be faithful

“Write this to the angel of the church in Smyrna: These are the words of the one who is the first and the last, who died and came back to life: I know your hardship and poverty (though you are actually rich). I also know the hurtful things that have been spoken about you by those who say they are Jews (though they are not, but are really Satan’s synagogue). Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison in order to test you. You will suffer hardship for ten days. Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Those who emerge victorious won’t be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11, CEB)

There are going to be struggles in this life. But take heart because Jesus knows your struggles and sees your life. We just need to be faithful to Jesus and follow where he leads know that whatever we go through God is always with us.

Be faithful and follow Christ.

Loving People. Loving God.

how do I get eternal life?

A man approached him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus said, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There’s only one who is good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.” The man said, “Which ones?” Then Jesus said, “Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” The young man replied, “I’ve kept all these. What am I still missing?” Jesus said, “If you want to be complete, go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away saddened, because he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22, CEB)

I believe that when people are asking about eternal life they mean a life after this one here on earth ends. But I don’t think that is what eternal life is.

Eternal Life is not something we wait for, or look forward to. Eternal Life is something here and now. It is life in this place that lasts forever.

We do not get eternal life after we die. We are living our eternal life now.

And life is not dependent upon us having well the things we ever wanted. It is how we share the love and grace we have been given.

So if you want to truly live, sell everything and give it away to the poor and allow God to lead and guide you through eternal life.

Loving People. Loving God.

consider…

Pay attention, you wealthy people! Weep and moan over the miseries coming upon you. Your riches have rotted. Moths have destroyed your clothes. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you. It will eat your flesh like fire. Consider the treasure you have hoarded in the last days. Listen! Hear the cries of the wages of your field hands. These are the wages you stole from those who harvested your fields. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of heavenly forces. You have lived a self-satisfying life on this earth, a life of luxury. You have stuffed your hearts in preparation for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who doesn’t oppose you. (Revelation 3:14-22, CEB)

Consider right now your treasure.

Is it things you see around you, as in your money and possessions?

Is it the relationships you have and the people you support?

We need to always be thinking about where we are storing our treasures and what we are holding dear.

Do not live a life that only satisfies you, but does good for others.

Loving People. Loving God.

Contemplative Practices

We were specifically asked to look at the practices at the Contemplative Outreach Website and then give our impressions of the practices and if we would consider using them regularly in our own spiritual life or using them in our ministry setting.

I think this is an interesting thought as I have used the Contemplative Outreach Website in the past for teaching in my current ministry setting. We have done retreats and gatherings about spiritual practices and used finger labyrinths, and pocket rosaries, and have specifically had multiple sessions on centering prayer.

I believe centering prayer is foreboding at first when you think about sitting in silence for so long, but is a freeing and liberating experience once you do it. I think all of the practices at the Contemplative Outreach Website our good practices to be used in a college ministry setting or for personal faith growth.

The practice from the website I am most unfamiliar with is The Active Prayer Practice. From what I read it is like a mantra that is repeated over and over throughout the day to ground you and keep you focused on God. You say this simple phrase in rhythm to your heart beat at moments throughout your day until it is a part of your subconscious. This is something I have never done, but think could be an interesting thing to do. Doing this would instill key phrases into our psyche. The first example is the one I find most compelling to try:

O Lord, come to my assistance.
Lord, increase my faith.

To me this would help settle in me that I can always count on the Lord and my faith isn’t mine to control. This could be helpful and calming during times of heightened anxiety and could help sustain when bouts of depression come along. And this would be easy enough to do during the day. Maybe I could change the lock screen on my phone to have a picture of the saying, so every time I look at my phone I would see it and say it to myself. I could also set the desktop of my computer to have the saying I was using. So then every time I see my computer desktop I would be reminded of the prayer.

I find these practices to be good practices however after also reading Joy Unspeakable I want to explore ways of contemplation that do not fit the norm of western religion of silence or meditative activities that are contemplative. I loved the discussion in the book about birthing practices in other places that had the children present so when the newborn cried the other children would also cry in response so the newborn child knew that they were not alone in this world. We are never alone as we are always in relationship with God, but how profound is that that children cry to answer the scream of the newborn!

I also loved the discussion of drumming in Joy Unspeakable and how the music was a way of God communicating with us and has a sacred quality. As a musician, this resonated with me and I can understand how when you are playing and into what you are doing it is like you are not doing it but hearing and participating along with the music in a dance that is sacred and life-giving. Music is a language that connects people in ways we do not comprehend because it is a way we join in the dance of the Trinity and in the relationship that is God and connects us to God.

Contemplative practices are anyway we connect in a deep way with our creator and need not be limited to methods we are taught are contemplative or others think are contemplative. What helps us join God is what we need to seek as contemplative practices in our lives.

A Father’s Psalm of Lament

I see her about to break
          under the weight of those demons. 
I need to help her
          but the demons just laugh at me.
I shout,
          "Get away from her. Leave her alone."
The demons laugh louder
I hear you say to me,
          "Oh, you of little faith..."
I feel like I have failed
          her,
          and you.
O God why can't I help her?
          O God why do I let her and you down?
Are these the demons I fought
          O so many years ago?
Are these my demons
          tormenting her?
I thought I had defeated them
          but yet again I have failed
God take those demons from her
          let them torment me
Let me suffer instead of her
          Let me fight them again
Let my faith increase
          so she doesn't have to suffer
Please God let me suffer
          so she doesn't have to suffer
Help me take away her demons.
Help me take away her demons!

lukewarm

“Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth. After all, you say, ‘I’m rich, and I’ve grown wealthy, and I don’t need a thing.’ You don’t realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. My advice is that you buy gold from me that has been purified by fire so that you may be rich, and white clothing to wear so that your nakedness won’t be shamefully exposed, and ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see. I correct and discipline those whom I love. So be earnest and change your hearts and lives. Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me. As for those who emerge victorious, I will allow them to sit with me on my throne, just as I emerged victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22, CEB)

You are neither hot nor cold. You are not on fire and you’re not just doing nothing. You are doing enough but it really isn’t anything.

You are, as we would say, going through the motions and putting on a good show.

If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Listen to the Spirit and put into motion that which needs to be done. Do what you hear the Spirit say to do.

DOn’t just go through the motions or put on a show but actually do what God tells you to.

Loving People. Loving God.

Persuaded

“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores. “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain. Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’ “The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’ The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’ Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31, CEB)

I have always found this reading interesting. An unnamed rich man and Lazarus, a poor man, both die and one is with the dead and the other with Abraham, presumedly in Heaven. And the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to care for him in the torment. But there is a great crevasse (the River Styxs?) that separates them. So the rich man asks for Lazarus to go back and warn his brothers. Abraham says that they have Moses and the prophets and if they won’t listen to and understand them, then they won’t get it if someone comes back from the dead.

Well, Jesus came back from the dead, so if we don’t get what Moses and the prophets said will we understand why Jesus came back from the dead?

Sometimes even the things that establish our faith don’t make sense. We can’t really prove it, but isn’t that what it’s called faith?

Loving People. Loving God.

least

Everyone was overwhelmed by God’s greatness. While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Take these words to heart: the Human One is about to be delivered into human hands.” They didn’t understand this statement. Its meaning was hidden from them so they couldn’t grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about it. An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Aware of their deepest thoughts, Jesus took a little child and had the child stand beside him. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is least among you all is the greatest.” (Luke 9:43b-48, CEB)

When you seek out power you are showing you are not the greatest.

Whoever welcomes a child… How many congregations actually welcome children? Children, who act like children? We need to not worry about how great we are and start focusing on what Jesus told us to do. Love God and love our neighbor as ourselves and accept everyone as they are and welcome them. For when we do this we not only welcome the stranger, we welcome Jesus and we welcome God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Saved by grace for what?

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else. However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Ephesians 2:1-10, CEB)

We are saved by God’s grace because of faith, and this is God’s gift. It is not something we possess or something we can be proud of or boast about. God did all of this for us so that we might do good things. Things that God planned for us to do way before we were ever here.

This passage has the Lutheran catch verses, Ephesians 2:8-9 “You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of.” And we have used this verse as a reason to not do anything for a long time. Salvation is a gift of God. There is nothing I can do to earn it and I don’t have to do anything to get it, so I won’t do anything. But that isn’t where the good news ends. Verse 10 needs to be included.

“Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.” We are God’s accomplishment created to do good things in the world. We can not do good things to earn our salvation but we can do good things so that others know they are saved too.

Loving People. Loving God.

If you say you are giving…

I’m not giving an order, but by mentioning the commitment of others, I’m trying to prove the authenticity of your love also. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you could become rich through his poverty. I’m giving you my opinion about this. It’s to your advantage to do this, since you not only started to do it last year but you wanted to do it too. Now finish the job as well so that you finish it with as much enthusiasm as you started, given what you can afford. A gift is appreciated because of what a person can afford, not because of what that person can’t afford, if it’s apparent that it’s done willingly. It isn’t that we want others to have financial ease and you financial difficulties, but it’s a matter of equality. At the present moment, your surplus can fill their deficit so that in the future their surplus can fill your deficit. In this way there is equality. As it is written, The one who gathered more didn’t have too much, and the one who gathered less didn’t have too little. (2 Corinthians 8:8-15, CEB)

The other day I saw a cartoon of a church administrator telling the pastor that the congregation’s biggest complainer was leaving and wanted their giving back. The administrator asked if she should write a check or simply give the person $2.00 in cash. We laugh because it’s funny, and it’s funny because it’s true.

People sometimes talk a big game. They say one thing and then don’t follow through which is why I tried hard not to have budgets based on pledge cards. Actually, in several congregations, we did pledge cards, collected them one Sunday, and returned them to the members the next unopened. Because they are something that is between that person and God, they can not be used for budgets. Because circumstances could change and the pledge might not be possible because of financial hardship. Or there could be a time you are able to give way more than you thought when the pledges were done.

We should be faithful to what we say and uphold those gifts as well as possible. We need to be people of our word. If you say it, mean it and do it.

Loving People. Loving God.