Monthly Archives: March 2014

Fourth Sunday of Lent: Being Healed through Conversations

Reading

John 9:1-41

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Blindness: verb. 1) physically—you are unable to see; 2) psychosocially—it a. clouds your judgment, b. damages your social status; 3) spiritually – a. you are lost in the darkness, known as the wilderness, b. you do not know the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

You have experienced blindness sometime during your lifetime—we all have. Being blind can be scary, because it can shake your foundation and your self-being. Today, physical blindness is adaptable with guide dogs, special computer software and phones, and more. It possible to be an individual who is blind and be successful. However, in biblical times, individuals who were blind experienced poverty, and homelessness; they were outcasts. They had no place in society. Physical blindness put an individual on the streets with no community to aid them.

Jesus finds the blind man on the side of the road in Jerusalem. The disciples ask Jesus, “Whose sins caused the man to be blind?” (John 9:2). In biblical times, illness or a disability was thought to be caused by sins of an individual or sins of his parents. People thought, “God is punishing this person for past sins.” Jesus says, “The man’s blindness is not caused by his sins or his parent’s sins. He is blind so God’s work can be revealed through him. The darkness prohibits anyone from working, but I am the light of the world” (John 9:3-5). As the light of the world, Jesus serves as the vision for those lost in the dark wilderness. He calls the lost into the light and gives them eternal life.

Jesus heals the blind man and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7). The physical healing causes the previously blind man to have a psychosocial healing by being included in an immediate community with his neighbors. The healing gives him a social status. Being able to see allows the previously blind man to be in conversation with others. He no longer lies on the side of the road helpless, but he walks with people again—albeit, people who would look down on him before his healing. The previously blind man now has a role in society.

The community gathered around the previously blind man is confused (John 9:8-9b, 10). Who is this man? Is it really the previously blind man? Or is it someone else? If it is the blind man, how can he see now? The previously blind man addresses his neighbor, “I am the man who was blind, but now I see. Jesus came to me and put mud mixed with saliva over my eyes. He then told me to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which I did and received my sight” (John 9:9c, 11). There is power behind the previously blind man’s story, because he is able to digest what happened and begin to understand the power behind this Jesus figure. The more the previously blind man tells his story, the more he understands what Jesus did for him: he gave the blind man new life.

The Pharisees are mystified; how can the blind man now see? First, it is the Sabbath, which means no healing (“work”) should have been performed. Second, how is it even possible? The Pharisees question the previously blind man as to how he was healed. When he describes what Jesus did, the Pharisees grumble because a man of God would never perform a healing on the Sabbath, yet a sinner could never perform such a sign (John 9:16). The previously blind man tells the Pharisees Jesus is a prophet (John 9:17). The more the previously blind man tells his healing story; the more confident he becomes about who this Jesus figure is.

The Jews are not persuaded that the man before them is the same man who was blind, so they call upon his parents. His parents confirm the previously blind man is their son who was born blind, though they have no idea who or how he was healed (John 9:20-21). Fearful, his parents direct the Pharisees back to their son; they fear being kicked out of the synagogue for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah (John 9:22).

The Pharisees call the previously blind man back into the room and tell him to “give God glory” (translation: “tell the truth, now”), because surely Jesus is a sinner (John 9:24). The previously blind man refuses to call Jesus a sinner for he was blind and now he can see (John 9:25). The previously blind man does not give in to the Pharisees’ pressures and stays true to his story. Again, the Pharisees ask the previously blind man to explain how his eyes are now opened (John 9:26). The previously blind man says, “We have been through this. Do you want to be one of his disciples?” (John 9:27). He welcomes the Pharisees into Jesus’ circle. They reject Jesus and reassert Moses as their authority (John 9:28-29).

The previously blind man’s spiritual healing continues as he argues with the Pharisees. The previously blind man states, “God does not allow just anyone to perform healings; they have to worship him and obey his will. If Jesus were not from God, he would not be able to open my eyes. No one has ever healed the blind before” (John 9:30-33). The more the previously blind man speaks about his healing, the more convinced he becomes about Jesus being from God. Nothing can change his mind about Jesus, not even the Jewish authorities. Therefore, the Pharisees banish the previously blind man out of the synagogue—out of their community. The Pharisees are so blinded by their own interpretations that they miss being in a relationship with the Messiah. They miss the boat.

Jesus hears about the Pharisees throwing the previously blind man out of the synagogue. He searches for the previously blind man and asks him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35 NRSV). The previously blind man says, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him” (John 9:36 NRSV). The previously blind man is eager to know and worship the Messiah; he has experienced new life through his healing. Jesus says, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he” (John 9:37 NRSV). The previously blind man comes to believe Jesus is Lord and worships him (John 9:38).

The previously blind man is rejected by one community but accepted into another when he shares his story. The more you share your story—[whatever “it” is], the more you start to find the language understand of who you are as an individual and within different communities. Once you have language to behind your story, you grow a better understand of yourself. Your story tells others who you are, what you believe in, and where you are heading. The community (family, friends, school, church, neighborhood, [whatever “it” is]) shares your story and molds you through unique experiences. The more you talk about your experience and what they mean, the more you learn about yourself and the more your community will know how to support you as an individual. Within the church, your story becomes a tool to share your faith with others. The good news is found in each of us, and our ability to share it becomes crucial to leading others in worship.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for taking away our blindness. Help us to share our stories with others and bring them into a relationship with you. Thank you for giving us new life through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. How have you been blind?
  2. What is your story? How does it define you?

Death: A Comma, Not a Period

My pastor, Father Ladd Harris, constantly tells us, “Death is not a period but a comma.” My church is an older congregation in Florida’s retirement community, so death is a common occurrence. The congregation understands of returning to God after a long life. But our church has recently suffered two deaths that have made us wonder where God is.

Pat was in her mid-70s and perfectly healthy. In early January, she got a cold. Over three months, she continued to get sicker and was hospitalized with an infection the doctors did not understand. Pat struggled for three months to overcome the infection. Her daughters and husband made the difficult decision to take her off life support and to let her go home. Her husband, Jack, never left her side and is now lost without his wife of fifty-four years.

The second death took the life of a nineteen-month-old nephew of a friend and church member, Agda. Her nephew suffered from a heart condition, which requires nurses around the clock. For most of his life, his parents had an intensive care unit in their living room with nurses coming and going constantly. The baby boy fought to live until he no longer had the strength. Where is God in this time of darkness?

Satan introduced death, pain, brokenness, and suffering into the world when he got Eve to eat forbidden fruit. Satan causes our pain and suffering in the world in an attempt to get in between us and God. The world surrounds death with darkness, and Satan finds strength and power in this darkness. The world tells us death is a period—an end to one’s life in the world. We no longer hear our loved ones’ voices, smell their scents, or see their physical bodies. It is finished. Satan rejoices in your sorrow as you mourn the loss of a loved one, because you buy into the ending.

The aftermath of a death leaves all of us—family members, friends, and others asking where God is. How could God take a healthy woman? How could God allow the death of a baby? What was the baby’s calling? Did our loved one die because we let them down in some way? These questions never seem to be resolved in our minds. We tell ourselves that our loved one is in a better place without pain and suffering, which is the truth. But it can be so hard to cling to God’s promises in the midst of death’s darkness.

The Easter promise gives us eternal life with the Triune God in his kingdom, a kingdom without pain or suffering. But it is more than that. Just as Jesus rose again and ascended into heaven, God the Father also raises us up to be in his kingdom. Even at death, God refuses to let the devil get the final say.

When we enter the Kingdom of God, death becomes a journey to eternal life with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One day there will be no more death, pain, brokenness, and suffering. The Kingdom of God is a return to the Garden of Eden—the way God originally imagined the world to be.

What if we thought of death as healing? When we die, we enter into the Kingdom of God with no pain, brokenness, or suffering. In God’s kingdom, we will experience wholeness. We will finally experience the life God intended us to have all along. We will have the perfect body. We will experience no pain or suffering. We will be in a relationship with the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God’s love is unconditional and unending. When God the Father sent his only begotten son to die for our sins, he did it out love for his creation—you and me alike. And he did not abandon Jesus Christ on the cross but raised him to new life on the third day. There is no separating us from God’s love, even after death, because he will raise us up to new life. When we die, you become whole in the Kingdom of God. This is why death is not a period but a comma, because it is not an ending but the beginning of a new life with God.

Thanks be to God!

Third Sunday of Lent: The Power of Conversations

Reading

John 4:5-42

Devotion

Peace be with you!

A conversation can lead you in many different directions, depending on who joins in, what is being discussed, and where it is taking place. The conversation can invoke anger, love, disappointment, hope, joy, an argument, or [whatever “it” is] you feel in that moment. Some conversations take me by surprise and take different directions than I anticipated. The day after Ash Wednesday, my fifteen-year-old mentee asked me the difference between Christians and Catholics, why Christians got crosses of ash traced on their foreheads, and why being baptized was important. Each question seemed second nature—something I knew without thinking. However, to someone who did not grow up in the church these questions are baffling. As an outsider, my mentee questioned why people had ash put on their foreheads and how did water make you special. I found myself having a confirmation class at my dinner table. What an amazing conversation! Look for blog posts under “New Press” to answer these baffling questions in the near future.

Jesus has been travelling for days and stumbles upon a well at noon (John 4:5-6) at the hottest time of the day. A Samaritan woman comes along to draw water. Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for a drink of water (John 4:7). It seems like a simple request—something you may ask a waiter, a friend, or a spouse to get you. Yet two thousand years ago a request from a Jewish man to a Samaritan woman broke all of the social boundaries. As a Jew, Jesus is breaking an unspoken rule: do not engage with the Samaritans, especially women. But here is Jesus asking for water from a Samaritan woman.

The Samaritan woman is baffled by Jesus’ request. She is drawing water in the middle of the day, which should be a sign that she is an outcast who avoids the morning and evening rush to get water. She cannot bear to be around other women who stare at her and talk about her. The Samaritan woman asks, “How is it that you, a Jew, can ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink of water?” (John 4:9). It would have been like an African-American man asking a Caucasian woman for water in the 1970s. It just was not done.

Jesus continues to baffle the Samaritan woman by saying, “If you knew who I am, you would be asking me for a drink of living water” (John 4:10). The Samaritan woman knows Jesus has no bucket to draw water and wonders what  “living water” is. And how does this Jewish man think that he is greater than the Samaritans’ ancestor Jacob? How dare he? (John 4:11-12).

Then Jesus goes on to explain how you will always be thirsty if you only drink earthly water, but when you drink living water you will never be thirsty again and will be given eternal life (John 4:13-14). It seems like the answer to the Samaritan woman’s problems. She would never have to go back to the well again. But it cannot be that simple. Jesus asks the Samaritan woman to go get her husband and bring him back to the well (John 4:16). The Samaritan woman must have hemmed and hawed before admitting she had no husband, to which Jesus says, “You are correct. You have had five husbands, and the man you live with is not your husband” (John 4:17-18). Busted! This guy knows everything. The Samaritan woman realizes Jesus is a prophet and asks him where people should worship: on the mountain where Samaritans worship or in Jerusalem where the Jews worship (John 4:19-20).

Jesus answers the Samaritan woman, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24 NRSV).

The time is coming and is here where you do not have worship on a mountain, in Jerusalem, or in a synagogue. You will worship God wherever you are, whenever you want, and with whomever you want. Worship will be to the Father in spirit and in truth. It no longer matters where you worship but how and why. You need to speak of the spirit and the truth of the good news in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and gives you eternal life with God the Father.

Upon hearing the good news, the Samaritan woman recognizes Jesus is speaking of the Messiah and Jesus agrees (John 4:25-26). The Samaritan woman runs back to the village to tell the people about Jesus and what he told her. The Samaritan woman becomes Jesus’ disciple and brings many more people to believe…all because Jesus asked for a drink of water.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the amazing living water you give us through Jesus Christ. Help us to worship you whenever, wherever, and with whomever wants to hear the good news of your beloved son. Guide us to share the Good News with others. Remind us to give the living water to all who are thirsty. Thank you for making us your witnesses and disciples. Amen.

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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. Share an example of a conversation where you engaged a nonbeliever or young believer around meaningful questions. How did it go?
  2. What represents living water to you?

YOUR Freelance Editor: Rebecca Florence Miller

My wonderful and talented friend, Rebecca Florence Miller, is my copy editor for God the Healer and is looking for extra work in the editing world. If you have seen the improvement in my writing over the past few years, let me tell you a secret: it’s Rebecca, not me. So if you are busy writing papers, essays or books and need an extra edge to get to the next level, Rebecca is the lady to hire. No assignment is too big or too small.

Second Sunday of Lent: Born of the Spirit

Reading

Matthew 3:1-17

Devotion

Peace be with you!

You are born into a world driven by the desires of the flesh. The flesh desires riches, power and might, idols, fame, and [whatever “it” is] that will take you away from God the Father. The world begs for attention and distracts you from the good news with its messages of power and riches. It causes jealousy, anger, and resentment among friends, family members, colleagues, and others who live according to flesh.

What does it mean to be born of the Spirit[ED1] ? It seems like an odd question, one which may baffle many people. People understand that babies are birthed from out of a female body after nine months of gestation. Being born in the physical sense causes pain for the mother and joy for the mother, father, and others. Doctors can explain the process to expecting mothers. Ultrasounds can even photograph the baby in the womb. Physical birth does not seem that mysterious.

But to be born of the Spirit? What does this even mean? In your baptism, you are reborn into God’s family. You are received as a child of God who is blessed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. You belong to God, and God belongs to you.

To live according to God’s ways means you choose to live according to the Ten Commandments, follow Jesus’ teachings, and live as his servant. You believe with all of your heart Jesus died and was raised from the dead (John 3:16-17[ED2] ). You need courage to tell the devil no and to walk away. You are not defined by the standards of the world; you live by different standards. To be born again of the Spirit means you make the conscious decision to be a disciple [ED3] of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son.

When you make the conscious decision to be born of the Spirit, you are telling the devil no; you are saying no to the ideas of the flesh and world. You become transformed into a new person, just as Jesus died and rose again. You become born of the Spirit. The world no longer entices you in the same way, because the promise of eternal life holds good news of Jesus Christ. You start to care about what God thinks and feels.

You wake up each morning with a sense of being born again in God’s image. Each day draws you into a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You are reminded of the Good News and God’s promise of eternal life with him in his kingdom. Death does not get the final say in life’s journey but is just a means to enter God’s kingdom. You seek truth, social justice, love, life, grace, and God’s call. You feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and protect the weak. You strive to serve the Triune God [ED4] in all that you do—no matter what sacrifice that means. Power is a temptation from the devil to draw you back into the world where you were first born. But [whatever “it” is] the devil promises holds no appeal compared to what the Triune God promises you in Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. You live according to God’s will by answering his call to serve others, and you are waiting for Jesus’ second coming. This is what it means to be born again: to live by Jesus’ teachings. Nothing is more powerful than that.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the chance to be reborn into the Spirit. Help us to listen to the spirit and not be entice by the devil. Call us out of the darkness and into the light. Thank you for being in relationships with us. Amen.

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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. How are you born again of the Spirit each day?
  2. How does the devil tempt you to live according to the flesh?

 [ED1]Spirit: Holy Spirit; part of the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

 [ED2] “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17 NRSV).

 [ED3]Disciple: a follower of Jesus Christ

 [ED4]Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

First Sunday of Lent: Telling the Devil No

Reading

Matthew 4:1-11

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Temptations surround you wherever you go. Addicts struggle to give up their chosen substance(s)—pills, powder, or drinks. Those who face their addictions are constantly tempted by the one thing that can make them feel good temporarily, but that will ultimately destroy them in the end. The devil tempts you to go against the Lord by providing temporary gratification . You make excuses to justify why you give into the temptations, especially when you hurt others by doing so.

Jesus fasts for forty days and nights in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). Fasting brings one closer to God the Father as we discussed on Ash Wednesday; it cleanses you and gives you the opportunity to examine your relationship with the Father.

During the forty days of fasting, Jesus is famished and is tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2). The devil commands Jesus to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:3). Fasting physically wears on a body and it is certainly understandable that Jesus was hungry. Yet Jesus says, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus acknowledges the need to provide physical nourishment for his body. However, Jesus argues you need more then just food; you need to hear what God has to say. It is easy to think of God as silent, though he does speak to us through others, through situations, and in quiet moments. We live as long as God proclaims that we live. This is not dependent on circumstances, but on God’s command. In other words, Jesus trusts God to sustain Him. He is in total submission to God.

Then the devil places Jesus on top of the temple and tells him that if he jumps down, the Father will send angels to safeguard him (Matthew 4:5-6). Jesus says, “No, I do not need to and should not test my Father” (Matthew 4:7). Jesus knows God the Father will protect him when he is in danger. The Father provides you with what you need at all times. There is no need to test him to see what the Father says or does. The Father is all-knowing and all-powerful; there is no need to test him.

Lastly, the devil tells Jesus he can rule the world and have all of its riches if he just worships him (Matthew 4:8-9). This would be easier to do than what God the Father is asking of him—no going hungry, no being homeless, no being naked, no beating, no dying—yet Jesus does not give in. Jesus says, “No, you should only worship God the Father. He gives me all I need. Be gone, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10). Jesus will not take the devil’s temporary offer, because it has an expiration date. Life with the devil will end at the end of times. The world’s ways are only important for those who do not understand and believe there is nothing for us beyond this world. Jesus understands God the Father has a plan to save all of his children. Jesus finds no excuses to justify giving into the devi. Even in one of is weakest moments, Jesus finds strength in God the Father to deny the devil victory. When Jesus banishes the devil from his presence, God the Father sends angels to tend to Jesus. Unlike the devil, God the Father would never abandon his child.

Each time you refuse to listen to the devil’s justifications and simply tell him no, you are taking away his power. Excuses only serve you, and they hurt others. Find strength in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who will serve you in your darkest hour.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Jesus and us strength to tell the devil no. Help us to stand firm in our faith and renounce the devil’s power. Hold us close to your heart as we spread the good news. Thank you for eternal life in 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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. How are you tempted?
  2. How do you tell the Devil no?

Ash Wednesday: Quiet Spaces

Reading

Matthew 16:1-6, 16-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Everyone has their motives -– [whatever “they” are]. Motives dictate how you behave and how you distinguish between right and wrong. Your parents try to instill their motives into you as a child. Other factors effect your motives, such as your opinions, ideas, and beliefs. Your Christian identity gives you willingness to strive for a better tomorrow by fighting for social justice and mercy for the less fortunate.

Jesus has just finished giving the Sermon on the Mount to the crowd. Jesus calls for social justice for the poor, sick and disabled, and the lonely by helping them with your gifts and resources. Jesus is continuing his speech for social justice in Matthew 6:1-4. The translators have dikaiosu/nhn as righteousness when justice makes more sense. With that in mind, Jesus says, “Do not do social justice work to be show off and be rewarded in the world, because God has not use for you then.” You should practice social justice, because you care about the well-being of others. Your motivation should be out of love and respect for others, not for yourself.

Jesus instructs you how to pray. Jesus warns you not to follow the example of the hypocrites (Sadducees and Pharisees) who pray loudly on street corners and synagogues. Instead Jesus invites us to find a quiet space and have a conversation with God the Father in order to have an intimate relationship with him. God the Father sees what you do in private just as much as in public; he wants to know you and you to know him on the deepest level possible. Wouldn’t you rather find a quiet space and get to know him?

Jesus also says the same thing about fasting. You should fast not to make yourself superior to others but to repent and be in prayer. Fasting is about cleansing yourself in order to be in a relationship with God the Father. When you fast in private, you are keeping your sins between you and God. No one else needs to intervene on your be half, expect you.

When you do justice, pray, and fast in private, you build an intimate relationship with God the Father. The chatter of the world does not impress God the Father – big showy actions or all talk and no action. Rather God the Father wants to know you intimately.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the quiet moments to get to know you. Help us to slow down and find quiet spaces to talk with you. Lead us to care for others out of love and compassion. Thank you for being in intimate relationships with 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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. When and how do you find a quiet space to talk with God the Father?

 

Charity- Water button_edited-1