Welcome to the Dream Factory, the blog of Tom Sims. Make sure to visit some of our other sites including An Elegant Yard Sale and 4141 Ministries and don't forget to subscribe to this blog. Check out the upper right hand corner of the page!
I have exhausted my thoughts and stretched my prayers.
I am sapped of strength to do either in a meaningful way.
Yet, I pray.
Yet, I think.
And in my thinking and praying, I seek wisdom to act, to do, to behave, to exercise influence, to know and share wisdom.
I have big feet and my elder and Sunday School, Mrs. Emily Daniels, told me I should attach them to my prayers because the most vital intervention in prayer is not outside of ourselves. It is inside of us. It motivates, activates, and empowers us.
Yes. I am thinking about Uvalde and Buffalo and all the hundreds of places and incidents where violence has erupted because of someone with guns. Yes. I am praying.
But fully engaged prayer involves our total being, our bodies, our feet, our voices, our influence, our courage, our problem-solving capacity, our willingness to make sacrifices and work with our adversaries to make changes.
But I am exhausted and numb.
Yesterday peeled another layer off of my neuropathic skin and exposed more rawness. I looked at every picture I could find online of the children, precious, sweet children and of the parents, devastated and grieving and found one bit of good news:
I can still feel.
I can still be shocked.
I can still be devastated.
I am not numb to this.
I am sad and I am angry.
I am sad for them and I am sad for any eighteen year old kids who can be so angry, twisted, self-absorbed, fixated on weapons, unperturbed by death, and mean as to throw away the lives of others and not care about their own.
I am angry that their followers copy them and cheer them.
I am angry that someone buys them guns or sells them guns.
I am angry that the first words out of some peoples' mouths is about our rights to have guns. I have never owned a gun and never will. I actually believe you have the right to have one if you are stable and law abiding and pass at least the same background checks and proportional training comparable to others who hold the power of life an death in their hands:
Surgeons
Hairdressers
Food handlers
Drivers
Personally, I do not need them, want them, or allow them in my home. And that is a mutual decision between myself and my wife. We will find other ways to protect ourselves or will die. That is our choice.
And I see no need to participate in an armed uprising against the government. We will fight for our rights in peaceful ways or we will suffer persecution.
That is where my thoughts and prayers take me. They move me to use my vote, my words, and my actions to influence reasonable policies that protect everyone's rights, even rights I do not choose to exercise, but with logical limits.
My thoughts and prayers also lead me to be pastoral toward those who are in pain. As I have opportunity to minister, I will take it. That includes my readers and listeners.
My thoughts and prayers further lead me to be respectful, cordial, civil, and gracious toward others. May they also empower me to do so and to put my anger in it place.
What about mental illness?
Some of the kindest, gentlest, and most spiritually healthy people I know deal with mental illness. I support their right not to be lumped together with demented killers. I will certainly not do that to all gun owners and hunters.
However, when distorted thinking comes under the strong influence of evil thinking, there is cause for concern. There is greater concern when that happens to impressionable adolescents at their stage of brain development.
So, how can we address that with our thoughts and prayers?
I am not being sarcastic. I am asking and not expecting a quick answer. If we combine thinking and praying, we may start with more questions than answers. Arrogance does not appreciate that. Genuine spirituality does.
Well, I said I was exhausted and I am. I am done for now without a clever closing. Maybe that is the way it should be.
You are a business, social, or spiritual entrepreneur. No doubt, you are also someone's employee while you build your dreams. Most likely, you have a family, a home, and "chores."
You are busy.
You are doing whatever you do in the cracks of your life between other major responsibilities. You frequently complain that you just don't have "enough time." You feel guilty when you relax. you feel frustrated about all the things you didn't get done.
You are in a self-imposed squeeze and, when it comes to building your dreams, you have to "squeeze things in."
Top that off with the troubling reality that you are not all that fond of tight spaces, which is one reason why you ARE and entrepreneur -- so that you can get out of them.
Unfortunately, in order to accomplish that, you need to get into some for a while.
Let's consider some, quite impromptu ideas for coping with the squeeze and letting it even squeeze a little more greatness out of you and efficiency out of your schedule
Here is today's acronym for squeezing it all in.
S is for SCHEDULE.
Make it; break it; bend it; keep it as best as possible. Make it reasonable. Break it gently. Bend it whenever necessary (So keep it flexible). Keep it as a form of disciple and as a planning tool.
Q is for QUIET.
Quiet your soul.
Live by grace.
Receive it and give it.
Relax often.
Leave space in your life for God, family, self, and reflection. Whatever your spiritual, emotional, or intellectual disciplines, include a quiet time in every day. Make it the un-squeezed portion of your life.
U is for UNDERSTAND.
Do what you do with a rationale and purpose. Understand yourself: your pace, your purpose, your passion-driven energy, and your productivity index.
By knowing what makes you most effective and how to apportion your energy and time, you will be able to squeeze more out of every hour. Then, also understand the task as part of the whole project and mission and what it takes to get done what you are determined to do. Live with understanding.
E is for ENERGY.
Know that your productivity index is more about how you budget your energy than your time. Time is a necessary commodity, but if you have from midnight to 6 AM every day, it doesn't mean that such time is going to be productive because you will most likely be out of energy and much in need of rest.
E is also for EQUIPPING.
It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is just as true that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of effort. Squeezing an empty tube of toothpaste is a useless activity. Don't become encumbered with useless expenditures of valuable time and effort. Learn what you need to learn.
Read what you need to read.
Plan ahead.
Prepare yourself and others.
Equip yourself for maximum productivity in the squeeze. It may SEEM like a waste of time to read this article when you could be making a call. Ignore that voice that discourages you from equipping yourself and keep preparing.
Z is for ZOO and it is a zoo out there
Yes, it is a zoo without the cages --- more like a zoological reserve with all sorts of wild things roaming around and creating an illusion of unpredictability. The bottom line of this proposition is that no matter how hard you try to bring order to your life, there will be unforeseen events and circumstances. It is predictable that these will arise and with all the information, one might be able to see these crises coming, but no one has nor can they assimilate all the data necessary.
Therefore, what may be a well ordered universe manifests itself as utter chaos from time to time. Count on it and make the appropriate arrangements to cope.
E and the last E is for EITHER/OR
This is the most important letter of all because it is about our choices which are always ours alone to make. When we are in a squeeze we must decide what we are going to do, say, think, or believe.
In 15 seconds one can bend over and pick up a penny on the ground, stand back up and prepare to bend down and pick up another. One person might quip that it would be a waste of time. Another might do the math and realize that at that rate, one would be making $24 per hour.
At that point you'd need to ask yourself if you could be making more in that 15 second period by jotting down a great idea, making a mental note of an insight, or even speaking to the person next to you.
Any of those would be more productive than complaining, blaming, or feeling sorry for oneself.
There are always choices.
You have the same number of hours in a day as everyone else, but it seems less because your dreams are bigger, your expectations higher, and your goals loftier. You will frequently find yourself squeezed, but even in the squeezes you can make choices that will make those tight spaces wide opportunities for great things to happen.
Some of our opinions reflect an honest belief in what we are calling a "dominant narrative" of reality. We generally believe the story in widest circulation among people who share our common experience.
Then, some exposure or new information from sources outside our own experience challenges our embrace of that narrative and creates new conversation.
Most narratives are based upon some truth, but none, by human limitation, on all the truth or necessarily the most determinate truth. As the old cliché speaks to me about my assumptions of reality, "Follow the money."
That is - whatever "money" means in a specific context.
Who benefits and how?
Do we get the results we really want for what we really want and do we really want what we should be wanting?
What if we are getting neither what we want or ought to be wanting? What many good people are working for something that we think is getting what is not being delivered and there is enough temporary reinforcement to train our thinking and behaviors to keep things as they are?
Well, then, we have described the human condition at any given time in history.
So, we must dialogue, seek, challenge our thinking, and create a new story for a future reality. For those who walk in the light of the Kingdom of God as proclaimed by Jesus Christ, this is always an imperative because He always challenged the narrative with a completely new, yet old way of looking at everything.
Our views are to be considered, respected, addressed, challenged, and/or/and examined beyond the first layer of reality.
Jesus told us to seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness which a entirely different from the kingdoms of the world which are systems that can usually boil down to self interest and perpetuation of someone's sense of need to preserve wealth, power, or a false sense of security and safety.
In like manner, it is a different sort of righteousness that is based upon a paradigm flipped over to draw a new picture of laws and principles that all must hang upon our call to vertical and horizontal love of God and neighbor.
Who is my neighbor?
That becomes the question with which we must wrestle in all of our personal and social ethics as they touch our relationships with people and communities.
So, it is no small consideration to ask the right questions and continuing to stir the pots.
I have often wrestled with the difficult consequences of not stirring the pots on my stove adequately.
Stirring is hard work, but scraping the bottom of a burned pan is sheer torture!
Only the fear of the Lord begins a process of wisdom.
There is no wisdom in any other sort of fear, only poor choices that seem right in the moment.
All other fears are cast out by that awe-some, jaw-dropping, knee-popping, head-bending, body-trembling unveiling experience of God's power, holiness, and love.
Then, in that love, all fear is cast out.
So, fear of anything or anyone else produces bad decisions whether personal or policy driven.
We live by the liberating law of love.
Fear and love cannot coexist equally in our attitudes toward others. Fear imprisons us and constricts us.
Love sets us free. God's love intervenes when we are inclined to retreat from Him and the hand of Jesus draws us toward Him.
The Spirit fills us and we come. And we come that we may go, fearless into the world.
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.
Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
John 5:1-9
Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002. Arise, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me."
Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk."
At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
The New Jerusalem. Armenian manuscript by Malnazar and Aghap'ir in New Julfa bible, 1645.
And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Acts 16:9-15
Lydia of Thyatira, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days.
On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home."
And she prevailed upon us.
John 14:23-29
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me."
"I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."
"You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe."
God has this great "thing" for the poor and oppressed.
Don't take my word for it.
Psalm 146:7-9 New International Version
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
God loves the broken of this world.
Question: If God seems to have this decided bias for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, the bowed down, the righteous, the alien (Yes, the alien), the orphan, and the widow, ought not we? If He frustrates the ways of the wicked who oppress these, ought we not be cheering Him on?
Whose side are we on when we align ourselves only with those who can improve our own standards of living and who work only for self-interest?
We must follow our dreams. But we must hold our dreams up before God and ask if they are aligned with His dreams. We must focus on goals, but we must allow God to scrutinize our goals. Perhaps our dreams and goals are too measly for us. perhaps we have settled for something less than God's larger dream. Perhaps our circle of hope is too tightly woven around our own personal desires.
Isaiah said it first in Isaiah 61:1-2 and it is then quoted by Jesus as His life mission in Luke 4:18-19. It is the calling to be God's instrument of peace to the most vulnerable of the earth:
Luke 4:18-19
New International Version
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus stopped at, "...the acceptable year of the Lord ..." not because the rest was not true, but because He was speaking of His own mission in that moment, His dream, His goals, His calling.
Then, in John 20:21, He declares,
" ... Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
If our dreams, visions, and goals are to be aligned with His, we must be sent as He was sent and go as He went to live our lives for the Greater Dream.
You can claim that He is only referring to spiritual deliverance if you like, but you will be taking great hermeneutic liberties. Of course, it is spiritual. And of course, we are all poor and broken if we get honest with God. The richest among us is needy and poor. But there is no room for dismissing the obvious and simple application that God is concerned for those who are oppressed by wicked people and institutions in this world.
He is biased toward those who are downtrodden. He takes the side of those who do not have the power to take their own side.
For that reason, I am neither a loyal Republican or Democrat. The politics of Jesus is such that is a bit simpler and, at the same time, more complicated. Both parties are sometimes right and often wrong. That is OK because they are human and doing their own thing.
But there is no party or political philosophy with which a Christian can and ought to be entirely comfortable.
For the same reason, I cannot view my business goals and dreams for success as merely secular pursuits. They are part of a larger view and a bigger dream.
I encourage people to think positively and move toward success as part of this understanding that God wants to lift people and wants to use us to lift people as well. But it is in the context of a deeper understanding and wider perspective.
It is wrapped up in God's grace, in Christ's redemption, in the call to repentance, in the invitation to personal salvation, and in the call of Jesus to follow Him to those places where people are needy and hurting. I cannot be convinced that there is some division between a social conscience and an evangelical message, between a concern for the needy and principles of personal success. They must must be integrated and they must be understood in light of God's big picture.
He is personally invested in the business of lifting people who are broken ... and so must we be, whether our primary calling is ministry through the church, through business, or through public service.
I filter my thinking about many issues through this understanding of the Word and heart of God.
There was a little blue jay lying lifeless on the ground when I went out to feed my chickens this morning. While I could not tell him apart from the other jays that I feed and enjoy watching, I was reminded that my Heavenly Father knew him personally.
My dog sniffed him curiously and I was sad.
That blue jay had not spent one moment of his life worrying about anything. He probably had not seen death coming. He was pretty much always in the moment.
We often worry ourselves into inaction, but are more often stifled by worry. We are motivated by what we value.
I like to think I know my own motives and that worry, and the cares of life do not occupy too much of my mind’s real estate.
The truth is, I need some growth.
Jesus’ teaching on the mount continues with the discourse where he connects our worries to our ultimate values. He challenges us to be more connected to value than fear of loss and to examine our motives.
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
“Are you not of more value than they?”
“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”
“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith?”
“Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
“But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.”
–Matthew 6:25-34, NRSV
What motivates you?
What energizes your imagination and activates your soul?
Are you paralyzed by the fear that you will not be able to provide the necessities of life for yourself and your family?
Are you enslaved by the need to move forward economically or to build earthly security?
God cares for His own, for birds and lilies, and people who seek Him. His kingdom and His righteousness are of such great value that nothing else compares with them.
Our task is to check in with what motivates us as we make important decisions and view the realities of life.
By keeping first things first, we can eliminate the need to juggle multiple priorities or to fret over things that ultimately perish.
You have a limited supply of attention to give and you can only really pay attention to one thing at a time. There will be a focus and everything else will be peripheral.
You decide where to focus.
You get to choose where you will spend your attention.
Things that deserve my attention today:
#1 - Being in an honest and transparent relationship with God and with the people in my life.
#2 - Making positive change in the world in those areas where I have influence. The second and third are of equal value so, they should be 3a and 3b.
#3- Paying attention to issues that involve correcting justice in PUBLIC policy, international diplomacy, matters of war and peace, issues of oppression and other areas where my influence, vote, or comments may count.
#4- Encouraging, inspiring, motivating, and uplifting people.
#5 - Doing my work and minding my own business.
#6- #1976 - A variety of things because there will always be a variety and some things cannot be anticipated.
And then, at the bottom of the list:
#1977 (if that high) - The personal scandals of high profile people (apparently somewhere between 1-4 on many peoples lists).
These are mine.
What are yours?
What if you paused for five minutes and wrote them down?
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt
How many bloggers does it take to change a lightbulb?
How about life coaches?
What?!!! Change?!!!
If we don't want change, all change is intimidating.
George Carlin said he put some money into one of those change machines and nothing happened.
I'd be delighted to find a change machine that actually produced transformation in any number of areas of my life and community.
That is the appeal of every great movement in history. Those who embrace it and proclaim it know it to be a message of transformation. The human side of transformation is a word that sounds like a Bible thumper's theme, "repentance." It calls forth memories of muggy nights, loud preaching, stern looks, and harsh threats to all who will not repent.
But here is some insight into the word:
It means "change."
The repent is to change one's mind or direction or both.
And that is good news.
Why?
The good news is that, when there is a new regime and order of things, change is possible. It can be mandated because it is no longer futile.
If you want different results, you must change the variables. That is not merely a directive; it is a fact of life.
If you want different outcomes, you may have to adjust your behaviors that are driving your outcomes.
A man asked the Zen Buddhist merchant for change for a dollar and he replied, "All change comes from within."
He asked a member of a Twelve Step group and the response was a question, "Does the dollar really want to change?"
All change does come from within and it is driven by desire.
It often requires what our Twelve Step friends of Bill W. call reliance on a higher power.
A few years ago, I was an avid fan of "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition."
How About an Extreme Makeover - Life Edition?
What if we start with the CORE of our lives?
There is some Ultimate Concern, as Tillich called it, dead center in our beings where we define ourselves and order our living. Ultimate Concern defines our WHY for everything we do. It answers the question, "So What?"
Flowing out from that center are three dimensions and manifestations of living from the core of our beings:
Community
Occupation
Resources
Emotions
Yes, that spells, CORE.
Here is a confession: This thinking and writing is part of a bigger project. I am working on a book about how we can make changes in our lives. The acronym is a start.
Community is what surrounds us and envelops us in something human that is greater than our solitary selves. It is our support group. It involves the causes with which we associate and the people we love and align with.
Occupation is what we do daily. It encompasses our purposeful and strategic behaviors that bring us closer to our goals and flesh out our visions of the future.
Resources are the things we need to get it done. They are intellectual, material, relational, physical, social, and most of all, however you define it, spiritual. I will suggest a working substitution for spirituality for those of you on the fence: essential, referring to essence.
Emotions supply energy because they are, are their core, motivational. They move us.
Each of these core elements covers a vast territory of possibilities.
Another key word is related to the construction of a life that is strong and resilient in the midst of the culture quakes, economic tornadoes, circumstantial floods, and faith explosions of our times is STAND.
I have another acronym. To STAND, we must engage in these commitments:
Shore up our foundations.
Take a Team approach.
Act purposefully.
Name our resources.
Develop our souls.
It will take the time that I devote to write the book and the time you take to read it in order to consider these matters. It will lifetime to implement. Hopefully, this will get your mind started.
Perhaps you will take the reading and writing journey with me. Perhaps you will contribute.
Change is possible and we can stand and withstand the onslaughts of overwhelming problems in uncertain times if we will develop from the CORE and take a STAND for change.
Or, if you are satisfied with things as they are, click NEXT.
The table of love and acceptance is a big table. Human divisions of culture, background, and religious affiliation are made null and void in Christ.
At that very moment three men … arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. - Acts 11:11ac, 12a
Glory Is Announced
What Jesus is about to say must be understood in view of his sacrifice of love and his commandment to love. Love is of the deepest concern to Jesus because it is the very disposition of the heart of God toward humanity.
“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ” - John 13:31
You have to take it all as a package or there is no glory. Jesus understood that these final days were one great redemptive event – from mingling with the crowds and teaching them, to provoking the Sanhedrin with His very presence, to the upper room, the washing of feet, the prayers in the garden, and on to the cross. It was the process of God glorifying Himself in His Son. It was all part of the package: His life, death, and resurrection were one magnificent demonstration of the power of God.
Jesus had spoken similar words when some gentiles had come looking for Him. He responded that the coming of these men was an indication that He was soon to be lifted up from the earth and to draw all men unto Him. Lifting up could mean exaltation or crucifixion. In this case, it meant both. He moves from tragedy to triumph in a split second intersection of time and eternity.
This time he speaks of being glorified as He confronts the one who will betray Him. This is strange to our warped thinking. But this is Jesus who donned the apron and wiped His disciple’s feet. This is the one who taught that the path to greatness is servanthood. This is the Master of great reversals.
Our Lord never lost sight of the big picture. He didn’t stop with cross in His panoramic view of His mission. He didn’t even end the story with rising from the dead. He taught His friends that He was going to the Father through this path of glory and that He would come to them in a new way to indwell them, that they might do even greater works. He promised further that He would come again visibly to introduce a grand new eternal day. It was about glory. It is still about glory.
Take a walk in the garden this morning where there is an empty hole in a rock, a barren place where death once dwelt. What do you notice but emptiness? He is not there. He is risen! The work of redemption is done. It was worth it all. The pain and the suffering have accomplished their ends. He is alive and we can live also. What name do you give to your pain of the moment, your struggle of this hour? Call it suffering or call it glory. It all depends upon whether you view it from the present or from the resurrection.
Now is the Son of man glorified
A Call to Action
In light of God's glory and the glory of the Jesus event of death-resurrection-ascension, we are left with a new command to love with big table and big hearted visible love.
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” - John 13:34
The Results Are Predicted
Love is the chief indicator of a community's commitment to be disciples of Jesus. This love is seen by others in the world who can associate it with the characteristic of fellowship among followers of Jesus. In turn, they are drawn to the fellowship because the love is so compelling,
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35
Pastor Tom's Message
The Fulfillment Is Previewed
This is accomplished in the Alpha-Omega God who merges Heaven and Earth in absolute newness and removes all barriers to fellowship with mortals. God comes to live among humanity for whom God has the deepest love and affection.
"… the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them …” - Revelation 21:3b
Mother's Day is a celebration of one truly wonderful human relationship.
All human relationships point us to the one vital and life-giving relationship that is necessary for real life, a relationship with God.
Watch the Service Here
Four Insights from Today's Readings
When your Name is Called, Rise Up! ( See Acts reading)
When Your Name is Called, Rest. ( See Psalm reading)
When You Realize the Shepherd's Name, Rejoice! ( See Revelation reading)
When Your Name is Called, Respond, ( See John reading)
Whether a shepherd or one of the sheep of a seamstress asleep in the sleep of death, it is all about the relationship between God and God's people that is played out and glimpsed in every human relationship.
The Scriptures in One Place
Acts 9:36-43
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile, he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
Psalm 23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Revelation 7:9-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!”
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
John 10:22-30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
God’s Care
An Extra Message
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”- Psalm 23:1
Today, we take a fresh look at the most familiar words in the Bible. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is my very own shepherd. He has many sheep, but He is MY shepherd who knows me, cares for me, leads me, and speaks in a voice I recognize. He can differentiate me from all other sheep and always knows whether I am walking with His flock or wandering away. When I do wander, He seeks me because I am His. He is jealous for me and will not tolerate anything that would harm me. I can trust Him.
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” – Psalm 23:2
Sheep are not very good at locating their own grazing lands. They tend to wander aimlessly, following this patch of grass to another until they are lost. The Shepherd knows the places of abundant food and pure, sweet water. Worry and care are redundant exercises if one is a member of Yahweh’s flock; He already has our needs in His heart and plans. His care is complete. His provision is sure. Are you wearing your life and patience thin trying to duplicate His efforts? Stop. It is futile. Trust Him.
“ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:3
The care that God gives us restores something that has been lacking in our lives. His desire is not simply to keep us going or maintain our existence, but do a deep work of grace in us that places us back on the path of righteousness – right relationships with Him and others and right living that nourishes our souls. As He works profoundly in us, His purposes are accomplished and His Name is glorified. We cannot divorce the glory and love of God as opposing realities. When we prosper, He is exalted.
“ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4
This valley was a real place of danger in the psalmist’s time and it is any place of danger and despair in our own where we feel alone and vulnerable. But neither the valley nor death itself are the essential and fearful evils that we shun. Evil overtakes us as we grow frightful and discouraged in the valley and it is that evil that the Shepherd confronts with His rod and staff to comfort our souls. Sometimes it is the rod and staff of discipline, but more often, of protection that reminds us that we are not alone.
“ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” – Psalm 23:5
We are guests of God, honored and prized. So far, the psalmist has portrayed God as a shepherd. Then, he has added the role of friend to the Lord’s description. Now, He is also our host. As we see more of who God is in our lives, our self-image is expanded. We have been invited to sit at the head table and partake of a feast of love, joy, and abundance. Looking on with jealous rage are our impotent enemies – forces that endanger our souls. They are powerless to interrupt this celebration for God is in charge.
“ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – Psalm 23:6
Wherever we go, goodness and love follow. Our journey is a temporal transition leading to an eternal home, but throughout it all, we are accompanied by the presence of God. His Shepherding friendship and hospitality cause us to reinterpret every event of our lives in the light of His purposes and providence. Nothing has meaning apart from Him once we have trusted Him and known His covenant love. Everything prior to our coming to Him was a cruel illusion. But now, we live in a constant state of grace. Amen.
Bonus Message
I Have Already Come
“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”. – Revelation 7:14
There are two powerful words joined together in the scriptures – two prepositions that together bring us hope in our trials and tribulations: out of.
We catch a glimpse of Heaven and behold the saints, on display as examples of potential victory and ultimate triumph. These are they who have come out of tribulation. You might as well say, “through.”
Years back, my wife underwent surgery for breast cancer. The next day she was visited by a survivor. While she had already made up her mind to be more than that – even an “overcomer,” the visit was an encouragement. Someone had come out of the struggle, through the difficulties, and over the hurdles. And out of those tribulations, there emerged good.
“I have already come.”
When we hear those words and when we speak those words, we get courage. Whether it is our experience or someone else’s, there is precedent for victory. We affirm again with Paul that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
We draw upon past victories to nurture belief for present and future challenges. We recognize the power of God’s grace in our lives up until this point. We see where we were, what we had to face, and how we emerged and we know that if we have to, we can do it again.
We don’t want to do it again, but we can.
Then we think of the saints around the throne and know that we have really faced such little hardship compared to them. And from there we look to the cross and know that we have not even approached Christ’s suffering. Then we go back to our Bibles and underscore the words, “out of,” and back to our hymnals and highlight the word, “through.”
Two people taught me lessons in entrepreneurial excellence some years ago. They confirmed and illustrated some truth I already knew. You have to stay on your toes to make a lasting impression.
Some folks collect postcards, swag, and other souvenirs when they travel. I do that too, but mostly, I collect memories and ideas. As I was browsing through my files, I found a reflection I had written in 2006 during a trip to Canada. I have blended those words into this final product.
They all go together like coffee and honey.
When you are in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, you must go to Guy's Café and Bakery (http://www.guyscafebakeryinc.com/) for lunch. You will be greeted by Guy and that is an experience not to be missed. He will entertain you as he gets your order right. The food is worth it without the atmosphere, but with the atmosphere, you will be making a memory.
The coffee is aromatic and delicious. The refills are free.
Your food will be brought to the table by a staff member with an embroidered insignia that reads, "Insane Staff." Our servers had clearly embodied the corporate culture which apparently includes service, fun, and quality with an underlying value for friendliness.
We went in as a group (The California Singing Churchmen) and were invited to sing the Doxology for our dessert. Seldom have as many customers been as unanimously enthusiastic about a lunch and an establishment.
Find Guy at 6201 Grande Blvd., Cochrane, or call 403-851-9955 for directions (in Alberta, Canada).
Don't wait until you get to Canada to try some Canadian honey from the Nixon Honey Farm (https://nixonhoney.ca/ ). Craig and Tammy Nixon raise the bees, gather the honey, and package it for marketing. I have never tasted anything so tasty or met a nicer honey maker as Tammy.
We ran in to her in the mall in Calgary and she supplied us with all the samples in her car - just so that we could have the experience.
The common denominator with both entrepreneurial ventures is the second mile of service and passion associated with delivering that service with quality.
They will go far. So will you if you learn what they know about staying on their TOES!
Take Initiative for Excellence.
Don't wait to be asked. Keep your mind active and your imagination flowing for new ways to go the extra mile and delight your public with joy and fun.
Overwhelm People with Unexpected Enthusiasm.
Be a cheerleader for your brand. Love what you do and what you produce.
Extend Your Service Beyond Anyone's Expectations.
Tammy and Guy both did this. They went out of their way to do the unexpected and that was to the delight of many. We enjoyed what they did and we told many people about it. Sixteen years later, I am still telling the story.
Serve People in Surprising Ways.
Yes! Surprise them and surprise yourself that you thought of something new. This will feed your enthusiasm and energize you as well as energizing your public. People will be come your ambassadors.
I hope to get back some day. I want to visit the Rockies again and I want to check in on my old friends!
You really do need to take a break from serious thoughts from time to time and laugh at absurdity if you intend to survive with a sound mind. I'm serious. Humor is no laughing matter.
Here are some suggestions (from me) for embracing the HUMOR in life:
Humility
The essence of humor is the ability to laugh at oneself. It is not self-deprecation; it is simply humility and the self-esteem and security necessary to be humble.
Understanding
It is necessary to have some insight into humanity in order to fully appreciate how silly we must look from the outside. The best humor of all actually loves and empathizes with humanity while appreciating its foibles and flaws.
Maturity
As you grow older, wiser, looser, and better informed, you have more of a smorgasbord of humorous material. Life itself becomes your best source of intelligent humor. The better your command of language, the keener your capacity for wit. The broader your experiences, the deeper your belly laugh. Maturity frees us to enjoy more of what is best about laughter - not at the expense of others, but with them.
Obvious and Ordinary
Humor takes what is obvious and allows it to entertain deeper or alternate meanings. If you want to enjoy the laughter of life, keep your eyes and ears open and be ready for those moments of serendipity when everything comes together, when timing is, indeed, everything.
Rip and Relax
Let it rip! Get over it. Let go of it. Relax. Give yourself permission to take a short vacation into the realm of the absurd.
You really do need to take a break from serious thoughts from time to time and laugh at absurdity if you intend to survive with a sound mind. I'm serious. Humor is no laughing matter.
Here are some suggestions (from me) for embracing the HUMOR in life:
Humility
The essence of humor is the ability to laugh at oneself. It is not self-deprecation; it is simply humility and the self-esteem and security necessary to be humble.
Understanding
It is necessary to have some insight into humanity in order to fully appreciate how silly we must look from the outside. The best humor of all actually loves and empathizes with humanity while appreciating its foibles and flaws.
Maturity
As you grow older, wiser, looser, and better informed, you have more of a smorgasbord of humorous material. Life itself becomes your best source of intelligent humor. The better your command of language, the keener your capacity for wit. The broader your experiences, the deeper your belly laugh. Maturity frees us to enjoy more of what is best about laughter - not at the expense of others, but with them.
Obvious and Ordinary
Humor takes what is obvious and allows it to entertain deeper or alternate meanings. If you want to enjoy the laughter of life, keep your eyes and ears open and be ready for those moments of serendipity when everything comes together, when timing is, indeed, everything.
Rip and Relax
Let it rip! Get over it. Let go of it. Relax. Give yourself permission to take a short vacation into the realm of the absurd.
That means that they also spend a lot of money on books and audio and are always looking for ways to save.
Tell me I can't read and watch me shrivel up and die.
I need fresh material.
Many of the great stories and essays have already been written, but many more are being written daily.
I crave the old and the new. Principles never change, but challenges do and so do strategies for applying principles.
We need to be grounded in the past, present in the present, and alert to the future so that we can be one step ahead of change. We spend a great deal of time in our cars these days.
For that reason, as it has often been said, we need to turn those vehicles into universities on wheels. If we are valuing our time behind the wheel as learning time, we will be less stressed about traffic jams and less likely to be dialing our cell phones. Audio books are an excellent option for those hours of driving.
My reading comes in waves where sometimes I am finishing a book a day and sometimes reading very slowly and digesting what I read. However, balanced out over the years of my life, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on books and audio. Now I am looking for ways to save money without cutting back on consumption.
I shop for used books sometimes. There are numerous sources - online and in real time and space. I use the library, but it is difficult to get the most current titles. No problem, there are thousands of classics I have not yet read. Get a library card. I actually do buy new books and shop for the best deals I can get. I borrow books, but I am at the mercy of the reading habits of my friends.
However you acquire your material, read and listen to it. it is not on your self to impress people or decorate your office. It is there to help you grow as a person and a leader.
Koenig, Peter. Breakfast on the Beach, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Original source: https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.
Worship with the Fellowship of Joy
May 1, 2022
Psalm 30
New International Version
A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.
Listen and Read
I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Join us for the prayer our Lord taught us to pray
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Children's Story
New Testament Lesson
Acts 9:1-6
New International Version
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priestand asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
John 21:1-19
New International Version
Sermon
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way:Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
New Testament Lesson
The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” - Acts 5:27-32, NIV
Kings and Priests
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” - Revelation 1:4-6
There has been a societal emphasis on self-esteem and feeling good about ourselves. Children with a distorted concept of themselves grow into troubled adults. Without a sense of value and worth, people disrespect themselves and tend to disrespect others. Sometimes this disrespect leads to crime or anti-social behaviors. It is self-destructive and manifests itself in unhealthy families. It is visited upon children and children’s children.
But the remedy is not found in superficial affirmations of our essential worth or in the denial of sin and darkness. It is to be found in God and His esteem for us. He loves us because of His amazing grace, tender mercy, and sovereign choice. All of this was bestowed while we were yet sinners. He saw what we could be.
God has called us out of darkness. He has freed us from sin by the blood of His Son so that every impediment to our becoming who we were intended to be, has been removed.
The outcome is that God’s vision of us as His people is an elevated vision. He does not look upon His children, who have received His grace, as miserable sinners. He sees us as a kingdom of priests who serve and exalt Him. That is who we are. All other visions of self are false and fading. It is by grace, and it is complete. God’s glory is manifest in His loving esteem for us. We are kingdom people, and we are priestly people with a high calling and a sanctified s us.
Alpha and Omega
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. “- Revelation 1:8
Everything is wrapped up in the babe who was wrapped in swaddling clothes. In a tiny bundle of newborn humanity is the sum total of all truth and meaning. In that crude cradle of creation lay the Creator of the universe. His Incarnation condensed into one representative human life the start and finish of history and the cosmos. Though He presented Himself in time and space as a participant in our history, He is beyond history. He is the Lord of eternity, the Almighty. And we knew it not.
The grand spiritual, “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” say it succinctly, “We didn’t know it was you.”
But it was Him and is Him and always will be Him? What child is this? Oh, so much more than we could ever imagine. He is Alpha and Omega, the A and the Z. He starts things and finishes them. He always was and yet, is present. And He always will be. Divine mystery is flesh. John wrote that we could touch Him, the Word of Truth.
“What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss” to come and live among us? We didn’t know who He was and John, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ allows us to see what He saw, and He conveys to us His vision of the risen and exalted Christ, the Eternal One.
O God, your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection, teaching them to love all people as neighbors. As his disciples in this age, we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe in which we are privileged to live and our neighbors with whom we share it.
Prayers of the People, concluding with:
Open our hearts to your power moving around us and between us and within us, until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen.
The Gospel
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:19-31
The Sending
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” -John 20:21
Peace settles things.
It allows the right order and relationship and brings vision into focus.
It is absolute well-being, and it is the gift of the Risen Christ.
His peace does more than just calm the soul, however; it enlivens the spirit and prepares us for a calling. In our vision of the resurrected Lord, is a clear and compelling message from God:
As the Father sent Jesus into the world, so we are being sent by Jesus.
He came as a servant; we have been sent to serve.
He came in the power of the Holy Spirit; we go forth in that same power.
He came to do great works; we have been sent to do greater works because He indwells us.
He came to die; we die to self that we may live to Him.
This commission is neither symbolic nor optional.
It is not an addition to His promise of peace; it a result of it and reason for it. It cannot be realized by proxy.
I have stood at the head of a casket and declared, more than once, "We have been here before and we will be here again."
I have waxed eloquent on our common search for life's meaning, on the comfort of love, on the peace that passes understanding, and the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept."
I have much to say about death, dying, and grieving having observed and participated in the process for decades. It would not be hard to stop writing about the insights, questions, and observations. More likely, it would be like opening a floodgate and would be difficult to stop.
Until I have time for that, I will share some passing thoughts from time to time.
Better still, I will let others, like Elizabeth Kubler Ross, from a phycological point of view, and a few of my favorite pastoral theologians carry the ball.
Beyond that, funeral directors have been among my teachers in the process, especially those who are very ethical and willing to meet families where they are. I am a big fan of Caitlin, but this is some of her best work.
The New Yorker says that she, "Chronicles death practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief."
I discovered her on her YouTube channel, "Ask a Mortician," and have watched all her videos.
Her mini-documentary on the funeral and grief issues around the death of President John F. Kennedy brings many of the issues we deal with in death and dying and the practice of ritual mourning to the surface.
I am sharing it with you here as well as the comments I made.
You have outdone yourself with this work of scholarship and storytelling. This may be one of the best narratives of any element of the Kennedy assassination I have seen in terms of thorough, fair, and interesting reporting in a concise manner. I cannot imagine how much time you had to invest in this. Well done, Caitlin. I love all your work, but this really excels.
One more thing: I love the way you honored Jackie, one of the most graceful and dignified women America has known. She was such an icon in the 60s that even Republican women sought to dress like her.
People of my generation were deeply impacted by JFK's death. We all remember the moments when we heard. I, for one, cannot be reminded of the time without a deeply emotional response. When I finally went to Dallas for a convention in the 70s, my pilgrimage to that site was a profoundly moving experience and your last scene captures my emotion of that time.""
Keep up the good work you do. As a pastor for over 45 years with over 3000 funerals I have officiated, I offer you my fullest support. Your thoughts resonate with mine.
My faith teaches that death does not get the last word. It also teaches that death is our last enemy and shall be destroyed. Because scripture presents paradoxical realities in expressing the breadth and depth of human and divine experience, it also calls death, "previous."
If death is a precious enemy, there must be something holy about the experience while it is also both mundane and natural. The meaning is in the balances. Leaning into the experience, we fear no evil in the valley of shadows as we realize that we are shepherded by God and accompanied by fellow travelers.
This Photo by Nancy Hughes on Unsplash alerts me to a juxtaposition of two realities. All is in vain and nothing is in vain.
The first reality is expressed by the "Preacher" in Ecclesiastes. "Vanity of vanities. All is vanity and a chasing of wind."
The counter to that is the resurrection and overriding reality Paul expresses when he says, "Your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
All is in vain and nothing is in vain.
Take your pick by how you respond.
Keep On
People have differing views of work ranging from dread to excitement - but very view people relish working in vain. We want something to show for our efforts.
In the fifteenth chapter of his first letter to Corinth, the Apostle Paul admonishes his friends,
"Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Perhaps the Corinthians suspected that it all might be for naught.
Everyone who uses a computer to communicate deeply felt convictions and intricate concepts has had the experience of seemingly working in vain. We have labored over thoughts and words for intense periods of time and have finally formulated those ideas into concrete sentences when the computer suddenly crashes, and all is lost.
All of that for nothing! But not really.
We have meditated, wrestled, and have been shaped by truth. We may have to step away, take a break, or lick our wounds. However, the next time we write the same thing, it comes out a bit differently, but it comes, nevertheless.
The process was about what was happening inside of us and not what was occurring on the screen or the page.
It is often that way.
The occasion for Paul's encouraging words was twofold. It came in recognition of the people's present concerns. All truth is wrapped in a veneer of present reality. We live in context and experience the full range of what it means to be human. We know pains and joys, satisfaction, and discouragement. It is all a part of life. Add to that the ever-present, looming threat of death that eventually will overtake us all and we may wonder, "What is it all about?"
The second occasion he addresses is the future conviction that people of faith are going somewhere, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has something more than an historical significance to His followers. In the earlier verses of the chapter, he expresses the conviction that resurrection hope is shared among all who embrace Jesus and live in the power of His death and life.
Everything has meaning, even the mundane and tedious experiences of life.
What follows is a threefold admonition. The NIV uses the words, "Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself to the work of the Lord."
The first admonition is to STAND.
It is hard to stand when the ground is shaking. For that reason, people who intend to live forever must find deeper grounding for their lives. They (we) cannot be controlled by our circumstances or our emotions. These are a part of our reality; they are not the sum of it
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."
Another way he could have said this might have been, "Don't lose your footing." Remember what you believe. Remember where you are going. remember why you are doing what you are doing. Reconnect with what stabilizes you in your resolve and commitment.
Someone has said that if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
The second admonition is to WITHSTAND.
"Let nothing move you."
We have some choices to make about what we will allow to move us. I choose God and God alone.
It is easy to place one's life in neutral when bombarded by a cacophony of voices and a barrage of influences all vying for our attention and compliance. Everyone wants our ears and our acquiescence.
Political, social, peer, commercial, moral, and familial voices tantalize, rationalize, and intimidate us into uncertainty about our core values and commitments.
That is what Paul is saying when he encourages the folks not to be moved.
Of course, we need to challenge our presuppositions, prejudices, comfortable notions, and assumptions. He is not addressing these. He is talking about our life mission, or unchanging purpose for living, our devotion to God and His vision within us, and the work that we are called to do.
Keep on keeping on. Be not easily dissuaded from the cause. Persevere. Expect to be maligned, attacked, challenged, and inconvenienced, but stay with it.
The third admonition is to ABOUND.
He says we are to abound in the work of the Lord, always giving ourselves to it. The first admonition was abounded grounding; the second was about rebounding in the face of opposition. Now we are looking at the call to be abounding in work itself.
It is about full engagement, heart devotion, energy investment, and enthusiasm.
"Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
You can stand with deep conviction and withstand with stubborn tenacity, but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit within you to abound. You must rely on a strength greater than your own to fully engage.
The word "enthusiasm" means "God within."
The word "inspired" means "breathed upon," as though by the very breath of God.
"Motivated" really means "moved to action."
Abound. As you know in the physical world, the body requires rest, replenishment of energy through nutrition, and exercise to abound. The health system Kaiser calls it "thrive."
In the realm of work that has abiding significance and eternal implications, the same is true. We must nourish ourselves spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically to abound in our work. Paul says that our labor is in the Lord which means that He supplies the tasks as well as the ability to do them.
Some of the tools we have for abounding are true for ministry, business, and social endeavors:
READ - For me, part of the diet, the biggest part, is the Bible, but I also read instructive, encouraging, motivating, and challenging books and articles from many sources.
PRAY - Engage in an honest, ongoing, satisfying, and open relationship with the Source of your life. "Pray without ceasing."
RELATE and PARTNER - In Christianity, we call this fellowship. In business and entrepreneurship, we call it networking. In any realm, it is the reality that we are not alone and the assurance that others are engaged in the mission that helps encourage us.
FOCUS -Christian words for this are obedience and faithfulness. We focus on what we are doing and let lesser things go. We keep eyes on the prize and invest our time, energy, and love in what produces lasting results and deep change.
Stand, withstand, and abound or, you could say, ground, rebound, and abound. That is the threefold admonition.
Finally, he gives a grand assurance -
Your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
God knows it is hard. You know it and God knows it. Sometimes you just don't want to get up and have no idea where the energy will come from or how to muster the will, but you do in faith and it comes.
God knows it is discouraging. You will not always be complemented, appreciated, or affirmed. Stay with it. It is not in vain. There will come a day. The story has been told so many times that no one really knows the source or whether it is fiction or history. It may not be true, but it is truth:
As she tells it, it is the story of missionary Samuel Morrison’s (or was he called, "Henry?") return to the United States, as told in Ann Graham Lotz’s book, The Vision of His Glory:
The story is told of an old missionary named Samuel Morrison who, after twenty-five years in Africa, was returning to the United States to die. As it so happened, he traveled home on the same ocean liner that brought President Teddy Roosevelt back from a hunting expedition. When the great ship pulled into the New York harbor, the dock where it was to tie up was jammed with what looked like the entire population of New York City! Bands were playing, banners were waving, choirs of children were singing, multicolored balloons were floating in the air, flashbulbs were popping, and newsreel cameras were poised to record the return of the president. Mr. Roosevelt stepped down the gangplank to thunderous cheers and applause, showered with confetti and ticker tape. If the crowd had not been restrained by ropes and police, he would have been mobbed!
At the same time, Samuel Morrison quietly walked off the boat. No one was there to greet him. He slipped alone through the crowd. Because of the crush of people there to welcome the president, he couldn’t even find a cab. Inside his heart, he began to complain, “Lord, the president has been in Africa for three weeks, killing animals, and the whole world turns out to welcome him home! I’ve given twenty-five years of my life in Africa, serving You, and no one has greeted me or even knows I’m here!”
In the quietness of his heart, a gentle, loving voice whispered, “But my dear child, you are not home yet!”
That is because God knows the outcome. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him."
You are going somewhere, and your labor is not in vain.
Keep on keeping on.
One More:
I listened to 5 or 6 renditions of this and after I had shared another, I found this and was deeply moved.
What heart and love you brought to this! I had to come back and add it to my post!
When the grain came to the temple as an offering, a tenth of it was burned on the altar as a memorial offering. The rest was consumed by the priests. This was a song to be sung for the memorial offering.
I am confused, I must say, not by the offering and not by the sentiments of the psalm, but by the point of connection.
Of these words and emotions, Matthew Henry comments, "Nothing will disquiet the heart of a good man so much as the sense of God's anger. The way to keep the heart quiet, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. But a sense of guilt is too heavy to bear; and would sink men into despair and ruin, unless removed by the pardoning mercy of God."
So, what is a good man or woman to do?
He or she runs to God in worship -- whatever outlet of worship is available and thrusts the guilt and all the accompanying insecurity, despair, depression, feelings and reality of persecutions, and anything connected or perceived to be connected to sin before God.
The direction of the psalmist's life was toward God. The path was crooked and broken, but the direction was consistent.
He dealt honestly with his failures and his guilt and never grew callous or insensitive toward his flaws. Nor did he take God's mercy for granted or ever think, for a moment, that he could live without it.
"O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me." "There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me." "My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart." "O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off." Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. "But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes." But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!” " For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good." "Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!" -Psalm 38 ESV
So what if this was not in the earliest versions of Mark we have? Most scholars acknowledge that as a reality.
But as an attachment, it made it to the canon and we ask, "Why?"
We always ask two questions about scripture:
Why? - That alerts us to the message we are intended to receive.
So what? - That guides us to the actions we are intended to take.
There! That was your hermeneutics lesson for today. Now, the scripture:
Mark 16:9-20 NRSV
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
Tender Love - Reflections on Psalm 103: 1, 13, and 15
Blessing God
“Bless the Lord, O my soul … and all that is within me …” Psalms 103:1
Audacity and capacity are issues that are triggered by this prayer as it is suggested to us. It is audacious to think that we could somehow bless God. Yet, He has given us the capacity to be a blessing to His heart.
We bless God when we worship Him. He delights in our praises. He enjoys our singing and our words of adoration. He looks beyond the superficial and relishes our heart devotion as we come to Him.
He is blessed by our love response as we receive His love and return it to Him in obedience, faith, and love for our fellow human beings.
We can bless God with our words, deeds, and emotions, but God is most blessed when our lives are completely engaged in love for Him – loving Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. He is blessed when we remind ourselves to bless Him and when we follow through with everything that is within us.
What is within you today? Not all of it is positive, but when you offer it to God, He is blessed because He can take it and transform it for His own purposes. Nor is everything within you negative. You cannot be the judge of that. All you can do is commit everything within you to His glory and allow Him to sort I out. It is His holy Name that must be honored, and His holiness is all that can make our lives holy and acceptable as offerings of worship.
In the process, He is blessed. And that is what counts.
Tender Love
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him." - Psalm 103:13
The love of God is a tender love.
It is a father’s love.
It is a patient love, understanding, compassionate, forgiving, and gracious.
The love of God for His children moves Him to desire what is best for us, what brings us closer to Him, and what develops in us the character that is in Him.
God’s love for us as His children is consistent, persistent, and generous.
He never fails us. He is always present and always true.
Like any father, He wants His children to grow and mature. He wants us to make good and wise choices and honor our family name. He offers us His support, guidance, and correction to that end. God’s love is real. For that reason, it is sometimes a tough love, a love that can say “no” and mean it, but a love that delights in every opportunity to say, “YES!”
God, our Father, rejoices with us, weeps with us, and loves us even when we are unlovable. That is because we are never unlovable to Him.
Mostly, God, our tender, loving Father carries us on His shoulders and lifts us so that we might become more, through Him, than we could ever imagine on our own.
Days as Grass
“As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.” – Psalm 103:15
For our season, whatever it may be, we flourish. Then comes the wind and we are gone. Soon, the very memory of our lives fades from the consciousness of our successors and we are thought of no more.
Such a thought might be deemed depressing were it the whole story.
The rest of the story teaches us that from everlasting to everlasting, God’s love is a constant toward us. His covenant people are never forgotten.
It goes on to tell us that God’s throne is never abandoned and that He rules over all.
He it is, according to Psalm 103, who forgives all our sin.
It is He who heals our diseases. Not one of them disappears apart from His wise intervention or creative genius.
He redeems our lives, crowns us love and compassion, satisfies, renews, and administers justice.
How comfortable it would be for us to remain as a grassy flowering meadow, but that is not the way of life. We come and go. Soon we will fade.
Our privilege and responsibility is to bloom in every place we are planted for as long as it is springtime in our lives. It is to be as inwardly beautiful for God as we can be for as many days as we can and to move through the seasons of life with grace and trust.
We may not always be green, but we shall always be loved.
Note on art: his image was originally posted to Flickr by Internet Archive Book Images at https://flickr.com/photos/126377022@N07/14595509117. It was reviewed on 8 October 2015 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the No known copyright restrictions.
Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of everything becoming clear and connected?
The disciples did not need new information to understand the resurrection; they needed the illumination that comes when God suddenly turns on the lights in our personal experience of His grace. They needed to reflect upon what they had seen, heard, and experienced in the light of all Jesus has said. In short, they needed to remember in the afterglow of the empty tomb.
Before the resurrection, all that Jesus had said and done had consisted of delightful and sometimes confusing fragments in their minds. Now, everything was cohesive and clear.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” – I Corinthians 15:20
Now is Christ risen.
“Death in vain forbids Him rise.”
Now He lives, awakened from the dead, leading the procession of those who have slept.
“Christ hath opened Paradise.”
Now is Christ risen and those who have died in Him are alive in Him.
It is the holy now, the sacred moment, the dynamic present where Christ Jesus is alive and where we live also in Him. It is the glorious culmination of His purpose, the verification of His assurances, and the proclamation of His power.
Coming out of the grave, He is the first. He is the firstfruits from among sleepers, not as the God He was and is, but as man, “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (I Corinthians 5:21-22
He is representative humanity, inseparable from His divinity, and incorruptible as our link to eternity.
As William Gaither penned, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”
More than that, because He lives, death is utterly frustrated and thoroughly devastated in its ability to render us helpless and hopeless. Only life bears any relevance to those who trust in Him. Eternal life is now.
Father, in the light of all that has happened and is happening, in our world I am at loss. I want to say that I am shocked, dismayed, disgusted, indignant, sorrowful, grieving, broken, and horrified. What bothers me most is that I am not, not the way I think is appropriate, not enough to keep me from going about my business or considering my own trivial concerns.
Oh, I am all those things, but not to the degree that I was at the first words of so many other tragedies, travesties, and unspeakable events.
Why not? Lord, do not let me lose my capacity to be shocked.
Lord, grant that I will not establish some new "norm:" in my heart where I begin to accept the unacceptable as normal.
We want to be unshakable people, Oh God who cannot be moved. We want to be a people, and may we be a people, God of Strength, who cannot be terrorized by terror and terrorists. That is your promise again and again.
But, oh God of Compassion, Justice, and Truth, whose heart can be broken, who chose to be vulnerable in Jesus, who offered Yourself and emptied Yourself to walk with us and wept over the city, may we not lose our ability to be there with our neighbors and be touched by their pain, outraged by atrocity, and stunned by violence.
Our neighbors around the world, Dear God, our neighbors in Europe, Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, all over Africa, all over the world, our neighbors, are suffering violence, when that is too disturbing, we focus on the local and now, now, our local news is filled, daily with local violence.
And we come, Dear God, we come to a new equilibrium.
God, don't let us settle into such a pattern.
New York and Sacramento are our back yards. Ukraine is just down the street. The East is a short walk. Keep our emotions a bit fragile that we will have to cry out to You for peace. Keep us tender that we might always fall to our knees in prayer and hurt for those who are in pain and shock. Fill our hearts with love for our neighbors and love for our enemies so that we find it hard to imagine how a sweet little baby could be born into a world of wonder and grow into an instrument of violence.
We pray for those who might grow to accept such options as a means of redress of injustice perceived or real, or as a way of exorcising personal demons. We pray for divine and human intervention in their lives sufficient to turn around their thinking before it is too late. May we work to create just societies and peace on earth and may we never tolerate what is intolerable.
May we continue to reject violence in all forms and may we always hate, despise, and be adamantly opposed to the senseless taking of life.
Perplex us Oh God. Keep us perplexed because these things should not make sense and must not be accepted.
Why am I not more badly shaken and preoccupied? Why am I not desiring to be there in the thick of it bringing Your grace and love to the city?
Have I thrown up my hands in resignation?
No, but I am still bothered.
Why could I sleep so well? Well, maybe a few hours is not so well. Maybe I am shaken but a bit calloused. Maybe I am preoccupied.
Maybe this is just a new level of reception of such news the likes of which we keep hearing ... from schools and shopping centers and streets. Maybe we cannot live in a constant state of horror or indignation and maybe we are called to be present ... present to be, in whatever way we can be, part of the solution, part of the compassion, part of the intercession for our neighbors.
For our neighbors, I pray, Lord, God. Grant them shalom. Grant them shalom. Grant them shalom .... and healing and grace and mercy and perspective and courage and strength.
Thanks You for the helpers, for the brave and courageous helpers who arrived quickly and served when they did not know if the danger had passed.
Help folks to find some rest.
Shut us up when we start to pontificate and capitalize on these events, Father. Stop us from being "know-it-all"s. Dissolve our party lines. Fade our red-blue divides into obscurity. Fill us with Your love.
Let us be neither complacent nor terrorized.
Let us neither be settled nor disturbed.
Let us be neither indifferent nor obsessed.
Let us be neither detached nor co-dependent.
Let us neither be accepting of evil nor vengeful.
Let us not be tempted be consumed with anger nor overwhelmed by grief. We need the mind of Christ in these days. We need resolve and courage. We need wisdom. We need guidance.
We cannot fix everything or everybody and we cannot enact any policies or extract any justice that will make this right. Nothing can make this right, but You, Lord, can enter in and redirect the negative energies of those possessed by evil intentions to bring good and glory in some mysterious way, through some gentle touch, and with Your leading hand of grace.
I come to You, my Father, as a follower of Jesus, asking You for Your grace to follow Him into the dark places today with His mind in my mind, His heart in my heart, His Word on my lips, His love flowing through me, His tears in my eyes, His steadiness in my responses, His grace, Your grace, in everything I do or say. And I pray this for people everywhere who will meet hurting, broken, wounded, worried people and seek to bring them hope.
With much more on my heart to pray and continuing to pray, I pray these things in Jesus' Name. Amen.
One day, in the spring or fall, I really can't remember which, I veered off the more traveled path and took a walk. I walked down the hill from pavement to gravel to dirt to grass until I came to water.
It would be good to know when it was. I have my photos and faded memories to remind me that it happened at all.
Would it really matter to know the details?
I had my camera to record my impressions.
It was a good day.
A pastoral, poetic day. It was a day to remember in a sea of forgetfulness.
I walked along the river that day. That much I know. That much I imprinted on my mind.
Of what did I think? I do not think I know but I think I thought. At least I thought that I was thinking and since I was, I must have been. "I think; therefor, I am" or "I thought; therefore I was," or both or and.
Such was and is my thinking about my thinking and walking and beholding that day.
I need more such days. Perhaps I shall take you along next time or you can take me and we can walk and talk along the river.
I do know where it was. I, at least remember that. I had been there before and I have been there since and I could get there again, even with you.
It is a good place to think as I recall and a better place to be.
It was in the city; it still is. And yet, it is aside from the city and removed from the noise, though some gets through.
It is out of the line of vision of the freeways and high rises, though they are very close and from them there are glimpses.
But is is nothing like the surprise of being there, up close, following the meandering path which traces the river's course without the delusion of human design.
The river insists on being wild no matter how hard we try, and we have tried, to tame it. It insists on flowing though it has been dammed. It has not been damned. Not, not, not. It flows still.
There is life in there. It is life that does not know the difference between urban and rural. It does not suspect that the asphalt world has encroached so profoundly upon its surroundings. The life of the river just lives, oblivious to the city.
For a moment, I was equally unaware and it was bliss.
It is good to go to the river and walk alongside it.
I walked and we kept each other company for a while, whatever season it was and whatever year.
and according to the integrity that is in me." -Psalm 7:8 ESV
My righteousness?
That is a rather feeble plea.
Yes. I am hesitant to pray that one.
I am hesitant
until
I remember that the righteous within me is not mine.
It is God's own righteousness in Jesus,
and that is enough.
Holy Week reminds me that I am not "all that."
Nor do I need to be
in order to be
beloved.
Decades ago, my wife and I attended a grand feast.
For us, it was cross cultural. We were the only folks there that looked like we looked. An innocent and sweet child looked at my wife. She was puzzled. In all her childlike innocence she inquired, "Were you invited?"
As a matter of fact we were!
More than that, by virtue of some underserved, honorific title I had, I was a bit of a VIP!
Imagine that.
The invitation and the title have been conferred upon you. You are invited to pray and plead from a position of special privilege because
Your goodness, God is revealed in Your love. And Your love is steadfast and eternal. We say, with all Israel all humanity, that your steadfast love endures forever. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of hearts be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, our strength, and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
------------------------
Lord, what do you need from us today? Do you need a donkey upon which to ride? Do you need for us to carry palm branches and cry out for your salvation? Do you need for us to watch and consider? We are so absorbed with our needs, and indeed, you invite us to lay them at your feet. Yet, you have shone us the example of one who advanced to the house of torture in order that we might be redeemed. You placed our needs ahead of your own. Let this mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus, as Paul prayed with the Philippians,
Indeed …
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
It was a Sunday. The great city was preparing for a time of religious celebration and commemoration. But there were rumors that Jesus was on his way. Folks had heard the stories about him, his teachings, his deeds of kindness, his ruffling of the feather of power, and his miracles. Rumor had it, that he might be the Messiah. And so, they waited along the way to welcome him and shouted as he came:
Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest (Luke 19:38)
Today, we join the eternal chorus of welcome as the Lord Jesus Christ enters our consciousness as the King who comes in the Name of the Lord.
He is the Prince of Peace and righteousness.
His Kingdom comes with glory and praise, but also with a cross of pain and disgrace.
Luke records but part of a stanza of the longer hymn, part of which says, from Psalm 118:
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
He willingly enters into the sphere of time, space, and judgment to face whatever stands between him and his mission to bring all who welcome him into eternal fellowship with the Father.
Let us lift our voices in worship as we worship Him.
Jesus implied endorsement of the praise of the people as something flowing from their deepest sense of divinity. It was emerging from their God-connection as people made in God’s image.
Even rocks have that, Jesus says.
Even the inanimate realm is tuned to ultimate reality for it cannot exist apart from that reality.
Stones will cry out if people do not.
Such is the joy of just a glimpse of the king coming to establish a kingdom of righteousness, grace, love, peace, joy, and justice. Such is the wonderful paradox of conqueror on a lowly pack animal. Such is the glimmer of light that shines from behind the veil revealing the unfolding of prophetic hope and apocalyptic celebration.
So, they met him with palms and shouts of victorious praise.
So, they welcomed him with sounds of song and movements of dance. As if choreographed for a Broadway finale, it was less than that, a penultimate preview of glory to come. The theme will become the overture.
It becomes the backdrop against which suffering, disgrace, and humiliation will be seen in perspective in the days to come.
Long, lonely, dark days and then …
New creation, indeed, the long anticipated eighth day of creation and hope.
Hope, it is, for those who walk, even now through valley of the shadow of death.
It is hope that triggers our thinking to know that the greater reality is unveiled and disclosed. That eternity has transcended modernity and life has already overcome death.
Peace in heaven means the possibility of peace on earth.
Glory in the highest predicts and displays glory among the lowliest.
The King has arrived at the earthly epicenter of God’s geographical work on earth, Jerusalem, where He is presumed to dwell among men, the Temple.
But it is the living temple who has come to the stone and mortar temple to declare that the Temple of God shall be in the hearts of men and women.
Therefore, we celebrate Palm Sunday.
It prepares us for a meeting in the Upper Room where Jesus will bless bread and wine as his own body and blood.
It gets us ready for the garden scene of prayer and betrayal and for the outer courtyard where, can be heard, the sounds of Jesus’ trial. It gets us ready to consider his floggings, his trek to Golgotha, his agonizing and sacrificial death, and his words.
The Seven Last Words which included, “Father, forgive them, “ “Why hast Thou forsaken me,” and “Into Thy hands, I commend my spirit.”
It points to a lonely tomb borrowed from a man who shared his earthly father’s name,
It anticipates the following Sunday when an event he predicted, but none comprehended, shakes time and space forever.
This coming week is a time for medication, reflection, and contemplation.
The Triumphal entry does not conclude with the disgraceful cross, but with the glorious resurrection.
Yet, today, we are transfixed by the image of his coming into the city. We are surrounded by palm and shouts of joy. We are enveloped by the music of the moment and the resounding “hosannas” that are on the lips of the young and the old.
We are dancing in the streets, waving the palms.
We are in the moment.
Every moment has its place, and each moment is a part of a larger moment within eternity.
We take them as they come, and we embrace each one for the meaning that they reveal.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
You are here now, waving the branch and declaring his praise.
Where will you be in the dark of Thursday when ominous words are spoken and betrayal looms?
Where will you be on Friday when the world goes dark and he gives up his spirit?
Where will you be on Saturday when there is not a glimmer of hope?
Will you be prepared to come to the tomb with ointments and spice to anoint his body and receive the surprise off your life?
Declare now, your yes to his yes and allow it to be your “hosanna of the moment.”
It is about serving and laying down our lives for others as Jesus did.
It shall not be so among you that you will be in a state of constant competition with your brothers and sisters. It shall not be so among you that you will be vying for positions of importance and prestige and honor. It shall not be so among you though it be so among the many and among the masses.
Here is a conversation between Jesus and his disciples in Mark 10: 32 -45, on the road. That is where so many things happened. On the road was where so much teaching and so many teachable moments emerged in the life and ministry of Jesus.
“They were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them they were amazed and those who followed were afraid he took the twelve aside began to tell them what was to happen to him. ‘We are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes is it and they will condemn him to death then they will hand him over to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit upon him and flog him and kill him and after three days he will rise again.’”
Imagine listening, and you hear everything except the last clause. You hear about the spitting and mocking and you hear about the flogging.
This is your teacher, your leader, and your master. How can these things happen? What an insult to him , to God and us! We must prevent this. Human emotions on national entertainment and in local news. There is an epidemic of retaliation, a wrong but common attitude.
“James and John the son of Zebedee came forward and said, ‘Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’”
It seems like an inappropriate response to what Jesus just said. We want you to do whatever we ask.
“It’s all about me,” is a cry heard around the world.
“’Grant to us to sit one at your right hand one at your left and your glory.’”
“But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I'm going to be baptized with?’”
“They replied, ‘We are able.’”
“Then Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant. But it's for those for whom it's been prepared’”
“When the ten heard this, they begin to be angry with James and John so Jesus called them and said to them … “
A teachable moment. We're so tone-deaf to what Jesus is saying most of the time even when we read back through the centuries, or through the paradigm of the big picture.
Jesus is saying?
• I'm going to be persecuted. • I'm going to be killed. • I'm going to be judged. • I'm going to be mocked.
“Oh, Jesus, will you let us share in your honors?”
“Can you share in my suffering?”
“Oh yes.”
Not yet they couldn't but later they would. But honors? Is it for the esteem? Is it for the importance of it?
Everybody's upset now.
Here's the teachable moment.
“Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles, those whom they recognized as their rulers lord it over them.’”
Would you have seen a gentile Roman Centurion leading like Jesus? He led by example and by being willing to be vulnerable.
“’They lord it over them and their great ones are tyrants over them, but it's not to be so among you.’”
“’Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
It’s all about the serving and the giving and Jesus gives us a lesson in discipleship and a lesson in leadership. The leader is one who is vulnerable a leader is one who allows the purposes of God to be worked out in his or her. A leader faces the danger. A leader receives the mocking without mocking back. A leader is not a tyrant and does not lord leadership over those whom he or she leads.
You are going to be different than those who lead that way and those who rule that way and those who compete that way.
And those who base their own self esteem on their importance are not leaders like me, Jesus teaches.
“’ But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’"
You take the last place. You will become the servant of all. You will serve and you will give your life including any hope of future recognition and praise in this life or the life to come.
It will not be your motive to gain recognition. You will do it for me and for others as a servant, a servant leader.
All of the examples of leadership that we see in the world who wield tyranny and manipulation, are false. Their power fades with these words:
It is not so among you. It shall not be so among you.
It is about serving and laying down our lives for others as Jesus did.
It shall not be so among you that you will be in a state of constant competition with your brothers and sisters. It shall not be so among you that you will be vying for positions of importance and prestige and honor. It shall not be so among you though it be so among the many and among the masses.
Here is a conversation between Jesus and his disciples in Mark 10: 32 -45, on the road. That is where so many things happened. On the road was where so much teaching and so many teachable moments emerged in the life and ministry of Jesus.
“They were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them they were amazed and those who followed were afraid he took the twelve aside began to tell them what was to happen to him. ‘We are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes is it and they will condemn him to death then they will hand him over to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit upon him and flog him and kill him and after three days he will rise again.’”
Imagine listening, and you hear everything except the last clause. You hear about the spitting and mocking and you hear about the flogging.
This is your teacher, your leader, and your master. How can these things happen? What an insult to him , to God and us! We must prevent this. Human emotions on national entertainment and in local news. There is an epidemic of retaliation, a wrong but common attitude.
“James and John the son of Zebedee came forward and said, ‘Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’”
It seems like an inappropriate response to what Jesus just said. We want you to do whatever we ask.
“It’s all about me,” is a cry heard around the world.
“’Grant to us to sit one at your right hand one at your left and your glory.’”
“But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I'm going to be baptized with?’”
“They replied, ‘We are able.’”
“Then Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant. But it's for those for whom it's been prepared’”
“When the ten heard this, they begin to be angry with James and John so Jesus called them and said to them … “
A teachable moment. We're so tone-deaf to what Jesus is saying most of the time even when we read back through the centuries, or through the paradigm of the big picture.
Jesus is saying?
• I'm going to be persecuted. • I'm going to be killed. • I'm going to be judged. • I'm going to be mocked.
“Oh, Jesus, will you let us share in your honors?”
“Can you share in my suffering?”
“Oh yes.”
Not yet they couldn't but later they would. But honors? Is it for the esteem? Is it for the importance of it?
Everybody's upset now.
Here's the teachable moment.
“Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles, those whom they recognized as their rulers lord it over them.’”
Would you have seen a gentile Roman Centurion leading like Jesus? He led by example and by being willing to be vulnerable.
“’They lord it over them and their great ones are tyrants over them, but it's not to be so among you.’”
“’Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
It’s all about the serving and the giving and Jesus gives us a lesson in discipleship and a lesson in leadership. The leader is one who is vulnerable a leader is one who allows the purposes of God to be worked out in his or her. A leader faces the danger. A leader receives the mocking without mocking back. A leader is not a tyrant and does not lord leadership over those whom he or she leads.
You are going to be different than those who lead that way and those who rule that way and those who compete that way.
And those who base their own self esteem on their importance are not leaders like me, Jesus teaches.
“’ But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’"
You take the last place. You will become the servant of all. You will serve and you will give your life including any hope of future recognition and praise in this life or the life to come.
It will not be your motive to gain recognition. You will do it for me and for others as a servant, a servant leader.
All of the examples of leadership that we see in the world who wield tyranny and manipulation, are false. Their power fades with these words:
It is not so among you. It shall not be so among you.
Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.
We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.
For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.
Let's start with this: I like birds and I don't want to kill them. So, "killing two birds with one stone" is a metaphor that is unfortunate, but descriptive.
I also like to multitask and I plan certain things in life to maximize effort by combining task and building multiple purposes into one activity.
Yet, it seems, without a primary focus, it is very easy to lose all sense of purpose and the activity itself becomes primary rather than what it is, a tool.
I can't find the word "focus" in the bible translations I normally use, but the word "seek" is very prominent.
So, I have spent some time seeking this morning. It may seem that I've been playing on Facebook and Twitter, but those activities have been peripheral to the primary focus. (I also PRAY on Facebook - I have found it a powerful too-l for intercessory ministry without getting in anyone's face about it).
I am seeking through the things I read, through prayer, through meditation, through what I write, and through thinking.
I woke up with all of this on my mind because there is so much to do and so little time. Because of the rush, I felt led and compelled to slow down and build this space into my day. I am expecting lots of birds to fall - poor little birds.
I am not sure we often have the luxury of doing one thing at as time with full concentration. When those times come, savor them and embrace them. In the meantime, we need to focus on the primary and include the peripheral. That is life.
Take comfort, birds, I am not going to kill you. It is just an unfortunate expression.
In the meantime, we have to find the One thing of the moment and let that be our compass.
What Is Your One Thing?
What gets you up with energy in the morning?
What puts you to sleep with a sense of fulfillment at night?
What makes you look forward to the future?
What gives you peace with the past?
What is set before you to think about and do today?
It is of vital importance that we learn the value of collaboration and networking when we are seeking to implement our dreams.
We need each other.
We need each others' nods.
By that, I mean their encouragement. We need to receive it and we need to give it. You cannot encourage another person without encouraging yourself.
We need each others' energy.
People energize each other by being present in each others' lives.
We need each others experience.
Someone has been where you are and someone is going where you have been. We can avoid mistakes and incorporate learning by sharing with each other.
In case you did not catch on, I am spelling NEED as in we need each other.
Now, we need a D. We need each others' dreams.
To dream is to visualize a future that does not yet exist and will not exist until we create it. To understand that the capacity to dream and strategize is a part of our gift of humanity reminds us that we are not alone and that we are part of a larger dream to make this world a better place.
We NEED each other. Network!
Become one of Tom's clients and join Tom's Round Table on Facebook.
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT April 3, 2022 Year C, Revised Common Lectionary
This is an expression of the church, the fellowship of believers in and seekers of Jesus. We meet online in an online community on Facebook. This feed is available to Pastor Tom's friends and followers, but also the general public. There are no restrictions. Welcome. Help us make this a REAL community of Joy and love.
Online friends are REAL friends!
Please leave your comments, questions, and prayer requests in the comments section
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
Psalm 126 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
SERMON from Pastor Tom:
More love to Thee, O Christ, More love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make On bended knee; This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!
Once earthly joy I craved, Sought peace and rest; Now Thee alone I seek, Give what is best; This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!
Then shall my latest breath Whisper Thy praise; This be the parting cry My heart shall raise; This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More love to Thee!
Sometimes I dispute, but the act of writing things down has always been helpful to me. It clarifies things. Scattered thoughts come together. Extraneous ideas are filtered.
It works for me.
There are many biblical examples of a person receiving an insight or even a revelation and writing it down. Sometimes, it is is even a command. One example, however, stands out.
Jesus was being manipulated ... or at least they tried ... by detractors and critics. They were trying to control His agenda in order to discredit Him. He took His time, made the dirt His paper and His finger a pen.
Then He wrote.
We don't know what. It is fun to speculate. Maybe folks could read His writing; maybe not. It possibly wasn't for them.
"They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger." - John 8:6
The fact is that when He was done, He knew what to say and what to do.
I can't think of a better endorsement for making notes to myself in all of history, literature, or scripture.
Trending topics are hot topics. They are sure to attract attention and create clicks for our comments and blogs.
They also encourage us to write, speak, or comment before we have time to process our own thoughts and temper our remarks.
Immediacy is not always the friend of authenticity.
They also encourage us to meddle in other people's business on a global level. Then, it becomes everyone's business because it triggers issues that belong to all of us.
The recent episode with Chris Rock and Will Smith raised issues that transcend their characters and behaviors. These issues include insensitivity, appropriate humor, respect, violence, self-control, decency, the stewardship of influence, shame, and on and on and on.
They also include the power and place of apology and accepting responsibility for one's own actions. There is accountability from outside of ourselves which we cannot control, but there is also self-accountability.
Yesterday, both Will Smith and Chris Rock, published sincere apologies to each other, to Will's wife, and to the public, taking accountability for their actions and making themselves vulnerable.
Apologies do not make us heroes necessarily and they do not fix what is broken. But they can be the first step toward restoration, reconciliation, and growth. As such, while we may not applaud them, we should affirm them and learn from them.
Then, we learn the lessons of how to live.
Hurtful humor wounds souls. That is never OK. Laughter is the best medicine, but it can also be a weapon. Comedy can be a force for good, but it can also destroy people. It should be weighed and measured before it is delivered.
Violence is pervasive in our society and is almost never appropriate. It is usually delivered disproportionately, even by those who intend to use it as protection of themselves and others.
The news is full of it: spousal abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, retaliatory murders, excessive use of force to subdue criminals, pushing and shoving, road rage. The list is as long as the day.
It is obvious that Will Smith is no street fighter by his form. It is obvious to me that both he and Chris Rock have far better sides to their natures. Both are gifted and both have contributed much. Both are hurting right now and realize what they have done wrong.
We should forgive them even if we continue to condemn their actions. We condemn that we might learn and teach. Once an act is public it becomes the property and legacy of the public and the actors in the drama become reluctant, but perpetual teachers and object lessons.
Going further, Jada Pinkett Smith is a lesson in courage, strength, and beauty. I love that she has embraced her life and become an example to so many who might succumb to body shaming. And I love Will Smith's love and loyalty for her, however misplaced his expression of that might have been.
It is interesting to see how people are taking sides in this thing, almost the way we did at a schoolyard fight forgetting that the real heroes are those who broke up the fight.
The only fight I ever got in at school brought me and the other guy to the principals' office where we became fast allies and best buddies. By the way, if I sucker slap someone to defend my wife, I will have a high price to pay when I get home.
I hope to see great work from Will and Chris and Jada in the future.
Now, a lesson about jumping the gun: After writing all of this, I see that the apology attributed to Chris has been reported as fake. My solution is that he simply say, "I did not write that, but I endorse it as representing how I really feel."
Most of what I said is still true.
Then, what I said will be true and we can all move on.
"Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."-Luke 5:5
Been there!
I've done my best. I am sure I've exhausted all the possibilities, expended all the energy, and exercised all the faithfulness possible with no results.
It is as if reciprocity has evaded us and the laws of nature have been suspended to deny us just recompense for our efforts.
It is the dark side of light, the defining moment of discouragement. We have worked all night for nothing and we are ready to quit. We could not muster another moment except ...
and then
and until
comes Jesus
Infuriating and inspiring Jesus comes and bids us cast our nets one more time.
One more time!
We would not do it for anyone else, even ourselves. We don't want to try again. We don't even really believe ...
But your word!
At your word, if you say so, we will.
And that is all it takes!'
We let down the nets one more time and this time, only this time, they are filled.
What will we do today, with feeble hands, faltering faith, and failing history, simply and wearily at the word of the Master? Even if we have no hope of success, we will drop our nets and let Him fill them as He will.
Do you remember the lost and found box at your school? Have you ever lost something important to you that you later found? How did you feel? If you rejoiced, you have something in common with the Father.
This is an expression of the church, the fellowship of believers in and seekers of Jesus. We meet online in an online community on Facebook. This feed is available to Pastor Tom's friends and followers, but also the general public. There are no restrictions. Welcome. Help us make this a REAL community of Joy and love.
Online friends are REAL friends!
Please leave your comments, questions, and prayer requests in the comments section
The Fellowship of Joy is building a team of technical advisors to assist with the delivery and expansion of this message. Respond in comments or PM.
Devotions are posted daily on Pastor Tom's page.
http://facebook.com/pastortomsims
This video will be posted on Youtube and http://pastortoms.com as well as other social media platforms. You are encouraged to repost.
Join us for the prayer our Lord taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.-
Lost and Found
------------------------------
Joshua 5:9-12
New Revised Standard Version
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
Psalm 32
New Revised Standard Version
Of David. A Maskil.
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.
Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
New Revised Standard Version
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Luke 15
New Revised Standard Version
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
------------------------------
God is the one who looses.
We are the one who are lost.
We are also the ones who lose.
We are, furthermore, the ones who called to rejoice.
I don't look for my morning themes to post in my blog or social media.
I just sort of gravitate toward them as if there is a magnet drawing the little specks of scattered metal dust into a meaningful center of thinking where a message might emerge if there is anyone to hear, discern, and apply it.
God comes into the scattered dust of our existence and there is something metallic in us and magnetic in Truth that draws us from randomness to reality and purpose.
Sometimes, it is an angel voice that calls and sometimes our own random seeking that draws, but always, always, always, there is an invasion of divinity into our little conclaves of humanity that speaks with clarity .
We are being invaded daily by an army of memes, invaded, infiltrated, and influenced.
I decided that, if I could not beat them, I would join them. I have begun to create regular, if not amateurish, attempts at engaging the culture.
But first, what is it and what are they?
Definition of meme
1: an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media… the band encouraged fans to make memes to advertise the U.S. release of their EP …— William Gruger
The grumpy cat meme frowned its way onto the Internet in September 2012 and never turned its dissatisfied head back. Since then, the image of the cranky cat has grown more and more popular in direct proportion to appearing less and less impressed by fame.— Anastasia Thrift
2: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture, Memes (discrete units of knowledge, gossip, jokes and so on) are to culture what genes are to life.
Just as biological evolution is driven by the survival of the fittest genes in the gene pool, cultural evolution may be driven by the most successful memes.— Richard Dawkins
What is the meaning of my moments and movement beyond the movement of the moment?
In Genesis, the story of Joseph crescendos with this dance he choreographs to reconnect with the brothers who dealt so treacherously with him years before. Perhaps they have tried daily to forget, but they cannot. Nor can they know fully the pain and possibilities that were pregnant in their choices.
When Joseph "sets them up," they are confronted with a question that is deeper than the moment:
" ... Joseph said to them, 'What deed is this that you have done?'" -Genesis 44:15 ESV
In fact, the deed they had most immediately done was none - none that would indict them. They are different men at that day than the men who sold their brother as a slave, but their transformation is not complete until the reconciliation is transacted and Joseph was confront them as much as they must be confronted.
And they must confront the question that has ultimately brought them to this moment, "What have you done?"
It is, in the long run, a redemptive question and it is ours. It is mine? What is the meaning of my moments and movement beyond the movement of the moment?
What is the meaning of my life in an honest and full assessment of my life?
What would it mean apart from redemption? What does it mean in the light of redemption?
Henk Caspers/Naturalis Biodiversity Center - Natural history museum Naturalis, Leiden. Exhibition Earth.
Here we are today, standing on a rolling ball, trying to maintain our balance yet balanced by an unseen hand.
We are suspended between the ground beneath and the sky above and somehow unimpressed.
We are ever bumping into one another and looking the other way with muttered apologies for living.
We see through and around and over and under with the illusion of our own invisibility.
We are witnesses to what we are and what we know and who we know and choose to live in anonymity.
And we live on, day after day, moment after moment in the drudgery of routine and the ritual of sameness moving steadily toward some undefined goal we call "retirement."
Retirement from what?
Indeed we are tired, but not from engagement, not from work. Work never wearied a soul engaged in purposeful pursuit. Work invigorates, regenerates, and illuminates our lives for what they are and are to be ....
We ...
We are called, chosen, and unfrozen to be instruments of peace, God's peace, to sow seeds of love, kindness, joy, and healing.
And if we ever get caught up with that, we can talk about retirement.
So get up, get connected, feed your face, wash your teeth, and move out.
Recent Comments