photo credit: artnoose I love you with deep emboss via photopin (license)

Peace be with you!

I have a handful of letters scattered around my house waiting for me to rediscover them occasionally as I go about my activities. Somewhere in my office is a tattered postcard that my mom sent me when I first went to college in 2002. She writes about her first Christian booksellers trade show in California and about how her sister was enjoying people watching at the beach. Then she writes how proud she is of me for going to college. Through my numerous moves, I have managed to keep that postcard. It is a reminder of how far I have comes over the last fourteen years.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Do you have a letter that you reread? Why is it special to you?[/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read:  Luke 15:1-10[/box]

The role of a Christian in the world is a difficult one. You stand against obviously anti-Christian groups, such as ISIS and KKK. At the same time, you are also working with and against the morals and attitudes of society, which may or may not agree with the Christian morals and attitudes. For instance, the army will put a few soldiers in mortal danger in a military campaign, so hundreds of other soldiers can survive and get home. The mentality is to sacrifice a few for the greater whole. As Christians, we do not believe anyone is expendable. In Luke 15:1-10, we read about the good shepherd leaving the ninety-nine and going after one lost sheep. As Father George Conger said on Sunday, society would not leave the ninety-nine for one, but for Jesus Christ the one is just as important as the ninety-nine. Each person has an infinite value to God, and one lost soul is irreplaceable. God has a call for each and every one of us. Therefore, when one of us loses our way, God the Father says to Jesus Christ, “Go and find my lost child,” because he loves each one of us and he needs each one of us to do our part in his greater plan.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Have you ever felt expendable? Have you ever felt irreplaceable? [/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read: 1 Timothy 1:1-11 [/box]

We do not know exactly what is going on, but we know the apostle Paul has felt an urgency to lift Timothy up as he ministers to the people in Ephesus. First Timothy is a letter from a mentor to a mentee and is unlike other letters written by Paul to whole communities. Also, here Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ—as one in authority. Even though the letter is addressed to Timothy, it was probably still read aloud to the community in Ephesus. Therefore, Paul is asserting his authority to the community and emphasizing Timothy as his loyal child of faith. We still do this in society: I am [blank], and this is [blank] who is my [blank]. We define and validate each other’s roles within the community to assert someone with authority or a role.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: Take a moment to introduce someone in the group. Define and validate their role within the community. How did it feel to be validated by someone else? [/box]

Paul begins his letter by warning against false teachings—those ideas and practices that make people stray from the good news of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have all fallen prey to ideas and practices, which convince us that [whatever “it” is] is okay, even when it is contrary to the good news. This is true even in the practice of other religions. For example, thirty thousand Muslims within the Ahmadiyya Islamic movement in the United Kingdom met in August 2016. The group vowed to promote peace and to reject ISIS and other terrorist groups.

“The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad,” said Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Ahmadiyya’s global caliph, at the conference. “Let it be clear that they are not practicing Islam, rather it seems as though they have invented their own hate-filled and poisonous religion.”[i]

Within Christianity, we have seen so-called Christian groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, work against the teachings in the Bible in order to further their agenda. Though the Ku Klux Klan swears it upholds Christian morals, almost all Christian denominations have denounced the group for spreading hatred and violence to specific groups, such as African-Americans, LGBT individuals, and Jews.

Paul is writing to Timothy to denounce groups that go against the good news of Jesus Christ. Most of us are not associated with the Ku Klux Klan or terrorist organizations. We do not actively go around spreading hatred and violence against anyone. Yet most of us fall into treating others with disregard at one time or another.

Last week at the gym, I was intimated by a male member for being in the “guy” area. Without saying a word to me, the guy made it clear I should not be in the free weight area. I wrote an email to the manager, explaining what had happened in order to provide background for any future occurrences. I concluded my email by saying, “I hope the guy and I can somehow coexist.” At the end of the day, I, as a Christian, am called to love my neighbor. This does not mean I have to enjoy everyone’s company or tolerate discrimination against me, but I have to acknowledge everyone as a child of God.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: How can you love your neighbor when they just get under your skin? [/box]

[box type=”info” border=”full”] Read: 1 Timothy 1:12-20 [/box]

Once Paul has acknowledged Timothy is working against false prophets, he lifts him up by giving him encouragement to keep on doing his ministry in Ephesus. The false prophet must have worn down and depleted Timothy’s will to keep working. Everyone has been there—worn out, ready to toss in the towel, and say, “I am done,” as you walk away—those times when you just don’t have anything left to give. Then God seems to send someone to boost your spirits, to reenergize you, so you can keep on doing your important work for God and your community.

Paul continues by encouraging Timothy to find strength in Jesus Christ as Paul has. He admits his past transgressions against the Lord: he has been a blasphemer, persecutor of Christians, and a violent man, yet through God’s infinite wisdom, he is forgiven and is given mercy and grace (1 Timothy 1:13-14). Paul is an example of how someone can live in and be ruled by darkness and by doing the devil’s work, but also of how Jesus’s light finds him or her and brings them into communion with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God’s grace is also given to us when we feel drained: the Holy Spirit comes in and gives us a double serving of God’s forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. Then we are off and running again, because we have been redirected back in the light and reminded that the good fight is still worth fighting.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: When have you felt depleted? Who has lifted you up and given you a boost? [/box]

Paul reminds Timothy that the good fight is still worth fighting for. There will always be a zillion forces fighting against the good news. A few of these forces we outright reject without much thought. These forces are utterly ridiculous and contrary to the good news. Others we debate at some length and then reject, because they just do not uphold the standards of the good news no matter how we slice them. However, there are other dark forces that we convince ourselves actually uphold the standards of the good news and they are the easiest to be trapped by. We twist the words and objectives of the dark forces to fit with the good news. Paul warns us not to fall prey to these dark forces. We can stay safe by keeping the faith and a good conscience. Personally, I check any big decisions against my core value to love and serve the Lord. Will [whatever “it” is] uphold my faith? When I am unsure, I discuss [whatever “it” is] with my mom and/or other mentors to get their insight and opinions. Paul calls us to live out our faith with a good conscience in order to not fall for the darkness.

[box type=”note” border=”full”] Reflection Questions: How do you find strength to continue the good fight? Where do you find hope in the darkness? [/box]

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to go find us when we are lost in the darkness. Help us to continue to fight against the dark forces in the world. Shine your light upon us as we do your work in the world. Thank you for your forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love. Amen.

[i] Michael Doherty, “Muslim Group Rejects Terrorists,” Opposing Views, 12 September 2016, http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/more-30000-muslims-across-world-meet-uk-reject-isis-and-islamic-extremism.

photo credit: Cíih Landim & Ramon Marden via photopin (license)

Fourth Sunday of Pentecost: Galatians 2:1 5-21 and Luke 7:36-50

Peace be with you!

In the musical Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is an ex-convict whose crime was stealing a piece of bread for a starving relative. Upon coming out of prison, Valjean is determined to turn away from the harsh life of prison and help those in need no matter the consequences. However, Valjean’s old ways die hard; he breaks parole and changes his name to hide from the authorities. Over time, he becomes owner of a factory where he gives women jobs to support their families. Javert is the police inspector who released Valjean after warning him what would happen if he broke the law again. Javert believes the law comes before anything else in life. When he finds Valjean after years of thinking he was dead, Javert is determined to bring him back into custody.

Reflection Questions: Is it ever okay to break the law or social standards? Should the law be upheld no matter what?

Paul is writing to the Galatians because the Jewish Christians are telling them they have to earn their way into heaven by doing good works. The Jewish Christians believe that they have to be justified by their works. They have to keep the laws handed down to them by Moses and their ancestors. Paul points out that if we believe keeping the law can justify us, then Jesus died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). The truth is that we cannot uphold the law on our own. Our sinful nature has been crucified through Jesus, and now we can have new life and know God the Father.

Reflection Questions: Why is it difficult to accept our brokenness and need for Jesus?

In Luke 7:36-50, Simon is outraged by Jesus allowing a sinful woman to be at his feet. As a Pharisee, Simon keeps sinners, the unclean, at a distance. Simon projects a negative identity and value to individuals who he perceives to be sinners. To Simon, the woman adds no value to society, and it would have been better if she stayed away. In today’s world, we do not always go around calling others sinners, though we do still pass judgments on others based on race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, economic standing, and [whatever “it” is] that creates a divide. We project an identity and a value on others based on our own narrow thoughts and opinions. For instance, many people upon meeting me think I have a cognitive disability based on my spastic movements and my unfamiliar speech pattern. These people project an image onto me based on their own opinions.

Reflection Questions: How have you been judged by others?

In Luke 7:40-50, Jesus calls Simon out on his judgment against the woman, the sinner. Jesus asks Simon, “If a creditor canceled the debts of two debtors, which one loves him more?” (see Luke 7:41-42). Simon answers, “The one who owes more,” and Jesus says, “You are correct” (see Luke 7:43). Jesus points out that the woman has bathed and anointed his feet, while Simon has done nothing to welcome him (Luke 7:44-46). Jesus says the woman is forgiven of her many sins, and therefore she expresses great love for the Lord (Luke 7:47-48, 50). We all fall short and sin against the Lord. We have all been the woman in the story who was judged. We have all needed to apologize for something we have done. We have all felt unworthy of someone’s forgiveness, yet we took a chance and asked someone to forgive us.

Reflection Questions: Why is it difficult to seek forgiveness? How do you seek forgiveness from someone else?

We have also been Simon and the others at the table who questions how someone could forgive someone who has hurt another person. We have all felt the sting of betrayal, the bitterness of being crossed, and [whatever “it” is] that hurt us. Sometimes it seems inconceivable to forgive a person.

Reflection Questions: Why is it so difficult to forgive a person? What makes some betrayals harder to forgive than others?

However, Jesus forgives even the inconceivable sins when we humbly repent. Jesus understands we are broken—unable to live according to God’s will without an intervention. Jesus understands he has to provide a way for us to be right and in a relationship with God the Father. Jesus willingly dies on the cross for the redemption of our sins. Jesus gives us a chance to have a personal relationship with God the Father through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Therefore, despite our inconceivable sins, we can join Jesus at the table to share a meal with him. We are able to be know God’s love and to call upon him at any time. We are able to express God’s love to others, because we know the power of forgiveness.

Paul writes that the Galatians are justified by their faith in Jesus Christ who died for their sins on the cross. There is no way anyone can earn their way into heaven on their own merit (Galatians 2:16). If we live according to the law, we are dead (Galatians 2:19) because we cannot fulfill the law on our own. In Luke 7:36-39, Simon treats the woman as though she is dead and has no right to be in contact with Jesus (making him unclean), and yet Jesus forgives her; her current actions speak to her repentance. Like the woman, we have skeletons in our closets too. We have broken our relationship with God the Father, yet we are able to be forgiven through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

Reflection Questions: When have you had to seek forgiveness from Jesus? How did it feel to need forgiveness? Did anyone say you did not deserve forgiveness?

Paul calls the Galatians to live by faith in Jesus Christ who gave up his life out of love for them (Galatians 2:20). God did not have to send Jesus to die for our sins, but he loves us so deeply he gives us eternal life in him. There is nothing we can do to undo his love for us. By living in faith, we receive the gift of life given to us through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. In Luke 7:44-46, the woman lives out her faith through a selfless act of washing and anointing Jesus’s feet. She humbly seeks forgiveness, even when she has no right to. Jesus tells the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50 NRSV). Jesus sends the woman out into the world with his peace—the love and mercy of God.

Reflection Questions: How do you live out your faith? How have you felt Jesus’s peace in the world?

In Les Miserables, Valjean and Javert meet in different situations over the years. Somehow Valjean always escapes and goes into hiding until Javert finds him again. At one point Valjean has an opportunity to kill Javert, but he lets him go. Javert realizes Valjean lives by a different moral code than the strict law. Valjean strives to help those who cannot help themselves, even if it means breaking the law. This is what Paul is telling the Galatians. It is better to love each other than to judge one another. Forgiveness frees us from our past mistakes. Forgiveness grants us a second chance. Forgiveness moves us pass raw emotions in order to repair relationships with one another. When we forgive and love each other, we are living out our faith in Jesus Christ.

Reflection Questions: When have you challenged a law or social standard to help someone else?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having Jesus Christ die for our sins so we can have life. Help us to live according to your word, even if it means going against man-made laws. Accept our pleas for forgiveness as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Grant us your love, mercy, and peace through your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Big & Rich own the rights to the lyrics and music. Video found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j22H2hxGHo.

Third Sunday of Pentecost: Galatians 1:11-24

Peace be with you!

Have you ever watched a television evangelist preaching about fiery hell? “Call my 800 number to make a donation to [whatever “it” is] and receive answers to all your prayers!” I giggle every time I hear Big and Rich’s song “Filthy Rich.” The second verse goes:

I saw a preacher on the TV

With big diamond rings on his hand

He was beggin’ for some money

He said to send us every penny you can

I guess the good Lord’s got a mortgage

And a payment on a yacht in the Keys

So we better keep sendin’ our hard earned livin’

To those God-fearin’ folks on TV[i]

Television evangelists asking for your money is nonsensical. God answers prayers in his own timing. Sure, Deuteronomy 14:22 says we should tithe to the Lord a tenth of our income. As a Christian, you are a child of God, and God has given all that you own. Therefore, when you give, you give back to God what is his. However, God does not care how much you give. There is no specific amount of money to guarantee your entry into the kingdom of God or the answering of your prayers. Jesus wants us to help those in need, freely and without compulsion. Making donations to your local church, Lutheran Services, Feeding America, National Ability Center, Compassion, World Vision, Charity:Water, and [whatever “it” is] you believe in helps others. The church or the organization should have some accreditations outlining how it will use the donations, so the givers know where their money is being used and what for.

Reflection Questions: What are some of your favorite nonprofits or causes? How do you help those in need?

Paul’s critics have been in Galatia questioning his accreditations among the people who are supporting his church and mission. His critics are asking the Galatians if they know Paul has persecuted Christians in the past and questioning how they can follow such a person. They do not understand how a man who grew up as a faithful Jew can turn his back on the Jewish traditions and speak about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The very person Paul persecuted others for following he now calls his Savior and calls others to follow.

Blasphemy!

Jews are attacking Paul’s conversion—his flipping sides. Jews do not understand how someone rejects a message one minute, and then the next minute is willing to die for the same message. As Christians, we can find hope in Paul’s conversion for our family members, friends, and colleagues who do not know or have a personal relationship with Jesus. We understand the resistance Paul is facing from his Jewish contemporaries. We know people who reject the good news too. We know how it feels to watch people who say they are Christian acting to the contrary.

Reflection Questions: How do non-Christians or other Christians criticize you? How do you handle the criticism? How does Paul’s example change how you will handle criticism?

The Jewish contemporaries resist any change to their faith traditions and do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Paul’s message of the good news threatens the Jewish faith system and questions their ways of life. His critics question Paul’s authority to start churches in the name of Jesus and to tell people that they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; after all, Paul never personally knew Jesus when he was alive. How can someone have faith in an individual whom he never met?

Paul answers his critics with the snarky truth. “My accreditations,” he explains, “come from Jesus Christ’s revelation on the road to Damascus” (see Galatians 1:11-12). His accreditations do not come from a human origin; they come from the Lord God. As we noted in the last devotion, Paul is not looking for a “attaboy” from his contemporaries. Paul has made a lifestyle change; he is living for Jesus Christ—no one else. Paul is working on spreading the good news of Jesus Christ’s saving grace through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Paul is looking to bring others into a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflection Questions: Has anyone ever questioned your faith? How can you believe in an individual who died and rose two thousand years ago?

Paul does not give in to his critics. Paul confesses his past sins: he persecuted Christians before his revelation and advanced quickly within the structures of Judaism (Galatians 1:13-14). He is up-front with the Galatians and hides nothing about his past.

However, Paul is not who he was before his revelation. Now he takes no orders originating from humans; Paul’s orders come from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Through a revelation, Jesus calls Paul to share the good news wherever he goes and with whomever he meets. Paul’s life is transformed by his revelation from Jesus. Paul goes from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher of the good news and lives as a called Christian.

Reflection Questions: How has your faith changed you? Has it given you peace? Has it given you a purpose?

We are all called to share the good news wherever we go and with whomever we meet. You do not have to be called to preach to share the good news. You can be a doctor or a nurse who shares God’s compassion with your patients, a lawyer who shows mercy and grace to your clients, a chef who feeds the hungry, an accountant who protects the poor, an advocate who gives a voice to the silent, a parent who loves your children, a bus driver who cares for their passengers, or a [whatever “it” is] you do to share the good news. Paul uses the skills he learned in the Jewish faith system and as a Roman to spread the good news with the world. No matter what you do, God calls upon you to share the good news by living out the Christian faith. No matter what happened in your past, God offers you grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. No matter what, God calls upon you to do his will in the world.

Reflection Questions: How has someone used your past against you? How did you try to change their perspective of you? How has your past made you a stronger Christian?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Paul a revelation through Jesus Christ to change his heart toward you. Help us to work past the criticism of others and to continue to spread the good news, no matter who tries to stand in our way. Remind us we are all called to share the good news in our daily lives. Guide us to use our resources to feed the hungry, to protect the poor, to give the silent a voice, to heal the sick, and to clothe the naked. Thank you for calling us to be your voice and to act son your behalf in this world. Amen.

[i] Big and Rich, “Lyrics: ‘Filthy Rich,’” Google Play Music, https://play.google.com/music/preview/T3dsir65rbovtlscdu2rqvsswgq?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics&u=0#.

Erin’s to-do list

Second Sunday after Pentecost: Galatians 1:1-12

Peace be with you!

I begin my week by making my to-do list on Sunday evenings. I write down my appointments and meetings in brown. Then I write down what I need or would like to accomplish each day of the week—items in blue are household tasks; items in green are website and church related, items in purple are reminders to send cards to individuals, and so on. Some weeks my calendar looks messier than others. Without my to-do list, I am lost and confused, and I find myself getting distracted by browsing Facebook. My to-do list gives me direction and helps me stay on track, plus I get a sense of accomplishment when I check off items in red.

Reflection Questions: How do you get yourself organized for the day or the week ahead? Do you have to-do lists? Do you set alarms for reminders on your phone or tablet?

In Galatia, Paul had shared the good news of the freedom of forgiveness in Jesus Christ and founded a church there. He left the Galatians believing that Jesus welcomes them into a relationship with God the Father. The Galatians knew they could not earn their way into the kingdom of God through their good works; they had to believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins and that faith was their ticket into the kingdom of God—nothing more and nothing less.

Reports of the activities of the Galatians had been shared with Paul and what he hears does not make him very happy. The Galatians have fallen prey trap to false teachers who have announced they need to be circumcised and do good works in order to earn their way into the kingdom of God. Like the Galatians, we too become trapped by the world’s requirements. When students start a new degree program, they are given a checklist of requirements, and upon completion they are given a diploma, which signifies they are ready to work in the field. Companies set standards for their employees’ daily workload and opportunities for advancement. People go to the gym with goals in mind and are given a workout program to do two or three days a week. The church even has checklists for individuals who wish to be deacons or priests. There is an order in which things need to be done and people who confirm you are ready for the next step. Even at home, we have our own checklists and standards to live by. No wonder we are conditioned to work toward something—checking off requirements, working towards a goal, and meeting standards. We would like it if God would just say what his requirements are for us to be his children.

Reflection Questions: How do you seek approval from the world? Do you get overwhelmed? Do you pace yourself?

However, God does not have a long checklist of requirements for us to meet. Paul is jumping up and down saying, “NO! You cannot earn your way into the kingdom of God on your own accord. Jesus Christ came into the world, walked with us, died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into heaven so that we may come into a relationship with God the Father and enter the kingdom of God” (see Galatians 1:6-12). Over the next six weeks, we will see Paul direct the Galatians (and us) away from earthly solutions and point them and us toward God’s grace, love, and forgiveness.

Paul is not looking for a pat on the back or a “good job, bro.” Paul is not looking for approval from his call committee or synod or employer to begin ministries in the world. Jesus Christ commissioned Paul through a vision on the road to Damascus (Galatians 1:12). If he wanted approval from his earthly counterparts, Paul would have stayed doing his job for the Jewish synagogue as a Pharisee (Galatians 1:10). But that would have been the easy way out. Paul chose the path to salvation.

Life would be easier if it came with a checklist. For the Galatians, the false teachers were giving them a checklist to complete in order to enter the kingdom of God: circumcise all males, follow the Ten Commandments, and observe the Jewish festivals. However, Paul will argue this checklist only gains you earthly approval—not God’s approval. Maybe in Old Testament times this checklist was important, but Jesus Christ changed all of that. The Galatians (and we) are living in a new age where faith in Jesus Christ gives us passage into the kingdom of God.

Reflection Questions: How do you seek approval from God? Is it ever enough?

Paul has given the Galatians the way to get into the kingdom of God: admit you are sinner who needs forgiveness and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. But it seems too easy for the Galatians and for us. We want to earn our own way into heaven. Paul jumps up and down and says, “No, listen up people; you cannot earn your own way into heaven; you need Jesus Christ who came into the world, walked with us, died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into heaven to offer us God’s love, grace, and forgiveness, so we may come into a relationship with God the Father and enter the kingdom of God” (see Galatians 1:6-12). Paul is begging the Galatians not to get wrapped in some unnecessary checklist to meet the requirements to enter heaven. All you need is faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Reflection Questions: What does it mean to you that Jesus died for your sins? How does it feel that your faith is enough for you to enter the kingdom of God?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Paul the vision to spread the good news across the Roman Empire. Help us to resist the temptation to complete checklists in order to try to earn our way into heaven. Direct us instead to have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Remind us that you sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins and to give us eternal life. Thank you for Paul’s commitment to the good news. Amen

photo credit: Transfiguration of the Lord via photopin (license)

Trinity Sunday: Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15

Peace be with you!

In college, I studied direct marketing, and the professors did not use textbooks, because as soon as they were printed they would be outdated. Instead of textbooks, marketing professors required us to read articles from eMarketer and The New York Times to learn the latest marketing techniques. The world is constantly changing and evolving, and as lifelong learners, scholars are constantly engaging with new scholarship and debating with each other. Even if you did not get a degree, you learn from on the job how to do a specific trade. Our parents and mentors also continue to teach their adult children how to take care of a home and their own child and how handle different situations. A couple months ago my father help me get a new vehicle by going with me to the dealership to get the best possible deal. I call my dad whenever I have a car related question, because he always takes the time to explain what needs to be done and why it needs to be done. No matter your education background you are always learning.

Reflection Questions: How do you keep up with the ever-changing world? Do you watch or read the news? Do you keep up with the latest technology?

Jesus seems to contradict himself. He says, “I have told you everything God the Father has told me” (see John 15:15), and “I still have many things to tell you, so I am sending you the Holy Spirit to guide you” (see John 16:12-13). It is confusing: one minute the disciples know everything, and the next minute they still have a lot to learn. And why can’t Jesus continue to teach them? He is still there.

Reflection Questions: What emotions do you think the disciples are having? Has a mentor or teacher ever said you got it but still a lot to learn?

This passage comes out of the farewell discourse during the Last Supper. Jesus understands this is the last time he will be physically with all of his disciples prior to his death and resurrection. During the last three years, Jesus has taught and explained everything he possibly could to the disciples, yet they do not know or understand everything they need to. Jesus understands there is no way to completely prepare the disciples for everything that is to come. Even if Jesus could, his disciples will die eventually, and then this knowledge and preparation must be passed on to new generations.

In order to live out its faith, the church must navigate also in a constantly changing world. These two truths are held in tension with one another: we have everything we need (universal truth), and yet there is always more to learn (real-world application of this universal truth).

The bridge between timeless truth and application today is the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the disciples he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them as he has led them. Just as God the Father told Jesus everything, Jesus will tell the Holy Spirit everything (John 16:13). Because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one, the Holy Spirit will lead the way to Jesus who will in turn lead us to the Father. The Holy Spirit makes the Father and the Son accessible to everyone, regardless of time and space.

Reflection Questions: How have you felt the presence of the Holy Spirit? How has the Holy Spirit made the presence of God the Father and God the Son known to you?

The Holy Spirit connects us to God the Father and God the Son and to an event that took place two thousand years ago. Through the Holy Spirit, we are able to know, understand, and recognize God’s power to forgive through his love, grace, and mercy. As cultures, media, and economic situations change, the Holy Spirit keeps us connected with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit guides us through our daily lives by deepening our relationship with the Triune God.

Each situation and relationship challenges our relationship with God. Some situations and relationships cause us to feel closer to God. We feel filled with the Holy Spirit and as if God is directly guiding our lives. Other times, situations and relationships seem to hinder our relationship with God. It feels as though God has forgotten us. Our prayers seem to go unanswered. God seems to be taking a break. Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we got it on our own—no need to bother God. However, even when God seems distant or when we try to do it on our own, the Holy Spirit is there leading and guiding us. Even as times, media, and cultures change, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to comfort us when we are discouraged, to forgive us when we fall, to guide us throughout time, and to deliver us into God’s love.

The Holy Spirit is here to see us through anything and everything. It is difficult to explain how we know the Holy Spirit is with us today. Some individuals get a sensation from the Holy Spirit when they pray and worship. Others feel the Holy Spirit when they sit quietly and meditate. Some people hear a voice, like an unexpected thought, urging them to take a leap of faith. Some individuals feel the Holy Spirit taking their hand or holding them during a difficult situation. Sometimes the Holy Spirit uses others to give a prophetic word or direction to someone. Other times something will happen that can only be explained by being a miracle. No matter how the Holy Spirit communicates with an individual there is always something that cannot be explain by anything of the world. The Holy Spirit takes you by surprise and gives you a sense of purpose or that you are not alone.

Reflection Questions: How have you grown closer to God? How has the Holy Spirit connected you with God the Father and God the Son?

Just as scholars, professionals, and individuals are constantly learning and debating with each other, we as Christians are constantly working to deepen our relationship with the Triune God and to learn to apply timeless truth to our current contexts. At our baptisms and confirmations, we do not know where God will lead us or what he will require of us. We probably do not understand God’s unconditional love for us. That is okay. God the Father and God the Son understand it is a lot to take in, which is why they sent the Holy Spirit to be in the world to lead and guide us. The Holy Spirit helps us in our faith journeys and helps us understand God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Reflection Questions: What has the Holy Spirit led you to do?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Make the presence of the Holy Spirit known to us. Lead us to do your will in the world. Keep us steadfast in this. Deliver us from our adversities. Lift us up into your presence, where there is endless love and joy. Amen.

© Copyright 2015 Original Artwork by Erin M Diericx

Day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21

Peace be with you!

According to Dictionary.com, disability is “a physical or mental handicap, especially one that prevents a person from living a full, normal life or from holding a gainful job.” The word disability has a negative connotation, and its definition implies anyone with a disability—let alone someone with multiple diagnoses—cannot live a full, normal life.

As an individual who has had her disability since birth, I have had to wrestle with what it means to be someone with cerebral palsy. Back in the early 1980s, doctors did not know how cerebral palsy affected a person and their ability to live their life. In fact, the doctors told my parents I would never walk, talk, or sit up. The doctors assumed I would be under my parents’ care all my life and would never live in my own house and pay my own bills. In my poem entitled “Never Mind the Doctors,” I talk about feeling the world is against me and seeking to prove the doctors wrong. I feel triumphant that I so often managed to do just that.

Reflection Questions: How someone has placed limits on you? How were you able to prove them wrong?

Even as we celebrate the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the disabled culture is still working to educate society that a person with a disability has the ability to hold a sustaining career and have a family. Society still holds on tight to stigmas that people with disabilities cannot lead productive and fulfilling lives, because the prefix dis- implies an inability to do anything.

Reflection Questions: How do you educate others on your disabilities and your abilities? How do you fight against stigmas society imposes on you?

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered and a wind filled the entire house (Acts 2:1-2). The Holy Spirit gave the men the ability to speak different languages and to understand one another (Acts 2:4, 6). The devoted Jews who were present began questioning if these men were drunk (Acts 2:13). How could Italians, Serbians, people from Croatia, Romania, and Greece, Asians, citizens of Egypt, Libya, and Arabia, and people in the Middle East all be bursting out in their own languages about God’s deeds (Acts 2:9-11)? How could they even understand one another, let alone be sharing the news? These people did not understand each other’s languages. They did not speak to one another. And yet here they were, discussing the good news of Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit together. How could this be?

Reflection Questions: Have you ever been accused of hanging around the “wrong” kinds of people? Or has God led you to befriend someone with whom you would not otherwise associate?

Peter reminds the Jews of Joel 2:28-32: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:17-21 NRSV).

Peter saw the day of Pentecost as a fulfillment of Scripture as the Holy Spirit entered the world. Pentecost started as a Jewish holiday to commentate the fifth day after Passover when Moses received the Ten Commandments. Now, fifty days after Jesus’s resurrection from the grave, the disciples and other followers of Jesus receive the Holy Spirit as their advocate. The Holy Spirit breaks down the language barrier, so people around the world are able to hear and understand the good news of Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. For the first time, the word of God becomes accessible to all people.

Reflection Questions: How has God used you to break down barriers between two opposing groups?

Jesus promised abundance of life by sending the disciples an Advocate who would continue to unfold God’s love for all to know (John 16:8-11). The Advocate would provide protection and intercede on our behalf as a mediator. The Advocate would lead the disciples and us by the truth of what is to come in the future. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit bears the good news, so the disciples can be empowered to share it with the world. Today, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to embody and model the good news for us, so that we can know and come to understand what it means.

Reflection Questions: When has the Holy Spirit protected you? Was there a situation the Holy Spirit helped you through?

In the disabled culture, the day of Pentecost gives people hope that God recognizes many different abilities. People who have disabilities are able to do many things and should be recognized not by their disabilities but their abilities. The Holy Spirit gives people— disabled or able—of all abilities the power to live fulfilling lives to God’s glory. The Holy Spirit becomes an advocate for people with disabilities by empowering them with other gifts. People with physical disabilities are able to help the aging population with adaptation to homes and in public, because they understand what it means to feel isolated by barriers. People with cognitive disabilities see the world differently, and they are able to better relate to children since they think on their level. People with disabilities are more welcoming, because they know what it feels like to be an outcast or being seen as different.

Reflection Questions: How has the Holy Spirit equipped you to share the good news? Where has the Holy Spirit led you to go? What are your spiritual gifts?

If we as a society could think about people based on their abilities, not their disabilities, maybe we could make the world a better place for people of all abilities. The Holy Spirit equips people and gives them specific abilities that enable them to spread the good news. The Holy Spirit breaks down physical barriers in order to welcome people with disabilities into the community where people share the love of Christ. The Holy Spirit advocates for all people to be welcomed to worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflection Questions: What are some of your hidden abilities? Have you ever been called to do something that you did not think you could do? Did you amaze yourself?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making your word accessible to everyone. Help us to understand each other’s needs in order to allow everyone to live fulfilling lives. Break down the barriers separating us from one another. Set our hearts on fire as we welcome people with different abilities into our community. Thank you for sending us an advocate. Amen.

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography, www.ambersuephotography.com

Ascension of Our Lord: Luke 24:44-53

Peace be with you!

Every Mother’s Day I think about all of the strong women who have influenced me. My elementary special education team always pushed me to do better and to meet my goals. My lead teacher for seven years helped me develop my writing skills. My physical therapist taught me to set short- and long-term goals and to continue to work toward those goals no matter what. My occupational therapist always could get me laughing and working toward goals, even on days when my muscles had other plans. She also helped me to recognize my own limits and understand that when I got tired I needed to rest. My classroom aide instilled patience and kindness in me as well as the knowledge of when to ask for help, especially when I was scared. There was also the school’s cook who always had me laughing. Her daughter became a volunteer in my special education classroom and was a mentor to me during the difficult teenage years and beyond.

Of course, my mother is my biggest supporter. She worked with my special education team to push me to meet my goals. My mother’s faith in the Triune God led me to follow Jesus Christ and to have a strong moral core. (I fall short sometimes, but I strive to live according to God’s will—and much of that is because of my mother.) All of these women have helped to form me into the woman I am today.

Reflection Questions: Who has influenced you? Did you have a mentor growing up? Do you have a spiritual director or pastor?

The transition from elementary school to middle school was difficult for me. At the end of sixth grade, I had a difficult time imagining going to middle school without my special education team whom I had been with for seven years. I remember crying a few times, because I scared of change and of not having their support. Of course, I would have a special education team in middle school, but the transition meant leaving behind everything I knew. These women knew me. They had watched me grow up. They were there for me when my parents separated and got divorced. Who could ever replace them?

Reflection Questions: Have you experienced a difficult transition in life?

At his ascension, Jesus says, “The scriptures say the Messiah will suffer, die, and rise after three days for the repentance and forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed throughout the world. You have witnessed these events, and now as the Father has promised, I am sending you out with the same power he gives me. Stay here until the Holy Spirit empowers you to proclaim the good news to the world” (see Luke 24:46-49).

I imagine the disciples are scared of the drastic change at Jesus’s ascension—the transition from having Jesus physically with them every day to not seeing him at all. Sure, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to guide the disciples, but what does that mean? How can someone they cannot see guide them? Like my transition from elementary school to middle school, the disciples are faced with the unknown. They cannot imagine life without Jesus physically being there.

Jesus promises to empower the disciples with the Holy Spirit to live out their faith. The Holy Spirit will empower the disciples to bring people to believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will go out and find those who have strayed away and bring them back into the fold. The Holy Spirit will lead the disciples, the apostles, and, later, us to pray for the sick, the lame, the poor, and the homeless. The Holy Spirit will be there for the disciples, the apostles, and us, just as Jesus was physically there for the disciples.

How do we know the Holy Spirit is here for us today? We know it every time we pray to God for healing or direction and witness our prayers being answered. When we pray for guidance, we seek the Holy Spirit for God’s wisdom. When we pray for Jesus to heal the lame, we seek the Holy Spirit for Jesus’s healing power. When we pray, we invite the Holy Spirit to show us Jesus’s power and might in the world. By answering our prayers, God demonstrates how he is still in the world. Sometimes God seems silents making us think our prayers are going unanswered, but in reality God maybe asking us to go in a different direction or we may need to repent and seek forgiveness before God can act on our behalf. Our hearts and minds need to be open to God’s call for our lives. God is not limited by time, a location, or a reason. God continues to express his love for us through healing us, forgiving us, and empowering us to go do his work in the world. This is how we know God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are still in the world today.

Reflection Questions: How has Jesus empowered you with the Holy Spirit? Do you pray over people for discernment and healing? Do you help the poor, the hungry, and the disabled?

As Jesus ascends to heaven, he promises to send the Holy Spirit, commissions the disciples to spread the good news, and blesses them. Jesus empowers the disciples to continue his work in the world by giving them his power and authority. The disciples watch Jesus go to heaven as he blesses them to embrace their continued journey in their faith, and through the disciples and apostles we receive the same blessings.

Reflection Questions: How is Jesus blessing you on your journey of faith?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for promising us the Holy Spirit to lead us. Help us to live out the commission to spread the good news throughout the world. Bless us with the Holy Spirit as we pray for the sick, the lame, the poor, and the homeless. Bring about healing in the world, so we can see your power and feel your love. Amen.

photo credit: Cíih Landim & Ramon Marden via photopin (license)

Peace be with you!

As Christians, we live in, but are not of, the world. Friends, family members, and colleagues question why we do things differently than the world. They ask us to leave God out of it. They get uncomfortable when we pray before meals or during times of tragedy. The world asks us to leave our faith at home.

In John 10, we have the Good Shepherd discourse in which Jesus explains how he will never abandon a lost soul. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who the sheep will follow
when he calls (John 10:16). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is the gateway for the sheep to enter the pasture where he will keep them safe. Jesus also explains his relationship with God the Father. Because Jesus and God the Father know and have mutual respect for each other, the Father knows Jesus will do anything, even laying down his life, for those individuals who are lost (John 10:15). The Good Shepherd discourse shows us just how far Jesus will go to redeem us as God’s children.

The Jews continue to debate who Jesus really is as a person. Is Jesus the Messiah, or is he speaking blasphemy (John 10:24, 33)? It is an intense conversation between Jesus and the Jews in which they almost stone him (John 10:31). The Jews are having difficulty changing the way they think about their God who gave them the Ten Commandments, with the first one being to have no other gods before the Lord. To say God the Father and Jesus are one is blasphemy in the eyes of the Jews. Yet some Jews are asking if Jesus is the Messiah. These Jews would love Jesus to come right out and say he is the Messiah. When they ask him directly, Jesus says, “I have said so already, and you do not believe” (see John 10:25). The Jews are coming at Jesus on both sides of the issue, and Jesus cannot win with either one.

At the heart of this debate are the questions of Jesus’s identity and what you believe to be true. If you are like the Jews, you are torn between honoring your God and looking for the Messiah. You do not want to be guilty of blasphemy, but what if Jesus is the Messiah and was sent by God? What are the chances? Could Jesus really be God’s equal? Is Jesus really leading them to the kingdom of God? The Jews are caught in the old way of thinking in which people would offer a sacrifice in order to be made clean.

However, Jesus presents us with a new way of thinking: He is one with the Father (John 10:30), and therefore he is our way into the kingdom of God. If we believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah who redeems us through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, then we are granted the opportunity to enter kingdom of God and to be in relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We hear Jesus calling our names, and we follow him (John 10:27), because we believe and know Jesus is the Messiah. We trust Jesus will keep us safe and protect us during difficult times. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who keeps his sheep (us) from wandering too far from the Lord. When we wander too far, Jesus comes looking—calling us back into the fold. Jesus calls us to be in community with one another in order to strengthen our own relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

As a united community, we fight against the ways of the world. As a community—his chosen children—Jesus promises to never abandon us. Even when one of us wanders off, Jesus promises to come looking for the missing. Everyone is a beloved child who matters to God; no one is left behind, unless they turn their backs to God and even then he comes looking. The good news about salvation is that it is not our doing—we did not earn it. Salvation is a gift from God the Father through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. We are forgiven and invited back into the fold when we turn back to God. This is the good news of the resurrection—a promise for each individual and for the whole community.

Living in the world presents hazards to our faith and way of life. Today we run into people like those in the story, people who question how we can believe in Jesus and the resurrection. Others question how we can live blindly and believe in the impossible—a man rising from the dead. Some people question how we can believe in God at all. Still others would like us to leave God out of our work as if anything is possible and could exist without him.

As Christians, we fight against these fantasies and declare that existing without the aid of God is impossible. We believe and understand our very being is centered around God and his will. We believe and understand God chooses us as his children. We believe and understand God gives us salvation; Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection was and is for our redemption and the remission of our sins. We believe and understand Jesus provides us with a way to be in a relationship with God the Father, not on our own merits but by the forgiveness, grace, and love of God. We believe and understand these things to be true, because we believe and understand the truth and the way. Because we believe and understand these things, we are able to live in confidence that Jesus will always be there to protect and hold us.

A month ago I took a seminar with Nigel W. D. Mumford in which he discussed the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and how one can learn to cope and be healed. One of Mumford’s main points was to put Jesus in between yourself and the assailant—to put Jesus into that traumatic scene. Several of us experienced healings that afternoon. One lady re-imagined a night she got home well past her curfew, a night that resulted in her dad hitting her in the driveway. When she placed Jesus in the scene, he blocked her dad from hitting her and kissed her cheek. In that moment, the lady was healed from her fear and resentment toward her father. Later on, Mumford talked about speaking at the Pentagon and being asked to develop a protocol for returning veterans to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder but he had to leave Jesus out of it. Mumford said, “No, thanks,” because you cannot leave Jesus—the main ingredient—out. Jesus comes to our rescue and saves us from the time of trial. Jesus is the reason we are able to overcome our fears; nothing and no one else will do.

As Christians, we do our best to love not just our neighbor but our enemy as well. We pray for and with the homeless, the poor, the disabled, and [whoever “it” is] that needs and desires the love of God. We meet resistance from the world, because we are not of the world, and therefore we have a different message. We are in the world to spread the good news of the power of the resurrection. We work to further Jesus’s message of forgiveness, grace, and love in order to bring others into a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us by name back into the fold. Help us to be a united community in the world to work together to strengthen one another. Lead us to share the good news with the lost. Let us rejoice in the resurrection and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen.