Year C Proper 23 10 October 2010
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7 Psalm 66: 1-12 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 Luke 17: 11-19
Do you ever feel like you are living in exile?
Through the holidays I spent time in Longreach visiting a friend. He is a man who grew up in Mackay, but due to what he feels God has called him to, he has been living and working in Longreach for the last seven or so years. His life reminds me of God’s call to the people we read about in the first reading.
Jeremiah 20:4-7 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."”
My friend in Longreach feels that God has called him to be in Longreach for an extended period of time and so he has bought a house and has set about renovating it. My friend has not had an easy time. The community has taken a long time to accept him. I suspect I’d have given up and left, but my friend is faithful to the call of God and like the people to whom Jeremiah is addressing, he is becoming part of the community, seeking the peace and praying for the prosperity of that place.
Many times in the Bible we see God telling His people to marry within in the community so that the faith in God should not become confused with the gods of the nations of those around them. In this reading, however, we read that God blesses their unions with those nations.
In Jesus time we read that the Jewish people looked with disdain on the people of mixed nationality. These were known as the Samaritans. Some of their ideas about God were a little confused, but it would seem that a little humble confusion made for openness to the truth of God – as opposed to the narrow-minded self righteousness of the Pharisees who thought they knew it all.
In our Gospel reading we find that Jesus was walking along the border between the area of Samaria and Galilee. In his travels he is greeted, from a distance, by Ten Lepers. These men know of Jesus reputation and cry out for mercy. We do not know the nationality of the other nine, but we do know that the one who returned praising God and giving Jesus thanks was a Samaritan.
Sadly, we may be more like the nine who were also healed, but not praising God for our healing. Often we become stuck in the structure of the ways that we know things should be done, and the structure of how God has worked previously in our lives, such that we cease to see him working the miracles around us. The Pharisees made this mistake and we need to ensure we don’t make the same.
I think that a great example of how God totally is beyond our understanding is found in the second reading of 2 Timothy 2: 11-12 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
You see, just when you expect faith to be black and white, cut and dry – it isn’t. Make sure you read that all correctly....that last line says that God remains faithful even when we are faithless.
There are many times when we know we have been faithless. But rest assured that God is faithful and concerned about our welfare. This is the story of His interactions with the people He sent into exile. The Psalm makes it clear: Psalm 66 “9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 for you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Throughout history God has always been finding ways to bring His people to a place of relationship with Himself.... in everything, even the difficult things it is for God’s purpose in bringing us to a place of abundance – though He takes us through “fire and water” to get there.
We have a security in the “fire and water” of Jesus. We are united with him in the waters of baptism and the fire of the Holy Spirit. Through this unity, when God looks at us He sees Jesus and his sacrifice – and He will not disown himself. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
However, sometimes on planet Earth, we feel that we are living in exile. We are going through times of carrying burdens. We need to know God’s message is to LIVE in these places of exile and increase and prosper (– not necessarily physically!). It is in these times that we need to be the people of faith, knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for our good, even though we don’t see it.
St. Paul tells Timothy that he endures all things for the sake of the elect. How often have we endured anything for the sake of someone else’s salvation? But the elect are those who are in the church.... do we endure any hardship for the sake of those in the church? When we attend meetings do we argue over words and things that don’t lead to anything but disagreements? This is the kind of thing that Paul warns Timothy about and he encourages him to correctly handle the word of truth.
There were ten lepers who called out to Jesus and who were healed. They are people who knew Jesus and they experienced the healing of God. We who are baptised have been healed by God. Is there only a tenth of us who are actively praising God? Jesus told that one leper, “Your faith has made you well”.
We don’t need to muster up a magical feeling and call it “faith”, as faith pertains to something or someone that our faith is in. It would seem that nine out of ten might be unable to see the working of God due to “blinkers” that narrow our vision about how God works according to a set of rules that man has devised. God is beyond that –He is even faithful when we are faithless - Thank God!
So, here is a self reflection to see if we are one of the nine lepers – or the one who came and gave God thanks - Is our faith in the doctrine of our denomination, our own set of ideas about God, or in God himself?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Reflection for 3 October 2010
Year C Proper 22 3 October 2010
Lamentations 1: 1-6 Lamentations 3: 19-26 OR Psalm 137 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 Luke 17: 5-10
I’m a long way from having a “green thumb”, but I do love to grow things. Unfortunately I seem to have more success with weeds – which I don’t even plant, but which come up all by themselves. I didn’t realize until today that I actually knew something more about one gardening aspect than my Mum. She gets her plants as seedlings and didn’t realize that she can grow a lot more from what she has by taking the dead flower of the marigolds, pulling it apart and scattering the seeds.
Our Gospel reading brings us to reflect on the mustard seed. I personally have no familiarity with mustard seeds, except that I know that to spread them in the paste form on meat makes for something wonderful. The mustard seed is what Jesus used to explain to his disciples about faith.
The apostles’ request to Jesus we find in Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"”
I’m sure we can relate to the request. We want to be walking in step with God and His ways, but often fall short. In fact, I think this is a dangerous request as it is easy to feel connected to God and walking in faith when all is going well, but if we are to really step out in faith it will be in the times when everything around us distracts us from walking in step with God and when things are not going so well and we are worn out and maybe even bitter.
The Israelites were given this opportunity to grow in faith when they were sent into exile. For many years they had neglected God’s ways, and then when they were taken into captivity they remembered the good things God had done for them and they mourned the loss.
A couple of weeks ago I spoke about our need to lament and this week our reading is from the book of Lamentations.
Lamentations 1:4-5 “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. 5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.”
Two things are important to note. One is that it is in these times of hardship that many of us remember God and turn back to him. Secondly, it is important to lament – because many of us, instead of turning to God, turn against him in bitterness of heart. Lamenting is being honest before God about how we feel. Sometimes we feel that we are being faithless if we are not putting on our “happy” faces and praising God in all our situations. We are exhorted to praise God in everything, but if we do this without ever taking the time to lament we will find ourselves becoming bitter actors – otherwise known as bitter hypocrites, and eventually the effort to continually put on an act will wear us out and we will give up all together.
We must lament and we must grieve. A whole book in the Bible is dedicated to lamenting.... surely this tells us something. However, in our grieving and lamenting we should remember to be in the presence of God and take note from the wisdom in the book of Lamentation:
Lamentation 3:19-22 “ I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”
So, with all this in mind – the good times and the bad – the joy filled and the times of loss and bitterness - how do we “walk by faith”?
Faith is not gritting your teeth and telling yourself over and over, “I believe, I believe, I believe!” What we learn from the book of Lamentation is that it starts with honesty. Remember the story about the man who said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Be honest with God and yourself and in that simple act of connecting in truth to the God who created the universe, anything is possible!
Firstly we need to look at what Jesus says about faith. Luke 17:6 “He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.” ..... We do not need an increase in our faith, but we may be ignorant about the power of the faith we have.
A mustard seed has all the information contained in it to become a full grown tree. It is lacking in nothing, but simply needs to be put into action. Our faith is similar. Everything necessary for amazing things is contained in our little faith, as it is our faith in a very powerful God – but it remains a seed and nothing more until we put it into action.
Someone once explained it as a chair. You can look at the chair and say that you have faith that the chair will hold you and not collapse under your weight, but unless you are willing to sit in it your in-action betrays your lack of faith.
On the flip side; you may have total faith in a chair to support your weight, but if that chair has a broken leg, all the faith in the world is not going to make that chair more reliable. The reverse is also true. It you only have a tiny bit of faith that a chair will support your weight and yet the chair is totally reliable, then your tiny bit of faith is all that you will require. Therefore, because God is reliable, even if our faith is tiny, we can achieve amazing things.
Paul exhorted Timothy to guard the gift of faith in his life. 2 Timothy 1: 5-7 “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Remember that faith, like a seed, needs to be put into action. Through this faith there is a gift of God which Paul exhorted Timothy to fan into flame. Likewise we have similar gifts and challenges. We have to fan into flame the gift that lies dormant like a seed within us.
Sometimes there can be a kind of spiritual “snobbery”. When great things are happening around certain people or leaders, Christian people can easily fall into thinking that these people are those with great faith, and look up to and revere them. Perhaps you have met some of these people as well, who are very good self promoters. They speak fluent “Christianese” and it takes quite sometime to realize that the depth of their faith is really quite shallow. I think it is very likely that the apostles request for an increase in faith was linked to the temptation to show themselves to be “special” and this is the reason for Jesus following statement:
Luke 17: 7-10 “ "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
Taking the lesson from this we should remember that the most unassuming and unimpressive person that we know in the church has as much potential for greatness as the most impressive. It reminds me of a message I read from the Christian martyr, Watchman Nee, when he said that to those who are walking in the Spirit, things that others would see as extraordinary are viewed as quite normal and expected.
St. Paul also asks that Timothy guard the faith within him. We need to be told the same... and we achieve this in the same way – with the help of the Holy Spirit and by remaining connected. When we are not connected to sound teachings, teachings that are absolutely true and a proclamation of the Good News, then we are led astray and take on a theology of garbage.... and lies. If it were not a possibility then Paul would not have had to remind Timothy at all.
2 Timothy 1: 13-14 “13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Lamentations 1: 1-6 Lamentations 3: 19-26 OR Psalm 137 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 Luke 17: 5-10
I’m a long way from having a “green thumb”, but I do love to grow things. Unfortunately I seem to have more success with weeds – which I don’t even plant, but which come up all by themselves. I didn’t realize until today that I actually knew something more about one gardening aspect than my Mum. She gets her plants as seedlings and didn’t realize that she can grow a lot more from what she has by taking the dead flower of the marigolds, pulling it apart and scattering the seeds.
Our Gospel reading brings us to reflect on the mustard seed. I personally have no familiarity with mustard seeds, except that I know that to spread them in the paste form on meat makes for something wonderful. The mustard seed is what Jesus used to explain to his disciples about faith.
The apostles’ request to Jesus we find in Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"”
I’m sure we can relate to the request. We want to be walking in step with God and His ways, but often fall short. In fact, I think this is a dangerous request as it is easy to feel connected to God and walking in faith when all is going well, but if we are to really step out in faith it will be in the times when everything around us distracts us from walking in step with God and when things are not going so well and we are worn out and maybe even bitter.
The Israelites were given this opportunity to grow in faith when they were sent into exile. For many years they had neglected God’s ways, and then when they were taken into captivity they remembered the good things God had done for them and they mourned the loss.
A couple of weeks ago I spoke about our need to lament and this week our reading is from the book of Lamentations.
Lamentations 1:4-5 “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. 5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.”
Two things are important to note. One is that it is in these times of hardship that many of us remember God and turn back to him. Secondly, it is important to lament – because many of us, instead of turning to God, turn against him in bitterness of heart. Lamenting is being honest before God about how we feel. Sometimes we feel that we are being faithless if we are not putting on our “happy” faces and praising God in all our situations. We are exhorted to praise God in everything, but if we do this without ever taking the time to lament we will find ourselves becoming bitter actors – otherwise known as bitter hypocrites, and eventually the effort to continually put on an act will wear us out and we will give up all together.
We must lament and we must grieve. A whole book in the Bible is dedicated to lamenting.... surely this tells us something. However, in our grieving and lamenting we should remember to be in the presence of God and take note from the wisdom in the book of Lamentation:
Lamentation 3:19-22 “ I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.”
So, with all this in mind – the good times and the bad – the joy filled and the times of loss and bitterness - how do we “walk by faith”?
Faith is not gritting your teeth and telling yourself over and over, “I believe, I believe, I believe!” What we learn from the book of Lamentation is that it starts with honesty. Remember the story about the man who said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Be honest with God and yourself and in that simple act of connecting in truth to the God who created the universe, anything is possible!
Firstly we need to look at what Jesus says about faith. Luke 17:6 “He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.” ..... We do not need an increase in our faith, but we may be ignorant about the power of the faith we have.
A mustard seed has all the information contained in it to become a full grown tree. It is lacking in nothing, but simply needs to be put into action. Our faith is similar. Everything necessary for amazing things is contained in our little faith, as it is our faith in a very powerful God – but it remains a seed and nothing more until we put it into action.
Someone once explained it as a chair. You can look at the chair and say that you have faith that the chair will hold you and not collapse under your weight, but unless you are willing to sit in it your in-action betrays your lack of faith.
On the flip side; you may have total faith in a chair to support your weight, but if that chair has a broken leg, all the faith in the world is not going to make that chair more reliable. The reverse is also true. It you only have a tiny bit of faith that a chair will support your weight and yet the chair is totally reliable, then your tiny bit of faith is all that you will require. Therefore, because God is reliable, even if our faith is tiny, we can achieve amazing things.
Paul exhorted Timothy to guard the gift of faith in his life. 2 Timothy 1: 5-7 “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Remember that faith, like a seed, needs to be put into action. Through this faith there is a gift of God which Paul exhorted Timothy to fan into flame. Likewise we have similar gifts and challenges. We have to fan into flame the gift that lies dormant like a seed within us.
Sometimes there can be a kind of spiritual “snobbery”. When great things are happening around certain people or leaders, Christian people can easily fall into thinking that these people are those with great faith, and look up to and revere them. Perhaps you have met some of these people as well, who are very good self promoters. They speak fluent “Christianese” and it takes quite sometime to realize that the depth of their faith is really quite shallow. I think it is very likely that the apostles request for an increase in faith was linked to the temptation to show themselves to be “special” and this is the reason for Jesus following statement:
Luke 17: 7-10 “ "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
Taking the lesson from this we should remember that the most unassuming and unimpressive person that we know in the church has as much potential for greatness as the most impressive. It reminds me of a message I read from the Christian martyr, Watchman Nee, when he said that to those who are walking in the Spirit, things that others would see as extraordinary are viewed as quite normal and expected.
St. Paul also asks that Timothy guard the faith within him. We need to be told the same... and we achieve this in the same way – with the help of the Holy Spirit and by remaining connected. When we are not connected to sound teachings, teachings that are absolutely true and a proclamation of the Good News, then we are led astray and take on a theology of garbage.... and lies. If it were not a possibility then Paul would not have had to remind Timothy at all.
2 Timothy 1: 13-14 “13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Reflection 19 September 2010
Year C Proper 20 19 September 2010
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1 Psalm 79: 1-9 1 Timothy 2: 1-7 Luke 16: 1-13
From St. Paul’s letter to 1Timothy 2:4 we understand that God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
The most common reasons that I hear for people not being Christian are that; science has disproved God, there are too many hypocrites in church, and God allows bad things to happen. The first reason is erroneous – science can prove many things, but regardless of what science does prove, it cannot disprove God.
The "hypocrite" reason that people state for not aligning themselves with Christianity is, in my opinion, a cop out. Let he who has never been a hypocrite throw the first stone! A hypocrite is actually an old term for an actor. However, in general, people see Christians as acting “good” but really being bad. As I said, this reason is invalid as there are many more people outside the church, who claim to be “good” people – but are not. Those in the church are the ones who acknowledge their failing, and therefore their need for a saviour.... the very fact that we are Christians shows our acknowledgment of failure, common to the human condition.
The final reason, "that God allows bad things to happen", is a more basic and important subject that we need to deal with. This reason isn’t really one that debates whether or not God is real, but more importantly begs the question, “does God care?”
Many of us within the Church need to carefully ponder this question, as it haunts us when life deals us a damaging blow. Does God really care? Does it matter to him that we are hurting? The answer, we know, is that God does care, but why is it then that he doesn’t intervene when there are terrible things that happen?
Jeremiah cries out to God with these words found in Jeremiah 8: 18 – 19a “O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. Listen to the cry of my people....”
Both the reading from Jeremiah and the Psalm are laments. Our modern Church seems to spend so much time saying “praise God”, that there is little or no room, for those who have suffered sorrow, to legitimately cry out to God, “why, O Lord? .... When will you rescue me?...” and generally just cry before God.
Is it possible that the lack of understanding about mourning, grieving, lamenting and repenting has crippled the church, leaving people feeling cut off as they grieve alone in silence?
As a Church we should be lamenting the lack of growth in our churches, the death of so many in ministries, without the rising up of others to take their place, and the decisions of our country when laws are passed that completely oppose the law of God. Surely as church we should be able to lament with each other the personal losses of our parish family, the emotional wounds that seem to be so prevalent within the Church and the soiled reputation of the Church by the sins of its representatives.
There are so many things that we should, as church, lament together. And when I say “Church” I am meaning the national and global church – as we know that when one part of the body is suffering all should feel it.... realistically this should mean that if one denomination is suffering some kind of loss – for example, diminished growth, then even those who are not momentarily experiencing the same, should still be lamenting with the rest of the body.
Psalm 79:8-9 “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.”
St. Paul tells us that we need to prayer for the leaders of our country, as he tells us that it IS God’s will that all come to be saved and have a knowledge of the truth. In order for this to happen we can be assisted by the government of our country. It is true that where there is persecution that the Gospel often grows, but certainly even the Bible tells us that when the Gospel enjoyed a time of peace the believers were strengthened. It isn’t just a time of peace that we need, but we should pray for conditions that enable sound teachings about Christ.
At present we have a system where the government assists with funding for Christian Chaplains in state schools. I’ve been to a few state schools where their assembly includes a school prayer and I’ve witnessed the quality of volunteer religious education, and it is truly exceptional. This is something we can give thanks for, but beware, there are many who fight against this and they wait for opportunity to tear it away. Please pray for our representatives that all would see them as shinning lights bringing the gift of life.
God does want all to be saved! His care is for you and me, but he gives us free will. God does enter our lives, but he does so, on our invitation. Our prayers are the invitation for God to act. He may not intervene in the way we’d like, but we are like the children who do not understand and cannot comprehend the ways of the wise parent. We need to cry and cry to God so that we, when reassured of His love, can be comforted by Him. When God does intervene we can be assured that it will be for the ultimate good.
So far I’ve talked about all the readings except the Gospel. The Gospel reading is one that I find difficult. It is the story of the shrewd manager who is about to be fired for mis-handling his master’s affairs. The manager, when he realizes that he is in big trouble, then goes to the manager’s debtors and greatly reduces their debts, thus making a big impression on the debtors – in a good way. The parable goes on to say that the children of God are not as shrewd as the people of this world, but that we should use what we have to make friends with eternal rewards. The somewhat random punch line is that you cannot serve both God and money. You must choose who you will serve.
Not long ago we talked about counting the cost of following Jesus and now we are again confronted with the cost and the choice. Perhaps we are like the manager - we have been given a responsibility in the kingdom of God (every Christian has!), but have we been trustworthy with that responsibility?
If your personal reflection prompts you to think that you have not been responsible with God’s commission, you may find that your “master” might be unhappy with you..... what can you do to rectify the situation? Use what you can to make good the situation.... only you can know if you are serving God or serving the god of this world.
The god of this world will tell you that the kids sport is more important than going to church – and that your job is more important than a commitment to involvement in the things of God. The god of football is he who must be obeyed in this country – all ministers know not to put on a meeting that might clash with a game. And that is ridiculous!
I often feel that there is not much that I can do to affect God’s kingdom and perhaps you feel that way too, but we have to do whatever we can to use the gifts God has given us to proclaim his kingdom. Why? Because God really does want all to be saved and the truth is that He loves us so much that Jesus died for our sin so that nothing should separate us from the love of God. Even if we feel we’ve let God down in the past– don’t let that be a stumbling block to using your gifts in the future, as the sacrifice for that sin has already been made and the debt is paid.
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1 Psalm 79: 1-9 1 Timothy 2: 1-7 Luke 16: 1-13
From St. Paul’s letter to 1Timothy 2:4 we understand that God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
The most common reasons that I hear for people not being Christian are that; science has disproved God, there are too many hypocrites in church, and God allows bad things to happen. The first reason is erroneous – science can prove many things, but regardless of what science does prove, it cannot disprove God.
The "hypocrite" reason that people state for not aligning themselves with Christianity is, in my opinion, a cop out. Let he who has never been a hypocrite throw the first stone! A hypocrite is actually an old term for an actor. However, in general, people see Christians as acting “good” but really being bad. As I said, this reason is invalid as there are many more people outside the church, who claim to be “good” people – but are not. Those in the church are the ones who acknowledge their failing, and therefore their need for a saviour.... the very fact that we are Christians shows our acknowledgment of failure, common to the human condition.
The final reason, "that God allows bad things to happen", is a more basic and important subject that we need to deal with. This reason isn’t really one that debates whether or not God is real, but more importantly begs the question, “does God care?”
Many of us within the Church need to carefully ponder this question, as it haunts us when life deals us a damaging blow. Does God really care? Does it matter to him that we are hurting? The answer, we know, is that God does care, but why is it then that he doesn’t intervene when there are terrible things that happen?
Jeremiah cries out to God with these words found in Jeremiah 8: 18 – 19a “O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. Listen to the cry of my people....”
Both the reading from Jeremiah and the Psalm are laments. Our modern Church seems to spend so much time saying “praise God”, that there is little or no room, for those who have suffered sorrow, to legitimately cry out to God, “why, O Lord? .... When will you rescue me?...” and generally just cry before God.
Is it possible that the lack of understanding about mourning, grieving, lamenting and repenting has crippled the church, leaving people feeling cut off as they grieve alone in silence?
As a Church we should be lamenting the lack of growth in our churches, the death of so many in ministries, without the rising up of others to take their place, and the decisions of our country when laws are passed that completely oppose the law of God. Surely as church we should be able to lament with each other the personal losses of our parish family, the emotional wounds that seem to be so prevalent within the Church and the soiled reputation of the Church by the sins of its representatives.
There are so many things that we should, as church, lament together. And when I say “Church” I am meaning the national and global church – as we know that when one part of the body is suffering all should feel it.... realistically this should mean that if one denomination is suffering some kind of loss – for example, diminished growth, then even those who are not momentarily experiencing the same, should still be lamenting with the rest of the body.
Psalm 79:8-9 “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.”
St. Paul tells us that we need to prayer for the leaders of our country, as he tells us that it IS God’s will that all come to be saved and have a knowledge of the truth. In order for this to happen we can be assisted by the government of our country. It is true that where there is persecution that the Gospel often grows, but certainly even the Bible tells us that when the Gospel enjoyed a time of peace the believers were strengthened. It isn’t just a time of peace that we need, but we should pray for conditions that enable sound teachings about Christ.
At present we have a system where the government assists with funding for Christian Chaplains in state schools. I’ve been to a few state schools where their assembly includes a school prayer and I’ve witnessed the quality of volunteer religious education, and it is truly exceptional. This is something we can give thanks for, but beware, there are many who fight against this and they wait for opportunity to tear it away. Please pray for our representatives that all would see them as shinning lights bringing the gift of life.
God does want all to be saved! His care is for you and me, but he gives us free will. God does enter our lives, but he does so, on our invitation. Our prayers are the invitation for God to act. He may not intervene in the way we’d like, but we are like the children who do not understand and cannot comprehend the ways of the wise parent. We need to cry and cry to God so that we, when reassured of His love, can be comforted by Him. When God does intervene we can be assured that it will be for the ultimate good.
So far I’ve talked about all the readings except the Gospel. The Gospel reading is one that I find difficult. It is the story of the shrewd manager who is about to be fired for mis-handling his master’s affairs. The manager, when he realizes that he is in big trouble, then goes to the manager’s debtors and greatly reduces their debts, thus making a big impression on the debtors – in a good way. The parable goes on to say that the children of God are not as shrewd as the people of this world, but that we should use what we have to make friends with eternal rewards. The somewhat random punch line is that you cannot serve both God and money. You must choose who you will serve.
Not long ago we talked about counting the cost of following Jesus and now we are again confronted with the cost and the choice. Perhaps we are like the manager - we have been given a responsibility in the kingdom of God (every Christian has!), but have we been trustworthy with that responsibility?
If your personal reflection prompts you to think that you have not been responsible with God’s commission, you may find that your “master” might be unhappy with you..... what can you do to rectify the situation? Use what you can to make good the situation.... only you can know if you are serving God or serving the god of this world.
The god of this world will tell you that the kids sport is more important than going to church – and that your job is more important than a commitment to involvement in the things of God. The god of football is he who must be obeyed in this country – all ministers know not to put on a meeting that might clash with a game. And that is ridiculous!
I often feel that there is not much that I can do to affect God’s kingdom and perhaps you feel that way too, but we have to do whatever we can to use the gifts God has given us to proclaim his kingdom. Why? Because God really does want all to be saved and the truth is that He loves us so much that Jesus died for our sin so that nothing should separate us from the love of God. Even if we feel we’ve let God down in the past– don’t let that be a stumbling block to using your gifts in the future, as the sacrifice for that sin has already been made and the debt is paid.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Reflection 12 September 2010
Year C Proper 19 12 September 2010
Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 Luke 15: 1-10
“Turn the beat around.... I love to hear percussion... turn it upside down... got to have percussion.”
The sermon that we heard last week from Fr. Don Ford contained the message that we are to be the salt of the earth preserving the goodness in life. It reminds me of the song I’ve quoted, “Turn the beat around”, as our purpose as Christians, is to be directly opposite the direction that the world seems to be going in.
Jeremiah 4:11-12 tells us: “At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them."
The message of Jeremiah came to the people and to Jerusalem. Who are these people that God is warning?
Throughout the readings we find the messages from God are both for his people and those who harm his people. It was written in an ancient time and for that particular situation and time, but it has been handed down to us for a reason. We can be sure that if God was upset with his people in the time of Jeremiah then he has the potential to be upset with us if we fall into the same ways.
Jeremiah 4:22 tells us God judgment of His people in these words: "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."
The Psalmist also tells the same in Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
Two aspects define the people that God pronounces judgment on, one is that they do not know or believe in God and they do not do good. We don’t have to look very far to see that we live in a world where most don’t believe in God, and on the whole there is a lot of corruption and evil. But what is most upsetting is that God is speaking to His people.
There are people who are saying “there is no God” and God is grieving because he calls them His people.
Psalm 14:3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
We know that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Yes... every single one of us. When God says that there is not one who does good he really does mean it and he is looking with a much greater vision than our own.
Once upon a time it was a given that we were all sinners, but now it is not “politically correct” to indicate any such thing. And so what happens is that we now have a generation of “good” people who think everyone else is “evil”. Citizens who live by a new set of standards, thinking that they are “tolerant”, “progressive” and showing God’s grace, but unaware that they have just swapped one set of rules for another.
When we examine our lives and attitudes we don’t have to look too long and hard to discover that we are not as “good” as we’d like everyone else to think we are. This could be a drastic situation, but it is in fact a relief to know that I don’t have to struggle and strive to be “as good as the Jones’s”, or struggle and strive to be good enough to make God’s grade.... I don’t make the grade – but neither does anyone else who has ever walked this earth – bar one. Jesus!
1Timothy 1:15,16 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
This little reminder from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy reminds me of the story behind the hymn Amazing Grace. Penned by the one time slave trader, John Newton, the songwriter knew well what it meant to be the worst of sinners and saved by God’s amazing grace, but do we have the same understanding of forgiveness and renewal or are we like the inspector, Javert, from Les Miserables, who believed that a person could no sooner change as a leopard change its spots.
We are sinners who live in a world of sinners, but some of us have been redeemed. God’s warning still stands for those who do not turn to him. Does this concern us? It should, because it grieves God.
Our Gospel reading is about the lost sheep and the lost coin. It explains to us how there is much rejoicing in Heaven over the sinner who repents. I want to turn this “upside down” and ask you to imagine that you are that lost sheep. How do you imagine it feels to be a lost sheep? Frightened, distraught and striving to find “home”, but with no ability to do so.
Then imagine that God finds and rescues you! Ah, yes.... some of us are remembering.....
My point is that God cares for a world that we, the Church, seem to have grown weary of trying to reach. There, but for the grace of God, go you and I, distraught and lost sheep – who are most likely putting on a brave face and pretending that they like being lost.... and maybe some are too stupid to realize that they are lost and may even have hurt us – but God is grieving.
Jesus brings us salvation and it becomes a done deal, but as we live this life we are on a journey to become the people that God purposed us to be. Sometimes in that journey even the saved and found sheep of God’s fold can wander. We can lose sight of our shepherd and become panicked, thinking that we are lost – though we really are not. This is a situation when we the Church need to be there for each other. We need to support, encourage and remind each other of who and what we are in Christ. When someone can’t see the face of Christ, we need to let them know that He is still there.
We walk to the beat of a different drum from that of the secular world. Where the secular world proclaims popular lies, we must proclaim the truth. The world will say that everyone is good (unless you are a criminal) and has no need of God. We proclaim the truth that we are all sinners who need God and he has provided the sacrifice to save us (and criminals).
Are we seeking the lost for Christ and proclaiming the good news? Are we supporting and encouraging each other in our Christian journey? We must ensure that there is mercy and forgiveness in our dealings with each other, because this is what God has shown us, and as His body on Earth, we follow the example that Jesus set when he welcomed sinners.
Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 Luke 15: 1-10
“Turn the beat around.... I love to hear percussion... turn it upside down... got to have percussion.”
The sermon that we heard last week from Fr. Don Ford contained the message that we are to be the salt of the earth preserving the goodness in life. It reminds me of the song I’ve quoted, “Turn the beat around”, as our purpose as Christians, is to be directly opposite the direction that the world seems to be going in.
Jeremiah 4:11-12 tells us: “At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them."
The message of Jeremiah came to the people and to Jerusalem. Who are these people that God is warning?
Throughout the readings we find the messages from God are both for his people and those who harm his people. It was written in an ancient time and for that particular situation and time, but it has been handed down to us for a reason. We can be sure that if God was upset with his people in the time of Jeremiah then he has the potential to be upset with us if we fall into the same ways.
Jeremiah 4:22 tells us God judgment of His people in these words: "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."
The Psalmist also tells the same in Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
Two aspects define the people that God pronounces judgment on, one is that they do not know or believe in God and they do not do good. We don’t have to look very far to see that we live in a world where most don’t believe in God, and on the whole there is a lot of corruption and evil. But what is most upsetting is that God is speaking to His people.
There are people who are saying “there is no God” and God is grieving because he calls them His people.
Psalm 14:3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
We know that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Yes... every single one of us. When God says that there is not one who does good he really does mean it and he is looking with a much greater vision than our own.
Once upon a time it was a given that we were all sinners, but now it is not “politically correct” to indicate any such thing. And so what happens is that we now have a generation of “good” people who think everyone else is “evil”. Citizens who live by a new set of standards, thinking that they are “tolerant”, “progressive” and showing God’s grace, but unaware that they have just swapped one set of rules for another.
When we examine our lives and attitudes we don’t have to look too long and hard to discover that we are not as “good” as we’d like everyone else to think we are. This could be a drastic situation, but it is in fact a relief to know that I don’t have to struggle and strive to be “as good as the Jones’s”, or struggle and strive to be good enough to make God’s grade.... I don’t make the grade – but neither does anyone else who has ever walked this earth – bar one. Jesus!
1Timothy 1:15,16 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
This little reminder from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy reminds me of the story behind the hymn Amazing Grace. Penned by the one time slave trader, John Newton, the songwriter knew well what it meant to be the worst of sinners and saved by God’s amazing grace, but do we have the same understanding of forgiveness and renewal or are we like the inspector, Javert, from Les Miserables, who believed that a person could no sooner change as a leopard change its spots.
We are sinners who live in a world of sinners, but some of us have been redeemed. God’s warning still stands for those who do not turn to him. Does this concern us? It should, because it grieves God.
Our Gospel reading is about the lost sheep and the lost coin. It explains to us how there is much rejoicing in Heaven over the sinner who repents. I want to turn this “upside down” and ask you to imagine that you are that lost sheep. How do you imagine it feels to be a lost sheep? Frightened, distraught and striving to find “home”, but with no ability to do so.
Then imagine that God finds and rescues you! Ah, yes.... some of us are remembering.....
My point is that God cares for a world that we, the Church, seem to have grown weary of trying to reach. There, but for the grace of God, go you and I, distraught and lost sheep – who are most likely putting on a brave face and pretending that they like being lost.... and maybe some are too stupid to realize that they are lost and may even have hurt us – but God is grieving.
Jesus brings us salvation and it becomes a done deal, but as we live this life we are on a journey to become the people that God purposed us to be. Sometimes in that journey even the saved and found sheep of God’s fold can wander. We can lose sight of our shepherd and become panicked, thinking that we are lost – though we really are not. This is a situation when we the Church need to be there for each other. We need to support, encourage and remind each other of who and what we are in Christ. When someone can’t see the face of Christ, we need to let them know that He is still there.
We walk to the beat of a different drum from that of the secular world. Where the secular world proclaims popular lies, we must proclaim the truth. The world will say that everyone is good (unless you are a criminal) and has no need of God. We proclaim the truth that we are all sinners who need God and he has provided the sacrifice to save us (and criminals).
Are we seeking the lost for Christ and proclaiming the good news? Are we supporting and encouraging each other in our Christian journey? We must ensure that there is mercy and forgiveness in our dealings with each other, because this is what God has shown us, and as His body on Earth, we follow the example that Jesus set when he welcomed sinners.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Reflection 5 September 2010
Year C Proper 18 5 September 2010
Jeremiah 18: 1-11 Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14: 25-33
Sometimes you have to wonder how Jesus had any followers at all, as he said some pretty hard things and our Gospel reading for this week is one fine example. I do wish that every church would take great notice of this reading and understand that if Jesus was more concerned about the absolute truth than he was about numbers of people on pews then we should be too.
The scene set is one where multitudes were flocking to follow Jesus. I guess we could say the crowds were “fair weather” friends. Who wouldn’t want to follow the man who turned water into wine and a few loaves and fish into a feast to feed thousands? These crowds were so convinced that Jesus was something special that they were actually travelling with him. We do have people like this today. They are those who go to every Christian conference, hooked on the high of large crowds and the knowledge that they are part of the happening thing. Hmm... sounds like a good thing to me!
It was a good thing that these crowds were following Jesus. They were putting their faith in the right place and they were learning as they went, but Jesus needed to prepare them and strengthen them for the future ahead. Do we, as church, follow Jesus’ example in preparing people for the tough times so that they can hold firm to Christ through all the storms of life?
Jesus talks to the crowd about counting the cost. We really do need to take stock and understand the cost – and then decide to follow Jesus anyway. Why? The road is tough, but Jesus is the truth, the life and the only way.
Looking at the Gospel reading we may all agree that the Christian life is difficult.... some have said it is actually impossible... and I agree. The only way that it is possible to live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to continue leading, teaching and guiding us – allow him to live his life through us. In fact we need the Holy Spirit to be continually moulding us.
In the last few weeks we heard about the call of Jeremiah and how he was ordained for the purpose of God before he was born. This week we read in the psalm that God knew us before our bodies were formed or we had any notion of self awareness.
Psalm 139: 16 “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
We get a sense from this that Jeremiah was not the only one whose life was foreknown by God, but that all of us are somehow uniquely included and individually known and ordained.
Sometimes, though we may have once felt called by God, we feel that we have failed God and wonder how he could have any purpose left for us, considering our past failure. Our reading from Jeremiah takes us to the place of the potter.
Jeremiah 18: 3,4 “So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
The message from God through Jeremiah explains that God can reshape His nation depending on their response and submission to him.
The image that comes to me when I look at all the readings is that of the butterfly. It is a message of transformation. In the first reading from Jeremiah we see the potential for transformation and the promise that God makes to reform and not abandon to destruction, those who turn to him. Our psalm doesn’t so much speak of transformation as it does of God supreme knowledge of our formation. This prompts me to realize that what seems like transformation to us is really just part of the formation that God had always intended.
Our second reading comes from St. Paul in his letter to Philemon. This is a story of amazing transformation though it is mostly evident when we understand the back ground. In this letter Paul is pleading to Philemon for Onesimus:
Philemon 1: 8 “Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”
What has happened that Paul needed to make this appeal for Onesimus?
Onesimus was a slave of Philemon who had run away after stealing from Philemon. Somehow the path of Paul and Onesimus was destined to cross and in the process Onesimus became a Christian.
Twice in the letter from St. Paul we read that Paul addresses himself as a prisoner of Christ. Paul was born a free man who had an enviable social status, but he became a Christian and became a prisoner of Christ. Onesimus was a slave, but in becoming a Christian, he discovered that he was a son of the living God. Paul treated Onesimus as his son and asked Philemon to charge anything Onesimus owed him to his account. Onesimus was being sent back to his master, Philemon, but not as a thieving slave, which was his identity when he left, but now as a brother in Christ and an heir of the Kingdom of God. No longer was Onesimus the plain little grub, but now he’d become the majestic butterfly.
Our own transformation (or formation, which ever way you look at it) happens in stages and is constantly happening. There are struggles and tough choices. Jesus tells us in the Gospel Luke 14: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Seems ridiculous! Technically the term hate throughout the Bible is used in the context of “loved less”. It was used to explain God’s choosing of Jacob (Israel) over Esau – not that God hated Esau, but that he deliberately chose to love Jacob.
For many of us and for people throughout Biblical and Christian history, God’s call and demand has been to love and care for our, mothers, fathers, spouses, children and brothers and sisters.... but none of these must take the place that God wants to have in our hearts. None of these must become our “god”.
Likewise it is innate to love our own life.... even if we have a love/hate relationship with it. Most of our lives we spend on trying to “save” our lives.... to make our lives... to make our life something, because we really do love it – even though we will often say that life sux! We actually are becoming a society that idolizes our lives. Our despair occurs when we think our life is not what it could be... not as successful and outstanding as someone elses.
Yes God, I’ll follow you, but can you please give me fame and fortune! Okay, not everyone is as shallow as me.... your prayer might be, “yes God, I’ll follow you, but can I please secure my superannuation first?” God’s answer might be yes, or no, but what he requires is for us to love Him more. Perhaps before we can do that we need to think right now about the cost of following him and what it is that we owe him.
We owe God everything. Without Jesus there is no hope of salvation and no eternal life. There is no future beyond this life and nothing to look forward to but fear, conflict, loss and decay.
As a butterfly comes out of its cocoon it struggles and takes quite a long time. The struggle actually helps with the final formation of the butterfly and without this the butterfly will emerge deformed.
We struggle to say yes to God and to follow Jesus and put him above all else, but if we do not struggle we will not emerge. The choice is yours and no one is saying that it will be easy, but really there is no other choice. The cocoon my feel secure and comfortable, but you will die in there.
Jeremiah 18: 1-11 Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14: 25-33
Sometimes you have to wonder how Jesus had any followers at all, as he said some pretty hard things and our Gospel reading for this week is one fine example. I do wish that every church would take great notice of this reading and understand that if Jesus was more concerned about the absolute truth than he was about numbers of people on pews then we should be too.
The scene set is one where multitudes were flocking to follow Jesus. I guess we could say the crowds were “fair weather” friends. Who wouldn’t want to follow the man who turned water into wine and a few loaves and fish into a feast to feed thousands? These crowds were so convinced that Jesus was something special that they were actually travelling with him. We do have people like this today. They are those who go to every Christian conference, hooked on the high of large crowds and the knowledge that they are part of the happening thing. Hmm... sounds like a good thing to me!
It was a good thing that these crowds were following Jesus. They were putting their faith in the right place and they were learning as they went, but Jesus needed to prepare them and strengthen them for the future ahead. Do we, as church, follow Jesus’ example in preparing people for the tough times so that they can hold firm to Christ through all the storms of life?
Jesus talks to the crowd about counting the cost. We really do need to take stock and understand the cost – and then decide to follow Jesus anyway. Why? The road is tough, but Jesus is the truth, the life and the only way.
Looking at the Gospel reading we may all agree that the Christian life is difficult.... some have said it is actually impossible... and I agree. The only way that it is possible to live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to continue leading, teaching and guiding us – allow him to live his life through us. In fact we need the Holy Spirit to be continually moulding us.
In the last few weeks we heard about the call of Jeremiah and how he was ordained for the purpose of God before he was born. This week we read in the psalm that God knew us before our bodies were formed or we had any notion of self awareness.
Psalm 139: 16 “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
We get a sense from this that Jeremiah was not the only one whose life was foreknown by God, but that all of us are somehow uniquely included and individually known and ordained.
Sometimes, though we may have once felt called by God, we feel that we have failed God and wonder how he could have any purpose left for us, considering our past failure. Our reading from Jeremiah takes us to the place of the potter.
Jeremiah 18: 3,4 “So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
The message from God through Jeremiah explains that God can reshape His nation depending on their response and submission to him.
The image that comes to me when I look at all the readings is that of the butterfly. It is a message of transformation. In the first reading from Jeremiah we see the potential for transformation and the promise that God makes to reform and not abandon to destruction, those who turn to him. Our psalm doesn’t so much speak of transformation as it does of God supreme knowledge of our formation. This prompts me to realize that what seems like transformation to us is really just part of the formation that God had always intended.
Our second reading comes from St. Paul in his letter to Philemon. This is a story of amazing transformation though it is mostly evident when we understand the back ground. In this letter Paul is pleading to Philemon for Onesimus:
Philemon 1: 8 “Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”
What has happened that Paul needed to make this appeal for Onesimus?
Onesimus was a slave of Philemon who had run away after stealing from Philemon. Somehow the path of Paul and Onesimus was destined to cross and in the process Onesimus became a Christian.
Twice in the letter from St. Paul we read that Paul addresses himself as a prisoner of Christ. Paul was born a free man who had an enviable social status, but he became a Christian and became a prisoner of Christ. Onesimus was a slave, but in becoming a Christian, he discovered that he was a son of the living God. Paul treated Onesimus as his son and asked Philemon to charge anything Onesimus owed him to his account. Onesimus was being sent back to his master, Philemon, but not as a thieving slave, which was his identity when he left, but now as a brother in Christ and an heir of the Kingdom of God. No longer was Onesimus the plain little grub, but now he’d become the majestic butterfly.
Our own transformation (or formation, which ever way you look at it) happens in stages and is constantly happening. There are struggles and tough choices. Jesus tells us in the Gospel Luke 14: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Seems ridiculous! Technically the term hate throughout the Bible is used in the context of “loved less”. It was used to explain God’s choosing of Jacob (Israel) over Esau – not that God hated Esau, but that he deliberately chose to love Jacob.
For many of us and for people throughout Biblical and Christian history, God’s call and demand has been to love and care for our, mothers, fathers, spouses, children and brothers and sisters.... but none of these must take the place that God wants to have in our hearts. None of these must become our “god”.
Likewise it is innate to love our own life.... even if we have a love/hate relationship with it. Most of our lives we spend on trying to “save” our lives.... to make our lives... to make our life something, because we really do love it – even though we will often say that life sux! We actually are becoming a society that idolizes our lives. Our despair occurs when we think our life is not what it could be... not as successful and outstanding as someone elses.
Yes God, I’ll follow you, but can you please give me fame and fortune! Okay, not everyone is as shallow as me.... your prayer might be, “yes God, I’ll follow you, but can I please secure my superannuation first?” God’s answer might be yes, or no, but what he requires is for us to love Him more. Perhaps before we can do that we need to think right now about the cost of following him and what it is that we owe him.
We owe God everything. Without Jesus there is no hope of salvation and no eternal life. There is no future beyond this life and nothing to look forward to but fear, conflict, loss and decay.
As a butterfly comes out of its cocoon it struggles and takes quite a long time. The struggle actually helps with the final formation of the butterfly and without this the butterfly will emerge deformed.
We struggle to say yes to God and to follow Jesus and put him above all else, but if we do not struggle we will not emerge. The choice is yours and no one is saying that it will be easy, but really there is no other choice. The cocoon my feel secure and comfortable, but you will die in there.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Reflection for 29th August 2010
Year C Proper 17 29 August 2010
Jeremiah 2: 4-13 Psalm 81: 1, 10-16 Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 Luke 14: 1, 7-14
Once again our Gospel takes us to a Sabbath in Israel. Jesus is being carefully watched to see if he will heal and break the Sabbath again. But this scene doesn’t take place in the Temple or some other public place, but at the house of a prominent Pharisee. Was it a set up? Or were they simply discerning the situation?
Whatever the purpose of the dinner, Jesus would have been wise to keep a low profile.... smile sweetly at the nice Pharisee... But no... Jesus speaks out yet again challenging his listeners, and us. He tells them to take the seating of the lowest position and also to invite people who can not pay you back. Not seemingly so important as to create a scene by speaking out at all.... what would you have done?
It is the age old question, should we speak out or not? There is a popular Dixie Chicks song which deals with this issue to some extent. The lyrics tell us the advice given to the feisty Dixie Chicks: “you say ‘can’t you just get over it’”. The song is “I’m not ready to make nice”, and I guess that gives us the idea of the song. This singer decided that she wasn’t going to back down. Obviously Jesus was looking more deeply at the situation and saw that it was important for the Pharisees sake and ours.... otherwise St. Luke wouldn’t have included it in his Gospel.
The Ancient Israelites, like all of us, lived with the same pressure to bow down to societal ways of life, rather than live God’s way. Should they remain true to their God or should they follow the customs of the nations around them with whom they traded, lived and intermarried. In fact it was a great deal like our modern life with its increasingly global outlook. It isn’t that a global outlook is bad, but within this very exciting life, there certainly is a very real danger of us losing our identity, our uniqueness, our culture and our beliefs.
Jeremiah speaks to these Ancient Israelites and asks them about their fathers: Jeremiah 2:5a “5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me?”
In other words, God was acknowledging that it was the fathers whose lives and decisions shaped the current situation.
Following on from my reflection last week about how we have been reprogrammed in our understanding of right and wrong, is it possible that we are shaping the future generations, setting them up to turn away from God?
Many years ago I was concerned about the religious education in the catholic schools. There had been a shift to teach about other faiths with respect. Education in these other faiths is certainly not a bad thing, but when the person teaching it doesn’t know why Christianity is truly the “Gospel”, what happens is that impressionable students, whose parents are expecting the school to pass on the faith to their children gain a respect and admiration for the religion they undertake a crash course into, and view their own Christian faith with diminished respect. It becomes a kind of case where familiarity breeds contempt!
Would God say the same to us, “What fault did you find in me, that you strayed so far from me?”
It isn’t just in the school situation, but in our families. We may have accepted society’s attitudes to issues and aspects of life that is completely at odds with the Gospel message. Even just in our attitude toward church being a priority there are signs of society’s attitudes evident in our congregations.... or lack thereof. There are many who have found it just too hard to get to church. Really, if we looked hard and honestly we might find that we are holding something against God..... Some how in our subconscious we are saying, “God, you are not as important as .... my family, my job, my pleasure.... etc..”
Hurt often keeps us from being in a healthy relationship with God. We become immobilised in our pain and the great and kind people around us don’t actually help. Sometimes we want so badly to be supportive, caring and understanding – and so we affirm, “it is understandable that you do not go to Church, or that you are not following in the path God wants for you – or not feeling connected to God – give yourself time.” Indeed it is understandable! BUT it isn’t helping people heal to remain this way.
My niece is doing her religion assignment and had to interview people. She asked me about how my faith regards the death of someone in the family. I told her that it gives hope, and the belief in heaven gives a connection to the person, and I don’t know how someone without faith could cope... the loss would be too devastating.
I have discovered that no matter how many times you tell yourself that death is a natural part of life, somehow when you actually have to deal with it you realize that it is impossible to comprehend. Somehow, we hold things like this against God. Past hurts of all kinds.... we say, “God why couldn’t you have prevented that?” And honestly, I have struggled with God about this too. I have no doubt that my experience is not unique.
Ancient Israelites lived in harsh times of common death and disaster. Did they blame God? Was it easier to become bitter and turn away from the law of God?
Psalm 81 tells us: “10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
Our God has done many good things for us, but as humans, we tend to dwell on the things that have gone wrong rather than things which have gone right. It is no wonder that Hebrews 13 uses the word “sacrifice” to describe the praise we give God. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to break through out bitterness and hurt in order to see the good that God has done for us. Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
“The fruit of lips that confess his name.” Do our lips confess the name of God? Are we a witness to him in this world, helping to shape the world into his kingdom on earth?
Hebrews 13:7 also exhorts us: “7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Some of those leaders were put to death for their faith. We are to imitate the faith that they had. No doubt this will mean speaking out and witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ, to those who will be antagonistic towards us for the message we bring.
The readings this week are about holding firm to our faith and passing on the faith, but there are promises from God in this. Promises to supply our needs and that he will always be with us.
Although I’ve spoken about bravely standing up for our faith, and it may sound like an aggressive stance, our faith is actually one that requires us to truly love. In love we do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but consider the needs of others. Sometimes the needs of others will be food and shelter, care and support. Sometimes we will be called to show love by visiting or calling to see how someone is coping. Sometimes we will need to show our love by speaking the truth, which is what Jesus did when spoke to the Pharisees. He told the Pharisees how they could practically show love and respect for others by taking the less important seats.
Jesus was speaking of something deeper. Jesus was the most important guest to planet Earth, but the Pharisees didn’t recognise him. The Pharisees did not know the extent of Jesus identity, and in their ministries they felt that they were way more important than Jesus. In a way, Jesus was trying to open their eyes to allow a place for his ministry, and that of others who were to carry out his will.
In our jobs, and in our church, are we grasping to a “high” position – holding on to our “area” of importance- and in doing so not allowing for the one that God has ordained? Are we overlooking the gifts of someone because they sit in a low position? Is it possible that there is one who God has appointed, who feels like Jeremiah, just a child?
On the flip side, I hope that we also don’t invest in the “tall poppy” syndrome and try to undermine those that God has set in places of authority over us.
The message of Jesus was and is, to regard each other with respect and care, but we must respectfully refuse to bow down to the idols of football, children’s sports, ambition, self-pity and pleasure – because these in perspective are gifts, they can become very tempting idols indeed!
There is an appropriate saying: “He who whittles himself away to suit everyone else soon finds there is nothing left!” Hold firm to the truth and remember that it is in by the witness of our love that people will know we are Christians.
Jeremiah 2: 4-13 Psalm 81: 1, 10-16 Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 Luke 14: 1, 7-14
Once again our Gospel takes us to a Sabbath in Israel. Jesus is being carefully watched to see if he will heal and break the Sabbath again. But this scene doesn’t take place in the Temple or some other public place, but at the house of a prominent Pharisee. Was it a set up? Or were they simply discerning the situation?
Whatever the purpose of the dinner, Jesus would have been wise to keep a low profile.... smile sweetly at the nice Pharisee... But no... Jesus speaks out yet again challenging his listeners, and us. He tells them to take the seating of the lowest position and also to invite people who can not pay you back. Not seemingly so important as to create a scene by speaking out at all.... what would you have done?
It is the age old question, should we speak out or not? There is a popular Dixie Chicks song which deals with this issue to some extent. The lyrics tell us the advice given to the feisty Dixie Chicks: “you say ‘can’t you just get over it’”. The song is “I’m not ready to make nice”, and I guess that gives us the idea of the song. This singer decided that she wasn’t going to back down. Obviously Jesus was looking more deeply at the situation and saw that it was important for the Pharisees sake and ours.... otherwise St. Luke wouldn’t have included it in his Gospel.
The Ancient Israelites, like all of us, lived with the same pressure to bow down to societal ways of life, rather than live God’s way. Should they remain true to their God or should they follow the customs of the nations around them with whom they traded, lived and intermarried. In fact it was a great deal like our modern life with its increasingly global outlook. It isn’t that a global outlook is bad, but within this very exciting life, there certainly is a very real danger of us losing our identity, our uniqueness, our culture and our beliefs.
Jeremiah speaks to these Ancient Israelites and asks them about their fathers: Jeremiah 2:5a “5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me?”
In other words, God was acknowledging that it was the fathers whose lives and decisions shaped the current situation.
Following on from my reflection last week about how we have been reprogrammed in our understanding of right and wrong, is it possible that we are shaping the future generations, setting them up to turn away from God?
Many years ago I was concerned about the religious education in the catholic schools. There had been a shift to teach about other faiths with respect. Education in these other faiths is certainly not a bad thing, but when the person teaching it doesn’t know why Christianity is truly the “Gospel”, what happens is that impressionable students, whose parents are expecting the school to pass on the faith to their children gain a respect and admiration for the religion they undertake a crash course into, and view their own Christian faith with diminished respect. It becomes a kind of case where familiarity breeds contempt!
Would God say the same to us, “What fault did you find in me, that you strayed so far from me?”
It isn’t just in the school situation, but in our families. We may have accepted society’s attitudes to issues and aspects of life that is completely at odds with the Gospel message. Even just in our attitude toward church being a priority there are signs of society’s attitudes evident in our congregations.... or lack thereof. There are many who have found it just too hard to get to church. Really, if we looked hard and honestly we might find that we are holding something against God..... Some how in our subconscious we are saying, “God, you are not as important as .... my family, my job, my pleasure.... etc..”
Hurt often keeps us from being in a healthy relationship with God. We become immobilised in our pain and the great and kind people around us don’t actually help. Sometimes we want so badly to be supportive, caring and understanding – and so we affirm, “it is understandable that you do not go to Church, or that you are not following in the path God wants for you – or not feeling connected to God – give yourself time.” Indeed it is understandable! BUT it isn’t helping people heal to remain this way.
My niece is doing her religion assignment and had to interview people. She asked me about how my faith regards the death of someone in the family. I told her that it gives hope, and the belief in heaven gives a connection to the person, and I don’t know how someone without faith could cope... the loss would be too devastating.
I have discovered that no matter how many times you tell yourself that death is a natural part of life, somehow when you actually have to deal with it you realize that it is impossible to comprehend. Somehow, we hold things like this against God. Past hurts of all kinds.... we say, “God why couldn’t you have prevented that?” And honestly, I have struggled with God about this too. I have no doubt that my experience is not unique.
Ancient Israelites lived in harsh times of common death and disaster. Did they blame God? Was it easier to become bitter and turn away from the law of God?
Psalm 81 tells us: “10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
Our God has done many good things for us, but as humans, we tend to dwell on the things that have gone wrong rather than things which have gone right. It is no wonder that Hebrews 13 uses the word “sacrifice” to describe the praise we give God. Sometimes it is a sacrifice to break through out bitterness and hurt in order to see the good that God has done for us. Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
“The fruit of lips that confess his name.” Do our lips confess the name of God? Are we a witness to him in this world, helping to shape the world into his kingdom on earth?
Hebrews 13:7 also exhorts us: “7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Some of those leaders were put to death for their faith. We are to imitate the faith that they had. No doubt this will mean speaking out and witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ, to those who will be antagonistic towards us for the message we bring.
The readings this week are about holding firm to our faith and passing on the faith, but there are promises from God in this. Promises to supply our needs and that he will always be with us.
Although I’ve spoken about bravely standing up for our faith, and it may sound like an aggressive stance, our faith is actually one that requires us to truly love. In love we do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but consider the needs of others. Sometimes the needs of others will be food and shelter, care and support. Sometimes we will be called to show love by visiting or calling to see how someone is coping. Sometimes we will need to show our love by speaking the truth, which is what Jesus did when spoke to the Pharisees. He told the Pharisees how they could practically show love and respect for others by taking the less important seats.
Jesus was speaking of something deeper. Jesus was the most important guest to planet Earth, but the Pharisees didn’t recognise him. The Pharisees did not know the extent of Jesus identity, and in their ministries they felt that they were way more important than Jesus. In a way, Jesus was trying to open their eyes to allow a place for his ministry, and that of others who were to carry out his will.
In our jobs, and in our church, are we grasping to a “high” position – holding on to our “area” of importance- and in doing so not allowing for the one that God has ordained? Are we overlooking the gifts of someone because they sit in a low position? Is it possible that there is one who God has appointed, who feels like Jeremiah, just a child?
On the flip side, I hope that we also don’t invest in the “tall poppy” syndrome and try to undermine those that God has set in places of authority over us.
The message of Jesus was and is, to regard each other with respect and care, but we must respectfully refuse to bow down to the idols of football, children’s sports, ambition, self-pity and pleasure – because these in perspective are gifts, they can become very tempting idols indeed!
There is an appropriate saying: “He who whittles himself away to suit everyone else soon finds there is nothing left!” Hold firm to the truth and remember that it is in by the witness of our love that people will know we are Christians.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Reflection 22nd August 2010
Year C Proper 16 22 August 2010
Jeremiah 1: 4-10 Psalm 71: 1-6 Hebrews 12: 18-29 Luke 13: 10-17
There was an old woman bent out of Joint – Jesus healed her, and the Pharisees got their nose out of joint! There may be a number of people with their noses out of joint at the moment - it tends to happen over things that we care and feel passionately about, or when we feel an injustice has been done to use.
We find in our Gospel this week, that the Pharisees had their nose out of joint because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Ironically, while the Pharisees had their noses put out of joint, the lady who was physically “bent out of joint” was healed.
The keeping of the Sabbath was important to the Pharisees as it was one of the God given commandments and so it was their responsibility to uphold it. We need to very carefully understand this, as there can be very fine lines between upholding the “Law” and carrying out God’s will. While we can see clearly in retrospect the error of the Pharisees, can we see this in our own lives? Let the Holy Spirit shine his search light, because as humans, we will miss it.
We live in supposedly enlightened times. We understand the inner workings of many complex things. Our “law” has come to reflect this and many areas that may have once been black and white have become complicated shades of grey. But when it all boils down everything ultimately settles into a new form of binary – yes, no – black, white – on, off. Where once we said it was wrong for couples to live together we now change the computer wiring of our brain. It isn’t really that we are accepting the complexities of shades of grey. We have in fact, reprogrammed and what was once, in the binary, a black button is now a white button. Possibly there are a few more “if/then” buttons before the ultimate black and white, but it is still basically a binary system.
I am just using this as an example, not making a moral judgement at all – at this point – but using this to show you how we are not really acting in the mercy and will of God but changing our programming. The same goes for our Sunday trading – we understand that there are some services that need to continue on a Sunday and so, as time progresses, we change our programming such that we now have a white button for all trading to occur.
So, now that we see how our programming has changed, can we see how we might not recognise the will of God? Our programming has changed and in our programming the white buttons are (at least in our minds) the will of God, just as the Pharisees were so sure that their “white” buttons were the will of God.
There are so many issues that our modern society presents as “white” buttons. Which of these have we accepted, that might not actually be God’s will?
Jeremiah 1: 4 – 5 “4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Our first reading tells us that God knew us before we were formed in the womb, which tells us so many things; especially that life is sacred and ordained.
Since Joe has died, I have found myself wondering what I’m doing and where my life is headed and pretty much feeling that it is aimless and pointless. I spoke to a good friend about this and she gave some words of wisdom which tie in perfectly with this reading. She had been on a conference where the question was asked “who does God say you are?” We often spend time studying and declaring who God is, but how would it change your life, if you were to ask God, “Who do you say I am?”
Let’s look at Jeremiah. When we read his response to God we understand that Jeremiah was not very confident. He felt that he was merely a child. We have children, and as they grow we ask them what they want to be when they grow up. From an early age we have them developing a vision of their future and oftentimes that future is actually a mixture of their desires and the vision that we also have for them. Certainly, my vision for my future was the one that was passed on from my parents.... get married, have kids and live happily ever after. I can imagine that Jeremiah had his own vision for his future, and then suddenly God redirected him.
How different would your life be if God interrupted your life and said, “hey, I have appointed you to be a ......” Maybe a nurse, doctor, politician, missionary, lawyer, etc... Most likely, something that is in keeping with your strengths and gifts – maybe what you are doing now. But how would this have changed your life and the way that you do things if God had confirmed His call on your life?
Jeremiah is told that he has been appointed as a prophet to the nations. He was ordained for this purpose before he was born. No doubt, there were those who rejected and disbelieved his call. As I write these words I feel I need to point you back to your personal programming and ask, are you rejecting and thwarting someone’s God ordained call because you feel it is a “black” button?
Our reading from Hebrews 12 warns us to listen to God, but reassures us that we have comfort in our relationship with Jesus and that we need not fear. “25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
God’s computer programming is far more complex than our own. We need to rely on his Holy Spirit more than anything else as we discern what should be “black” and what should be “white”. As we rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment, perhaps we can also ask of God, “Who do you say I am?” It is possible that we might be surprised and find ourselves directed in a different path or given the confidence to continue on the path from which we felt discouraged. Remember it is God’s voice that we must listen to and not the circumstances around us.
Jeremiah knew that his task would not be easy and he would not always be well received. Jeremiah knew that his life might often look like a failure to others. Those in ministry often experience a definite call, only to feel that they have failed when the task proves to be difficult and the followers are few.
We are called to be a witness and proclaim God’s word. We cannot control the response of others, and we don’t know what it is that God is doing in the invisible spiritual realm. Let’s not judge ourselves or God’s people by what might appear to be failure or success, but instead uphold in prayer, and pray that we each find strength and encouragement to be true to His calling. For each of us God fore knew and has been called to a divine purpose.
Jeremiah 1:4 “4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;”
Jeremiah 1: 4-10 Psalm 71: 1-6 Hebrews 12: 18-29 Luke 13: 10-17
There was an old woman bent out of Joint – Jesus healed her, and the Pharisees got their nose out of joint! There may be a number of people with their noses out of joint at the moment - it tends to happen over things that we care and feel passionately about, or when we feel an injustice has been done to use.
We find in our Gospel this week, that the Pharisees had their nose out of joint because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Ironically, while the Pharisees had their noses put out of joint, the lady who was physically “bent out of joint” was healed.
The keeping of the Sabbath was important to the Pharisees as it was one of the God given commandments and so it was their responsibility to uphold it. We need to very carefully understand this, as there can be very fine lines between upholding the “Law” and carrying out God’s will. While we can see clearly in retrospect the error of the Pharisees, can we see this in our own lives? Let the Holy Spirit shine his search light, because as humans, we will miss it.
We live in supposedly enlightened times. We understand the inner workings of many complex things. Our “law” has come to reflect this and many areas that may have once been black and white have become complicated shades of grey. But when it all boils down everything ultimately settles into a new form of binary – yes, no – black, white – on, off. Where once we said it was wrong for couples to live together we now change the computer wiring of our brain. It isn’t really that we are accepting the complexities of shades of grey. We have in fact, reprogrammed and what was once, in the binary, a black button is now a white button. Possibly there are a few more “if/then” buttons before the ultimate black and white, but it is still basically a binary system.
I am just using this as an example, not making a moral judgement at all – at this point – but using this to show you how we are not really acting in the mercy and will of God but changing our programming. The same goes for our Sunday trading – we understand that there are some services that need to continue on a Sunday and so, as time progresses, we change our programming such that we now have a white button for all trading to occur.
So, now that we see how our programming has changed, can we see how we might not recognise the will of God? Our programming has changed and in our programming the white buttons are (at least in our minds) the will of God, just as the Pharisees were so sure that their “white” buttons were the will of God.
There are so many issues that our modern society presents as “white” buttons. Which of these have we accepted, that might not actually be God’s will?
Jeremiah 1: 4 – 5 “4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Our first reading tells us that God knew us before we were formed in the womb, which tells us so many things; especially that life is sacred and ordained.
Since Joe has died, I have found myself wondering what I’m doing and where my life is headed and pretty much feeling that it is aimless and pointless. I spoke to a good friend about this and she gave some words of wisdom which tie in perfectly with this reading. She had been on a conference where the question was asked “who does God say you are?” We often spend time studying and declaring who God is, but how would it change your life, if you were to ask God, “Who do you say I am?”
Let’s look at Jeremiah. When we read his response to God we understand that Jeremiah was not very confident. He felt that he was merely a child. We have children, and as they grow we ask them what they want to be when they grow up. From an early age we have them developing a vision of their future and oftentimes that future is actually a mixture of their desires and the vision that we also have for them. Certainly, my vision for my future was the one that was passed on from my parents.... get married, have kids and live happily ever after. I can imagine that Jeremiah had his own vision for his future, and then suddenly God redirected him.
How different would your life be if God interrupted your life and said, “hey, I have appointed you to be a ......” Maybe a nurse, doctor, politician, missionary, lawyer, etc... Most likely, something that is in keeping with your strengths and gifts – maybe what you are doing now. But how would this have changed your life and the way that you do things if God had confirmed His call on your life?
Jeremiah is told that he has been appointed as a prophet to the nations. He was ordained for this purpose before he was born. No doubt, there were those who rejected and disbelieved his call. As I write these words I feel I need to point you back to your personal programming and ask, are you rejecting and thwarting someone’s God ordained call because you feel it is a “black” button?
Our reading from Hebrews 12 warns us to listen to God, but reassures us that we have comfort in our relationship with Jesus and that we need not fear. “25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
God’s computer programming is far more complex than our own. We need to rely on his Holy Spirit more than anything else as we discern what should be “black” and what should be “white”. As we rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment, perhaps we can also ask of God, “Who do you say I am?” It is possible that we might be surprised and find ourselves directed in a different path or given the confidence to continue on the path from which we felt discouraged. Remember it is God’s voice that we must listen to and not the circumstances around us.
Jeremiah knew that his task would not be easy and he would not always be well received. Jeremiah knew that his life might often look like a failure to others. Those in ministry often experience a definite call, only to feel that they have failed when the task proves to be difficult and the followers are few.
We are called to be a witness and proclaim God’s word. We cannot control the response of others, and we don’t know what it is that God is doing in the invisible spiritual realm. Let’s not judge ourselves or God’s people by what might appear to be failure or success, but instead uphold in prayer, and pray that we each find strength and encouragement to be true to His calling. For each of us God fore knew and has been called to a divine purpose.
Jeremiah 1:4 “4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;”
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