Monthly Archives: August 2013

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Be Free

Readings

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-6

Hebrews 12:18-29

Luke 13:10-17

Devotion

Peace be with you!

According to the Bible, Sabbath means a day of rest. There is even a commandment stating that we should rest on the seventh day. But in this modern society, do we ever take a day per week to rest? Do we even know how to rest? Do we know what it means to rest?

My body has a Sabbath clock built in. If I am on the go constantly too many days in a row, my muscles shut down on me. Last month I went to Minnesota for five days for a conference. I was up early each day for lectures and discussions and up late each night visiting with friends. I flew home on a six o’clock flight in the morning so I could be home for an appointment in the afternoon. I was tired when I finally got home, but I had every intention of getting up the next morning to volunteer at the hospital. My step-dad said I was never going to make it to the hospital, but I insisted I would. The next morning, my alarm went off; my brain attempted to wake up but my muscles just laughed at me and I couldn’t manage to get up. Finally, my brain surrendered and I fell back to sleep. My body needed twelve hours of sleep – a day of rest.

On the Sabbath, Jesus is in the synagogue like most good Jews when he sees a woman who is unable to stand up straight (Luke 13:11). A spirit has crippled her for eighteen years (Luke 13:11); she walked around bent over for 6,570 days, unable to straighten up and unable to see what was in front of her. Her back was in constant pain from being bent over.

Jesus calls her over and says, “Woman, you are set free of your aliment” (Luke 13:12 NRSV).  The woman stands up straight for the first time in eighteen years when Jesus lays hands on her (Luke 13:13ab). Immediately, the woman begins praising Jesus (Luke 13:13c) because for the first time she is without pain and can see what is in front of her. Jesus has compassion for the woman, not because she asks for the healing or makes a statement of faith, but she is oppressed by her aliment.

The synagogue’s leaders have a fit over Jesus healing the woman on a Sabbath. To the crowd, the leaders say, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14c NRSV). The leaders are quoting the Sabbath commandment from Exodus 20 where the focus is on the fact God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. Jesus turns the argument around on the leaders by pointing to Deuteronomy 20:15:

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 20:12-15 NRSV).

Jesus is telling the people, “You rest on the Sabbath to remember the Lord saved you from being oppressed in Egypt.” So Jesus asks the leaders, “Why should this woman not be healed on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:16). By being healed, the woman was set free from her disability, which prevented her from enjoying life. Healing the woman honored the Sabbath commandment according to Jesus.

We often focus on the not working aspect of the Sabbath commandment. What would it look like if we spent the Sabbath focusing on being free of oppression? We could use the Sabbath to lift the spirits of others by empowering them to be their best. We could work on letting go of those ideals which cause us to withhold ourselves from the community. Worship encourages us to come together as a community to free those around us from our shortcomings and to build each other up as God’s children. The world’s oppression, which tries to keep us from God, is laid on the altar where the needs of the community are lifted up in prayer. The inclusive Christian community invites all people to look forward to the Kingdom of God where oppression does not exist.

On days when my muscles shut down, I am reminded of my body’s limits. Due to Cerebral Palsy, I am constantly battling my muscles to do what I want them to do: brush my hair, stand up, type an email, paddle my bike, and [whatever “it” is] I need to do. However, when my Sabbath alarm clock goes off, my muscles force me to relax and be quiet and stationary. Being still causes my muscles to forget the oppression they battle every other day. I often forget how much work it takes for me to function until my body demands a day of rest – not because I do not understand my own limits but because I am too busy in the world. On my shut-down days, I am reminded how much I need God the Father to give me strength.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the Sabbath to rest and to release us from oppression. Help us to honor the Sabbath as a way to worship you. Give us the strength to let go of what oppresses us. Release us from the world’s oppression as we go out to share the good news. Thank you for releasing us from oppression to be in a relationship with you. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you honor the Sabbath?

2. When and how do you experience oppression?

3. What would it look like if we spent the Sabbath focusing on being free of oppression?

4. How does your body force you to take a Sabbath?

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Not Peace but Fire

Readings

Jeremiah 23:23-29

Psalm 82

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Luke 12:49-56

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There is no doubt that our actions affect people around us. When a gentleman holds a door open for me, my smile gets bigger; but if someone walks through a door and lets it close on me, I become bitter for a while. You act out what you believe in – volunteering at the soup kitchen; helping children learn how to read after school; being a Big Brother or Big Sister to a child without a good role model at home; listening to the stories of the disabled, sick, and others; praying before a meal in public; giving up your seat on the bus for an elderly person; and [whatever “it” is] you do without thinking. Your actions speak volumes about what kind of a person you are.

Jesus is under a lot of stress as he continues to travel to Jerusalem where he knows he will be persecuted, whipped, and crucified. And he does this for people who continue to reject his message of the good news? As Christians, we have this image of Jesus being a mild-mannered, sweet, gentle person so when we get to passages like this one we gloss over it. We do not like the stressed out Jesus who is frustrated with us.

When my mom is frustrated with me, she throws up her hands, says “Whatever, Erin; you are going to do what you want,” and walks away. My mom usually knows the bigger picture , but I do not always want to hear it. My mom does the only thing she can do: speak her piece and walk away before she loses her cool.

Jesus walks on earth as a teacher of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. His students (even his twelve disciples) try his patience, and now Jesus is going to say his message plainly. There will be fire on earth and divisions among families and households (Luke 12:49, 51b). His disciples and others have mistaken the call for change in their relationship with family members and with God for their hopeful peace. You cannot blame the disciples for thinking Jesus’ focus is always peacemaking. After all the new commandment to love one another and the focus on welcoming the stranger means that we will always all get along, right?

Jesus corrects his disciples by stating he will fire into the world (Luke 12:49). God led the Israelites out of Egypt with a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:17-22) and the disciples received the Holy Spirit through tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4). Fire recalls God’s judgment in Egypt and His purifying of the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. The Israelites made burnt sacrifices in order to be made pure in God’s eyes. Fire also represents God’s presence in the world as his people experienced it in the pillar of fire and tongues of fire. Like fire, baptism makes us pure in God’s eyes and shows us his presence in the world and in us. Jesus baptizes us with water and invites us into a relationship with God the Father.  However, baptism also points to the cross, where Jesus is heading to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

His disciples and followers have mistaken Jesus as a peacemaker when he is causing divisions among family members and household members (Luke 12:51b-53). The division changes our relationships with one another and with God. Jesus challenges how individuals interact with one another. A young Jewish man may accept Jesus’ call to welcome the Gentiles into the fold, while an elder may not accept his teaching and not allow his son to go listen to his speeches. We have seen this happen during civil rights movements in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his career to the desegregation civil rights movement and met resistance in the south where there were Jim Crow Laws. Any kind of change tends to meet resistance, and Jesus is not talking about a yearly event where Jews and Gentiles share a meal but a daily occurrence. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesus is calling his listeners to change how Jews and Gentiles interact with each other.

Where God is involved, what matters changes. Being followers of Jesus Christ causes us to be blind to heritage differences: divisions between Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritans no longer matter. God uses us to carry out his plan. When we do not act as he asks us, his plan is stalled. God asks us to love our neighbors; when we refuse to love those we meet, we put ourselves before him. Jesus did not say loving our neighbors would be easy; he admits it will cause trouble within our own families and communities. Loving the poor, the homeless, the sick, the lonely, and unbelievers will cause us anguish and pain. People will call us crazy; our lives will be threatened; those we love will disown us. But when we act against God’s plan, we don’t get to be part of his work in the world. We are his agents in the world to carry out his plans. Our lack of compassion limits God because we are in the world to share his grace, love, and forgiveness with everyone we meet

Jesus expresses his frustration with us for not accepting the time for him to return to God the Father (Luke 12:54-56). We do not take his message seriously. Jesus is heading to the cross, and we have not yet fully accepted the good news; he is going to die on the cross for our sins and offer us forgiveness, and we do not follow his example; he will come back to judge the living and the dead, and we keep the good news to ourselves. Jesus exclaims, “Wake up, people! The time has come. I am going back to the Father so you can be in a relationship with him and join us in his Kingdom. Wake up, people! God the Father is near!

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for setting a fire under us to go into the world and share the good news. Help us to be faithful agents of your work in the world. Give us the courage to offer your forgiveness to others. Humble our hearts as we care for others. Thank you for Jesus’ example of humanity. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do your actions reflect your identity as a Christian?

2. What divisions do you experience?

3. How are you changed by the God’s involvement in the world?

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Getting Rid of the Unneeded

Readings

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Luke 12:32-40

Devotion

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ!

I have to admit that I thought being thirty and graduating from seminary with a Masters in New Testament would make me a great Biblical scholar. Publishers would be calling me to write books, and I would be speaking at conferences. Somehow, having a diploma was a rite of passage. Unfortunately, reality is a little different. I work hard to be a solid Biblical interpreter who focuses her work around the experience of healing, but not many people know of my work. Among the peers who know me, I am respected and called upon to discuss the healing process. Outside of my network, however, I am just another person who claims to know what she is talking about. Who knew how much time it took to meet thousands of Biblical scholars and to make a name for yourself?

Sometimes I fear life is slipping me by; somehow I should be doing more to be a well-known Biblical scholar. Isn’t thirty when you are suppose to have your life together? I sure have collected enough papers, keepsakes, household items, books, and other items to show the world I have it together. Jesus tells us not to worry about worldly matters, because God the Father will give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32). Many of us allow our fears get the best of us. We fear being in danger, we fear the unknown, failure, being left out, and [whatever “it” is] that holds us back. Fears cloud our vision and keep us from God’s blessings. God will protect us as we go out into the world to share the good news.

People in the world treasure material items, like clothes, big homes, the latest technology, and [whatever “it” is] they just have to have. Last week, I admitted I have a shopping compulsion, especially with clothes. I like nice things. However, Jesus calls us to sell our possessions and to give alms (Luke 10:33). To follow Jesus, we do not need a plethora of nice things to fill up our spacious homes. A month ago I finally went through the mountain of papers in the office. I found the closest it was hiding along with the memories it swallowed. The mountain of papers grew over several moves and years. I found forgotten pictures of friends and family, books from my childhood, and other keepsakes mixed in with old bills, old manual books, and other paperwork. Once I sorted out the junk from the hidden treasures, I was free from the burden endless paper and prepared to move forward. I was able to release the painful memories in the mountain and take the good memories with me as I make new ones.

By giving up our unneeded possessions, we are better prepared to do God’s work in the world. The clutter keeps us from seeing how God is working in our lives causing us to miss the blessings he gives us. Once we remove the unneeded clutter, we are able to move past the things holding us back from the past to move forward into the future. The mountain of papers reminded me of my ex-husband. It took me a year to find the courage to sort through the papers and throw out what I no longer needed.

While it took me a whole afternoon, I am now free of the fear of finding stuff I no longer want. I am free to make new memories and new friends. I no longer have to explain the mountain of papers. I can be more alert to the present without having to look back.

Jesus begs us to be alert to the present to be aware of how God is using us to do his work in the world and how he is blessing us (Luke 12:37). As a community, we never know when God is going to call upon us to bless someone else. When we hold onto grudges within the community, we lose sight of God’s plan and how he is using us in the world. Once we move past the past, we as a community can move forward into the future. We can look forward to Jesus’ second coming when we will enter the Kingdom of God and worship him.

When we are alert, God is able to use us freely to carry out his plan. We hear God knocking and welcome him into our hearts. We see how God is blessing us and pay it forward. Once we de-clutter our lives, we are able to see the many blessings in our lives

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the many blessings in our lives. Help us to de-clutter our lives in order to see how you are using us to do your work. Remind us to let go of the past in order to be alert to the future. Use us to carry out your plan for the world as we stay alert for Jesus’ second coming. Thank you for helping us move into the future. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What are your fears? How do they hold you back?

2. What clutter do you keep in your life? How do you plan on getting rid of your clutter?

3. How does God bless you?

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Blessed to Share

Readings

Hosea 11:1-11

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

Colossians 3:1-11

Luke 12:13-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Like most women, I love buying new clothes, especially dresses. When I try on a dress I really love, I tend to buy it in two or three different colors. This summer I have been gravitating towards tennis style dresses – light-weight, wrinkle-free, easy-to-clean, and stylish. I have one style of dress in four different colors. I have a bit of a greedy compulsion when it comes to shopping.

Jesus is speaking right to me when he answers the man from the crowd who said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” (Luke 12:13b NRSV). Jesus answers the man, “Friend, who made me the mediator between you and your brother?” (Luke 12:14). Jesus’ mission is not to settle disputes among us, like a mother does with her children; rather, his mission is to bring us back into a relationship with God the Father. We are broken children who need to hear the good news.

However, Jesus goes on to warn both the crowd and us against greed, because our lives cannot be controlled by our possessions. When we live our lives according to what and how much we own, we allow ourselves to be in a state of discontent and disharmony with ourselves and with others. Possessions are wonderful when you have others to share them with. However, some people hoard their possessions and always have to buy the latest version of [whatever “it” is] they want, especially in the technology world. We see it every time Apple comes out with a new iPhone or iPad. People stand in lines for hours, even if their current iPhone or iPad works just fine, so they can have the “latest and greatest.”

Jesus tells the crowd a parable about a rich farmer whose crop comes in better than he expected, so he decides to tear down his barns to build bigger ones. This way, he will be able to store his whole crop and live out his days in the lap of luxury (Luke 12:17-19). And why not? The rich farmer has put in his time, his hard work, and his resources, and now he can relax, eat, drink, and be merry. People should be able to enjoy the benefits of their hard work, right?

That is what the world tells us, yet God expects more of us. Possessions are not all there is to life. God says to the rich farmer, “You fool! If you die tonight, who will enjoy the crop you have saved for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). When you die, you cannot take any of the stuff – [whatever “it” is] – with you. All of our stuff belongs in the world, even the stuff God gives us, because everything we need is already in heaven.

[Whatever “it” is] we save and collect does not make us rich according to God (Luke 12:21). We do not impress God with how well we save our [whatever “it” is]. God calls us to be humble communities that share the gifts and talents he gives us with the world, even with those who do not know him. We are called to embody his forgiveness, love, and grace and to share it with those in our communities and those beyond our communities. God gives us what we need to take care of each other and ourselves – not to hoard it. What God gives each of us belongs to the community, not to just one individual.

I admit I have a lot of clothes, especially dresses, and maybe bit of a hoarder. I do make it a point to go through my closest every six months and donate the clothes I no longer wear. A few of my friends are around the same size as me, and I will give them the items that I think they would enjoy.

Living according to God’s will involves sharing the blessings he gives us with the whole community. Blessings are not for one individual alone but for everyone in the community.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the humble communities which we are a part of. Help us to share the blessings you entrust us with others in our communities. Remind us to be humble citizens of the world so that we can go out and share the good news of your blessings. Thank you for the many blessings you give us. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How are you greedy?

2. How do you share the blessings God entrusts you with?