Turning Around - February 22, 2023

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 95* & 32, 143; PM Psalm 102, 130 ; Jonah 3:1-4:11; Heb. 12:1-14; Luke 18:9-14

Today’s Reflection

When I was five or six, my dad's parents gave me a three-wheeled vehicle called a Green Machine. Similar to the super-trendy Big Wheel, the Green Machine had a big front tire and two smaller rear tires, all made of durable plastic. The Green Machine, however, had no handlebars at the apex of the front tire. Rather, to adjust direction, there were two stick-shift style handles that turned the rear wheels. This meant I could gather speed while pedaling down the driveway and then spin out before I reached the sidewalk. It was the delight of many days, hearing the crackling of the rolling tires upon the cement pavers. Neighbors wanted to take part in the rear-wheel action, too. Spinning out was the cherry on top for going fast - and there was something about holding the steering handles that felt powerful. In control. Older. (Maybe that's why I still like a standard-shift transmission!)

As Lent begins today, Ash Wednesday provides that avenue for a quick turnaround. We can take the handles of our lives and change direction. We can turn our backs to the ways we have been unloving. We can choose to listen to God's call to serve. We can confess our many ways of being unfaithful and self-indulgent. We can readjust our course of faithful living, not wallowing in regret, but honestly addressing the areas we can rely more on God, following the example of Christ. This is not easy, and it is also hopeful work.

Jonah agonized as God asked him to go to Nineveh and proclaim repentance to the sinful people. He went the other way to avoid doing so, and that is what led to the story of Jonah being swallowed and then spit out by the large fish (Jonah chapters 1 and 2). He did not think that his own voice was needed - surely God would not destroy a city! This God who is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing" (Jonah 4:2).

Where we read today in chapters 3 and 4, Jonah proclaims "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" The people take this message seriously. We read that they believed God, began fasting, and all people put on sackcloth, even the king. He makes a royal announcement to his people, as he sits in ashes rather than upon the throne: "All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish." (v. 8b-9). God sees what they do, and how they work to turn away from the temptations around them. The destruction that had been promised does not come. God has a change of heart and mind (Jonah 3:10).

Oddly, this change of course irritates Jonah. He gets mad at God, saying "I knew it! I didn't need to leave my house for these people to change! I knew you were a merciful God from the first! Just leave me alone!" God wants Jonah to also have a moment of repentance, to grow in his faithfulness to God - and to understand that God is deeply connected to the growth and life of each human being and animal and tree...God labors over each of us and loves each of us. God wants the best for us.

Turning around is not easy. And yet, it is hopeful work, for God wants the best for us. May you enter this season of Lent open-hearted, knowing that you can return to God.

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

Pray and review the Litany of Penitence on page 267 of the Book of Common Prayer. What pieces of this prayer feel like you need help from God to address? Which of these are painful? Which are you already working on?

Through Lent, revisit this litany. Listen prayerfully where God, who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, is with us, no matter what.

Remembering what God has Done - February 20

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Deut. 6:10-15; Heb 1:1-14; John 1:1-18 

One of the key principles of the Judeo-Christian faith is the call to remember what God has done for us for each of us and the world.  One place this can be found is in the repetition that takes place in the Eucharist which is so important because it reminds us weekly of all that God has done for humanity. Every single week, we hear the creation story, we hear about our own broken relationship with God, and then we hear what God has done for us in Jesus Christ through the Eucharist.  Remembering changes how we see the world and our own relationship to the world.

This same principle if found throughout the Old Testament.  Jewish people are commanded to recite the prayer that begins “Hear, O Israel” every morning and evening, which includes the commandment to love God with all one’s heart and mind and soul, and to love one’s neighbors as themselves.  By requiring faithful people to say this prayer over and over, at the opening and closing of a day, it places the principle of love for God and others at the core of one’s faith. 

In today’s Old Testament lesson is another reminder of what God expects from you and me.  The author reminds the Israelites that it was God who gave them cities, cities that they didn’t build, and vineyards they didn’t plant.  They are commanded to remember so they do not forget that it was God who brought them out of slavery as foreigners into a new land.  The implication of the text is that the people might think that all that is theirs is because of their own hard work.  It’s not, but by the grace of God.  And failure to remember God’s work will change how the Israelites live in relationship to others.

This is one of the reasons that it is so important for us to be committed to remembering all that God has done in our lives because it changes how we relate to the world and each other.  Often in the Old Testament remembering was directly tied to how one would care for others.  The Israelites needed to remember they were foreigners so that they always treat the stranger as a sacred guest.  By remembering where they have come from, they can care for the poor and marginalized.  Remembering who we are in relationship to God helps us to care for others.

 As I look around our community, it is quite apparent that God has profoundly shaped our lives and we have much to be grateful for.  May we never forget that it is God working through us and not us on our own accord so that we can see the sacred responsibility to continue God’s work of love and care for all.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What events and growth in your life do you specifically attribute to God?

Daily Challenge:  Think of something you could offer someone else related to what God has done for you.  See yourself as God’s answer to someone else’s suffering or needs.

Trinitarian love - February 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 102; PM Psalm 107:1-32; Isa. 65:17-25; 1 Tim. 5:17-22(23-25); Mark 12:28-34

Today’s Reflection

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’  Mark 12: 28-31

Our God is a God whose very character as a Trinity is relational, and that sense of relationship is to be mirrored in the way we, as believers in and lovers of this Trinity, relate both to God (in all the Godhead’s three persons) and to our neighbor. When we think of God’s love as grounded in this sense of a relationship, then love is not a feeling but rather a choice we make to give or share something with another—the spiritual virtue we call charity. Community is what comes when the different persons of the Trinity share love amongst each other. Likewise, community is what comes when the different persons of humanity share love amongst each other. This unity via gift-love is only possible when a multiplicity of persons exists—whether divine persons or human persons. As much as some might talk about self-love, when it comes to charity, or gift-sharing love, more than one party is required.

Just as Christ emptied himself for our good, so too are we to set aside self-centered motives for other-centered ones. As former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams reflects, “As we look to the Christ who is … both the voice of humanity and the voice of wisdom, we begin to see how we ourselves may grow … into the wisdom we need in order to see and live with God.” Christ is the medium that allows humankind to see God and live with God. Jesus taking human form allows humankind to see God in the flesh—in or in our own, human terms. Humankind can be understood as analogous to God, but we are more than that; we are created in God’s image, which is more than mere analogy. Connecting back to the Godhead’s “unity in diversity,” this Trinitarian interrelatedness could even be said to be embedded into our DNA. God is three in one; God is at once diverse and unified. If humans are created like God, then it is possible for us—individually and collectively—to be at once diverse and unified.

When we come to realize “who and what we are,” Williams observes, “we also recognize each other in a different way; we perceive the image of God in each other and we acknowledge that there is one good for all human beings, one standard of justice. Our conversion has immediate interpersonal repercussions.” What allows us to perceive God in others? Prayer, for one, is a spiritual practice that enables us to see others through the eyes and heart of God, allowing us to see that while we are many and diverse, we are one, and as such this will drive our values and practices individually and societally. As Williams concludes, “the most significant aspect of [Augustine’s] treatment of the central theological mysteries of Christianity is his clear realization that to believe in the Incarnation or the Trinity is a skill of holy living as well as holy thinking; it is inseparable from a revolution in your image of yourself and from learning a loving openness to the infinite love of God.”

 We are drawn into and called to a more holy life as we live more fully into our belief in a Father, Son, and Spirit who share in relationship amongst themselves—and who, together, call us into a relationship with them and with one another.

Becky+

Moment for Reflection

Reflect on a time when, sharing time or conversation with others, you felt deeply connected with God. How do you understand your relationships with other people as giving you deeper insight into your relationship with God, and with the Trinity’s relationships with one another?

Omitted texts - February 15, 2023

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
Isa 63:15-64:9; 1 Tim. 3:1-16; Mark 11:27-12:12

Looking at the assigned Daily Office readings during a week, you might notice that sometimes there are verses skipped, or that we jump around in a book or letter of Holy Scripture. That happens for us this week as we read the first letter to Timothy. There are portions omitted: 1 Timothy 2:9-15; 5:1-17; and 6:1-5. These excerpts reference hierarchical dynamics of women and slaves in the life of society and church.

While the second chapter of this Pauline letter says men ought to pray lifting up holy hands without anger or argument (v. 8), women should dress modestly and in suitable clothing, without finery like gold, pearls, or braided hair (v. 9). Rather than Paul’s characteristic writings about being justified by faith in God, here there is an emphasis on good works – described as learning in silence with full submission, and with no ability to teach or have authority over her husband, if she is to show proper reverence for God (v. 10-12). The writer gives this reasoning: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” (v. 13-14) And the saving grace? It is through childbearing, so long as these women continue faithful living, with love, devotion, and modesty. (v. 15)

I am taken aback rereading verse 12: “I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.” There were women holding leadership and teaching positions in the early church. We know of some of these brave ones: Priscilla, Lydia, Phoebe, and others are mentioned. What happened to create this hard-lined letter? Who wore flashy earrings and contradicted the preacher last week!? It feels like an overcorrection, and the reasoning for the reform is flawed. According to the writer of this letter, salvation is to come from birthing children, rather than from faith in Jesus who lived, died, and rose again. Bible commentary contributor Margaret M. Mitchell writes that the scriptural backing for this assertion is a “strong reading of Genesis 2-3, assigning all the blame to the woman,” in direct contrast to the way Paul presents Genesis and the sinfulness of humankind in his letter to the Romans (5:12-21).

This omission of scripture in our Daily Office lectionary is much more compelling to me today than what is actually appointed for today. It challenges me to sit with uncomfortable scripture, listening for and wondering into the truth that God is calling each of us to hear today. I pray for those who read Holy Scripture to justify diminishing some voices around us. In doing so, the mystery of our religion is devalued. I believe that the power of the Holy Spirit can flow through each of us, deepening our faith and inspiring us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus.

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

What are the written and unwritten rules of being in a faith community? What backs them up? What purposes do they serve? If you could, which would you throw out and which would you keep?

Revealing Our True Selves - February 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52; Isa. 63:1-6; 1 Tim. 1:1-17; Mark 11:1-11

Last week, my son’s school sent us a proof of his class picture.  We knew the day that he would take his class picture.  Jack wore a clean sweatshirt to school, one of his favorites. Sometime before pictures were taken, Jack had taken off the sweatshirt and tied it around his waist.  Instead of putting the covering back on, the teacher asked him to remove his sweatshirt for the class picture. So there Jack is standing, on the end of the class rows in his bright orange University of Tennessee basketball jersey and a very stoic grin.  It’s not how either Anne or I would have sent him to school for pictures, but if I am honest, it certainly captures Jack and his playfulness.

Today’s Gospel is the familiar story read on Palm Sunday from Mark.  Jesus takes a colt, and he rides into Jerusalem.  The text reads, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.”  When churches gather to reenact this in several weeks, people will stand outside naves with palm branches and shout “Hosanna in the Highest.”  I seriously doubt those same people will take off their coats and jackets and outwear, at least that is not a practice I’ve ever seen.

But it begs the question, would people have seen what they didn’t expect to see?  Would they have learned something about others gathered there, or caught a glimpse of who someone is that otherwise would have been covered up?  Is part of following Jesus the exposure of our authentic self, the revealing of the uniqueness of the identity as the people that God has created. 

This isn’t that new of a theme. In the Book of Esther, Queen Esther has to reveal her true identity, that as a Jewish woman, in order to save the very lives of her people.  Part of the Baptismal Covenant is to ‘respect the dignity of every human being’ and I wonder how much has to do with seeing people for who they are, trying to understand how their own experiences and histories have shaped them to be the people they are, and why it is important to listen and learn before reacting as an initial response.  At the very least, and ethic of seeking understanding, would go a long way in helping all Christians (and people in general) move toward beloved community. 

You and I are each made in the image of God, quirks and all.

John+

Questions for Daily Reflection:  Are there things about you that you think are important and yet you cover up from others?  Is the image that you work to present to the world your true self or something different? 

Daily Challenge: Share with a coworker, family member, or friend, something that brings you joy that you don’t often share with others.

From chains to freedom – February 8

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82
Isa. 59:15b-21; 2 Tim. 1:15-2:13; Mark 10:1-16

In Paul’s letter to Timothy appointed for today, he writes with urgency. “Be strong in the grace that is Christ Jesus,” he states to his friend who is helping spread the message of gospel hope across the Mediterranean region (2 Timothy 2). Paul encourages, “Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” And then he gives advice of this nature: stay out of the weeds of daily life, focus on pleasing your commander Jesus, and follow the rules (v. 4-5). It is the one who works hard who reaps the reward in the field (v. 6). Paul’s message to rise above the minutiae reminds me of my mom’s wisdom to mind my own little red wagon. It isn’t easy. Perhaps that is why the apostle encourages his friend to mull over the words he says, so that God will help cultivate understanding over time.

Paul can give this advice because he is willing to walk the walk of faithfulness. He knows hardship and imprisonment. He does not lose sight of the salvific hope of resurrection in Jesus, even though his own future is unclear. He is an impressive example of faith in God. Paul inspires me, for I have not know the hardships he did. His witness is a compelling one.

Today in the Episcopal church, we can also remember a more recent saint: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, a monastic who died in 1947. She was born in Darfur (western Sudan) and was abducted by Arab slave traders in the 1870s. Sold into slavery and passed from owner to owner, she ended up in Italy in the care of a monastic community called the Canossian Sisters. It was here that she found home, Christ, and renewed purpose. She chose to be baptized as Josephine Margaret; the trauma of her early years caused her to forget her birth name. In her new life as a Christian, she chose to enter religious service, serving Jesus. Though she had been enslaved, she is remembered for being gentle, calm, and wearing a smile all the time. In the description of her life, it is said that her legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. As a modern African saint, her history creates a story for hope to those also living lives of suffering. She is the patron saint of Sudan and for survivors of human trafficking. Like the apostle Paul, Josephine Bakhita is inspirational. I can almost hear her reading the closing words of our letter from Paul today, speaking of spreading the good news of Jesus: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.”

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

What hardships have shaped your faith?

What suffering has created a chasm in your relationship with Jesus?

Just like the Disciples - February 6

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; Isa. 58:1-12; Gal. 6:11-18; Mark 9:30-41

“But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.”  I feel like the disciples today.  Or at least I relate to them a little more.  I am celebrating my tenth year of ordination and almost 20 years of working for the Episcopal Church as a professional, sharing my faith as someone who is paid to do so. I should know what I am talking about.

Last week, I traveled to Oklahoma City to give a talk at the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers annual meeting.  I was tasked with speaking about leadership through tragedy and what we have learned.  It was the first time for me to really step back and spend a considerable amount of time in reflection and to begin to project how my vision for my own understanding of vocation and my faith is different.

As I spoke to the group, I shared that I see my faith with new clarity.  I pointed to the words of Eucharistic Prayer A: “Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.” Every Sunday, we affirm that God gave his life so that we might have life.  I just didn’t get it, or at least not the way I see it now.  

Maybe I have a little more sympathy for the disciples.  Jesus tells them over and over what he must endure, and they can’t quite grasp it.  I’ve been in the same boat almost all of my life. 

There is a good chance you are reading this because your life has been impacted by June 16 as well.  Maybe you found our community or our daily reflections because of what happened.  (Our email list grew by 400 overnight).  My hope is that you too have found renewal and a deepening of your own faith.  And today’s reading is a reminder to be more generous to those who haven’t quite figured it out.  The disciples didn’t understand either and they were told several times.  

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: How has your faith changed over the past seven months?  What do you attribute to this? 

Daily Challenge: If you have never done a spiritual autobiography, that can be a wonderful practice.  Take some time to draw a river that reflects your spiritual life over the course of your whole life.  Reflect where the river widens and when it narrows, when the water runs fast or slow.  This can be a helpful practice. 

'Sinking in deep mire' - February 3

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73; Isa. 56:1-8; Gal. 5:16-24; Mark 9:2-13

Today’s Reflection

The psalms appointed for this morning shows us a vivid and familiar picture of what it is to feel completely overwhelmed by our life. As we read at the beginning of Psalm 69:

Save me, O God. for the waters have risen up to my neck.

I am sinking in deep mire, and there is no firm ground for my feet.

I have come into deep waters, and the torrent washes over me.

I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed; my eyes have failed from looking for my God (Ps. 69: 1-4).

This psalm reminds me of a song called “Down in the Lowlands” by Charlie Peacock, who took Psalm 69 and made it his own. Whenever I hear this psalm, I hear Peacock and his collaborator Vince Ebo as they give voice to this lament:

Down in the lowlands, where the water is deep,
Hear my cry, hear my shout,
Save me, save me,
Down in the lowlands, where the water is deep,
Hear my cry, hear my shout,
Save me, save me.

Could this be it?
Could I be drowning?
Have I failed to be heard by the only one who can save me?
Show me some mercy, and touch me again,
Please lift me up above where I am.

Whether in the original words of the psalmist, or in Peacock’s reimagining of it, Psalm 69 gives voice to that feeling of being overwhelmed by our life, whether as a nation or as a family or as an individual. As noted Psalms scholar Robert Alter confirms, “In this psalm, the familiar image of drowning as a metaphorical representation of near death is elaborated with arresting physiological concreteness: The rising waters come up to the neck; the speaker feels his feet slipping from underneath him in the water as he sinks into the mire; then the current sweeps him away.”

But fear not! Psalm 69 begins to take a hopeful turn. Beginning in verse 14, the psalmist says,

As for me, this is my prayer to you… ‘In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help. Save me from the mire, do not let me sink… Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me (Ps. 69: 14-18).

And then later in the psalm, we hear this:

The afflicted shall see and be glad; you who seek God, your heart shall live. For the Lord listens to the needy and his prisoners he does not despise (Ps. 69: 34-35).

When we are feeling most overwhelmed by the deep waters of troubling times, when it seems like there is no escaping whatever situation we find ourselves stuck in, it is good to know that we have a God who will hear our cry and will answer us. We have a God who will turn toward us and show us compassion.

But how does God hear us and show us this compassion? In my experience, God shows that he sees us and hears us when we show up for one another. When we turn toward a fellow human being who is crying out for help—whether they are asking with a loud shout or in a desperate whisper—we are showing God’s saving help and compassion to that person. Who is God asking you to turn toward today, to extend a hand to help free them from whatever deep mire they are stuck in right now?

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Recall a time when you felt absolutely overwhelmed by life—or maybe that time for you is right now. Did someone come alongside you in a way that helped you keep believing in a God of love and compassion? What did that person say or do that helped you to feel seen, loved, and supported?

Daily Challenge

Ask God to show you someone in your circle of influence who may feel like they are drowning in deep waters or stuck in deep mire at this moment in their life. Listen for how God may be nudging you to be the person who gives them the support they need to get their feet back on dry land again.

Signs - February 1, 2023

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96
Isa. 54:1-10(11-17); Gal. 4:21-31; Mark 8:11-26

We went on a weeklong family road trip when I was about nine years old. My parents loaded up our station wagon with blue plush interior and woodgrain siding. They picked me up from a session of summer camp and we headed toward Virginia. We stopped off at a Tudor-style hotel in South Carolina for the night and swam in a swanky indoor pool that felt like a dream – but heavy on the chlorine. Continuing our journey the next day, we drove on to Virginia Beach, where some friends of my parents’ lived. We played on the sandy beach with their kids and relaxed for a day or two.

We spent a day at Colonial Williamsburg, taking a step back into history and living through the eyes of lifestyle in the 1700s. We donned three-cornered hats, watched candles being made, and observed a form of punishment in that time – the public stocks in the middle of the street. On another day, we wandered around the campus of the University of Virginia and visited Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The memories of that trip are fond, warm ones for me.

Here's another point that stands out about our journey: my dad was struck by how beautiful Virginia was. Specifically, he noticed that there were no billboards along roadways. The views of landscape and towns were not littered by signs. When we got home, he was so impressed that he wrote a letter to some person of influence or civic policy – that part is foggy, as it was decades ago – applauding the aesthetic, uncluttered feel of the communities we visited. I am reminded of the 1970 song “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band – remade in 1990 by the rock band Tesla.

The refrain goes,
“Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?”

Today’s gospel from Mark tells of Jesus, on the tails of feeding four thousand people. He has compassion for them and does not want to send them away hungry. When the meal is over and there are seven baskets of leftovers, Jesus gets into a boat with his friends and heads to another community. The Pharisees track him down and seek to start fights with him. They demand a sign from heaven to test him, we are told. Their questions for Jesus are not for understanding or even for belief. The Pharisees argue to poke holes in the fabric of who Jesus says he is. And it is exhausting. Jesus groans deeply in his spirit…he exhales in exasperation. He asks, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Perhaps Jesus would identify with the song “Signs”…Signs, signs, everywhere and everyone demanding signs! Jesus’ point is that signs clutter up belief, if signs are all that we are looking for. How beautiful can our lives be if we live into believing in God, rather than being distracted by what signs we see that might be indicators of hope and truth and salvation and light.

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

What signs and symbols are helpful reminders of God’s love? What signs are distracting? What other ways are you drawn into believing in the message of Jesus?

We still have more to learn - January 30

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65; Isa. 51:17-23; Gal. 4:1-11; Mark 7:24-37

There is a rather famous sentiment that is often attributed to Mark Twain.  Whether he said it or not, it’s a really brilliant idea.  “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  I think every parent gets the sentiment.  I was certainly that boy, although it took me a lot longer than seven years to realize how foolish I had been.  Elders are filled with wisdom that often our immaturity and arrogance keep us from seeing. 

In Paul’s letter to Galatians, Paul uses this idea of childhood as a metaphor for the life of faith.  “While we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world.”  It is not just that we have to be set for by Christ, we don’t even know what we need.  But now that Christ has redeemed our lives, we can learn to see the world.  

Paul continues, “Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits?”  He is making the claim Jesus has caused us to grow and our life is different because of that growth. 

When I was a teenager, I thought I knew everything.  I wonder how much I think I know about God and the love that Christ calls us into, and still how much I have yet to learn.  Maybe, I’m the 21-year-old, astonished at how much my old man has learned in seven years, still clueless to the way my father really works, loves, and calls us into life.  Might mean there is still a lot of growing up to do.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: When have you learned that you don’t know what you needed to know?  What are some humbling moments of self-growth?  How frequently do you experience that kind of learning?

Daily Challenge: Think of a time when you learned that one of your parents knew a lot more than you realized. 

'Take heart, it is I' - January 27

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Isa. 50:1-11; Gal. 3:15-22; Mark 6:47-56

Today’s Reflection

In the days and weeks leading up to the scene where we find them in today’s Gospel reading, much drama was swirling around the lives of Jesus and his disciples. Realizing they had been through so many stressful events in a short time, Jesus encouraged them to “‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves” (Mark 6: 31-32). But, at this point, Jesus and his disciples were growing in celebrity, so when people saw them, they began to gather, waiting for them to return to the shore and clamoring to hear more from Jesus. This set the scene for the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, taking five loaves and two fish, and making it enough to feed everyone.

Knowing that it had been a long day and that his disciples needed to get away, “Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray” (6: 45-46). We see in these choices—first in sending his disciples off to get their rest and time away from the crowds, and then in allowing himself the time to go up on the mountain to pray—how Jesus prioritized time set apart from the noise and the crowds to be refreshed and renewed before moving on to the next crowd and the next stop on their journey.

It is at this point in the story that we find Jesus and his friends in today’s passage from Mark. Evening had come, his friends were still “out on the lake, and he was alone on the land” (6:47). From his vantage point, up on the mountain, Jesus could see that his friends were struggling. Not being in the situation with them, he could tell from a distance how “they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind” (6:48). In the morning, while out for his walk “on the lake” (as only Jesus could do!), Jesus wanted to check on how they were doing after the windy night on the water: “he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake.” And then Mark adds this interesting detail: “He intended to pass them by” (6:48). So, Jesus had planned to just peek in on how they were, but then planned to keep going on his way, enjoying his morning walk.

But Jesus’ plan for an uninterrupted morning stroll on the lake was interrupted, of course, by the disciples, who saw his walking on the water and “thought it was a ghost,” which made them cry out and feel “terrified (6: 49-50). Jesus could have kept going—but then, that was not Jesus’ way. As their shepherd and friend, Jesus couldn’t just keep going—he needed to reassure them and help bring them back to a place of peace: “But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid’” (6:50).

Now, Jesus could have left it at that, just offering them these reassuring words, and then going about his way. But Jesus, being Jesus, saw that more was required if he was to be the Good Shepherd (and good friend) that they needed him to be in that moment. Which is why what Jesus does next is so important to note: “Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased” (6:51). In that moment, Jesus saw that he needed to be with the disciples. Jesus saw that the disciples needed that moment in which Jesus would be (literally) in the same boat with them.

When Jesus chose to be with the disciples, putting himself right there with them in the boat out on the lake, only then did the wind cease—both the physical element of the wind and their windy state of emotional and spiritual turmoil. By choosing to be with them in that moment—and by showing them how he could walk on water and make the wind cease—Jesus opened his friends’ eyes more clearly to who he was and all he was capable of—and left them with no doubts about just how much he valued and loved them.

Becky+

Question for Reflection

Jesus’ peaceful morning walk on the lake was interrupted by seeing his friends straining to row their boat in the wind. Author Henri Nouwen recounts a story of when he was walking across the Notre Dame campus with a colleague who shared that, “My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.” As Nouwen later reflected, “But what if our interruptions are in fact our opportunities?”

Reflect on a moment of holy interruption in your own life and how God used that unexpected encounter for good.

Confession and Absolution – January 25

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]
Isa. 49:1-12; Gal. 2:11-21; Mark 6:13-29 

The apostle Paul writes to the churches in Galatia about what it means to live faithfully with God. He also reports on those who are not living on the straight and narrow path. In today’s excerpt, Paul gives Peter (Cephas) a hard time. Peter – a Jew – purportedly is living “like a Gentile and not like a Jew.” As such, how can Peter expect others to live into Jewish cultural norms, when he is not abiding by them? Paul goes on a bit and then says, “But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor.”

In abstruse language, Paul points to the problem of sin, and the temptation to fall into former ways. We try to follow Jesus. We try to live into our baptismal promises to turn our backs on sin and turn our faces to God. The very thing we promise to avoid presents itself and feels so tempting and dangerous…even if that temptation is only a tiny chocolate morsel.

The Good News is that faith in Jesus and the grace of God are the salvific tidbits…as Paul states, “we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” And while justification comes through God’s benevolent grace, we still make day-to-day choices like a short temper or dishonesty to avoid hard exchanges with a neighbor.

Each time we confess our sins to God – whether in worship during Morning Prayer or a Sunday service, or in a breath prayer on the way to work – we are reminded of the Christ light that lives in each of us. When we hear the Absolution, it solidifies for us that God has forgiven our sins and put them away. “Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.”

In that prayerful exchange, we have affirmation that restoration of relationship with God (and others) is possible. Thanks be to God!

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

What makes confession easier? What makes it harder?

Daily Challenge:

Pause and deeply reflect today before saying the Confession. When you hear the words of the Absolution, truly receive God's forgiveness.

Jesus the Healer - January 23

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; Isa. 48:1-11; Gal. 1:1-17; Mark 5:21-43

In today’s passage from Mark, one of the leaders of the synagogue, Jairus, is in desperate need of healing for his daughter.  He falls to his feet and begs Jesus for mercy for his daughter.  He pleads with Jesus.  “Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”  Jesus follows and another woman comes who has been suffering and she is healed as well. She seeks Jesus out in the crowd, pushing through with fear and trembling. 

In this story, it is not just the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus’s daughter who are suffering.  Jairus is as well.  He suffers from watching his loved one become ill.  Jesus’s healing is not just for the unwell people, but for the people who love them as well.  Jesus actually takes the father and the mother, and the text says, “the others who were with them.”

 One simple observation would be that when faced with hardship, illness, or tragedy, there are two potential outcomes to our faith.  Our faith can grow, or it can lessen. This is my pastoral observation of life in general. I have witnessed several people in two decades of ministry, who have drifted away from faith when something painful happens in their life. The loss of a loved one, an illness or suffering of a beloved spouse or friend. These kinds of losses can have an impact on an entire community. 

However, the opposite is also true, that often one’s faith can be deepened.  Rarely, does a person seem unchanged.  In both instances in Mark, a woman who is in pain, and a father and mother who are distraught for their daughter, find their lives changed. The pain and fear for their child have driven them to know Jesus in a way that hadn’t before.  It is the beginning of a new understanding of God’s love, Jesus who comes to be with them in their distress, who takes their hand and leads them into caring for their daughter. 

One of the beautiful things about being in Christian community, is the reality that others have faith too and they teach us, and guide us, and lift us up when our faith isn’t as strong.  Most Sundays have us begin our statement of faith with the words, “We believe.”  It’s not an ‘I’ statement, but a recognition that we are part of something larger. We get to have our hands taken and led to something that we might not always be able to claim on our own, just like Jesus guiding the family and others to see their beloved child.  In community, we teach each other, we play a role in shaping the faith of others. 

This is the fundamental difference between growing in our faith or losing it altogether.  To look and see God at work in the people around us can make all the difference in the world.  When faced with what we don’t understand, trying to look in the pew next to you, in those gathered behind and before you, who are praying with you and for you.  It matters.  It’s God showing up as God always does. 

Just as it was for Jarius, God’s healing happens when we see God at work in our lives, leading us to be with us, no matter what it is we are to face. 

John

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Are there moments that you have felt closer to God or father away?  What about moments when your faith was deepened? 

Jesus and the Disinherited - January 20

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; Isa. 45:18-25; Eph. 6:1-9; Mark 4:35-41

Today’s Reflection

On Thursday evenings this winter and spring, a small group of us are gathering on Zoom or discuss books by some of the great theologians and thinkers of today and the recent past. The book we are starting with in 2023 is a brief but but very important book, Jesus and the Disinherited, by theologian and mystic Howard Thurman. Civil rights movement leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was very influenced and inspired by Thurman’s theological outlook, and considered this particular book so important that he carried a copy of it with him wherever he went as traveled the United States campaigning for equal rights for people of all colors.

In our first discussion of the beginning of Jesus and the Disinherited last week, we reflected on memories Thurman shares of his grandmother. Thurman, who was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida (also my hometown), would spend much time with his grandmother and was assigned the special task of reading books and letters to her as she could neither read nor write as she grew up in slavery in rural, inland Florida. Thurman recalls being impressed by his grandmother’s recall of scriptures and how she always had a clear idea of what she wanted him to read—but also what she did not want him to read. She loved to hear the Psalms and the Gospels, but she expressly did not want to hear anything from Paul’s letters save occasionally wanting to hear the love passage (1 Corinthians 13).

You may wonder why Thurman’s grandmother was so against hearing her grandson read to her from Paul’s letters. Today’s passage from Ephesians 6 is one of the reasons why:

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free” (vv. 5-8).

In the plantation chapel where Thurman’s grandmother worshipped, a white minister would be sent in to preach to the enslaved people there several times a year, and this passage is one of the ones he would always give a sermon on. They were not allowed to have an African American preacher of their own choosing. Because these white preachers would always come in and selectively used these and similar verses from Paul’s letters to keep them in their places of forced servitude to their white enslavers, Thurman’s grandmother vowed that if she ever gained her freedom that she would never voluntarily hear these letters of Paul that were weaponized against her and others to keep them in slavery.

Verses 5-8 are part of a larger passage in which Paul writes about various ways in which human beings are in relationships with others: those who hold authority over us, and those over whom we have authority. In verses 1-4, Paul writes about the relationship between parents and children. Then in verses 5-9, Paul writes of enslaved people and those who enslaved them. When these preachers were brought in by the slaveholders to deliver sermons, they inevitably focused on verses 5-8 and left out verse 9, which delineates the reciprocal expectations placed on them: “And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.”

It’s crucial that we keep in mind that Paul was writing his letters, including this one to the Ephesians, in the context of the Roman Empire, a highly stratified culture of citizens and non-citizens, free people and enslaved people. Slavery was taken for granted in Paul’s time and place as part of the cultural context. Should he have questioned it and campaigned against it? Absolutely. But, unfortunately, Paul did not—rather, as in this letter, he admonishes people how to live within the cultural context within which they found themselves, rather than using his influence to change it. Paul, in not questioning slavery and not working against it, was complicit in it—as were people of faith in Thurman’s grandmother’s time who weaponized scriptures like Ephesians 6: 5-8 to keep millions of people of color enslaved for generations.

If we read on in Ephesians 6, we find other words from Paul that seem more in line with Jesus being on the side of the disinherited, the marginalized, the enslaved:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (10-13).

As Thurman argues throughout Jesus and the Disinherited, Jesus was not only on the side of the disinherited, but as a poor Jew living as a minority in the Roman Empire, Jesus was himself one of the disinherited. God, in being incarnate as the Jesus who grew up in a poor Jewish family in Nazareth, made a very deliberate choice. The very human life taken on by the Son of God was as a person on the margins of society. Jesus knew what it was like to be poor, to be meek, to be subject to the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers of this present darkness. And in this, anyone who has ever felt powerless and discriminated against can know, without a doubt—in spite of the ways scripture has been misused to keep people down—that God is always on their side. Thanks be to God.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

I wonder if you have ever observed people using scriptures to keep people quiet or unfairly subject to the power of others, whether in terms of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, or sexual orientation. Reflect on the ways we can, instead, use scriptures to lift up vulnerable people and inspire equality in how we as individuals, as a church, and as a society treat one another.

Daily Challenge

If you’d like to join our Thinking & Theology on Thursdays discussion group, email becky@ssechurch.org for our reading schedule and the Zoom link.

The tension between darkness and light – January 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14; Isa. 41:1-16; Eph. 2:1-10; Mark 1:29-45 

“The season of Epiphany is when we celebrate the revealing of Christ to the world. We mark the arrival of the One who is the light of the world: a light that brings life, a light that brings hope. This light shines its brightest when we are in community – with God and with one another.” - The Episcopal Church

I have been playing with the tension between darkness and light in my mind of late. As I ponder, I know on multiple levels that we need one to welcome the other. For plants, people, and pets alike, darkness brings a slowing down. A time of rest and respiration. An ending. Darkness can also bring a time of peril and uncertainty. Light heralds an awakening. Warmth and growth and movement. Light can blind us or wear us out, pushing us to close our eyes.

When I was in school, a friend was struggling. He spoke of how dark the hopelessness within him was. I went to the Gospel of John: “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (1:4-5) I wrote these words down and passed them to my friend. He knew them already.

In the daily office readings appointed for today, the play between darkness and light is woven into the messages for us. In Isaiah 45, we read the words from God spoken to Cyrus the king of Persia, who is to help the Israelites escape from exile:
     “I am the Lord, and there is no other;
        besides me there is no god.
        I arm you, though you do not know me,
       so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
        and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
        I am the Lord, and there is no other.
      I form light and create darkness,
        I make weal and create woe;
        I the Lord do all these things.”

The apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, sharing wisdom of how to live in faithfulness to God and in Christian community. He advises, “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true….Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

In the Gospel according to Mark today, Jesus is teaching a parable to the crowd – the one about the sower who sows seeds on all kinds of terrain. Then, he takes his disciples aside later and shines light on the figurative language of the story, so that they may fully understand the messages he is conveying about faithful living – and the pitfalls that can come.

We are in the season following the Epiphany, when the light of Christ is revealed. Christ shines the light of hope, understanding, and comfort into the darkest spaces of our lives. It is that light that draws others in, to ask questions and find healing. May the Epiphany light shine brightly within you, upon you, and before you this day, so that in this warmth, others may know the love and glory of God.

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

Who are the people around you who shine the light of Christ? How do you show this brightness? Who are the community around you who support and encourage this light?

Daily Challenge:

Prepare for this Sunday’s worship by immersing yourself in a study of the scripture. Try doing a method of Bible study called lectio divina: click this link to access the steps of this reflective method of reading the gospel. You may watch a recorded conversation of other Episcopalians going through the steps of lectio, too.

'I have taken you by the hand and kept you' - January 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22; Isa. 42:(1-9)10-17; Eph. 3:1-13; Mark 2:13-22 

Today’s Reflection

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. —Thomas Merton

We humans tend to be very fearful of uncertainty. We have a fear of the unknown and of the future. We feel uncomfortable and afraid when we cannot see around the bend in the road. But when I think of some of my favorite places to go hiking—whether at Red Mountain Park here in Birmingham, or on the Lake Beresford Trail back in my home of Central Florida, or at McKinney Roughs outside Austin—I recall how some of what makes those trails most appealing to me are the curves. Seeing a bend in the trail up ahead, you wonder what may be around it—what beauties of nature will I experience next? Perhaps, as at Lake Beresford, I'll encounter a magnolia tree whose massive, fragrant white blooms I can smell even before I see the tree towering around the bend. Perhaps I'll encounter a wild boar and her babies up in a stand of trees as I come around the next curve in the path, as I once did at McKinney Roughs. We don’t know what exactly we will encounter—be it beautiful or dangerous—around the next bend. But if choose to set out hiking on the trail, we accept that there will be hills and bends that we cannot see beyond—and we know that these grades and curves are what make the hike interesting and beautiful as well as risky.

When we consider today’s Old Testament passage from Isaiah 42, we read of a God who cares for each one of us today just as he cared for Isaiah and the people of Israel centuries ago: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights” (v. 1). God upholds or supports us, and not only but God also delights in us. Wait, did I read that right? God delights in us. Yes, we bring God delight, in God’s very soul. That’s strong language. God doesn’t just tolerate us, he chooses us, upholds us, and delights in us.

The God who made the heavens and the earth and all who dwell therein also wants to care for us, guide us, and guard us: “Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you” (v. 5-6a). Imagine walking along and God taking you by the hand and keeping you by their side. We don’t have to imagine it, that is what God promises to us in these words to us through the prophet Isaiah. God sent Jesus to walk with us, and be with us, as one of us. And God sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us from within and be among us, to intercede for us when we don’t know how, to whisper and nudge us and stir us toward what God would have us to do, where God would have us to go, and who God means for us to be and to become.

And when we feel as if we are unable to see where to place our next steps, this God who upholds us and delights in us, who has taken us by the hand and kept us by their side, is there to lead us on when the path seems unfamiliar or even hard to find: “I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known, I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them (v. 16).

So, take courage. Our God has given us his Spirit to abide in us and with us, so that we need not be paralyzed by either regret for the past or by fear for the future. We cannot see around the bend in the road. But at each bend we can choose to keep walking, knowing that God's love for us is sure, and believing that while we may not know what lies ahead, we will not walk there alone.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

I wonder when you have felt someone took delight in being your presence or took real delight in some aspect of who you are. Reflect on how that carried over into the other relationships in your life and into your own sense of self. I wonder how you have taken delight in and upheld the people in your circle of care.

Daily Challenge

Allow yourself 10 minutes of stillness and quietness today to sit with the realization that God chooses you, upholds you, and delights in you; God takes you by the hand and keeps you at their side; God guides you, shines a light before you, and turns rough places into level ground. God has done this. God is doing this. God will do this. God loves you. Always.

Who are we? – January 11

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14 
Isa. 41:1-16; Eph. 2:1-10; Mark 1:29-45 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

One of my favorite movies that we watch as a family is based upon a Roald Dahl book called The Fantastic Mr. Fox. In this delightful work, interpreted through the creative lens of Wes Anderson, the protagonist Foxy Fox, given voice by George Clooney, has a crisis of self. Who is he? He misses the glory days of stealing chickens and quick escapes. He wants to conduct his fox-life so that he lives out his years in satisfaction, not fear. He no longer wants to live underground. He yearns to leave behind the grind of being a journalist. He seeks adventure and a big house in a tall tree. He is a wild animal and wants to live as one. The movie traces Mr. Fox's foibles in finding himself - and it is a fun ride.

Oddly, I am reminded of The Fantastic Mr. Fox as I read Ephesians 2 today. Paul is reminding the church at Ephesus who they are, and how they got to this point. They were dead through their sins and previous ways of life apart from faithfulness to God. They – like Paul – wrestled with following the desires of flesh and hormones, seeking immediate gratification and sated urges. And, that was not the end of the story…God, who is full of mercy and love, gave new life to the world in Jesus the Messiah. That gift was a gift of salvation, lifting us from life conducted underground and elevating us to new heights. The gift of Jesus was given by the grace of God – and the saving occurred by this action of generosity, not by anything they could do. Living well, eating well, praying well…none of it could bridge the gap between death and eternal life. Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” The apostle Paul closed this section in this way, addressing identity: “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

My friends, we are the workmanship of God, who has given us a way of grace and life. God has given us a path to walk and companions along the way. For this gift, let us breathe in gratitude and share the Good News with someone who needs this reminder today. Good luck out there!

Katherine+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

Who do you say that you are? What are the mantras you repeat to yourself, affirming your identity? How does your faith in God get expressed in who you are?

Daily Challenge:

Ponder your identity as the work of God.

Invite someone into a conversation to share who they are, as you introduce yourself.

Another Point of View - January 9

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7; Isa. 40:12-23; Eph. 1:1-14; Mark 1:1-13 

The beginning of the Good News as told by Mark begins with a passage from Isaiah and John the Baptist hanging out in the wilderness.  It caught my ears especially this morning because Sunday’s Gospel was the same story but told from Matthew’s point of view.  Matthew’s story came after a long account of Jesus’s genealogy that was not read yesterday. Two stories read back to back, slightly different, from different points of view written to different communities and we have heard them both in 24 hours’ time. 

It is in Matthew’s Gospel that John tries to tell Jesus that Jesus should be the one baptizing him.  Mark’s Gospel this morning adds some important context, but Matthew’s Gospel adds that small little detail that we would have missed if we didn’t have Matthew’s point of view. 

Could this be indicative of the nature of God – that there are some details that we need another point of view to fully understand? The different Gospel narratives together paint a much clearer picture of who God is in Jesus Christ, with no one Gospel claiming an exclusive understanding.  As Christians, we are given all of the texts to read and study together.  We need different points of view together to paint a picture of the greater truth of God’s love and character. 

Maybe this is just how the world works.  Truth is always bigger than our own limited point of view.  If it’s true about God, shouldn’t it be true about everything else?

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What stories or truths are important to you that might benefit from another point of view or a few more details? 

Daily Challenge:  Reread the story from Mark.  Now read the passage in Matthew’s Gospel here.  What are the major differences that you notice? 

Good News - January 6

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 46, 97;  PM Psalm 96, 100; Isa. 52:7-10; Rev. 21:22-27; Matt. 12:14-21

Today’s Reflection

How beautiful upon the mountains
   are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
   who announces salvation,
   who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ —Isaiah 52: 7

Like us, the people of Israel had also been through a lot—and not just for two or three years, but over several decades of being in exile. And like us, they didn’t always respond very well to being under the pressure of these ongoing, harsh conditions. Sometimes they questioned God. And they didn’t always follow God’s directions—so they got into some trouble, with God and with one another. The relationship between God and God’s people, especially in terms of mutual trust, was understandably strained.

Again and again, the people felt like giving up on God and lost faith that God was looking out for them and caring for them. And for God’s part, God gave up on the people and told them they were on their own. If you all think you can do it better, if you think you can take care of yourselves better than I can take care of you, go ahead—give it a try. Kind of like God asking them, “How’s that going for you?” Sounds kind of familiar, right? The people of Israel had strayed and they had disobeyed, and they had given up on God and given up on themselves. And even God had given up on them for a while—or at least he was very, very frustrated with them.

God doesn’t say, you won’t have to pass through the waters. God doesn’t say, you won’t have to walk through fire. What God says, instead, is that, yes, you will pass through the waters and the rivers—but you will not pass through them alone. I will be with you, and I will not let them overwhelm you. And God says, yes, there will be times when you will walk through fire—but you will not be burned, and you will not be consumed.

Some people have, over the years, mistaken such statements to mean that God will not give us more than we can handle. That statement is flawed on a few levels. First, does God “give us” difficult circumstances? Does God decide to drop us down into a flood or a fire or its equivalent? I don’t think God does. Second, I believe God gives us the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and our Guide, to be with us and sustain us in circumstances that are just plain heavy and overwhelming—situations that are truly more than we can handle on our own. We will certainly come face to face with situations that are much more than we can ever handle on our own. But we can also be certain that God is with us in those situations—and that God also gives us one another to walk through these floods and fires of life together.

One of the blessings of going through the past few years of pandemic together has been seeing all the creative and compassionate ways people have come up with being there for each other—both for people they personally know and for the wider world. One example that comes to mind is a YouTube series produced by John Krasinski (best known for his role as Jim on The Office). On March 25, 2020, John Krasinski posted a tweet asking people to tell him some good news, “stories that made you feel good this week or the things that just made you smile.” From this tweet he received so many pieces of good news that he decided to start making a web series called Some Good News, filmed in his home in Brooklyn, complete with a colorful logo hand-drawn by his daughters with markers and crayons.

As he opened the first episode, on March 29, 2020, he observed, “And what a week for good news it was. Yes, without question, we are all going through an incredibly trying time. But, through all the anxiety, through all the confusion, all the isolation, and all the Tiger King, somehow the human spirit still found a way to break through and blow us all away.” They made just eight episodes of Some Good News in those earliest months of our collective lockdown, from March to May of 2020, but they went viral and that very first episode has been viewed over 18.7 million times so far—which, to me, means John Krasinski could be considered an incredibly effective evangelist, or spreader of the Good News.

You know, a lot of times we think of the Good News in Holy Scripture as being contained within the four Gospel books, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But as I was reading what people have to say about the prophetic Book of Isaiah, I found one scholar, Frederick Gaiser, who calls it the Gospel of Isaiah. Isaiah not only bears the Good News that God is with us, and therefore we should not be afraid, but in Isaiah 43 we hear what Gaiser calls “the direct three-word ‘Valentine’ from God.: ‘You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.’ Here the claim of divine love is no longer spoken about God, but by God.

“Good news” captures exactly what we are hearing God say to us, his dearly loved children:

Here’s some Good News, God says: I created you and formed you.

Good News, God says: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.

Good news, God says: I have called you by name, and you are mine.

Good news, God says: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and they will not overwhelm you.

Good news, God says: When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or consumed.

And still more good news, God says: I am the LORD your God, your Savior. You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

Recall a time when you received some astonishingly good news. I wonder how it felt to be surprised by something so good and yet so unexpected. I wonder how it felt to be the one to share that good news with you.

Daily Challenge

Make a point to pay attention to stories of good news when you read or listen to media today, then make a point to initiate a conversation with someone in your life about something that was both very astonishing and very good. Reflect on how it feels to be a messenger of Good News.

“I will be with you.” – January 4, 2023

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 85, 87; PM Psalm 89:1-29; Exod. 3:1-12; Heb. 11:23-31; John 14:6-14

Reading the scriptures for this morning left me thinking about the stories we tell about our brushes with the Divine. How do we put into words the experiences we have on holy ground? What reassures us that those moments are real and valid and not just wacky dreams after eating a late dinner?

Moses had exceptional accounts of conversing with God. In Exodus 3, he is tending his father-in-law’s livestock and wanders to a mountain. A bush bursts into flames and the angel of the Lord appears in the tongues of fire. Then God calls to him by name, “Moses!” Stunned, the man answers, “Here I am.” Yahweh instructs Moses to remove his footwear, as he is standing on sacred turf. That part of the story I often remember.

The second part of this reading from Exodus 3 stands out to me today, as God continues: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” The Lord says how the misery of the Israelites in Egypt is not lost or hidden from sight. God hears their cries and knows their suffering. Relief is ahead – in a land of nourishment and health, quite contrary to the slavery and oppression in Egypt. Deliverance is promised. And Moses will be the one to petition Pharaoh.

Moses is willing to answer when a voice from a burning shrub calls out to him. He accepts that the Lord is the God of his forefathers. And when God says that Moses will be the one to convince the enemy’s leader to set God’s people on the path home, that is when he doubts. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God meets Moses right there, saying, “I will be with you”.

No matter the challenge that faces you today, or this week, or this year, God promises each of us that same assurance: I will be with you. God even sent Jesus as a tangible symbol of that promise…to walk alongside people struggling, doubting, hurting. Jesus helps direct our eyes to God. We pray to a God who knows us. Who has guided those who came before us. It is God who assures us, “I will be with you.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

We all question God at some point. What circumstances have left you doubting God? How do you move forward? Who is a partner for you in this? What did you learn?