s hands,
claimed by God at baptism
for the accomplishment
of God’s will
on earth.
It is hoped that the modified and simplified format of these devotions this week has provided space for you to slow down and breathe in the midst of the hectic pace of this new year. As you reflect on the poems and prayers that have spoken about God’s promise and purpose for your life, conclude this time now by choosing the one that resonated most within you, and allow it to stimulate a heartfelt prayer of your own.
It is not you who shape God;
it is God that shapes you.
If then you are the work of God,
await the hand of the Artist
who does all things in due season.
Offer the Potter your heart,
soft and tractable,
and keep the form in which
the Artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist,
lest you grow hard and lose
the imprint of the Potter’s fingers
GOD’S HANDS by Barbara Brown Taylor
To believe in one’s own priesthood
is to see the extraordinary dimensions
of an ordinary life,
to see the hand of God at work in the world
and to see one’s own hands
as necessary to that work.
Whether those hands are
bathing a baby,
assembling an automobile,
or balancing a corporate account;
they are God’s hands,
claimed by God at baptism
for the accomplishment
of God’s will
on earth.
It is hoped that the modified and simplified format of these devotions this week has provided space for you to slow down and breathe in the midst of the hectic pace of this new year. As you reflect on the poems and prayers that have spoken about God’s promise and purpose for your life, conclude this time now by choosing the one that resonated most within you, and allow it to stimulate a heartfelt prayer of your own.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Love’s fire
The journey of this week’s devotions has taken us from the promise of newness that arises when we allow God to be God within us (Monday), to the risks and requirements of responding to God’s call with obedience (Tuesday and Wednesday). Today and tomorrow, the poems and prayers focus on the beautiful impact on the world of lives that are supple and willing to be used by God.
LOVE’S FIRE by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Someday,
after mastering the winds,
the waves,
the tides and gravity,
we shall harness for God
the energies of love.
And then,
for a second time in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire.
LEAD ME OUT by Ted Loder
Eternal God,
lead me now
out of the familiar setting
of my doubts and fears,
beyond my pride
and my need to be secure
into a strange and graceful ease
with my true proportions
and with yours;
that in boundless silence
I may grow
strong enough to endure
and flexible enough to share
your grace.
LOVE’S FIRE by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Someday,
after mastering the winds,
the waves,
the tides and gravity,
we shall harness for God
the energies of love.
And then,
for a second time in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire.
LEAD ME OUT by Ted Loder
Eternal God,
lead me now
out of the familiar setting
of my doubts and fears,
beyond my pride
and my need to be secure
into a strange and graceful ease
with my true proportions
and with yours;
that in boundless silence
I may grow
strong enough to endure
and flexible enough to share
your grace.
Wednesday 20 January 2010
A hard, deep call to obedience
Yesterday’s poem, HEAVY NETS, spoke about the risk of hearing and responding to Christ’s call to radical discipleship.
Today’s poem is really another prayer that explores this same theme further. It’s by the well-known biblical scholar and author Walter Brueggemann.
A HARD, DEEP CALL TO OBEDIENCE
You are the God who makes extravagant promises.
We relish your promises
of fidelity
and presence
and solidarity,
and we exude in them.
Only to find out, always too late,
that your promise always comes
in the midst of a hard, deep call to obedience.
You are the God who calls people like us,
and the long list of mothers and fathers before us
who trusted the promise enough to keep the call.
So we give you thanks that you
are a calling God,
who calls always to dangerous new places.
We pray enough of your grace and mercy among us
that we may be among those
who believe your promises enough
to respond to your call.
As did Jesus,
who embodied your promise
and enacted your call.
Amen
Today’s poem is really another prayer that explores this same theme further. It’s by the well-known biblical scholar and author Walter Brueggemann.
A HARD, DEEP CALL TO OBEDIENCE
You are the God who makes extravagant promises.
We relish your promises
of fidelity
and presence
and solidarity,
and we exude in them.
Only to find out, always too late,
that your promise always comes
in the midst of a hard, deep call to obedience.
You are the God who calls people like us,
and the long list of mothers and fathers before us
who trusted the promise enough to keep the call.
So we give you thanks that you
are a calling God,
who calls always to dangerous new places.
We pray enough of your grace and mercy among us
that we may be among those
who believe your promises enough
to respond to your call.
As did Jesus,
who embodied your promise
and enacted your call.
Amen
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Heavy Nets
The prayer-poem for our reflection today is based upon the account of Jesus calling his first disciples to leave their fishing nets and follow him. The story is found in Mark 1:14-20:
“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
HEAVY NETS by Roberta Porter
Lord,
those were heavy nets,
carefully mended, tended,
a means of sustenance in a difficult time.
What a risk to leave them;
a radical decision,
reckless by the world’s standards.
But, you ask us, too, to leave our nets
full of false securities
and worn-out idols,
ever-present pride
and worry,
all those things that tangle and entrap us,
whatever their names.
You call us to trust,
to follow
your radical
transforming path of love
and to find freedom.
Strengthen us, Jesus,
in the task and the journey.
Amen.
“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
HEAVY NETS by Roberta Porter
Lord,
those were heavy nets,
carefully mended, tended,
a means of sustenance in a difficult time.
What a risk to leave them;
a radical decision,
reckless by the world’s standards.
But, you ask us, too, to leave our nets
full of false securities
and worn-out idols,
ever-present pride
and worry,
all those things that tangle and entrap us,
whatever their names.
You call us to trust,
to follow
your radical
transforming path of love
and to find freedom.
Strengthen us, Jesus,
in the task and the journey.
Amen.
Monday 18 January 2010
Poems & Prayers
By Rev Roger Scholtz
This new year is into full swing. People are back at work, children are back at school, alarm clocks have been set back to some unearthly time of the morning. And for many people the lazy, leisurely days of the holiday season are fast fading into a distant memory.
If you’re anything like me, you may already be feeling the overwhelming need to ‘come up for air’ and catch your breath in the midst of the hectic pace of the new year. Hopefully, these devotions this week will provide a brief moment for you to do just that each day.
The format of the Barking Dog-Collar this week will be a little different. Instead of a whole lot of words, theological commentary and faith-talk – valuable as that is – this week we will simply be allowing a few poems and prayers to speak to us.
They are all poems and prayers that explore, in one way or another, the themes of God’s promise and purpose for our lives. You are encouraged not to rush through them, but to slow down, breathe and enjoy!
NEW DAY by Donald Schmidt
O God,
you who promise to make all things new:
does that include me?
Will you make me new?
Cleanse me from top to toe,
renew my heart
revise my mind
revive my worth.
For I am poured out,
emptied,
ready to be filled:
but with what?
Fill me
with your gracious self,
O God.
Be you….in me.
GOD IN YOU by Meister Eckhart (14th century mystic)
A pear grows into a pear tree,
and a hazelnut grows into a hazelnut tree,
and a seed of God grows into God.
God does not ask anything else of you
but to let yourself go
and let God be God in you.
This new year is into full swing. People are back at work, children are back at school, alarm clocks have been set back to some unearthly time of the morning. And for many people the lazy, leisurely days of the holiday season are fast fading into a distant memory.
If you’re anything like me, you may already be feeling the overwhelming need to ‘come up for air’ and catch your breath in the midst of the hectic pace of the new year. Hopefully, these devotions this week will provide a brief moment for you to do just that each day.
The format of the Barking Dog-Collar this week will be a little different. Instead of a whole lot of words, theological commentary and faith-talk – valuable as that is – this week we will simply be allowing a few poems and prayers to speak to us.
They are all poems and prayers that explore, in one way or another, the themes of God’s promise and purpose for our lives. You are encouraged not to rush through them, but to slow down, breathe and enjoy!
NEW DAY by Donald Schmidt
O God,
you who promise to make all things new:
does that include me?
Will you make me new?
Cleanse me from top to toe,
renew my heart
revise my mind
revive my worth.
For I am poured out,
emptied,
ready to be filled:
but with what?
Fill me
with your gracious self,
O God.
Be you….in me.
GOD IN YOU by Meister Eckhart (14th century mystic)
A pear grows into a pear tree,
and a hazelnut grows into a hazelnut tree,
and a seed of God grows into God.
God does not ask anything else of you
but to let yourself go
and let God be God in you.
Friday 15 January 2010
The Promises of Baptism
By Rev Anna Layman
DAILY BYTE
I have always been fascinated by baptisms, especially as a child. I would watch my mother, who was one of our church’s ministers, go through the ritual with the water and prayer, but that wasn’t the end of it. At every baptism, there was a time, when I – we, as a congregation – also had words to speak!
We acknowledged yesterday that baptism is about being named a beloved child of God, and that this is a mysterious gift that God gives to each one of us, personally.
And yet, baptism is not only about being an individual child of God. Baptism is actually about being children of God in community. When we baptize someone into the community of faith, in the Methodist Church we commit all together to these promises: with God’s help members of the body of Christ will so maintain the common life of worship and service that all children among us may grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. This is anything but a selfish and individualistic act.
In baptism, we understand ourselves to be beloved, but we also affirm the belovedness of others around us – even when we don’t feel like it or we’ve been hurt by others. Just as no one is prevented from being baptized, God affirms all of our belovedness and uses all of us in this family to transform one another gracefully and walk with each other through times of being in the desert wilderness.
We are all called to different things – but no matter what our specific gifts or vocations, each one of us has the ability to accept and extend grace, following the example of John the Baptist and preparing the way for Christ to do his great work of forgiving and redeeming.
And so, if you have already been baptized, think today about what that really means. How does your baptism change the way that you relate to others? Do you allow yourself to receive grace from God and from other people?
If you have not been baptized, think and pray about whether or not this is the time to accept God’s grace and become a part of a community that shares grace and love with one another. If you desire to be baptized, do not be afraid to speak with a minister!
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
Gracious God, we thank you for giving us your grace in baptism. Thank you for that sweet mystery and for the way it draws us together as a community – as a family. Together we die to ourselves and our own selfishness and desires, and together we rise to be born again and named as your beloved children. Help us to accept your grace and love, as it overflows in us, so that we learn to share it with others. Amen.
DAILY BYTE
I have always been fascinated by baptisms, especially as a child. I would watch my mother, who was one of our church’s ministers, go through the ritual with the water and prayer, but that wasn’t the end of it. At every baptism, there was a time, when I – we, as a congregation – also had words to speak!
We acknowledged yesterday that baptism is about being named a beloved child of God, and that this is a mysterious gift that God gives to each one of us, personally.
And yet, baptism is not only about being an individual child of God. Baptism is actually about being children of God in community. When we baptize someone into the community of faith, in the Methodist Church we commit all together to these promises: with God’s help members of the body of Christ will so maintain the common life of worship and service that all children among us may grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. This is anything but a selfish and individualistic act.
In baptism, we understand ourselves to be beloved, but we also affirm the belovedness of others around us – even when we don’t feel like it or we’ve been hurt by others. Just as no one is prevented from being baptized, God affirms all of our belovedness and uses all of us in this family to transform one another gracefully and walk with each other through times of being in the desert wilderness.
We are all called to different things – but no matter what our specific gifts or vocations, each one of us has the ability to accept and extend grace, following the example of John the Baptist and preparing the way for Christ to do his great work of forgiving and redeeming.
And so, if you have already been baptized, think today about what that really means. How does your baptism change the way that you relate to others? Do you allow yourself to receive grace from God and from other people?
If you have not been baptized, think and pray about whether or not this is the time to accept God’s grace and become a part of a community that shares grace and love with one another. If you desire to be baptized, do not be afraid to speak with a minister!
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
Gracious God, we thank you for giving us your grace in baptism. Thank you for that sweet mystery and for the way it draws us together as a community – as a family. Together we die to ourselves and our own selfishness and desires, and together we rise to be born again and named as your beloved children. Help us to accept your grace and love, as it overflows in us, so that we learn to share it with others. Amen.
Thursday 14 January 2010
Who Baptizes?
By Rev Anna Layman
DAILY BYTE
What makes us unworthy of a calling, whether we’re ministers or teachers or auto-mechanics or prophets or prayers - one minute and seemingly worthy the next?? What makes us un-baptized one minute and baptized the next? Crazy people struggling in the wilderness one minute and holy people the next? For a response to that, we have to return to our friend John the Baptist. But John the Baptist is a bit deceivingly named. Because he may have dunked Jesus in the water of the Jordan River, but it was someone else who made that water holy.
John couldn’t - We cannot - be the people we are called to be, struggling through the wilderness and doing what we’re called to do, without recognizing that before anything else, our first calling in life is to accept the grace offered to us as beloved children of God. Before anything that we do on our own, we must see that the Holy Spirit has been working beforehand in ways that we can’t fathom. We must acknowledge the one who does the real work baptizing Jesus, calling out from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
In the Gospel of Mark, the Holy Spirit descends soaring down like a dove to let us, the hearers of this story, in on a sweet mystery – that Christ is the beloved child of God. This is how the whole Gospel story of Mark begins. The fact that Jesus is a beloved child of God is the key to understanding everything else. The disciples in Mark trip up over their problems and imperfections constantly. But, even though they fail - even though we often fail today and feel unworthy of the callings we have in our lives and the opportunities to be a part of holy times like baptism - we are made worthy and given strength to do these things purely by the grace of God and the constant workings of the Holy Spirit around us and within us. Being in that water with that power of God is where we hear our true identity. Just as Christ was, we, too, are named beloved children of God. If you have not been baptized, God still loves you! God is simply still anticipating a time when you will accept the grace offered to you.
I remember when I performed my very first baptism just over a year ago, and it was a very special time. This was the moment, when so much of my training for ministry and learning about the theology of baptism would come to fruition – I would finally get to be “Anna the Baptist!” But then I dipped my hand into the water and found it to be surprisingly warm and enveloping, and I held a squirming baby who felt like he was trying to leap into the baptismal font on his own volition. I splashed some water on his head and signed him with a cross and prayed for him, and I could not have been more aware of the fact that this baptism had very little to do with me and my own strength and power and training – and it had everything to do with the power of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, making that water and those rituals and that child anything but ordinary. God made him worthy of receiving grace – God named him a child of God, and there was nothing I, or he, could have done to earn it, deserve it, or change it.
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied – altogether there were about twelve of them.
IF YOU ARE FEELING BRAVE…
Ask yourself: How is the Holy Spirit working in my life? How do I understand my identity, as a beloved child of God?
DAILY BYTE
What makes us unworthy of a calling, whether we’re ministers or teachers or auto-mechanics or prophets or prayers - one minute and seemingly worthy the next?? What makes us un-baptized one minute and baptized the next? Crazy people struggling in the wilderness one minute and holy people the next? For a response to that, we have to return to our friend John the Baptist. But John the Baptist is a bit deceivingly named. Because he may have dunked Jesus in the water of the Jordan River, but it was someone else who made that water holy.
John couldn’t - We cannot - be the people we are called to be, struggling through the wilderness and doing what we’re called to do, without recognizing that before anything else, our first calling in life is to accept the grace offered to us as beloved children of God. Before anything that we do on our own, we must see that the Holy Spirit has been working beforehand in ways that we can’t fathom. We must acknowledge the one who does the real work baptizing Jesus, calling out from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
In the Gospel of Mark, the Holy Spirit descends soaring down like a dove to let us, the hearers of this story, in on a sweet mystery – that Christ is the beloved child of God. This is how the whole Gospel story of Mark begins. The fact that Jesus is a beloved child of God is the key to understanding everything else. The disciples in Mark trip up over their problems and imperfections constantly. But, even though they fail - even though we often fail today and feel unworthy of the callings we have in our lives and the opportunities to be a part of holy times like baptism - we are made worthy and given strength to do these things purely by the grace of God and the constant workings of the Holy Spirit around us and within us. Being in that water with that power of God is where we hear our true identity. Just as Christ was, we, too, are named beloved children of God. If you have not been baptized, God still loves you! God is simply still anticipating a time when you will accept the grace offered to you.
I remember when I performed my very first baptism just over a year ago, and it was a very special time. This was the moment, when so much of my training for ministry and learning about the theology of baptism would come to fruition – I would finally get to be “Anna the Baptist!” But then I dipped my hand into the water and found it to be surprisingly warm and enveloping, and I held a squirming baby who felt like he was trying to leap into the baptismal font on his own volition. I splashed some water on his head and signed him with a cross and prayed for him, and I could not have been more aware of the fact that this baptism had very little to do with me and my own strength and power and training – and it had everything to do with the power of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, making that water and those rituals and that child anything but ordinary. God made him worthy of receiving grace – God named him a child of God, and there was nothing I, or he, could have done to earn it, deserve it, or change it.
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied – altogether there were about twelve of them.
IF YOU ARE FEELING BRAVE…
Ask yourself: How is the Holy Spirit working in my life? How do I understand my identity, as a beloved child of God?
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Beloved Rain
DAILY BYTE
I’ve seen that we can have quite hectic rainstorms here in Durban. So, think today about the last rainstorm that you experienced. A significant one for me occurred while during the spring term of my last year at varsity in Minnesota in the United States. I was really struggling and had recently learned that the most precious person in the world to me was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I didn’t care about school anymore – I was tired of life – tired of searching for purpose in a world that seemed clouded by death. I was angry – that God would allow such horrible things to happen to the people I loved and frustrated that my faith couldn’t seem to cure. And, I was too proud to admit that under my façade of togetherness, I was falling to pieces under the stress and pressure to survive and perform – to show my friends, my mentors, and my family that I could make it on my own and was good enough and strong enough.
Well, winter in Minnesota – a time when it snows virtually every day – was fading into spring, and the snow was melting and giving way to some warmth. I sat at my desk one night, feeling pretty sorry for myself and trying to do some work when a friend knocked on my door. She was a sweet, Christian woman but also struggled with family problems and feelings of being defeated. It was not unusual for her to knock on my door just to sit and talk. But on this night, she banged on my door and said, “Come, Anna, see! It’s thundering and raining and hailing outside!” Now, under ordinary circumstances, it’s no one’s first choice to go stand outside and get pelted with ice, but I cared about my friend, and this was clearly important to her, so before I knew it we were standing together outside in the dark, our clothes dripping, in the rainy cold, and ice was stinging my face and arms, but it started to mix with tears from my eyes. I looked over and I could see my friend’s face glowing, smiling through the rain and the hail. From out of my chest, laughter and crying erupted all at once, as water soaked my feet and hair stuck to my face.
In that moment, it seemed God was saying, this is it – this is life. You may feel like you are alone, subject to the rain and hail of life, but I am here, all around you, stronger than you are, and yet, your tears are my tears. Your joy is my joy. You were forgiven and accepted into my family with everyone else, as a child of God in the waters of baptism, and you are accepted and loved again today and for all eternity. I heard God saying, I am the giver of the water of life, even in the midst of a world that seems to be drowning in death. Let me surround you with that life. Let me embrace you with it – let me say, you are forgiven and loved! Let you put down your bundle of pride and believe it, and let you live in peace.
Since we are not good enough and strong enough to tackle life on our own, in what ways is God raining his grace and love down on you? When you feel the rain this week, allow it to remind you of the waters of baptism, whether you have been baptized, or not. Picture grace for you in that rain from heaven, and be at peace.
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
O God, our heavenly Father, you who by your Son Jesus Christ promised to all those who seek your kingdom, and its righteousness, all things necessary for their sustenance: Send us, we pray, in our great need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may have water to drink, for our homes, gardens and fields, and also receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and your glory. May these rains remind us of the grace that washes over us in baptism and remains with us our whole life long, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
I’ve seen that we can have quite hectic rainstorms here in Durban. So, think today about the last rainstorm that you experienced. A significant one for me occurred while during the spring term of my last year at varsity in Minnesota in the United States. I was really struggling and had recently learned that the most precious person in the world to me was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I didn’t care about school anymore – I was tired of life – tired of searching for purpose in a world that seemed clouded by death. I was angry – that God would allow such horrible things to happen to the people I loved and frustrated that my faith couldn’t seem to cure. And, I was too proud to admit that under my façade of togetherness, I was falling to pieces under the stress and pressure to survive and perform – to show my friends, my mentors, and my family that I could make it on my own and was good enough and strong enough.
Well, winter in Minnesota – a time when it snows virtually every day – was fading into spring, and the snow was melting and giving way to some warmth. I sat at my desk one night, feeling pretty sorry for myself and trying to do some work when a friend knocked on my door. She was a sweet, Christian woman but also struggled with family problems and feelings of being defeated. It was not unusual for her to knock on my door just to sit and talk. But on this night, she banged on my door and said, “Come, Anna, see! It’s thundering and raining and hailing outside!” Now, under ordinary circumstances, it’s no one’s first choice to go stand outside and get pelted with ice, but I cared about my friend, and this was clearly important to her, so before I knew it we were standing together outside in the dark, our clothes dripping, in the rainy cold, and ice was stinging my face and arms, but it started to mix with tears from my eyes. I looked over and I could see my friend’s face glowing, smiling through the rain and the hail. From out of my chest, laughter and crying erupted all at once, as water soaked my feet and hair stuck to my face.
In that moment, it seemed God was saying, this is it – this is life. You may feel like you are alone, subject to the rain and hail of life, but I am here, all around you, stronger than you are, and yet, your tears are my tears. Your joy is my joy. You were forgiven and accepted into my family with everyone else, as a child of God in the waters of baptism, and you are accepted and loved again today and for all eternity. I heard God saying, I am the giver of the water of life, even in the midst of a world that seems to be drowning in death. Let me surround you with that life. Let me embrace you with it – let me say, you are forgiven and loved! Let you put down your bundle of pride and believe it, and let you live in peace.
Since we are not good enough and strong enough to tackle life on our own, in what ways is God raining his grace and love down on you? When you feel the rain this week, allow it to remind you of the waters of baptism, whether you have been baptized, or not. Picture grace for you in that rain from heaven, and be at peace.
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
O God, our heavenly Father, you who by your Son Jesus Christ promised to all those who seek your kingdom, and its righteousness, all things necessary for their sustenance: Send us, we pray, in our great need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may have water to drink, for our homes, gardens and fields, and also receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and your glory. May these rains remind us of the grace that washes over us in baptism and remains with us our whole life long, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
Tuesday 12 January 2010
The Problem Child
By Rev Anna Layman
DAILY BYTE
I once assisted with the baptism of a kid who was approximately six years old. He was a pretty ordinary kid – a bit rough around the edges with a cheeky sort of grin. But what I remember most about this child was that as he faced the baptismal font and turned his back toward me, I saw scrawled across his black t-shirt in menacing, lightning bolt-like font, “Beware – I’m a Problem Child!” I thought, what is going on in the life and family of this child that he would wear such a label, especially to his baptismal service?
We read today in the holy scriptures of a man who seems to be a bit of a problem child – maybe even crazy and doing some very strange things. Picture for yourself someone wandering around in the desert wilderness, wearing only the hide of a hairy animal, eating nothing but bugs and honey. This man clearly is not perfect – he doesn’t look perfect. I’m sure he doesn’t smell like honey, and he may seem a little bit crazy preaching not in the normal temple but out in the wilderness. Life seems a bit confusing for this guy, and life is problematic for us too, isn’t it?
Sometimes, we spend a lot of time wandering around in the desert wilderness feeling parched and confused. As we come into this new year, some of us are coming out of times of wilderness, some of us are smack dab in the middle of them, and some of us are about to enter some pretty tough times where we feel like our lives are full of craziness and confusion, our priorities need some serious re-evaluating, and we feel like our identity is consumed by our problems.
But you see, when John’s in the wilderness, he’s not just sitting by a cactus bemoaning his fate. He may be doing some very strange things, but his identity is not that of a person who has nowhere to turn for help in the wilderness and water in the desert. The Gospel of Mark doesn’t portray John as just an ordinary man with problems. John heads out into the wilderness knowing that even there, he has a specific calling – pointing to “the one who is more powerful than [he].” Even there, the waters of baptism are waiting for him to plunge in.
We don’t call this man, “John the Problem Child.” We call this man a prophet – someone who struggles through the scariness of life to use the gifts and callings they have been given to point the way to the Lord, the Holy One.
How do you identify yourself? As a problem child? As you think about specific wilderness problems or issues in your life today, where are you receiving water and in the desert and strength for the journey? In what ways might you also be a prophet?
GUIDING SCRIPTURE:
Mark 1:4-8
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
DAILY BYTE
I once assisted with the baptism of a kid who was approximately six years old. He was a pretty ordinary kid – a bit rough around the edges with a cheeky sort of grin. But what I remember most about this child was that as he faced the baptismal font and turned his back toward me, I saw scrawled across his black t-shirt in menacing, lightning bolt-like font, “Beware – I’m a Problem Child!” I thought, what is going on in the life and family of this child that he would wear such a label, especially to his baptismal service?
We read today in the holy scriptures of a man who seems to be a bit of a problem child – maybe even crazy and doing some very strange things. Picture for yourself someone wandering around in the desert wilderness, wearing only the hide of a hairy animal, eating nothing but bugs and honey. This man clearly is not perfect – he doesn’t look perfect. I’m sure he doesn’t smell like honey, and he may seem a little bit crazy preaching not in the normal temple but out in the wilderness. Life seems a bit confusing for this guy, and life is problematic for us too, isn’t it?
Sometimes, we spend a lot of time wandering around in the desert wilderness feeling parched and confused. As we come into this new year, some of us are coming out of times of wilderness, some of us are smack dab in the middle of them, and some of us are about to enter some pretty tough times where we feel like our lives are full of craziness and confusion, our priorities need some serious re-evaluating, and we feel like our identity is consumed by our problems.
But you see, when John’s in the wilderness, he’s not just sitting by a cactus bemoaning his fate. He may be doing some very strange things, but his identity is not that of a person who has nowhere to turn for help in the wilderness and water in the desert. The Gospel of Mark doesn’t portray John as just an ordinary man with problems. John heads out into the wilderness knowing that even there, he has a specific calling – pointing to “the one who is more powerful than [he].” Even there, the waters of baptism are waiting for him to plunge in.
We don’t call this man, “John the Problem Child.” We call this man a prophet – someone who struggles through the scariness of life to use the gifts and callings they have been given to point the way to the Lord, the Holy One.
How do you identify yourself? As a problem child? As you think about specific wilderness problems or issues in your life today, where are you receiving water and in the desert and strength for the journey? In what ways might you also be a prophet?
GUIDING SCRIPTURE:
Mark 1:4-8
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Monday 11 January 2010
The question of baptism
By Rev Anna Layman
DAILY BYTE
I remember the first time in my that I was privileged with the task of baptizing a baby. This was an extremely exciting day for me, and I knew the parents of this child were also anticipating this momentous time.
Everything went well, as we went through the service and began the baptismal prayers. And then, it was time. I said something to the effect of, “And now we will baptize this child…” Only to be interrupted mid-prayer, as the baby, not even a year old, piped up with a clearly stated, “NO.”
No. The whole congregation had a good chuckle, as I did I, as I quickly interjected, “Yes!” But, I have thought often of this moment ever since. What is it that makes us say “no” to baptism? Or, if we are already baptized, what prevents us from living into that baptism and continuing on the baptismal journey of discovering more about the covenant that either we, or our parents, have made with God?
Are we afraid of the commitment? Do we think ourselves unworthy? Do we struggle to understand what the point of baptism really is?
And if we were baptized as children, do we lack a clear understanding of what took place in our baptism and why our parents or guardians made the decision they did on our behalf? Do we feel like our baptism has less meaning because we didn’t make the decision ourselves?
Are we struggling with the difficult questions that are asked at baptisms? Do we feel like we have slipped back and are no longer worthy of the vows we made? Have we simply forgotten or lost sight of the power behind this act?
Do you desire to say yes to the life-long journey of baptism, or do you feel yourself proclaiming a loud, ‘NO’?
CHALLENGE
This week we will be exploring the meaning of being baptized into the family of Christ. Take this opportunity to think back to your baptism. If you were too young and cannot remember it, take time to ask someone who might remember if they could tell you about it. If there is no one to tell you the story, or if you have not been baptized, spend time in prayer this week, asking God to reveal to you greater understandings of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied – altogether there were about twelve of them.
DAILY BYTE
I remember the first time in my that I was privileged with the task of baptizing a baby. This was an extremely exciting day for me, and I knew the parents of this child were also anticipating this momentous time.
Everything went well, as we went through the service and began the baptismal prayers. And then, it was time. I said something to the effect of, “And now we will baptize this child…” Only to be interrupted mid-prayer, as the baby, not even a year old, piped up with a clearly stated, “NO.”
No. The whole congregation had a good chuckle, as I did I, as I quickly interjected, “Yes!” But, I have thought often of this moment ever since. What is it that makes us say “no” to baptism? Or, if we are already baptized, what prevents us from living into that baptism and continuing on the baptismal journey of discovering more about the covenant that either we, or our parents, have made with God?
Are we afraid of the commitment? Do we think ourselves unworthy? Do we struggle to understand what the point of baptism really is?
And if we were baptized as children, do we lack a clear understanding of what took place in our baptism and why our parents or guardians made the decision they did on our behalf? Do we feel like our baptism has less meaning because we didn’t make the decision ourselves?
Are we struggling with the difficult questions that are asked at baptisms? Do we feel like we have slipped back and are no longer worthy of the vows we made? Have we simply forgotten or lost sight of the power behind this act?
Do you desire to say yes to the life-long journey of baptism, or do you feel yourself proclaiming a loud, ‘NO’?
CHALLENGE
This week we will be exploring the meaning of being baptized into the family of Christ. Take this opportunity to think back to your baptism. If you were too young and cannot remember it, take time to ask someone who might remember if they could tell you about it. If there is no one to tell you the story, or if you have not been baptized, spend time in prayer this week, asking God to reveal to you greater understandings of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied – altogether there were about twelve of them.
Friday 8 January 2010
The spirit of the new year
By Rev Roger Scholtz
Today we bring this week’s reflections on the new year to a close with one final Calvin & Hobbes cartoon. In it, Calvin has made a snowman which depicts the spirit of the new year.
Calvin describes his snowman in glowing terms: ‘Looking ahead, he strides forward with confidence and determination. He challenges! He imagines! He invents! He calls forth the best qualities of human drive and ingenuity.’
But next to this ‘inspiring’ snowman there are others lazing about, fighting or laughing mockingly. In referring to these Calvin says, ‘This is why we’re always glad when the old year is over.’
Which of these snowmen can you more readily identify with now? As you think about that, why don’t you join in this prayer and make it your own?
PRAYER
Almighty God, in the midst of an ever-changing world you are an unchanging God who yesterday, today and tomorrow is ever the same. We take comfort in the fact that you are like a rock in our lives - solid, dependable, utterly secure. Rock of ages, thank you that our lives can be built on you with confidence.
As we acknowledge your dependability as an unchanging God, so we have to affirm that you are also the God of new things. Your unchanging nature in no way hinders your capacity to move, to stir, to refresh, to renew, to invigorate, to enliven. You are not only a rock in our lives, but also a surging stream, cleansing that which is impure, challenging that which is unyielding, refreshing that which is old and tired, carrying us on to new shores of discovery. You are the living water that quenches our souls deepest thirst, for which we thank you.
And so we come to you O God, at this the start of another year. As we consider the future, so much of it is uncertain. There is the fear that what lies in store for us might cause us to falter and fall. We long for our feet to be firmly established on the rock of your strength, that in the uncertainty of the future, your strength might become our strength. Do this for us we pray O God.
As we consider the future, so we also realise that much of it is predictable. For our lives so easily follow familiar paths, and we so quickly become entrenched in monotonous ruts of habit and routine. We long to be swept away by those life-giving waters that will lead us more deeply into that exciting life of faith that you call us to. Do this for us we pray O God.
And may this new year be for us all a season of grace. Amen.
Today we bring this week’s reflections on the new year to a close with one final Calvin & Hobbes cartoon. In it, Calvin has made a snowman which depicts the spirit of the new year.
Calvin describes his snowman in glowing terms: ‘Looking ahead, he strides forward with confidence and determination. He challenges! He imagines! He invents! He calls forth the best qualities of human drive and ingenuity.’
But next to this ‘inspiring’ snowman there are others lazing about, fighting or laughing mockingly. In referring to these Calvin says, ‘This is why we’re always glad when the old year is over.’
Which of these snowmen can you more readily identify with now? As you think about that, why don’t you join in this prayer and make it your own?
PRAYER
Almighty God, in the midst of an ever-changing world you are an unchanging God who yesterday, today and tomorrow is ever the same. We take comfort in the fact that you are like a rock in our lives - solid, dependable, utterly secure. Rock of ages, thank you that our lives can be built on you with confidence.
As we acknowledge your dependability as an unchanging God, so we have to affirm that you are also the God of new things. Your unchanging nature in no way hinders your capacity to move, to stir, to refresh, to renew, to invigorate, to enliven. You are not only a rock in our lives, but also a surging stream, cleansing that which is impure, challenging that which is unyielding, refreshing that which is old and tired, carrying us on to new shores of discovery. You are the living water that quenches our souls deepest thirst, for which we thank you.
And so we come to you O God, at this the start of another year. As we consider the future, so much of it is uncertain. There is the fear that what lies in store for us might cause us to falter and fall. We long for our feet to be firmly established on the rock of your strength, that in the uncertainty of the future, your strength might become our strength. Do this for us we pray O God.
As we consider the future, so we also realise that much of it is predictable. For our lives so easily follow familiar paths, and we so quickly become entrenched in monotonous ruts of habit and routine. We long to be swept away by those life-giving waters that will lead us more deeply into that exciting life of faith that you call us to. Do this for us we pray O God.
And may this new year be for us all a season of grace. Amen.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Progress?
This week we’re reflecting on the new year in the light of the wisdom of Calvin & Hobbes. Our cartoon today deals with the subject of technological progress, and is very appropriate as we move into a new decade.
Hobbes says, “A new decade is coming up.”
Calvin replies by going on a big rant. He says, “Yeah. Big deal. Where are the flying cars? Where are the moon colonies? Where are the personal robots and the zero gravity boots, huh? You call this a new decade?! You call this the future?? Ha! Where are the rocket packs? Where are the disintegration rays? Where are the floating cities?”
Hobbes replies, “Frankly, I’m not sure people have got the brains to manage the technology they’ve got.”
Calvin continues, “I mean, look at this. We’ve still got weather?! Give me a break.”
Calvin’s wildly inventive 6 year-old imagination of what the future should be like is a tonic, and then his bitter disappointment that none of it has happened is really pretty funny. But there’s also a serious point to this cartoon. Technological progress needs to be carefully weighed, as it’s not always a positive thing – certainly in the way in which it’s often used.
So here’s an interesting question for you to think about today, ‘In what ways does your use of technology (for example e-mail, social networking, mobile applications) actually disconnect you from people?’
There can be no doubt that this technology has hugely increased the speed and ease with which information can be exchanged. But we must be careful not to confuse the exchange of information with authentic connection. It can, of course, lead to authentic connection, but it’s not the same thing.
And so it’s quite possible, and in fact is very common, to make great strides forward in our use of all kinds of technology that promise to better connect us with others, without realizing that in the process we are actually taking great strides backwards in our capacity for truly life-giving relationship.
Maybe it’s significant that when God wanted to connect with humanity, God didn’t send an SMS or an e-mail, but rather sent His only Son. I’m sure you’ll agree, there is a difference.
What could you do today to really connect with someone with whom you haven’t really connected in a long time?
PRAYER
Lord God, in this world of rapid technological progress it is so easy to forget what life-giving relationship requires. Guard us from the dangerous tendencies we all face in this techno-crazed world that is increasingly encouraging friendship without commitment, connection without responsibility and intimacy without truth. Amen.
Hobbes says, “A new decade is coming up.”
Calvin replies by going on a big rant. He says, “Yeah. Big deal. Where are the flying cars? Where are the moon colonies? Where are the personal robots and the zero gravity boots, huh? You call this a new decade?! You call this the future?? Ha! Where are the rocket packs? Where are the disintegration rays? Where are the floating cities?”
Hobbes replies, “Frankly, I’m not sure people have got the brains to manage the technology they’ve got.”
Calvin continues, “I mean, look at this. We’ve still got weather?! Give me a break.”
Calvin’s wildly inventive 6 year-old imagination of what the future should be like is a tonic, and then his bitter disappointment that none of it has happened is really pretty funny. But there’s also a serious point to this cartoon. Technological progress needs to be carefully weighed, as it’s not always a positive thing – certainly in the way in which it’s often used.
So here’s an interesting question for you to think about today, ‘In what ways does your use of technology (for example e-mail, social networking, mobile applications) actually disconnect you from people?’
There can be no doubt that this technology has hugely increased the speed and ease with which information can be exchanged. But we must be careful not to confuse the exchange of information with authentic connection. It can, of course, lead to authentic connection, but it’s not the same thing.
And so it’s quite possible, and in fact is very common, to make great strides forward in our use of all kinds of technology that promise to better connect us with others, without realizing that in the process we are actually taking great strides backwards in our capacity for truly life-giving relationship.
Maybe it’s significant that when God wanted to connect with humanity, God didn’t send an SMS or an e-mail, but rather sent His only Son. I’m sure you’ll agree, there is a difference.
What could you do today to really connect with someone with whom you haven’t really connected in a long time?
PRAYER
Lord God, in this world of rapid technological progress it is so easy to forget what life-giving relationship requires. Guard us from the dangerous tendencies we all face in this techno-crazed world that is increasingly encouraging friendship without commitment, connection without responsibility and intimacy without truth. Amen.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
A fresh, clean start
As we ease into this new year, for the rest of this week we will continue to allow the wisdom of Calvin & Hobbes to stimulate our reflections.
There’s a cartoon where Calvin & Hobbes are outside with their sleigh after a heavy snowfall. Everything is blanketed in white, and this conversation unfolds between them:
Calvin: Wow, it really snowed last night. Isn’t it wonderful?
Hobbes: Everything familiar has disappeared. The world looks brand new!
Calvin: A new year… a fresh, clean start.
Hobbes: It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on.
Calvin: A day full of possibilities! It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy... Let’s go exploring!
In the brutal mid-summer heat that we’re currently experiencing here on the southern tip of Africa, it’s difficult to imagine a landscape blanketed in snow, like that in the cartoon. But it’s an enticing image all the same – not just because it would provide respite from the heat (and the mosquitoes!), but also because a snow-covered landscape suggests a fresh, clean start. As Hobbes puts it, “It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on.”
Is a fresh, clean start a real possibility in the world in which we live? Or will the consequences of our actions and the muddy marks left by foolish choices always be a blemish on the landscape of our lives?
The startling good news of the gospel is that with God a fresh, clean start is possible, thanks to the free gift of God’s forgiveness. This does not mean that we can simply avoid the consequences of sinful living, with a cheap ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. It does mean that the consequences of our sinful living are covered by God’s grace in a way that makes healing and reconciliation possible, and enables us to start exploring new ways of living that are more life-giving.
PRAYER
Thank you Lord that your gift of forgiveness is such that it really is possible for me to make a fresh and clean start. Open my eyes that I might see how wondrous is the world of your grace, and give me the courage to go exploring within it. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” (Isaiah 1:18)
There’s a cartoon where Calvin & Hobbes are outside with their sleigh after a heavy snowfall. Everything is blanketed in white, and this conversation unfolds between them:
Calvin: Wow, it really snowed last night. Isn’t it wonderful?
Hobbes: Everything familiar has disappeared. The world looks brand new!
Calvin: A new year… a fresh, clean start.
Hobbes: It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on.
Calvin: A day full of possibilities! It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy... Let’s go exploring!
In the brutal mid-summer heat that we’re currently experiencing here on the southern tip of Africa, it’s difficult to imagine a landscape blanketed in snow, like that in the cartoon. But it’s an enticing image all the same – not just because it would provide respite from the heat (and the mosquitoes!), but also because a snow-covered landscape suggests a fresh, clean start. As Hobbes puts it, “It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on.”
Is a fresh, clean start a real possibility in the world in which we live? Or will the consequences of our actions and the muddy marks left by foolish choices always be a blemish on the landscape of our lives?
The startling good news of the gospel is that with God a fresh, clean start is possible, thanks to the free gift of God’s forgiveness. This does not mean that we can simply avoid the consequences of sinful living, with a cheap ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. It does mean that the consequences of our sinful living are covered by God’s grace in a way that makes healing and reconciliation possible, and enables us to start exploring new ways of living that are more life-giving.
PRAYER
Thank you Lord that your gift of forgiveness is such that it really is possible for me to make a fresh and clean start. Open my eyes that I might see how wondrous is the world of your grace, and give me the courage to go exploring within it. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” (Isaiah 1:18)
Monday 4 January 2010
God’s ways are best
DAILY BYTE
Happy New Year!
As you embark on this New Year, as you make your plans for all that you hope to accomplish in 2010, have you considered what God may be asking of you? And whatever it may be, do you trust that God’s ways really are best?
There’s a great story that illustrates this truth in a humorous way.
A man who was sitting quietly under the shade of a great oak tree one day. Nearby a pumpkin vine was growing. As he looked at the large pumpkins growing on the vine, and then up at the small acorns growing on the oak tree, he thought to himself, ‘God really got this one wrong. He put the large pumpkins on a spindly pumpkin vine, while the little acorns he put on a massive oak tree. If I were God I’d do it the other way around. I’d put the big pumpkins on the strong oak tree, and the small acorns on the spindly vine.
And he felt very pleased with himself and not a little bit smug about his improvement on God’s creation. Just then the wind rustled through the tree and dislodged an acorn that fell and hit the man smack on his head. As he rubbed his head he thought, ‘Suppose a pumpkin had been up there instead of an acorn! Thank God that God’s ways are best.’
SCRIPTURE READING
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11
PRAYER
Thank you Lord that your ways are best. Thank you that you have plans for my life that really are for my blessing and benefit. Help me to trust that this new year. Amen
Happy New Year!
As you embark on this New Year, as you make your plans for all that you hope to accomplish in 2010, have you considered what God may be asking of you? And whatever it may be, do you trust that God’s ways really are best?
There’s a great story that illustrates this truth in a humorous way.
A man who was sitting quietly under the shade of a great oak tree one day. Nearby a pumpkin vine was growing. As he looked at the large pumpkins growing on the vine, and then up at the small acorns growing on the oak tree, he thought to himself, ‘God really got this one wrong. He put the large pumpkins on a spindly pumpkin vine, while the little acorns he put on a massive oak tree. If I were God I’d do it the other way around. I’d put the big pumpkins on the strong oak tree, and the small acorns on the spindly vine.
And he felt very pleased with himself and not a little bit smug about his improvement on God’s creation. Just then the wind rustled through the tree and dislodged an acorn that fell and hit the man smack on his head. As he rubbed his head he thought, ‘Suppose a pumpkin had been up there instead of an acorn! Thank God that God’s ways are best.’
SCRIPTURE READING
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11
PRAYER
Thank you Lord that your ways are best. Thank you that you have plans for my life that really are for my blessing and benefit. Help me to trust that this new year. Amen
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