before me

160213Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:1-17, NRSV)

I know my sin better than anyone. The things I have done that are wrong, hurtful, because it builds me up, tears someone else down. I also know the things I didn’t do that I should have or could have. My sin is ever before me. And if I was God I would hold all of that against me.

But thankfully God is more forgiving of us than we are of ourselves sometimes!

God is gracious. He gives us mercy.

As the author of this psalm knows, God will create in us a clean heart, a heart worthy of His presence. He will not take His spirit from us, or leave us alone.

Even in the mire, and all we know that we have committed. God will not leave us.

Give Him your heart and let Him reside in you!

come home

160212Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come. Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Then the LORD became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. (Joel 2:1-2, 12-18, NRSV)

Return to the Lord your God.

If you are wandering away from home, there is always a place for you.

For God is gracious and merciful…

God is forgiving and full of mercy. He accepts us as we are where we are. He wants us to be under His care and to take shelter under His wing.

Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…

His love will never change and will continue to grow for you. Rest in the unending love of God and come home.

for who?

160211Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: Say to all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink only for yourselves? Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, along with the towns around it, and when the Negeb and the Shephelah were inhabited? The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. (Zechariah 7:4-10, NRSV)

When you fasted who did you do that for?

Was it for me or for you to get noticed?

And when you eat why do you do it?

Why do we do the things we do? Is it because we want attention? Do we draw attention to ourselves or do we do things so others will see God?

So for who do you do things? Is it for you, or for God?

Walk Dusty

walk dusty“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, NRSV)

Welcome to Lent!

I love the image that was sent out by Old Lutheran to promote the Ash Wednesday items they have available.

It made me think about the passage we read every year on Ash Wednesday and how we really are walking dusty every day.

You see on Ash Wednesday we remember that we are dust. We recall Genesis 3:19 “you are dust and to dust you shall return.” And even though we have been claimed by Christ and washed clean we still dirty ourselves up. Like the kids who get prettied up for worship or whatever gathering and while mom and dad go to finish their own preparations sneak out and get all dirty, we do that. We are cleaned by Christ, but then we get dirty.

So as saint and sinner we walk dusty. Cleaned by Christ, but dirty by our sinfulness.

So lay up your treasure in heaven, and let Christ clean you. But rely on Christ and not yourself and allow your dust to show!

revealed

At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:21-24, NRSV)

One of my favorite movies quotes is from The Santa Clause 2, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.”

You see I have seen the Statue of Liberty disappear, but it didn’t really. I have seen magical wonders. I have seen my youngest daughter float in the air off of a table by a magician. I don’t believe it. But I saw it.

I do believe that God will keep the promises He has given me. And I’ve never “seen” God. But because His truth has been revealed to me through the word and the community I have seen Him and know His promises are real.

seen

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was on him there. As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire. The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl; and the four had the same form, their construction being something like a wheel within a wheel. When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved. Their rims were tall and awesome, for the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Over the heads of the living creatures there was something like a dome, shining like crystal, spread out above their heads. Under the dome their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each of the creatures had two wings covering its body. When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stopped, they let down their wings. And there came a voice from above the dome over their heads; when they stopped, they let down their wings. And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form. Upward from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around; and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around. Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone speaking. He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 1:1-2:2, NRSV)

The description of this text on the Taking Faith Home sheet is Ezekiel sees the Lord’s Glory. The majority of this text describes the creatures that are around the throne. God’s bodyguards if you please. And the description of these creatures makes me want to run away, let alone ever seeing them.

But Ezekiel sees God’s glory. Like the bow in the sky, the promise of no more flooding of the earth. And when Ezekiel saw this he fell flat on his face.

To see God is something no one has done. Isaiah saw the hem of His robe, the very bottom of God’s robe. Moses saw God’s backside, but not His face. Even angels have multiple sets of wings to cover their eyes to not look on God.

So do you want to see God? I’ll be seen and when we are all together in His glory we will see what happens.

But for now, I’m happy being seen!

Did he really just say that?

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God. (Luke 9:28-43, NRSV)

I always love the transfiguration stories of Jesus. I mean Moses and Elijah show up and, of course, Jesus knows who they are, He was there when they were created, before they were formed in their mother’s wombs. But how do Peter James and John know them? There weren’t any photos floating around. Moses and Elijah never had a selfie!

But Peter says that James and John and he will make for the 3 of them tents, so we could stay here for a long time. But since he was drowsy and probably dreaming. Did you catch that in Luke’s rendition of the story, “Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep.” Did they dream the whole thing? I don’t believe it was a dream. Because when Peter started his funny talk about tents, God the father broke in and said, “Jesus is my chosen one, my son, listen to Him.”

Jesus is made whiter than any white there ever was, cleaner than any of us would ever be. And He is God’s chosen, His Son, and so we should listen to Him.

Put away our funny words, and thoughts, and listen to what He is telling us and follow Him where He leads!