Devotion - Thursday, October 31

We observed Reformation Sunday this past week; today is Reformation Day.  Reformation is not an opportunity to gloat, as members of the church which bear the name of Martin Luther.  Rather, it is an opportunity to return to the mood and spirit which moved Luther to ask his questions and to seek reform of the institution charged with sharing the good news.

Luther wrote of "two kingdoms."  One is visible and known; the other is known only to God.  The visible kingdom is the one we are charged to keep in good order.  The visible kingdom does the good in the world that God would have us do.  When she visited us last month, Pastor Aebischer repeated the poem of Teresa of Avila, which reminds us that "God had no body but our body..."  In this visible kingdom we strive to do all we can to form the world into the kind of world in which God would delight.

That kind of a kingdom does exists.  But it is the kingdom known only to God and seen only by him.  It isn't that God desires to keep this other Kingdom hidden from us; rather we are unable to see it because of our deep immersion in the kingdom(s) in which we do have some level of input.  Our deep commitment to making LCM-C and University Lutheran the kind of place in which God's favor is shown limits our ability to lift our eyes and see what God is doing down the street or across the river.

Luther wanted to reform the kingdom(s) of his day which had become so focused on what was immediately before them that they had lost the ability to see that which was larger than themselves.  But he maintained a tremendous appreciation for the kingdom which God has established and will continue to establish.

We spend our days working on the projects which are close at hand; but we remember that the kingdom we strive to build must be lost in the larger kingdom which God is calling forth.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 30

Our Tuesday evening Bible Study discussed atonement last evening.  As part of the discussion, we wrote on pieces of paper something of which we are ashamed, embarrassed - some sin that we need to confess.  I assured everyone that no one was going to read the slips, but several insisted on folding the pieces of paper numerous times - making a tight little knot.

 

We placed the slips in a paper bowl, proceeded outside and set fire to the slips of paper.  All this was to symbolize God's eagerness to forgive us.

I was the one who had planned this activity, so I knew what was coming.  What I had not anticipated (and what caught my attention) was the difficulty with which the pieces of paper folded tightly caught fire.  I commented on it last night.  It is as if the sins which we are so desperate that no one discover are also those which is it most difficult to know have been forgiven.

It is easy to talk about forgiveness.  We can even believe that God forgives the sins of those around us.  But when it comes to those things we have so deeply hidden from others that we seldom admit them to ourselves - realizing forgiveness is a difficult thing.

God's forgiveness is real.

Devotion - Tuesday, October 29

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I needed  these words.  The past two months have been way too busy; there have been too many trips and too much activity.  This morning I was shuffling from room to room, accomplishing my morning routines.  "What's wrong?" Laura asked me.

What a gift from God to open my bible and turn to Matthew 11:25ff and to hear Jesus' words "For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

It is my prayer that these words are a gift for you, too.  That in them you can hear the promise and the assurance that it is not the accomplished tasks which define us nor are we measured by the level of activity in our days.  We are the disciples of a God who seeks to calm our lives and bring tranquility to our spirits.

My day is no less busy than it was 45 minutes ago - but my day has now been framed by the acknowledgement that in the midst of all that is to come I have a resting spot.  I can turn to the Words of Jesus and in them rest assured.

Devotion - Monday, October 28

I don't often write about our resurrection.  This morning's reading from I Corinthians 15:30-41 is at least one of the reasons.  Paul speaks of the resurrection, but he is very careful not to allow his readers to understand it as more of the best of what we have here.  He writes, "what you sow is not the body which is to be."  It is a different body; the same way that the plant which grows is different from the seed that was planted.

It is important that I do not shake your confidence in what you have come to believe regarding the resurrection.  As a result, I tend to say little.  This can lead to the false impression that the resurrection is unimportant; or less meaningful.  This is not the case, but talk of resurrection should not be allowed to overshadow discussion of life in the world we now share.

More of the best of what we have now might contribute to the false notion that what we do now does not matter.  

More of the best of what we have now may reduce the lives we are living to a test or proving ground.

The two-session discussion at our Tuesday night bible study about incarnation was aimed at correcting such notions.  The Christian story is one in which God comes to share this life; not a story in which God finds some way to extract us from this world.

Quite honestly - I don't know what my existence will be like in the resurrection.  I like what Joseph Sittler said to us at the seminary, "The life that God has already given me is so good that I cannot imagine that the next life will be anything short of wonderful."  This affirmation acknowledges the beauty and wonder and excitement about the life I am living now.  It is in living this life fully that I begin to approximate what life might be like in the life to come.

Devotion - Thursday, October 24

In my reading of I Corinthians, I see so many ways in which the words which Paul writes also address the topics we discuss over coffee or sitting in the LCM Lounge.  Not often enough do I stop to remind you that what we look upon as "scared books of the Bible," began as personal letters between Paul and the members of his faith community.

"I Corinthians" is Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth.  Paul writes to real people about the real questions they ask and the real issues they face.

So long as the the community of faith consists of real people, they will have real questions and face real issues.  The community which we share is no different in that regard.  What does make our community different are the resources we have to answer the questions and address the issues.

We are a community which exists of those whom God has claimed.  Unlike voluntary associations (gatherings where folks share a common, external trait - such as liking to play ultimate Frisbee, or being talented musically, or preferring one NASCAR driver over another), we are a community defined by God's act of selection.  We came into this community because God invited us in.  Those already in the community did not take a vote on admission; God's vote is the only one needed and the only one that counts.  

The resource we have at our disposal is the confidence that God has chosen us (each of us) and that God sees in us (in all of us) those traits which are desirable and helpful.  We can have this confidence about ourselves; and we can interact with others with the confidence that this is also true about them.

I desperately wanted to play football.  I managed to secure a spot on the team when I was in 7th grade and 8th grade.  By 9th grade, I was too far behind in growth and muscle development to be allowed a uniform.  They cut me.  I am sure that over the years there have been various times when my fellow church members considered ways to separate me from themselves.  But that was not an option.  They were stuck with me - God is the only one who could cut.  And so they sat with me, and they lovingly told me which of my behavior patterns made living with me difficult.  And through an extended process of confession and forgiveness we learned to live together, in this community to which God had called both of us.

Real letters to real people with real issues.  And a REALLY wonderful gift in working through each of the curves along the way.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 23

This morning I was reading from I Corinthians 14.  Paul is addressing the issue of speaking in tongues.  This is a religious practice that is not experience by most of us.  But it is still a sign of the Spirit's assent for others.  It was quite popular in Paul's day, so much so that in I Corinthians he seems to recommend that it become less prominent.

"He who speaks with a tongue should pray for the power to interpret," he writes.  How are those around me edified when I speak a word they can't interpret?  "I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue."

Paul's emphasis is on spiritual gifts as a way of building up the whole community; not merely as a means of building up ourselves.

I doubt whether many of you have been around folks who speak in tongues.  But I am pretty sure that you have been around folks whose focus is on those acts of piety which focus on individual benefits.  Paul's words need to be applied to such practices.  We are called to follow Jesus for reasons greater than to find ourselves relocated to some heavenly sphere.  We are invited to walk the way of Jesus, which is a path of care and compassion for others.  Our relationship with God not only brings the assurance of grace into our lives but into the lives of others.

The marks of the Spirit's presence in our lives may include a confidence in life eternal; the marks of the Spirit's presence in our lives would surely include a servant's heart and hands.

Tuesday Devotion - October 22

So I know from reading Pastor Chris’ devotions (yes, I receive them and read them daily!) that there has been a lot of talk of love lately in your group.  Not just any love, but God’s love in particular.  And I know for me sometimes it can be amazing at how God’s love can be given to us so freely, so purposefully, so passionately. 

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has his ups and downs in terms of choices and feelings and thoughts and actions that keep me from being who God wants me to be.  I was probably not the only one acting like a maniac on Saturday night.  Screaming at my television with words that were less than ideal because of what was unfolding before my eyes.  All joking aside, we have a hard time being who God calls us to be day in and day out, and yet we have a God who loves us enough to forgive us and to make sure that we will be his forever through the death and resurrection of Christ.  We have a God who claims us as his own children in the waters of baptism and gives us the power of his Holy Spirit to help us to overcome our imperfections and to give us the ability to be rays of His light in a rather dark world, and I have to say that that is some pretty amazing stuff! 

It just so happens that before I was going to write this devotion that a song came on my Pandora radio that sort of led me in this direction.  It’s a song call “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney.  So this may be weird (the mind of a pastor can be this way sometimes), but I started to think that about how this song, with just the slightest of alterations to the wording, could very well describe our relationship and response to God’s love through Christ.  Here are they lyrics with a few subtle changes.  If you want you can read my lyrics in the midst of hearing the song on YouTube, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_FiIilTwIA. 

God I’m amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I’m afraid of the way I love you
God I’m amazed at the way you pulled me out of time
Hung me on a line
God I’m amazed at the way I really need you

God I’m a man and maybe I’m a lonely man
Who’s in the middle of something
That he doesn’t really understand
God I’m a man and maybe you're the only ONE
Who could ever help me
God won’t you help to me understand

God I’m amazed at the way you're with me all the time
God I’m afraid of the way I leave you
God I’m amazed at the way you help me sing my song
You right me when I’m wrong
Maybe I’m amazed at the way I really need you   

It truly is amazing.  Even though we fall short, God loves us.  God is with us, and the honest truth is that we and our world need God’s love too.

 

Peace,

Jason Antley

Pastor of Mt. Olivet, Chapin, SC and Mt. Hermon, Peak, SC

Clemson Alumni, Class of 2005

Devotion - Monday, October 21

I have been making the wedding circuit this month.  Two weddings in the last three weeks.  Lots of celebration, many reasons to give God thanks.

At neither of these weddings did we read I Corinthians 13.  For that I am glad.  The so-called "love chapter" in Paul's letter to the church in Corinth loses much of its punch when we align it with the limited and closed-in-upon-itself type of a love that makes a marriage thrive.  The love of I Corinthians 13 speaks to all of us, not merely those who are in a committed life-long relationship.

Bishop Yoos spoke at our gathering last Wednesday about love.  He encouraged us to think about the way in which we express love.  "What is your love language?" he asked us.  Some show love by offering gifts, others by being dependable.  Some show their love by offering a listening ear, others by offering a comforting hug.

Loving others is a choice we make, but it is also a directive from God as to how we are to live our lives.  Love becomes the expression of our awareness that we have been loved by God and posses an abundance which we are now able to share.

Pastor Chris

1 Corinthians 13

The Gift of Love

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

 

Sermon - October 20

Pentecost 22 – Year C -(Lectionary 29)

October 20, 2013     

Genesis 32:22-31     

         Struggles which Rename Us

 

This is my first opportunity to “preach,” since the wonderful celebration you organized around my 30^th Ordination anniversary – my 20^th year of ministry here in Clemson.   I haven’t preached since then.  Heck – I haven’t even been here.  These last two weekends I was away.  Bet you thought I took the pat on the back and ran.  Maybe some were hoping I had; 20 years is a long time to be at one site.  And I know (better than anyone) how tough it is for a 56 year old campus pastor to keep up with 20-something year old students.  I try.   But I did leave the football game about 2/3 of the way through the second quarter last night.  (What a heartbreak.)

My being away these last two weeks (and next week) is a statement about the ministry to which I understand myself to have been called.  I have always understood the “Call” as a call to service in the Church of Jesus Christ.  The particular congregation who issues the paper call provides a base of support and takes on the essential task of setting objectives and priorities, but the ministry is to be extended to all of God’s children and to each of God’s purposes.

That is what it means to be “The Church of Jesus Christ.”  We are not “the church in Clemson,” or “the congregation of like-minded, European heritage persons.”  The name says something about who we are – about who we understand ourselves to be; about who God intends us to be.  Our name challenges us to be that gathering of individuals in which the hope and purpose and vision of Jesus is lived out. 

The reading from Genesis 32 is one of which I often speak.  So much so that one of the 30^th anniversary letters used the story as a back-drop for the LCM alum’s experiences here in Clemson.  In this story, the giving of a new name acknowledges that the way we are spoken of, the way we present ourselves, the NAME by which we are known makes a huge difference.   

Our name says something about who we are – about who we understand ourselves to be; about who God intends us to be.   

“You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 

“Prevailed?” “Survived” is more like it. Surviving struggles, or prevailing in struggle is something with which Jacob has many experiences.  In fact, the earliest of these encounters explains why he has had the name “Jacob” up to this point.  The name “Jacob” acknowledges struggles.  Jacob has survived a couple of tough encounters – and he has the biggest yet to come. 

It never hurts to review – so let’s do some of that.  Jacob is the son of Isaac; he is the grandson of Abraham.  Jacob was a twin – he was the youngest of the set of twins.  His slightly older brother was Esau.  The birth story foreshadows the encounters to come as Jacob grows into a man.  Jacob exits his mother’s womb with a firm grasp on his brother’s heel.   That is why he is named “Jacob.” “Jacob” means “he supplants,” or “he takes by the heel.”  The name given this young man exposes who he is understood to be.  The name sets a path and a pattern for how he will interact with the world.   

Jacob does supplant his brother.  He tricks Esau out of his birthright – offering Esau a bowl of soup on a day when Esau was too hungry to look beyond his next meal.  Jacob supplants his older brother’s right to the elder son’s blessing – this time with the aid of his mother, Rebekah.  She hears that Isaac is about to bless Esau, so she helps Jacob fix the old man’s favorite food.  She helps Jacob with a disguise, so his blind father won’t know it is the younger son he is about to bless. 

When Esau learns of this latest trick, he threatens Jacob’s life and Jacob flees.  Jacob goes to the country of his mother’s people, and there he tricks and cheats his way into obtaining both the younger and older daughter of Laban.  When his father-in-law has had enough, Jacob makes use of genetic manipulation to obtain the best of Laban’s flock.  Now it is Laban who is out for revenge. 

Jacob “catches by the heel” so many of those with whom he shares life.  He struggles with them, and he supplants their position over him or before him. 

With enemies in front of him and enemies behind him Jacob (he who supplants) crosses the river and spends a night alone with himself and what he has done. 

His name says it all. 

Then we get to the story in Genesis 32.  I acknowledge earlier that this story is my favorite in all of scripture.  If you are in attendance at my funeral, this will be the text read and preached upon.  The emphasis that day won’t be so much on the re-naming of Jacob but on the struggle’s lasting impact on Jacob.  

The encounter which happens across the Jabbock brings a combination of blessing, and permanent scar.  Jacob is “blessed” as a result of this encounter; but he is also wounded for life.  He leaves the encounter with a permanent limp. 

It has been my experience in life that the experiences which result in the greatest life-altering blessing are also those which have a tremendous opportunity to wound.   

Perhaps it is ONLY such experiences which possess the capacity to re-name us, to give new direction and definition to our lives.   

In Genesis, this child is named “Jacob” because of his tendency to reach out and grab the heel of the one who is before him.  He was called Jacob and he lived up to the name.  He has repeatedly supplanted those who had a higher place – a place which he coveted and desired. 

With those he had tricked lying before him and those whom he had deceived lying behind him, Jacob goes off by himself and in the darkness of night he encounters this strange visitor.  It is the kind of encounter which changes lives - which changes his life.  No longer is he known by the name “Jacob,” but will be called by the new name “Israel.”  As the text tells us, “Israel” means one who has striven with men and with God and has prevailed. 

The name describes who he is; the name encourages him to become what God intends him to be.

 

Jacob will eventually have twelve sons.  The names of those twelve sons will become the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Those sons will struggle against one another, and ten of them will sell one of them into slavery.  The slave son will save the others from starvation.  But his descendants as well as the descendants of the other brothers will eventually struggle against Pharaoh in Egypt and then against God at Mt. Sinai.  In each of these struggles – Israel will survive, Israel will prevail. 

Which brings us back to issue of our name.  What is the name by which we are known?  What is the name we would use to introduce ourselves, or describe ourselves?  Is there a different name used by those who are not part of us, but speak of us?

The name does say something about who we are – about who we understand ourselves to be.  The name also says something about who God intends us to be.   

Amen.

Friday Devotion

Today's offering is from Laurel Burst

Monday, the night before fall break came to its close, my friend invited me to go hiking with her the following morning. I happily accepted the invitation and eagerly awaited our excursion. When Tuesday morning finally arrived it was far from what we were expecting. We woke up and were greeted by a dense layer of fog over the town. Driving up the parkway we could hardly see thirty feet in front of us. It was a dreary and miserable looking morning.

We never admitted it out loud, but by the looks of it, the hike was going to be terrible.  Even if we did make it to the outlook, there wasn’t going to be much to see. But we kept that to ourselves and continued up the mountain to our dreaded hike.

When we got there, we were proven wrong a million times over. We ended up on top of Rough Ridge and above the fog line. On top of the mountain there were tranquil, blue skies and the sun was shining brightly. As far as the eye could see, a fluffy white blanket sat perfectly still below us. The only thing that interrupted it was the occasional mountain peak painted gold and red from the autumn leafs. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

We sat on the top of the ridge for at least half an hour, simply taking in and trying to document the pure beauty of the scene surrounding us. As the morning turned into afternoon we were forced to descend down the mountain again so we could return to classes. But as we drove from clear blue skies into the dense, dreary fog, we weren’t upset. In fact, we were completely giddy. We were so excited to be back in the fog after we had seen the big picture and knew how striking this fog really was. It gave us a new perspective, a renewed outlook on the seemingly dreary day ahead.

This reminds me of the Transfiguration story we hear about in the gospels. Jesus takes three of his apostles onto the mountaintop and He is transfigured before them. Elijah and Moses appear with Him as well. It is a sight the apostles do not want to leave, but Jesus insists they do. As they descend the mountain, they do not return with a reluctant heart. Instead they are renewed in their purpose of following Jesus.

Many times breaks give us that renewal we are seeking. Familiar faces and the warmth of our own bed comfort us, but it only lasts so long. God will always give us that renewal we look for though. When dreary, dense, and often times mundane tasks cloud our schedules, God offers us that renewed perspective we need.

Devotion - Thursday, October 17

Bishop Yoos began his bible study with us by showing a short video of an accomplished pianist involving a variety of persons in playing a classical piece of music.  He assigned them a note to strike on the piano, and when the time was appropriate would encourage them to play.  It was a beautiful expression of how each of us contribute to a larger symphony by planing our assigned one note.

This same lesson was reinforced by this morning's assigned Epistle reading.  In I Corinthians 12:1-11 Paul speaks of spiritual gifts.  His message isn't so much a delineation of the wide variety of gifts as it is an encouragement to see how our individual gifts are used to build up the common good. 

Too often we look to the gifts possessed by others, and wish those were the ones that God had given us.  Too often we over-value the gifts we don't have, failing to realize how essential it is for us to express the gifts we have been given.

"Well, that's nothing special," we say.  Or, "Anybody can do that."  Failing to realize that not everyone can, nor noticing that no one has.

Play your one note today.  Without it, the whole suffers.  Unless you express the gifts God has given you, God's purposes for the day will be left unfulfilled.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 16

Matthew 9 contains the invitation to Matthew, the tax collector, to follow Jesus.  This invitation, extended from Jesus, causes a negative reaction among the righteous folks (the Pharisees.)  "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" they ask Jesus' disciples.

We cannot repeat enough the phrase seen on church yard signs:  "We do not insist upon change so that God might love them; we love them so that God might change them."

"While we were yet sinners, God loved us."  God's love is not a reward for good behavior or right beliefs.  God's love is God's gift to us.

That kind of love does change us.  Or has the potential to change us.  Some will snatch that love and fail to return to give thanks for it.  But such behaviors do not deter God's determination to communicate the depth of his love toward us.  Such behaviors should not alter our clear throated proclamation of the unconditionally of God's love.  

Devotion - Monday, October 14

I hope you are enjoying your Fall Break!  If you do happen to turn on your email today, I wanted you to know that I am thinking of you, and praying for you.

This morning I was reading from I Corinthians 10:14-11:1.  There is a verse in here we all need to remember.  

Paul writes:  "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."

The issue for Paul and the Corinthians was food offered to idols.  Paul knew it didn't matter that the followers of Jesus took advantage of one of the most available sources of protein by eating such meat.  It would not affect them - because they knew the gods to which it was sacrificed were not gods.  BUT, Paul worried that others might see them eating and get the wrong idea.  So Paul tells them that how others might be affected is the greater concern.

The way we behave, the things we do, all should be done with an eye to how they will affect others.  As Jesus' disciples in the world, we are the Jesus that others will see.  Our first thought should always be "How will this affect my neighbor?"

We tease about Lutherans and our non-prohibition of alcohol.  Let us hope this never becomes a bragging point and thus a stumbling block for others.  We sometimes choose to use four-letter words for emphasis.  An ear needs to be trained to how use of such words will affect others.

What Jesus will allow - and what we ought to do - may fall into two categories.  Let us seek to do that which will help those around us - rather than simply doing what it is that would show off our freedoms.

Friday Devotion

Today's devotion is offered by Callie Heyne:

The hardest, lowest moments of our lives can bring us joy, self-discovery, and growth in the most positive of ways.

I was talking to an older, more experienced woman this week, and she gave me the true honor of letting me into her life.  She told me a lot about her past: an ended marriage, relocations, family, loss, and forgiveness.   All I kept thinking while she was telling her story was how hard of life she had lived.  What she said at the end blew me away.  She said, “ I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am now without learning all those lessons.  My mind and heart would be too small.”

She didn’t face the challenges and the hardship in her life with disdain.  She faced them not only with the will to grow and overcome, but also with joy and forgiveness.
I do not know of a better example of this in the bible than Paul while he was in jail.  He was joyful about his imprisonment and its role in establishing the Christian faith.
In fact, while in jail he said, “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).   Paul was a cheerleader of the people while in jail.  He was able to see the bigger picture of his imprisonment, and see the positive role he could still play in people’s lives.   

My conversation with this lovely, courageous woman helped me realize that the hardest moments in life are the ones that are shaping and molding you into the person God knows you can be, and that’s something to be joyful about. 

Have a joyful and safe fall break! 
Callie

Devotion - Friday, October 10

This morning we conclude our reading from the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus has made a rather thorough presentation of his message and of how he hopes his disciples will live their lives.

Just before he ends, he makes use of one more analogy.  He speaks of the wise person who builds their house upon a foundation of stone; contrasted with the person who builds their house on shifting sands.

We don't often enough stop to think about the foundations upon which we are building our lives.  Too frequently, we go about the task of building, without giving thought to that which underpins all we do.

Without critiquing alternative foundations, I would point out the wisdom of a life built upon God and God's Word.  Caring for others, being thoughtful of others, seeking ways to help the neighbor, building meaningful relationships in which neither are exploited - these are but some of the traits of such a life.  And the fruits of such a life include knowing how much we are appreciated and loved, realizing that our lives have meaning and purpose, and watching as the world becomes more joy-filled.

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by asking us to take a look at that which lies at the base of the life which we have so carefully crafted.  What is there?  Is it equal to the task?  There is a foundation which is.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 9

I continue to make my way through Matthew's presentation of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Today I read 7:13-21.  Here Jesus speaks of the "narrow gate."

The concluding verse in this section ("Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord.' shall enter the kingdom of heaven.") is often lifted out as a latter addition to Jesus' words.  When Jesus speaks of the "narrow gate," he surely didn't mean to imply that God intentionally makes it difficult for persons to be of the way.  Rather, he realizes that the wolves in sheep's clothing will lure us away from the path which leads to God.

It is a narrow way.  And it is way too easy to become distracted and take an alternative path.

The narrow way involves consistently and continually interpreting my neighbor's actions in the kindest of ways.  There is an endless number of alternative paths which would have me look upon my neighbors' actions as justification for dismissing him/her.

The narrow way involves consistently and continually reaching out to help those in distress.  There is an endless number of alternative paths which would have me proclaim "God helps those who help themselves."

 

The narrow way involves consistently and continually forgiving the injuries inflicted upon me by those around me.  There is an endless number of alternative paths which would have me harbor grudges and hate the one who did me wrong.

The narrow gate is not set up by God in order to turn away those who seek to enter His kingdom.  The narrow gate is an image for how differently those who love and follow Jesus make their way through the world.

Tuesday Devotion

Campus ministry devotional by Bishop Herman R. Yoos, SC Synod, ELCA

  

Isaiah 43:1-3

But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
³For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

 

When have you recently gone through some fiery times of conflict or raging waters that you have no control over? It is difficult in the midst of these moments to hear God saying to us, “Fear Not, I have called you by name and you are mine!”  Yet it is precisely in the midst of these challenging experiences that God invites us to remember our deepest identity as baptismal children of God.

 

This scripture recently came to my mind as I learned about the flooding and mud slides that were occurring in Colorado. For those living in Boulder, these were not figurative but literal experiences of overflowing streams and rivers that swept away cars, homes and some lives as well. My nephew, Mark Changaris, was one of those who had his rented home flooded with muddy water. After a stressful day of salvaging personal belongings, while checking on their neighbors and friends, my nephew sat down at the piano and played a haunting melody called “Mad World.” His roommate captured this moment of tranquility in the midst of chaos and uploaded a brief video of Mark’s piano playing onto You Tube. It went viral with over 1,000,000 views which led to an interview of my nephew with some reporters from CNN. Here is a link to his playing and to the brief interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoMZ7qkmRGM.

 

 

Now if you keep in mind how God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you…” doesn’t it seem likely that God was sending a similar message through my nephew playing the piano? It was a message of hope for the future. It was the same promise that God gave to the Israelites as they were feeling afraid and overwhelmed about the prospects of leaving Babylon and crossing a dangerous wilderness. It is the same promise God offers to us in the midst of the uncertainties and challenges that threaten us today, whether it involves a government shutdown over ideological differences and the inability to compromise, or the ups and downs of an uncertain job market. Notice that God doesn’t promise to eliminate the external threats that cause the fear, so much as God promises to be with us in the midst of these situations, always reminding us that God’s love is deeper, stronger, and wider than the fiery times and raging waters. That is the promise of hope that our world still desperately needs to hear and know.

 

 

Let us pray

 

God,

 

Give us moments of clarity and peace in the midst of the everyday challenges we face. Help us to remember when we are most anxious that you are present with us and that you call each of us by our names. Be with all those in our world who live every day in the midst of fearful and threatening dangers, and speak to them words that bring hope and new life.

Devotion - Monday, October 7

I continue to read from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Today's verses are Matthew 6:25-34.

These verses are instructions from Jesus to "not be anxious about your life."  "Let today's troubles be sufficient for today."  In my prayers, I realized how differently I hear this message than you.

I am winding down my professional life - I have had 30 years of work; during these final 10-12 I will be determining which of the projects I have begun merit the effort to sustain. 

You spend your days in classrooms preparing for the opportunity to develop new discoveries.

I look at my checkbook and think about retirement plans.

Your finances are centered on accumulating books and paying for temporary housing.

But we all need to hear Jesus' words about anxiety.  Regardless of what it is that runs through our minds, we can either allow those thoughts to dominate our lives, or choose to relegate them to passing concerns.  We can deceive ourselves into thinking we can control what happens, or trust that the future lies in God's hands.

These words from Jesus are not meant to tell you to ignore that paper due next Tuesday.  But these words do remind you that many of the most important things in life are things over which God has the greater control - so let Him.  Set aside your anxiety.  Identify the troubles that are the troubles for this day.  Remember that God clothes the fields with lilies and feeds the birds of the air.  Surely, God will also care for you.

Friday Devotion

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” 

 

This 20^th verse of Matthew 18 is followed in chapter 25 with the Parable of the Final Judgment, which includes the well-known line “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”.

 

These passages have become favorites of mine in the past year or so.  Their message is clear:  God is present in our interactions with one another.  I pair this idea with Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s assertion that “every human You is an image of the divine You” which he makes in Communion of the Saints. 

 

These ideas help me to see more clearly that I am not self-sufficient.  They help me see that if I want to be open to the presence of God then I must first be open to the presence of those around me.

 

I like this because it is such a challenge to me.  It challenges my introverted nature which wants to continuously look inward for solutions.  And it challenges my desire to shut out the people who get under my skin.  The people who I judge from just a glance at their clothes and the people who never seem to get that I find conversation with them extremely annoying. 

 

“As you did it to the least of these…you did it to me”

 

How differently would we behave if we truly believed that every person we meet was created in God’s image and is a window into the heart of God?

 

Hope you all have a great weekend.  God’s peace be with you.