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Created Human – Divinely Blessed (February 28) 2010-02-24 by Mark Miller Submit a Question | Submit an Article The Gospel of Luke is filled with all kinds of stories of healing and miracles performed by Jesus. This particular passage, however, seems to gloss over that fact as Jesus has a singular focus now, to head towards Jerusalem and the Cross. It would be an understatement to say the words spoken to the Pharisees are pointed and forceful. Usually when Jesus says, “Listen,” He means it. In the passage it is clear His resolve to fulfill what He has been called to do will not diminish. Jesus tells the Pharisees to ‘go and tell’ Herod that today is not the day, and that ‘I must be on my way’. ‘The Way’ Jesus describes offers a path that will lead the disciples, future generations and even us today on a blessed journey with Him. My first reaction to this invitation to follow Jesus on this journey is to prepare myself to do great and wonderful things for God. It isn’t long after that I come to the conclusion God doesn’t need me for that. Unfortunately, that train of thought tends to lead me down the path of least resistance. It lets me off the hook and gives me the opportunity to make excuses. Another word for that is sin. The bible is full of stories with excuses. In just a few verses, we will hear another one, the parable of the great supper (Luke 14:15–24). I think this one could also be called the parable of the great excuses. Those stories are there for a reason, teaching me something about my human nature, and the realization that Jesus’ faith doesn’t allow for any excuses, and He doesn’t offer up any either. So what then does God think when I stray off the path? What does God think of my excuses? When I am not willing, does Jesus’ lament for me the same way He did for Jerusalem? When I’m not willing, does Jesus move on to someone who is? Will I see him when the time comes? These are tough questions to ponder, but good questions for me this Lenten season. Dealing with these questions is complicated by the fact I’m distracted and sometimes paralyzed by the world I live in. My human condition, with all its faults, gets in the way. In the midst of all these distractions, I lose sight of the fact that as part of His creation, God, more than anyone else, understands my humanity. In her latest book, “An Altar in the World,” pastor and author Barbara Brown Taylor writes about her spirituality from this human perspective. She explores her human condition in a series of what she calls ‘practices’ or ordinary aspects of her life here on earth. She discovers God is most certainly present within these practices or events in her life, and more importantly, that God wants to be present there. During this Lenten season, my hope and my prayer is I will be more aware of the presence of God in the everyday events of my life, letting Him lead me beyond my excuses to faithful service. Maybe I will learn the answers to my questions aren’t as important as allowing God’s presence to ascend from my mind to my heart or discovering I can still be amazed by God. Maybe I will learn my life on earth is not so much about what I do, but was done for me by a savior whose passion allows me to be both human and divinely blessed, and more importantly, that my excuses are forgiven. Citizenship of Heaven (Feb 28) 2010-02-23 by Tim Norton Submit a Question | Submit an Article One can see the sadness Jesus feels for what he is about to do. His lament over Jerusalem strikes a resonant chord with us in a period of atonement as is this season of Lent. He alone understands the weighty meaning of the prophecy about the Son of Man that he has been trying, unsuccessfully, to convey to his disciples up to this point. Truly, Christ’s passion begins well before Holy Week, as he contemplates entering the city that is destined to betray him and kill him. Don’t you just know he would have loved to embrace the people of the city and gather them to himself, as he laments here? Jerusalem, the seat of Judaism, the home of the temple. But there is more work to do, and Jerusalem will have to tend to itself for now. I wonder, too, about the concept of a homeland, a promised land, as in the Genesis passage. To Abram’s descendants God promises a huge piece of land – from the Nile to the Euphrates is virtually all of the modern Middle East. Our history since that time has been conflict after conflict to see who will possess and settle that land. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul insists that our citizenship is in heaven, and that we should not set our mind on earthly things – much the same advice Jesus gives his disciples throughout his ministry. “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also” – Martin Luther’s lyrics hauntingly remind me that God’s kingdom is not of this earth; and that if I focus on the temporal, I may miss the eternal. Too Many Negatives (February 28) 2010-02-22 by Peggy Dillner Submit a Question | Submit an Article I'm reading these having come away from a weekend heated discussion with an aetheist family member. How would he possibly find anything in these three scripture readings that would do anything to persuade him that there is a supreme being worth worshipping? The first, a Genesis reading has Abram speaking of his slave heir (just a little bit of a problem with this, all feminists!) plus all the animal sacrifices. (All a very primitive response saith my aethiest family member). OK. We move into the NT and look at Paul's letter to the Philippians. This is not exactly an ecumenical text. How can I honestly deal with this text with honorable, moral friends who happen to be Jewish? "Their end is destruction." The God I prefer to allude to as my Ultimate Being would not cast them aside. So what am I to do with this text? Now we come to the gospel reading. The poor city of Jeruselum! "the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!" How depressing. We have entered the Christian season of Lent, so I do understand that we are to be self-reflective, introspective, and possibly confessing. A pastor needs to help me see the positive in these scriptures. As alluded to initially, I've just spent considerable time advocating for a Christian perspective on life to a family member. Then I read thse three lectionary readings and thought, "Ah ha! It's no wonder I have three non-church-attending adult children!" This is a significant challenge to preachers who wish to bring in new members who are connected to the technological world and can find subtance in these ancient flat-world words. Connections? (February 21) 2010-02-16 by Peggy Dillner Submit a Question | Submit an Article My first reading of these three lectionary scriptures has me pondering their connection. The Deuteronomy reading is all about sharing one's bounty -praising God for both deliverance and the crop's bounty to share first because of thanksgiving. Then we move to Romans which speaks of acceptance of all who come before God. It speaks to me of my denomination's acceptance wherever you are on your spiritual journey. The Luke passage is all about testing God. Worship God, don't test him/her. I'm a congregant on the first Sunday of Lent wondering how exactly these three scripture fit together. (with apologies for only having read them twice this evening - and NOT reading before and after - which is what most worshipers on Sunday will do.)
Shine On Me (February 14) 2010-02-11 by Tim Norton Submit a Question | Submit an Article “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you…” It’s my favorite benediction and I’ve always held the hope to see the glory of the Lord someday. But I wonder – could I handle it? In the passages for today are three instances when this same hope has come to pass – each time showing the failings of human understanding. We’re drawn to the Light, who could turn away? But are we missing the whole point? Moses has brought the law to the Israelites – the word of God given by God himself. Shouldn’t that be enough? But they’re distracted by Moses’ appearance. They want to follow a leader, and it seems God is saying that he’s given them everything they need to lead themselves – but they don’t get it. Isn’t Paul challenging us to use the “glory of the Lord” that is in all of us to boldly go and spread the good news of the gospel to everyone? But are we “getting” that at all? And can you feel the frustration Jesus must be experiencing with the crowd, with his disciples? Just before and again just after the Luke passage, Jesus has explained to his followers what he is about to endure. But they understand none of it. Then at his transfiguration, Jesus’ glory is revealed, and all Peter, James and John can think is how great it is that they are there. Did they even hear God’s voice telling them to ignore what he looks like, just do what he says? Is Jesus so annoyed by the crowd who flock around him because of his fame and what he can do for them, or by his disciples who have been with him all along, but still don’t get it, that he calls them faithless and perverse? Are we faithless, or just a work in progress? I'm reminded of another of Paul's benedictions - "Now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." Happy Valentine's Day! [First Page] [Prev] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 [Next] [Last Page] Login - (This login is for administrators and bloggers. Usernames and passwords for GoodPreacher subscribers will not work here.) |
