custom

I praise you because you remember all my instructions, and you hold on to the traditions exactly as I handed them on to you. Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his head. Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head. It is the same thing as having her head shaved. If a woman doesn’t cover her head, then she should have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have short hair or to be shaved, then she should keep her head covered. A man shouldn’t have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is man’s glory. Man didn’t have his origin from woman, but woman from man; and man wasn’t created for the sake of the woman, but the woman for the sake of the man. Because of this a woman should have authority over her head, because of the angels. However, woman isn’t independent from man, and man isn’t independent from woman in the Lord. As woman came from man so also man comes from woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him; but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? This is because her long hair is given to her for a covering. But if someone wants to argue about this, we don’t have such a custom, nor do God’s churches. (1 Corinthians 11:2-16, CEB)

This passage subjugates women to men. Or is this because of Giants? Paul writes, “Because of this a woman should have authority over her head, because of the angels.” The angels supposedly saw human women and mated with them and that produced giants. (Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:32–33)

But the last sentence of the section confuses me. Paul says man has his origin from God and woman has her origin from man and men should not cover their heads or have long hair and women shouldn’t have their heads uncovered and have long hair. These things bring glory to the person and to God, but then Paul writes, “But if someone wants to argue about this, we don’t have such a custom, nor do God’s churches.” We do not have such customs nor do God’s churches or people. So which is it, women have long hair and men don’t and men don’t cover their heads and women do, or it doesn’t matter?

We need to read all of this through the full lens of love in the whole of scripture and see that all people are created and loved by God to be who God created them to be.

Do not conform to society, but be who God created you to be.

That is and should always be our custom.

Loving People. Loving God.

Do unto others…

“But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you. “If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:27-38, CEB)

Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.

Do we do this?

Would we want to be told that we don’t understand ourselves and we love in a way that is incorrect? Many people say these things to our trans siblings and to our queer friends. They don’t know who they are or they are just doing it to take advantage of others. Yes they are undergoing many years of hormone therapy and facing daily ridicule to get access to a locker room. Seriously?

Do we follow what Jesus told us to or not?

Love your enemies.
Pray for those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Give over and above.
Love those who hate you because all can love those who love them.

When you say things about others, you are asking for the same treatment in return.

Do unto others, what you want done to you.

If we all love this way, the world would be a much better place.

Loving People. Loving God.

Work it out

And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going to court with your accuser, make your best effort to reach a settlement along the way. Otherwise, your accuser may bring you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you won’t get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.” (Luke 12:57-59, CEB)

Why are we so quick to take legal action?

Shouldn’t we try and work things out amongst ourselves?

We should make every effort to make amends and be at peace with each other.

Love abounds

Work together to be the light of God.

Loving People. Loving God.

the world and its cravings

Little children, I’m writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ name. Parents, I’m writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I’m writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents, I write to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:12-17, CEB)

The world and its cravings are passing away.

The person who does the will of God remains forever.

The will of God is for us to love. Love like Jesus.

Love neighbor, love God, love regardless of how we feel about the matter.

We do not get to choose who gets love or how much love, or even what kind of love.

Some will say tough love is what some people need, and who decides that?

Not you. If anyone makes that choice it is God and maybe, just maybe you loving the person you think doesn’t deserve love is God’s way of giving you tough love.

Love. Because that’s what God said to do.

Loving People. Loving God.

Spirit

So now there isn’t any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what was impossible for the Law, since it was weak because of selfishness. God condemned sin in the body by sending his own Son to deal with sin in the same body as humans, who are controlled by sin. He did this so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Now the way we live is based on the Spirit, not based on selfishness. People whose lives are based on selfishness think about selfish things, but people whose lives are based on the Spirit think about things that are related to the Spirit. The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death, but the attitude that comes from the Spirit leads to life and peace. So the attitude that comes from selfishness is hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to God’s Law, because it can’t. People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God. But you aren’t self-centered. Instead you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to him. If Christ is in you, the Spirit is your life because of God’s righteousness, but the body is dead because of sin. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you. (Romans 8:1-11, CEB)

The way we live is based on the Spirit of God living in us. Not our own selfishness. When we look to our own needs we are not living as God calls us to live. We are not doing or being who God created us to be.

When we live according to the Spirit we live God’s love outloud. We live for others and others live for us.

We are called to be light and love to all.

Love like Jesus and not for selfish gain.

Loving People. Loving God.

Inside

While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to share a meal with him, so Jesus went and took his place at the table. When the Pharisee saw that Jesus didn’t ritually purify his hands by washing before the meal, he was astonished. The Lord said to him, “Now, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your insides are stuffed with greed and wickedness. Foolish people! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? Therefore, give to those in need from the core of who you are and you will be clean all over. “How terrible for you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and garden herbs of all kinds, while neglecting justice and love for God. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most prominent seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. “How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk on them without recognizing it.” One of the legal experts responded, “Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us too.” Jesus said, “How terrible for you legal experts too! You load people down with impossible burdens and you refuse to lift a single finger to help them. “How terrible for you! You built memorials to the prophets, whom your ancestors killed. In this way, you testify that you approve of your ancestors’ deeds. They killed the prophets, and you build memorials! Therefore, God’s wisdom has said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them and they will harass and kill some of them.’ As a result, this generation will be charged with the murder of all the prophets since the beginning of time. This includes the murder of every prophet—from Abel to Zechariah—who was killed between the altar and the holy place. Yes, I’m telling you, this generation will be charged with it. “How terrible for you legal experts! You snatched away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter yourselves, and you stood in the way of those who were entering.” (Luke 11:37-52, CEB)

Don’t we all have space to clean our insides?

We all can make space for Jesus and live our lives more for others than ourselves.

Prophets came and come to show us our short comings and point us to love.

Love more. Work for yourself less.

Loving People. Loving God.

Integrity

We have conducted ourselves with godly sincerity and pure motives in the world, and especially toward you. This is why we are confident, and our conscience confirms this. We didn’t act with human wisdom but we relied on the grace of God. We don’t write anything to you except what you can read and also understand. I hope that you will understand totally since you have already understood us partly. Understand that in the day of our Lord Jesus, we will make you proud as you will also make us proud. Because I was sure of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you could have a second opportunity to see me. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then come to you again on my way back from Macedonia, at which point I was hoping you would help me on my way to Judea. So I wasn’t unreliable when I planned to do this, was I? Or do I make decisions with a substandard human process so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? But as God is faithful, our message to you isn’t both yes and no. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the one who was preached among you by us—through me, Silvanus, and Timothy—he wasn’t yes and no. In him it is always yes. (2 Corinthians 1:12-19, CEB)

Paul writes here what he easily could have written as, “We were people of integrity.”

Do you walk the walk and talk the talk?

If you lie, you had better have a great memory so you can remember everything you told to everyone you spoke to. That is why the truth is so much better and so much easier. If you always tell the truth you don’t have to remember what you told someone because it is what you will always tell them.

That is why I could care less who calls me a hypocrite, but don’t call me a liar. I will always tell you the truth and try to live the love of God out loud.

Be a person of integrity.

And love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Bad Company

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ. Each event will happen in the right order: Christ, the first crop of the harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his coming, and then the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he brings every form of rule, every authority and power to an end. It is necessary for him to rule until he puts all enemies under his feet. Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end, since he has brought everything under control under his feet. When it says that everything has been brought under his control, this clearly means everything except for the one who placed everything under his control. But when all things have been brought under his control, then the Son himself will also be under the control of the one who gave him control over everything so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what are those who are getting baptized for the dead doing? If the dead aren’t raised, then why are they being baptized for them? And what about us? Why are we in danger all day every day? Brothers and sisters, I swear by the pride I have in you in Christ Jesus our Lord, I’m facing death every day. From a human point of view, what good does it do me if I fought wild animals in Ephesus? If the dead aren’t raised, let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’ll die. Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character. Sober up by acting like you should and don’t sin. Some of you are ignorant about God—I say this because you should be ashamed of yourselves! (1 Corinthians 15:20-34, CEB)

Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character, Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

The people we hang around can change us if we let them. We can not let the world influence us. We need to stand strong in the understanding that we are raised with Christ and a new creation and a light in the darkness.

Do not let those who claim to be followers of Jesus lead you down a path you should not go. Do not let others tell you you are not loved by God when you are.

Those who lead us astray should be ashamed of themselves for preaching a gospel of their own creating or following a person who is not proclaiming God’s love for all. There are no conditions on God’s love and if someone tells you there is, they are not preaching God’s gospel.

Live as the light of God and show the love God gives for everyone.

Do not be Bad Company!

Loving People. Loving God.

Happy…

Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a large area of level ground. A great company of his disciples and a huge crowd of people from all around Judea and Jerusalem and the area around Tyre and Sidon joined him there. They came to hear him and to be healed from their diseases, and those bothered by unclean spirits were healed. The whole crowd wanted to touch him, because power was going out from him and he was healing everyone.

Jesus raised his eyes to his disciples and said:

“Happy are you who are poor,
    because God’s kingdom is yours.
Happy are you who hunger now,
    because you will be satisfied.
Happy are you who weep now,
    because you will laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and condemn your name as evil because of the Human One. Rejoice when that happens! Leap for joy because you have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.

But how terrible for you who are rich,
    because you have already received your comfort.
How terrible for you who have plenty now,
    because you will be hungry.
How terrible for you who laugh now,
    because you will mourn and weep.
How terrible for you when all speak well of you.
    Their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets. (Luke 6:17-26, CEB)

What makes you happy?

I know being poor, hungry, or weeping really doesn’t make me happy.

Those things make me wonder how I have messed up and don’t have the resources to get food or help. But is it always my fault?

If you are blessed with resources to get your needs covered and then have a surplus, what should you do?

If you have plenty, invite others or give the plenty away. If you laugh at those who are struggling, you are not loving others.

We need to be a blessing as we have been blessed.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

practice

When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house cleaned up and decorated. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and make their home there. That person is worse off at the end than at the beginning.” While Jesus was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd spoke up: “Happy is the mother who gave birth to you and who nursed you.” But he said, “Happy rather are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:24-28, CEB)

Have you heard about the love of God?

Have you heard the word of God?

Do you put it into practice?

Or do you do what is best for you rather than loving your neighbor and lifting the lowly? Standing for the orphan and the widow, and welcoming the stranger into your midst?

Do we seek to make everyone around us like us or do we live in the diversity of God’s creation?

Put God’s word and the love Jesus showed us into practice.

Loving People. Loving God.