His steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:2 NRSV)
Easter Sunday is filled with joy and excitement. Jesus Christ who was crucified, died, and buried in a tomb sealed with a stoned has now risen from the dead and escaped his tomb without any help from other human beings. It nothing less than amazing, spectacular, exciting, joyful all wrapped up together.
Psalm 118 is the last of five psalms called the “Egyptian Hallel” psalms which are read at the Passover meal on the eighth day of the celebration. The hymns are a mixed with themes of the individual and community hymns. Psalm 118 is a mix of an individuals’ hymn of thanksgiving for being delivered from troubled within the context of being in a corporate worship. The Psalmist is acknowledging there is a supreme creator, an external force other than a human being—the Lord, which has saved and delivered this individual from trouble, evil, the trappings of the devil himself. And what a joyous and wonderful occasion it is to be freed from the devil, to be brought back into the light, to be with the Lord.
In John 20, Mary Magdalene is distraught. Jesus’s body is missing, gone, nowhere in sight. What makes it worst is the fact Mary Magdalene saw with her own two eyes Jospeh of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay Jesus’s body in the tomb and sealed it with a stoned. If there is a time for Mary Magdalene to say a string of explicits, it would be now. Her world has been turned upside down; the only man, the only human being who did not judge her but loved her for who God created her to be was brutally murdered in the most inhuman way possible. And now she is being kicked into a hole, because someone robbed her of the opportunity to pay respect to her dear friend, the one who always defended her, the one who looked past her mistakes. His body was gone.
In a baffled, confused, hysteria mode, Mary Magdalene sees the gardener and asks where they have taken Jesus’s body, though she does not seeing the person, the human being standing in front of her. She is still bond by the expectations of the world; Jesus Christ has died and is no more.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. (Psalm 118:19, NRSV)
In the midst of her anguish, the gardener says, “Mary!” In a moment, Mary Magdalene has a series of flashed backs—the grave clothes still laying in the tomb, Jesus defending her and saying she was preparing him for burial by washing his feet with the perfume, Jesus saying he would rise on the third day. Suddenly everything starts making sense. Her world has not turned upside down; she has not kicked in a hole; but Mary Magdalene has been set free, unbound from the world’s expectations and ideas and has been freely given eternal life. The Israelites would sing Psalm 118:19 as they would enter the temple to make sacrifices and worship the Lord. Mary Magdalene is rejoicing in the new creation, the new reality; she is filled with joy.
Like the palmist, Mary Magdalene is rejoicing and thanking the Lord, Jesus Christ, for pulling her out of despair and into absolute joy. Mary Magdalene is the first person to get a glimpse into the new Jerusalem—the new creation. In Psalm 118, the verse 14 echo the Israelite’s song of deliverance after they cross the Red Sea and escaped Pharaoh’s army; the enemy has perished and new life is in front of the Israelites. Verses 15 and 16 echo Moses’s song (Exodus 15:6, 12) where there is a grand celebration for being delivered from the Egyptians by “the right hand of the Lord;” verse 17 affirms “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds off the Lord” (Psalm 118:17 NRSV).
This is where Mary Magdalene is right now; she has gone through Jesus’s crucifixion and death. She has witnessed Jesus’s brutal crucifixion first hand. And now Mary Magdalene is the first one to glimpse into the new Jerusalem, into the new creation, where death is not a period on one’s life but a semicolon, a breath, a pause before what is to come, before an individual goes to the Kingdom of God and enjoys eternal life.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
The Lord is great and powerful. We can rejoice with Mary Magdalene as she goes and spreads the good news: Jesus Christ has died but has risen. Mary Magdalene is the first person to share the good news, and while she is meant with disbelief she is filled with joy and amazement. Once the collective community catches up and is filled with the same joy and amazement as her, the community will rejoice and worship the Lord, our Savior alongside Mary Magdalene as in Psalm 118 the community joins in with the psalmist.
This is the new day that the Lord has made where are granted entrance into the new Jerusalem. We no longer die but live with the Triune God forever and ever and ever. We live in a new reality where death means a mere transition into a better and joyful life. So let us rejoice and be glad.
“Alleluia. Christ is risen! / The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!” (BCP 355)
Six years ago my best friend and soulmate, Nate, made the journey to heaven after being in hospice for a few weeks. It was a miracle Nate lived to be thirty-two (two months shy of his thirty-third birthday). Nate had Leighs Dystonia, which made him medically fragile where a common cold could have killed him at a young age. Nate could barely move his arms and head, and he could not talk, besides audible sounds. However, Nate used his eyes to communicate and show emotion. His empathic ways touched everyone he met. We met in preschool at age three and went to school together through high school. Although life circumstances separated us for a decade, we could always communicate through time and space.
“Walking with Grief Celtic Prayer,” Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbia Community, (San Francisco: Harper One, 2002), 225-226.
One could say I had thirty-two years to prepare myself for the inedible. Even at a young age, I knew Nate would go to heaven well before me. But nothing prepares you for the most dramatic moment where your better half leaves the world. Six years ago was the worst day of my life. There were big tears late at night when my personal caregiver left. There were big angry tears with pleads to God to give him back. There were big tears of regret for time wasted. The big tears kept coming in waves, and they come even now occasionally.
To say Nate fought to live in the world as long as he could would be an understatement. Nate did everything he could to share his love to those who he loved, especially his mom and dad, his older brother and sister, and me, through his eyes and smile. It was difficult to figure out how to go forward in the world without Nate, though I knew that’s what he wanted me to do. I found a Celtic grieving prayer, where it encourages you to be gentle with yourself and to finish those unfinished conversations with your loved one (see right). With our ability to communicate through space and time, finishing those conversations happened naturally over time.
Over the next few months, I started painting the NATErin series of water scenes with the sun and/or moon, a gold bird, and our signature in gold. The first couple paintings were dark and angry, though eventually a sunny sea scene emerged as the grieving process evolved.
Fast forward to now: with the pandemic, sheltering in place, and the death toll coming closer to home, it has only been in the last year that I started branching out from water scenes to rolling hills to mountain scenes with the sun and/or moon, a gold bird, and our signature in gold. It has grown into a ministry to help others through the grieving process. I make cards with the original NATErin painting and send them to friends and family who have lost a loved one.
Painting each scene connects me with Nate and with others who have lost a loved one. As I paint each gift, I remember the initial pain and the raw emotions with the big tears, and I pray the receiver feels some peace in knowing their loved one is still present in their heart.
If you said six years ago the day held a promising ministry, I would have screamed your head off, because there was no possible way without time. The NATErin ministry is Nate’s last gift to me as we help those newly grieving the lost of a loved one. It is something we built together—first as gifts to his family and now as gifts to others, even after his death. Nate entrusted me with this gift to share his love and empathic ways with others, which is a privilege and honor, and I know Nate will always be in my heart.
A reflection on answering God’s call during the pandemic as a disabled individual.
When you grow up with a disability and have friends with disability, you learn at a young age how fragile life is, because a common cold could potently turn into pneumonia and kill your medically fragile best friend. When you are sick, you understand staying away from your medically fragile best friend means more playdates in the future, because staying away keeps them from becoming sick and facing the true consequence—death. When your medically fragile best friend becomes sick, you spend every spare moment praying to God to make them well again and for more playdates in the future. These life lessons are not intentionally taught to those of us growing up within the disabled community, though they are cultivated within the very fabric through the experiences of the community itself. These life lessons have formed me into the person I am today—empathic to those who grief and a sense of calling to keep the medically fragile safe. Ultimately these lessons have cultivated a calling within me to always keep my focus on the Lord and to lead others to the Lord.
The coronavirus pandemic has lead me to rely on these lessons of my childhood. I have stayed home in order to reduce my expose to the virus and to keep my family and my personal caregivers (my bubble) safe. Those who know me personally know not being able to travel is a true sacrifice for me. However, I have done it with a sense of duty to my loved ones—those who are more immune compromised than myself, because I want them around for years to come.
For most of the pandemic, I have been living much like a monk—only leaving the house when necessary. This has allowed me to focus on my relationship with the Triune God. I have gotten in a routine of doing evening prayer every night, which keeps me center on the Lord. This is extremely helpful when situations that in the past would cause my anxiety to be elevated come up, because I rely more on the Lord to see me through [whatever “it” is]. There is peace in knowing the Lord is with me in all circumstances and all the time.
Living like a monk has taken me back to the basics—being in God’s presence, prayer, and mediation. I have spent days deep in prayer lifting up those who are sick, dying, grieving, wondering, and lost. The world is in pain from attacks from who oppose the Triune God—Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, I keep my focus on God and his promise of eternal life in his kingdom, because nothing else gives me greater peace.
This shift my ministry in my ministry has allowed me to reach out to those far and near. Instead of visiting with individuals, I messaging them prayers and sending them cards. In doing so, I have been able to do direct others to the Lord in order to rely on him to give them peace and to strengthen their relationship with him.
I pray one day we will be able to gather in groups again and be a thriving community again. Until then, we can sit and pray for the broken and fragile world.
O Lord, we lift up the lonely and the grieving as they suffer attacks from the devil. Give them your strength and wisdom to continue to seek your light in the darkness. Comfort the grieving. Heal the sick. Walk with us as we seek to bring you glory in the world with the help of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, and the Holy Spirit. + Amen.
Artwork by Erin M Diericx, Vicki Pritchard, and Nancy Fishell.
A devotion for Good Friday.
This past year has felt like as though we have been carrying a heavy cross with the pandemic. The first responders and essential workers have caring for those who have been and are suffering from the coronavirus; some have watched hundreds die, despite their best efforts. Under pressure from society, the scientists have been working around the clock to create vaccines. The restaurant industry have been recreating how individuals eat out by having more take out options and fewer tables. Industry have been new innovative ways to meet a change in how products are demanded. Teachers have been burning the midnight oil to find new ways to teach and connect with their students. Children have been stuck at home without opportunities to physically see and touch their friends and grandparents. Parents have had to take an active role in their children’s education as well as doing their work for their job. For the disabled and those compromised immune systems, they have been forced to put their lives on paused and quarantine, stay home indefinitely. Everyone has had their lives impacted by the pandemic; everyone has had their own cross to bare.
In today’s context, Jesus would have suffered and died from the coronavirus. He would have been working in the hardest hit cities. He would have been holding the dying in his loving arms. He would have been comforting those who were grieving. He would have been feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and finding ways to connect with the housebound. He has been through the Holy Spirit guiding us to care for each other in mist the pain and the grief.
And then he would have died, while doing all he could to save us. Even on his deathbed, he would have been comforting those who were caring for him. That’s what he does on the cross. After ministering to those in need, those who society has casketed aside and forgotten, Jesus died in agony, in the most painful way known, out of love for us. And even in his death, Jesus does something amazing. He went to hell to reclaim those souls who were there for unknown reason in order to take them to the Kingdom of God and to give them eternal life. And after three days, Jesus rises and comes back to us in his resurrection in order to offer us eternal life and entrance into the Kingdom of God. It is an unending love story; it never ends, because God’s love for us, his children, never ends; his love never fails, even under the worst conditions.
The crucifixion is one of the most gruesome events that has ever happened. It has betrayal. It has beatings. It has lies and demands. It has questions. It has confusion and disgust. It has grief. It has murder and death. And yet it has triumph and unconditional, undying love, because Jesus’s death is not the end of the story. No, it is just the beginning of what God is doing in the world. This is why its called Good Friday. Even at humanity’s worst, God does something amazing, because he loves us so.
The juxtaposition of the separation of light and darkness within creation story and Jesus’s baptism is a way to emphasize the difference between the darkness and the light. It shows the importance of Jesus being the light of the world, which can be very dark as we have seen this past year.
Within the creation story, God separated the light from the darkness on the first day, so it seems fitting for Jesus’s first public action is his baptism to symbolize him as light of the world and to tie him to repentance and forgiveness. As the light of the world, Jesus becomes a beacon to all individuals who are not in a relationship with God.
John the Baptist introduces as “the one who is more powerful” than him and as someone who he is unworthy of (John 1:7 NRSV). The idea of being unworthy is something that individuals, including Christians, battle with throughout their lives. This unworthiness steams from the world setting standards for individuals to meet and when they fail to do so they are tagged with not being worthy of whatever they would earn. This unworthiness comes from Satan who feeds on this loneness in individuals to separate them from God.
Jesus comes to John the Baptist, a misfit, in wilderness, not in a beautiful cathedral. Jesus begins his public with an unconventional act by starting outside of Jerusalem, outside of the temple and is named as God’s son, the beloved, who God is well pleased with by a voice from heaven (Mark 1:7). As Christians, we often think of the most holy moments happening in the temple or the church, yet Jesus often has his holy moments in the wilderness far from the temple.
By starting his public ministry with his baptism in the wilderness, Jesus, the Son of God, marks himself as a human being, as an ambassador to the fallen human race from God as God. Jesus did not have to be baptized; however, Jesus, God in the flesh, has taken the form of a human being in order to feel what we feel, to experience what we experience, to be as we are, yet without sin. His baptism becomes the mark of being in union with Triune God.
Although Jesus goes to Jerusalem during his three years of ministry, Jesus spends most of the time outside of the Jewish center. As the light of the world, Jesus goes beyond the Jewish world into Judea and Galilee in order to draw individuals into the light. Jesus travels into the wilderness, into the darkness to draw people into the light in order to know, to be into a relationship with him.
Jesus Christ goes beyond the boundaries to reach people in their specific context, situation to rescue them from Satan’s grip by extending God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace to them. Jesus builds individuals up by drawing them out of the darkness and into the light.
This is the light that once we repent and seek forgiveness we are able to enjoy eternal life with the Triune God. This light is what we, Christians, take into the world to lead others out of the darkness and into the light. This light is what gives us hope. This light grants us the promise of eternal life. This light is what we, Christians, take into the in order to draw others into a relationship with God the Father.
Therefore, we, Christians, are called upon carry God’s light within us to shine his light into the darkness, into the world. We are called upon to spread this light by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into the world. We are called upon to walk in the light to be an expression of God’s love in the world.
O Lord, we are struggling as individuals, as communities, as nations, as your children. We come to you with heavy burdens that only you can contend with.
We lift up the sick and dying. May they feel your comfort and peace, and grant those who have died entrance into your heavenly kingdom.
We lift up those who are struggling to provide the essentials of food, shelter, and clothes for their loved ones and themselves. Grant the individuals and families the courage to ask for help, and for others to answer the call.
We come together, although physically apart, as one voice, one body, because we are never truly alone, especially when we turn to you. Lead us by your light through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, with the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.
May my mediation of my heart and my words of my mouth be pleasing to the Lord.
Christmas time is filled with excitement of children and the hope of receiving the one thing on top of their list. Adults try to do their best to make their wishes come true, even when it requires sacrifice. As children become older and become adults, their wishes become less about tangible, physical items and more about the intangible, the greater good for the whole, the community, the whole community.
When Jesus Christ was born, the whole world received the gifts of hope, peace, and joy of knowing the Lord, of being in a relationship with the Lord. These gifts extend throughout time—before Jesus was born, during his lifetime, and after his death and resurrection. These gifts are for the wise and foolish, old and young, men and women. These gifts are for every individual who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
As the church, we celebrate the three wisemen visiting Jesus Christ, Mary, and Jospeh in their home. The three wisemen present the family with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—-gifts of immerse value to them, giving the Lord the best they had. The wisemen have heard of the Christ child who has been prophesied to be the one who will be the Savior of Israel and have come to pay respect to him with gifts. The wisemen give the child the very best they have to offer.
Like the wisemen, shouldn’t we offer Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the best of what we have? As Christians, we are asked to give of ourselves to help our neighbors, to love the other as ourselves. We are called to clothed the naked, feed the hungry, and provide shelter to the homeless, and when we do we express our love for the Lord and Savior. We are giving the Lord back what he gave us—our time, talents, and love in order to give others his gifts of hope, peace, and joy.
O Lord, we are struggling as individuals, as communities, as nations, as your children. We come to you with heavy burdens that only you can contend with.
We lift up the sick and dying. May they feel your comfort and peace, and grant those who have died entrance into your heavenly kingdom.
We lift up those who are struggling to provide the essentials of food, shelter, and clothes for their loved ones and themselves. Grant the individuals and families the courage to ask for help, and for others to answer the call.
We come together, although physically apart, as one voice, one body, because we are never truly alone, especially when we turn to you. Accept our gifts, the best we have to give, and let us adore the baby Jesus Christ with the wisemen by presenting our gifts to him. Lead us by the star to know your wisdom through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, with the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.
May my mediation of my heart and my words of my mouth be pleasing to the Lord.
This past years our fears have been brought to the forefront. They have paralyzed us with anxiety and depression. They have created a new reality for us.
In the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we meet a young woman, Mary, whose whole world is forever changed by a visit from the angel Gabriel. It is a meeting where Mary’s fear could have paralyzed her; it is a meeting where Mary makes a life changing decision; it is a meeting that puts God’s big plan into motion.
The angel Gabriel greets Mary as the favored one, and says the Lord is with her (Luke 1:28). Mary ponders the greeting for a bit, pondering how she could be favor by the Lord; she is a young girl, engaged but not yet married with a household of her. Surely the angel has the wrong girl.
We all have been there; God, you have the wrong person; surely, there is someone more qualified. There have been times when I thought God had the wrong girl. Seriously God, people can barely understand me, and you want me to preach? My fine motor skills are that of a five year old, and yet you want me to preside? Surely, you have the wrong girl. We all have our reasonable excuses; surely, someone is more qualified.
However, the angel Gabriel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have been found favor with God” (Luke 1:31 NRSV). The phrase “do not be afraid” is in the Bible 365 times, one for everyday of the year. It is more than a command to not be afraid, but it is a reassurance that God is with you and he will guide you through whatever the situation is. An angel told Hagar to not be afraid when Abram and Sarah sent her and Ishmael into the wilderness alone. Samuel told the Israelites to not be afraid when they sinned but to continue to serve the Lord (1 Samuel 12:20). An angel told Elijah to not be afraid when going to see the king (2 Kings 1:15). The bible is filled with individuals afraid to answer God’s call to do his work in the world. Yet after saying to not be afraid, God provides reassurance that something better would come from their predicament. Hagar’s son, Ishmael, would have descendants of his own.
Therefore, when the angel Gabriel tells Mary to not be afraid, it is followed by a good reason why a virgin girl is pregnant. God needs a virgin girl to born his son, because she needed to be pure; God’s son needs a holy birth that only God can make possible with the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel reassures Mary that God, the Lord, the Most High will be with her, watch over her, to guide her, and to never leave her side.
The Lord give us the same reassurance, even during the pandemic, even when we are walking through the wilderness, even when we are stumbling through the wilderness. God promises to be with us, to watch over us, to guide us, and to never leave us alone.
From the beginning of the pandemic, I have felt like God has told me to stay home in my little bubble, because he has a special assignment for me when the pandemic is over. Now I do not know what this assignment will be, but I am not afraid, because God has assured me that he will continue to be with me and guiding me to do his work in the world. And I promise, like Mary and me, God is with you guiding you to do amazing things in his holy name—do not be afraid but trust in the Lord.
O Lord, we are struggling as individuals, as communities, as nations, as your children. We come to you with heavy burdens that only you can contend with.
We lift up the sick and dying. May they feel your comfort and peace, and grant those who have died entrance into your heavenly kingdom.
We lift up those who are struggling to provide the essentials of food, shelter, and clothes for their loved ones and themselves. Grant the individuals and families the courage to ask for help, and for others to answer the call.
We come together, although physically apart, as one voice, one body, because we are never truly alone, especially when we turn to you. Continue to reassure us by guiding us to do your work in our communities, in the world, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, with the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.
May my mediation of my heart and my words of my mouth be pleasing to the Lord.
Our spiritual journeys take place over our lifetimes. These journeys have their struggles where individuals wrestle with who they are, with where God’s presence in their lives, with their call in the world, with their sins, repenting, and forgiveness. Individuals are struggling to make sense of what is happening, how best to care for their loved ones. Individuals are struggling financing; individuals are struggling to meet their basic needs of foods, shelter, and clothes. Parents are struggling with their mental health as they struggle to provide for their children, and possibly make do with less than adequate resources. Public servants are struggling to meet the demands of the number of patients lined up in hallways and parking lots in ambulances and beyond. Children and grandparents are struggling with not being able to physically visit one another, making memories, especially during the holidays when memories and traditions are being made. With travel being limited, individuals are missing visiting family members and friends over Christmas and New Years. It is an unsettling time; a time where it seems to be paused, because the normal patterns of the day and months have been shifted to a new reality, which we have not been able to grasp.
Yet we hear John the Baptist proclaiming, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his way straight,” in the wilderness (Mark 1:3 NRSV). It is such a dramatic proclamation, because it calls people, all people, to turn towards the Lord without any special requirements, such as circumcision. It is a call for Jews and Gentiles alike to turn to the Lord, to come into a deeper relationship with the Lord, by forming an emotional connection with the Lord, which takes time and commitment.
The pandemic has caused a natural time of repentance; something Christians usually do during Lent, before Easter. Church leaders and Christians are struggling with the underlying tones from the book of Revelation in the world; with the pandemic causing millions to die and even more to suffer, with the natural disasters worldwide: fires, earthquakes, and more. It seems as though the call to repent has been in the forefront for the past year almost, even if priests and pastors try to deliver messages of God’s love; the underlying tones of the times steep in.
In Isaiah, we hear words of comfort. God instructs Prophet Isaiah to comfort Israel, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2 NRSV). God is providing comfort during a difficult time for Israelites. They undoubting swayed away from the Lord, and have been suffering the consequences of their actions. We see this pattern throughout the Old Testament, and possibly in our own lives. We experience a mountain experience, where it feels as though God has touched our very being; we feel invisible. Then we tend to forget we need God, because we feel so strong with the ability to do anything, so we fall, like Adam and Eve, like the Israelites. This fall causes to question where God is in our lives, in our communities, and in the world. We struggle to figure out where we fit into God’s plan. At times, it feels harsh. Individuals struggle with their faith, and they can even question why they should believe in God that is distance. The time after any fall can be difficult.
Over time, through prayer, by connecting with other Christians in fellowship, we begin to feel God’s presence in our lives, in our communities, and in the world, even as we continue to struggle with our identity as Christians and how we fit in God’s plan.
Usually we don’t have a pandemic causing most Christians to feel distance from God. Under normal circumstances, well under the old normal, only a handful of Christians within a fellowship, a community, are struggling in any moment of time. This allowed the fellowship, the community, to carry, to lift up these individuals to God, to remind them of God’s love, to show them where God is present in their lives, in their communities, and in the world. Yet we are living during a worldwide pandemic; we are living through a natural time of repentance worldwide, or so it seems.
So how can we, Christians, comfort one another when it seems as though we are all struggling alike? How can we lift each other to God when most of us feel distant from God?
Listen to the from Isaiah again, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1 NRSV). The word comfort rings in mind, as though it is a calling; a calling to do construction on our hearts in order to set our minds and our hearts on God, to take notice of the small and big ways God is present in our lives, in our communities, and in the world. It is a calling to comfort those around us, in the here and now, which is difficult, because we feel as though we are missing out on what should be, on our annual traditions, visiting friends and family.
However, I have always believed that God places you where you need to be. The why maybe relieved right away, or in the distance future. You maybe the reason someone pauses to think something through changing the course of their life. You may just comfort someone you usually would not have gotten the chance to share God’s love with and for them. God works, even through pandemics and natural disasters, through individuals to draw others to him. By doing so, we are preparing the way for others to know God, to know the power of his forgiveness, grace, and love. We are welcoming others into God’s family, and we are preparing ourselves and those around us for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world.
O Lord, we are struggling as individuals, as communities, as nations, as your children. We come to you with heavy burdens that only you can contend with.
We lift up the sick and dying. May they feel your comfort and peace, and grant those who have died entrance into your heavenly kingdom.
We lift up those who are struggling to provide the essentials of food, shelter, and clothes for their loved ones and themselves. Grant the individuals and families the courage to ask for help, and for others to answer the call.
We come together, although physically apart, as one voice, one body, because we are never truly alone, especially when we turn to you. Please continue to call upon us to comfort your people, your children, in our lives, in our communities, in the world, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, with the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
May the mediation of my heart and the words of my mouth be acceptable to you, O Lord.
As Isaiah laments, as people lament for their dying family members and friends alone, as individuals and families struggle financially, as the world cries out for some relief, it feels as though God has hidden himself from us for we have sinned and turned away from him (Isaiah 64:5).
As human beings, we cannot deny we have sinned, because it is apart of the human condition. Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, all human beings are born into sin and are unable to be in prefect union with God; their relationship with God is broken, yet it still exists, because each human being is created according to imago Dei. The relationship between the Triune God and human beings still exists, because God the Father sent his begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.
According to Apostle Paul, we receive grace through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:4), which allows us to know God, to feel his presence in the world, to feel and know his peace that is within us. Apostle Paul prays the testimony of Christ to be strengthen within the Corinthians, within us, so they and we could receive spiritual gifts as they and we wait for Jesus Christ to be revealed (1 Corinthians 1:6-7). The spiritual gifts are the work of God through us, though not everyone uses them to further the good news. Nevertheless, the spiritual gifts are what unites all Christians together since God gives each individual different spiritual gifts to be used together in order to benefit of the whole Christian fellowship. As Isaiah writes, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8 NRSV). God molds us by giving us the spiritual gifts we need to serve our community in order to further his work in the world.
With the strength and grace through Jesus, we are able to face the pending end (1 Corinthians 1:8); the pending end where the battle between the good and the evil, between God and Satan will come to a head, and where the Triune God will triumph over Satan for one last time and there will be a new Jerusalem, which all disciples of Jesus Christ will enter and worship the one true God.
However, the battle between God and Satan first has to be endured. As long as we are still in the world where Satan reigns, we still have to endure the attacks of Satan—death, illness, war, stress, poverty—being without the essentials of food, clothes, and shelter, feeling alone, and more.
Being a Christian is not easy; it comes with responsibility to do God’s work in the world by using our spiritual gifts and sacrificing ourselves at times. When Satan attacks, we must not fall of his traps but counterattack with God’s love, wisdom, peace, and grace.
Therefore, Jesus commands us to “keep alert,” because “Heaven and earth will passed away, but my words will not passed away” (Mark 13:31, 33 NRSV). To illustrate his point, Jesus tells a parable of how a master leaves his slaves in charge of an estate and tells the doorkeeper to keep watch, because he does not know when he will return (Mark 13:34, 36). Since we, like the doorkeeper, do not know when Jesus will return, we must keep alert; we must stay faithful to God, even when the enemy attacks; we must continue to use our spiritual gifts to further God’s work in the world, so we will be ready for Jesus Christ’s return, ready to enter the new Jerusalem, ready to receive eternal life, ready to worship the Triune God in his kingdom.
With the pandemic, with families loosing members, with individuals and families struggling financially, with the nation struggling to come together, it would be easy to loose hope, to loose your faith. The struggles are real; the fears are real; the worrying with its sleepless nights are real; there is no denying these things. What is also true is the hope found in God, in Jesus Christ, his begotten son and our Lord and Savior. God is with us. God still gives us spiritual gifts to overcome these struggles; he holds us when we feel defeated; he hears us when cry out. Draw upon God’s wisdom, peace, and love in the coming days, months, years, decades as you continue to live in the light. Now let me do what God calls me to do daily, even hourly: to pray with anyone who comes to me with laments and praises, because at times praying only seems the adequate thing to do; because my owns words of comfort will fall short; because praying reminds people to turn to God.
O Lord, we are struggling as individuals, as communities, as nations, as your children. We come to you with heavy burdens that only you can contend with.
We lift up the sick and dying. May they feel your comfort and peace, and grant those who have died entrance into your heavenly kingdom.
We lift up those who are struggling to provide the essentials of food, shelter, and clothes for their loved ones and themselves. Grant the individuals and families the courage to ask for help, and for others to answer the call.
We come together, although physically apart, as one voice, one body, because we are never truly alone, especially when we turn to you. Please continue to call upon us to do your will in the world by blessing us with spiritual gifts, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, with the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.
A devotion for All Saints Day on November 1, 2020.
Drawing by Erin M Diericx
May the mediation of my heart and the words of my heart be acceptable to the Lord.
It goes without saying this year many more are grieving than normal…around the world, in our countries, and in our communities. Not only are we grieving the usual losses from cancer, unknown causes, accidents, and [whatever “it” is] that takes those who we love away, but there is an extra unusual threat that is taking more than just lives of our loved ones but is also taking away any sense of normal…of the routine that defines time, tradition, and community.
And yet we hear Jesus words from the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who…” If you, like me, are struggling with the numbers, grieving the lost of a loved one, or just attempting to persevere, the word “blessed” catches you off guard and seems to echo in an empty chamber deep within you. Within the chamber, you let blessed rattle as you question where the blessings of the here and now could be. What could Jesus words mean for us today…during a pandemic that is challenging every aspect of our lives? Where are the blessings today…during a pandemic that is challenging our identity as Christians?
Unfortunately those who have or had the coronavirus have been forced to recognized just how fragile life really is. When individuals catch the virus, they have to fight with every breath to live. If and when they recover, these individuals are faced with a new reality—being medically fragile, because the virus takes a toll on their body. It is here where the disabled community can offer its experience, because being medically fragile comes with the territory as well as looking for the blessings in desire situations.
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by acknowledging life’s difficulties and reminding us of God’s promises.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 5:3 NRSV
Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are the ones attempting to persevere…blessed are those questioning what else they can do in order to provide for their families…blessed are the ones grabbling with their faith, for they will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
From the start, Jesus is not promising a rosy, easy life. Jesus acknowledges the struggle to maintain the faith while living in the world, while living in the Devil’s domain. Jesus acknowledges the fight we endure on a daily bases in his holy name. Jesus acknowledges there will be times when we will feel pretty beat up, when we will feel defeated and are close losing their faith. Yet Jesus reminds us of the promise, the promise of being granted entrance into the Kingdom of God, the promise of eternal life with him. Jesus directs us to the goal, to be able to enter the heaven and live with him in his glorious kingdom.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ~ Matthew 5:4 ESV
Blessed are those who mourn…blessed are those who are grieving the lost of a loved one…blessed are those grabbling with the empty chairs at the dinner table…blessed are those who grabbling with the missing pieces in their lives, for they they will be comforted.
Jesus acknowledges the pain, the sorrow people feel when a loved one departs from this realm to be with God in his kingdom. Jesus himself felt the pain and the sorrow when his dear friend died; Jesus even wept with Mary and Martha at the tomb. The lost one feels while grieving is a deep and painful emotion, which weeping seems to accompany in order to release the powerful emotions buried deep within oneself. And yet Jesus promises those mourning will be comforted. Jesus promises to not let our anguish, our compulsions from our weeping to push him away. Jesus promises to sit with us, to hold us, and to even weep with us as he did with Mary and Martha in order to feel our pain and maybe even take a bit of it away.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ~ Matthew 5:5 NRSV
Blessed are the meek……blessed are the ones working to bring others into the light by sharing the good news…blessed are the ones resisting earthly power in order to bring the Kingdom of God and his righteous justice into the world…blessed are those looking to God to bring justice about for their sake, they will inherit the earth.
Jesus acknowledges the way in which the world views our humble nature as being powerless. Jesus acknowledges he is asking his followers to go against the views of the world in order to bring a bit of heaven to earth. Jesus acknowledges the power of the Devil makes us look weak in comparison. Jesus acknowledges the battle rages, even when we feel powerless, just as he felt powerless on the way to and on the cross. Because if we follow him on this difficult path, Jesus promises we will eventually inherit the earth. We will work the earth as God the Father intended from the beginning. Jesus promises the Kingdom of God will eventually bend into the world and the Devil will be powerless once and for all. And God’s justice will be for all.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ~ Matthew 5:6 NRSV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…blessed are those who work tirelessly to do God’s will in the world…blessed are those looking to be righteous in God’s eyes, for they will be filled.
Jesus acknowledges our deep desire to be righteous, to uphold the laws found in the Torah in order to be clean. Jesus acknowledges our longing to be righteous in the eyes of the Lord is impossible without him dying on the cross for our sins. Therefore, Jesus promises our desire, our longing to be righteous will be fulfilled. Jesus promises God will wipe away our sins, and we will be made whole and granted entrance into heaven.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7 NRSV
Blessed are the merciful…blessed are those who assist others in their time of need…blessed are those who work to be an extension of God, for they will receive mercy.
Jesus acknowledges the value of being merciful. Jesus acknowledges the need for mercy in the world and its power to heal the weak and lonely and to unite individuals in community. Jesus acknowledges the work individuals have done to spread God’s mercy in the world. Therefore, Jesus promises us we will receive mercy in return. Jesus promises we will be replenish with mercy when we are feeling powerless.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ~ Matthew 5:8 NRSV
Blessed are the pure in heart…blessed are those with intent to do nothing less than God’s will…blessed are those who surrender their lives to God, for they will see God.
Jesus acknowledges the difficulty to be pure, to intend to do nothing less than God’s will in the world. Jesus acknowledges and values our attempts make to uphold God’s will. Jesus acknowledges the effort we put into bring heaven into the world. Therefore, Jesus promises we will see God in his kingdom. Jesus promises us eternal life in heaven.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ~ Matthew 5:9 NRSV
Blessed are the peacemakers…blessed are those who values their relationships with other human beings…blessed are those who work towards reconciliation with others…blessed are those who cultivate communities through love and peace, for they will be called children of God.
Jesus acknowledges the difficult work involved in maintaining relationships and keeping peace in the world where the Devil reigns. Jesus acknowledges the difficulty in keeping the peace within the community of individual human beings who have free will. Through the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his Son and our Lord, God reconciles his relationship with us. Jesus knows first hand just how difficult it is to seek reconciliation, because he made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, so our relationship could be mended. Therefore, Jesus promises us we will be acknowledge as God’s children, adopted and grafted into God’s family for eternity.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 5:10 NRSV
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…blessed are those who work to bring God’s social justice into the world…blessed are those who work tirelessly to spread righteousness in the world…blessed are those whose path to righteousness leads to their death—the ultimate sacrifice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus acknowledges the brutality within the fight for righteousness, to be right with God. Jesus went up against the Pharisees who thought of themselves as righteous in order to explain what being righteous truly meant. Jesus himself made the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross for the whole world, even though he was and is righteous having no sin, but our sins, to his own name. Therefore, Jesus promises us entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus promises we will be united with God again. Jesus promises eternal life for all those who follow him to the cross.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ~ Matthew 5:11-12 NRSV
Blessed are those who withstand judgement and persecution from the Devil for God’s sake…blessed are those who work towards bringing heaven into the world…blessed are those working to spread the good news of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, for their reward is in heaven.
Jesus acknowledges the difficulty in renouncing the work of the devil. Jesus acknowledges the work that needs to be done, which involves sacrifice. Jesus acknowledges the brutality one faces to uphold God’s will in the world. Jesus acknowledges what is at sake when individuals follow him to the cross—life itself. Therefore, Jesus promises the greatest reward: entrance into the kingdom of heaven where we will enjoy eternal life.
The pandemic has taken its toll, and those of us left…those of us still facing the invisible threat are left to grabble with a completely new reality…a reality that we don’t quite understand. Yet it is in the unsettling shadows where individuals battle to live another day, battle addictions, battle mental health issues, battle unknown demons, that one finds God working the hardest—where God attempts to perform the impossible, his miracles, out of love for his children.
Even in the most difficult situations, when we don’t know or feel where he is, God is with us, battling [whatever “it” is] with us. God never leaves our side. And when our lives, our battles come to an end, Jesus promises us entrance into the kingdom of heaven where we will join those saints who have gone before us, where will be united with our loved ones, where we will find new life, where we will finally experience God’s pure grace, love, and peace in its entirety.
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew 11:28 NRSV
