When we think of something being "lifted up," we tend to associate this with an elevation in status or recognition. I am planning a February trip to the seminary in Philadelphia. The grant which makes that possible includes language of "lifting up leaders for the Church of the future." The Gatorade bath has replaced the practice I remember from my college age of lifting the winning coach on the shoulders of the offensive linemen.
There is even a popular Christian Praise song which speaks says, "I will lift your name on high."
In John 2 there is a reference to "lifting up." The reference includes both a look backward and a look forward. Jesus reminds his listeners that in the wilderness, Moses lifted up the serpent and so also will the Son of man be lifted up.
The serpents had come among the Israelites. Many were being bitten and dying. Moses molds a serpent and hangs it on a wooden pole. The people who are bitten look at that which had been lifted up and they are saved.
You know the story of Jesus' being hoisted onto a tree, outside of Jerusalem, at a place called "The Skull."
The very act associated with being honored (being lifted up) is the act which robs Jesus of his lift. In a wonderful twist, that which robs him of life becomes the gateway to salvation. His being robbed of life is our way to live eternally.
It is too simple to say "God's ways are not our ways," but that is certainly true here. More profoundly true is the lesson that what the world intends is thwarted by what God desires. We may need to look deeply and intently at what is happening in order to see past the simple spin placed upon events. Such attempts at spin are most often attempts to rob the event of God's intentions and make it fit our own.
"The Son of man is lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Devotion - Monday, January 16
I have never been one who read sermons. Sermons were intended to be preached, not written. The exception to this are the sermons preached by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His sermons (some of which I have also seen as newsreels) are moving in either format.
The collection of sermons most meaningful to me are those grouped together in his The Strength to Love collection.
Pastor King experienced the hatred of those who opposed him. He knew how it felt to be called names and to be physically attacked. There were earlier attempts to harm or murder him prior to the gun shot which took his life. He spoke to a segment of the population who had also experienced outpouring of hatred.
And yet, as he spoke, he spoke of the strength to love.
Hatred only leads to more hatred. The only way to solve hatred is to begin to love. In an situation where everyone is angry and yelling, it is the one who loves who begins to provide a resolution.
For Pastor King, it was the divisions of race that exposed the hatred. There remain such divisions today and there are far too many who continue to "hate" purely because of skin color. There have emerged hatreds in recent years over religious differences, and cultural divisions.
It takes a great strength to love - to love our enemies. It is easier (and thus the route most often taken) to return hatred with hatred.
On this ML King, Jr. holiday, pray for the strength to hear God's call to love our enemies and pray for those who oppose us. Hear the reminder of God's servant, that until we love, we will never overcome hatred.
The collection of sermons most meaningful to me are those grouped together in his The Strength to Love collection.
Pastor King experienced the hatred of those who opposed him. He knew how it felt to be called names and to be physically attacked. There were earlier attempts to harm or murder him prior to the gun shot which took his life. He spoke to a segment of the population who had also experienced outpouring of hatred.
And yet, as he spoke, he spoke of the strength to love.
Hatred only leads to more hatred. The only way to solve hatred is to begin to love. In an situation where everyone is angry and yelling, it is the one who loves who begins to provide a resolution.
For Pastor King, it was the divisions of race that exposed the hatred. There remain such divisions today and there are far too many who continue to "hate" purely because of skin color. There have emerged hatreds in recent years over religious differences, and cultural divisions.
It takes a great strength to love - to love our enemies. It is easier (and thus the route most often taken) to return hatred with hatred.
On this ML King, Jr. holiday, pray for the strength to hear God's call to love our enemies and pray for those who oppose us. Hear the reminder of God's servant, that until we love, we will never overcome hatred.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sermon - Epiphany 2 - January 15, 2012
I Samuel 3:1-10
Hearing the Voice
I don’t know if you are a Saturday morning listener of Public Radio. There is a show which comes on at 10 am that is real hoot and on occasion provides a lot of information. The hosts are also the writers of a column which appears in the Saturday Greenville News, in the Auto Section. They call themselves Click and Clack, the Tappert Brothers, and the radio show is simply called “Car Talk.”
The basic premise behind the show is that you call in with some problem you are having with your car and they try to help you figure out what is wrong. Like I said, it is always entertaining, occasionally the information seems helpful.
What I like best are the callers who are hearing engine noises. “I’ve got this noise in my engine.” “Well, is it a clicking, a pinging or a grinding?” “I don’t know exactly, what does a clinking sound like?” “Well, it is a clink that repeats, sometimes in proportion to how fast the engine is rotating.” “I don’t think it is a click. How does a pinging sound?” And on and on and on.......
I enjoy listening to these exchanges in which the person who has heard the sound tries to gain insight from someone who might know what such a sound could means. I enjoy listening to these exchanges in part because I have been in frustratingly similar conversations. Things would be so much simpler if the one who heard the noise was also the one who could recognize. Diagnosis may be possible - if only the one with the expertise had also been the one present for the mishap.
In our first lesson for this morning, there is a similar sort or unfortunate separation. In our lesson, there is a young boy, Samuel by name, who had the opportunity to witness a wonderful event. God speaks to him. But due to his youth, perhaps due to his lack of experience, he doesn’t recognize the sound. He doesn’t know who it is that is calling to him. He thinks it must be his master Eli.
Eli, you will recall, was the priest serving in the temple when Hannah lifted her voice to God, asking for a son. Hannah is in the temple, wailing and causing quite a scene. Eli first thinks she is drunk and tries to send her away. When he learns the nature of her cries, he blesses her and Samuel is born. In response, and out of gratitude, Hannah brings Samuel back to Eli, to serve him in his service to the temple.
Samuel grows; grows in his dedication to Eli, grows in his attention to the affairs of the temple. He serves well, doing all that is required of him.
But, he serves in lean years. As our lesson indicates, there had not been a lot of activity of which to speak. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. We can’t be totally sure what the writer meant by such a description, but certainly a picture is painted in which constant, sustaining and ongoing activity between God and God’s people has been lacking. The word of the Lord as rare in those days.
“What would God have us do?” “How are we to know? There has been no word.”
The way that we bind the various sixty-six books of the Bible into one volume makes it easy for us to overlook or forget the tremendous periods of time between major events. We think that because the story of David’s coronation comes a mere 163 pages after the entering of the Promised Land that a very short period of time has passed. Or, because we read of Noah’s encounter with the flood and Joseph’s coat of many colors within 14 chapters of Genesis that they must have lived within a few short years of each other. But this isn’t true. Centuries passed between these events.
In biblical times, no less than our own, there were long periods of time during which there came no clear word from Yahweh. Often, the word was rare and visions were not widespread. It was during these times that the people found it most difficult to remain faithful. Scoffers would ask, “Where is your God?” Unbelievers would challenge, “If there is a God, why isn’t something being done to correct this evil?”
Maybe we live in such a time. A time when the word is rare, a time in which visions are not widespread. It appears as if our world lacks a sense of vision, of direction for the future. Even our churches seem to miss the mark or fall terribly short. In the times when the word is rare, when visions are not widespread, surviving can be difficult.
The only real hope we have, in the face of such times, is the knowledge that God never abandons us forever. Whether it be in our personal lives or in the continuation of God’s history with humanity, there comes a word - a vision is received.
However, God’s decision to speak is only half the problem. Look again at our story. God speaks to Samuel, but he doesn’t know who it is. God speaks to him, yet he runs and wakes Eli. The word was rare, the visions infrequent, and as a result the recipient doesn’t recognize that word when it does come.
Some of you know of my love for the writings of novelist Walker Percy. In one of his novels, The Second Coming, the main character, Will Barrett, devises a plan to test for God’s existence. Without leaving any notes, he crawls into a cave, carrying a flashlight, a clock and some pills designed to kill the pain associated with starvation. “If God exists,” Barrett decides, “someone will find me and I will be saved. If there no God, I will die. And if there is no God, it is just as well.”
Something insignificant happens. His alarm clock breaks so he can’t keep track of how long it has been since he took the last of the pain pills. So he decides that he needs to move to where he can see the light of day. As he crawls through the cave, he falls into the underground greenhouse of an escapee of the local insane asylum. She nurses him back to health.
For most of the remainder of the book, Will believes that his “test” has been nullified. It is only after he has fallen in love with the young woman that he sees her as God’s salvation, sent to save him from death; sent to save him from a live of emptiness.
When God’s word comes, we are often so unaccustomed to hearing it that we fail to recognize it for what it is. We go and ask Eli, “You called me?” There are times when God’s word is rare. But is equally true that there are times in which we just are not prepared to hear God’s word for what it is.
Samuel was fortunate, Eli was there to help. Our scripture reads, “Now Samuel did not know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him...(but) Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.
We pass over the story involved here. Eli was the priest. Samuel was his servant. There had been no frequent vision; the word of the Lord was rare. And now, the word comes not to the master, but to the slave boy.
How it must have crushed Eli to know that another was to receive the long awaited vision. How it must have tested his faith to realize that God was going to speak to this young lad not to him.
If we read on, we understand even better how horrible this is, for the word revealed to Samuel is that the house of Eli is to be destroyed. Because Eli’s sons had misused their priestly office, and because Eli had not punished them sufficiently, God is going to remove Eli from his post and appoint another.
How it must have crushed Eli to know that another was to receive the long awaited vision. How it must have tested his faith to realize that God was going to speak to this young lad and not to him.
Samuel is the benefactor of Eli’s wisdom and faithfulness. He does as Eli instructs and receives the Word of God. He will become a great prophet. He will serve long among God’s people. But the first lesson he has to learn is how to learn from others; how to grow from their experience, how to benefit from their insight, how to profit from their history.
Tomorrow is the official observance of the live and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He may just be the best example we have of what it means to learn from another’s insight. King knew that his struggle wasn’t simply for the benefit of black people. He knew that unless the hatred of racism was removed from our nation it would result in the destruction of us all. White churches, in refusing to allow in their black brothers and sisters, were also making it impossible for God to enter. But his assignation didn’t come when all he talked about was racism. He was murdered after he initiated The War on Poverty. His Memphis speech in which he spoke of the “un-holy trinity” of racism, materialism, and militarism is the word which many sought to silence.
All around us there are those who have seen visions, who have heard God’s Word. If we wish to break the silence, overcome the blindness, our first step is to listen to what they are telling us. To do as they have instructed.
For the times in our lives when there is no vision, when there is no word, we remember that God does not abandon forever.
During those times, we must also remember how easily we mistake the word of God for something else and ignore it.
And, as we struggle to hear and to see, we must turn also to those with clearer vision and sharper ears, willing to learn from them how it is that God speaks.
Amen.
Hearing the Voice
I don’t know if you are a Saturday morning listener of Public Radio. There is a show which comes on at 10 am that is real hoot and on occasion provides a lot of information. The hosts are also the writers of a column which appears in the Saturday Greenville News, in the Auto Section. They call themselves Click and Clack, the Tappert Brothers, and the radio show is simply called “Car Talk.”
The basic premise behind the show is that you call in with some problem you are having with your car and they try to help you figure out what is wrong. Like I said, it is always entertaining, occasionally the information seems helpful.
What I like best are the callers who are hearing engine noises. “I’ve got this noise in my engine.” “Well, is it a clicking, a pinging or a grinding?” “I don’t know exactly, what does a clinking sound like?” “Well, it is a clink that repeats, sometimes in proportion to how fast the engine is rotating.” “I don’t think it is a click. How does a pinging sound?” And on and on and on.......
I enjoy listening to these exchanges in which the person who has heard the sound tries to gain insight from someone who might know what such a sound could means. I enjoy listening to these exchanges in part because I have been in frustratingly similar conversations. Things would be so much simpler if the one who heard the noise was also the one who could recognize. Diagnosis may be possible - if only the one with the expertise had also been the one present for the mishap.
In our first lesson for this morning, there is a similar sort or unfortunate separation. In our lesson, there is a young boy, Samuel by name, who had the opportunity to witness a wonderful event. God speaks to him. But due to his youth, perhaps due to his lack of experience, he doesn’t recognize the sound. He doesn’t know who it is that is calling to him. He thinks it must be his master Eli.
Eli, you will recall, was the priest serving in the temple when Hannah lifted her voice to God, asking for a son. Hannah is in the temple, wailing and causing quite a scene. Eli first thinks she is drunk and tries to send her away. When he learns the nature of her cries, he blesses her and Samuel is born. In response, and out of gratitude, Hannah brings Samuel back to Eli, to serve him in his service to the temple.
Samuel grows; grows in his dedication to Eli, grows in his attention to the affairs of the temple. He serves well, doing all that is required of him.
But, he serves in lean years. As our lesson indicates, there had not been a lot of activity of which to speak. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. We can’t be totally sure what the writer meant by such a description, but certainly a picture is painted in which constant, sustaining and ongoing activity between God and God’s people has been lacking. The word of the Lord as rare in those days.
“What would God have us do?” “How are we to know? There has been no word.”
The way that we bind the various sixty-six books of the Bible into one volume makes it easy for us to overlook or forget the tremendous periods of time between major events. We think that because the story of David’s coronation comes a mere 163 pages after the entering of the Promised Land that a very short period of time has passed. Or, because we read of Noah’s encounter with the flood and Joseph’s coat of many colors within 14 chapters of Genesis that they must have lived within a few short years of each other. But this isn’t true. Centuries passed between these events.
In biblical times, no less than our own, there were long periods of time during which there came no clear word from Yahweh. Often, the word was rare and visions were not widespread. It was during these times that the people found it most difficult to remain faithful. Scoffers would ask, “Where is your God?” Unbelievers would challenge, “If there is a God, why isn’t something being done to correct this evil?”
Maybe we live in such a time. A time when the word is rare, a time in which visions are not widespread. It appears as if our world lacks a sense of vision, of direction for the future. Even our churches seem to miss the mark or fall terribly short. In the times when the word is rare, when visions are not widespread, surviving can be difficult.
The only real hope we have, in the face of such times, is the knowledge that God never abandons us forever. Whether it be in our personal lives or in the continuation of God’s history with humanity, there comes a word - a vision is received.
However, God’s decision to speak is only half the problem. Look again at our story. God speaks to Samuel, but he doesn’t know who it is. God speaks to him, yet he runs and wakes Eli. The word was rare, the visions infrequent, and as a result the recipient doesn’t recognize that word when it does come.
Some of you know of my love for the writings of novelist Walker Percy. In one of his novels, The Second Coming, the main character, Will Barrett, devises a plan to test for God’s existence. Without leaving any notes, he crawls into a cave, carrying a flashlight, a clock and some pills designed to kill the pain associated with starvation. “If God exists,” Barrett decides, “someone will find me and I will be saved. If there no God, I will die. And if there is no God, it is just as well.”
Something insignificant happens. His alarm clock breaks so he can’t keep track of how long it has been since he took the last of the pain pills. So he decides that he needs to move to where he can see the light of day. As he crawls through the cave, he falls into the underground greenhouse of an escapee of the local insane asylum. She nurses him back to health.
For most of the remainder of the book, Will believes that his “test” has been nullified. It is only after he has fallen in love with the young woman that he sees her as God’s salvation, sent to save him from death; sent to save him from a live of emptiness.
When God’s word comes, we are often so unaccustomed to hearing it that we fail to recognize it for what it is. We go and ask Eli, “You called me?” There are times when God’s word is rare. But is equally true that there are times in which we just are not prepared to hear God’s word for what it is.
Samuel was fortunate, Eli was there to help. Our scripture reads, “Now Samuel did not know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him...(but) Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.
We pass over the story involved here. Eli was the priest. Samuel was his servant. There had been no frequent vision; the word of the Lord was rare. And now, the word comes not to the master, but to the slave boy.
How it must have crushed Eli to know that another was to receive the long awaited vision. How it must have tested his faith to realize that God was going to speak to this young lad not to him.
If we read on, we understand even better how horrible this is, for the word revealed to Samuel is that the house of Eli is to be destroyed. Because Eli’s sons had misused their priestly office, and because Eli had not punished them sufficiently, God is going to remove Eli from his post and appoint another.
How it must have crushed Eli to know that another was to receive the long awaited vision. How it must have tested his faith to realize that God was going to speak to this young lad and not to him.
Samuel is the benefactor of Eli’s wisdom and faithfulness. He does as Eli instructs and receives the Word of God. He will become a great prophet. He will serve long among God’s people. But the first lesson he has to learn is how to learn from others; how to grow from their experience, how to benefit from their insight, how to profit from their history.
Tomorrow is the official observance of the live and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He may just be the best example we have of what it means to learn from another’s insight. King knew that his struggle wasn’t simply for the benefit of black people. He knew that unless the hatred of racism was removed from our nation it would result in the destruction of us all. White churches, in refusing to allow in their black brothers and sisters, were also making it impossible for God to enter. But his assignation didn’t come when all he talked about was racism. He was murdered after he initiated The War on Poverty. His Memphis speech in which he spoke of the “un-holy trinity” of racism, materialism, and militarism is the word which many sought to silence.
All around us there are those who have seen visions, who have heard God’s Word. If we wish to break the silence, overcome the blindness, our first step is to listen to what they are telling us. To do as they have instructed.
For the times in our lives when there is no vision, when there is no word, we remember that God does not abandon forever.
During those times, we must also remember how easily we mistake the word of God for something else and ignore it.
And, as we struggle to hear and to see, we must turn also to those with clearer vision and sharper ears, willing to learn from them how it is that God speaks.
Amen.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Devotion - Thursday, January 12
In John 15 Jesus uses the image of a grape vine to express the relationship he seeks with us. He says, "I am the true vine." There are many places one might turn, to find a source of life and meaning, but Jesus invites us to find that source in him and in his words.
Not merely in him, but in the one who sent him. He may be the vine, but he reminds us, "My father is the vine dresser."
He then outlines his relationship with us. He says, "I am the the vine, you are the branches."
Apart from the vine, the branches wither and die. The branches depend upon the vine for their nutrients. Only the vine is rooted in the soil.
At our LCM Leadership Team meeting on Tuesday, I was trying to share an idea with the Team members. I wanted to explore with them ways in which LCM-C might support the "branches" which have become known to us. Not all branches will be connected to the vine in the same way. Too often we (me and the LCM Leadership Team) act as if there is only one way to be connected - we want those branches to become involved in our activities and ministries. We need to remember that there are other ways to be connected; and we need to find a way to support all those options.
Some will find their connection through service. They will discover that in serving others, they are strengthened in their connection to the vine which gives them life and sustenance.
Others will be connected through personal prayer and devotion. There is not always a direct correlation between the number of hours spent in "church" and the amount of time spent in private study and prayer.
In whatever way you (as one of the branches) is connected to the vine, strengthen that connection. Be affirmed in your own way of interacting with God, depending upon God, and striving to do God's will. But stay connected. Apart from the vine, we can do nothing.
Not merely in him, but in the one who sent him. He may be the vine, but he reminds us, "My father is the vine dresser."
He then outlines his relationship with us. He says, "I am the the vine, you are the branches."
Apart from the vine, the branches wither and die. The branches depend upon the vine for their nutrients. Only the vine is rooted in the soil.
At our LCM Leadership Team meeting on Tuesday, I was trying to share an idea with the Team members. I wanted to explore with them ways in which LCM-C might support the "branches" which have become known to us. Not all branches will be connected to the vine in the same way. Too often we (me and the LCM Leadership Team) act as if there is only one way to be connected - we want those branches to become involved in our activities and ministries. We need to remember that there are other ways to be connected; and we need to find a way to support all those options.
Some will find their connection through service. They will discover that in serving others, they are strengthened in their connection to the vine which gives them life and sustenance.
Others will be connected through personal prayer and devotion. There is not always a direct correlation between the number of hours spent in "church" and the amount of time spent in private study and prayer.
In whatever way you (as one of the branches) is connected to the vine, strengthen that connection. Be affirmed in your own way of interacting with God, depending upon God, and striving to do God's will. But stay connected. Apart from the vine, we can do nothing.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Devotion - Wednesday, January 11
My devotional guide has specific readings for the days immediately following Epiphany (January 6). As a result, two passages from John fall even more closely together. They are verses I speak of often, in theological discussions about differing faith traditions.
In John 14 we read a verse that is often quoted by those seeking to understand that which is particular about being a Christian. Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." This verse was part of this morning's appointed text.
Yesterday morning I was directed to John 10. There, in the 16th verse, Jesus says "I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd." This verse is helpful to those seeking to understand how we are to approach those of differing spiritual traditions.
Harvey Cox calls this the tension between the particular and the universal.
I want to share with the whole world the Good News of Jesus. In Jesus I find the pathway to shalom. I believe that Jesus is the answer to the questions and fears which plague us and seek to distract us. I have come to this conviction because of the gentle way in which Jesus (and his followers) have shepherded me (remember yesterday's devotion.) This type of care is offered, by Jesus, to all the world's inhabitants.
I can look back and speculate on how the sheep got divided into various folds. I can lament the divisions which make it the way it is. The important thing, it seems, is to follow Jesus in understanding that the end is not reached until we are one flock. The one who shepherds us wanted it that way. And so will I.
In John 14 we read a verse that is often quoted by those seeking to understand that which is particular about being a Christian. Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." This verse was part of this morning's appointed text.
Yesterday morning I was directed to John 10. There, in the 16th verse, Jesus says "I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd." This verse is helpful to those seeking to understand how we are to approach those of differing spiritual traditions.
Harvey Cox calls this the tension between the particular and the universal.
I want to share with the whole world the Good News of Jesus. In Jesus I find the pathway to shalom. I believe that Jesus is the answer to the questions and fears which plague us and seek to distract us. I have come to this conviction because of the gentle way in which Jesus (and his followers) have shepherded me (remember yesterday's devotion.) This type of care is offered, by Jesus, to all the world's inhabitants.
I can look back and speculate on how the sheep got divided into various folds. I can lament the divisions which make it the way it is. The important thing, it seems, is to follow Jesus in understanding that the end is not reached until we are one flock. The one who shepherds us wanted it that way. And so will I.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Devotion - Tuesday, January 10
In Jeremiah 23, the prophet speaks of a time when God will send new shepherds to replace the shepherds who have not been attentive to the sheep. In John 10, Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd, as the one who will tend to the lost lambs. Seward Hiltner writes, "Shepherding occupies a quite unique place in Christianity... No other religion than that of Christ absorbs all ideas of ministration within the idea of Pastorship."
It is terribly important that those who follow Jesus understand the importance of shepherding.
In a flock, there are shepherds and there are sheep. Within the fold which belongs to Christ, the line isn't so permanently drawn. In one instance, we might be the sheep; in another we might be asked to take on the role of shepherd. It is best if we understand ourselves as sometimes occupying one role; sometimes occupying the other.
Start your day with the confidence that God has appointed shepherds for you. That God will provide good and faithful shepherds, who are looking out for your well-being and ensuring that you are cared for and protected. With such confidence, you need never feel alone.
Move through your day looking to identify the opportunities you have to serve as shepherd to another. It is only occasionally that the shepherd is called upon to fight off lions. Most shepherds will spend their whole life without such an encounter. Mostly, the shepherd remembers where there is water and leads the sheep in that direction. The primary task is to use your height (shepherds stand upright rather than all fours) to see where the grass is growing. Help the sheep move in that direction.
Sheep - shepherd. We are each a bit of both. Assuming both roles (at various times in our day) keeps the flock healthy and happy and well cared for.
"Shepherding occupies a quite unique place in Christianity."
It is terribly important that those who follow Jesus understand the importance of shepherding.
In a flock, there are shepherds and there are sheep. Within the fold which belongs to Christ, the line isn't so permanently drawn. In one instance, we might be the sheep; in another we might be asked to take on the role of shepherd. It is best if we understand ourselves as sometimes occupying one role; sometimes occupying the other.
Start your day with the confidence that God has appointed shepherds for you. That God will provide good and faithful shepherds, who are looking out for your well-being and ensuring that you are cared for and protected. With such confidence, you need never feel alone.
Move through your day looking to identify the opportunities you have to serve as shepherd to another. It is only occasionally that the shepherd is called upon to fight off lions. Most shepherds will spend their whole life without such an encounter. Mostly, the shepherd remembers where there is water and leads the sheep in that direction. The primary task is to use your height (shepherds stand upright rather than all fours) to see where the grass is growing. Help the sheep move in that direction.
Sheep - shepherd. We are each a bit of both. Assuming both roles (at various times in our day) keeps the flock healthy and happy and well cared for.
"Shepherding occupies a quite unique place in Christianity."
Monday, January 9, 2012
Devotion - Monday, January 9
The traffic flow started increasing last night. The emails in my In Box have changed in tone from, "Enjoy the break," to "this is what needs doing for the spring term." Classes resume on Wednesday, and I imagine that you will spend today traveling back to Clemson, buying books, straightening up your room, and/or catching up with friends and classmates.
I hope and pray that this will be a good semester. For you; for us as a community.
This morning's reading from Isaiah 45:14-19 spoke of the God of Israel as contrasted with the gods of Israel's neighbors. Isaiah writes: "All of them are put to shame and confounded, the makers of idols go in confusion together."
The term will be "good," if the experiences of these sixteen weeks help to clear away confusion. It will have been well spent when we can say that we have set aside any feelings of being shamed or confounded.
I hope and pray that amid all the academic work which is about to put on your planner, that you would intentionally set aside time to reflect on the intentions of God toward you. That you will seek out the opportunities to hear God's Word and to allow that Word to take root in your life. I hope and pray this for you, as result of knowing the clarity and calm which comes into the life of one who embarks upon this way. I bear witness to the power of God to set aside all that might seek to distract us. I speak of the clarity and confidence which comes from beginning each day in communion with Christ.
It is raining in Clemson. If you are still packing, make sure to get your raincoat or umbrella. Be prepared for what you will encounter when you get back to town. Thinking ahead, to what we will need, alters our behavior as we start out. This is true for road trips back to school; it is true for our life of faith.
I hope and pray that this will be a good semester. For you; for us as a community.
This morning's reading from Isaiah 45:14-19 spoke of the God of Israel as contrasted with the gods of Israel's neighbors. Isaiah writes: "All of them are put to shame and confounded, the makers of idols go in confusion together."
The term will be "good," if the experiences of these sixteen weeks help to clear away confusion. It will have been well spent when we can say that we have set aside any feelings of being shamed or confounded.
I hope and pray that amid all the academic work which is about to put on your planner, that you would intentionally set aside time to reflect on the intentions of God toward you. That you will seek out the opportunities to hear God's Word and to allow that Word to take root in your life. I hope and pray this for you, as result of knowing the clarity and calm which comes into the life of one who embarks upon this way. I bear witness to the power of God to set aside all that might seek to distract us. I speak of the clarity and confidence which comes from beginning each day in communion with Christ.
It is raining in Clemson. If you are still packing, make sure to get your raincoat or umbrella. Be prepared for what you will encounter when you get back to town. Thinking ahead, to what we will need, alters our behavior as we start out. This is true for road trips back to school; it is true for our life of faith.
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