Watch, Wait and Receive

Read Malachi 3:1-4 and see how God watches closely over us like a refiner who sits to watch the refining of silver. The way the refiner knows when the refining process is finished is when he can his image reflected in the silver. Let us live our lives so that God's image can be reflected in us, as we watch for the coming of the Christ Child, the very image of God on earth.
Read Zephaniah 3:14-20 and note how the prophet says "on that day" and "at that time," without telling us when that day and time will be. We are to wait patiently for God's time, which is often different from our time.
Read Micah 5:2-5a: It is from Bethlehem, one of the smallest clans of Judah, that the Messiah will come. May we make ourselves small and humble enough to receive God's great gift of the Holy Infant who is soon to come.

Praise!

Read Jeremiah 33:14-16. As often happens, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is also the First Sundayof Advent. Advent is the season in which we joyfully anticipate the coming of the baby Jesus. As we sit around the Thanksgiving table and think of everything we have to be thankful for, let's remember to be thankful that God's promise to us through the prophets of the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Our church theme for the First Sunday of Advent is "Praise!" Let's remember to praise God as we look forward to Christmas. Let's take some time out from our "Black Friday" madness to remember the true reason for the season: God's great gift to us in Jesus Christ, our "star child" and "earth child."
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And have a blessed Advent!

Son Rise

Read 2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Matthew 1:17: King David in the Old Testament is one of the most important figures in Jesus' lineage. In the scripture from 2 Samuel, King David writes about the legacy he hopes to leave as one who has ruled over people in righteousness and in the fear of God. King David was one of the greatest kings Israel ever had, but his greatest legacy is as the forefather of the One who is King of the World.
What legacy do you hope to leave? What are you doing now to make it happen?

Watch Out!

Read Mark 12:38-44: Who do you relate to most in this story? Do you give to the church, to charity, to people in crisis and need, only out of your leftovers? Do you believe only the super-rich should be responsible for giving: the movie stars, rock stars, star atheletes, and multi-gazillionaires? Or can you relate to the poor widow: willing to give all she had for a greater good? Use this week as a time to examing your spending and giving patterns. What can you do to bring them into balance?

Where Is God When Stuff Happens?

Read Job 23:1-9, 16-17 and Job 38:1-7, 34-41. Have you ever wondered where God is when bad things are happening in your life? Have you, like Job, wanted to call God to account? God's answer to Job's call is: "I'm God and you're not!" Is this a satisfactory answer for you? Why or why not?

Why Does Stuff Happen?

Read chapters 1 & 2 of the Book of Job. Read Deuteronomy, chapter 28. What do you think about "retributive justice" as outlined in Deuteronomy? What do you think about Job's suffering, knowing that he is innocent of any wrongdoing? Do you believe that God uses undeserved suffering as a way to test our faith? When "stuff happens" in your life, do you respond like Job does in chapter 2, with: "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Or do you respond like Mrs. Job, who advises Job to: "Curse God and die!"?

Where is Your Heart?

Read Luke 12:32-34: In verse 34 Jesus says: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In the coming week let us ask ourselves: Where is my heart? What do I treasure most in life? Where does my relationship with God come on my list of priorities? How will I respond to Jesus' call in these verses? Is Jesus calling me to change something in my life, right here, right now?

Pray Always

Read James 5:13-20: I see this scripture as a challenge to make God an integral part of our daily lives. James calls us to take everything to God in prayer. A joy? Give thanks. A sorrow? Ask for comfort. A problem? Ask for guidance. God is not only the Creator of the Universe who sent Jesus Christ to save us, God is our intimate conversation partner through all the events of day to day living. Try it out for a week and see what a difference regular prayer can make.

Christian Living: Needs vs. Wants

Read James 3:13-4:10: What causes fights and quarrels among us? James is absolutely right: it usually comes from what the Bible calls "coveting": wanting what someone else has to the extent of wishing [and sometimes doing] them ill. James says that if we set our priorities right, if we first want a relationship with God in Jesus Christ, if faith is the first priority for all of us, there will be far less quarreling and fighting, envy and hatred, disorder and evil in our lives and in the life of the world. Do you believe this? Try an experiment this week: Figure out what your priorities are. The way to do this is to pay attention to what you spend most of your time, talent and treasure on. Once you've discovered your priorities, ask yourself: are these the priorities I really want? Or have I just accidentally stumbled into them? The good news is: there's always time to change our priorities.

Talk is Cheap

Read James 3:1-12. This is only one of many verses in which the Bible warns us of the dangers of gossip and other forms of "cheap talk." Why are we so ready to speak ill of others that the Bible has to remind us over and over not to do it? How can we remember to tame our tongues? Here is one idea: We can THINK:
"T - is it true?
H - is it helpful?
I - is it inspiring?
N - is it necessary?
K - is it kind?
If what I am about to say does not pass those tests, I will keep my mouth shut!"
-- Alan Redpath

Christian Living: Playing Favorites?

Read James 2:1-17. Then consider: God's grace is for everyone. In Jesus' first sermon he read from the prophet Isaiah: " 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor'...Then he rolled up the scroll...He began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'" [Luke 4:18-21, TNIV]
Jesus continues to call us, right here, right now, to proclaim good news to the poor: in how we think, in how we act, and in how we vote. What would Jesus say about a health care system, in the richest country in the world, that rations care based on income, and bankrupts many who are ill or in need of long-term care?

The Golden Rule

Did you know that what Christians know as the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a universal value in all world religions? Check out www.teachingvalues.com and look for "The Universality of the Golden Rule".

Being a Christian in 2009

This summer we have been exploring what it means to be a Christian in 2009. Our study is based on Galatians 5:22-23, commonly known as "the fruits of the Spirit". The apostle Paul writes: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." [TNIV]
So often we think of these qualities in terms of what our culture teaches us: Love is about romance and sexual attraction; joy is what we feel when good things happen to us; practicing peace and patience is foolish because we have to get ahead; being kind, good and gentle means we're the nice guy/gal who will finish last; and faithfulness and self-control are pretenses we hide behind while we try to get away with whatever we can.
Jesus and Paul teach us very different things about these qualities. They teach us that this is how we will live when we accept the love of God in Jesus Christ into our lives. Christ's love will transform us so that we can love with commitment, be joyful even in the midst of trouble, and live with the assurance that peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God.
What do these words, these qualities, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" mean to you? What do they mean for your life?
More about kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control in future posts.

Planning a Picnic: John 6:1-15:
This scripture is one of the few scriptures about Jesus' miracles that appear in all four Gospels. In it he feeds 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The references in the other Gospels are: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17.
In each of the Gospels, Jesus is teaching his disciples and a crowd follows them. Soon they realize that it's dinner time and the crowd has nothing to eat. In John's version a small boy has 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. In Matthew, Mark and Luke it is the disciples themselves who have this small amount of food. In each case, Jesus takes what is available, blesses it, and multiplies it so that everyone can eat their fill. Also in each case, the disciples collect 12 basketfuls of leftovers.
Although it appears that the crowds spontaneously followed Jesus out into the wilderness, it is clear that Jesus had a plan for this picnic. The plan was to show the people that he is the Bread of Life - what better way to show this than through a miracle of providing actual food? Jesus is the Bread of Life who takes whatever we offer him and multiplies it for the benefit of all who are in need.
In what ways has Jesus blessed and multiplied what you've offered him? Blessings can come through our finances, our health, our relationships or just being in the right place at the right time to witness a miracle. Jesus performed this miracle by multiplying bread and fish, but the greater miracle is the miracle of life all around us.

Sleeping Through the Storm

Sleeping Through the Storm: Mark 4:35-41:
An anonymous quote goes like this: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." In this scripture Jesus appears to be sleeping through a storm that threatens to swamp the boat that he's in with the disciples. What do you think he's trying to teach by this behavior? What are the storms that rage in your life, making you feel like you're being swamped? Where do you think Jesus is during those storms? Asleep on a cushion in the boat? Or holding your hand to help you dance in the rain?

Spirit Talkers

Acts 2:1-21: This scripture describes the first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit/Wind/Breath of God blew through the gathered disciples. They began to speak in other languages, languages that made the Good News of Jesus Christ understandable to everyone who heard them, each in her/his own language. How does the Holy Spirit give us power to be Spirit Talkers today? What language is Holy Spirit language? Some would make it the language of exclusion, the language of lists that try to keep people on the outside of God's grace. But true Holy Spirit language is language that is understood by all, that includes all, that welcomes all. May the Holy Spirit/Wind/Breath of God blow through us all and make us Spirit Talkers.

Remembering

Acts 1:1-14: This is the scripture for the Ascenscion of Christ, which this year falls on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It leads us to ask: how do we remember those who have sacrificed for us?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, allowed himself to be crucified for us. Then God raised him from the dead to prove that death does not have the last word. But the risen Christ told his disciples not to hold on to him, that he had to ascend back to God in heaven. This was not happy news for the disciples, who wanted Jesus to stay and make everything the way it was before. But Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit, who would come and fill them with the power to be his witnesses throughout the world. And the disciples waited in Jerusalem, and "they all joined together constantly in prayer."
And so today, we, too, are called to await the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives. We, too, are called remember all who have sacrificed for us. We, too, are called to join together constantly in prayer for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon us and make us Christ's witnesses "to the ends of the earth." May it be so.

Holy Week - the Journey

Scriptures: Palm Sunday - Mark 11:1-11; Holy Thursday - John 13:31b-35; Good Friday - Psalm 22:1-18 & John 18:1-19:42; Easter - John 20:1-18
The journey through Holy Week began on Palm Sunday with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. By Thursday evening, when Jesus and his disciples celebrated their last supper together, things had changed drastically. In those few days Jesus said and did things that challenged and offended the powerful elites of Jerusalem and of Rome, and they arranged for what they thought would be his destruction. By Friday the crowds who'd shouted "Hosanna" on Sunday were shouting "crucify him", and his disciples fled in terror and grief. But on the following Sunday, on Easter, God proved that the powerful elites of this world do not have the last word. On Easter Sunday God has the last word, raising Jesus from the dead, and raising us with him.
The journey through Holy Week begins with the triumph of human adulation and takes us through a meal of healing love, to betrayal, abandonment, suffering, grief and despair. and finally, to God's ultimate triumph in the resurrection. Wherever life has taken you, may you find hope and strength for the journey in reflecting on these events of Jesus' final journey. May God use Holy Week to lead you to greater wholeness.

Created for Good Works

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10: So often when we read this scripture we read only through verse 9: that we have been saved by God's grace and not by any works of our own. How does the meaning of this scripture change for you when we add verse 10: that we have been created by God in Christ Jesus in order to do good works? What good works do you do as a result of your relationship with God in Jesus Christ?

Facedown before God

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-3
What would make you, like Abraham, fall facedown before God? What would make worshiping God so exciting that you'd never want to miss church on Sunday? How do you know that you are "standing in God's presence, on holy ground?"

Growing Up

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-14
In this scripture the prophet Elijah is taken up to heaven after "passing the mantle" to Elisha. Are there people who have "passed the mantle" of discipleship to you? What does it mean to you to be a disciple? What does it mean to "grow up" - to become a grown-up - in discipleship? What are some of the obstacles you've overcome? Are there are still obstacles in your path? Are you ready to ask for "a double portion" of the Holy Spirit?

It's a Secret

This week's scripture: Mark 1:40-45
In this scripture Jesus heals a leper and then warns him not to tell anyone who it is that healed him.
Who do we think of as "lepers" today? Are there illnesses and/or life circumtances that make us think "unclean, unclean" - about others or about ourselves?
And why the secrecy? Is Jesus simply protecting his time and energy from the masses in need of healing? Or is there a deeper reason for keeping this secret?

Touched by Jesus

Scripture for the week: Mark 1:29-39

In this scripture Jesus heals the sick and drives out demons with his touch. What does it mean to be "touched by Jesus" in our lives today? Do you believe Jesus still heals the sick today? If so, what about all the people who pray just as hard for healing for themselves or a loved one, and the sick person dies? What demons does Jesus drive out today and how?

"Follow me"

Scripture for Jan. 25, 2009: Matthew 8:18-22:
For discussion:
What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In this scripture Jesus says his followers will have nowhere to lay their heads. And he tells a disciple who wants to wait to follow Jesus until after he's buried his father: "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
How does this compare with the "Christianity of convenience" that our culture promotes? How does this compare with the "prosperity gospel" promoted by so many popular preachers? What does this scripture say about what it really means to follow Jesus?

weekly reading

Matthew 6:25-27:

Anxiety rules our lives in these times. Jobs are lost, homes are lost, security in the material world in which we set such great store is lost. Yet Jesus tells us clearly not to worry, that we are of ultimate value to God and God will take care of us.

What do you think? Do you truly feel that you are valuable to God? Do you trust God to meet your needs, especially in these anxious times?

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"