It's in the Way

Luke 7:36-50

Two large Mesquite trees grew behind our condo. They were there when we bought the place and we didn’t pay much attention to them. However over time and being well watered, they grew to such breadth and height we could no longer see the golf course or a large section of the Tortolita Mountain Range near Tucson, Arizona. A few of our neighbors thought the trees were beautiful and reasoned that in a desert setting, why would you want to get rid of those trees?

Recently those two trees were cut down and the result is wonderful. The views of the mountains, the desert, and the golf course fill our sights way beyond our expectations. We wonder why we didn’t remove them earlier.

Sometimes we discover that issues or bad things in our lives that begin small suddenly become so large they obstruct our view of the larger picture. Think of a prejudice you have against an individual or group of people. When the problem begins in your mind, it may be you overlook it—ignore its presence because, well, it just isn’t that big of a deal. Yet prejudices when “well-watered” can grow to consume much of what you do, say, or think. Those who carry the same opinions as you do may see your prejudice as “good” or at least warranted and affirm that your prejudice is okay. With them you bind together in ignorance.

Cutting out the prejudice from your life gives you a new way of seeing not only those who were the target of your prejudice but also the view of life that flows together unencumbered by a negative or obscured attitude. One of the best ways to do this is to get to know the other person, understand what makes him or her that way, and pray constantly that God will help you see others as God sees them!

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates how a Christian should treat those who regularly would be set aside or shunned because of their nationality or sex or economic status. Jesus treats them with love, respect, and understanding. Can we do the same?

Prayer: God, rid me of my blinders and prejudices. Turn me into a better servant to others. Amen

Song: “The Servant Song” by Richard Gillard & Betty C. Pulkingham

The Power of Touch

Matthew 26:6 - “Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper.”

Jesus is having a meal with Simon, specifically identified as a leper. Cautious scholars point out that the word “leper” can refer to several diseases, but taking it at face value, we are somewhat shocked at the boldness of this act. At the time of Jesus, leprosy was the most dreaded fate a person could have. Leprosy cut the man or woman out of society. No one wanted to be around a Leper.

In Africa the same plight awaits anyone who has leprosy. There was a Leprosy Center near where we lived in Bong County, Liberia in the 1980s. I went there once a month to be with the Lepers, to bring them God’s Word, Holy Communion, and to sit beside them and touch them as they suffered not only from their leprosy but from being ostracized from society. I can remember often being led to a very crude shelter where an “old ma” or “old pa” would be lying, on the ground, in the dark, in the heat, amidst the insects, all alone. To reach out and touch them was the greatest gift I could give.

But I was not alone. There were Peace Corp workers who came also to the Center. They took on the task of bathing the injured limbs, putting salve on sores, and massaging the dying legs, fingers, or toes. What a ministry they gave. They touched them, accepted them, and treated them with love and respect.  

There are many in our society who long to be touched, to be accepted as worthy of being—period. Perhaps that can be a goal for each of us—to reach out and meaningfully touch a person who by society standards is of less value. God loves them just as God loves you.

Prayer:  God of power and love, give me a loving heart and right attitude. Give me touching, accepting hands. Amen.

Song by Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpton:
           Reach out and touch
           Somebody's hand (somebody's hand)
           Make this world a better place
          If you can.

Family

Genesis 48:15-16 (25-50)

As Jacob was dying, he blessed Joseph, saying:
“The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
The angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys;
And in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude on the earth.” (48:15-16)

We try to drive to Colorado each year to see “the rest of the family.” We look forward to this event. It is a time to share stories, laugh together, show our love, and be a support for one another. Each year there are changes that have taken place: new relationships, marriages, deaths, new grandchildren, a new home or job or challenge. We include trips to favorite spots or homes where we once resided, enjoy the scenery enroute, and return home filled with memories, heartaches (sometimes), and always thankfulness for family.

The second half of the book of Genesis involves the family history of Jacob. It is a story that spans the centuries of ancestors on each side of his life. The narrative tells of births, love, marriages, perseverance, compassion and reconciliation, blessings, and prophecies. These are the good parts. But it also records times of favoritism, bribery, deceit, fear, and anger. Family members are involved in conniving, jealousy, hatred, rape, incest, and prostitution that bring pain and suffering. Jacob mourns the loss of Joseph, suffers through drought and the shortage of food for his family.

Every emotion, every struggle, every challenge in a family resides here. This extended story tells of the highs and lows of Jacob’s big family. Yet at the end, Jacob blesses Joseph and “the boys” that they may prosper and “grow into a multitude on the earth.”

Families. Sometimes they are difficult, yet always a blessing. A family may be dysfunctional or difficult, just like the families in the Bible. God gives us family so that we are not alone, have people to care about, protect, and forgive when they behave other than what God would have them be. Give God thanks. Do your best to bring goodness and hope to those you love—to your family.

Prayer: Thank you God for my family. Thank you for the precious gifts they give daily. Thank you for the love we share. Forgive us when we fail one another or do things that hurt another. Amen.

God is in your midst

God is in Your Midst

Zephaniah 3:17-19

This week again I heard of the poor in our world just trying to survive. In this case, a 14-year-old boy of Pakistan decided he would help his family survive by taking the dangerous route across foreign lands and by boat to Europe. There he believed he would be able to work and send back money to help his family, especially his deformed six-year-old brother. He became the victim of illegal human trafficking. He died when the fishing boat on which he was traveling capsized and over three hundred people drowned. Another tragedy was added to the fate of this family. What will happen now? What is the answer for those seeking sanctuary from war, persecution, and poverty?

The prophet Zephaniah lived and preached during the reign of King Josiah (640o-609 B.C.E.). He joined in with the voices of Jeremiah and Nahum who called for the people of Judah to repent. He announced to Judah God’s approaching judgment which would be terrible. Yet, he also made clear that God would yet be merciful toward his people.

To be amidst evil, victims of power struggles, and thrown into political, economic, and cultural clashes is difficult. It is to those who suffer the most that God reminds us that God is in our midst. Through the prophet Zephaniah, God says, “I will deal with your oppressors…I will save the lame and gather the outcast…I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth…”

Prayer: Be present, O God, with those who suffer. Change the hearts of those who do not seem to care for others. Amen.

Then they will know that I am the LORD...

Ezekiel 37:1-6

In the book of Ezekiel, the phrase “Then they will know that I am the Lord” is repeated at least 65 times.  Ezekiel wants those who hear his message to acknowledge that God’s initiative and control is over all creation. God is in control!

The entire narrative shows the ills and misdoings of God’s people. Then we read of God’s mercy and promise to those who have failed but make a move to live again as God’s people. Whether you are failing or being renewed, “You shall know that I am the Lord.”

My favorite passage of Ezekiel is called The Valley of Dry Bones (chapter 37). Here Ezekiel writes,
     “The Lord’s power overcame me, and while I was in the Lord’s spirit, he led me out and set me down
      in the middle of a certain valley. It was full of bones. 2 He led me through them all around, and I saw
      that there were a great many of them on the valley floor, and they were very dry.
      3 He asked me, “Human one, can these bones live again?”
        I said, “Lord God, only you know.”
      4 He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, Dry bones, hear the Lord’s
        word! 5 The Lord God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live
        again. 6 I will put sinews on you, place flesh on you, and cover you with skin. When I put breath in
        you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.” 7 I prophesied just as I was
       commanded. There was a great noise as I was prophesying, then a great quaking, and the bones
       came together, bone by bone.”

This is how I want to live: Filled with the life of God within me. This is how I want to live: doing what God intends for me and all of us—to live humbly, seek justice, and walk with God always. This is the message God calls us to proclaim.

Prayer: O God of Hope, bring life into these dead bones of mine. Bring life into our homes, our church, our community so that all will know that YOU are the Lord, yesterday, today, and always. Amen

We Did It!

This past weekend, our 13-year-old granddaughters came to visit. On Monday, we took them (and their dad) to the park to play basketball. Annika was a whizz at it. Maren enjoyed doing her best. Their dad was getting the exercise. Todd and I were cheering them on from the sidelines. There was a lot of support for each other, mixed in with lots of laughter. I decided to give it a try! Now, remember, I’m no spring chicken and had not played basketball for decades. I never was good at it either—I have difficulties just throwing a ball. Suddenly, I’m out there throwing a ball that consistently missed the hoop by yards. But those girls kept encouraging me. One stood behind me to make sure I didn’t fall! Then I made a score, and the cheers arose! They were so happy, and I was very happy! I was struck by the joy we had.

I wonder if that is not the point to be made. We get up and try something new or strange, give it our best effort, and encourage those who are alongside us. Then we cheer with joy when something good happens or when someone succeeds. I think that is the ministry to which God calls all of us. It is called living in God’s Kingdom.

Even if we fail (just like the possibility that I wouldn’t make a score when shooting the basketball up into the air was pretty high), those around us are thankful that we put ourselves out there to affect a change or complete a goal.

Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) Add to that the attitude of rejoicing when one person is positively affected by love, success, acceptance, or hope. Together we can say, “We did it! Praise God!”  It is what God intends for his world, yesterday, today, and always.

Prayer: God, I pray for courage or strength to bring joy, hope, and assistance to your children wherever I can. Help me to share joy with them. Amen.

I Want it MY Way!

Jonah 4:1-11

The book of Jonah is best remembered for the BIG WHALE. Sunday School children have drawn multiple pictures of the whale with a stick figure being spewed from its mouth. Is that, however, the main theme of this book?

So many of us are just like Jonah who knows God has a task for us to do and just don’t want to do it. In this case, it would interrupt Jonah’s life, so he takes off to a place where God won’t find him! That is where the storm at sea and the whale come into the story. Lesson 1: you can’t run away from God! Yet, when the going gets scary, Jonah calls out to God for help. And true to the nature of God, God hears his cry. Jonah is saved. Lesson 2: God care about us, even when we have caused the mess we are in!

Of course, the job God had for Jonah was still available. This time Jonah figures he had better get on board and takes off for Nineveh to proclaim the message of the destruction of the city as God commanded. The message Jonah proclaimed, however, woke the people of Nineveh up and they repented. They turn to God completely! When God saw how sorry they were, God “changed his mind” and the calamity he had said he would do, “he did not do it.”

Here is the human response part. Instead of rejoicing with God over the positive response the people had, Jonah got angry at God. See, see, I knew you would have compassion on those sinful folks! That’s the kind of God you are, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and forgiving. Why should I have spent valuable time and effort bringing them your message only to have you forgive them? And Jonah sat down and moped, complained, and felt sorry for himself.

Read the rest of the story to see how God brought home the point of his compassion. Consider this. God has a message of love, hope, correction, and warning for us to give to others as God sees fit for us to do. Do it and allow God to take your words, actions, and caring to work wonders. Don’t be surprised by what God can and will do—for others and for you. Rejoice when God’s Word is heard.

Ah, You are beautiful, my love...

Song of Solomon 1:15

There is a beautiful love song in the Bible. It is called The Song of Solomon, possibly written in the tenth century B.C.E. Here, in this Song, we hear of love in all its exquisite charm and beauty—a gift from God.

When I was in school, I would be given a writing assignment to “fill in the blank”: My mother is like…..” The object of the exercise was to learn to describe the qualities my mother had. Young people might be asked to describe their sweetheart and they would try to capture the smile, skin, the loved one’s very essence in words. It is not an easy thing to do. So it is that Solomon talks of a woman’s voice of love, the very attributes that draw humans powerfully with the subtlety and mystery of another’s allurements.

We have had poets, painters, and song writers throughout all of time attempt to express love in its purest and most beautiful form. We dream our own dreams of the one we love.

And why is this sensual love in the Bible? God intends that such love be a normal part of life in his good creation. God intends that when we find someone with whom to share our life, no matter who that person is, we see in them the hand of God’s creation, we honor them with commitment, and we lift them up as special.

And so we read, as an example, of this love from Song of Solomon.

4:1-3   How beautiful you are, my love, how very beautiful!
            Your eyes are doves behind your veil.
            Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead.
                 2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing,
            all of which bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved.
               3 Your lips are like a crimson thread, and your mouth is lovely.
5:10-14    My beloved is all radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
                      11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
                     12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, bathed in milk, fitly set.
             13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance.
                His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

Prayer: Lord, I have sometimes failed to see the beauty of your creation in those I love. Help me not only to see, but to express that love and appreciation to those around me. Amen.

The Long and Winding Road

Exodus 13:17-18

We intended and planned a four-week road trip to Alaska. Reservations were made for lodging along the way, garbage and mail were placed on hold, and we carefully selected a flexible wardrobe to take. The day came and we left, feeling good to be able to travel to Alaska again.

Within the first two days, a series of things began to happen. We had a minor car problem, a head cold  attacked my husband, and we had to reroute ourselves due to river flooding. We began to see light smoke in the air. The next morning, we realized that the wildfires burning to the north and east were real dangers. Two towns through which we would pass were being evacuated, two more towns where we planned to stay were being used as evacuation centers, and heavy smoke was lying low for miles ahead of us. There was no indication that the situation would change soon. So, we returned home.

When the Israelites left Egypt, led by Moses, they had to make serious adjustments to their route toward the promised land as well. The traditional routes would have posed threats to their safety. So, Moses listened to God and brought the people into the wilderness through a circuitous route. Exodus 12:17-18 reads (The Message): “It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.”

Sometimes, if you are totally perplexed as to what to do, turn to God in prayer. Other times, God will give you signs to help you determine what to do. So, read the signs, be flexible, and keep your eyes and ears open to God’s guidance. God will see you through.

Prayer: Guide me, O God, in the ways I should go. Amen.

Welcome Home!

WELCOME HOME!

John 1:14
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us; and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”

One morning at church, John began his Faith Talk: “Welcome! We are glad you are here! If there were a better church, I’d be there!” How cool! John loves his church with all its idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses. He is part of it and Faith Lutheran is a safe place to share his faith story with others. From this welcoming place, John invites others to come as well. 

That is Jesus talk! When Jesus walked through towns, along the seashore, or trudged the hillsides, he was inviting others to join him. Jesus wanted those with whom he came into contact to know God and God’s tender, gracious, all-encompassing love.  Jesus touched those who needed his healing, he challenged those who were in need of change, and lifted up those who were dragged down by unthinking neighbors.

For John and so many others, Faith Lutheran Church is a special place where God is invited to be at its center. It is a place where those who come can feel at home. We hear this testimony regularly. Welcome home, my friend. Welcome home where you can experience God’s presence.

Prayer:  God, we know that you dwell with us. Help us to grow the circle around you to include so many more of your specially created people. Amen

Marty Haugen wrote the song that expresses this message. Called “All Are Welcome”, it is found in the ELW 641. The first verse:

Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.