My routine has been altered these days. I am attending a retreat for campus ministry staff. My reflections these days (when I am able to get on line) is likely to reflect my setting - which today's offering does.
Several of my colleagues are like myself in that we not only work with young adults, we parent them as well. Last evening I found myself reviewing how to respond to the theological inquiry of our own children. "What do I say to my son when he turns to me and says, 'I am not so sure I believe.'"
The first thing is to realize that the discussion is not about ideas so much as it is about relationships - the horizontal relationships, not the vertical. Part of the maturation into adult faith is a separation from the faith systems and structures of our parents. So, we shared with our colleague, you might not be able to help your son out of this time of discernment. It may take someone else.
We all need multiple guides as we make our way down the path of faith. My parents were wonderful parents with regard to my religious upbringing. But it was my 4-H Agent (David Choate) and my campus pastor (Steve Gerhard) who invited me into a more vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.
Who are those people in your life? Who are the mentors and guides for you as you contemplate the Divine? Who can be there with you as you step out onto the frightening places where faith meets unbelief?
This is more than an invitation to reflect, it is a challenge to identify those persons and to latch onto them. You will need them. And if you choose wisely they won't try to tell you what to believe or to think. They will share with you how closely they have come to the edge of unbelief and risk again (with you) asking the questions which nag at the edge of faith.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sermon - January 30, 2011
4th Sunday of Epiphany - Year A
The Blessed of Our God
While there are several events between now and then, the big buzz among the campus ministry crowd is our alternative Spring Break Trip to Washington, D.C. We made a group reservation with Amtrak, and in order to honor the contract we have to have the names of participants turned in tomorrow morning.
This will be my first spring break trip to Washington. It seems strange, that in all the years we have been doing trips, even service trips, that I have never taken a group to D.C. There is such great need in the city which houses our Federal Government. The most recent statistics reveal that one in five residents of the city live below the poverty line. Last year alone, and additional 11,000 persons were added to those who live on less per month than many of us spend on car payments. Poverty line for a family of three is $17,098 – or $109 per person per week. 5,320 of D.C.’s residents are homeless. With all the energy poured into Habitat, CROP, and monthly trips to the Southernside Community Center in Greenville, why haven’t we gone to D.C. in these past eighteen years?
Well, to put it bluntly, because I know what a week in Washington D.C. is likely to do. I understand what it is probably going to do. It is going to divide us, and set us at each others soft underbelly unlike anything else we have ever done.
The way we understand Jesus’ words sets the stage for our division. If I were to stop now, and ask how they responded to today’s Gospel lesson I could predict which side of the divide they will occupy.
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them saying….”
What did he teach them? What did he say to them? Did he tell them that as a result of their having come out to the mountain they were about to receive a special blessing? That they would inherit the pearl of great value? That they would soon be the champions in a high stakes version of “King of the hill”?
Or, did he tell them, that the blessings of which he speaks are discovered in the lives of those whom others would shun or ignore or perhaps even exploit.
These verses have the potential to divide us, and set us at each others weak underbelly unlike anything else we will hear all week. In these verses, Jesus lifts up a world view which runs against the conventional wisdom of the world around us. A flow, I might add, which far too many branches of the Church have joyfully embraced. As a result, many have grown comfort¬able with, and prefer, a world in which things are as they appear; a world in which you do get what you deserve; a world in which the goal is to kick, scratch and pull until you make your own way into the Promised Land.
The world view to which Jesus calls his disciples is vastly different from the conventional wisdom of religious systems. Jesus speaks of a world in which the poor are blessed, the mournful are comfort¬ed and the meek inherit the earth. Jesus lifts a reality which runs counter to the lessons we will be taught when we exit those doors.
Time will not allow us to examine each of the beatitudes, but the first three are enough for us to begin to understand how different this vision which Jesus offers is.
Jesus says blessed are the poor, those who mourn, and the meek. It is important to note that his words are not addressed to those who once were the poor, the mournful or the meek. Jesus speaks to those who understand these adjectives as a current reality. Conventional wisdom, the general flow of our society, would say you can't possess these qualities and be blessed at the same time. Religious talk often leads us to believe that poverty, mourning and meekness are the preconditions to receiving the blessings of God. Preconditions but not present reality. Religious talk would have us believe that once we are blessed; our status in life will change. We will become rich, we will be filled with happy thoughts and we will become soldiers in Christ’s spiritual warfare. But that isn't what Jesus says.
Jesus says Blessed are the poor. The poor are blessed because unlike those who are self-sufficient the poor understand the tenuous nature of their existence. The poor, because they can never relax and assume things will be alright, must live every moment searching for that which will bring salvation.
"Have you been saved?" is an often asked question. Those who ask are usually looking for a resounding "YES!" The expectation is for those questioned to express a sure confidence in the fate of their eternal souls. Such confidence is often lacking in the way the poor speak of God. Not that they lack a confidence in God’s grace, rather they are not so brazen as to speak for God or to say what it is that God will do.
Those who spend each day trying to find food for their family are more inclined to respond, "Yesterday, God was gracious enough to save me. This day I lift to God my prayers, asking that salvation may again come." Such is the response of the poor. It is a humble dependence upon God which brings them blessings.
Those who mourn are those who understand the value of relation¬ship. Mournful are those who are aware of their need for another and find themselves separated from the object of their love. Mourners are folks who cry out with their desire for more; more time together, more love, more appreciation of the others gifts.
Joseph Sitter, a professor I had the chance to encounter during my years at the seminary in Chicago, once commented that hunger is the strongest possible testimony to the reality of food. It is our mourning which heightens the awareness of our desire to be united with God.
Those who mourn are blessed – blessed with assurance which comes from searching for that which is lacking but has been glimpsed. Blessed, because they know how empty their lives will remain unless and until they find God.
Blessed are the meek. I can never read this beatitude without remembering an old cartoon. There is this wimpy looking man making his way out of the church. As he shakes ¬hands with the pastor he asks, "Exactly when will the meek inherit the earth?"
The meek are those who have no pretense of power. They are the powerless. As weaklings, they have to find their hope of salvation somewhere else. They place their trust in one who does have the power to care for them. "Blessed are the meek," because they have no option other than to turn to God.
That old cartoon exposes the misunderstanding which too quickly surrounds this beatitude. The false assumption is made that I may have been meek at one time, but now I am meek no longer. The meek inherit the earth and become the dominant. Meekness is considered to be a pre-condition, not a current status. Once the meek inherit the earth meekness is replaced with something else. No longer meek - I am confident of what I am able to do. When this happens, self-confidence replaces confidence in God. Personal power replaces the power of the cross. Suddenly, the only difference between Jesus' disciples and the world around them is the place they gather on Sunday morning - will it be the worship center or the golf course.
Jesus does not address persons who once were poor, mournful or meek. He speaks to those who are hungering, thirst¬ing, and merciful.
The blessed are not those who have it made. The blessed are those who spend their days searching, striving, and hoping for the blessings of our God. Jesus reveals to us the blessings which come to those who learn to depend not upon themselves, but upon God.
The trip to Washington, D.C. will have us sharing housing with the homeless. We will eat our meals with those who live from one handout to the next. We will likely take a bunch of pictures, with our high-tech digital cameras, race to be the first to load them into our laptop and post them to Facebook. Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, our cell phones will remain fully charged and the insurance policy has a rider which allows us to come home - free of charge- should a snow storm clog the city streets and ruin our tour of the Capital Building. Senator Lindsay Graham knows we are coming. His staff is setting out coffee and cake for us on Thursday. We may encounter the poor, the mournful, and the meek, but we will be well protected from their malady’s.
Yeah, this is a bad idea. It is much safer to stay in our own little bubble and do our own little thing rather than go up there and have some member of the K Street Choir (that is choir comprised of homeless women) read with us - again and anew - the words of Jesus.
Amen.
The Blessed of Our God
While there are several events between now and then, the big buzz among the campus ministry crowd is our alternative Spring Break Trip to Washington, D.C. We made a group reservation with Amtrak, and in order to honor the contract we have to have the names of participants turned in tomorrow morning.
This will be my first spring break trip to Washington. It seems strange, that in all the years we have been doing trips, even service trips, that I have never taken a group to D.C. There is such great need in the city which houses our Federal Government. The most recent statistics reveal that one in five residents of the city live below the poverty line. Last year alone, and additional 11,000 persons were added to those who live on less per month than many of us spend on car payments. Poverty line for a family of three is $17,098 – or $109 per person per week. 5,320 of D.C.’s residents are homeless. With all the energy poured into Habitat, CROP, and monthly trips to the Southernside Community Center in Greenville, why haven’t we gone to D.C. in these past eighteen years?
Well, to put it bluntly, because I know what a week in Washington D.C. is likely to do. I understand what it is probably going to do. It is going to divide us, and set us at each others soft underbelly unlike anything else we have ever done.
The way we understand Jesus’ words sets the stage for our division. If I were to stop now, and ask how they responded to today’s Gospel lesson I could predict which side of the divide they will occupy.
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them saying….”
What did he teach them? What did he say to them? Did he tell them that as a result of their having come out to the mountain they were about to receive a special blessing? That they would inherit the pearl of great value? That they would soon be the champions in a high stakes version of “King of the hill”?
Or, did he tell them, that the blessings of which he speaks are discovered in the lives of those whom others would shun or ignore or perhaps even exploit.
These verses have the potential to divide us, and set us at each others weak underbelly unlike anything else we will hear all week. In these verses, Jesus lifts up a world view which runs against the conventional wisdom of the world around us. A flow, I might add, which far too many branches of the Church have joyfully embraced. As a result, many have grown comfort¬able with, and prefer, a world in which things are as they appear; a world in which you do get what you deserve; a world in which the goal is to kick, scratch and pull until you make your own way into the Promised Land.
The world view to which Jesus calls his disciples is vastly different from the conventional wisdom of religious systems. Jesus speaks of a world in which the poor are blessed, the mournful are comfort¬ed and the meek inherit the earth. Jesus lifts a reality which runs counter to the lessons we will be taught when we exit those doors.
Time will not allow us to examine each of the beatitudes, but the first three are enough for us to begin to understand how different this vision which Jesus offers is.
Jesus says blessed are the poor, those who mourn, and the meek. It is important to note that his words are not addressed to those who once were the poor, the mournful or the meek. Jesus speaks to those who understand these adjectives as a current reality. Conventional wisdom, the general flow of our society, would say you can't possess these qualities and be blessed at the same time. Religious talk often leads us to believe that poverty, mourning and meekness are the preconditions to receiving the blessings of God. Preconditions but not present reality. Religious talk would have us believe that once we are blessed; our status in life will change. We will become rich, we will be filled with happy thoughts and we will become soldiers in Christ’s spiritual warfare. But that isn't what Jesus says.
Jesus says Blessed are the poor. The poor are blessed because unlike those who are self-sufficient the poor understand the tenuous nature of their existence. The poor, because they can never relax and assume things will be alright, must live every moment searching for that which will bring salvation.
"Have you been saved?" is an often asked question. Those who ask are usually looking for a resounding "YES!" The expectation is for those questioned to express a sure confidence in the fate of their eternal souls. Such confidence is often lacking in the way the poor speak of God. Not that they lack a confidence in God’s grace, rather they are not so brazen as to speak for God or to say what it is that God will do.
Those who spend each day trying to find food for their family are more inclined to respond, "Yesterday, God was gracious enough to save me. This day I lift to God my prayers, asking that salvation may again come." Such is the response of the poor. It is a humble dependence upon God which brings them blessings.
Those who mourn are those who understand the value of relation¬ship. Mournful are those who are aware of their need for another and find themselves separated from the object of their love. Mourners are folks who cry out with their desire for more; more time together, more love, more appreciation of the others gifts.
Joseph Sitter, a professor I had the chance to encounter during my years at the seminary in Chicago, once commented that hunger is the strongest possible testimony to the reality of food. It is our mourning which heightens the awareness of our desire to be united with God.
Those who mourn are blessed – blessed with assurance which comes from searching for that which is lacking but has been glimpsed. Blessed, because they know how empty their lives will remain unless and until they find God.
Blessed are the meek. I can never read this beatitude without remembering an old cartoon. There is this wimpy looking man making his way out of the church. As he shakes ¬hands with the pastor he asks, "Exactly when will the meek inherit the earth?"
The meek are those who have no pretense of power. They are the powerless. As weaklings, they have to find their hope of salvation somewhere else. They place their trust in one who does have the power to care for them. "Blessed are the meek," because they have no option other than to turn to God.
That old cartoon exposes the misunderstanding which too quickly surrounds this beatitude. The false assumption is made that I may have been meek at one time, but now I am meek no longer. The meek inherit the earth and become the dominant. Meekness is considered to be a pre-condition, not a current status. Once the meek inherit the earth meekness is replaced with something else. No longer meek - I am confident of what I am able to do. When this happens, self-confidence replaces confidence in God. Personal power replaces the power of the cross. Suddenly, the only difference between Jesus' disciples and the world around them is the place they gather on Sunday morning - will it be the worship center or the golf course.
Jesus does not address persons who once were poor, mournful or meek. He speaks to those who are hungering, thirst¬ing, and merciful.
The blessed are not those who have it made. The blessed are those who spend their days searching, striving, and hoping for the blessings of our God. Jesus reveals to us the blessings which come to those who learn to depend not upon themselves, but upon God.
The trip to Washington, D.C. will have us sharing housing with the homeless. We will eat our meals with those who live from one handout to the next. We will likely take a bunch of pictures, with our high-tech digital cameras, race to be the first to load them into our laptop and post them to Facebook. Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, our cell phones will remain fully charged and the insurance policy has a rider which allows us to come home - free of charge- should a snow storm clog the city streets and ruin our tour of the Capital Building. Senator Lindsay Graham knows we are coming. His staff is setting out coffee and cake for us on Thursday. We may encounter the poor, the mournful, and the meek, but we will be well protected from their malady’s.
Yeah, this is a bad idea. It is much safer to stay in our own little bubble and do our own little thing rather than go up there and have some member of the K Street Choir (that is choir comprised of homeless women) read with us - again and anew - the words of Jesus.
Amen.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Devotion - Thursday, January 27
It makes a great deal of difference, how you view those whom you see. I am often asked, by non-campus ministry folks, "Do the students have any interest in church?" Their experience has jaded them; they are most likely to attend worship with a group of folks whose average age is 55+. They haven't seen those front rows on the right hand side busting with young adults.
Even residents of Clemson are not immune to such a vision. Located downtown, the property which we use as a base takes a beating. There are lots of cars on the weekend, and folks leaving downtown all too often deposit cups, cans, and bottles in the shrubbery.
It makes a great deal of difference how you view those whom you see.
Mark 6:32 informs me as to how Jesus views us. He is tired, he has been meeting human need and desperately trying to get his disciples organized. He invites the disciples to come away with him, to rest. They get in the boats, and then they look up and there is this great throng which has followed him. How does he view what he sees? "He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd."
We have a shepherd; a good shepherd. While we may sometimes feel harassed or beaten down, there is one who comes ashore and responds to our needs. When he sees us, he loves us and he has compassion on us.
This is the view Jesus has of those whom he sees.
Even residents of Clemson are not immune to such a vision. Located downtown, the property which we use as a base takes a beating. There are lots of cars on the weekend, and folks leaving downtown all too often deposit cups, cans, and bottles in the shrubbery.
It makes a great deal of difference how you view those whom you see.
Mark 6:32 informs me as to how Jesus views us. He is tired, he has been meeting human need and desperately trying to get his disciples organized. He invites the disciples to come away with him, to rest. They get in the boats, and then they look up and there is this great throng which has followed him. How does he view what he sees? "He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd."
We have a shepherd; a good shepherd. While we may sometimes feel harassed or beaten down, there is one who comes ashore and responds to our needs. When he sees us, he loves us and he has compassion on us.
This is the view Jesus has of those whom he sees.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, January 26
The appointed epistle readings have been from Galatians. Some have referred to Galatians as "The Magna Carta of Grace." In this letter, Paul sets forth his strongest argument for grace as the means by which we are saved, as the relationship in which we encounter God.
Grace is at once a simple thing and an extremely complex reality.
It is simple, in that comes to us as a gift. We do nothing to earn it, we do nothing to achieve it. In truth, we probably can't even seek it. It comes. We discover its presence. We rejoice in its goodness.
But how can this be? Isn't the first law of thermodynamics (paraphrased) "There is no such thing as a free lunch?" Nothing can come out of nothing. There has to be a precondition. The mere suggestion that we might get something for nothing runs against everything we have been instructed to believe.
Most of us hedge on the issue of grace. We accept it, as a concept, but we act as if it can't be trusted. We say that it is through grace that we are saved, and then we go on to point out how the actions or beliefs prevent that grace from being active in the lives of "those people."
Grace is a wonderful thing. But it is a difficult thing. It is the first (of many to follow) alteration in our lives made necessary by an awareness of God's intentions toward us. Grace demands of us that we "let go and let God."
I have read Galatians many times, and I will read it many times more. Each time, I am shocked by Paul's confidence that God could be so gracious toward me. Each time, my appreciation for what God has done is deepened. Maybe someday I will be able to set aside my misgivings and fully embrace the promise that it is not by works that we are saved, but through the grace of our Lord.
Grace is at once a simple thing and an extremely complex reality.
It is simple, in that comes to us as a gift. We do nothing to earn it, we do nothing to achieve it. In truth, we probably can't even seek it. It comes. We discover its presence. We rejoice in its goodness.
But how can this be? Isn't the first law of thermodynamics (paraphrased) "There is no such thing as a free lunch?" Nothing can come out of nothing. There has to be a precondition. The mere suggestion that we might get something for nothing runs against everything we have been instructed to believe.
Most of us hedge on the issue of grace. We accept it, as a concept, but we act as if it can't be trusted. We say that it is through grace that we are saved, and then we go on to point out how the actions or beliefs prevent that grace from being active in the lives of "those people."
Grace is a wonderful thing. But it is a difficult thing. It is the first (of many to follow) alteration in our lives made necessary by an awareness of God's intentions toward us. Grace demands of us that we "let go and let God."
I have read Galatians many times, and I will read it many times more. Each time, I am shocked by Paul's confidence that God could be so gracious toward me. Each time, my appreciation for what God has done is deepened. Maybe someday I will be able to set aside my misgivings and fully embrace the promise that it is not by works that we are saved, but through the grace of our Lord.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, January 25
Today is the Feast Day of the Conversion of Saint Paul. Paul was only a few older than Jesus, but they had not met until the day on which Jesus confronted Paul. Paul is going down to Damascus with papers which would allow him to arrest any of Jesus' followers he finds there. Paul is thrown to the ground, a bright light blinds him, and he hears a voice from heaven.
Paul, when asks, "Who are you?" The response was "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Paul goes on to become the Church's missionary to the Gentiles. This is not without some controversy. Many were of the mindset that before they could be called Christians they had to first become Jews.
The Conversion of Paul is the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christians are all invited to acknowledge our oneness in Christ, so set aside our disagreements, and give thanks for the various expressions of faith. It seems that this would have been pleasing to Paul, who sets before the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem the message he is sharing with the Gentiles, obtaining their agreement that he is teaching appropriately.
The Conversion of Paul changes the history of the Church. How might our conversion (to a more open and accepting articulation of Christian faith) change the Church which is emerging in our time? We will only find out if we commit ourselves to seeking that way, and that Church.
Paul, when asks, "Who are you?" The response was "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Paul goes on to become the Church's missionary to the Gentiles. This is not without some controversy. Many were of the mindset that before they could be called Christians they had to first become Jews.
The Conversion of Paul is the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christians are all invited to acknowledge our oneness in Christ, so set aside our disagreements, and give thanks for the various expressions of faith. It seems that this would have been pleasing to Paul, who sets before the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem the message he is sharing with the Gentiles, obtaining their agreement that he is teaching appropriately.
The Conversion of Paul changes the history of the Church. How might our conversion (to a more open and accepting articulation of Christian faith) change the Church which is emerging in our time? We will only find out if we commit ourselves to seeking that way, and that Church.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Devotion - Monday, January 24
It sometimes seems as if old people (one of which I am rapidly becoming) have a significant meaning for every day on the calendar. Well, today is one for me. My parents were married on this day, in 1942. They got married at the Church Parsonage. They had two friends present as "witnesses." The details of their first days are still a fuzzy memory, but it was some time before they told everyone and thus began to make a home together. They moved in with parents for the first months.
They remained together for nearly sixty-five years. When Daddy died, Mother began a steeper decline and died two years later.
It is from my parents that I learned what it means to love. I learned what it means to be married. "You decide," mother told me, "and then decide again and again and again." There was never any denying (in my household) that it is tough to remain firm in that decision. There would come a boat load of strains and stresses and numerous temptations to turn from the commitment. "But you made a promise," and if your promise can't be trusted then all sorts of things fall apart. It isn't merely that the other cannot trust you, you soon begin to wonder if you can trust yourself.
There was one particular time of which my parents spoke. Turning to Mother Beam, they heard this advise, "God will provide." My parents were regular church members, they participated fully. They weren't overly pious, we didn't have family Bible studies nor did they live up to Martin Luther's hope that parents would be the one to teach children the 10 Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. But they did affirm for me a deep trust in God's ever present ability to assist us.
We make commitments in our lives. It is important that we live up to those commitments. At stake is more than how others will see us, at stake is the way we understand ourselves and the foundation upon which our lives are built. Relationships (human relationships) are the testing ground for our relationship with the Divine. One will automatically be reflected in the other.
They remained together for nearly sixty-five years. When Daddy died, Mother began a steeper decline and died two years later.
It is from my parents that I learned what it means to love. I learned what it means to be married. "You decide," mother told me, "and then decide again and again and again." There was never any denying (in my household) that it is tough to remain firm in that decision. There would come a boat load of strains and stresses and numerous temptations to turn from the commitment. "But you made a promise," and if your promise can't be trusted then all sorts of things fall apart. It isn't merely that the other cannot trust you, you soon begin to wonder if you can trust yourself.
There was one particular time of which my parents spoke. Turning to Mother Beam, they heard this advise, "God will provide." My parents were regular church members, they participated fully. They weren't overly pious, we didn't have family Bible studies nor did they live up to Martin Luther's hope that parents would be the one to teach children the 10 Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. But they did affirm for me a deep trust in God's ever present ability to assist us.
We make commitments in our lives. It is important that we live up to those commitments. At stake is more than how others will see us, at stake is the way we understand ourselves and the foundation upon which our lives are built. Relationships (human relationships) are the testing ground for our relationship with the Divine. One will automatically be reflected in the other.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Devotion - Thursday, January 20
I continue to read from Ephesians. This morning I read 5:16 - "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
It isn't all that difficult to understand God's will; the difficult thing is living by God's will. I don't mean to imply that all choices are simple, or that all decisions should come with ease. But we cloud the situation by imagining all sorts of options or pretending that there are extenuating circumstances. In most cases, the will of God is easily known. The difficult thing is living by God's will.
It is God's will that we would live happy and productive lives. There are any number of ways that we could move toward this end. We might continue our study of engineering; we might choose to study secondary education. God's will is that we live a happy and productive life; God's will is not linked to one particular career path.
It is God's will that we care for neighbor and provide for his bodily needs. God's will cannot be identified with one political agenda or another; we might move toward God's will by "tax and spend" or by encouraging "individual responsibility."
I don't mean to imply that there are no specific actions called for in our following of Jesus; merely that we sometimes confuse following God's will with knowing our precise next step. It is easier to follow God when we look at the end toward which all this is leading and allow our feet to find the path.
"Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Finding complications or mitigating circumstances is one way of avoiding doing what it is that the Lord asks of us.
It isn't all that difficult to understand God's will; the difficult thing is living by God's will. I don't mean to imply that all choices are simple, or that all decisions should come with ease. But we cloud the situation by imagining all sorts of options or pretending that there are extenuating circumstances. In most cases, the will of God is easily known. The difficult thing is living by God's will.
It is God's will that we would live happy and productive lives. There are any number of ways that we could move toward this end. We might continue our study of engineering; we might choose to study secondary education. God's will is that we live a happy and productive life; God's will is not linked to one particular career path.
It is God's will that we care for neighbor and provide for his bodily needs. God's will cannot be identified with one political agenda or another; we might move toward God's will by "tax and spend" or by encouraging "individual responsibility."
I don't mean to imply that there are no specific actions called for in our following of Jesus; merely that we sometimes confuse following God's will with knowing our precise next step. It is easier to follow God when we look at the end toward which all this is leading and allow our feet to find the path.
"Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Finding complications or mitigating circumstances is one way of avoiding doing what it is that the Lord asks of us.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, January 19
I wrote yesterday of a verse in Ephesians. Another caught my attention this morning. It is Ephesians 5:1. "Therefore be imitators of God."
We typically don't hear encouragement to be "imitators." In our self-made world, we are more likely to be encouraged to "be our own person." Perhaps we will observe another, in an attempt to pick up a skill set or capability; but we are seldom encouraged to "be imitators." TV ads poke fun at imitators, as in "imitated but never duplicated."
Perhaps this is one of the reasons Christianity has a difficult time catching on in our society. We find it difficult to embrace Ephesians 5:1. Too few have read (or applied to their lives) the devotional classic of Thomas a Kempis "Imitation of Christ." We want to be our own person. Somewhere along the way, we have confused being self-determined with being faithful. We ignore the call to imitation, replacing instead our innovation.
"Therefore be imitators of God."
What would that be like? We would surely be patient and understanding of others. We would love them - even those who did not love us in return. When things go badly, we would step in to take the heat upon ourselves, relieving the suffering of the other. And, of course, there is the sacrifice - of our time, our energies, our money.
"Therefore be imitators of God."
Give it a try, today. See how it goes. If you can, share your experiences as a response to this post. And when the day is over, express to God how it went - was it easy to imitate Him? Perhaps those same prayers might include appreciation for what God (and maybe God alone) is able to do.
We typically don't hear encouragement to be "imitators." In our self-made world, we are more likely to be encouraged to "be our own person." Perhaps we will observe another, in an attempt to pick up a skill set or capability; but we are seldom encouraged to "be imitators." TV ads poke fun at imitators, as in "imitated but never duplicated."
Perhaps this is one of the reasons Christianity has a difficult time catching on in our society. We find it difficult to embrace Ephesians 5:1. Too few have read (or applied to their lives) the devotional classic of Thomas a Kempis "Imitation of Christ." We want to be our own person. Somewhere along the way, we have confused being self-determined with being faithful. We ignore the call to imitation, replacing instead our innovation.
"Therefore be imitators of God."
What would that be like? We would surely be patient and understanding of others. We would love them - even those who did not love us in return. When things go badly, we would step in to take the heat upon ourselves, relieving the suffering of the other. And, of course, there is the sacrifice - of our time, our energies, our money.
"Therefore be imitators of God."
Give it a try, today. See how it goes. If you can, share your experiences as a response to this post. And when the day is over, express to God how it went - was it easy to imitate Him? Perhaps those same prayers might include appreciation for what God (and maybe God alone) is able to do.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, January 18
In Ephesians 4.32, we read: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
I realize it is a translation, and I don't have the Greek word in front of me at the moment, but I am taken with the use of the word "tenderhearted." I often use the word to describe my 6 ft 2 inch son. He worked as a nurses aid at a local hospital and was often called in to sit with patients who were not following the doctors instructions. He tended to be called when the patient was also a large person. At one point he was told to show up after the patient had gotten in bed, sit in the shadows, and act stern. He was encouraged not to say anything to the patient. "Why?" "Because as soon as you speak, they would realize your tender heart and no longer be intimidated by your size."
To posses a tender heart is to approach each situation with a kindness, with an understanding, with a predetermined love for the other. It is the trait of one who is forgiving by nature, and never prone to malice.
Our world encourages roughness. But our Lord calls upon us to be tenderhearted.
I realize it is a translation, and I don't have the Greek word in front of me at the moment, but I am taken with the use of the word "tenderhearted." I often use the word to describe my 6 ft 2 inch son. He worked as a nurses aid at a local hospital and was often called in to sit with patients who were not following the doctors instructions. He tended to be called when the patient was also a large person. At one point he was told to show up after the patient had gotten in bed, sit in the shadows, and act stern. He was encouraged not to say anything to the patient. "Why?" "Because as soon as you speak, they would realize your tender heart and no longer be intimidated by your size."
To posses a tender heart is to approach each situation with a kindness, with an understanding, with a predetermined love for the other. It is the trait of one who is forgiving by nature, and never prone to malice.
Our world encourages roughness. But our Lord calls upon us to be tenderhearted.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Devotion - Monday, January 17, 2011
Among the seminary courses which had the greatest lasting impact upon me was the one I took on "The Life and Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr." It was team taught by a Lutheran professor and a professor from the Methodist seminary. Remember that King was a Baptist. The first learning in the course was to break down barriers between differing theological traditions.
King was a student of Hegel. From his writings, King had learned that we remain at an impasse when neither side is willing to see the strengths of the others argument. He refused to believe that coming to understand my opponent's viewpoint was a compromise of principal. King said (paraphrased) "Do I not remove an enemy when I make of him a friend?" King knew that while there may be degrees of separation between us, there are also many points of agreement. He sought the opportunity to lift up those points as a way to reach common ground.
King's theology spoke of the "Strength to Love." He pointed out that Jesus' strength was revealed most powerful in his love. He loved, even as he as being betrayed, condemned, and executed. King pointed out that it takes greater strength to love than it does to hate. We are not strong in our hatred, only in our ability to love.
King's thoughts, with regard to race issues, remain pertinent for us today. We have not come to the place for which our forbears trod. We need to hear, again, his invitation to look in a mirror and ask whether we are satisfied with what we see. But the aspect of his insights which might need the greatest playing time this year is his call to compassion; his insistence that we begin and end our debate and disagreements with a commitment to display the strength it takes to love.
You decide who is on the "other side" of your divide. Is it racial? Or political? Perhaps is involves issues of human sexuality, or immigration status. Pastor King would remind all of us that it is much easier to hate than to find the strength it takes to love. But if our faith is in Jesus, then we must admit that only love will overcome. Betrayal, condemnation, nor execution is able to stop the power of love.
King was a student of Hegel. From his writings, King had learned that we remain at an impasse when neither side is willing to see the strengths of the others argument. He refused to believe that coming to understand my opponent's viewpoint was a compromise of principal. King said (paraphrased) "Do I not remove an enemy when I make of him a friend?" King knew that while there may be degrees of separation between us, there are also many points of agreement. He sought the opportunity to lift up those points as a way to reach common ground.
King's theology spoke of the "Strength to Love." He pointed out that Jesus' strength was revealed most powerful in his love. He loved, even as he as being betrayed, condemned, and executed. King pointed out that it takes greater strength to love than it does to hate. We are not strong in our hatred, only in our ability to love.
King's thoughts, with regard to race issues, remain pertinent for us today. We have not come to the place for which our forbears trod. We need to hear, again, his invitation to look in a mirror and ask whether we are satisfied with what we see. But the aspect of his insights which might need the greatest playing time this year is his call to compassion; his insistence that we begin and end our debate and disagreements with a commitment to display the strength it takes to love.
You decide who is on the "other side" of your divide. Is it racial? Or political? Perhaps is involves issues of human sexuality, or immigration status. Pastor King would remind all of us that it is much easier to hate than to find the strength it takes to love. But if our faith is in Jesus, then we must admit that only love will overcome. Betrayal, condemnation, nor execution is able to stop the power of love.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sermon - January 16, 2011
2nd Sunday after Epiphany – Year A
John 1:29-42
What’s in a Name?
We had a wonderful time visiting Kat in Mexico. It was impressive to see her and the other ELCA Missionaries at work across Cuernavaca – teaching in schools, working at women’s shelters, and repairing wheelchairs. Kat’s greatest fear about our visit was that we would look like tourist. She finally gave up. “There is no way that three light skinned, non-Spanish speakers are going to be mistaken for anything but tourist.”
One of many clear indicators that we weren’t local was my inability to catch the names. I lack the ear to hear subtleties in language. Add to that a rather confusing practice for that part of Mexico. “Everyone,” Kat tried to explain to us, “has four names. There is a first name for use in the family; a first name for use in public. There is an established family name, which does not change, except in some cases when you are speaking of that person in relation to someone else.”
I gave up. It was too much for my brain to absorb. Even though I knew and understood how important each of these names was, I just could not take it all in.
You should already know where this introduction is leading us. Today’s Gospel lesson is a confusing, twisted mix of names. There are no less than five names (or titles) used for the same person. One of the five is translated into another language, making the final count six. And then there are the names associated with a second character – a name change in fact. Here, once more, we have a second translation of that name. But that translation may not be enough. In order for us to understand the significance of this re-naming, yet another translation may be necessary.
Let’s start off with a little exercise. We tried this a few months ago and I got a few positive comments – not enough negative comments to cause me permanently give up on the idea. I want to start with your name. I ask you to turn to someone sitting near you and discuss your name. Does it have some significance? Is it a family name? Is it a name you like? And, are there other names by which you are known? Find someone – I will call you back in just a few moments…..
I was able to share that my name is “Christopher,” which actually means “bearer of Christ.” I was born on a Sunday morning, and my mother always said my birth was a miracle. When she went to the gynecologist she was told that there might be a baby, but that there definitely was a tumor. The doctor wanted to remove everything. She said “No. If God had given her this child she was going to do her part to bring it to life.” She might have heard the meaning of the name “Christopher,” but she really just liked the name “Chris.”
Of course, the one with all the names in the Gospel lesson is Jesus. John calls him “the Lamb of God.” In recounting how it is that he has come to associate this name with Jesus, John testifies of Jesus that he is “the Son of God.” John’s intention in sharing this with his disciples is that they would recognize Jesus as the one of whom John had been preaching. Seems that they do. They immediately refer to him as “Rabbi,” and testify to others that they have found “Messiah (which is translated Anointed.)”
Lamb of God; Son of God; Rabbi; Messiah – why so many differing ways of referring to the same guy? More importantly, what does each of these titles tell us about this guy?
I am going to give you another opportunity to talk to one another. This time, I want to you review these names for Jesus. You may have some previous experience (a Sunday School Class or a sermon or an article from a magazine), or it may just be how the names strike you now. The names are right there on the back of your bulletin – turn to someone and share what you hear or understand these names to mean. I will call you all back together in a minute or so……
One of the things which distinguish the Gospel of John from the other Gospel accounts is that John starts with an affirmation of who Jesus is. John’s great prologue identifies Jesus as the Word of God; it is from this Word that all things come into being. Similarly, here, John is free to identify Jesus as the “Son of God,” and sort of expects us to read the rest of the story with this information securely tucked into our hearts and heads. It is in Matthew’s account that the pronouncement, “Truly this man was God’s Son” comes after Jesus’ death. This pronouncement is even more striking in that it is spoken by one of the Roman soldiers, a pagan.
I am wondering how many of you spent your time talking about that first name attributed to Jesus. I am referring to “the Lamb of God.” And I am thinking primarily about those conversation groups that included parents and small children. Talk of lambs could get into all sorts of cute, cuddly images. And certainly the reference here is to one who is spotless and pure. The “Lamb” was the animal used for the Passover observance. On that eventful night in which God visited the oppressive Egyptians with death, he had instructed the Israelites to take the blood from a spotless lamb and sprinkle it on their doorposts. Every year, on Passover, a spotless lamb becomes the center piece of the religious observance. They are soft and cute and cuddly critters – their innocence is contrasted with the harsh realities of hatred and cruelty; of death and destruction.
John announces that Jesus is God’s “Lamb.” As the head of the household selects that one lamb from his flock which will become the symbol of God’s salvation, so also God has selected Jesus. He will become the one whose blood is sprinkled and whose body is broken.
This name, this title, this way of referring to Jesus is very important. We cannot allow dull ears or a lack of cultural understanding to limit our ability to grasp what John is telling us. Jesus becomes for us the one who takes onto himself the burden and the weight of all that is evil in the world. Rather than leave us to face death on our own, God has selected and set forth a lamb who will endure that from which God wishes to spare us.
Any talk of cute little animals should give way to an acknowledgment of what a beautiful thing it is that God is doing. Any mention of soft furry critters is busted open with the acknowledgment of the secure and warm place prepared for us in our Father’s Kingdom. This is not child’s play, but it does comfort and assure us. We are confronted with the realities of life while being assured that God is going to buffer all of it.
We don’t fully understand how God does it. There are leaps, tremendous leaps of faith, in which we speak of an assurance in our hearts even as we acknowledge failings in our logic. We are students of the Rabbi. We come to see how these things will play out in our world and in our lives.
Peter embodies our attempts to follow. Like us, he stumbles. And yet he is the one who keeps coming back, trying to understand, trying to get it right, hoping that he will be in the right place at the right time. The name given this man was “Simon.” His mother (unnamed) and his father (John) had given him this name. The name by which he was known was “Simon, son of John.” This is the name by which Jesus called him. When Simon had come, Jesus gives him the name “Cephas.” “Cephas” is translated for us. It translates as “Peter.” But I worry that “Peter” may also need a translation. “Peter” is the word for “Rock.” Jesus looks at Simon, son of John, and renames him “Rock.” Just a bit of a footnote – in Matthew’s Gospel, the announcement of this name comes at the time when Peter confesses Jesus to be Messiah. Thus the never ending debate as to whether it is the person “Peter” upon which the Church is built, or the confession of Simon. Roman Catholic tradition holds up one option; Lutheran Orthodoxy another – the result is the same. Jesus is designated as God’s Lamb; this lamb entrusts his message and his promise to weak and frail human beings. Peter is the first “rock” to be lain; the rest of us are stones added to the fortress of God’s Church on earth.
One more name change should be addressed. It is our tradition to observe baptismal anniversaries once a month. We do this in order to remind us all that it is through God’s grace that we have been welcomed into the family and granted salvation. We also do it as a way of reminding us of the new name which has been given us. We are re-named “child of God.” That is the name spoken to us when the water is poured and with the oil we are anointed. “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”
I am going to send you home with the instructions to discuss what this name means. What it means in your life; what it means for our life together; and most importantly what it means for the life we share in the world. It is the name which defines how it is that we will relate to others.
Amen.
John 1:29-42
What’s in a Name?
We had a wonderful time visiting Kat in Mexico. It was impressive to see her and the other ELCA Missionaries at work across Cuernavaca – teaching in schools, working at women’s shelters, and repairing wheelchairs. Kat’s greatest fear about our visit was that we would look like tourist. She finally gave up. “There is no way that three light skinned, non-Spanish speakers are going to be mistaken for anything but tourist.”
One of many clear indicators that we weren’t local was my inability to catch the names. I lack the ear to hear subtleties in language. Add to that a rather confusing practice for that part of Mexico. “Everyone,” Kat tried to explain to us, “has four names. There is a first name for use in the family; a first name for use in public. There is an established family name, which does not change, except in some cases when you are speaking of that person in relation to someone else.”
I gave up. It was too much for my brain to absorb. Even though I knew and understood how important each of these names was, I just could not take it all in.
You should already know where this introduction is leading us. Today’s Gospel lesson is a confusing, twisted mix of names. There are no less than five names (or titles) used for the same person. One of the five is translated into another language, making the final count six. And then there are the names associated with a second character – a name change in fact. Here, once more, we have a second translation of that name. But that translation may not be enough. In order for us to understand the significance of this re-naming, yet another translation may be necessary.
Let’s start off with a little exercise. We tried this a few months ago and I got a few positive comments – not enough negative comments to cause me permanently give up on the idea. I want to start with your name. I ask you to turn to someone sitting near you and discuss your name. Does it have some significance? Is it a family name? Is it a name you like? And, are there other names by which you are known? Find someone – I will call you back in just a few moments…..
I was able to share that my name is “Christopher,” which actually means “bearer of Christ.” I was born on a Sunday morning, and my mother always said my birth was a miracle. When she went to the gynecologist she was told that there might be a baby, but that there definitely was a tumor. The doctor wanted to remove everything. She said “No. If God had given her this child she was going to do her part to bring it to life.” She might have heard the meaning of the name “Christopher,” but she really just liked the name “Chris.”
Of course, the one with all the names in the Gospel lesson is Jesus. John calls him “the Lamb of God.” In recounting how it is that he has come to associate this name with Jesus, John testifies of Jesus that he is “the Son of God.” John’s intention in sharing this with his disciples is that they would recognize Jesus as the one of whom John had been preaching. Seems that they do. They immediately refer to him as “Rabbi,” and testify to others that they have found “Messiah (which is translated Anointed.)”
Lamb of God; Son of God; Rabbi; Messiah – why so many differing ways of referring to the same guy? More importantly, what does each of these titles tell us about this guy?
I am going to give you another opportunity to talk to one another. This time, I want to you review these names for Jesus. You may have some previous experience (a Sunday School Class or a sermon or an article from a magazine), or it may just be how the names strike you now. The names are right there on the back of your bulletin – turn to someone and share what you hear or understand these names to mean. I will call you all back together in a minute or so……
One of the things which distinguish the Gospel of John from the other Gospel accounts is that John starts with an affirmation of who Jesus is. John’s great prologue identifies Jesus as the Word of God; it is from this Word that all things come into being. Similarly, here, John is free to identify Jesus as the “Son of God,” and sort of expects us to read the rest of the story with this information securely tucked into our hearts and heads. It is in Matthew’s account that the pronouncement, “Truly this man was God’s Son” comes after Jesus’ death. This pronouncement is even more striking in that it is spoken by one of the Roman soldiers, a pagan.
I am wondering how many of you spent your time talking about that first name attributed to Jesus. I am referring to “the Lamb of God.” And I am thinking primarily about those conversation groups that included parents and small children. Talk of lambs could get into all sorts of cute, cuddly images. And certainly the reference here is to one who is spotless and pure. The “Lamb” was the animal used for the Passover observance. On that eventful night in which God visited the oppressive Egyptians with death, he had instructed the Israelites to take the blood from a spotless lamb and sprinkle it on their doorposts. Every year, on Passover, a spotless lamb becomes the center piece of the religious observance. They are soft and cute and cuddly critters – their innocence is contrasted with the harsh realities of hatred and cruelty; of death and destruction.
John announces that Jesus is God’s “Lamb.” As the head of the household selects that one lamb from his flock which will become the symbol of God’s salvation, so also God has selected Jesus. He will become the one whose blood is sprinkled and whose body is broken.
This name, this title, this way of referring to Jesus is very important. We cannot allow dull ears or a lack of cultural understanding to limit our ability to grasp what John is telling us. Jesus becomes for us the one who takes onto himself the burden and the weight of all that is evil in the world. Rather than leave us to face death on our own, God has selected and set forth a lamb who will endure that from which God wishes to spare us.
Any talk of cute little animals should give way to an acknowledgment of what a beautiful thing it is that God is doing. Any mention of soft furry critters is busted open with the acknowledgment of the secure and warm place prepared for us in our Father’s Kingdom. This is not child’s play, but it does comfort and assure us. We are confronted with the realities of life while being assured that God is going to buffer all of it.
We don’t fully understand how God does it. There are leaps, tremendous leaps of faith, in which we speak of an assurance in our hearts even as we acknowledge failings in our logic. We are students of the Rabbi. We come to see how these things will play out in our world and in our lives.
Peter embodies our attempts to follow. Like us, he stumbles. And yet he is the one who keeps coming back, trying to understand, trying to get it right, hoping that he will be in the right place at the right time. The name given this man was “Simon.” His mother (unnamed) and his father (John) had given him this name. The name by which he was known was “Simon, son of John.” This is the name by which Jesus called him. When Simon had come, Jesus gives him the name “Cephas.” “Cephas” is translated for us. It translates as “Peter.” But I worry that “Peter” may also need a translation. “Peter” is the word for “Rock.” Jesus looks at Simon, son of John, and renames him “Rock.” Just a bit of a footnote – in Matthew’s Gospel, the announcement of this name comes at the time when Peter confesses Jesus to be Messiah. Thus the never ending debate as to whether it is the person “Peter” upon which the Church is built, or the confession of Simon. Roman Catholic tradition holds up one option; Lutheran Orthodoxy another – the result is the same. Jesus is designated as God’s Lamb; this lamb entrusts his message and his promise to weak and frail human beings. Peter is the first “rock” to be lain; the rest of us are stones added to the fortress of God’s Church on earth.
One more name change should be addressed. It is our tradition to observe baptismal anniversaries once a month. We do this in order to remind us all that it is through God’s grace that we have been welcomed into the family and granted salvation. We also do it as a way of reminding us of the new name which has been given us. We are re-named “child of God.” That is the name spoken to us when the water is poured and with the oil we are anointed. “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”
I am going to send you home with the instructions to discuss what this name means. What it means in your life; what it means for our life together; and most importantly what it means for the life we share in the world. It is the name which defines how it is that we will relate to others.
Amen.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Devotion - Thursday, January 13
Every time I read Mark 2:1-12, I am overcome with appreciation for those who have brought me to Jesus. Their faith, their dedication has made possible my salvation.
Mark 2 is the story of the paralytic whose friends carry him to Jesus. When they arrive at the house where he is teaching, they find that they cannot enter. They go up on the roof, remove the roof tiles, and lower the stretcher from the ceiling to Jesus.
What happens next is both expected, and a surprise. As they had expected, Jesus heals the man. The surprise is his words. The text says he did this, "when he saw their faith." (emphasis mine.) Their faith impressed Jesus. It was their faith which preceded the healing.
"Their" could include the man lying on the stretcher as well as those carrying it. But it certainly includes those carrying.
My appreciation is for those who carried me (sometimes literally, other times metaphorically) to the place where Jesus was found. My appreciation is for those who possessed the faith to trust that getting me in front of Jesus would result in my being made whole.
Sometimes, when I need Christ the most, it is tough for me to go to him. At those times I depend upon the prayers (the carrying) of others.
Sometimes, I find myself in the role of stretcher bearer - carrying those whose injuries or despair is so great they cannot take another step on their own.
Jesus makes note of the faith of the one is need of restoration as well as the faith of those who carry the stretcher. Remember this the next time you are asked, "Please pray for me." This is not a whimsical request nor is it a offer to be extended lightly.
Mark 2 is the story of the paralytic whose friends carry him to Jesus. When they arrive at the house where he is teaching, they find that they cannot enter. They go up on the roof, remove the roof tiles, and lower the stretcher from the ceiling to Jesus.
What happens next is both expected, and a surprise. As they had expected, Jesus heals the man. The surprise is his words. The text says he did this, "when he saw their faith." (emphasis mine.) Their faith impressed Jesus. It was their faith which preceded the healing.
"Their" could include the man lying on the stretcher as well as those carrying it. But it certainly includes those carrying.
My appreciation is for those who carried me (sometimes literally, other times metaphorically) to the place where Jesus was found. My appreciation is for those who possessed the faith to trust that getting me in front of Jesus would result in my being made whole.
Sometimes, when I need Christ the most, it is tough for me to go to him. At those times I depend upon the prayers (the carrying) of others.
Sometimes, I find myself in the role of stretcher bearer - carrying those whose injuries or despair is so great they cannot take another step on their own.
Jesus makes note of the faith of the one is need of restoration as well as the faith of those who carry the stretcher. Remember this the next time you are asked, "Please pray for me." This is not a whimsical request nor is it a offer to be extended lightly.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, January 12
In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul talks about being "alive" and being "dead." Too often, we speak of life and death in differing terms. We are inclined to think of "living" as taking breaths, watching sunrises, or enjoying a basketball game. "Death" is associated with being placed in a box and buried in the ground.
For Paul, life and death are distinguished by whether we are in sin, or free from our sin. He writes, "And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked."
To live is to be at one with God; death is the condition of those who live to themselves, who are "following the course of this world."
I enjoy taking breaths, watching sunrises, and do enjoy basketball games. But I am alive when I am united with God and seeking to do God's will. It is in following Jesus that life is expanded beyond my own little box with its own little concerns.
Move into the life which God offers.
For Paul, life and death are distinguished by whether we are in sin, or free from our sin. He writes, "And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked."
To live is to be at one with God; death is the condition of those who live to themselves, who are "following the course of this world."
I enjoy taking breaths, watching sunrises, and do enjoy basketball games. But I am alive when I am united with God and seeking to do God's will. It is in following Jesus that life is expanded beyond my own little box with its own little concerns.
Move into the life which God offers.
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