Brilliance Discarded

... but only for a moment

The wasteland of human greatness

The end of the hands and mind of the greatest composer in human history

The final resting place of his genius

Final respects for the most brilliant of brilliance of human creativity ...

Or is it?

What is that you are listening to?

Brilliance will shine forth
Because it simply is
And it cannot be not..

It cannot be discarded and
Remain discard. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in 1791 and was buried in a pauper's grave in the St. Marx Communal Cemetery. For many years the location of Mozart's remains was unknown until 1855 when it is believed the grave was discovered. In 1859 Hanns Gasser built a monument there. - Source

The Problem of Evil - Abridged Edition - Have Mercy on Me - The Jesus Prayer

I have studied the problem of evil since I learned to think philosophically, psychologically, and theologically. I have all the easy answers in a short file. I have the really tough ones in the question box.

We can dismiss it all with the word "sin," but that three letter word is far larger than we think or know. It is so deep and so pervasive that it requires divine intervention, sacrifice, and planning to correct.

(While at the same time, requiring far less from us when we come to dealing with our own).

It is so nagging that, even after repentance and regeneration, the Apostle Paul still struggled with its residual effects.

It is simple, but it is not simplistic.

It is both human and dehumanizing.

It is a distortion of reality, yet part of our daily reality.

Does evil exist? Some philosophical systems suggest that evil is but an illusion. If it is, it is like the apparition that can frighten someone to death.

Some days, the best I can do is to look at the evil, bitterness, coldness, anger, and bigotry in my own heart, cry out in despair, shake my head, and lift my voice to God, "Have mercy upon me!"

Sharpen Up Your Leadership Skills

Are you taking full advantage of the opportunities that come to you with arms and legs every day?

You have been gifted with associates above you and below you on charts made by human hands who have the capacity to add value to your life with every conversation and as you observe them.

Some of them make big mistakes, but even they are not useless. You can use them as examples of what not to do.

You can learn from everyone with whom you come into contact.

Proverbs 27:17 in the NIV says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

How does this happen? Many ways. Perhaps we can touch on a few of them with the word, SHARP.

S = Seeing
We observe the other person's life, choices, habits, techniques, strategies, behavior, and interactions and learn. If we will watch people closely, we will collect valuable information and will observe timeless principles being fleshed out in their lives. Paul once told some of the disciples to follow him as he followed Christ.

H = Hassle
The word means "struggle" or "contest," but we use it to refer to the resistance we sometimes get when we need to reevaluate our behaviors and choices. So it is sort of a struggle that begins within us and continues as others compete with us or challenge us about our behaviors. we get shaper and either change our choices or become stronger in them. Never discount the benefit of a good hassle.

A = Accountability
If we are never accountable to anyone, we will drift into an undisciplined and unproductive life. That is almost always true because God has made us for community and has designed systems of accountability into the framework of churches and businesses. Many business models employ that principle. So, call your leader, your pastor, or your accountability partner and do it regularly.

R - Respect
We learn respect for ourselves by respecting others, We learn respect for others when we reverence and respect God and His handiwork in fashioning people so magnificently. When you look upon one of those polished pieces of iron with arms and legs, you are looking upon the very handiwork of God. You will get sharper by respecting people.

P - Practice
People give us the opportunity to practice principles, to practice our presentations, and to practice our principles. People sharpen people through practice, interaction, conversion, struggle, and shared labor.

Don't be a loner. If you make the choice to do it all yourself, by yourself, you will suffer unnecessary setbacks and delays. Let other people make you sharper and let them benefit through their association with you as well.

I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” - Psalm 121:1

Some would punctuate the phrase, “From whence cometh my help,” with a question mark at the end because the next verse answers it as if it were a question, “My help cometh from the LORD.”

As magnificent as the hills are, the hymn writer  was correct.

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same. - Isaac Watts “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”

Mountains are great spiritual propellants for several reasons. Four of them start with the letter, “R.”

Mountains Rise - They reach for the heavens causing us to look up. It is as if God is calling us to the upward look through them.

Mountains Remove all sense of our omnipotence. We are humbled by their greatness. As we behold the greatness of creation, we catch a glimpse of the greatness of the Creator!

Mountains Rejoice - Isaiah 49:13 says, “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.”

Mountains Remind us of God, our true help. Psalm 54:4 says, “... God is mine helper …” He has always been our helper and always shall be. The Maker of heaven and earth is strong to save His people.

“Our God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.”

The Image of the Invisible God Is How We We Endure

The secret of endurance as discovered by Moses is this ...

"he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27b, NKJV)

Seeing the invisible God. It really goes to the heart of faith for people of faith. We deal in that realm that an outsider might legitimately view as subjective ... and yet we see.

All people of vision, whether people of faith or not, see things that others do not see.

Some see the future. Some see possibilities. Some see realities too small or far away for the naked eye to surround.

If it can be captured and perceived through the optical nerves, it may not be faith and it may not be enough to produce endurance.

If it requires a leap into the uncharted unknown, one has lengthened the distance of vision and shortened the gap between what is and what can be through the Eyes of the One Who Is.

King of What?

Are you the King?

Not of this world is Jesus’ reply.

It’s apples and oranges.

The key words that differentiate Jesus’ kingdom from our kingdoms are:

Realm, Reign, Rationale

Peace, Power, Popularity

If you are like Pilate, and to some extent, we all are at some point, you just don't get it. We can't get it when we try to impose our own or society's definitions of power, might, prestige, and influence on a kingdom that is not of this world.

We ask the same question he asked. With truth standing before us, staring us in the face, trying one angle after another to explain truth to us and to shake us out of our tired definitions, "What is truth?"

The truth is that truth is ....

And it is not what we think it is.

It never was and never can be.

Truth that transcends and transforms enters the world as a blinding contrast to our values and false passions. it challenges our insecurities and control mania. It challenges our notions that we must resort to violence to achieve non-violent ends or that we must coerce in order to convert.

It shouts in our ears and lives out before us the radical notion that sometimes it is enough, and more than enough, to stand and bear witness.

It leaves us dumbfounded with the uncomfortable feeling that we can find no fault in him, but that we cannot figure him out either.

And we, who would follow, hear his simple, "follow me," and his playful, “Come and see."-------------------------------------

John 18:33-38 New International Version (NIV)

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

 https://linktr.ee/tomsims

The Pause That Refreshes

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. - Genesis 2:1-3

Here is a gift for you. It’s not a bottle of iced cold cola, although you are welcome to one. It is a day of rest. You need it; you deserve it; and you can’t honor God as you ought and go on week after week without one. It is a gift that you receive because you were made in His image (as was your wife, sister, and mother). It is a gift, which He tested first and passed on to you as good. It is the gift of Sabbath rest.

This gift predates calendars and names of days of the week. It predates Judaism and Christianity. It is a gift built into the very creation of the world. It assumes that a man will work for six days and is entitled to a seventh for rest.

Later, God would throw in some extra Sabbaths and even some Sabbath years for the children of Israel, but the principle is never negated or altered in any form. Even as Jesus argues against Sabbath legalism, He keeps it and fulfills its true meaning as rest and fulfillment in Him.

Jesus taught us that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath and still the principle remains. Men and women were not created to work 24/7.  We are called to a life of balance, which includes work, relaxation, celebration, and worship.

Voltaire's Garden

Born this day in 1694 – Voltaire, French historian, playwright, and philosopher (d. 1778).

He was an ardent critic of the church and Christianity and a Deist who wrote,

"He challenged orthodoxy by asking: "What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason."

He would identify with Christianity in some of his writings by calling it, "our religion," even as he criticized it.

As an advocate for religious freedom, he wrote, " "It does not require great art, or magnificently trained eloquence, to prove that Christians should tolerate each other. I, however, am going further: I say that we should regard all men as our brothers. What? The Turk my brother? The Chinaman my brother? The Jew? The Siam? Yes, without doubt; are we not all children of the same father and creatures of the same God?"

In writing Candide, he advocated for a life of simplicity that reminds me of the book of Ecclesiastes in the closing song of the musical setting inspired by his work (via Leonard Bernstein).

I think it describes the tug-of-war within his own soul, and perhaps of the times he lived in -- even the divergent claims made by many of his deathbed utterances.

Timely Quotes from John Fitzgerald Kennedy

November 22, 1963 changed the world by one tragic event in Dallas, Texas. We were left without the wisdom , leadership, and energy of John F. Kennedy, but he did leave us a vision and great ideas, encapsulated in these and other inspiring words:

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.”

“The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of our planet.”

“I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”(At a White House dinner for Nobel Prize recipients)

“Great crises produce great men and great deeds of courage.”

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

“If freedom is to survive and prosper, it will require the sacrifice, the effort and the thoughtful attention of every citizen.”

“For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘hold office’; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”

“A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.”

“Let us not emphasize all on which we differ but all we have in common. Let us consider not what we fear separately but what we share together.”

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

“United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do — for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”

“So let us begin anew — remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

“Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.”

“If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live.”

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

“For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our nation.”

“Rising tide lifts all boats.”

To further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art — this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days.”

“I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty…an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft.”

“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”

“It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society — in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may.”

“Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today — which may well be with us for decades to come — compels us to invest in our nation’s future, to consider and meet our obligations to our children and the numberless generations that will follow.”

Our goal is not the victory of might but the vindication of right…not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.”

“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.”

“And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

“We celebrate the past to awaken the future.”

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”

“Let us not despair but act. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past — let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

“Dante once said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in periods of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.”

“What we seek to advance, what we seek to develop in all of our colleges and universities, are educated men and women who can bear the burdens of responsible citizenship, who can make judgments about life as it is, and as it must be, and encourage the people to make those decisions which can bring not only prosperity and security, but happiness to the people of the United States and those who depend upon it.”

“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”

“The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.”

“Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.”

“Liberty without Learning is always in peril and Learning without Liberty is always in vain.”

“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”

“A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.”

“I’m an idealist without illusions.”

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”

“If not us, who? If not now, when?”

Honey, You Are Bad Luck

Photo by bennett tobias on Unsplash

An 95 year old man was lying in bed dying. The doctor said he had minutes to live. His first and only wife was by his bedside to hear his dying words and comfort him.

He began to speak.

"Honey, do you remember how when we got married, I was a cheerful, handsome, wealthy man? But soon after we were married, I lost all my money on bad investments. Never-the-less, you stayed with me the whole time."

"Then my first business went bankrupt, and we lost everything we had. You didn't leave me. You were right by my side the whole time."

"And now I've had a long sickness, which has used up all our savings. I'm a wrinkled, grouchy. old, poverty-stricken, dying man."

"You're still by my side!"

"So with my dying breath, I just want to say three little words to you:

(With his dying breath)

(PAUSE --- LONG PAUSE)

"Honey, YOU'RE BAD LUCK!"

.... But I am sure glad you are here!

Watch Your Mouth!

Watch your mouth!

Your parents may have said that at key moments in your youth when you ventured to utter the unutterable.

The old pastor in the early church said it and his admonition is enshrined in in an epistle by his name, the Book of James.

Guard your tongue, bridle it, and be careful about the words that come forth from your mouth.

They can do a lot of good; they can do a lot of harm.

They are predictors of success and they are revealers of the heart.

Watch your mouth and bridle your tongue. Think before you speak.

 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 

James 3:1–12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes.

Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.

For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue — a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Fire Out of Hand

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! — James 3:5

There is a negative fire that the tongue can ignite. It is the destructive fire of gossip, malice, slander, and discord.

Keep plenty of water on hand when there is much talk. There is likely to be an inferno arising. Satan will fan the flames and itchy ears will provide the fuel. Before long, lives will be left to ruin and churches will be turned to ashes in the name of speech that might even masquerade itself as prayer requests, concerns, and opinions.

Watch your speech. You may not be able to tame your tongue, but you can give it to God. You can ask Him to catch you before you go too far and to season your words with grace, mercy, and love. You can practice the art of complimenting, edifying, and uplifting in your words. If you are always speaking words of truth in love, you’ll have no time for gossip and negative whispering.

Be more critical of yourself than you are of others. Seek accountability. Ask someone to help you “catch yourself.” Put a rubber band on your arm and snap it every time you are tempted to say something that would not be pleasing to God or nurturing to His people.

Ask yourself, “Does this really need to be said and, if it does, would it be better spoken to God?”

If someone wants to gossip, criticize others, or speak ill of God’s servants in your presence, graciously change the subject. If they persist, say something like, “Call me after you have prayed and spoken to John (or Sally) directly about this. If you still feel this way, we can go to him (or her) together. Until then, I think it is best that we not discuss this.

Stop the fire before it starts.

God Hears Our Cry When We Call God's Name - The Story of Samuel

Sermon Notes
---------------
We all have roles to play in God's story.

These roles all have different characters, but the role of the whole is to bear the image and self-disclosure of God and God's story in the world.

Therefore, we observe:

1. We all long to have something of ourselves to give back to God.
2. Everything that we ever have to give comes from God.
3. There is a desire to leave something of ourselves in the world and for the world to bless the world.

God hears the prayer that longs for this.

God's name is made known through those who desire this.

Here is a different cast of character over a long period of time:

Sara, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary - All had unexpected pregnancies.

One of these wanted nothing more.

Hannah, mother of Samuel, the last of the judges of Israel

----------------------------------------

Some Background:

• The name Elkanah is a Hebrew name for boys that means "God has purchased" or "God has created". It comes from the words el, meaning "God", and qaneh, meaning "to acquire".
• The name Peninnah is of Hebrew origin and means "pearl" or "precious stone". It comes from the Hebrew word pəninā.
  The name Hannah is a feminine name of Hebrew origin that comes from the root ḥ-n-n, which means "favor" or "grace". It can also be spelled Hanna, Hana, Hanah, or Chana.
• The name Eli is of Hebrew origin and means "high" or "elevated": Etymology: The name comes from the Hebrew word aliyah, which means "ascent" or "reaching higher ground"
• The name Samuel can mean either God Hears or The Name of God
• Theotokos - God Bearer
• Nazarite - an Israelite consecrated to the service of God, under vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow, and avoid defilement by contact with corpses (Num. 6).

What is produced from our lives, dedicated to God, and released to the world to bear the image of God in the world?
-----------------------------------------

1 Samuel 1:4-20
Hannah's prayers answered

On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.  Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.

So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"

After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the LORD. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.

She made this vow: "O LORD of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head."

As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.

Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

So Eli said to her, "How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine."

But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.

Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time."

Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him."

And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." Then the woman went her way and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD."
-----------------------------------------

What's the point of longing foe a son if you are just going to give him back to God under the care of the priest.

Again:

1. We all long to have something of ourselves to give back to God.
2. Everything that we ever have to give comes from God.
3. There is a desire to leave something of ourselves in the world and for the world to bless the world.

-----------------------------------------

1 Samuel 2:1-10
My heart exults

Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in your victory. There is no Holy One like the LORD, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low; he also exalts.

He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked will perish in darkness, for not by might does one prevail.

The LORD! His adversaries will be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed."
----------------------------------

The book of Samuel is written years after the events from stories collected and told, most likely, during the reign of King David.

Why, because Hannah is talking about a King when there was no king.

That does not mean that someone put these words in Hannah's mouth; it just means that they would have had no significance to anyone except God who was going to use Samuel to introduce the first two kings to Israel, one of which would have Messianic significance which would come to rest upon the one who would, in his messianic role, be called the Son of David.

-----------------------------------

Additional Thoughts

"Theotokos" means "God-bearer."

Rachmaninov composed it as a tribute to Mary, who bore the Son of God and in whom God was incarnate, appealing to her prayers on our behalf.

That being said, are you not a God-bearer in whom the Son of God incarnates Himself in the world and through whom He shows His love and compassion for humanity?

Therefore, are you, we, and all of us not called upon to pray for one another this morning? (James 5:16)

To be ever vigilant in prayer? (Colossians 4:2-4)

To be grave conquerors? (Romans 8:37)

There are people who are hoping in our intercessions as we hope in the intercessions of others.

Bear God, this morning, to a hurting world. Bear God as light in darkness. Share His love. Do His bidding. Lift the fallen. Bring hope where there is no hope. Feed the hungry. Heal the sick.

Raise the dead.

Freely, you have received; freely give.

Change the World and When No One Knows

We are never too old, young, weak, tired, insignificant, broke, discouraged, hopeless, grumpy, cold, impetuous, fearful, bold, timid, sick, or ill-equipped to try to change the world for the better.

When no one knows; when no one suspects; when there is nothing on your face and your eyes divert the gazes, then, the song arises, a medley of blended songs of sadness and joy, of despair and hope.

No one knows.

If they knew, they could not fully know or understand. It is present in some untouchable place that touches you deeply and persistently. It resides in the secret place of unspent tears and words that have not fully formed, groans that cannot be uttered

It is your pain, your passion, and your hope bundled into a package of faith and anticipation and your know exactly what I mean even though I have said it badly.

The Courage to Stand Alone - Ruby Bridges

In days to come, many will be called to muster courage.

It is a unique kind of courage, perhaps even more demanding than that which requires us to defy the fear for our lives.

Ruby did have reason to fear for her life, but she had an even more profound call to courage. It was the courage to stand alone.

On this day in 1960 – Ruby Bridges becomes the first Black child to attend an all-White elementary school in Louisiana.

When Ruby Bridges set foot into that white school, she was separated from her support system for a very long day. No one was whispering in her ear that it was going to be OK.

No one was telling her that she could do this thing.

She was alone. She was maligned. She was considered to be a force for evil. Some thought she was defying God.

It is very possible that as you take unpopular stands, you will also be alone.

As you defend certain people who are at risk and vulnerable, you will be accused of being against your country, your family, and the God you are seeking to serve.

No one may be reassuring or supporting you.

It will take courage, the courage to stand alone.

Think of Ruby and the change she brought to the world and do not back down.

Gloria

Not every acronym is a definition. This one is not. It is a series of words upon which to meditate as you listen.

G - Great is God; Good is great. God is gracious. God is good.

L - God is love. God's love is vaster than the universe. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. God loves you.

O - God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (always present).

R - God is righteous. Right! Always right, defining right, directing right thought and action, calling us to righteous living and right relationship with himself and others.

I - God is infinite and immutable, unbounded and unchanging. God is the "I Am."

A - God is Always all of the above and more!

Gloria!

Woke Christians

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

Contemporary slang dictionaries define “woke” as ‘politically and socially aware.’

I would like to propose another perspective on what it means to me as a student of scripture.

To me, this is what it means to be a “woke” person of faith:

They had abused rights, privileges, and others historically if not personally. They had diluted their values by adopting the ethical and moral practices of the people around them.

So, they separated themselves from those influences and they confessed generational sin.

We are blessed when we do the same.

“…Then those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. “ Ezra 9:1ff

Awareness of history in its undiluted form that recognized historical sin and misconceptions is essential for learning not to make the same mistakes. It also adds to our understanding of how we came to where we are and what it might take to correct our courses.

When we are awakened spiritually, historically, politically, mentally, and socially, we perform with intention and lead with compassion.

Misconceptions about our heroic past do need to be corrected, but heroes may still be heroes in their realm; they are just not perfect.

Platitudes and truisms are seen as inadequate, and we ask the questions necessary to know if we are speaking the real truth or perpetrating myths and assumptions.

We must go for the essence, the radical roots, the core, the spirit that transcends tradition, and sheds religious baggage, the good news that liberates.

We are warned:

“So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. “ — from Matthew 15:1–20

So, we question tradition, and we reject empire when it calls for our full loyalty. ‘Christendom’ is a watered-down substitute for Christianity and is filtered through a filter of political power and influence.

What I just said looks political and it is to some extent. It appears ‘woke,’ but it is far more.

There is a scripture word that speaks to empire:

“For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.” — from Revelation 18

All empires fall!

Every idolatrous power that oppresses, falls until all fall.

“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. He called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! “ Revevation 18:1 ff.

Furthermore, we reject violence, the violence of individuals and that of nations.

All violence is terrifying and intimidating, wielding illegitimate power in an attempt to subjugate.

That includes mass violence and domestic violence.

It’s all terrorism.

Lay down your weapons, fists and guns and follow the Prince of Peace.

That is also the ‘woke’ Christian message.

To be ‘woke’ is to be awakened to the realities around us and the Spirit within us. It is also to be awakened to wonder and the uncertainties in our hearts.

Justice and fairness for all is an awakened mindset.

So is food for the hungry, housing for the unhoused, opportunity for the disenfranchised, rehabilitation for the fallen, and mercy for the sinner.

A small dose of agnosticism (AKA — not knowing all the answers “about” God) can be a huge faith booster in seeking God with an open heart and mind.

“Seek and you will find.”

Jesus said that.

That is just territory for exploration … or leaving a crack in the door.

A word of caution for the believing and awakened soul:

The activist of our time needs to cultivate the inner life, the place of contemplation and meditation which I call prayer.

“Experience the tender glance of God.” .- Father Greg Boyle

“Step into the wideness of God.” — Father Greg Boyle

As we make our minds available to be stretched beyond capacity, we start to comprehend that which is beyond comprehension.

‘Woke’ believers are a source of irritation because they do not shut up. They challenge assumptions and presuppositions. They shake up our sense of priorities. They may align with those others deem villains and shun their traditional allies.

While we all must spend more time listening than speaking, we cannot be silent about things that matter.

Speak your mind and heart, but first run them both, through the cleansing flame and sifter of truth and love. Destroy false ideas with the sword of your mouth, but do not harm people.

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.” — Matthew 15:18

It may seem harsh at times when we are making corrections. One great arena of potential for offense is when we correct misconceptions about God which lead people to form all sorts of flawed views about the world and make bad policy.

My friend Phil Skei said, in a sermon, a few years ago, “Every form of evil begins with a lie about what God said.”

Point that out and you will offend some friends including people you respect and hold dear.

Fail to point that out and people may reject Jesus without even understanding who he is.

Representing God and the truth of God in the world is the most awesome, awful, and awe-inspiring work of the ‘woke” believer.

I should stop pretty soon or you may get the impression that I have said all that there is to say. Not at hall have I. I do not even know all there is to know and say, only a bit and this is a bit of that bit.

I know I have been playing with language that is in dispute, but language is a living thing with strong roots that are set in the past. I know that one work of God’s grace is to awaken the human heart. So I encourage us all to be receptive to that.

“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” — Ephesian 5:14

Religious Abuse, Generosity, Blood, and Other Thoughts

/

Mark 12:38-44

As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Recipe for Oppression

On this day in 698, The Seventeenth Council of Toledo first met under Visigothic King Egica. Egica brought together two strains of hatred and distrust. On one hand, there was the threat of Islam's expansion and on the other, his intense dislike and distrust of Jews. He confiscated their property and made Jews the slaves of Christian slaves and, essentially, outlawed the practice of Judaism.

When you can convince people they are threatened by a group, you can persuade them to become the threat.

So, they took and existing hatred and built upon it. Two people group targets for the price of one.

Take a cup of hatred.

Add two cups of fear.

Sprinkle in two tablespoons of suspicion and

An ounce of all-purpose blame.

Season with bitterness and ignorance.

Mix well and stir up the crowds.

Bake at 10,000 degrees for as long as it takes.

Name it something that sounds noble.

Invite the crowd.

 

Read More

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2012-11-09/ty-article/694-c-e-17th-council-of-toledo-opens/0000017f-e8a8-dc7e-adff-f8ad633a0000?fbclid=IwY2xjawGchghleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTGWqTUj_F7vrh1I_npzAm6kZ7K36dkN1k8iwvJ95ElcymGvbgFgHiTBDw_aem_w4DhdNWybRe3EaqR5T_HeQhttps://www.haaretz.com/.../0000017f-e8a8-dc7e-adff...

Because I Am a Man!

On this day in 1851 – Kentucky marshals abduct abolitionist minister Calvin Fairbank from Jeffersonville, Indiana, and take him to Kentucky to stand trial for helping a slave escape.

Calvin Fairbank, a Methodist minister, served 19 years, total, in the Kentucky State Penitentiary, after two convictions of helping slaves escape. In total, he is credited with aiding in the escape of 47 slaves. .

Fairbank was reported to have received 35,000 lashes in prison floggings while in prison.

At one point, he met future Congressman, Lewis Hayden and his family, who were planning an escape.

He asked Hayden, "Why do you want your freedom?"

Hayden responded, "Because I am a man."

Hayden and others, freed by the efforts of Fairbank and others, went on the accomplish great things for humanity and the cause of liberty.

Further Research

https://web.archive.org/web/20090217062929/http://undergroundrailroadindiana.com/CalvinFairbank.htm

https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/coffin/coffin.html#p719

Research Paper by - James M. Prichard
Into the Fiery Furnace

Quam Bonus Israel!

 

"When I tried to understand these things, it was too hard for me; Until I entered the sanctuary of God ..."

 

Oh wicked wind, you would blow me over with arrogant huffs and puffs, and yet, I stand.

I might have fallen in my envy, but I entered the sanctuary of God and caught a glimpse of the longer story.

How ruthlessly you rage against the righteous and the oppressed.

How blindly you assume that it shall always be thus.

But I have drawn near and entered into the Presence and in that glow, have come to know my Refuge, the strength of my heart.

 

This, then, shall be my evening prayer ...

 

Psalm 73,  Quam bonus Israel! 

Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
    my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant;
    I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pain;
    their bodies are sound and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
    they are not plagued like other people.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes swell out with fatness;
    their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
    loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against heaven,
    and their tongues range over the earth.

Therefore the people turn and praise them
    and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know?
    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Such are the wicked;
    always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain I have kept my heart clean
    and washed my hands in innocence.
For all day long I have been plagued
    and am punished every morning.

If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,”
    I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
But when I thought how to understand this,
    it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
    then I perceived their end.
Truly you set them in slippery places;
    you make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment,
    swept away utterly by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes;
    on awaking you despise their phantoms.

When my soul was embittered,
    when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant;
    I was like a brute beast toward you.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;
    you put an end to those who are false to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    to tell of all your works.

 

 

 

 

Lament

 

Sometimes, I jump to hope as an immediate response before fully engaging lament.

Then, lament sneaks up, bops me on the head and says, “Pay attention.”

Lamenting is not losing hope; it is pausing and gathering, assessing, aligning with one’s regret, and breathing.

Jimmy Kimmel expressed lament last night, with a ray of hope, but a large dose of reality.

Hope is usually a call to action.

We must rebuild. We must resist. We must figure out a way to come together; we must love our neighbor, even the neighbor with whom we cannot see eye to eye.

That requires hope.

It requires us to see and believe that there is something worth standing and fighting for. It requires us to believe that people can come around or meet in the middle or at least hear voices of reason.

It requires seeing the best in our opponents.

It also requires realism and lament.

So, here I am today, no less committed, no less opinionated, but no less sad … knowing that the work is hard, harder than we thought it would be.

Hoping, loving, committed to truth and justice.

 

What Is Truth?

In times of darkness, it is incumbent upon those who carry light, to let it shine.

In times of despair, it is incumbent on people of hope to share it.

In times of anger, suspicion, bigotry, and hate, it is incumbent upon people of the Way to share his love.

In times of jaded views, it is incumbent upon people of truth to tell it.

There is never a break from bearing witness. We press on.

--------------------------------

Concerning what follows:

I make no claim to a unifying theme here. Each paragraph was written alone and stands alone.

If there is a theme, it is for you to discover and form.

Like  the unity of so many of the cacophonous voices in our environment, the message is yours to find.

-----------------------------------

My opinions are like underarms.
Like most folk, I have two.
Others are offended by their emanating aroma before I notice
I need opinion hygiene.

To distinguish between
Opinion,
Preference,
Emotion,
Perspective,
Prejudice,
Inspiration,
&
Insight
Is no small task.
Speak.
Listen.
Be.

If making up my mind is like making up my bed, it won't last long ... or I will be too sleep deprived to remember anyway.

If you fear me
When you see me
And I, in turn, fear you,
The spiral of
Communication
Downward
Would be the envy
Of roller coaster
Engineers

As I was walking to St Joe,
I met a man with a broken toe.
He knew some things I did not know,
Which I suppose just goes to show ....

Standing one's ground may lead to necessary impasse, but one never knows until common ground us sought and all voices have been heard.

If we can agree we have a problem and agree on some part of what it is and agree we want to solve it, we have made much progress. 75% maybe.

There must be some detente if there is going to be any negotiation. Negotiators do not compromise principles. They start with common ground.

Politics at its best: collective, collaborative, courteous, and civil communication to solve problems as a people of differing perspectives.

If I say that Z is an unprincipled ignoramus, but Z is holding cards we need for a mutual win, I've gained nothing by winning that battle.

There's no shortage of clever slogans to obscure, marginalize, fragment, & distort the truth they purport to underscore- including this one.

If I represent Jesus, it may require that I keep my own opinions within the laboratory of my own mind until they are better formulated.

River Crossing

We are not starting from a place of being entirely OK.

We have been soiled by our choices, wounded by our transgressions, compromised by our surroundings, oppressed by our conflicts, and damaged by life itself.

We have responded badly sometimes. We have acted out of our pain and distortion of reality. We jerked our knees. We have spewed the venom that was spewed upon us.

We have been judged by our own harsh judgment.

We have deluded ourselves into believing that we carry no fault, blame, or responsibility for how we have thought and behaved.

We see no relationship, in our addictive blindness, between our persistent choices and our consistent consequences.

We swim in the river of denial cursing the God of heaven rather than changing our course to float with the flow of grace. How odd.

“ … People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.”

(Revelation 16:10–11 ESV)

But for grace, I’d have no place to stand, no way to live, no heart to beat, no eyes to see, no hope to continue, no mercy to erase the face of disgrace.

My own stubborn insistence upon my way and my view of all that I think I see is clouded by dust and polluted by every attitude I have acquired in the dungeon of shame. I am swimming in a consequential pool of arrogance.

I need a taste of grace.

I need a fountain of its sweet refreshment.

I am sometimes afraid of judgment, but judgment is what brings salvation. We plead with God to judge so that we may be saved.

“From heaven you pronounced judgment; the earth was afraid and was still; “When God rose up to judgment and to save all the oppressed of the earth.”

• Excerpted from Psalm 76

We desire, deeply, to swim in the deeper depths of the river of justice or the river of grace, or the river of love, or the river of peace. We soon discover that it is one river from one source.

We dive in.

Grace is a big river. It can accommodate the masses. It is best enjoyed when all are included.

So, we gather.

Our individualized shame and sorrow become a shared shame and sorrow. Our joy and hopes, likewise, come together. We are a community of swimmers splashing around in communal joy.

We are earthbound for the time being and we are knit together in a common destiny and a common humanity. We cannot separate the earth from Heaven or the material from the spiritual.

Everything is fully engaged in our experience.

We cannot receive grace without giving grace. The same is true for peace, love, justice, forgiveness, and compassion.

The fight for love, peace, and justice is not just a human battle. It is a spiritual conflict. We may feel alone, abandoned, and misunderstood, but far more is going on than meets the eye. God has us all and all things in His hands. Do your part and trust God.

We are all together, climbing a stairway to Heaven.

The good news is that God is present and involved in the process. The transcendent God is among us. The far-off, unreachable, undefinable, non-corporeal, sovereign God of creation is resurrected flesh and spirit living in temples not made with hands, in tents that are pitched on this planet and any other planet that he desires to inhabit.

God is everywhere.

God holds everything together.

“All things are your servants.”- Psalm 119:91b

All things … all people … all ideas … all truths … all atomic relationships and realities … every universe of energy, matter, or thought …. everything … all things.

God’s grace resolves the unresolvable. It forgives the unforgivable. It restores what is permanently damaged. It overcomes our resistance, denial, and refusal. God’s eternal grace triumphs over every temporal act of defiance.

Grace triumphs.

Tuesday and Wednesday Prayers for the Election and the Elected

As I type these words, it is Sunday, November 3, 2024. On Tuesday, America will elect all of its members of the U.S. House of Representatives, thirty-four Senators, assorted state and local officials, and one President who will bring his or her assemblage of department heads and staff members to form a new Executive Branch.

The nation is divided in its support of one candidate over the other and more so than any time I can remember. It has actually sparked severe hostility in families and communities.

The results are consequential.

However, when the results are tabulated, those who are happy with them and those who are unhappy with them will need to find a way to work together, because, in our country, we have a government of, by, and for the people. No people; no government.

The king is us collectively.

I am looking toward Wednesday. While I am praying about the election itself and praying for the right leader to be chosen, I am also preparing to work with and pray for whoever the people choose.  We will get our choice and what we ask for, maybe what we deserve.

We will have three tasks for sure:

One, pray for that person. Two, support that person’s righteous policies. Three, oppose and speak out against unrighteous policies even from our own side of the political spectrum.

There is also a fourth assignment. That is to start talking with each other.

Wednesday will matter. I am calling for a national conversation I am calling Wednesday in America.

But first, we still have Tuesday to get through.

Our psalm for today is 146.  I am going to walk you through that and Psalm 72 as a sort of Tuesday and Wednesday platform for voting, praying, and acting as a people in response to our chosen leaders.

Psalm 146 NRSVU

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,
    in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
    who executes justice for the oppressed;
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
    he upholds the orphan and the widow,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

In contrast to trust, dependence, reliance and subjugation to human leadership that always dies, even our own leadership with its termination date in the future, God models leadership that lasts.

Do you want to leave a legacy? Check out the priorities of God from Psalm 146. To the extent that our leadership, and any sphere of influence, reflect and honor these, something lasts when we are dead.

These are the things God does:

• God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. (We cannot add to that, but we can respect it and respect His creation.
• God keeps faith forever. (We can be leaders of integrity.)
• God executes justice for the oppressed. (He is always for the "underdog."
• The LORD sets the prisoners free (America leads the world in mass incarceration.).
• The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
• The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.
• The LORD loves the righteous.
• The LORD watches over the sojourners.
• God upholds the widow and the fatherless.
• God brings the way of the wicked to ruin.
• Here is a model for people/leaders who want something to survive after their plans perish with them.

"Don't bank on the power brokers of this world" is what the compiler and editor of the psalms identifies as the core message of Psalm 146.

They can neither make you nor break you.

God is on the side of the powerless.

The powers of this world are temporal and finite. The best they can do is bestow upon you some fading glory or wealth.

The worst they can do is kill you.

They cannot destroy you.

Nor can they preserve their own power forever.

God's power is over all and He sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, loves the righteous, watches over the sojourners, upholds the widow and the fatherless, and frustrates the ways of the wicked bringing them to ruin.

There is no hope intrinsic in our political system or in any system of human power.

There will be seasons of righteousness, but they cannot command our ultimate trust and confidence.

Good people come and go and represent various political philosophies, but they are and shall remain, human.

We are admonished not to put our trust in princes.

This is from the Psalms. The founder and first sponsor of the Psalmist Institution was, himself, a prince. So, he ought to know the limitations of power as well as the responsibilities of power.

His successors would also know that, for they would live to see princes who, unlike God and those who do have a heart for God see every plan of their lives perish with them. They do not create something out of nothing.

• Evil, earthly princes, who lust for power, have no power to save.
• Nor do they keep faith forever. Human powers are always beset with integrity issues. Even David struggled with serious character flaws.
• They do not execute justice for the oppressed.
• They do not give food to the hungry.
• They do not set prisoners free.
• They have no concern for opening the eyes of the blind.
• They do not lift those who are bowed down.
• Ungodly, human princes have no bias toward the righteous, but expediently align with those who can help them achieve their own ends.
• God is a true independent. He is not swayed. He loves righteousness and aligns with the righteous because the righteous align with righteousness.
• Evil, earthly princes have no regard for sojourners (AKA: foreigners/aliens).
• They do not uphold the fatherless (AKA: those without a guardian/spokesman/protector - the powerless).
• They do not thwart the ways of the wicked.

God, on the other hand, can be trusted to do the right thing and to win!

Hear the Word of the LORD and let us model our leadership after His example.

Here is a great pattern for praying for leaders:

Psalm 72 NRSVU – of Solomon

Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness
    and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy
    and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
                Amen and Amen.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

First, is to acknowledge that justice is a gift from God. It is imparted, as is righteousness. It is not inherent in leadership or position. Grace makes us just and right and we want that for our "kings." Pray for it.

Second, once given, justice and righteousness are to be tools for the good of the people. Judges, in the Bible, refer to leaders and decision makers.

Righteousness means to be right with God and man and on the "right track." It embraces reconciled relationships. Justice means fairness and equity.

Therefore, and third, the prayer is really that our leaders will be enabled to make good decisions that bring people together, right decisions that treat the poor fairly.

Verse 3 leads us to pray for the prosperity of the people flowing from the natural resources and the land itself. What would that look like? What if all the people benefited from the resources around us that we share?

What if we made sure that everyone had equal access to the means, from our commonwealth, to build a life for their family?

Just praying here.

So, the leader, in the fourth place,  must sometimes be a defender, as in verse 4.

That person must defend the cause of the poor because the poor so easily are forgotten and passed over. That leader must also give deliverance to the children of the needy because the voice of the children is so often silenced.

Oppressors, or at least their power to oppress, must sometimes be crushed.

Yes, oppressors are people too. Yes, God loves all people. Yes, sometimes, oppressors don't even know they are oppressors or oppressing; they are just caught up in an oppressive system. In that case, the systems that oppress must be crushed.

It is easy to miss one phrase, "May he judge YOUR people."

Leaders must remember that the people are not theirs, but God's.

What if all of our systems of leadership and elected shepherds would understand that the people do not exist to serve them? The people are not theirs; the people are God's people and all the people they serve are precious to God.

And God goes out of His way to mention the poor and the children - not to be given favoritism, but special attention that they not be forgotten, trampled, or oppressed.

May he live while the sun endures
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Leaders like those for whom we are praying help to create an atmosphere of reverence for God. "Reigns" like that are like rain from the heavens.

People praying for their leaders like the psalmist prays in verses 1-4, can be instruments of grace for those leaders and days where the righteous flourish and peace abounds are possible.

We pray for days like that. We pray for leaders like that. We pray for our leaders to be like that.

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

We pray that our leaders will be held in high esteem. We pray that they might evoke the respect of other leaders. This, we pray, will not come through oppression, but righteousness and justice.

We know this, because it is spelled out in verse 12-14:

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy
    and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

How well we prayerfully back up and encourage our leaders to do what is right by the needy and helpless, coming to the aid of the oppressed is what determines the prestige of our own nation, state, or city - wherever we live.

We ought to pray the same for the leaders of other nations and this ought to be what drives our policies toward the nations more than our own self-interest. Jesus taught us to expand our view of neighbor (and, I think, "countryman," to include all people).

Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.

Look at these words, "May prayer be made for him continually ..."

I wonder how well I have followed this path. Actually, I know. I have not prayed continually for my leaders. At times, I have been silenced through intimidation by those who think it is more righteous to berate them and criticize them.

My bad.

God grant these prayers of the psalmist apply to those whom we have elected locally, statewide, and nationally to represent us.

We hold them accountable, but we also, and more so, hold them up in prayer.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
                Amen and Amen.

This honors God - to have leaders like this and to have people who pray for leaders like this.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

The last verse is important because it reminds us that the leader himself is asking for such prayer.

Take a moment to pray for your President, Governors, Congress, Councils, Courts, Mayors, Leaders and Legislators of other nations, and all those who represent and lead you today - judges, sheriffs, supervisors, civil servants - all who come to mind. Include those elected, to be elected Tuesday, and those who are now moving through the ranks.

Commit to be a part of local and national conversations.

Remember your key obligation in acting out the gospel in this world is a two-part proposition: Love God; love your neighbor. Live it.

Follow Jesus.

Remember that your primary citizenship is Heaven, but pray and live, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

But ours continue.

Tuesday and Wednesday Prayers for the Election and the Elected

As I type these words, it is Sunday, November 3, 2024. On Tuesday, America will elect all of its members of the U.S. House of Representatives, thirty-four Senators, assorted state and local officials, and one President who will bring his or her assemblage of department heads and staff members to form a new Executive Branch.

The nation is divided in its support of one candidate over the other and more so than any time I can remember. It has actually sparked severe hostility in families and communities.

The results are consequential.

However, when the results are tabulated, those who are happy with them and those who are unhappy with them will need to find a way to work together, because, in our country, we have a government of, by, and for the people. No people; no government.

The king is us collectively.

I am looking toward Wednesday. While I am praying about the election itself and praying for the right leader to be chosen, I am also preparing to work with and pray for whoever the people choose.  We will get our choice and what we ask for, maybe what we deserve.

We will have three tasks for sure:

One, pray for that person. Two, support that person’s righteous policies. Three, oppose and speak out against unrighteous policies even from our own side of the political spectrum.

There is also a fourth assignment. That is to start talking with each other.

Wednesday will matter. I am calling for a national conversation I am calling Wednesday in America.

But first, we still have Tuesday to get through.

Our psalm for today is 146.  I am going to walk you through that and Psalm 72 as a sort of Tuesday and Wednesday platform for voting, praying, and acting as a people in response to our chosen leaders.

Psalm 146 NRSVU

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,
    in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
    who executes justice for the oppressed;
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
    he upholds the orphan and the widow,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

In contrast to trust, dependence, reliance and subjugation to human leadership that always dies, even our own leadership with its termination date in the future, God models leadership that lasts.

Do you want to leave a legacy? Check out the priorities of God from Psalm 146. To the extent that our leadership, and any sphere of influence, reflect and honor these, something lasts when we are dead.

These are the things God does:

• God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. (We cannot add to that, but we can respect it and respect His creation.
• God keeps faith forever. (We can be leaders of integrity.)
• God executes justice for the oppressed. (He is always for the "underdog."
• The LORD sets the prisoners free (America leads the world in mass incarceration.).
• The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
• The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.
• The LORD loves the righteous.
• The LORD watches over the sojourners.
• God upholds the widow and the fatherless.
• God brings the way of the wicked to ruin.
• Here is a model for people/leaders who want something to survive after their plans perish with them.

"Don't bank on the power brokers of this world" is what the compiler and editor of the psalms identifies as the core message of Psalm 146.

They can neither make you nor break you.

God is on the side of the powerless.

The powers of this world are temporal and finite. The best they can do is bestow upon you some fading glory or wealth.

The worst they can do is kill you.

They cannot destroy you.

Nor can they preserve their own power forever.

God's power is over all and He sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, loves the righteous, watches over the sojourners, upholds the widow and the fatherless, and frustrates the ways of the wicked bringing them to ruin.

There is no hope intrinsic in our political system or in any system of human power.

There will be seasons of righteousness, but they cannot command our ultimate trust and confidence.

Good people come and go and represent various political philosophies, but they are and shall remain, human.

We are admonished not to put our trust in princes.

This is from the Psalms. The founder and first sponsor of the Psalmist Institution was, himself, a prince. So, he ought to know the limitations of power as well as the responsibilities of power.

His successors would also know that, for they would live to see princes who, unlike God and those who do have a heart for God see every plan of their lives perish with them. They do not create something out of nothing.

• Evil, earthly princes, who lust for power, have no power to save.
• Nor do they keep faith forever. Human powers are always beset with integrity issues. Even David struggled with serious character flaws.
• They do not execute justice for the oppressed.
• They do not give food to the hungry.
• They do not set prisoners free.
• They have no concern for opening the eyes of the blind.
• They do not lift those who are bowed down.
• Ungodly, human princes have no bias toward the righteous, but expediently align with those who can help them achieve their own ends.
• God is a true independent. He is not swayed. He loves righteousness and aligns with the righteous because the righteous align with righteousness.
• Evil, earthly princes have no regard for sojourners (AKA: foreigners/aliens).
• They do not uphold the fatherless (AKA: those without a guardian/spokesman/protector - the powerless).
• They do not thwart the ways of the wicked.

God, on the other hand, can be trusted to do the right thing and to win!

Hear the Word of the LORD and let us model our leadership after His example.

Here is a great pattern for praying for leaders:

Psalm 72 NRSVU – of Solomon

Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness
    and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy
    and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
                Amen and Amen.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

First, is to acknowledge that justice is a gift from God. It is imparted, as is righteousness. It is not inherent in leadership or position. Grace makes us just and right and we want that for our "kings." Pray for it.

Second, once given, justice and righteousness are to be tools for the good of the people. Judges, in the Bible, refer to leaders and decision makers.

Righteousness means to be right with God and man and on the "right track." It embraces reconciled relationships. Justice means fairness and equity.

Therefore, and third, the prayer is really that our leaders will be enabled to make good decisions that bring people together, right decisions that treat the poor fairly.

Verse 3 leads us to pray for the prosperity of the people flowing from the natural resources and the land itself. What would that look like? What if all the people benefited from the resources around us that we share?

What if we made sure that everyone had equal access to the means, from our commonwealth, to build a life for their family?

Just praying here.

So, the leader, in the fourth place,  must sometimes be a defender, as in verse 4.

That person must defend the cause of the poor because the poor so easily are forgotten and passed over. That leader must also give deliverance to the children of the needy because the voice of the children is so often silenced.

Oppressors, or at least their power to oppress, must sometimes be crushed.

Yes, oppressors are people too. Yes, God loves all people. Yes, sometimes, oppressors don't even know they are oppressors or oppressing; they are just caught up in an oppressive system. In that case, the systems that oppress must be crushed.

It is easy to miss one phrase, "May he judge YOUR people."

Leaders must remember that the people are not theirs, but God's.

What if all of our systems of leadership and elected shepherds would understand that the people do not exist to serve them? The people are not theirs; the people are God's people and all the people they serve are precious to God.

And God goes out of His way to mention the poor and the children - not to be given favoritism, but special attention that they not be forgotten, trampled, or oppressed.

May he live while the sun endures
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Leaders like those for whom we are praying help to create an atmosphere of reverence for God. "Reigns" like that are like rain from the heavens.

People praying for their leaders like the psalmist prays in verses 1-4, can be instruments of grace for those leaders and days where the righteous flourish and peace abounds are possible.

We pray for days like that. We pray for leaders like that. We pray for our leaders to be like that.

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

We pray that our leaders will be held in high esteem. We pray that they might evoke the respect of other leaders. This, we pray, will not come through oppression, but righteousness and justice.

We know this, because it is spelled out in verse 12-14:

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy
    and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

How well we prayerfully back up and encourage our leaders to do what is right by the needy and helpless, coming to the aid of the oppressed is what determines the prestige of our own nation, state, or city - wherever we live.

We ought to pray the same for the leaders of other nations and this ought to be what drives our policies toward the nations more than our own self-interest. Jesus taught us to expand our view of neighbor (and, I think, "countryman," to include all people).

Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.

Look at these words, "May prayer be made for him continually ..."

I wonder how well I have followed this path. Actually, I know. I have not prayed continually for my leaders. At times, I have been silenced through intimidation by those who think it is more righteous to berate them and criticize them.

My bad.

God grant these prayers of the psalmist apply to those whom we have elected locally, statewide, and nationally to represent us.

We hold them accountable, but we also, and more so, hold them up in prayer.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
                Amen and Amen.

This honors God - to have leaders like this and to have people who pray for leaders like this.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

The last verse is important because it reminds us that the leader himself is asking for such prayer.

Take a moment to pray for your President, Governors, Congress, Councils, Courts, Mayors, Leaders and Legislators of other nations, and all those who represent and lead you today - judges, sheriffs, supervisors, civil servants - all who come to mind. Include those elected, to be elected Tuesday, and those who are now moving through the ranks.

Commit to be a part of local and national conversations.

Remember your key obligation in acting out the gospel in this world is a two-part proposition: Love God; love your neighbor. Live it.

Follow Jesus.

Remember that your primary citizenship is Heaven, but pray and live, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

But ours continue.

Wednesday in America

America on Wednesday

Wednesday is coming to America.

Will we be gracious in defeat or victory?

Will we be incapacitated if we lose? Will we be vindictive if we win?

Will still be all Americans whatever the outcome?

I am making known my views and preferences this season as a citizen and a voter, but someone is going to win, and someone is going to lose on Tuesday, and many will be very unhappy.

Wednesday is coming whether we are ready or not. We may not know the outcome of the election, but the election will be over.

The American experiment and experience are too important to abandon for any ideology that is lesser than the whole.

Wednesday is coming.

At that point, we will have some choices we must make:

• Build consensus where we can, or say, "Forget it."

• Rebuild relationships or just be angry.

• Compromise or calcify.

• Negotiate or stalemate.

• Listen or keep talking over each other.

• Speak freely or freeze in silence.

• Work for the common good or sabotage the process.

• Seek reconciliation or retribution.

• Contribute or just complain

• Love our country or hate our political enemies.

• Speak and seek truth or believe misinformation.

• Find solutions or create an impasse.

I think who we elect is important.

I think one outcome will be very difficult and will send the wrong message to the world about Christianity and democracy. I will be depressed and discouraged if it turns out one way.

However, the country may make that decision and will have to just learn from it and deal with it.

But I will not reject my neighbors with whom I arduously disagree.

I plan to keep loving God, my neighbor, and my country and working for a better America where all people are treated with dignity and given opportunity to grow.

666

Revelation 13:11-18

Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all; and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast, it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived; and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six.

How easy it is to venerate dragons and beasts. They are remarkable ... or so they seem. They purport to be more than they are, and they put on a good show. God puts on a far better show, but we say, "Oh that is just nature; I want super-nature." And the super nature has never held a candle to the wonders of nature itself, and nature itself is subservient to something far greater than itself. Beasts and dragons are mortal; yet we worship them.

How odd.

How odd.

Temporal power is so often an illusion.

One beast bestows it upon another. None of it is eternally real. It is a deception. Big explosions fall short. A six is one less than the number of perfection. Three sixes are a trinity of imperfection, missing the mark, and falling short.

Evil corruption of power approximates righteousness without achieving it

Jesus used signs to point people to truth, but he always emphasized that it was not the sign that mattered. It was the truth. It was the lesson.

Evil uses signs to accumulated power. Evil pretenders use signs to gain power. Jesus used the power he already had to do good, to heal the sick, to deliver the oppressed, forgive sin,  and to point people toward God.

Rulers of Rome claimed divinity as a part of their reign. They demanded worship and participation in the imperial cult. Not participating had social, economic, and sometimes life-threatening consequences.

The symbols and metaphors of this part of John's vision speak to the reality of on-the-ground persecution and oppression of the people of God by those who wield and seek to acquire more illegitimate power for themselves.

"This calls for wisdom ..." - Revelation 13:18

Rather than trying to figure out who the ultimate and last deceiver, trickster, miracle worker, and enslaver of souls is, one might be better informed to ask, "Who or what is it now?" What seeks to overwhelm me with something short of awe and wonder, something more like being extremely impressed. What is it and who is it that wants me to think that he or it is greater than God and calls for my loyalty, rewarding it with access by cornering the market on materialism.

Buying and selling can be restricted to those who are marked with loyalty to false gods. It has happened throughout history. "You want in? Join our club. Accept our ideology? Surrender your freedom before God? Align with our cult? Be wowed by our power? Take our mark."

Our choice to participate in the deception, temporal enticements, and inducements of the power systems of this world and age will reflect what we truly believe and value.

We can stand apart.

We can resist.

We can align with the Kingdom of God.

We can insist upon truth. We can embrace eternity. We can proclaim our loyalty to the movement and person on Jesus. We can decide to live radical lives of nonconformists. We can commit to loving God and neighbors and practicing the upside down ethics of God's rule. We can trust God and follow Jesus, living by grace and faith.

We can live as citizens of Heaven.

But it may cost us.

It is six - not Seven.

Seven is perfection. Six falls short.

Seven-Seven-Seven would be the genuine, real, and eternal God-head -- triple perfection! The word for "sin" in Greek is missing the mark - even by an inch. Six-Six-Six is triple that!

The rulers of deception form trinities of mark-missing, impressive systems that attract masses who want the instant gratification or fear being left out.

This word was not meant just for the generation that first received it - but it was meant for them. It is certainly not meant just for our generation or any last generation. It is meant for every generation that is apt to take some mark, some easy road to access and commercial inclusion.

It is meant for me. It is meant for you - no matter what time it might be on some eternal "clock."

The Apocalypse is now; it always has been; it always applies to any generation, some, historically, more than others it seems. Yet, it is always an eternal reality breaking through i time and space. It is a spiritual battle in the material world.

It a world of cheap imitations and false heroes, luring us with their bright and brilliant sixes, choose seven, God's perfect and completeness.

Angry Voters Flashback to November of 2010

I hear a lot about so-called angry voters this year and frankly I either have not met them or have been insensitive to them so that I did not notice their seething or the steam coming out of their nostrils.

Angry?

Anger is not a primary emotion. It comes from fear which is a darned poor motivation to nurture. It is an even worse basis for decision making - especially for people about which it is said, "perfect love casteth out all fear," and to whom it is often said, "fear not."

Perfect love. I have not fully appropriated it yet, but it is available to me by faith. Sometimes I get afraid - fearful that unwise people will be placed in positions of great responsibility, fearful of change, fearful that fear will rule over good thinking.

But then, I remember to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I remember to turn the dial in my own thinking. I remember that I am only, ultimately responsible for my own choices and that I can choose faith, hope, and love.

Faith, hope, and love abide and the greatest is love.

Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbors was our entire duty in fulfilling the law. Every law that was worth anything (God's for instance), hung on those two.

There is really not much room for anger in that system and those who spend all of their time prodding people to be angry and act on anger in their decision making are doing no one favors.

Critical thinking is to be applauded. Criticism can be a part of that. Dissatisfaction is often legitimate. The urge for change is natural. It can also be loving. Conservatism grounds us. Liberalism challenges us. Moderation balances us. There is a place for all sorts of thinking as long as it really is thinking.

I voted as soon a I received my ballot in the mail and mailed it back. I have been immune to all the silliness around me ... but still, troubled by the vitriolic utterances and yelling contests.

I vote every day on the choices presented to me. More and more, every day, I strive to act, not in fear and anger, but in faith, hope, and love - especially love.

It is liberating and it is godly and it is that for which I strive with God's  help.

I don't know how you should vote on anything. I do think you should vote intelligently, rationally, and in accordance with your own values, but I also think you might consider consciously and conscientiously taking the longest and sharpest view possible through the lenses of faith and hope and, especially, love.

____________________________________________________________________________

...... and while you are at it .....

        Humor helps too!

                Enjoy this tidbit:

-------------------------------------------------------

Afterthought

Actually, it is time for some of us to graduate, with or without the pomp because our circumstances demand it.

We are old enough.

We've had enough lessons.

We've had enough breaks. It is time to grow up and take responsibility for our lives and our world.

Enough of our childishness and pettiness.

Start marching with the graduating class.

Sir Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No.1

Jesus Wept

 

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

Weeping for ourselves is honesty. Weeping for others is empathy.

Sometimes we are embarrassed by our own weeping. We are uncomfortable with the weeping of others. It is so real, so vulnerable, so raw.

"Jesus wept." John 11:36)

No two words are as precious as these. The Lord of glory so identified with our suffering that He came to weep with us - and those tears led directly through Jerusalem and his triumphant entry on Palm Sunday to the Mount of Olives where he prayed through the agony of humanity, to the cross where he bore our sins.

There was a church hearing two prospective pastors or two consecutive Sundays. Neither had a great deal of time to prepare sermons, as they were farmers.

So, without realizing it, both discovered the same old sermon by a pulpit master about the judgment of the wicked.

On the first Sunday, the farmer-pastor presented his message with great skill. He was sure that the church would call him as pastor, and he would be able to leave his plowing and preach the gospel full-time. However, to assess the “competition,” he showed up and sat semi-disguised in the balcony.

To his utter shock, the second preacher had “borrowed” the same sermon on hell and preached it adequately if not with all the smooth inflections of the first.

The church met and called the second preacher who inquired as to why. “I happen to know that he preached the same sermon as I did and not as well.”

“That is true,” replied the pulpit committee chairman, “I have that book of sermons on my bookshelf, but the second man preached it with a tear in his eye.”

Weeping for ourselves is honesty.

Weeping for others is empathy.

When we take the pain of the world into our hearts, excluding none, not even the wicked, we are entering the realm of Jesus' suffering and empathy. We are standing with Jesus and Jesus is living in us.

Weeping.

Our Savior weeps with us and for us. He knows our sorrows and cares. And His heart is broken over every lost or broken soul.

There is no gloating over our troubles. There is no ridicule. There is no lording over our weaknesses. There is no glossing over our journeys through the valley of dark shadows or the loneliness of the grave.

It is easy to say, "Jesus cares," but it is deeply personal to know that Jesus wept and that Jesus weeps.

“Hallelujah! What a Savior!”