Reading for Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: James 1:17-27

Peace be with you!

Do you know anyone who says they are a Christian but does not act like one? Some people go to church and say the right things, but they do things contrary to God’s love. Maybe you have met people who say “love your neighbors,” but will spread hate in the church. Maybe you have gone to a new church and felt like an outcast.

We begin a five-week series in the book of James, which is attributed to Jesus’s brother, James, an early church leader in Jerusalem. Unlike Paul, James is more concerned with practical theology than theological theories. The main goal for James is to have people examine their lives and to seek to live out their faith in Jesus Christ.

James has witnessed people act contrary to their faith. In the opening chapter, James answers two questions:

• Who is God?
• Who are we supposed to be?

As he engages these questions, James challenges his readers to examine their actions through the lens of their faith.

Who is God? God is the creator of earth and heaven (Genesis 1) and the Father of the lights (James 1:17b; cf Genesis 1:3, 14-17) who gives us life through the true word (James 1:18). Unlike the devil, God does not live in the shadows. Instead God is the light of the world who gives life to all things. Every time God creates living and non-living things he says, “It is good” (Genesis 1:4, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). After God created part of creation, he said, “It is good.” God does not have two sides to him—good and evil—like the Force in Star Wars. God is just good, and therefore we are good as his creation.

God is so good that he shows us the truth and gives us the good news through Jesus Christ. God makes it possible for us to be in a relationship with him by sending Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins and be raised to new life. Because he is the light of the world, Jesus gives us the word of truth. He gives us new life with God the Father when we are born again through our baptism. Jesus invites us to walk in the light and to be the light in the world to share his good news (John 12:36a).

When we see all the darkness in the world and battle with our own sinful nature, it’s easy to forget that God has made us children of light. It’s easy to forget to live into that reality that God has created for us. We get consumed by the busyness of the world. We forget to pause and to look for the light. We forget to thank God for the gift he gives us for free. Instead we keep working toward the empty promises of the devil—wealth, power and authority, and envy. We are never happy with what we are given and always want more—bigger houses, better cars, latest technology, and the next promotion. We speak and act against our neighbor. We judge people based on gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, economical standing, and more. However, when we walk in the light, we express God’s love in the world. The light makes it possible to look pass people’s differences and to care and love them for who they are and where they are. We can then care for people’s needs. God’s light and love knows no boundaries.

James says, “Stop saying you are a Christian and acting otherwise. If you are going to say you are a Christian, love your God, love your neighbor, care for the needy, and feed and clothe the poor. Stop serving the devil, and start truly serving the Lord.” When we speak out of anger, we go against God’s righteousness (James 1:19-20). Wickedness does not serve God’s purpose for us as his creation.

James challenges us to really look at ourselves in a mirror (James 1:23, 25). Do you act like a Christian? Do you speak with care and love? Do you lend a hand to the needy? Do you advocate for social justice? Do you feed and clothe the poor? Some people forget who they are as soon as they leave church and go back to doing things their way. These people turn their backs to God, even when they claim to be Christians. However, when you live out your faith, you bring God’s righteousness and light into the world. God commissions us to care for his creation—to care for orphans and widows.

When we share God’s forgiveness, grace, and love, we bring a little bit of heaven to earth. This allows us to strengthen our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (James 1:18). God brings us to new life with Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being in a relationship with us. Help us to cast away wickedness and to walk in your light and ways. Lead us to care for the needy, the poor, and the widows. Thank you for giving us new life through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reading for Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 6:10-20

Peace be with you!

Surviving in a world where there are cosmic powers of darkness can be difficult for us as Christians. We are daily surrounded by messages that try to persuade us to turn away from are Lord and into the darkness. There is no way to avoid these messages; people who choose to live in the darkness and who try to pull us in with them surround us. These individuals work as advertisers, journalists, news anchors, authors, movie directors, etc. They control what we see and do not see.

In the modern world, we have gadgets too help us to get the messages we want to see and to block or minimize the messages we do not want to see. We can follow certain news outlets and bloggers on Twitter and Facebook. We can surround ourselves with people who value the same things as we do. We choose which businesses, organizations, and movements to support and not to support. However, no matter how much we try to avoid the powers of darkness, they will always manage to infiltrate our reality. We cannot avoid the pain, injustice, and suffering in the world.

As Christians, what can we do to fight against the cosmic powers of darkness? What gadget can zap it out of the world once and for all? Where can we go to escape the darkness?

Unfortunately, there is no gadget to use against the powers of darkness or place we can go to hide from it. As long as God and the cosmic powers of darkness are at odds with each other, we as Christians will have to learn to protect ourselves and work toward bringing heaven to earth. How do we work toward such a lofty goal?

The author of Ephesians gives us survival strategy to follow when we are fighting against the cosmic powers of darkness. The author uses the metaphor of the armor worn by the Roman soldiers in battle. First, the “belt of truth” strengthens the individuals within the group to trust each other and to fight against others who are speaking against the Lord (Ephesians 6:14). Second, the “helmet of salvation” protects us from ourselves and gives us what we earn on our own merit (Ephesians 6:14, 17). God the Father gives us the gift of salvation through the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—a debt we cannot repay. Third, the “shield of faith” gives us the willpower to stand against the powers of darkness and to spread the word of God (Ephesians 6:16). Because we have faith, we have the power to stand together and to rally against the injustice in the world. Finally, the “sword of the Spirit” allows the Holy Spirit to go out into the world and share the good news through us (Ephesians 6:17). With the Holy Spirit to guide us, we are able to read the scriptures and open our minds and hearts to the good news.[i]

Yet the Roman soldiers could not rely on their armor alone, because it only protected their front sides. Roman soldiers had to walk side by side into battle to protect each other’s backs. In the same way, we as Christians need to stand together against social injustice. We need to make our voices heard and work to get new policies and laws passed that protect the oppressed and minorities. We discussed how people with various disabilities protested Congress together and how that brought about the Americans with Disabilities Act. In recent times, we have seen how social injustice is fought through social media hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #DontShoot, which have sparked a nationwide discussion on the injustice shown toward the black community. After many years of Congressional testimonies, we have witnessed LGBT couples be granted the same rights as married heterosexual couples. During our lifetime, we have seen the power of groups coming together to make changes and end social injustice.

In the same matter, we, as Christians, come together in a united front against the cosmic power of darkness. We can open and read the scriptures together and share the good news with others. Together with the Holy Spirit we can bring about God’s will on earth as in heaven.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us a survival strategy to fight against the cosmic powers of darkness. Help us to come together as a united front to share the good news with the world. Lead us with the Holy Spirit to do your work to protect the oppressed. Thank you for giving us a community to belong to. Amen.

[i] “Paul’s Product Proposal: The Bible Gives us Some Ideas for ‘Wearable Tech,’” Homiletics 27 (2015): 62-64.

Reading for Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 5:15-20

© Copyright 2015 Erin M Diericx

Peace be with you!

My activities are often planned out a week in advance, so I can schedule my personal caregivers accordingly. My caregivers know what to do as soon as they get to my house in the morning: feed the pups and prepare my breakfast. After I come out of my room, my personal caregiver makes my coffee and feeds me my breakfast. Depending on what day of the week, my helpers know which chores to do and where I need to be normally. I like my routine, though some days there are unexpected schedule changes. Most of my personal caregivers can be flexible and go with the flow, but individuals who are employed through an agency are not able to change their schedule with such ease.

Scheduling personal caregivers does require knowing and communicating what I need done and when. It also requires planning ahead and acknowledging my personal caregivers’ strengthens and weaknesses as well as their needs, such as time off. Managing your own care means managing both your time and the time of others, which requires discipline and care.

The author of Ephesians gives us guidelines as to what to do with our time. There are two types of time: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to the timing we live by on earth, which dictates an exact hour and minute, whereas kairos is God’s perfect timing. The author writes, “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15 NRSV). As Christians, we are to live according to chronos by listening to what God has planned.

However, our society has us programmed to chronos—the rush and to pack as much as we can into twenty-four hours in order to be successful. Our time is divided among school, work, family and friends, and other activities. Our society also has an ideal timeline for our lives: obtain your college degree by 22, land a job in your field soon after, married by 30, kids by 35, retired by 62, and so on. We are defined by our ability to keep up with the Jones and the Smiths.

But what happens when you cannot keep up with the Jones and the Smiths? What if you take longer to get your college degree and land a successful career? What if your life does not follow the ideal timeline?

Unfortunately, my life does not follow society’s ideal timeline. Sure, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree by 23 and my master’s degree by 26. I was even married by 25 and divorced by 29. Yet at 32 I am living in a retirement area in Florida and helping take care of my stepfather who has Parkinson’s. My time is spent managing both of our cares, especially as my stepfather’s physical abilities are declining slowly but more quickly than expected. My calendar looks a rainbow, because each personal caregiver, my stepfather, my mother, and I all have our own color. Some people wonder how we keep it all straight, but it is just our normal.

I often wonder how I got here. Living in Florida was not in my ten-year plan back in college and was not even a thought for my mom. When my stepfather could no longer handle the bitter winters of Wisconsin, Florida was ideal. Over the course of two years, we all moved down for one reason or another. My mom moved down when she found a job, and I moved down with my then husband, so he could golf all year round. My stepfather moved to Florida when he retired early. Now four years later my mom and I look at each other and wonder where the time has gone. My stepfather’s physical condition continues to decline, and we keep saying, “not yet,” as he is no longer able to do the things he once did.

Then I remember God’s perfect timing, his kairos timing. God’s timetable is vastly different than the one we live by on earth with no worldly standards or checklists. We don’t get to have input, and when we try to interject, God just laughs. In order to live by kairos, we must quiet the world around us and let God intervene on our behalf. We must be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit and to go where we did not plan. When we do, we are led to amazing places and do amazing things.

Sure, I never planned on living in Florida, but I am where God wants me to be. God knew my mom and my stepfather would need my support during this time. God knew my stepfather would need someone to keep him company when my mom was working. God knew my mom would need someone to talk to when things got overwhelming. God knew I could handle the task and would need my family after my divorce. Things may not be the way we planned, but it is God’s perfect plan.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your perfect timing. Help us to quiet our lives and slow down, so we can listen to your will. Lead us by the Holy Spirit to carry out your perfect plan in your timing. Thank you for intervening on our behalf. Amen.

Reading for Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 4:25-5:2



A small light can spark a revolution. Photograph: William Fernando Martinez/AP

Peace be with you!

Part of carrying out God’s plan is keeping his commandments and loving one other as he loves us. The author of Ephesians gives us a list of examples. Some commands are simple and straightforward, such as not stealing but instead doing a honest day’s work (Ephesians 4:28). But some of the commands are more complex. The author adds that we should share with the needy, but leaves us to clarify how we define who is and is not needy. When we add the human element into anything, the system often breaks down; it is easy to justify our personal opinions. We call to mind past negative experiences or imagine complicated logistics.

The author makes the argument that it is okay to get angry, if it does not cause you to sin (Ephesians 4:26). It seems impossible to get upset without hurting another person and therefore breaking a commandment. When a boyfriend cheats on you with your best friend, you may spread nasty rumors about them. When your mother does not allow you to go out with your friends, you may sneak out. When your friend spreads rumors about your family, you may spread rumors about their family. It is easy to let your anger lead you down a path that you would not otherwise go down. It is difficult to think of ways anger could be separate from sin.

However, what happens when we direct our anger to injustice in the world? What if we directed our anger to racial profiling? What if we directed our anger toward inaccessible buildings? What if we did not allow others to judge people based on their abilities? What if we did not allow anyone to sleep outside? What if we did not allow teachers to choose favorites? What if we taught students based on their learning styles? What would our world look like then?

Recently, I experienced discrimination based on my disability at my gym. One day my personal caregiver opened the door when she dropped me off at the gym. The front desk manager blocked the doorway and informed us that the gym requires me to show my gym membership card every time I come. She went on to lecture me that I should have my card out before I enter the door (meaning, my personal caregiver should get it out for me). Although I was allowed to enter the gym, I felt humiliated and disrespected.

I could have written a nasty letter to her boss, lamenting how she failed to treat me with dignity or respect. However, I decided to instead discuss the incident with the front-desk manager first. I explained how I felt violated when she physically blocked me from entering the gym. I explained how she could have taken me aside and said they were starting to enforce the policy more stringently. The front desk manager apologized for making me feel humiliated and understood how she could have approached me differently. By calmly and directly talking with the manager, I made my concerns and feelings known without being disrespectful, which showed her I could be approached like any other adult.

In recent times we have seen peaceful protests against racial profiling across the nation. People have held up their hands and chanted, “Black lives matter! Hands up, don’t shoot!” Church leaders have led prayer groups in the streets in Ferguson, and others have sung “Amazing Grace” in Charleston. The protesters got attention online with the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #DontShoot, and their peaceful, productive protest sparked a nationwide discussion on the injustice shown toward minorities.

This is what the author of Ephesians means not letting anger lead you to “bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling, and slander.” Instead, “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Responding to anger with love and tenderness allows for healthy and constructive conversation to happen that help to end injustice towards the weak and vulnerable. When we do that, we start creating the world that God had in mind all along. We come closer to doing God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for showing us your forgiveness, grace, and love. Help us to respond to anger with kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness. Lead us to direct our anger to the fight against injustice in the world. Thank you for your wisdom. Amen.

Reading for Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 4:1-16

Photo of the Capitol Crawl in March 1990 to protest for the ADA. Photo credit: Tom Olin

Peace be with you!

During the suffrage movement, woman wanted to be equal with men. During the civil rights movement, the African Americans fought to end segregation and have the same rights as white Americans. In the 1980s, disability activists fought for the Americans with Disabilities Act, so people with disabilities could enjoy life to its fullest. Most recently the LGBT community fought for the same rights granted to married heterosexual couples. All of the civil rights movements work toward legal equality for a group of people who have been oppressed by society.

The focus of Ephesians turns to ethical questions of how Christians should live out their lives. In the fourth chapter, the author makes an appeal for unity in the Christian community (Ephesians 4:3). As Christians, we are united in “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father” (Ephesians 4:5-6a NRSV). We are all connected to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit through the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from each other or from the Triune God.

Through grace we are given different gifts from Jesus (Ephesians 4:7), who sends us out into the world to spread the good news. Jesus calls different people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). We are all equipped with the gifts to do our different calls through the same Spirit. Our unique gifts add to the well-being of the community as a whole as we use them to support and strengthen one another.

Each civil rights movement focuses on a group of oppressed people about whom it raises public awareness. Each movement has its own rhetoric as to how its community has been treated unfairly in the past and would like to see social changes. Women fought to obtain equal pay compared to their male counterparts as well as the right to vote. It is difficult to imagine not being able to voice my opinions and thoughts just because I was a woman. African Americans fought to be able to use any bathroom or water foundation, to sit anywhere in a theater or on a bus, and to go to school anywhere. They fought to end segregation. Disability activists fought against having individuals who have disabilities put into facilities and separated from the rest of society. Disability activists fought the government to mandate public buildings be accessible to individuals in wheelchairs and to those using other assistance devices, which meant buildings needed to have ramps and elevators. The LGBT community fought for the rights of same-sex couples to be able to legally marry and have the same legal protections as straight couples. They fought to be able to legally recognize their union with whomever they fell in love with. Each civil rights movement fights to end injustice towards a certain group, though they all have striven for equality and to be heard and supported in society.

The author of Ephesians explains how Jesus gives his followers different gifts, which all strengthen the group as a whole (Ephesians 4:7, 16). Each individual is given a unique gift to help the body work toward sharing God’s love with the whole world. Jesus recognizes no one person has the responsibility of doing all of his work, so he splits it up among all of his followers. Each of his followers has the responsibility of lifting up the next person and giving them the support they need to do their job, which strengthens the community.

Disability activists modeled their movement after feminists and African Americans who led peaceful but direct demonstrations. Martin Luther King led marches and gave speeches in Washington DC to bring together the American-African community. In 1989-90, disability activists took part in the “Capitol crawl” by abandoning their wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and other assistance devices to crawl up the eighty-nine steps of the Capitol building. All civil rights movements make a commitment to bring about social change in a society in the pursuit of equality in the community. No one movement could bring about equality for everyone, but each group builds upon the one before it to strengthen the community at large. In the same way, we, as Christians, build upon each other’s work to spread God’s love in the world. Jesus gives us the tools we need to do his work in the world. By doing his work, we build on the community with other followers and with new believers. Our work furthers the work of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us each gifts to do your work in the world. Help us to understand our individualized roles in your master plan. Lead us to go out into the world to spread your love and to build a community. Thank you for your love for us. Amen.

Reading for Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 3:14-21

© Copyright 2015 The ADA Legacy Project

Peace be with you!

As we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities come together to share stories of trials and triumphs. In the 1980s, people with disabilities did not have the rights as we have today. Children with disabilities were not mainstreamed in regular education classes. Buildings were not accessible to people in wheelchairs, because they had stairs and not ramps and elevators. People in wheelchairs were not able to ride buses because buses were not equipped with lifts and ramps.

People with disabilities and supporters spent years lobbying Congress and writing letters to representatives in the 1980s. Several protests were organized in which people in wheelchairs would chain themselves to buses. People with disabilities went to hearings to tell about physical obstacles and discrimination in their daily lives. For the first time, people with disabilities were seen as a minority who had been discriminated against. On March 12, 1990, people abandoned their wheelchairs and mobility devices to crawl up the eighty-three steps to the US Capitol Building while chanting:

“What do we want?”

“ADA!”

“When do we want it?”

“NOW!”

People with disabilities were willing to fight for what they believed in—rights for all people. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26, 1990; it gives people with disabilities four categories of fundamental rights: equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.[i] Advocates continue to work toward making the ADA a reality for all people with disabilities.

In the third chapter of Ephesians, Paul prays for the church. He prays the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts to strengthen their relationship with God the Father and will give them the strength to do his work in the world (Ephesians 3:16-17). The author prays the church will recognize the Holy Spirit working in their daily lives to strengthen them.

Likewise, the ADA strengthens the voices of people with disabilities, because it recognizes their past struggles and gives them the right to live independently. Before the ADA, people with disabilities could not go shopping for shoes alone, as fourteen-year-old Danette Crawford told Senator Tom Harkin in 1990.[ii] For people with disabilities, the ADA meant access and the ability to do ordinary things, just like everyone else—a game changer.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a game charger because it evened the playing field between the Jews and the Gentiles. Jesus allows the Gentiles to be in a relationship with God the Father; before they were considered to be unclean. No longer was circumcision a requirement in order to know God (Ephesians 2:11). Jesus abolished the dividing wall—the law—between the Jews and the Gentiles and allowed them to live together in harmony (Ephesians 2:14-15).

Now, Jesus Christ dwells in our hearts to ground us in his love (Ephesians 3:17). With Christ we know God’s unconditional love for us, which he shows us through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The more we allow Jesus to dwell in our hearts, the more we are able to live out our faith and be led by the Holy Spirit. We are able to change the world with Jesus by our side.

When we allow Jesus to lead us, he leads us to be in community with others who believe (Ephesians 3:18-19). We can share our stories with one another and work together to do God’s work. We become a part of the community of saints working together in the world. As we share our individual stories, we become a part of God’s bigger story.

In order to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, people with disabilities and other advocates came together in Washington DC to give endless hours of taped testimony in Congressional hearings. Their testimonies told stories of how obstacles kept them from entering public places and how they were discriminated against at school and in the workforce. Their individual stories put the bigger picture together. Their stories made it possible for future generations to be able live ordinary lives in community with one another. Just like Jesus’s death and resurrection, that was a game changer.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for allowing us the live in community with one another. Help us to come together to do your work in the world. Dwell in our hearts as we go into the world. Be with us as we gather together to share stories of your awesome power. Thank you for sharing your bigger story with us. Amen.

[i] Senator Tom Harkin, “Americans with Disabilities Act at 20: A Nation Transformed,” Huffington Post, 30 July 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-tom-harkin/ada-at-20-a-nation-transf_b_659001.html.

[ii] Ibid.

Reading for Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 1:3-14

Peace be with you!

Somehow I skipped the confirmation class where we signed the waiver advising us of the dangers that come with being an active Christian. No Sunday school teacher tells children about the dangers in the world.

With ISIS constantly in the news, it feels like a risk just walking out the door, let alone admitting you are a Christian. In America, Christians are not being persecuted as they are in the Middle East but watching your fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ be killed for no reason but for being Christians evokes its own fear. Sometimes we bemoan the dangers of being a Christian, but mostly because we haven’t been taught that it comes with the territory.

We believe in a mystery that Biblical scholars spend their lifetime trying to explain, but it always boils down to not having the ability to fully understand it because of the unknown element, like an unsolvable algebra problem. How could God the Father adopt all of us as his children? How can all of us be marked with the Holy Spirit? How do we even deserve Jesus dying for our sins?

Over the next seven Sundays, we will be studying Ephesians and how Jesus unites everyone in the world as God’s adopted children. Ephesians lays the groundwork for what it means to be a child of God in the world. We take a risk when we proclaim the good news is for all people, not just a select few. Over the last few weeks, seven churches have experienced shootings and fires, though some of the fires were naturally caused. When we proclaim that all are welcome, it is always a risk that that grace might be used against us.

The author of Ephesians begins with the proclamation that through Jesus Christ God adopts everyone as his children (Ephesians 1:5). There are no more distinctions between Jew and Gentiles. There are no more distinctions based on race, nationality, abilities, etc. By sending Jesus to die for our sins, God draws all things to him (Ephesians 1:10). Jesus breaks down the barriers that previously separated us from God the Father and from one another in order to make a more inclusive community. God sends his only begotten son into the world to redeem us from all of our sins through his amazing grace (Ephesians 1:7). Through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, God the Father adopts us as his children and redeems us as his people, so we may worship and praise him all of our days (Ephesians 1:11-12).

It is difficult to explain why God the Father goes to great lengths to adopt us as his children by sending Jesus to redeem us from our sins (Ephesians 1:9-10). Nonbelievers struggle to understand how we, as Christians, can just accept and believe in the mystery of God’s love. These individuals feel it is a fairy tale rather than truth. As Christians, we believe in God’s amazing love, forgiveness, and grace, because we understand there is something more than ourselves. We recognize we cannot explain everything by science. ‘We are risk takers, because we believe in a mystery that cannot be explained, even if scholars spend their whole lives trying to do so.

For nonbelievers, it is difficult to believe in a mystery that no one is able to completely understand. There is no Sherlock Holmes who can solve the mystery of God’s amazing grace. As Christians, we live with the unknown mystery and believe it is true, even if we cannot explain it. We have the responsibility of spreading the good news that God redeems us all through Jesus Christ and by believing we inherit eternal life. We worship and praise the Triune God, because he promises us there is more to come after this life. God promises us light in the midst of the darkness. God promises us he will never leave our side, even when he has every right to do so. God promises forgiveness when we repent. God promises us all of it, even eternal life in his kingdom. And all that we have to do is to believe there is something more beyond this world. What do we have to lose?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for adopting us as your children. Help us to live within the mystery of your grace. Be with us as we go out into the world and proclaim your good news. Remind us that you are always with us, even in the darkness. Thank you for your forgiveness, love, and grace. Amen.

Reading for Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 2:11-22

Peace be with you!

Emperors built different portions of the Great Wall of China, especially during the fourteenth century. These walls created a sense of security by keeping the people who lived there safe and keeping others out. In ancient times, Jews and Gentiles were two separate groups and were separated by a visible delineating marker—circumcision (Ephesians 2:11). The Jews lived and worshiped in Jerusalem, while the Gentiles lived and worshiped elsewhere. The Jews were defined by the clear marker of their God-given law as well. The wall marking who was in and who was out was always present.

Then God sent Jesus Christ into the world to break down the dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14). Metaphorically, God takes down the great dividing wall and welcomes all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—to be in a relationship with him. There is no longer a need to be circumcised or to keep the ceremonial law in order to be counted as God’s children.

God creates peace between the two groups and makes one in Jesus’s name through the cross; God becomes accessible to all people (Ephesians 2:15-18). Jesus gives us grace that tares down the wall of the law and gives us peace. The Jews have a difficult time accepting they are one with the Gentiles, because they are used to being special. The Jews have kept the law and the commandments, but now the game has changed. There are these new things called grace and forgiveness, which allows even the worst sinners and unclean to be loved by God and to enter the most holy places. This radical change is difficult for the Jews to accept and appreciate.

Jesus becomes the cornerstone of the faith system, which allows us to be in a relationship with God the Father (Ephesians 2:19-20). Jesus breaks down the great dividing wall in order to allow all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—to enter the holy temple to worship the Triune God. Everyone is made clean through the blood of Jesus and is welcomed into a relationship with God the Father. Nothing can keep us from God’s love.

This foundation supports the work of the apostles and prophets and brings together all of creation. It gives both Jews and Gentiles the assurance that anyone who believes in the Triune God will enter heaven where God dwells (Ephesians 2:21-22). With this assurance, we receive the promise of salvation and eternal life through God’s work in Jesus and in us as we continue his work in the world.

In a world where lines are drawn, God comes through Jesus Christ to redeem all people, regards of race, economical standing, ability or disability, political views, or religious beliefs. God gives us gifts of forgiveness, grace, and salvation through Jesus. God makes us whole and redeems us by knocking down the great dividing wall. He gives us a new foundation through Jesus and assures us a place together in heaven.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for knocking down the great dividing wall and welcoming all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—into your family. Continue to redeem us from our sinful nature and work within us to do your work in the world. Thank you for the assurance we will enter your kingdom. Amen.

Reading for Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

© Copyright 2013 Original Artwork by Erin M Diericx

Peace be with you!

Individuals tend to boast about their strengths. People analyze their resumes and cover letters when applying for jobs in hopes to showcase their best selves. We boast when we accomplish a difficult task, like biking one hundred miles, finishing a home improvement project, or publishing a book. We are all guilty of boasting about our accomplishments to self-promote ourselves. I am guilty of telling people I am a New Testament scholar when I meet them. We boast about what we excel at doing.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses the “super-apostles” who are claiming they have special authority from the Lord. Apostle Paul challenges the “super-apostles’” credentials: being born with the right religious, ethnic, or Christian heritage (2 Corinthians 11:22-29). Lois Malcolm writes, “The proclamation that ‘Christ is Lord’ makes us ‘slaves’ to one another ‘for Jesus’ sake’: it cannot be used — without enacting a contradiction — to deceive, control, or manipulate others (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).”[i] Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are not slaves to anyone, except the Lord. These “super-apostles” were boasting to the Corinthians about being more holy than them and were making the Corinthians feel like they were weak or were missing something. Paul says, “Yes, I have seen the Lord in a vision, but I do not boast that I have special authority or power, instead I boast about my weaknesses” (2 Corinthians 12:2-5).

Acknowledging your weaknesses is never a pleasant experience, because you have to admit you are broken and you cannot do something or you need help doing something. Sometimes people’s brokenness is caused by a physical limitation. Maybe you cannot walk and need a wheelchair to get around. Maybe you have weakness in your hands and need help opening jars. Other times, people’s brokenness is caused by psychosocial condition. Maybe you are a veteran and fireworks remind you of gunshots from the war zone caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. Maybe you were a victim of domestic violence, and anyone who behaves a certain way reminds you of that experience and can trigger anxiety or panic attacks, caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, in you. Maybe you are young or have little life experience and cannot relate to a friend who lost her father. It is difficult to admit you do not understand or are not able to do something.

Paul acknowledges his own weaknesses. Since becoming a Christian, Paul has been beaten, jailed, and torment. Malcolm writes, “In chapter four, Paul draws on imagery from psalms of lament to describe his apostolic life: being afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).”[ii] Here Paul explains that he does not write about his hardships to get sympathy but to illustrate how his weakness is the reason why he needs the Lord—the Lord is his strength.

In our society, weakness and limitations are viewed as negative. One is viewed as not being able to live a perceived normal life due to a physical limitation or not being able to handle certain situations due to a psychosocial condition. The man who runs for cover when he hears loud noises, like fireworks, is viewed as crazy, instead of being viewed as a veteran who protected our country under unimaginable situations. The woman who has experienced domestic violence is seen as not being able to handle life when she leaves her abusive spouse, instead of being strong enough to stand up to an abuser. The young man in an electric wheelchair is seen as weak and uneducated due to his speech impairments and his spastic movements, instead of being a brilliant businessman. We quickly judge people based on their weaknesses without knowing their back story.

Paul challenges us to see our weaknesses as strengths in Jesus Christ and the places where his power is made known (2 Corinthians 12:10). We can never brag about the miraculous ways God uses our weaknesses; those realities are clearly from God’s power alone.

And so, Jesus gives us inner strength when we are weak and persecuted by others. The veteran is always alert to protect others. The brilliant businessman in an electric wheelchair has a nonprofit that gives jobs to people with all abilities. The woman helps others get out of abusive relationships and start new lives, because someone did it for her. Jesus takes our weaknesses and turns them into inner strengths.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving the apostle Paul strength during his hardships. Help us to recognize our weaknesses as strength. Be with us during difficult times. Thank you for changing our weaknesses into inner strengths. Amen.

[i] Lois Malcolm, “Commentary on 2 Corinthians 12:2-10,” Working Preacher, 3 July 2015, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2483.

[ii] Ibid.