Readings

Hosea 1:2-10

Psalm 85

Colossians 2:1-19

Luke 11:1-13

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I have been travelling alone for over half of my life, and I have very specific ways to pack and get around. Before I even buy my airfare, I always make sure I have people to help me with eating and other care. My last trip was a bit last minute, and the friend who planned on helping me most of the time ended up having to be out of town. So a few days before I left, I was freaking out and emailing anyone and everyone who I thought was still in the St. Paul area where I attended Luther Seminary. Patricia Lull, who served as Dean of Students when I was at seminary and is now a dear friend, reminded me that God always provides. Did she forget I lost twenty-five pounds my first year of seminary because my personal caregivers did not show up half the time? Did she forget I have to eat to function? It is an incredibly vulnerable feeling to be constantly dependent on someone for your very sustenance.

The disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). It seems like a simple task to most of us: bow your head, thank the Lord, and ask for [whatever “it” is] you need. But how many of you really pray when you need something? We think others’ needs are more important, or we only pray when it is something major.

Jesus gives the disciples a quick “Praying 101” crash course. Jesus says, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial” (Luke 11:2-4 NRSV). Most of us know these words as the Lord’s Prayer, and we say them every week at church. On the Working Preacher website, Dr. David Lose argues this prayer should be called the Disciples’ Prayer. He points out it is a communal prayer – give us and forgive us … as we forgive others. Jesus teaches his disciples to call upon God the Father on the behalf of the community. Praying as and for the community is how Jesus instructs his disciples and us to pray every day. The community comes before the self – you serve your neighbor before yourself.

Jesus demonstrates the power of prayer through a parable: a man has an unexpected guest late one night and has to go wake his neighbor for some food (Luke 11:5-6). His neighbor does not want to get up and wake the children, but he does so to serve his neighbor (Luke 11:7-8). By today’s standards, waking your neighbor for food seems outrageous. However, in biblical times, neighbors helped each other out to keep others from being disgraced. Members of the community took care of each other for the well being of the whole. The neighbor comes before the self.

As a result, prayer invites us into relationships with others in the community and invites us into a relationship with the Triune God. When you pray for and with others, at some basic level you have to know who your neighbor is and what is going on in their lives. This past Sunday a friend had a pastor and a group of us pray over her for healing as she faces back surgery in a few days. It is a scary time for her and for us as we fear the worst and pray for the best. We did the one thing we could do as a community: PRAY to the Triune God and put our trust in him.

Jesus goes on to say:

Ask, and it will be given you;

search, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and everyone who searches finds,

and for everyone who knocks,

the door will be opened.  (Luke 11:9-10 NRSV).

These words strike me with such awe and wisdom. I am finding it difficult to explain their deep meaning: God grants us anything we ask, search, or long for. Others try to meet our needs, but God does it so much grander and with such a meaningful purpose because it all a part of his plan.

I thought I was going to St. Paul to learn and discuss evangelism (which I did at the Rethinking Evangelism conference), but God had other plans for me as well. God was probably laughing as I was worrying about finding people to help me and thinking, “Oh, Erin, my sweet child, you talk with your friend almost everyday. You really do not need to hang out with her for five days. I will give you one night with her, but I really need you to meet with a few others who need to hear about my healing powers. They need to hear your healing story and they need help to look within themselves to see how my healing powers are already at work in them.” I am pretty sure if God replied to my panic email, that would have been his reply. I found myself talking about healing with everyone with whom I shared a meal. One friend needed to hear my story of how and when I accepted my disability, while another friend needed to discuss how one moves on after being divorced. Even during the conference, I talked about healing during the breakout sessions, because evangelism involves us listening to others’ stories and sharing the good news with them, including reminding them that God’s healing power is already working within them.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for teaching us to pray. Help us to come to you with our needs and desires in prayer as a community. Guide us to share our stories with others, to listen to their stories, and to share your good news. Thank you for the power of prayer and the good news. 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. When do you pray? Do you invite others to pray with you? Do you pray quietly by yourself?

2. What do to you pray for?

Readings

Amos 8:1-12

Psalm 52

Colossians 1:15-28

Luke 10:38-42

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In the wake of the George Zimmerman trial, there have been protests and blogs posts defending both sides of the argument. Social media sites have been hosts to the debates too. Although, I don’t plan to settle the debate in this space, what I would like to do is to ask two questions: 1) How are we being sincere neighbors to each other? and 2) How are we being good hosts and guests in this debate? These questions are unnerving for me to answer, especially when it is a debate that opens old wounds of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement as well as personal experiences of race tensions. For me, the Zimmerman verdict debate underlines how far we have to go to come to healthy relationships between races in the United States.

Last week Jesus expanded our neighborhoods to include anyone we meet in our lifetimes. The Samaritan was the caring neighbor to the dying man; the priest and the Levite were afraid of being made unclean by coming into contact with a dead man (fearing being separated from the Lord). We all have fears stopping us from being good neighbors to the person next to us. We do not know what fears Mr. Zimmerman had that night he ran into Trayvon Martin. Unfortunately, killing of an unarmed teenager happened in the Deep South where Jim Crow laws and slavery beliefs are still hung onto. Why did Zimmerman feel threatened by Martin? What happened in Zimmerman’s past that led him to assume Martin was up to no good?  Was he attacked by an African American in the past? Have we given Zimmerman a chance to tell whole side of his story? For those of you who agree with the not guilty verdict, are you a parent? Do you feel Martin’s parents’ pain for having to bury their teenage son? How safe do you feel tonight sending your child outside? Are we truly listening to each other? Are we being neighborly to one another?

Today’s gospel reading shows us what happens when we get distracted. Jesus visits Mary and Martha in their home on his way to Jerusalem. Martha is stressing out in the kitchen preparing the meal, while Mary is sits with Jesus, listening to what he has to say (Luke 10:39-40). Martha becomes frustrated with being left to prepare the whole meal by herself when Mary could and should be helping her. She asks Jesus to send Mary into the kitchen to help her (Luke 10:40).

Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NRSV). I wish we knew Jesus’ tone – relaxed and comforting as if to say, “I will finish making dinner. Come relax with us, Martha,” or stern and short as if to say, “I am here to visit both of you; chill out and come relax.” No matter what the tone, Jesus’ point comes through: come visit with me and join the conversation.

We have all been in Martha’s place at one part in our lives. It could have been a family gathering, a fundraiser, a school event, a wedding, or [whatever “it” is] where you are responsible to show people a good time or teach them something. With all the distractions,responsibilities, and pressures of the event, we miss what is happening. Martha is missing the most important part of the visit: being able to have a conversation with Jesus.

No one can discredit Martha from being hospitable. Martha enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking meals and baking goodies. Just last week during the weekly Tuesday nights Church and Social Media Tweetchat (#chsocm), we were discussing what social media platforms different Biblical characters would have used. I image Martha would have used Pinterest to pin recipes daily to share with her followers. Cooking is what Martha enjoyed doing, but with Jesus she was probably going overboard and needed an extra set of hands.

Jesus tries to get the point across that there is more to hospitality than preparing meals and having a clean home. Part of hospitality is spending time with your guests and being in conversation with one another. There is always something we can learn from the other person.

Whether or not Zimmerman racially profiled Martin, the Florida law let him be found “not guilty” based on the “stand your ground” laws. These laws do not require individuals to wait for the police to arrive and defend them if they feel threatened. For those of us who disagree with the verdict, it is hard to understand and accept the jury’s decision. Many of those belonging to the African American community feel frightened by the implications of the verdict. We should not discount their feelings; however, the true issue is how we go forward to make safe communities for all individuals, especially for minorities and younger generations.

This case opens up conversations about the “stand your ground” laws and racial profiling done by civilians. These conversations are important for us to have so that all Americans feel protected. We should view the Zimmerman verdict of “not guilty” as an invitation to have these conversations. It means both sides need to show hospitality to the other, so all arguments will be heard. Listening to one another is the more important aspect of being in community with each other.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Mary and Martha showing us how to be hospitable to others. Help us to invite individuals into our communities and to create safe communities. Guide us as we have difficult conversations within our communities. Slow our reaction times as you guide us to listen to one another. Remind us we are all invited through Jesus Christ to enter the Kingdom of God. Thank you for inviting us into your Kingdom. 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. How do you show hospitality to others on a daily basis?

2. How will you join the conversation in your community?

Readings

Amos 7:7-17

Psalm 82

Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As an individual with Cerebral Palsy, I know how it feels to be the dying man in the Gospel reading. No, I have never been close to dying, except at my birth, but some days it feels like society would like me to not be alive or at least be an active individual in the world . One day stands out in my memory as being one of those days where my pure presence disgusted others. I had just started my third and final year of seminary. I had a half a day of classes and needed to stop at Archiver’s. I decided to take the bus to Archiver’s and then home. The night before, I figured out which buses to take. I got on the first bus without a problem; the driver tied down my electric wheelchair and let me off at my next stop. I waited a few minutes for the next bus.

When I got on the second bus, the bus driver made a fuss that I had no one with me and told me I needed someone with me to strap my electric wheelchair down. Then these two ladies started saying I should take the Metro Mobility, which is door-to-door transportation for people who are disabled. Unfortunately, Metro Mobility requires you to apply for their program in advance. Once accepted, you have to schedule your rides three days in advance, which is a significant inconvenience. The older lady was worried that I was getting on the wrong bus, and I honestly thought she was going to call the bus company. She kept telling me that it was a liability for the driver to tie me down and that if I had no one with me, I needed to take the van service. She took no time at all to listen.  The whole time, the bus driver was claiming it was not his job to tie down my wheelchair. Then the driver would not let me off at the bus stop where I needed to go to get to Archiver’s and made me get off at the Rosedale Mall instead. Although I could drive my wheelchair to my destination from there, I was worried about the four lanes of mall traffic and the parking lot with a few dozen blind spots. Plus, the mall is an odd shape and I am directionally challenged.

At this point, I was beyond frustrated and was texting a few dozen friends who I thought might be on the computer and could tell me where a Metro Transit store was, so I could check and see if I or the bus driver was correct. I thought the mall had a store, but there turned out to just be a room to keep dry and/or warm in.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is asked by a Jewish lawyer how to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25). Jesus directs the lawyer back to the Torah and asks what it says to do (Luke 10:26). The lawyer answers Jesus, “Well, it says to love your Lord with your whole heart and to treat your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Jesus says, “You are correct. Go do as you were taught” (Luke 10:28).

The lawyer has a follow-up question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). He is hoping for the simple answer (“those who live near you”) in order to justify himself. We can relate to the lawyer. We like to be around those individuals who are like ourselves. However, Jesus widens the scope of our neighborhood.

Jesus launches into a story. A man is traveling between Jerusalem and Jericho when he is jumped by robbers and is left to die (Luke 10:30). There are three men who pass him. The first two men–a priest and a Levite– avoid the man by going on the other side of the road (Luke 10:31-32). The priest and the Levite have a good reason to avoid the dying man: he is unclean according to the Torah.

A Samaritan passed the dying man, took pity on him, and took care of his wounds and put him up in an inn (Luke 10:33-34). When he left the man, the Samaritan promised to repay the innkeeper for taking care of him (Luke 10:35). Jesus turns to the lawyer and asks, “Who was a neighbor to the dying man?” (Luke 10:36). I imagine the lawyer takes his time answering when he says, “The one who showed him mercy” (Luke 10:37a NRSV). The lawyer is probably afraid of Jesus will say next, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b NRSV).

The author of the Gospel of Luke does not tells us how the lawyer responds. In my imagination, the lawyer goes away sulking and later realizes Jesus is correct: anyone you meet is your neighbor. The scope of one’s neighborhood is wide. It is no longer just your tribe—your coworkers, friends and family. Your neighborhood is wherever you go anytime of the day, month, and year.

As technology advances, our neighborhoods continue to widen and expand. Before my challenging bus ride, I had just reconnected on Facebook with my childhood friend from camp, Amber. . Amber, who lived two hours away, ended being able to call the Metro bus system for me by using IP-Relay (since her speech is difficult to understand, like mine). The rep told Amber that it is the driver’s job to tie a wheelchair down. In the word of Professor James Boyce, “Taaaada!” (I understand only my Luther Seminary friends understand the “Taaaada!” but it was his way of exclaiming the obvisious.)

I learned just how big my neighborhood was that day. Once I got home, I posted a Facebook note about what happened since I basically texted everyone in my phone. People who I barely knew were outraged by how I was treated as an inconvenience. I am a human being who just happens to be in an electric wheelchair. Just like everyone else, I have places to go and no time to waste.

SEVEN TAAAADA’S (you need seven to be theologically sound):

1. All of the bus drivers during State Fair the week before were awesome and tied my wheelchair down, even when my friends were with me. This is why my friends were not worried when I said I was taking the bus. Taaaada!

2. I remember seeing a sign on a few buses during State Fair encouraging passengers in wheelchairs to ask the bus driver to tie them down. Taaaada!

3. I have on buses in Madison, Milwaukee, Park City, and New York where all the drivers tied me down, even when I had friends with me. Taaaada!

4. If Anita was with me, a fuse would have broke! Just add the fuel to the fire! Taaaada!

5. I want to find a rulebook for the Metro Bus System and carry it with me, so if any other driver pulls this I can show them where it says they have tie any wheelchair down. Taaaada!

6. Let’s talk about the “liability” the older lady was so concerned about. In my humble opinion, the “liability” happens when the driver does not tie a wheelchair down. Taaaada!

7. I will ride the bus again. Taaaada!

The older I get, the more I realize you need a community around you. A community takes care of each other. You need neighbors. We need each other to get through this thing called life. And God has given us to each other.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the loving Samaritan who sets such a neighborly example. Guide us to care for our neighbors, even those who are different from us. Remind us we are all your children. Thank you for the communities you have given us to nurture and care for 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.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How big is your neighborhood?

2. How do you care for your neighbors?

Readings

2 Kings 5:1-14

Psalm 30

Galatians 6:1-16

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Devotion

Peace be with you!

One of my favorite songs is “Cloud of Witnesses” by Mark Schultz. The first two verses remind me of my church when I was going up. The song goes:

We watched them runnin’ down the aisles, /Children’s time, Sunday morning. /The preacher asked them who they loved, /They all smiled and started pointing to their mom, /Their dad, /The teacher from their kindergarten class; /And each and every one /Had just come from/

A cloud of witnesses /That would see them through the years /Cheer them with a smile /And pray them through the tears /A cloud of witnesses that would see them to the end, /And shower them with love that never ends /A cloud of witnesses (ChristianLyricsOnline.com 2010).

As I grew up, it was my church family who supported me through life’s challenges. I was not an object, “the girl in the electric wheelchair.” I was a special girl who just happened to need the help of a wheelchair . I swear the guys just enjoyed showing off for us girls as they lifted my electric wheelchair into the back of our youth group leader’s van. No matter where the weekly meeting was, my friends made sure I was there.

Paul’s letter the Galatians concludes with him reinforcing how important it is to live in community, to live in the new covenant, and to live by the Spirit. Life is about being in community with each other and God. Nothing else matters when you live according to the Spirit, because the community becomes your family, shelter, and protection. The community keeps you going when the world seems to be against you or when it is confusing you.

Living in community allows you to be in a relationship with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We worship, pray to, lament and rejoice with God as a community. I just found a church home in Florida, a place where I enjoy going – not just because the pastor gives awesome sermons (although he does), but because the community has welcomed me into their fold. During announcements one Saturday night, I asked if someone could pick me up because my stepdad was going away for two months. Ron and Kathy volunteered to pick me up for church, help me get dinner, and take me home. Over the last four weeks, I have been adopted into their dinner group at Angelo’s. We share what we did the last week and what we have planned for the next week. It feels good to belong to a group again.

Community gives us a feeling of belonging. The members of a community take care of each other by providing support through a difficult time, lending a hand when someone needs help, and offering items someone may need. My favorite part of my church is its outreach programs – pet food for those who cannot afford to feed their furry friends, a soup kitchen, and a food pantry. These ministries are not hidden either. Whatever is donated on the weekend is rolled to the altar during the offering. The needs of others are constantly visible in my church.

Paul reminds the Galatians of the new covenant God the Father created with his children through Jesus Christ. Under the new covenant, God does not care if you are circumcised or uncircumcised, free or slave, male or female, or Jew or Gentile. All are welcomed to be in a relationship with God the Father under the new covenant. Living under the new covenant restores our relationship with God, because Jesus Christ makes it possible for everyone to know God and to enter heaven. Jesus restores us to eternal life.

Paul also emphasizes the importance of living according to the Spirit by loving one another. The Spirit leads us to live according to God’s will. Living according to the Spirit allows us to live the way God planned for us all along.

The members at my church are an incredible cloud of witnesses. During the prayers, we pray for everyone. We lament as a community when someone dies, is sick, or is going through a difficult time. I had a staph infection a few weeks ago and was not able to go to worship. Kathy checked in on me every few days to see how I was doing. We rejoice when someone has good news. We give weekly birthday and anniversary blessings to individuals and couples. It is a community that lives solely according to the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us communities to be a part of and to support us. Help us to live under the new covenant according to the Spirit in our daily lives. Guide us to love one another by caring for others and respecting each other. Remind us to break down divisions by welcoming everyone into our community. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to lead us in our daily lives. 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. How do you live in community with others?

2. How do you live by the new covenant?

3. How do you live according to the Spirit?