First

Mark 10:35-45 (The Message)

James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us."

"What is it? I'll see what I can do."

"Arrange it," they said, "so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left."

Jesus said, "You have no idea what you're asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I'm about to be plunged into?"

"Sure," they said. "Why not?"

Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. There are other arrangements for that."

When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John.

Jesus got them together to settle things down.

"You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.

It's not going to be that way with you.

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."

Jesus came to pour himself out in service to the world.

His followers are called to do the same.

Christian faith and practice follows a model which stands in opposition to the culture that surrounds us.

"Power" isn't the goal. Neither is influence, control, or fame.

The goal is voluntary servitude. That's the basis of real community.

How could Jesus limit himself as he did? How could he who was all-powerful choose to stoop and wash the feet of his stiff-necked disciples?

Because he loves us that much.

Because God, in Jesus Christ, honors that which he has made.

What if we honored each other in that way as well? Could we form a wonderful kind of counter-cultural community?

No, it's not easy. Not at all.

Everybody knows those people who can "punch their buttons." When buttons get punched, serving one another is usually about the last thing on our minds.

Even in the scripture above, Jesus had to break up a fight among his disciples.

That's why it's important to sometimes hear what Jesus tells us:

"It's not going to be that way with you."

May it be so among us.

Prayer: We sometimes struggle for your attention, hoping that you will seat us in the place of honor ahead of others. Help us to learn Jesus teaching...that the first will be last, and anyone who would be great must first learn to love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: I Corinthians 1:10-17

Body

Romans 12:3-8 (The Message)

In this way we are like the various parts of a human body.

Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.

The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body.

But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?

So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

Casting Crowns has now famously asked the question:

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the Body Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

Romans 12 seems to pretty clearly imply that the answer could be ...jealousy.

Maybe arms don't reach because they're more worried about hands that heal than what they're actually called to do.

Maybe feet don't go because they're too busy having a pity-party for themselves about not being words, arms or hands.

Ouch.

That spiritual trap is definitely one I've fallen into before, and I imagine we all have at one time or another.

When we think about relationships ---- we have to start by acknowledging that sometimes evil lurks in our jealousy of each other's good, God-given gifts.

What might be possible if we spent time really knowing which part of the body we are...and how we add to its overall unity and effectiveness?

What if we believe that God's love for us is displayed in making us a "foot," or a "hand?"

It's really an amazing and humbling metaphor given to us in scripture...we are the body of Christ.

What a wonderful thing to know.

We really do need each other...and the world needs us to get our act together, in love.

Prayer: In your wisdom, you have given us different gifts. It is so easy to despise our own gifts and covet someone else's. Forgive us when we sin in that way and help us to see the special roles that you've designed each of us to play.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Brothers

Psalm 133 (NIV)

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

If you have kids, how does it make you feel when they fight with each other?

There's the noise, of course, the general static and discomfort that siblings' strife introduces into the house...but I think that kind of fighting is tough for mom and dad for deeper reasons.

It's tough to watch fighting and disagreement between two people you love.

Parents love all their children equally. Even though every child is different, and for that reason their relationship with each child is different...the love is exactly the same.

Psalm 133 tells us that God has a similar experience.

Sometimes we forget that God can have experiences of that which is "good and pleasant," and that there are things that really do please and displease him.

Unity among the brothers and sisters seems high on God's list of good things.

Knowing that can be a good first step on the path of putting relationships back together when they break. We know that's what God wants, and we know that he will help us.

Prayer: We know that it pleases you, God, Our Father, when we live together in peace and unity. We need your help to put others ahead of ourselves, and to live in the peace that only you can give.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.


Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Relationships

Acts 2:44-47 (NIV)

All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This picture of Christian community has always left me in awe.

They took all their "stuff," sold it, and pooled the money. Then, they gave it out to those as they had need.

Can you imagine that level of trust?

What can possibly be behind that kind of counter-cultural community?

I think we can only chalk it up to shared experience and common goals.

These people were powerfully bonded together by an experience of faith in the risen Christ. Beyond that, they had experienced the Holy Spirit. They had seen miracles and wonderful affirmations happen in their midst.

They believed the Gospel, and experienced it first hand.

Their goal became living in community, illustrated by common love and care for each other and the world until the return of Christ.

Churches, of course, are notoriously famous for silliness and in-fighting.

And, we should remember that the world is watching.

But when Jesus becomes central and there is a common mission and purpose, those kind of situations have a way of falling by the wayside.

Life is too short, and the calling is too important. If God could form a community of amazing trust and hope 2,000 years ago, he can do it still today.

What it could mean to be that sort of "city on a hill."

Prayer: May we learn to be the image of Christian community, as found here in the early church. By shared experience and common goal, form us into a community of faith.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 133

Praise

Psalm 100 (The Message)

1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.

The heart of worship has to be a deeply held belief that we are part of something so much bigger and greater than ourselves.

But let's be clear...we're not just talking about "something," we're talking about a very specific and someone bigger than us.

God has personality, attributes, and can be described and known.

God is completely beyond our imaginations and yet personally available.
If we have the capacity for love, it is because God is love and has first loved us. If we have the capacity to know beauty and to be beautiful, it is because God is "sheer beauty" himself. God is the very definition of the concept and the reason for its existence.

God made us, we didn't make him.

And we human beings have the deep-down, cellular level need to acknowledge that truth.

The consumption-driven world in which we live can color our thoughts about worship. Sometimes, Christians believe that worship is the primary product of a church's staff. We apply the world's model to church...we pay for worship, and we expect to consume a good product.

What a shame.

The heart of worship isn't consumption...it's offering.

The people gather and do their "work" of connection to the source. We sing songs, because it's a powerful physical expression of our thanks and praise to God. We pray prayers, lifting our hearts to God. We give from our money as an act of worship and trust, acknowledging that we're just caretakers of that which God has first given us. We bring our laughter and fellowship and acknowledge that only God can make us a real community. And we bring open hearts, a willingness to be shaped by the scripture that we hear.

That is worship.

That kind of understanding...of participation and offering, not worldly consumpion...could go so far toward healing many hurts in the churches of today.

It's about God...not style...not place...not the preacher...or the choir...or the band.

It's about our need to be thankful, and to offer back some portion of the beauty God has shared with us.

Prayer: God, we pray that this day and every day we might learn to enter your courts with thanksgiving and praise. Show us your goodness, deliver us from evil and help us to respond with joy and worship.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

No blog tomorrow, but we'll see you at SOTH this Sunday! Worship at 9 and 11 AM with Sunday School at 10:15.

Waves

James 1:5-8 (The Message)

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father.

He loves to help.

You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it.

Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

So...who out there knows what they're doing this morning?

Really?

I'll be the first to say that one of the great hopes of life is that as we move through it, we grow and mature. We should learn important lessons, become wiser with the passing of time, and hopefully more at peace, fulfilled, and in perspective.

But...

It seems to me that a key component of the Christian life, no matter how long we live it, is knowing what we do not know.

I do love this translation of James 1: "If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help."

Amen to that.

The scripture is much more clear on this than we tend to be in our own faith.

Ask for help and you'll get it, James says.

But you need to believe it.

There's the tricky part, right? Once again, we learn that prayer is about letting go. It's about trusting God, not ourselves.

Belief is the difference between worry and real prayer.

Worrying says, "God please help me...but I figure that you won't, so I'll do it myself and stress out over whether I'll be able to or not."

Prayer says, "God, I need your help, and I can't do it myself. The answer is yours to give and unfold. I'll respond as you lead me, but I'm not driving this thing or believing in myself. You can do it, and you will."

That's a faith position. Take it from a world-class worrier. Being like a "wind-whipped wave" isn't the life God wants for us. Find a small place (or a big one if you're ready) to trust him today, and see what unfolds into tomorrow.

Prayer: Teach us to ask in prayer...to believe, and not doubt. We grow tired of being tossed about in every direction and seek your strength and direction in our lives.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 100

Pray

"Hill of Crosses," near Silaulia, Lithuania

Note: This is a really long scripture reading, but I promise it's worth the time investment. This is Psalm 22 from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, "The Message." It's very powerful, and from the opening of this Psalm came Jesus' quote from the cross, often translated, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me..."

Psalm 22

A David Psalm

1-2 God, God...my God!
Why did you dump me miles from nowhere?
Doubled up with pain, I call to God all the day long.
No answer. Nothing.
I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.

3-5 And you!
Are you indifferent,
above it all,
leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise?
We know you were there for our parents:
they cried for your help and you gave it;
they trusted and lived a good life.

6-8 And here I am,
a nothing—an earthworm,
something to step on, to squash.
Everyone pokes fun at me;
they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
"Let's see how God handles this one;
since God likes him so much, let him help him!"

9-11 And to think you were midwife at my birth,
setting me at my mother's breasts!
When I left the womb you cradled me;
since the moment of birth you've been my God.
Then you moved far away and trouble moved in next door.
I need a neighbor.

12-13 Herds of bulls come at me,
the raging bulls stampede,
Horns lowered, nostrils flaring,
like a herd of buffalo on the move.

14-15 I'm a bucket kicked over and spilled,
every joint in my body has been pulled apart.
My heart is a blob of melted wax in my gut.
I'm dry as a bone, my tongue black and swollen.
They have laid me out for burial in the dirt.

16-18 Now packs of wild dogs come at me;
thugs gang up on me.
They pin me down hand and foot,
and lock me in a cage
—a bag Of bones in a cage,
stared at by every passerby.

They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,
and then throw dice for my clothes.

19-21 You, God—don't put off my rescue!
Hurry and help me!
Don't let them cut my throat;
don't let those mongrels devour me.
If you don't show up soon, I'm done for
—gored by the bulls, meat for the lions.

22-24 Here's the story I'll tell my friends
when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.

He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.

25-26 Here in this great gathering for worship
I have discovered this praise-life.
And I'll do what I promised
right here in front of the God-worshipers.
Down-and-outers sit at God's table and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God is here, praising him.
"Live it up, from head to toe. Don't ever quit!"

27-28 From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses,
are running back to God.
Long-lost families
are falling on their faces before him.

God has taken charge; from now on he has the last word.

29 All the power-mongers are before him —worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too —worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together —worshiping!

30-31 Our children and their children will get in on this
As the word is passed along from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news
— that God does what he says.

Isn't it amazing that this is an example of prayer, given to us in scripture?

If God was worried about looking good...is this the kind of scripture that we would receive? If God believed in censorship, would such a psalm ever have seen the light of day?

This psalm represents a deeply honest, painful struggle against reality. And it also represents the first and very best prayer: "Help Me!"

So much has been written about prayer.

So many Christians carry guilt, afraid that they don't do it right, that they might say the wrong thing to God, or that they're just not faithful enough or don't "feel" all the tingles that they think they should when they pray.

"My prayers don't get any higher than the ceiling," a faithful Christian person once told me. He was deeply frustrated and felt like he was failing in this spiritual discipline.

Stop for a moment, and really take another look at this prayer.

It is amazing.

It is open. It's beautiful, but not necessarily eloquent or elegant.

It's earthy, full of guts and pain. It is a cry for help, a cry of outrage, and an affirmation of faith...all at once.

Most of all, it is a plea..."help me."

Powerful things begin to happen in our lives when we earnestly let our heart and lips express that appeal to God. "Help me."

He will respond.

Let it go, whatever it is...because that is the heart of real prayer.

Prayer: We give you thanks for this psalm that teaches us that sometimes everyone feels the depth of pain and struggle. Even so, we remember these words, quoted by Jesus on the cross, and know that the deepest pain can be redeemed into resurrection in your love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: James 1:5-6

Worship

John 4:19-26 (NIV)

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Scripture...Prayer...Worship...Relationships...Giving...Serving

At SOTH, we believe that these 6 gifts from God are some of the most powerful paths He uses to reach us, to touch our lives, and to move us further down the path of discipleship.

That's not a new idea...but it is a powerful one.

Two Sundays ago, we talked about the role of scripture in our Christian lives. This past Sunday was all about prayer and worship.

The encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well carries within it some of the most powerful commentary on scripture that we find in Jesus' teachings.

The woman knew all the things that should have divided her from this Jewish rabbi:

She was a Samaritan.

She was a woman.

She had led a "disgraceful" life of many marriages and unhealthy relationships with men.

She may well have been ostracized by others in the community.

She wanted water, and this man wanted to talk philosophy.

But in spite of all those differences, Jesus saw the things that united them. Worship isn't about "where," and not even about "how." It's about the posture of the heart toward God.

"God is spirit," Jesus says, "and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth."

People across time and place...with pipe organs or electric guitars...in cathedrals or gymnasiums or storefronts...can be united by worship filled with "spirit and truth."

The Samaritan woman's life changed forever because of her conversation with Jesus. I bet her worship changed forever, too.

If we know that God is delivering us...moving us from death to life, from sin to salvation, from brokenness to redemption...our worship will surely show it.

Our faces will too.

Prayer: Like the woman at the well, we too have questions about redemption and "living water." With all our hearts, we pray that you will teach us what it means to worship in "spirit and in truth." May we know that you will deliver us from spiritual death to life, and may we respond with joyful worship.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Go check out what's happening with the SOTH FLOCK, our youth ministry!
www.mikeinaminute.blogspot.com

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 22

Servant

In honor of Dr. King...

Heaven

Revelation 21:1-5 (The Message)

I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea.

I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband.

I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: "Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They're his people, he's their God.

He'll wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone."

The Enthroned continued, "Look! I'm making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate."

I grew up in the small, rural, Methodist churches of West Tennessee.

In that region, and throughout the Southeast, rural Methodism takes on flavors of the Southern Baptist tradition, holiness traditions and yes...even pentecostalism (though in its Methodist form, you might not know it).

One of my great-grandfathers, born just before the turn of the 20th century, leaned heavily toward that Pentecostal edge. In fact, he spent many years far over that edge, filled with the spirit and breathing in and out the deep, rich spirituality that he found.

He moved in and out of the Methodist and Pentecostal traditions. Eventually, the family chose the Methodist fork in the road, and much of our more charismatic leanings have been tempered.

But I can remember the power that Pop (Fisher) had when he heard a wonderful old-time song, built around the words of Revelation 21.

I can remember his sense of assurance, as he became elderly and prepared for life on the "other side."

The Book's final proclamation is a beautiful vision of Christian hope. It echoes what Pop used to say about the movement of life..."We may not know what's coming, but we're getting there fast."
The truth is he did have a deep sense of what was coming. Though we may not know the detailed ins and outs of what heaven may be, we have the promise of an eternity lived in the presence of God.

The old song Pop loved was this one:

"The Unclouded Day" by Josiah Alwood, ca. 1880

O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies
O they tell me of a home far away
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
O they tell me of an unclouded day

 O they land of cloudless day, O they land of an unclouded sky
 O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds  rise
 O they tell me of an unclouded day

O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone
O they tell me that land far away
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Shed its fragrance thru the unclouded day

O they tell me of the King in his beauty there
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold
Where he sits on the throne that is whiter than snow
In that city that is made of gold

O they tell me that he smiles on his children there
And his smile drives their sorrows all away
And they tell me that no tears ever come again
In that lovely land of unclouded sky

O the land of cloudless day, O they land of an unclouded sky
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise
O they tell me of an unclouded day

Prayer: We give thanks for this wonderful ending of your message in scripture. We live today in the confidence of knowing that one day Jesus will "wipe every tear away." May that time truly come when there is no more dying, loss or mourning. May your kingdom come now on earth as it is and will be in heaven.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 23 (NO BLOG)

See you Sunday at SOTH! Worship at 9 and 11 AM and SS for all ages at 10:15!

Believe

John 20:1-9  NIV

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.  

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.   Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.   He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.   

Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,   as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.   

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.   (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Sometimes we fail to read the foundational scriptures of our faith except around Easter.  

But it's really important to remember what the heart of the message is.  

When things were at their very worst...and Jesus' followers must have given up...their greatest hopes were realized.  

The tomb was empty.  

They could have reacted in all kinds of ways.  And in fact, that's exactly what they did.  

They ran, screamed, told their friends, believed, disbelieved, and were just generally bowled over.  

But inthe end, those moments at the empty tomb set off a movement that would change the world forever.  

I'll always remember the first day of my New Testament class in seminary.  The professor said, "whatever people have written or believe...no one can deny that something happened when they went to that tomb."  

Indeed.  Something happened.  Life defeats death.  Good defeats evil.  God's love does not fail.

The disciples didn't understand all that the empty tomb meant when they first beheld it.  

Sometimes, we forget all that it can mean in our lives as well.   

But they learned.  They experienced, and they shared.  So can we.  

God's gift is new life...and that changes everything.  

Prayer:  We imagine ourselves as witnesses at the empty tomb.  Where there had been only death and brokenness, there was now life and hope.  May we die to our old ways of life and rise with Christ into redemption and transformation.  

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.  World without end.  Amen.  

Tomorrow's Scripture:  Revelation 21:1-5

Bread

Matthew 6:9-13  (NIV)

"This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

So, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what I'm eating so far this year.  

And...day #16...things have been going pretty well.  I've definitely eaten more fruits and vegetables already than from about Halloween through the end of the year.

We have so many choices.  

Often, even the people of lowest income in our country really do have some choices about what they will eat,  relative  to people in other places, and certainly to the people of other times.  

When Jesus spoke the words about bread in the Lord's Prayer, his hearers needed to be reminded to be thankful for different reasons than we do today.  

Just obtaining that day's bread took a lot more effort for most people then than it does now. There were no programs to help feed the poor and daily wages were just enough, perhaps 
to keep a family alive and intact.  

Maybe in the hustle and worry of making those ends meet in the most basic of ways, Jesus' audience forgot to be thankful for the day's bread that they had received.  

Certainly, we can fall prey to that same problem.  

But more likely for us is that we're not thankful for whatever kind of "bread" we receive because we are so able to look around and see everything else that is or could be available.  

Sure, my car got me where I needed to go today...but did I get there in style?  

Look at "those people" over there...they've got what I want...and why shouldn't I have it?

Are we thankful for our daily bread?  Sure, but does that mean white, wheat, whole wheat, multi-grain, low cal, sugar free, high fiber, split top, buttercrust, sandwich, honey oat or potato?  

And folks, that's the tip of the bread aisle iceberg.  

Have you even looked at the toothpaste selection?  

Did we make the right choice?  Could another loaf have been tastier?  Was there a better deal?  

How can we be thankful...for what we have today?

Jesus knew that there was great power, and peace, in living in the "right now."  He knew that we need the connection with God that comes from taking a break, taking stock and just being content.  

We are all so blessed.  Every one of us.  

Go make yourself a split-top, buttercrust PB&J, and be happy.  

Prayer:  We pray this prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and we truly consider what these words mean to our lives.  We ask for contentment with this day's bread, and release from the worry that comes when we try to do it all ourselves.  

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.  World without end, Amen.  

John 20:1-10

 

People

I John 4:7-12, 18-21 (Message)

20-21 If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister,
thinking nothing of it, he is a liar.

If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see?

The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people.
You've got to love both.

Most of us folks reading this blog today would claim that we love God.

But how do we do with other people?

That's tougher, huh?

People cut us off in traffic. They backstab and backbite and say rude things. People can be inconsiderate and self-serving. They try to get ahead of us....in line, in our jobs, in our relationships.

And just look what Jesus says....

If you say you love God...and then carry hatred for that person who's done you wrong....then maybe the whole thing is in question.

All of us fall short. All of us have tempers, and we feel pain and we sense injustice. We have good reasons for being mad sometimes.

And yet...there it is. The question: "If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see?"

Good question. Let's pray about the answer. May God show us folks to love today. They'll be there...at the store, the stoplight, the office, at church, school, home.

"You've got to love both."

Prayer: Thank you for the reminder that the nature of God is love. We see that love in Jesus, and we seek to follow in his steps. God, we pray in all humility that you could make us more loving today. Thank you for first loving us so that we can be a force for your love in the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomrrow's Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Beginning

Genesis 1:1-3 NRSV

In the beginning when God created^* the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God^* swept over the face of the waters.

Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.

"In the beginning..."

Such a simple phrase, with such profound implications.

When was, "in the beginning?"

Nobody really knows.

Scientists can use their best tools and knowlege to give us their best guess, but the deep down truth is that no one can say for sure.

Scientific knowledge truly is a wonderful thing. Our lives have been enhanced beyond all measure as human beings have learned to build on the knowledge that these God-given minds can acquire.

But there can be a real loss for all of us if we forget one important fact:

"In the beginning..." there was God.

"In the beginning," goes beyond all of us and any ability that we might have to figure things out for ourselves.

Theologians and scientists can have interesting conversations with each other, you know. But ultimately the two are trying to answer different questions.

Scientists ask "how" and work to give verifiable answers through observation and data collection.

Theologians ask "why" and seek to push toward Truth through scripture, reason, tradition and experience.

Question: "How did we get here?"

Science: "Billions of years ago, there was a big bang...which led to an ever-evolving, changing expansion of the universe. Eventually, our own world evolved, life began and here we are today."

Theology: "Amazing. But why did that happen?"

Science: (Silence, then...slowly) "I don't see how that question is...relevant."

Theology: "Because God spoke. And there was light. And it was good."

Thank God that his nature is love...and creation...and relationship.

In the beginning...whenever that was...that time beyond our imaginations and limits...God spoke and created. And we are here.

Everything we are and all that we do...is a gift from God. And it is good.

Prayer: Help us always to remember that, "in the beginning," you were there. This very day exists because you said, "let there be light." You looked at creation and called it good. May we be a part of the good that you have created on this day.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. Tomorrow's Scripture: I John 4:7-12, 18-21

Outside

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called.

I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.

As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ.

None of our ancestors understood this.

Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order.

The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God.

They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message.

Paul's message was radical and revolutionary. It had landed him in jail and eventually he would lose his life because of his determination to preach The Message.

It runs counter to our human nature.

"Inclusion" isn't what we tend toward...."exclusion" is. We see differences more readily than similarities. We take care of ourselves and those we care for. Reaching out to others and including them on equal footing is an act of extreme generosity, confidence and humility.

Those kinds of actions and beliefs come from God. And that's the life and message followers of Jesus are called to embrace.

What's amazing about us is how quickly we take a message of radical inclusion and pull it around ourselves like a security blanket.

What ground does any Christian person ever have for limiting the inclusive power of The Message or hampering the growth and vision of a church?

None.

We forget that this Message does not belong to us. We are the grateful recipients of a free gift. And our call is not to hoard the gift...but to share it with everybody equally.

That's not easy. We're going to like some people more than others. There are people we have more in common with. There are people who think like us, talk like us, look like us. And then there are those who don't.

Thank God that someone like Paul was there to lead the charge for the inclusion of "The Gentiles," (that's us) in The Message of Jesus. He withstood major opposition, but his faith and willingness to hold to the calling changed the world.

Paul knew how much he had been given. He was not the same. May it be so for all of us.

Prayer: We are thankful for the work of your servant Paul, and for our inclusion in the message that he preached. Like him, we pray that you might use us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others as we live our lives in relationship with you and one another.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture (No Blog): Matthew 2:1-12

Produce

John 15:5-12 (The Message)

"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.

Separated, you can't produce a thing.

Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.

This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.

"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you.

This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.

You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning.

No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

"Separated, you can't produce a thing."

This truth has been clearly illustrated to me over the years.

Jesus' gardening metaphor is powerful and true.

I love the day each spring when it comes time to turn over some dirt and put new plants in the ground.

My very favorite day is "tomato day," with its exciting trip to the Lowe's nursery to pick from the selection of "Better Boys," "Park's Whoppers," and "Big Beef" plants.

It's exciting to prepare the soil, dig the trenches (tomatoes have to be planted deep, you know), and then watch the rapid growth.

But "separated," they can't produce a thing.

I remember one plant last year that looked just as good as all the others on the morning it went into the ground.

But by the end of the very next day, it had withered and died. Somehow, in the planting process, the stem had broken...tearing loose from the roots.

The plant had received a mortal wound, even though we didn't know it at the time.

We people are living, organic beings, too. We have to stay connected to the source if we are to produce.

We are reflectors of the light of Christ...not generators of our own light from within. We are receivers of God's nourishing grace and love...before we can be producers of his love in the world.

Connection. Connection. Connection.

At Shepherd of the Hills, we believe that our call is to make disciples: to move people closer to Jesus, and to strengthen the connection that they experience with him in their lives.

We accomplish this mission by inviting people to participate in scripture, prayer, worship, relationships, giving and service.

Accept the invitation that God makes today...stay connected...and love one another the way Christ has loved each of us.

Prayer: Teach us to remain in you. Wherever we go during this day, and whatever we face...strengthen our connection to you in Christ. May these branches bear fruit through the power of your Holy Spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-12

Need

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 (NIV)

4 He will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
he will crush the oppressor.

5 He will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations...

...11 All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.

13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.

Parents work hard not to have "favorites" among their children.

What about God?

Whether God has favorite children, I can't say for sure. But I'm convinced that he does have a special sort of affection for those who are weak and in need.

The Bible seems to spell this out, again and again, very clearly.

Why would that be? My hunch is that it's because those who are weak have less of their own pride to stand upon. When we're vividly aware of our own shortcomings and inabilities, we're much more open to the idea of receiving God's help.

That means weakness isn't something to be ashamed of in Christianity.

Our weakness is God's strength.

Tough concept for us to get...but so important.

Following Jesus in now way has anything to do with showing God how good we are...how worthy of love.

Instead, it's just the opposite. Becoming a Christian means giving up all the false pretenses, being vulnerable and receiving the love and strength that God already seeks to give us.

The best relationships are the ones where you can stop acting, let out a breath, and be yourself.

That's what God wants from his children.

So...admit your weaknesses. Maybe even embrace them before God.

Because those weaknesses, patched and filled by the God who loves us...can become the places where his strength can shine.

Prayer: God our King, help us to know that it is always good to name our weaknesses before you. You have promised to help the needy and we embrace that promise with hope for healing and always a better tomorrow.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: John 15:5-12

Strength

Jeremiah 15:19-20

"Take back those words, and I'll take you back.
Then you'll stand tall before me.

Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining.
Then, but only then, you'll speak for me.

Let your words change them.
Don't change your words to suit them.

I'll turn you into a steel wall,
a thick steel wall, impregnable.

They'll attack you but won't put a dent in you
because I'm at your side, defending and delivering."
God's Decree.

"I'll deliver you from the grip of the wicked.
I'll get you out of the clutch of the ruthless."

In the midst of Jeremiah's deepest struggle, God delivers words of hope and strength to his doubting prophet.

Jeremiah was tempted to stray from the message he'd been given. He was tempted toward shortcuts...to find an easier way forward...or around.

God reminds us how backward that equation truly is.

We can't get toward the place that God calls us by backing up, going around, and trying to do it our own way.

But what if we're not strong enough to go "straight through" to the place that God calls us.

Our job is to just take a step.

And God will place the ground beneath our feet.

Which of us could ever stand like a "thick steel wall, impregnable," under our own strength and abilities?

Real strength is God's gift.

What is the single step we might be called to as followers of Jesus today?

"Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining."

We turn our hearts toward God...we pray for right words, used truly and well. And we know that God will give the strength.

Prayer: We hear your promise of strength and renewal and pray to receive it in our lives. May you make us stand like a wall where we're needed in this day.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14

Race

Jeremiah 12:5-6 (Message)

So, Jeremiah, if you're worn out in this footrace with men,
what makes you think you can race against horses?

And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm,
what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?

Those closest to you, your own brothers and cousins,
are working against you.

They're out to get you. They'll stop at nothing.
Don't trust them, especially when they're smiling.

So...it's time to ask...

How's that resolution going?

Jeremiah's wasn't going too well. He was called and resolved to do the work of a prophet...to tell people things they don't really want to hear, on behalf of God.

He set about that work and suffered a lot of rejection and persecution. He began to complain to God.

"The world is against me. This is too hard. No one wants to listen. It can't be done."

God's answer?

"Jeremiah, you ain't seen nothing yet."

"If you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?"

He couldn't. And we can't either.

Sometimes, the world can be a tough place to do the right things and stick to what we resolve to do. That's because our own power isn't really sufficient. Jeremiah was learning that lesson.

So...let's make a resolution right now about what we'll do when "troubles break loose like Jordan in the flood" in 2008.

We'll turn to God...and ask for help...and let him drive.

That's when all things become possible.

Prayer: Lord, there are times when we feel tired, like we cannot run anymore. We know that the day-to-day demands of life can cause us to lose our way. We pray for help and new life from you. Fill us with your Spirit and help us to run the race in your strength, not our own.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Jeremiah 15:19-20