DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, we talked about the importance of spending time in prayer, which can sometimes feel very pressured and guilt-ridden in our busy lives. But God’s desire for us in teaching us to spend time in prayer is not for us to be overwhelmed with the guilt of failing but for us to be overwhelmed by the presence of God with us in every moment of the day.
It is very important to spend time in quiet with prayer. But when we do that, we are soaking in the presence and power of Jesus so that we take it everywhere with us.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition of Christianity has a concept called theosis, which means “assimilating the presence of God” – like “a cloth soaks up water by osmosis, we are saturated with God...” when we pray, as the Eastern Orthodox author, Frederica Mathews-Green says. In her book, The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God, she comments that “this indwelling presence heals, restores, and completes us, preparing each of us to take up the role in his kingdom that we alone can fill.”
And she describes this process of allowing Jesus to take over our lives – as a “gift of God, not won by any effort.” But, we can make ourselves available to receive it when we we practice spiritual disciplines like prayer – like praying the Lord’s prayer or the ‘Jesus Prayer’ that she discusses.
She says, “The purpose of this earthly life is to be saturated with the life of Christ.”
That is our deepest need, and we need to be disciplined about seeking to fill it because it changes the way we encounter the world. We become more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient, more kind, good, faithful, gentle, and more full of self-control – more full of the gifts of the spirit and more able to accept those gifts from others.
Mathewes-Green does ask the practical question, though – “how can you think about the words of the Prayer all the time, when there are so many other things you have to think about? In the same way that you can have a meal, go on a trip, or visit a museum with a friend. You could do all of those things alone, but if you take a friend with you.... You may even get more out of it because your friend’s presence heightens your awareness, and you see things through his eyes as well. When you see everything alongside that best of friends, Jesus Christ, your encounters with the world and everyone and everything in it are transformed.”
This is the gift of Jesus. Our Easter basket. Filled with the kind of gift that doesn’t just make our lives sweet and sugary but makes our lives full of the love of God for us and for others.
In the passage from Luke 11 that we’ve looked at this week, we do read all those familiar lines about “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” And we find at the end of the passage that God does provide for us and fill our earthly needs, but through the movement of the Holy Spirit in us – in our community. The passage says, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
God promises to fill our greatest need – the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The need to be filled with the presence of Jesus.
As we think back again on our needs and desires this week – do you want God to fill this need in you? Do you want to be like and be filled with Jesus? If so, perhaps spend some time in prayer this weekend, asking God to fill that particular need.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Try praying the Jesus Prayer over and over, opening yourself to the Spirit, power, and compassion of God:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Friday, 30 July 2010
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Teach us to pray
DAILY BYTE
We’ve been talking this week about the deep need that we have for others to see Jesus in us and for us to live lives that look like his.
Well, if that is our deepest need, how do we go about filling it? How do we spend our lives becoming more like Jesus?
We look first at how the disciples in scripture searched for the same kind of life. And we find that it was through asking God to teach them how to pray.
When we pray, we create space within ourselves for Jesus to sit, make himself at home, and spend time transforming our wills our desires our needs into his.
As you read last week in the story of Mary and Martha, we are often distracted by many things – we are overwhelmed by demands on our time, energy, and attention, and when we hear this call to praying, I think it’s often loaded with a big dose of guilt.
In pretty much every conversation I’ve ever had with groups about prayer where we’re asked to go around and chat about how we’re doing with our prayer lives, most people started dodging each others’ glances, talking about how they try to fit in five minutes in the mornings but usually get distracted by the washing or the toaster or their late alarms. And a sense of helplessness descends, as everyone seems to be thinking – i know I need to be better about praying, but sheesh – how am I ever going to do it better and fit everything else I need to do in??...
And therein lies precisely the point. The prayer that Jesus teaches the disciples to pray in Luke is one that is very familiar to us. “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
It is a prayer (with a few other words that we’ve sewn together from other parts of scripture) that we now call the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a prayer that says God your name is holy, and we look to you with awe. Your kingdom is here and your kingdom is still to come, and that’s what we desire. And because of these things we know we can trust you when we ask you humbly for what we need each day. Forgive us when we fail to be like you, as we will forgive others who don’t treat us like you would. And save us from all temptations and desires that might draw us further away from you.
This is a prayer that has the power to turn our priorities upside down – or rightside up. To change who we are and what we think we need so that we learn not to cram our lives full of activities and things that don’t actually fill us. Instead, through such a prayer, we learn to reorder our lives and hearts to make us more full of Jesus. More full of God’s desires for us and for others.
Do you want to reorder your life? Do you want God to help you prioritize your needs and wants? Consider praying the Lord’s Prayer today, and letting it sit inside of you, simmering and working within you all day long.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Amen.
We’ve been talking this week about the deep need that we have for others to see Jesus in us and for us to live lives that look like his.
Well, if that is our deepest need, how do we go about filling it? How do we spend our lives becoming more like Jesus?
We look first at how the disciples in scripture searched for the same kind of life. And we find that it was through asking God to teach them how to pray.
When we pray, we create space within ourselves for Jesus to sit, make himself at home, and spend time transforming our wills our desires our needs into his.
As you read last week in the story of Mary and Martha, we are often distracted by many things – we are overwhelmed by demands on our time, energy, and attention, and when we hear this call to praying, I think it’s often loaded with a big dose of guilt.
In pretty much every conversation I’ve ever had with groups about prayer where we’re asked to go around and chat about how we’re doing with our prayer lives, most people started dodging each others’ glances, talking about how they try to fit in five minutes in the mornings but usually get distracted by the washing or the toaster or their late alarms. And a sense of helplessness descends, as everyone seems to be thinking – i know I need to be better about praying, but sheesh – how am I ever going to do it better and fit everything else I need to do in??...
And therein lies precisely the point. The prayer that Jesus teaches the disciples to pray in Luke is one that is very familiar to us. “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
It is a prayer (with a few other words that we’ve sewn together from other parts of scripture) that we now call the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a prayer that says God your name is holy, and we look to you with awe. Your kingdom is here and your kingdom is still to come, and that’s what we desire. And because of these things we know we can trust you when we ask you humbly for what we need each day. Forgive us when we fail to be like you, as we will forgive others who don’t treat us like you would. And save us from all temptations and desires that might draw us further away from you.
This is a prayer that has the power to turn our priorities upside down – or rightside up. To change who we are and what we think we need so that we learn not to cram our lives full of activities and things that don’t actually fill us. Instead, through such a prayer, we learn to reorder our lives and hearts to make us more full of Jesus. More full of God’s desires for us and for others.
Do you want to reorder your life? Do you want God to help you prioritize your needs and wants? Consider praying the Lord’s Prayer today, and letting it sit inside of you, simmering and working within you all day long.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Amen.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
I see Jesus
DAILY BYTE
When I was about 17 years old, I went to a Christian summer camp called Greene Hills, run by a Methodist minister named Stephen. He was someone who knew my family well because of my minister mom and my older brother, who was also quite involved in the church. And he was a passionate, prayerful, slightly zany guy, who had a gift for working with young people, and he led us on a week’s journey of campfire moments, challenging us to hear the powerful truth of the gospel that Christ died and lives for and with all of us.
It was a challenging week of navigating a whole new social scene, too… One of raging hormones and all of the uphill battles young people and all people face of trying to be liked and known and heard.
And it was a wonderful place to be, if not a bit intimidating at times... kind of like church...
But one day toward the end of the week, I got a message from Stephen that he wanted to see me. And I thought – oh great – he heard about the girl’s sleeping bag we sewed up with leaves stuffed inside...
But no, he hadn’t gotten wind of such escapades. He simply sat me down at a picnic table, acting very serious, and said, “I feel that it’s very important for you to know that apart from your family – your mom, your brother – anyone else, I see Jesus in you. And I needed for you to know that.”
Wow.
Talk about jaw-dropping. What do you say after that? Thank you?
I think I said something articulate like – oh, wow, ok. Thanks. Um, should I go to the pool now?
Based on my reaction at the time, I don’t think Stephen knows what a pivotal moment that was in my life. It was completely life-altering and life-defining to realize that Jesus lived in me, and I had a special life, a special unique calling and purpose and way of relating to other people that was just mine – but was empowered and beautiful because of the room there was for Jesus inside.
As a 17-year-old, my concerns were usually friends, what people thought of me, making sure my family was ok, getting good grades - I could never have articulated then that hearing those words actually filled my deepest need.
Above everything else. To be like Jesus.
And at that same camp a few days later was when I first very timidly put up my hand to say that I was thinking about spending my life in full time ministry.
I think maybe I realized that if someone could see Jesus in me, maybe a lot more people could see Jesus if I spent my life trying to show what he looked like. Maybe I could be a part of communities that give people gifts like telling each other that their lives are beautiful and that they matter to the world. Maybe I could help fill peoples’ deepest needs – maybe that’s what I could help the church to be.
Maybe that’s what the church – the body of Christ – could be with you as a part of it... Do you see Jesus in others? Do you seen Jesus in yourself?
FOCUS READING
Colossians 2:6-7 (NRSV)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
When I was about 17 years old, I went to a Christian summer camp called Greene Hills, run by a Methodist minister named Stephen. He was someone who knew my family well because of my minister mom and my older brother, who was also quite involved in the church. And he was a passionate, prayerful, slightly zany guy, who had a gift for working with young people, and he led us on a week’s journey of campfire moments, challenging us to hear the powerful truth of the gospel that Christ died and lives for and with all of us.
It was a challenging week of navigating a whole new social scene, too… One of raging hormones and all of the uphill battles young people and all people face of trying to be liked and known and heard.
And it was a wonderful place to be, if not a bit intimidating at times... kind of like church...
But one day toward the end of the week, I got a message from Stephen that he wanted to see me. And I thought – oh great – he heard about the girl’s sleeping bag we sewed up with leaves stuffed inside...
But no, he hadn’t gotten wind of such escapades. He simply sat me down at a picnic table, acting very serious, and said, “I feel that it’s very important for you to know that apart from your family – your mom, your brother – anyone else, I see Jesus in you. And I needed for you to know that.”
Wow.
Talk about jaw-dropping. What do you say after that? Thank you?
I think I said something articulate like – oh, wow, ok. Thanks. Um, should I go to the pool now?
Based on my reaction at the time, I don’t think Stephen knows what a pivotal moment that was in my life. It was completely life-altering and life-defining to realize that Jesus lived in me, and I had a special life, a special unique calling and purpose and way of relating to other people that was just mine – but was empowered and beautiful because of the room there was for Jesus inside.
As a 17-year-old, my concerns were usually friends, what people thought of me, making sure my family was ok, getting good grades - I could never have articulated then that hearing those words actually filled my deepest need.
Above everything else. To be like Jesus.
And at that same camp a few days later was when I first very timidly put up my hand to say that I was thinking about spending my life in full time ministry.
I think maybe I realized that if someone could see Jesus in me, maybe a lot more people could see Jesus if I spent my life trying to show what he looked like. Maybe I could be a part of communities that give people gifts like telling each other that their lives are beautiful and that they matter to the world. Maybe I could help fill peoples’ deepest needs – maybe that’s what I could help the church to be.
Maybe that’s what the church – the body of Christ – could be with you as a part of it... Do you see Jesus in others? Do you seen Jesus in yourself?
FOCUS READING
Colossians 2:6-7 (NRSV)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Our deepest need
DAILY BYTE
You were asked yesterday to think about your deepest needs – food, money, clothing, friends - there’s no doubt that all of those things and more are great needs, indeed. Through these needs, we remember we are human – vulnerable and in need of God’s provision and in need of one another.
But what if our deepest need undergirding all of those other needs is not to have certain kinds of things but to be a certain kind of people – people like – Jesus.
I think that’s what the scripture this week is all about. At the beginning of Luke 11, we find Jesus praying in a certain place. The Son of God was spending time in prayer, and the disciples see him, and they say to him – hey Jesus – whatcha doing...? Teach us to be like you – teach us to do the things you do – because that’s what we want – that’s what we need!
I grew up in the church – I don’t have a lightning bolt, dramatic conversion story - my story is one that is maybe like yours – a story of being taught and nurtured consistently to come to worship, to pray the prayers, to be saturated with the music, to be with people who could show me what Jesus was like.
Unfortunately, many people have experiences within the church that are not positive but are, in fact, deeply wounding. I experienced this later in my life, as well, in addition to the fact that I’m sure I’ve even caused some of this pain through my life and work in the church. And I think it’s important that we acknowledge this pain because it seems it most often occurs when we’re not allowing our lives to look like Jesus’ life.
And we’re not alone in our ability to wound those that we should love. We hear about the disciples in Luke not long at all after they were sent out by Jesus to go be with people and heal them and proclaim the kingdom of God. This was their calling - their new way of life – and if ever there was a time to act like Jesus – that was it! There was only one of Jesus, but there were twelve and then 70 disciples. Out of their love and awe of Jesus, I bet their deepest desire as they went out in his name was to be like him.
But it seems, as human beings do – they sometimes failed. They doubted God’s provision in the feeding of the five thousand. They couldn’t cast out a demon in a boy with epilepsy. They argued about which one of them was the most awesome disciple... They even asked Jesus if they were allowed to rain fire down on a whole village and burn it up.
They sometimes missed the mark on who Jesus is, and I’m sure there were times when their behavior was deeply wounding to people around them. They certainly weren’t embodying the best versions of themselves...
But, they sat at Jesus’ feet, as he told stories like the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which reminds disciples then and now to love “your neighbour as yourself.”
And as you heard last week, they saw Mary being still and soaking up Jesus’ presence.
As they spent time with Jesus, it seems something within them was craving the need to become less like their often stumbling selves and more like him!
They would have known that the scriptures say all of us are made in the image of God, so maybe they were discovering that the way to come the best version of our unique selves is to allow ourselves to be filled with the way Jesus is – to develop our own special characteristics and callings but to be less wounding and more loving – less selfish and more generous. Less needy of things and more full of Jesus.
Do you want to become the best version of yourself? To create less hurt and carry out unique and beautiful purposes in the world? How might that require you to allow Jesus into your life? Is that really your deepest need?
FOCUS READING
Luke 11:1 (NRSV)
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
You were asked yesterday to think about your deepest needs – food, money, clothing, friends - there’s no doubt that all of those things and more are great needs, indeed. Through these needs, we remember we are human – vulnerable and in need of God’s provision and in need of one another.
But what if our deepest need undergirding all of those other needs is not to have certain kinds of things but to be a certain kind of people – people like – Jesus.
I think that’s what the scripture this week is all about. At the beginning of Luke 11, we find Jesus praying in a certain place. The Son of God was spending time in prayer, and the disciples see him, and they say to him – hey Jesus – whatcha doing...? Teach us to be like you – teach us to do the things you do – because that’s what we want – that’s what we need!
I grew up in the church – I don’t have a lightning bolt, dramatic conversion story - my story is one that is maybe like yours – a story of being taught and nurtured consistently to come to worship, to pray the prayers, to be saturated with the music, to be with people who could show me what Jesus was like.
Unfortunately, many people have experiences within the church that are not positive but are, in fact, deeply wounding. I experienced this later in my life, as well, in addition to the fact that I’m sure I’ve even caused some of this pain through my life and work in the church. And I think it’s important that we acknowledge this pain because it seems it most often occurs when we’re not allowing our lives to look like Jesus’ life.
And we’re not alone in our ability to wound those that we should love. We hear about the disciples in Luke not long at all after they were sent out by Jesus to go be with people and heal them and proclaim the kingdom of God. This was their calling - their new way of life – and if ever there was a time to act like Jesus – that was it! There was only one of Jesus, but there were twelve and then 70 disciples. Out of their love and awe of Jesus, I bet their deepest desire as they went out in his name was to be like him.
But it seems, as human beings do – they sometimes failed. They doubted God’s provision in the feeding of the five thousand. They couldn’t cast out a demon in a boy with epilepsy. They argued about which one of them was the most awesome disciple... They even asked Jesus if they were allowed to rain fire down on a whole village and burn it up.
They sometimes missed the mark on who Jesus is, and I’m sure there were times when their behavior was deeply wounding to people around them. They certainly weren’t embodying the best versions of themselves...
But, they sat at Jesus’ feet, as he told stories like the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which reminds disciples then and now to love “your neighbour as yourself.”
And as you heard last week, they saw Mary being still and soaking up Jesus’ presence.
As they spent time with Jesus, it seems something within them was craving the need to become less like their often stumbling selves and more like him!
They would have known that the scriptures say all of us are made in the image of God, so maybe they were discovering that the way to come the best version of our unique selves is to allow ourselves to be filled with the way Jesus is – to develop our own special characteristics and callings but to be less wounding and more loving – less selfish and more generous. Less needy of things and more full of Jesus.
Do you want to become the best version of yourself? To create less hurt and carry out unique and beautiful purposes in the world? How might that require you to allow Jesus into your life? Is that really your deepest need?
FOCUS READING
Luke 11:1 (NRSV)
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
Cravings and needs
DAILY BYTE
For Easter when I was small, my parents used to fill baskets with all sorts of small gifts and hide them somewhere in the house for us to find. We, of course, would search the house from top to bottom for as long as it took to find them because we desperately wanted and OH – we even needed - the white chocolate candy and jelly beans that would inevitably be there… Never mind the story of the resurrection…the candy only came once a year. I still get a craving every Easter for white chocolate in the shape of a bunny rabbit. Somehow, strangely, it tastes better, if it’s shaped like that, and you can start feasting on it by morbidly biting the ears off…
But such silliness aside - think now, what is your white chocolate rabbit…? What is it that you want, that you crave, that you envision would taste so sweet and make life so rich and make you so full? What are your deepest needs right now?
Money, time, energy, family, a job, a home, food, that jazzy new piece of technology? Everyone’s got something that they crave.
We read in the passage from Luke for today these very familiar verses – “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The Christian life seems like a pretty good deal! Ask for what you want, and you’ll get it! Seek out what you need, and you’ll find it! Where else on the planet are you ever told that? In our earthly lives there is always a cost for things – rarely is something simply an unselfishly given gift. But these verses can be quite a source of consternation when we ask, and we don’t receive, when we seek and we don’t find. Sometimes we never receive what we ask for, or we receive it waaay later than we ask for it, or we receive it in a way that surprises us with its creativity... Or, we receive something different – even something more than we ask for.
Well, unlike the Easter baskets of most American children, which are piled high with nothing but sweets, my mother, the minister, would put a few of those sweet treats in but then fill the rest of our baskets with things like short books on modern-day saints like Mother Teresa, prayers for children, family devotionals, and verses of scripture tattooed on various plaques and key chains for us to put on our shelves and carry with us.
The white chocolate craving has stayed with me, but more so than that, even if I didn’t realize it at the time, the beauty of those scriptures of Jesus and resurrection, the stories about people like Mother Teresa, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the importance of constant prayer. Those are the things that I truly needed, as a young person, learning who Jesus was and who I was to the world.
Is there a difference between what we want and crave and what we need? How might God be providing for your wants and needs in life? Is there a need for you to re-evaluate what you want?
FOCUS READING
Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
For Easter when I was small, my parents used to fill baskets with all sorts of small gifts and hide them somewhere in the house for us to find. We, of course, would search the house from top to bottom for as long as it took to find them because we desperately wanted and OH – we even needed - the white chocolate candy and jelly beans that would inevitably be there… Never mind the story of the resurrection…the candy only came once a year. I still get a craving every Easter for white chocolate in the shape of a bunny rabbit. Somehow, strangely, it tastes better, if it’s shaped like that, and you can start feasting on it by morbidly biting the ears off…
But such silliness aside - think now, what is your white chocolate rabbit…? What is it that you want, that you crave, that you envision would taste so sweet and make life so rich and make you so full? What are your deepest needs right now?
Money, time, energy, family, a job, a home, food, that jazzy new piece of technology? Everyone’s got something that they crave.
We read in the passage from Luke for today these very familiar verses – “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The Christian life seems like a pretty good deal! Ask for what you want, and you’ll get it! Seek out what you need, and you’ll find it! Where else on the planet are you ever told that? In our earthly lives there is always a cost for things – rarely is something simply an unselfishly given gift. But these verses can be quite a source of consternation when we ask, and we don’t receive, when we seek and we don’t find. Sometimes we never receive what we ask for, or we receive it waaay later than we ask for it, or we receive it in a way that surprises us with its creativity... Or, we receive something different – even something more than we ask for.
Well, unlike the Easter baskets of most American children, which are piled high with nothing but sweets, my mother, the minister, would put a few of those sweet treats in but then fill the rest of our baskets with things like short books on modern-day saints like Mother Teresa, prayers for children, family devotionals, and verses of scripture tattooed on various plaques and key chains for us to put on our shelves and carry with us.
The white chocolate craving has stayed with me, but more so than that, even if I didn’t realize it at the time, the beauty of those scriptures of Jesus and resurrection, the stories about people like Mother Teresa, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the importance of constant prayer. Those are the things that I truly needed, as a young person, learning who Jesus was and who I was to the world.
Is there a difference between what we want and crave and what we need? How might God be providing for your wants and needs in life? Is there a need for you to re-evaluate what you want?
FOCUS READING
Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Friday, 23 July 2010
The cat on the golden leash
DAILY BYTE
In these BDC devotions this week we’ve reflected on the themes of focus, presence and attention. We’ve considered the story of Martha who, worried and distracted by many things, missed out on the peace that Christ brought near.
As we conclude these devotions this week I’d like to share with you a humorous story about what can easily happen when we lose our focus, and allow superficial, peripheral things to distract our attention.
The story is told of a young man who sought out an old hermit who lived in a cave high up in the mountains. He asked the hermit to teach him the meaning of life. The hermit agreed, but said it was first necessary for him to learn to meditate. And so they began.
But a cat kept wandering into the cave and distracted the young man from his meditation. And so, being practically minded, the hermit would simply tie up the cat so that it would not be a distraction. Soon, others joined the young man in learning to meditate, and whenever the cat wandered into the cave the hermit would tie it up. Then the hermit died, but those who had been practicing meditation continued, and whenever the cat wandered into the cave, somebody would tie it up.
Then the cat died. And somebody said, ‘Now how are we going to meditate without the cat?’ And so they bought another cat and tied it up so that they could meditate. Then someone said, ‘It’s not right that this holy cat be tied up with an ordinary piece of rope.’ And so a golden leash for the cat was bought.
Soon the cat on the golden leash was brought into the middle of the group, and became the focus of their meditation. Years later, anthropologists discovered an unusual religion high in the mountains that venerated a tethered cat made of gold, but none of them knew why the cat had been tied up in the first place.
The distraction of peripheral things can diminish the richness of life, allowing subtle distortions to creep into our living that can rob us of the gift of peace that the ever-present Christ seeks to bring.
And so, whatever tasks and responsibilities may be yours, may you extend the hospitality of true presence to that which has been given to you, offering an unwavering focus on what is truly important. And whatever the circumstances of your life, may your undivided heart and singular devotion open you to the presence and peace of Christ, which is surely with you.
PRAY AS YOU GO
For our prayer today I’d like to share this poem by Mary Oliver, that speaks of a mindfulness in the midst of the ordinary things of life, and points to what can be true for all of our lives. It’s entitled ‘Mindful’
Every day I see or hear something
that more or less kills me with delight,
that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.
It was what I was born for – to look, to listen,
to lose myself inside this soft world-
to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation.
Nor am I talking about the exceptional,
the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant –
but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar, I say to myself
how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these –
the untrimmable light of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made out of grass?
In these BDC devotions this week we’ve reflected on the themes of focus, presence and attention. We’ve considered the story of Martha who, worried and distracted by many things, missed out on the peace that Christ brought near.
As we conclude these devotions this week I’d like to share with you a humorous story about what can easily happen when we lose our focus, and allow superficial, peripheral things to distract our attention.
The story is told of a young man who sought out an old hermit who lived in a cave high up in the mountains. He asked the hermit to teach him the meaning of life. The hermit agreed, but said it was first necessary for him to learn to meditate. And so they began.
But a cat kept wandering into the cave and distracted the young man from his meditation. And so, being practically minded, the hermit would simply tie up the cat so that it would not be a distraction. Soon, others joined the young man in learning to meditate, and whenever the cat wandered into the cave the hermit would tie it up. Then the hermit died, but those who had been practicing meditation continued, and whenever the cat wandered into the cave, somebody would tie it up.
Then the cat died. And somebody said, ‘Now how are we going to meditate without the cat?’ And so they bought another cat and tied it up so that they could meditate. Then someone said, ‘It’s not right that this holy cat be tied up with an ordinary piece of rope.’ And so a golden leash for the cat was bought.
Soon the cat on the golden leash was brought into the middle of the group, and became the focus of their meditation. Years later, anthropologists discovered an unusual religion high in the mountains that venerated a tethered cat made of gold, but none of them knew why the cat had been tied up in the first place.
The distraction of peripheral things can diminish the richness of life, allowing subtle distortions to creep into our living that can rob us of the gift of peace that the ever-present Christ seeks to bring.
And so, whatever tasks and responsibilities may be yours, may you extend the hospitality of true presence to that which has been given to you, offering an unwavering focus on what is truly important. And whatever the circumstances of your life, may your undivided heart and singular devotion open you to the presence and peace of Christ, which is surely with you.
PRAY AS YOU GO
For our prayer today I’d like to share this poem by Mary Oliver, that speaks of a mindfulness in the midst of the ordinary things of life, and points to what can be true for all of our lives. It’s entitled ‘Mindful’
Every day I see or hear something
that more or less kills me with delight,
that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.
It was what I was born for – to look, to listen,
to lose myself inside this soft world-
to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation.
Nor am I talking about the exceptional,
the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant –
but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar, I say to myself
how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these –
the untrimmable light of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made out of grass?
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Undivided heart
DAILY BYTE
Today we continue looking at the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10:38-42
But we need to be careful, because the story of Martha and her sister Mary is wide open to abuse. It has often been misinterpreted as a story that pits one form of discipleship against the other – the practical doers, like Martha, against those, like Mary, who like to listen & pray. As if these divergent expressions of faith were mutually exclusive.
We need to guard against falling into that trap. In this story Jesus is NOT saying that the life of contemplation and prayer is more valuable than the life of service and action. In fact, immediately preceding this passage we find the story of the Good Samaritan, in which the point is made abundantly clear, that good neighborliness requires us to show compassion & care to others in concrete ways.
In offering the hospitality of her home, Martha is doing precisely that. Or is she? You see, although she was going through the motions of offering the gift of hospitality, and to outward appearances at least was doing everything right, if we read the text closely we’ll see that Martha wasn’t really present to Jesus and the privileged task that was hers. There wasn’t a spaciousness of heart and spirit within her. Instead, she was consumed by what her sister Mary was doing, or rather not doing to help her, and the seeming unfairness of that.
Her frustration and resentment finally bursts out as she comes to Jesus and asks, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.’
And it sounds to us like Martha has a valid point. ‘Fair’s fair, Mary. Do your bit to help.’ Except that Jesus saw it differently. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. It’s just that he could recognize in Mary an attentiveness to his presence and the freedom of an undivided focus. An attentiveness and an undivided focus that is all too rare in this world, and he would not take that away from her. In fact, he wished for Martha the same – whatever she was doing. Whether it was the dishes, or joining Mary at his feet. ‘You are worried and distracted by many things,’ he said, ‘but there is need of only one thing!’ Had Martha been singularly attentive to the responsibility and privilege that was hers, the hospitality that she offered, instead of being a source of resentment would have been a source of blessing.
Her story is a reminder to us that how we do something is every bit as important as what we do. Our attitude can transform even the most menial tasks into something sacred, or equally it can diminish high and holy callings into tedious, lifeless chores.
Are there any areas in your life where you are simply going through the motions? Having the outward appearance of devotion but not the heart of it? Comparing yourself to others and bemoaning the seeming unfairness of your situation is a good indication that you’ve lost your focus and are no longer really living your life.
Thankfully, Jesus is clear and uncompromising in his encouragement of abundant living. He says to us today, ‘Do not be worried and distracted by many things. Remember, only one thing is needed!’
PRAY AS YOU GO
Our prayer today is taken from a song by Vicky Beeching entitled ‘Undivided Heart’
Brokenness has brought me to my knees
Face to face with all that’s dark in me
I can barely see you through my shame
Jesus come and wash me white again
Flood me with your healing light
Help me choose what’s true and right
Give me an undivided heart
I want to love you with every part
Give me an undivided soul
I want to be yours alone, yours alone
At the cross I find your open arms
Reminding me there’s grace for all I’ve done
With your blood you wipe away my past
Taking on yourself my sin and scars
By your power help me change
Break off every single chain
Give me an undivided heart
I want to love you with every part
Give me an undivided soul
I want to be yours alone, yours alone
Today we continue looking at the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10:38-42
But we need to be careful, because the story of Martha and her sister Mary is wide open to abuse. It has often been misinterpreted as a story that pits one form of discipleship against the other – the practical doers, like Martha, against those, like Mary, who like to listen & pray. As if these divergent expressions of faith were mutually exclusive.
We need to guard against falling into that trap. In this story Jesus is NOT saying that the life of contemplation and prayer is more valuable than the life of service and action. In fact, immediately preceding this passage we find the story of the Good Samaritan, in which the point is made abundantly clear, that good neighborliness requires us to show compassion & care to others in concrete ways.
In offering the hospitality of her home, Martha is doing precisely that. Or is she? You see, although she was going through the motions of offering the gift of hospitality, and to outward appearances at least was doing everything right, if we read the text closely we’ll see that Martha wasn’t really present to Jesus and the privileged task that was hers. There wasn’t a spaciousness of heart and spirit within her. Instead, she was consumed by what her sister Mary was doing, or rather not doing to help her, and the seeming unfairness of that.
Her frustration and resentment finally bursts out as she comes to Jesus and asks, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.’
And it sounds to us like Martha has a valid point. ‘Fair’s fair, Mary. Do your bit to help.’ Except that Jesus saw it differently. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. It’s just that he could recognize in Mary an attentiveness to his presence and the freedom of an undivided focus. An attentiveness and an undivided focus that is all too rare in this world, and he would not take that away from her. In fact, he wished for Martha the same – whatever she was doing. Whether it was the dishes, or joining Mary at his feet. ‘You are worried and distracted by many things,’ he said, ‘but there is need of only one thing!’ Had Martha been singularly attentive to the responsibility and privilege that was hers, the hospitality that she offered, instead of being a source of resentment would have been a source of blessing.
Her story is a reminder to us that how we do something is every bit as important as what we do. Our attitude can transform even the most menial tasks into something sacred, or equally it can diminish high and holy callings into tedious, lifeless chores.
Are there any areas in your life where you are simply going through the motions? Having the outward appearance of devotion but not the heart of it? Comparing yourself to others and bemoaning the seeming unfairness of your situation is a good indication that you’ve lost your focus and are no longer really living your life.
Thankfully, Jesus is clear and uncompromising in his encouragement of abundant living. He says to us today, ‘Do not be worried and distracted by many things. Remember, only one thing is needed!’
PRAY AS YOU GO
Our prayer today is taken from a song by Vicky Beeching entitled ‘Undivided Heart’
Brokenness has brought me to my knees
Face to face with all that’s dark in me
I can barely see you through my shame
Jesus come and wash me white again
Flood me with your healing light
Help me choose what’s true and right
Give me an undivided heart
I want to love you with every part
Give me an undivided soul
I want to be yours alone, yours alone
At the cross I find your open arms
Reminding me there’s grace for all I’ve done
With your blood you wipe away my past
Taking on yourself my sin and scars
By your power help me change
Break off every single chain
Give me an undivided heart
I want to love you with every part
Give me an undivided soul
I want to be yours alone, yours alone
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Missing the Gift
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, the story of Martha was introduced. The particular incident referred to is found in Luke 10:38-42. Here it is:
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
As was mentioned briefly yesterday, Martha had opened her home to Jesus in hospitality, offering a cherished gift. But in so doing she was also opening herself to receive a cherished gift – the cherished gift of the peace of Christ and the good news of the kingdom.
That’s what true hospitality does. It opens us to a fuller presence. It opens us to cherished gifts of peace and grace. Just a little earlier in Luke 10 Jesus had sent out 70 disciples ahead of him with the instruction to offer words of peace and to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom to all those who offered them the welcome of their home. Isn’t this exactly what we’ve experienced as a nation this World Cup? And this is what Martha sought to offer.
And yet, in spite of the welcome she offered Jesus, in spite of the peace which his presence represented, Martha failed to take hold of that gift that he had graciously brought near. Instead, we read that she was worried and distracted by many things.
How tragic that Martha had the Prince of Peace in her home, and yet did not have any peace in her heart. How sad that she had opened her doors to Jesus, but kept her mind closed to his grace. Her story is a sobering reminder to us that we can easily miss out on the greatest gifts of life that are right before us That we can be in the very presence of holiness, and yet continue along untransformed paths of resentment and ungraciousness.
Thankfully, this is not the end of the story for Martha, as we will discover tomorrow. And it’s also not the end of the story for us. For even though we might be closed off to the transforming presence of God in our midst, thankfully the love and grace of God are such that they can seep through our stubborn resistance and our obstinate defenses. But how much better it is when we fling ourselves open as an act of trusting faith and actively co-operate with what God lovingly longs to do within us.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Infinitely loving and patient God, we do not want to miss out on the cherished gifts of grace that are all around us. And so help us to offer to you the true gift of hospitality, not just giving lip-service to making space for you in our lives, but truly opening ourselves to your transforming presence. As we do so, guard and keep us from those distractions that can get in the way of us receiving all that it is that you have for us. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Mark 4:18-19
‘Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for others things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.’
Yesterday, the story of Martha was introduced. The particular incident referred to is found in Luke 10:38-42. Here it is:
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
As was mentioned briefly yesterday, Martha had opened her home to Jesus in hospitality, offering a cherished gift. But in so doing she was also opening herself to receive a cherished gift – the cherished gift of the peace of Christ and the good news of the kingdom.
That’s what true hospitality does. It opens us to a fuller presence. It opens us to cherished gifts of peace and grace. Just a little earlier in Luke 10 Jesus had sent out 70 disciples ahead of him with the instruction to offer words of peace and to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom to all those who offered them the welcome of their home. Isn’t this exactly what we’ve experienced as a nation this World Cup? And this is what Martha sought to offer.
And yet, in spite of the welcome she offered Jesus, in spite of the peace which his presence represented, Martha failed to take hold of that gift that he had graciously brought near. Instead, we read that she was worried and distracted by many things.
How tragic that Martha had the Prince of Peace in her home, and yet did not have any peace in her heart. How sad that she had opened her doors to Jesus, but kept her mind closed to his grace. Her story is a sobering reminder to us that we can easily miss out on the greatest gifts of life that are right before us That we can be in the very presence of holiness, and yet continue along untransformed paths of resentment and ungraciousness.
Thankfully, this is not the end of the story for Martha, as we will discover tomorrow. And it’s also not the end of the story for us. For even though we might be closed off to the transforming presence of God in our midst, thankfully the love and grace of God are such that they can seep through our stubborn resistance and our obstinate defenses. But how much better it is when we fling ourselves open as an act of trusting faith and actively co-operate with what God lovingly longs to do within us.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Infinitely loving and patient God, we do not want to miss out on the cherished gifts of grace that are all around us. And so help us to offer to you the true gift of hospitality, not just giving lip-service to making space for you in our lives, but truly opening ourselves to your transforming presence. As we do so, guard and keep us from those distractions that can get in the way of us receiving all that it is that you have for us. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Mark 4:18-19
‘Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for others things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.’
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
A clear, undivided focus
DAILY BYTE
In these BDC devotions yesterday I made reference to International Mandela Day. The intention of this day is that in celebrating Madiba’s birthday, people around the world are encouraged to focus on doing something to make this world a better place. Something happens when people, in their numbers, are sharply attentive to something that really matters. There’s a collective synergy that emerges from such common-mindedness that can be hugely impactful. We shouldn’t be cynically dismissive about the difference that such a day can make to our world.
Indeed, as a nation we have recently experienced the power and impact of a common, united focus in our hosting of the 2010 World Cup. This singular focus has been evident in a whole host of ways: the preparedness of our infrastructure in hosting this event, the heightened police presence on our city’s streets, the efficiency of the judiciary in the specially constituted World Cup courts, the street vendors selling flags & vuvuzelas, every second car flying a flag of some sort, the sea of yellow jerseys on the days when Bafana Bafana was playing.
I know of someone in the church I serve who paid R2240 to buy two tickets to ensure that his domestic worker and her son didn’t miss out on going to at least one game!
One of the delightful expressions of this World Cup focus are the names that have been given to children born during the tournament. Maternity wards here in KZN have reported that true to Zulu custom, many children have been named for events at the time of their birth.
Some of the names recently recorded are:
Tickets Ngubane
Kickoff Shabalala
Red-card Mbatha
Half-time Hlatshwayo
Vuvuzela Mhlongo
Park n Ride Khumalo
You’ve got to love that!
Yes, this World Cup experience has touched all of us in some way or another, and in doing so has demonstrated the transforming power of a clear, undivided focus.
Of course, most of the time everybody is doing their own thing, heading off in a million different directions. As we know Mandela Day happens only once a year. The Soccer World Cup only once every four years. For the rest, it’s mostly everyone for themselves.
Which is just one of the reasons why going to church actually matters. It’s one of the few regular opportunities that we have to allow our attention to be directed with others to a focal point worthy of our attention, which is, of course, God.
We need this, because even as individuals, we are so easily distracted by the many tasks that are ours, each of us pulled in many different directions at the same time. Think about it – what all are you juggling at the moment? What all is occupying head space for you, even right now?
Your work? Your finances? Your situation at home? A difficult relationship? Uncertainties about the future? A traumatic experience that continues to haunt you? A shameful secret? A loved one who is troubled? Health concerns? Raw grief? Concern for your parents, or your children, or grandchildren? Family who are far away?
Maybe, as you think about your life right now, you can recognize that you are worried and distracted by many things.
That’s what Jesus recognized in a woman by the name of Martha, who had opened her home to him in hospitality. In doing so she was offering a cherished gift, but was also opening her home to receive a cherished gift – the cherished gift of the peace of Christ and the good news of the kingdom.
Over the next couple of days we’ll take a closer look at her story. But for now, think about what it would mean for you to find, in the midst of the many demands and distractions of your life, a clear, undivided focus upon that which is truly important. This is the promise of the gospel, which is truly good news.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, there are so many conflicting demands and responsibilities in my life, that sometimes I truly don’t know if I’m coming or going. Help me to find a clear, undivided focus on that which is truly important, and enable me to be sharply attentive to that which you ask of me. Thank you that when I fix my attention on you, everything else can be seen in its rightful perspective. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 6:33
‘Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’
In these BDC devotions yesterday I made reference to International Mandela Day. The intention of this day is that in celebrating Madiba’s birthday, people around the world are encouraged to focus on doing something to make this world a better place. Something happens when people, in their numbers, are sharply attentive to something that really matters. There’s a collective synergy that emerges from such common-mindedness that can be hugely impactful. We shouldn’t be cynically dismissive about the difference that such a day can make to our world.
Indeed, as a nation we have recently experienced the power and impact of a common, united focus in our hosting of the 2010 World Cup. This singular focus has been evident in a whole host of ways: the preparedness of our infrastructure in hosting this event, the heightened police presence on our city’s streets, the efficiency of the judiciary in the specially constituted World Cup courts, the street vendors selling flags & vuvuzelas, every second car flying a flag of some sort, the sea of yellow jerseys on the days when Bafana Bafana was playing.
I know of someone in the church I serve who paid R2240 to buy two tickets to ensure that his domestic worker and her son didn’t miss out on going to at least one game!
One of the delightful expressions of this World Cup focus are the names that have been given to children born during the tournament. Maternity wards here in KZN have reported that true to Zulu custom, many children have been named for events at the time of their birth.
Some of the names recently recorded are:
Tickets Ngubane
Kickoff Shabalala
Red-card Mbatha
Half-time Hlatshwayo
Vuvuzela Mhlongo
Park n Ride Khumalo
You’ve got to love that!
Yes, this World Cup experience has touched all of us in some way or another, and in doing so has demonstrated the transforming power of a clear, undivided focus.
Of course, most of the time everybody is doing their own thing, heading off in a million different directions. As we know Mandela Day happens only once a year. The Soccer World Cup only once every four years. For the rest, it’s mostly everyone for themselves.
Which is just one of the reasons why going to church actually matters. It’s one of the few regular opportunities that we have to allow our attention to be directed with others to a focal point worthy of our attention, which is, of course, God.
We need this, because even as individuals, we are so easily distracted by the many tasks that are ours, each of us pulled in many different directions at the same time. Think about it – what all are you juggling at the moment? What all is occupying head space for you, even right now?
Your work? Your finances? Your situation at home? A difficult relationship? Uncertainties about the future? A traumatic experience that continues to haunt you? A shameful secret? A loved one who is troubled? Health concerns? Raw grief? Concern for your parents, or your children, or grandchildren? Family who are far away?
Maybe, as you think about your life right now, you can recognize that you are worried and distracted by many things.
That’s what Jesus recognized in a woman by the name of Martha, who had opened her home to him in hospitality. In doing so she was offering a cherished gift, but was also opening her home to receive a cherished gift – the cherished gift of the peace of Christ and the good news of the kingdom.
Over the next couple of days we’ll take a closer look at her story. But for now, think about what it would mean for you to find, in the midst of the many demands and distractions of your life, a clear, undivided focus upon that which is truly important. This is the promise of the gospel, which is truly good news.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, there are so many conflicting demands and responsibilities in my life, that sometimes I truly don’t know if I’m coming or going. Help me to find a clear, undivided focus on that which is truly important, and enable me to be sharply attentive to that which you ask of me. Thank you that when I fix my attention on you, everything else can be seen in its rightful perspective. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 6:33
‘Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’
Monday, 19 July 2010
Mandela Day
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, the 18th July 2010, was the first International Mandela Day. It’s an initiative that seeks to use the occasion of Madiba’s birthday to challenge ordinary people to do something concrete to help make this world a better place. People are encouraged to donate 67 minutes of their time, representative of the 67 years that Madiba spent in politics, to make a positive contribution to the lives of others.
Personally, I think that it’s a wonderful initiative. There is certainly no better way to honour this truly great man than to allow the example of his life to inspire us to more generous, selfless and creative living of our own. That’s possibly his greatest legacy, and the greatest legacy that anyone can leave behind – to inspire others to live better lives.
As I consider the challenge of Madiba’s example, and my personal response to this Mandela Day initiative, I find myself wondering what kind of legacy I’m leaving behind. Am I living in ways that would be a positive and inspiring example to others?
The message of the gospel is that our lives are not just about us. We’re called to live in ways that allow our individual stories to be woven into the rich tapestry of God’s great story of love and redemption for the entire world. Let’s take this challenge to heart, and make a fresh start if necessary, to ensure that we are part of the solution and not just adding to the problems of this world.
There’s an old song that explores this theme in a beautiful way:
We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift though all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
SCRIPTURE READING
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Yesterday, the 18th July 2010, was the first International Mandela Day. It’s an initiative that seeks to use the occasion of Madiba’s birthday to challenge ordinary people to do something concrete to help make this world a better place. People are encouraged to donate 67 minutes of their time, representative of the 67 years that Madiba spent in politics, to make a positive contribution to the lives of others.
Personally, I think that it’s a wonderful initiative. There is certainly no better way to honour this truly great man than to allow the example of his life to inspire us to more generous, selfless and creative living of our own. That’s possibly his greatest legacy, and the greatest legacy that anyone can leave behind – to inspire others to live better lives.
As I consider the challenge of Madiba’s example, and my personal response to this Mandela Day initiative, I find myself wondering what kind of legacy I’m leaving behind. Am I living in ways that would be a positive and inspiring example to others?
The message of the gospel is that our lives are not just about us. We’re called to live in ways that allow our individual stories to be woven into the rich tapestry of God’s great story of love and redemption for the entire world. Let’s take this challenge to heart, and make a fresh start if necessary, to ensure that we are part of the solution and not just adding to the problems of this world.
There’s an old song that explores this theme in a beautiful way:
We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift though all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
O may all who come behind us find us faithful
SCRIPTURE READING
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Friday, 16 July 2010
Soft Clay
Daily Byte
Have you ever seen a potter at his or her wheel? Pottery-making is a difficult and fragile but beautiful craft. The potter brings forth something new from the earth - literally from a wet lump of clay. The potter works tenderly with the clay, crafting it into a vessel of beauty and usefulness. Throughout the Bible, God is likened to a potter and human beings are the clay, always being formed and re-formed in the masterful hands of the potter. The world teaches us to be hard, but God calls us to be soft clay in the hands of an able potter. As you read and pray the following litany, let your heart become soft to the shaping hands of the Potter. Think of all the ways that God might be making you new.
Creator God, in the beginning when we are formless,
Empty and without shape,
You pull us from the depths of the earth,
You breathe into us the breath of life,
And whisper into our unformed hearts
“You are dust and to dust you shall return.”
And with the skill, heart, and fury of a potter,
You throw us on your wheel.
Slowly you spin us on your wheel.
At times our incompleteness stings,
The muddy clay seeps into our wounds,
Your touch seems harsh.
We cry out for healing,
“How long, O God, will you take to overhaul my heart?”
But we must be beaten and broken,
We must first be centered before made beautiful.
You dip your hands into an ocean
Of living water,
And run your fingertips along our edges
You fill the cracks; you smooth the seams,
You restore our souls.
As we spin faster, even the wheel cries out in praise
We will sing of your Love, Oh Lord.
Your gentle touch fashions
In us the beauty of your image.
Your refiner’s fire bakes in us
The heat of your love.
And even in our weary words and half-kept promises,
In our tired backs and weathered hands,
Still you are ever-crafting in us
An image of your grace.
As we go today, let us remember
that our hands were crafted for healing,
Our heart for loving,
And our feet to leave in abundance the footprints of Christ.
But we are yet unfinished.
And as the clay belongs to the potter, so we belong to God. Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 18: 1-6
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done?’ says the Lord. ‘Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’
Have you ever seen a potter at his or her wheel? Pottery-making is a difficult and fragile but beautiful craft. The potter brings forth something new from the earth - literally from a wet lump of clay. The potter works tenderly with the clay, crafting it into a vessel of beauty and usefulness. Throughout the Bible, God is likened to a potter and human beings are the clay, always being formed and re-formed in the masterful hands of the potter. The world teaches us to be hard, but God calls us to be soft clay in the hands of an able potter. As you read and pray the following litany, let your heart become soft to the shaping hands of the Potter. Think of all the ways that God might be making you new.
Creator God, in the beginning when we are formless,
Empty and without shape,
You pull us from the depths of the earth,
You breathe into us the breath of life,
And whisper into our unformed hearts
“You are dust and to dust you shall return.”
And with the skill, heart, and fury of a potter,
You throw us on your wheel.
Slowly you spin us on your wheel.
At times our incompleteness stings,
The muddy clay seeps into our wounds,
Your touch seems harsh.
We cry out for healing,
“How long, O God, will you take to overhaul my heart?”
But we must be beaten and broken,
We must first be centered before made beautiful.
You dip your hands into an ocean
Of living water,
And run your fingertips along our edges
You fill the cracks; you smooth the seams,
You restore our souls.
As we spin faster, even the wheel cries out in praise
We will sing of your Love, Oh Lord.
Your gentle touch fashions
In us the beauty of your image.
Your refiner’s fire bakes in us
The heat of your love.
And even in our weary words and half-kept promises,
In our tired backs and weathered hands,
Still you are ever-crafting in us
An image of your grace.
As we go today, let us remember
that our hands were crafted for healing,
Our heart for loving,
And our feet to leave in abundance the footprints of Christ.
But we are yet unfinished.
And as the clay belongs to the potter, so we belong to God. Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 18: 1-6
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done?’ says the Lord. ‘Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’
Thursday, 15 July 2010
The Rubbish Ritual
Daily Byte
Growing up, we had a dreaded tradition in my household called, “the annual washing of the rubbish bins.” One Saturday morning in late spring, my mom would announce at the breakfast table that today was the day - my brother and I would have to wash all the rubbish bins in the house.
Over the years, my brother and I developed an elaborate system - ritual, you might even call it - to perform this task. First we collected all of the rubbish bins, emptied them, and took them out to the driveway to spray them with the hose. We must have had about ten or fifteen rubbish bins in the house, of all different shapes and sizes and colours.
Now my brother and I never worked well together, and cooperation with a hose was out of question. So we always split up the bins; I washed half and he washed half. We took turns selecting our rubbish bins, like picking players for a team in gym class! The dirtier bins, like the crusty, kitchen bin, were always left for last.
Now it wasn’t enough just to spray off the rubbish bins with the hose; these bins needed scrubbing! And so we’d pour dish soap into a trashcan and fill it up with the hose. Then, my mother would bring out toilet brushes, and we would actually scrub the inside and the outside of every bin with a toilet brush! We would pour the soapy water from one rubbish bin into the next, scrub it, and turn it over to dry.
When all the bins had been washed, we spread them out up-side down all over driveway and wait for this rainbow of rubbish bins sparkling in the sun, to dry. It was quite a sight to see!
My brother and I secretly enjoyed this tradition when we were younger. But as we grew older, we became embarrassed when the neighbours walked by and saw us scrubbing rubbish bins in the driveway. We began to question – “what exactly is the point of washing a rubbish bin that you’re just going to refill with rubbish?” But my mother insisted that the rubbish bins needed to be washed. And when we pulled the bins out into the sun, where all the dirt and smells were exposed, we could usually see that my mother was right.
Sometimes we tend to think that there are certain corners of our lives that don’t need cleansing or healing, or even to be brought out into the light. We would rather keep these dark parts of our past to ourselves; we would rather let them smoulder inside of us. The thought of bringing dark parts of our lives out into the light might seem painful, embarrassing, or even pointless. But Christ comes to cleanse and heal every part of our lives - every broken corner of our heart, every sinful thought, every disappointment or hint of despair. All of these stand in need of God’s gracious cleansing and pardon.
In church, we actually do something similar to the ritual of rubbish bin washing - we participate in the ritual confession. As a community, we confess our sins to God - we bring to light the fact that we are broken creatures. And then we ask God for forgiveness and healing. This is a beautiful ritual, by which even the darkest parts of our lives can be made clean again.
Prayer
Gracious God,
You wash away the filth, the stain, and the oldness deep within us. You wash us until we are clean, and you grant us solace until we are whole. We bring before you our secrets, our dark corners, our brokenness, and our pain. Cleanse us and restore us to beauty. We trust that we are beautiful in the light of your love. Thank you for always walking with us on our journey toward newness and wholeness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Focus Reading
Psalm 51:1-2, 6-8
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Growing up, we had a dreaded tradition in my household called, “the annual washing of the rubbish bins.” One Saturday morning in late spring, my mom would announce at the breakfast table that today was the day - my brother and I would have to wash all the rubbish bins in the house.
Over the years, my brother and I developed an elaborate system - ritual, you might even call it - to perform this task. First we collected all of the rubbish bins, emptied them, and took them out to the driveway to spray them with the hose. We must have had about ten or fifteen rubbish bins in the house, of all different shapes and sizes and colours.
Now my brother and I never worked well together, and cooperation with a hose was out of question. So we always split up the bins; I washed half and he washed half. We took turns selecting our rubbish bins, like picking players for a team in gym class! The dirtier bins, like the crusty, kitchen bin, were always left for last.
Now it wasn’t enough just to spray off the rubbish bins with the hose; these bins needed scrubbing! And so we’d pour dish soap into a trashcan and fill it up with the hose. Then, my mother would bring out toilet brushes, and we would actually scrub the inside and the outside of every bin with a toilet brush! We would pour the soapy water from one rubbish bin into the next, scrub it, and turn it over to dry.
When all the bins had been washed, we spread them out up-side down all over driveway and wait for this rainbow of rubbish bins sparkling in the sun, to dry. It was quite a sight to see!
My brother and I secretly enjoyed this tradition when we were younger. But as we grew older, we became embarrassed when the neighbours walked by and saw us scrubbing rubbish bins in the driveway. We began to question – “what exactly is the point of washing a rubbish bin that you’re just going to refill with rubbish?” But my mother insisted that the rubbish bins needed to be washed. And when we pulled the bins out into the sun, where all the dirt and smells were exposed, we could usually see that my mother was right.
Sometimes we tend to think that there are certain corners of our lives that don’t need cleansing or healing, or even to be brought out into the light. We would rather keep these dark parts of our past to ourselves; we would rather let them smoulder inside of us. The thought of bringing dark parts of our lives out into the light might seem painful, embarrassing, or even pointless. But Christ comes to cleanse and heal every part of our lives - every broken corner of our heart, every sinful thought, every disappointment or hint of despair. All of these stand in need of God’s gracious cleansing and pardon.
In church, we actually do something similar to the ritual of rubbish bin washing - we participate in the ritual confession. As a community, we confess our sins to God - we bring to light the fact that we are broken creatures. And then we ask God for forgiveness and healing. This is a beautiful ritual, by which even the darkest parts of our lives can be made clean again.
Prayer
Gracious God,
You wash away the filth, the stain, and the oldness deep within us. You wash us until we are clean, and you grant us solace until we are whole. We bring before you our secrets, our dark corners, our brokenness, and our pain. Cleanse us and restore us to beauty. We trust that we are beautiful in the light of your love. Thank you for always walking with us on our journey toward newness and wholeness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Focus Reading
Psalm 51:1-2, 6-8
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Celebrating Diversity
Daily Byte
Several weeks ago, our church held a holiday club entitled, “Crossing Borders: Passport to the Promised Land!” With the World Cup in town, we wanted to teach the children about the fantastic diversity across the world and how we can all come together as one. Throughout the week we played games, sang songs, and crafted musical instruments from all over the world.
On Friday, our theme was “God celebrates our diversity!” and we shared the story of Pentecost with the children. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended and tongues of fire rested on the disciples’ heads. The disciples were given new ability to proclaim the gospel in all different languages. Ever since the Tower of Babel, language had divided people, but at Pentecost the gift of language was given in order to unite people. Pentecost is a celebration of the diversity of languages and peoples, a reminder that God’s love may be understood by all.
At the end of Friday, we closed the holiday club with a talent show, the likes of which I had never seen before. About thirty children signed up as individuals or teams, creating twenty rather unusual acts. Two boys brought in their remote control cars, and sent them zooming up and down the aisles of the church! Some of the leaders choreographed a dance with two little girls to the World Cup song. Several seven-year-old boys showed off their “soccer skills,” and the soccer balls went flying around the sanctuary! The littlest boy of them all — six years old — did a single cartwheel as his talent, while all the children cheered! There was piano, interpretive dancing, juggling, drama, and singing. One boy even stood on his head for thirty-seconds, and walked all the way to the back of the sanctuary on his head! Unusual and incredible talents were simply coming out of the woodwork! At the end, all the children came to the front, raised their voices and stomped their feet to the song “Jabulani, Africa.”
Many people might not have appreciated the last-minute, makeshift talent show, but for those who had eyes to see, the show was spectacular! The talent show was a perfect illustration of the daily theme: “God celebrates our diversity.” I never suspected that the children would each have such marvelous gifts to share with the church. Even though some of them seemed a bit odd, they all came together to form fantastic celebration of diversity.
What are your unique gifts, skills, passions and interests? There is room in God’s talent show for all of them—no matter how quirky they might be. God has uniquely created us all, and God celebrates our diversity.
Prayer
Creator God, You have fearfully and wonderfully made me with specific gifts, passions, and quirks. Thank you for the diversity on this earth—for brothers and sisters who are both similar and different from myself. I pray that you teach me to appreciate the diversity around me, and especially to love and embrace other people. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ who binds us all together as one. Amen.
Scripture
Acts 2:1-11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’
Several weeks ago, our church held a holiday club entitled, “Crossing Borders: Passport to the Promised Land!” With the World Cup in town, we wanted to teach the children about the fantastic diversity across the world and how we can all come together as one. Throughout the week we played games, sang songs, and crafted musical instruments from all over the world.
On Friday, our theme was “God celebrates our diversity!” and we shared the story of Pentecost with the children. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended and tongues of fire rested on the disciples’ heads. The disciples were given new ability to proclaim the gospel in all different languages. Ever since the Tower of Babel, language had divided people, but at Pentecost the gift of language was given in order to unite people. Pentecost is a celebration of the diversity of languages and peoples, a reminder that God’s love may be understood by all.
At the end of Friday, we closed the holiday club with a talent show, the likes of which I had never seen before. About thirty children signed up as individuals or teams, creating twenty rather unusual acts. Two boys brought in their remote control cars, and sent them zooming up and down the aisles of the church! Some of the leaders choreographed a dance with two little girls to the World Cup song. Several seven-year-old boys showed off their “soccer skills,” and the soccer balls went flying around the sanctuary! The littlest boy of them all — six years old — did a single cartwheel as his talent, while all the children cheered! There was piano, interpretive dancing, juggling, drama, and singing. One boy even stood on his head for thirty-seconds, and walked all the way to the back of the sanctuary on his head! Unusual and incredible talents were simply coming out of the woodwork! At the end, all the children came to the front, raised their voices and stomped their feet to the song “Jabulani, Africa.”
Many people might not have appreciated the last-minute, makeshift talent show, but for those who had eyes to see, the show was spectacular! The talent show was a perfect illustration of the daily theme: “God celebrates our diversity.” I never suspected that the children would each have such marvelous gifts to share with the church. Even though some of them seemed a bit odd, they all came together to form fantastic celebration of diversity.
What are your unique gifts, skills, passions and interests? There is room in God’s talent show for all of them—no matter how quirky they might be. God has uniquely created us all, and God celebrates our diversity.
Prayer
Creator God, You have fearfully and wonderfully made me with specific gifts, passions, and quirks. Thank you for the diversity on this earth—for brothers and sisters who are both similar and different from myself. I pray that you teach me to appreciate the diversity around me, and especially to love and embrace other people. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ who binds us all together as one. Amen.
Scripture
Acts 2:1-11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Newness in Christ
Daily Byte
Antoine de St. Exupery wrote a children’s book called The Little Prince – a whimsical tale about a little prince who travels from one fictional planet to another. While his adventure is grand, many of the planets he visits are quite small. So small, in fact, that he can watch the sun set, then quickly walk to the other side of the planet, and watch the sun set again! As long as he can walk more quickly than the little planets revolve, he can watch the sun rise and set as many times as he likes.
If the earth were not so big, I too might like to chase the sun around the earth, basking in hundreds of sunrises. I don’t think I would ever grow tired of this hobby, because there is something remarkably new about a sunrise.
Each time the sun sets, the sky becomes an empty canvas for the next morning’s artwork. The morning sky can be radically different from yesterday; it marks the beginning of a new day. The sky has never looked quite like this before, and the day is full of new possibilities. Every sunrise is a type of rebirth.
Just as the sky is always reinventing itself at sunrise, so too does Christ offer us a life of newness. We need not feel constrained by yesterday, for the possibility of today stands bright and fresh. Christ offers forgiveness for yesterday’s failures, sins, and disappointments. But more than that, Christ invites us to step wholly into a new way of living today.
There are many old things inside of us and we tend to hold on to old things because they are comfortable and known. Some of our old tendencies may be painful, such as the lingering heartache of a broken relationship. Or perhaps we suffer from a creeping complacency and boredom with the status quo. Or we may find that our hearts have grown stale, past sins keep us from God, or we struggle with jealousy and the inability to forgive. As we grow in Christ, we will let go of these old habits and become transformed into new creations.
Like the sunrise each morning, Christ offers us new life — so let us abandon what is old, and chase after the new!
Prayer
Almighty God,
Remove from us the cloak of old habits and sin which leads to death, and clothe us in new garments—garments of love, forgiveness, and generosity. Reveal to us our habits which lead to death, and transform us into creatures of life! We ask for new ideas, new friendships, new wisdom, and new places to serve. Thank you for your mercies, which are new every morning. And for your great love which is always changing us. Amen.
Scripture
2 Cor. 5:17-21
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat –you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Antoine de St. Exupery wrote a children’s book called The Little Prince – a whimsical tale about a little prince who travels from one fictional planet to another. While his adventure is grand, many of the planets he visits are quite small. So small, in fact, that he can watch the sun set, then quickly walk to the other side of the planet, and watch the sun set again! As long as he can walk more quickly than the little planets revolve, he can watch the sun rise and set as many times as he likes.
If the earth were not so big, I too might like to chase the sun around the earth, basking in hundreds of sunrises. I don’t think I would ever grow tired of this hobby, because there is something remarkably new about a sunrise.
Each time the sun sets, the sky becomes an empty canvas for the next morning’s artwork. The morning sky can be radically different from yesterday; it marks the beginning of a new day. The sky has never looked quite like this before, and the day is full of new possibilities. Every sunrise is a type of rebirth.
Just as the sky is always reinventing itself at sunrise, so too does Christ offer us a life of newness. We need not feel constrained by yesterday, for the possibility of today stands bright and fresh. Christ offers forgiveness for yesterday’s failures, sins, and disappointments. But more than that, Christ invites us to step wholly into a new way of living today.
There are many old things inside of us and we tend to hold on to old things because they are comfortable and known. Some of our old tendencies may be painful, such as the lingering heartache of a broken relationship. Or perhaps we suffer from a creeping complacency and boredom with the status quo. Or we may find that our hearts have grown stale, past sins keep us from God, or we struggle with jealousy and the inability to forgive. As we grow in Christ, we will let go of these old habits and become transformed into new creations.
Like the sunrise each morning, Christ offers us new life — so let us abandon what is old, and chase after the new!
Prayer
Almighty God,
Remove from us the cloak of old habits and sin which leads to death, and clothe us in new garments—garments of love, forgiveness, and generosity. Reveal to us our habits which lead to death, and transform us into creatures of life! We ask for new ideas, new friendships, new wisdom, and new places to serve. Thank you for your mercies, which are new every morning. And for your great love which is always changing us. Amen.
Scripture
2 Cor. 5:17-21
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat –you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Monday, 12 July 2010
Christian Unity
Daily Byte
This week's BDC is written by Bonnie Scott
In South Africa, host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an eerie silence hangs over cities and towns. The constant background noise of the buzzing vuvuzelas has ceased. The 2010 World Cup has officially come to an end. For those who have been glued to the televised matches and reveling in all the festivities, the end comes as a let-down. But for others, the end of the World Cup marks a welcomed return back to “normal life.” As the excitement begins to taper off, the holidays end, and tourists pack their bags, South Africans can unglue themselves from the television screens — or at least turn their attention to rugby season.
But will things go back to normal? Or has the World Cup brought about some permanent change in the country and the people who experienced it?
As a foreigner living in South Africa for the past two months, I have witnessed the incredible impact of the World Cup on the country. South Africans have unified in supporting their home team, Bafana Bafana, heading out to the fan park in droves, clad with yellow and green. People from all different backgrounds and walks of life attended games at the fan parks, singing the same songs, cheering the same cheers, throwing high-fives to strangers. Further, South Africans have worked tirelessly and cooperatively in hosting this grand event. Many people pitched in to clean up the cities, secure the safety of visitors, and welcome teams and tourists from all over the world.
As the World Cup has shown, sports like soccer can be a remarkable force of unity. People often come together under the banner or flag of a sports team because they share a common goal and sometimes a common enemy.
But as Christians, we believe that something far greater than sports can bring unity to diverse people. Jesus Christ broke down the barriers and the dividing walls between us, creating in himself “one new humanity!” Language, race, gender, or sexual orientation, are no longer dividing factors, for we are all made “one” in Christ. Christ has adopted us, made us children of God and brothers and sisters of one another. These family ties far exceed the ties to our biological families, our nation-states, or our favourite soccer team. These ties outlast the end of the World Cup and even this life, extending beyond death into God’s new creation.
In baptism we are given a new identity — children of God. We are not united by a common enemy or rival, but by the love of Christ which forms our shared identity and our common mission. But have we allowed our baptism to change us permanently? While Christ seeks to make all his children into one family, we often resist this call to unity and treat other people as if they are ultimately different or “other” from us. When you look at another person, do you see a brother or sister?
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for breaking down the dividing walls between us and for creating one new humanity! Teach us how to live as one unified people, accepting and celebrating our diversity. Bind us together in the spirit of your love and generosity to the world. Amen.
Scripture
1 Cor. 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Eph. 2:13-18
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
This week's BDC is written by Bonnie Scott
In South Africa, host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an eerie silence hangs over cities and towns. The constant background noise of the buzzing vuvuzelas has ceased. The 2010 World Cup has officially come to an end. For those who have been glued to the televised matches and reveling in all the festivities, the end comes as a let-down. But for others, the end of the World Cup marks a welcomed return back to “normal life.” As the excitement begins to taper off, the holidays end, and tourists pack their bags, South Africans can unglue themselves from the television screens — or at least turn their attention to rugby season.
But will things go back to normal? Or has the World Cup brought about some permanent change in the country and the people who experienced it?
As a foreigner living in South Africa for the past two months, I have witnessed the incredible impact of the World Cup on the country. South Africans have unified in supporting their home team, Bafana Bafana, heading out to the fan park in droves, clad with yellow and green. People from all different backgrounds and walks of life attended games at the fan parks, singing the same songs, cheering the same cheers, throwing high-fives to strangers. Further, South Africans have worked tirelessly and cooperatively in hosting this grand event. Many people pitched in to clean up the cities, secure the safety of visitors, and welcome teams and tourists from all over the world.
As the World Cup has shown, sports like soccer can be a remarkable force of unity. People often come together under the banner or flag of a sports team because they share a common goal and sometimes a common enemy.
But as Christians, we believe that something far greater than sports can bring unity to diverse people. Jesus Christ broke down the barriers and the dividing walls between us, creating in himself “one new humanity!” Language, race, gender, or sexual orientation, are no longer dividing factors, for we are all made “one” in Christ. Christ has adopted us, made us children of God and brothers and sisters of one another. These family ties far exceed the ties to our biological families, our nation-states, or our favourite soccer team. These ties outlast the end of the World Cup and even this life, extending beyond death into God’s new creation.
In baptism we are given a new identity — children of God. We are not united by a common enemy or rival, but by the love of Christ which forms our shared identity and our common mission. But have we allowed our baptism to change us permanently? While Christ seeks to make all his children into one family, we often resist this call to unity and treat other people as if they are ultimately different or “other” from us. When you look at another person, do you see a brother or sister?
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for breaking down the dividing walls between us and for creating one new humanity! Teach us how to live as one unified people, accepting and celebrating our diversity. Bind us together in the spirit of your love and generosity to the world. Amen.
Scripture
1 Cor. 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Eph. 2:13-18
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Friday, 9 July 2010
Power to Become
Daily Byte
From 1952 to 1970 there was a TV show hosted by Art Linkletter and as a part of that show there was a segment called, Kids say the darndest things. It featured Art Linkletter interviewing children about things and issues that were important to them. One of Art Linkletters favorite questions to children was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Branded into my memory is one interview when Art asked this to a boy. The boy’s answer was, “a bus driver or a pilot.” Art responded by asking the boy, “If you were flying a plane and all the engines went out, what would you do?” The boy thought for a moment then lowered his head and said, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
This retelling of an old Art Linkletter interview emphasises that we often are programmed from childhood to think about what we want to become. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was often heavily gendered with boys expecting to be police officers; firefighters; astronauts; and presidents, and girls expecting to be teachers; nurses; and moms. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was strongly racialized with expectations of white children becoming educated; professionals; and leaders, and black children becoming laborers; helpers; or maybe even prisoners. Thank God some of us have moved away from the gender and race categories that stuck people into certain expectations. All of us know that we still have a long way to go.
A common misunderstanding is that our final status just happens. That we are instantaneously transformed into the complete perfected work of God. This is a fallacy and we must remember that God is still working on us.
You are becoming. In your life, you are becoming. In your family you are becoming. In your faith you are becoming. You are in process. This very process calls for power. It takes the authoritative power of Jesus Christ to go through the becoming process. Our scripture declares to us that Jesus gives us this authoritative power. We are a powerful contingent of those that are regenerated, born again, and know we are saved by Christ’s redeeming blood. We are empowered. This is often the hardest lesson for many of us to get. Sometimes we become accustom to defeat.
Before Christ did his work of salvation, we were strangers, aliens, enemies in the land; and every word that means an evil thing might have been applied to us; but when we laid hold on Christ, when we received him, we were adopted by The Greatest Citizen of the land, and publicly acknowledged in the Kingdom as being that Great Citizen’s child. We were then regarded as Children of God.
Because of this you have been invited to the great celebration, the great party in glory. You are invited, not as servants, not as neighbors, not as foreign guest, not as news reporters, not as photographers. The Great Party Planner has placed you on the list as a special participant. You are His child.
Focus Reading
John 1:12
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
Staying Online Prayer
Lord, Thank you for the power to become. What an exciting opportunity you provide to become your child through Jesus Christ. Keep making me into what you would have me to be. Sometimes it is the greatest joy to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
From 1952 to 1970 there was a TV show hosted by Art Linkletter and as a part of that show there was a segment called, Kids say the darndest things. It featured Art Linkletter interviewing children about things and issues that were important to them. One of Art Linkletters favorite questions to children was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Branded into my memory is one interview when Art asked this to a boy. The boy’s answer was, “a bus driver or a pilot.” Art responded by asking the boy, “If you were flying a plane and all the engines went out, what would you do?” The boy thought for a moment then lowered his head and said, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
This retelling of an old Art Linkletter interview emphasises that we often are programmed from childhood to think about what we want to become. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was often heavily gendered with boys expecting to be police officers; firefighters; astronauts; and presidents, and girls expecting to be teachers; nurses; and moms. In the past, and still in some places now, this question was strongly racialized with expectations of white children becoming educated; professionals; and leaders, and black children becoming laborers; helpers; or maybe even prisoners. Thank God some of us have moved away from the gender and race categories that stuck people into certain expectations. All of us know that we still have a long way to go.
A common misunderstanding is that our final status just happens. That we are instantaneously transformed into the complete perfected work of God. This is a fallacy and we must remember that God is still working on us.
You are becoming. In your life, you are becoming. In your family you are becoming. In your faith you are becoming. You are in process. This very process calls for power. It takes the authoritative power of Jesus Christ to go through the becoming process. Our scripture declares to us that Jesus gives us this authoritative power. We are a powerful contingent of those that are regenerated, born again, and know we are saved by Christ’s redeeming blood. We are empowered. This is often the hardest lesson for many of us to get. Sometimes we become accustom to defeat.
Before Christ did his work of salvation, we were strangers, aliens, enemies in the land; and every word that means an evil thing might have been applied to us; but when we laid hold on Christ, when we received him, we were adopted by The Greatest Citizen of the land, and publicly acknowledged in the Kingdom as being that Great Citizen’s child. We were then regarded as Children of God.
Because of this you have been invited to the great celebration, the great party in glory. You are invited, not as servants, not as neighbors, not as foreign guest, not as news reporters, not as photographers. The Great Party Planner has placed you on the list as a special participant. You are His child.
Focus Reading
John 1:12
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
Staying Online Prayer
Lord, Thank you for the power to become. What an exciting opportunity you provide to become your child through Jesus Christ. Keep making me into what you would have me to be. Sometimes it is the greatest joy to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
Thursday, 8 July 2010
God Uses Broken Things - Part 3
Daily Byte
Two days ago we saw the story of Naomi and Ruth, and unusual and unlikely mother/daughter relationship from the Hebrew Bible. Yesterday we started looking at a modern story of Jeanne, a white woman and Regina, a black girl who were candidates for mother/daughter adoption, but were denied because of race. Let's look together as their story continues.
Regina eventually graduated from high school and college, and starts an upscale beauty salon. It is so successful that she opens a second one. Regina tries to find Jeanne as an adult but is unsuccessful. Regina had started a family and she was doing well financially, but she felt a need to tell her story of pain growing up in all of these placements. She wanted other foster children to know that there is hope and that they are not alone. Twenty-five years after the last meeting with Jeanne in the shelter, she writes her story and her book titled Somebody’s Someone is published and it becomes a sensation. She was on a radio program telling her story when one of Regina’s former co-workers heard her and she knew where Jeanne was. She called Jeanne and told her about the book and that Regina has a website.
To make the story short, Regina and Jeanne were reconnected in 2003, twenty-five years after they last saw one-another at the group home. Jeanne loved Regina as a daughter, and Regina loved Jeanne as a mother. That same year, they went to the same courthouse that had denied the adoption and petitioned that Jeanne would become the permanent mother of Regina. They found a judge that heard about the story, and a formal ceremony was held making them officially, Mother and Daughter. Regina was in her forties when she was finally adopted.
The moral of this story is found in Regina’s words. “I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.” Regina found a truth that is an enduring truth for all of us. God has a plan that involves us giving and receiving help from one another.
We often allow race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age and religion to create barriers that hold back the joy of aligning with God’s will. Naomi and Ruth rejected all of the reasons they should not be mother and daughter. Jeanne and Regina were told no to being mother and daughter, but eventually they were brought together for a unique bonding experience.
The truth of the matter is that the systems and circumstances tried to take the joy out of their lives. Looking at Naomi holding Obed in her lap, I think I hear Naomi saying, “I still have joy.” After going through the death of my husband; after going through the deaths of my sons; after having to move back home; after a season of depression; after facing the fact that she won't have any biological grandchildren. I think I can hear her saying, “After all I’ve been through I still have joy.” Looking at Regina now being able to claim Jeanne as her legal mother, I think I hear Regina saying, “After being abandoned by my biological parents; after being shipped from home to home; after facing abusive caregivers, after being separated from the person that showed me genuine love. I think I can hear Regina saying, “After all I’ve been through I still have Joy.”
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online Prayer:
Lord, Thank you for the heart of Regina that says, “I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.”
Two days ago we saw the story of Naomi and Ruth, and unusual and unlikely mother/daughter relationship from the Hebrew Bible. Yesterday we started looking at a modern story of Jeanne, a white woman and Regina, a black girl who were candidates for mother/daughter adoption, but were denied because of race. Let's look together as their story continues.
Regina eventually graduated from high school and college, and starts an upscale beauty salon. It is so successful that she opens a second one. Regina tries to find Jeanne as an adult but is unsuccessful. Regina had started a family and she was doing well financially, but she felt a need to tell her story of pain growing up in all of these placements. She wanted other foster children to know that there is hope and that they are not alone. Twenty-five years after the last meeting with Jeanne in the shelter, she writes her story and her book titled Somebody’s Someone is published and it becomes a sensation. She was on a radio program telling her story when one of Regina’s former co-workers heard her and she knew where Jeanne was. She called Jeanne and told her about the book and that Regina has a website.
To make the story short, Regina and Jeanne were reconnected in 2003, twenty-five years after they last saw one-another at the group home. Jeanne loved Regina as a daughter, and Regina loved Jeanne as a mother. That same year, they went to the same courthouse that had denied the adoption and petitioned that Jeanne would become the permanent mother of Regina. They found a judge that heard about the story, and a formal ceremony was held making them officially, Mother and Daughter. Regina was in her forties when she was finally adopted.
The moral of this story is found in Regina’s words. “I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.” Regina found a truth that is an enduring truth for all of us. God has a plan that involves us giving and receiving help from one another.
We often allow race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age and religion to create barriers that hold back the joy of aligning with God’s will. Naomi and Ruth rejected all of the reasons they should not be mother and daughter. Jeanne and Regina were told no to being mother and daughter, but eventually they were brought together for a unique bonding experience.
The truth of the matter is that the systems and circumstances tried to take the joy out of their lives. Looking at Naomi holding Obed in her lap, I think I hear Naomi saying, “I still have joy.” After going through the death of my husband; after going through the deaths of my sons; after having to move back home; after a season of depression; after facing the fact that she won't have any biological grandchildren. I think I can hear her saying, “After all I’ve been through I still have joy.” Looking at Regina now being able to claim Jeanne as her legal mother, I think I hear Regina saying, “After being abandoned by my biological parents; after being shipped from home to home; after facing abusive caregivers, after being separated from the person that showed me genuine love. I think I can hear Regina saying, “After all I’ve been through I still have Joy.”
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online Prayer:
Lord, Thank you for the heart of Regina that says, “I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.”
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
God Uses Broken Things - Part 2
Daily Byte
Yesterday, I shared the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth becoming unlikely partners journeying together, and today I will share a modern story involving two women who became unlikely partners journeying through life together. The story of Jeanne and Regina is a story with an ending unlike any that I have ever heard. Regina was an Black girl when her mother turned her over to Child Protective Services saying that she could not take care of her. You see, Regina’s mother and father had addiction problems that put Regina at risk of not receiving the care that a child should receive. Regina began a season in her life where she was moved from foster home to foster home, from placement to placement, from group home to group home. Regina said she stopped counting when the number of placement hit thirty. She tells stories of even being abused in some of these foster homes.
At the age of twelve she was tired of moving from place to place and she ran and turned herself into the local police station. Her case goes to court and at age twelve she is sent to a group home for girls. While there she meets a counselor by the name of Jeanne, a white woman, who encourages her and connects with her in a way that no one had ever been able to in the past. Regina gave her the nickname she never used for any of her foster mothers. Regina sometimes would call her “mama”. Listen to what Regina says Jeanne told her one-day. “No matter what – there will always be something or someone for everybody.” Regina reported that her response to this statement was that, “Somehow I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.”
Regina came alive while Jeanne mentored her and Jeanne became committed to seeing this young lady thrive. To Regina, Jeanne was that someone that God had placed on this earth to help her. At some point they entertained the notion that Jeanne would adopt Regina, and they both got excited about the possibility of Regina getting to leave the group shelter and have a more normal upbringing in a home. Who could oppose such a marvelous opportunity for this young lady? Jeanne applied to Social Services and petitioned the courts to adopt this child that no one else was coming forward to adopt.
There was one problem, Jeanne was white and Regina was Black. Well, the petition was denied. As a matter of fact, the courts indicated that the counselor's continued treatment to the child was hampering potential placements that they thought were better for her. The day that they thought that Regina would get to go home with Jeanne was the day that Jeanne was ordered to stop having contact with her all together.
Reflecting on what Jeanne had done for her, Regina writes in her memoir, “I wanted to let her know that for the first time someone had stood up and fought for me, just plain ole me. Not for the money they would get from the county, or wherever – but b’cause they just liked me. But most of all I wanted her to know that no matter what – no matter what – it was more than good ‘nough to know that finally, finally, somebody had wanted me for their own someone, just like I’d ‘magined. I wanted her to know that this was more than any body had ever wanted for me.”
Tomorrow I will share the dramatic conclusion to this story.
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online – Prayer
Lord, I thank you for all of the somebody’s that have been my life. Please allow me to be somebody to someone.
Yesterday, I shared the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth becoming unlikely partners journeying together, and today I will share a modern story involving two women who became unlikely partners journeying through life together. The story of Jeanne and Regina is a story with an ending unlike any that I have ever heard. Regina was an Black girl when her mother turned her over to Child Protective Services saying that she could not take care of her. You see, Regina’s mother and father had addiction problems that put Regina at risk of not receiving the care that a child should receive. Regina began a season in her life where she was moved from foster home to foster home, from placement to placement, from group home to group home. Regina said she stopped counting when the number of placement hit thirty. She tells stories of even being abused in some of these foster homes.
At the age of twelve she was tired of moving from place to place and she ran and turned herself into the local police station. Her case goes to court and at age twelve she is sent to a group home for girls. While there she meets a counselor by the name of Jeanne, a white woman, who encourages her and connects with her in a way that no one had ever been able to in the past. Regina gave her the nickname she never used for any of her foster mothers. Regina sometimes would call her “mama”. Listen to what Regina says Jeanne told her one-day. “No matter what – there will always be something or someone for everybody.” Regina reported that her response to this statement was that, “Somehow I made myself believe that God, in his plan, had made sure that nobody would never, ever in a million years be left on their own without being held up or helped out.”
Regina came alive while Jeanne mentored her and Jeanne became committed to seeing this young lady thrive. To Regina, Jeanne was that someone that God had placed on this earth to help her. At some point they entertained the notion that Jeanne would adopt Regina, and they both got excited about the possibility of Regina getting to leave the group shelter and have a more normal upbringing in a home. Who could oppose such a marvelous opportunity for this young lady? Jeanne applied to Social Services and petitioned the courts to adopt this child that no one else was coming forward to adopt.
There was one problem, Jeanne was white and Regina was Black. Well, the petition was denied. As a matter of fact, the courts indicated that the counselor's continued treatment to the child was hampering potential placements that they thought were better for her. The day that they thought that Regina would get to go home with Jeanne was the day that Jeanne was ordered to stop having contact with her all together.
Reflecting on what Jeanne had done for her, Regina writes in her memoir, “I wanted to let her know that for the first time someone had stood up and fought for me, just plain ole me. Not for the money they would get from the county, or wherever – but b’cause they just liked me. But most of all I wanted her to know that no matter what – no matter what – it was more than good ‘nough to know that finally, finally, somebody had wanted me for their own someone, just like I’d ‘magined. I wanted her to know that this was more than any body had ever wanted for me.”
Tomorrow I will share the dramatic conclusion to this story.
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online – Prayer
Lord, I thank you for all of the somebody’s that have been my life. Please allow me to be somebody to someone.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
God Uses Broken Things
Daily Byte
The story of Naomi and Ruth is one of the most familiar in the Old Testament. It is a story that usually focuses more on Ruth, and thus the book is titled after her. But I often think of it as a story more about Naomi. The beginning of the book starts with Naomi and the end of the book concludes with Naomi. In between, we see the merging of two unlikely candidates for familial ties. The Hebrew Naomi and her husband and their two sons are living in Moab because of a famine in their own land. Naomi is Hebrew and Ruth is a Moabite. Nationalism and ethnic purity were strong barriers in that era. They are strong tendencies toward barriers in our current era.
As we view Naomi initially, she had to be happy, and if not happy she had to be hopeful for the future. She has a husband and she has two sons. Some say, that means she had three sons. Her husband represented fulfillment in the current day, but probably what gave her great joy was her sons and the prospect of having grandchildren. Naomi was living it up off of what she had and what she expected to have.
But we learn that Naomi’s husband suddenly died. Ouch! That had to have hurt her deeply. The story then says her sons married Moabite women, but they both suddenly died. Ouch and ouch again! This trilogy of deaths stopped me cold in my tracks to ask why are these men dying? The most probable reason was war. War then and war now takes lives. War has always been a widow-maker and if my speculation is right, it reached into Naomi’s life with a vengeance.
We find one of the Moabite women, Ruth, attaching to Naomi and together they move to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem. After some maneuvering, Ruth marries Naomi’s relative, Boaz. Ruth and Boaz have a son. That is where we pickup on the text today. Naomi is holding Ruth’s baby in her lap. What a joyous picture. This woman that had lost so much is now enjoying the role as caregiver to Ruth and Boaz’s child. If you cannot see some joy in that we need to check your pulse.
On top of that, the record is that the women that lived there got involved. They started saying, “Naomi has a son.” It was like they had a baby shower for Naomi. Something special happens when a baby is introduced into a room full of women. There was a shared joy that seemed to permeate the community. This was not a personal joy. To me, there is something suspicious about personal joy that is just for you or just for yours. Real joy is shared.
The moral of the story of Naomi and Ruth is that the journey to joy takes us through devastated aspirations and broken lives. Crumbled aspirations and broken lives are fertile ground for God’s work to be revealed. Often it is our intact aspirations and intact lives that hold God away. A shattering or a breakage is an opportunity for God to get through to us.
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online – Prayer
Lord we come to you and ask you to “take us, and break us, and make us just like you. Take us, and break us, and make us just like you”.
The story of Naomi and Ruth is one of the most familiar in the Old Testament. It is a story that usually focuses more on Ruth, and thus the book is titled after her. But I often think of it as a story more about Naomi. The beginning of the book starts with Naomi and the end of the book concludes with Naomi. In between, we see the merging of two unlikely candidates for familial ties. The Hebrew Naomi and her husband and their two sons are living in Moab because of a famine in their own land. Naomi is Hebrew and Ruth is a Moabite. Nationalism and ethnic purity were strong barriers in that era. They are strong tendencies toward barriers in our current era.
As we view Naomi initially, she had to be happy, and if not happy she had to be hopeful for the future. She has a husband and she has two sons. Some say, that means she had three sons. Her husband represented fulfillment in the current day, but probably what gave her great joy was her sons and the prospect of having grandchildren. Naomi was living it up off of what she had and what she expected to have.
But we learn that Naomi’s husband suddenly died. Ouch! That had to have hurt her deeply. The story then says her sons married Moabite women, but they both suddenly died. Ouch and ouch again! This trilogy of deaths stopped me cold in my tracks to ask why are these men dying? The most probable reason was war. War then and war now takes lives. War has always been a widow-maker and if my speculation is right, it reached into Naomi’s life with a vengeance.
We find one of the Moabite women, Ruth, attaching to Naomi and together they move to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem. After some maneuvering, Ruth marries Naomi’s relative, Boaz. Ruth and Boaz have a son. That is where we pickup on the text today. Naomi is holding Ruth’s baby in her lap. What a joyous picture. This woman that had lost so much is now enjoying the role as caregiver to Ruth and Boaz’s child. If you cannot see some joy in that we need to check your pulse.
On top of that, the record is that the women that lived there got involved. They started saying, “Naomi has a son.” It was like they had a baby shower for Naomi. Something special happens when a baby is introduced into a room full of women. There was a shared joy that seemed to permeate the community. This was not a personal joy. To me, there is something suspicious about personal joy that is just for you or just for yours. Real joy is shared.
The moral of the story of Naomi and Ruth is that the journey to joy takes us through devastated aspirations and broken lives. Crumbled aspirations and broken lives are fertile ground for God’s work to be revealed. Often it is our intact aspirations and intact lives that hold God away. A shattering or a breakage is an opportunity for God to get through to us.
Focus Reading
Ruth 4:13-14
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
Staying Online – Prayer
Lord we come to you and ask you to “take us, and break us, and make us just like you. Take us, and break us, and make us just like you”.
Monday, 5 July 2010
Other boats
Daily Byte
The BDC this week is written by Dewey Williams
In this famous text that introduces the great account of Jesus calming the storming waters, an interesting fact is revealed. The scripture just doesn’t say that they put Jesus on a boat and set off for the other side. The scripture adds that there were other boats that went with Him to the other side. What a curious add on to the story. Other boats went with Him. Not other boats were docked at the lakeshore. Not other boats were in the water. Not other boats engaged in fishing industry. Not other boats engaged in recreational activities. No, there were other boats that went with Him. Some might think that this is wasted ink on the biblical page and has no significance. I am not of that opinion. God did not make a mistake when this detail was added.
Let me propose that the mention of the other boats was to inform us that we do not travel this way by ourselves. We are present with those that journey with us. We are attached to others as we make our journey.
In a figurative way, your life and existence is symbolized by the reference to a boat.
As an individual you dock in some places, you sail in certain places, and sometimes you are adrift in the waters of life. I know that your boat is special. But you are not traveling by yourself, and if you do not pay attention to the other boats you can wreck them and wreck yourself. You do not journey alone. I know your boat is pretty, curvaceous, strong, built for speed, and has nice amenities; but yours in not the only boat in the water. You better pay attention to those other boats or your pretty, curvaceous, strong, built-for-speed boat, with nice amenities can be sunk.
Have you ever met someone who thought they were the only boat in the ocean? Have you ever met someone who was so stuck on them self that they did not see others around them? Have you ever met someone that is always talking about them self? You know the type; they are always talking about, “What I have done.” What I want.” Where I have gone.” They never take time to even ask about you or others. They are self-centered egomaniacs that see only their boat.
This only boat that matters mentality permeates the religious world. Christians and Jews and Muslims all have for far too long acted like their boats were the only boats that mattered. All three of these dominant world religions have had fundamentalist that have pitted themselves against all others that did not bow down and worship the way that they prescribe. Each one of these religions has acted like they are the only boat in the water.
I could point out countless areas of being aware of the other boats, but I am drawn to speak about out being aware of those that are less fortunate than we are. There are other boats of the hungry, the homeless, those with less education, those with mental and physical health maladies, and those so poor that don’t even know where the poverty line is. Often in our middle class to upper class worlds we can become insulated from the hurting souls that struggle day by day to make it in this world. We can become smug and even arrogant regarding the poor. God sent me by to tell you that those in the boats of poverty are journeying with us and we must pay attention to the other boats. You better watch out. In this economic era, your boat could turn into a boat of poverty.
Focus Reading
Mark 4:35-36
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.
Staying Online - Prayer
God, we ask that you give us an awareness of the others that sail in the water with us. Help us see others that may not look like us, but who are souls that you have created. We thank you for Jesus Christ who saw our otherness and took us in. Make us like Jesus. Amen
The BDC this week is written by Dewey Williams
In this famous text that introduces the great account of Jesus calming the storming waters, an interesting fact is revealed. The scripture just doesn’t say that they put Jesus on a boat and set off for the other side. The scripture adds that there were other boats that went with Him to the other side. What a curious add on to the story. Other boats went with Him. Not other boats were docked at the lakeshore. Not other boats were in the water. Not other boats engaged in fishing industry. Not other boats engaged in recreational activities. No, there were other boats that went with Him. Some might think that this is wasted ink on the biblical page and has no significance. I am not of that opinion. God did not make a mistake when this detail was added.
Let me propose that the mention of the other boats was to inform us that we do not travel this way by ourselves. We are present with those that journey with us. We are attached to others as we make our journey.
In a figurative way, your life and existence is symbolized by the reference to a boat.
As an individual you dock in some places, you sail in certain places, and sometimes you are adrift in the waters of life. I know that your boat is special. But you are not traveling by yourself, and if you do not pay attention to the other boats you can wreck them and wreck yourself. You do not journey alone. I know your boat is pretty, curvaceous, strong, built for speed, and has nice amenities; but yours in not the only boat in the water. You better pay attention to those other boats or your pretty, curvaceous, strong, built-for-speed boat, with nice amenities can be sunk.
Have you ever met someone who thought they were the only boat in the ocean? Have you ever met someone who was so stuck on them self that they did not see others around them? Have you ever met someone that is always talking about them self? You know the type; they are always talking about, “What I have done.” What I want.” Where I have gone.” They never take time to even ask about you or others. They are self-centered egomaniacs that see only their boat.
This only boat that matters mentality permeates the religious world. Christians and Jews and Muslims all have for far too long acted like their boats were the only boats that mattered. All three of these dominant world religions have had fundamentalist that have pitted themselves against all others that did not bow down and worship the way that they prescribe. Each one of these religions has acted like they are the only boat in the water.
I could point out countless areas of being aware of the other boats, but I am drawn to speak about out being aware of those that are less fortunate than we are. There are other boats of the hungry, the homeless, those with less education, those with mental and physical health maladies, and those so poor that don’t even know where the poverty line is. Often in our middle class to upper class worlds we can become insulated from the hurting souls that struggle day by day to make it in this world. We can become smug and even arrogant regarding the poor. God sent me by to tell you that those in the boats of poverty are journeying with us and we must pay attention to the other boats. You better watch out. In this economic era, your boat could turn into a boat of poverty.
Focus Reading
Mark 4:35-36
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.
Staying Online - Prayer
God, we ask that you give us an awareness of the others that sail in the water with us. Help us see others that may not look like us, but who are souls that you have created. We thank you for Jesus Christ who saw our otherness and took us in. Make us like Jesus. Amen
Friday, 2 July 2010
Promises & Purpose - Part 5
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, 1 July 2010
Promises & Purpose - Part 4
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.
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