This Sunday's Old Testament lesson from II Kings contains an ancient story where the God of Israel grants a miracle to someone from outside the nation of Israel. The prophet Elisha was on his own after his friend and mentor Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind to heaven so he began to travel through the countryside exhibiting the power of Yahweh to all. This story concerns a man named Naaman, a commander of an army of Aram, a Gentile and foreigner to the people of Israel. Even though he is in a position of authority, he has the disease of leprosy, which was feared by all in the ancient world.
A servant girl from the land of Israel who had been captured by the Arameans tells Naaman that the prophet Elisha may have the power to cure him of his leprosy. So, he went to see Elisha, taking along with him an abundance of gifts to present to him as a token of his thanks for the healing that could come. Naaman went to Elisha's house and Elisha sent a servant out to meet him with the the command, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." (II Kings 5:10)
Instead of immediately obeying the prophet, Naaman became angry and went away complaining about the command, thinking that the prophet should have at least come out and seen him personally and performed some kind of incantation to ward off the disease. He also resented being told to wash in the Jordan River, thinking that the waters of his homeland were cleaner and better than this river in Israel.
Naaman's servant girl helped him come to his senses, however, by asking him if he would not have done something even more difficult than what he had been commanded to do if it would bring his healing. So, he finally obeyed the word of Elisha and was miraculously made free from his disease.
The result of the miracle was that Naaman believed in the God of the nation of Israel, of whom he knew little. "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel..." (II Kings 5:15b) When Naaman saw the result of his obedience to what the prophet had asked him to do, it changed his heart as well as his body.
This story speaks to us as well as to the ancient hearers to which it was addressed. It spoke of Naaman's humility that he had to achieve in order to obey the word of the prophet. Naaman had to put aside his own concerns and objections to washing in the Jordan and simply do what the prophet asked him to do so that he could receive his healing. He had to yield his own ideas and accept those of another in order to gain what he desired so much. We often have to act in humility also in order to achieve positive results in life.
After returning to Elisha, Naaman demonstrated his healing by returning in a state of submission and knelt before Elisha, identifying himself as a servant to both Elisha and Elisha's God. He confessed his faith in the God of Israel. His healing of body and spirit had been accomplished by his obedience to the word of the prophet.
The experience of healing in our own lives is an active process. The progression from humility to a change of mind to submission and confession translates into a series of actions for our lives. We must go down, turn around, kneel before and finally stand up before God's power and grace.
Do we have the ability to see and admit our own need, asking for God's presence in our lives? Can we admit that we too need healing in our lives and are ready to take the steps to allow God to be present and active in our lives? We believe in an all powerful, all knowing God, one who is aware of who we are and what happens in our lives. We also believe in a God who cares for each of us and wants our lives to be complete and whole. If God knows and cares, then perhaps God is ready for us to trust God for what God would provide for our lives so that we would be the most complete people we can be, ready to assist others in their own struggles in life.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Chariots of Fire
There are many supernatural, un-explainable, unbelievable stories in the ancient writings of the Bible. The miraculous stories are just that...miracle stories that were never meant to be explained. These stories were recorded in scripture to make a statement about humans and the interaction between God and humans. The stories say something about the nature of God also. God is present and involved in the lives of humans and has an overarching plan for all of humankind. Perhaps the story from the book of II Kings that we have heard preached many times says something to us about God, humans, and the nature of God.
Elijah, the crusty old prophet of old, had done many miraculous things as God used him in ministry to and for the people called Israel. Elijah represented the covenant that God had established with Israel through Moses in decades past. The kings of Israel and Judah had imported strange gods into their lands and had encouraged worship to these idols. Elijah railed against idol worship since it was forbidden by the first commandment given by God to the people of Israel. Elijah used violence to combat the high priests of Baal and then retreated to the wilderness to hear the voice of God speak to him and reassure him that God was with him and would protect him. God gave Elijah a coworker in the effort named Elisha and the two of them worked together to do what they felt God had called them to do in their efforts to bring righteousness into the land.
The day came, however, when Elijah's ministry had been completed and God would take him miraculously to the heavens to live with God. Elisha had been warned at least twice by other prophets in the area that Elijah would soon be leaving. Elisha could hardly bear the thought of his friend and companion no longer being with him so he tried to put it out of his mind but he was confronted by the reality again and again by others.
So, Elisha asked his friend if he could receive a special blessing to strengthen him once Elijah was no longer nearby. "...if you see me as I am being taken from you," Elijah promised, "it will be granted you; if not, it will not." (II Kings 2:10b,c). Elisha stuck close to Elijah the reminder of the day until suddenly a miraculous event occurred. A chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared in the sky and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it happen and the mantle that Elijah had been wearing fell to earth. Elisha picked it up and used it to strike the Jordan River so that the water parted for him just as it had done for Elijah in days of old. Elisha became the new Elijah that God would use in ministry with a hot and dusty people who needed to know of God's love for them.
This miraculous story says something about God's providential care for human beings. God cares for all humans on the planet and wants to equip all with the tools to achieve and live a happy and productive life. Unfortunately, not all humans are prepared to receive what God has provided in the planet and in human life so that they can live better lives. The rejection of education and learning, the wastefulness and misuse of the resources of earth, and the failure to live in ways that would bring harmony into individual lives has caused some to not grasp the care that God would have for them.
God cared for Elijah as he performed the ministry tasks that God guided him to do. God cared for Elijah also when it was time for him to leave the earth and go to heavenly places. God had provided a co-worked for Elijah to assist him in his duties and when it was time for Elijah to leave, God equipped Elisha with the same tools that he needed in order to do ministry in the way that his friend had done. Elisha received the spiritual energy necessary to work for God in the land and among the people of Israel.
God equips all who seek God and desire to be of service to God and humankind. God provides all we need to find strength in our bodies and spirits so that we may help others to live in ways that will bring them joy and peace. When we seek God and ask for God's blessings, God will always provide what we need in order to continue the ministry on behalf of others around us.
God's mantle of blessing falls upon all who seek a deeper understanding of God and how God can be involved in our daily lives. As we pray and read God's Word and seek the guidance that God would give us in our lives, we will always receive what we need for our future and for that of others. It does not take a chariot of fire streaking across the sky to open our eyes to God's miraculous universe. If we look around us with eyes of wonder and curiosity, we will see God's Spirit in action wherever we may look. It is enough to believe that God is, and that God is the rewarder of all who diligently seek God.
Elijah, the crusty old prophet of old, had done many miraculous things as God used him in ministry to and for the people called Israel. Elijah represented the covenant that God had established with Israel through Moses in decades past. The kings of Israel and Judah had imported strange gods into their lands and had encouraged worship to these idols. Elijah railed against idol worship since it was forbidden by the first commandment given by God to the people of Israel. Elijah used violence to combat the high priests of Baal and then retreated to the wilderness to hear the voice of God speak to him and reassure him that God was with him and would protect him. God gave Elijah a coworker in the effort named Elisha and the two of them worked together to do what they felt God had called them to do in their efforts to bring righteousness into the land.
The day came, however, when Elijah's ministry had been completed and God would take him miraculously to the heavens to live with God. Elisha had been warned at least twice by other prophets in the area that Elijah would soon be leaving. Elisha could hardly bear the thought of his friend and companion no longer being with him so he tried to put it out of his mind but he was confronted by the reality again and again by others.
So, Elisha asked his friend if he could receive a special blessing to strengthen him once Elijah was no longer nearby. "...if you see me as I am being taken from you," Elijah promised, "it will be granted you; if not, it will not." (II Kings 2:10b,c). Elisha stuck close to Elijah the reminder of the day until suddenly a miraculous event occurred. A chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared in the sky and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it happen and the mantle that Elijah had been wearing fell to earth. Elisha picked it up and used it to strike the Jordan River so that the water parted for him just as it had done for Elijah in days of old. Elisha became the new Elijah that God would use in ministry with a hot and dusty people who needed to know of God's love for them.
This miraculous story says something about God's providential care for human beings. God cares for all humans on the planet and wants to equip all with the tools to achieve and live a happy and productive life. Unfortunately, not all humans are prepared to receive what God has provided in the planet and in human life so that they can live better lives. The rejection of education and learning, the wastefulness and misuse of the resources of earth, and the failure to live in ways that would bring harmony into individual lives has caused some to not grasp the care that God would have for them.
God cared for Elijah as he performed the ministry tasks that God guided him to do. God cared for Elijah also when it was time for him to leave the earth and go to heavenly places. God had provided a co-worked for Elijah to assist him in his duties and when it was time for Elijah to leave, God equipped Elisha with the same tools that he needed in order to do ministry in the way that his friend had done. Elisha received the spiritual energy necessary to work for God in the land and among the people of Israel.
God equips all who seek God and desire to be of service to God and humankind. God provides all we need to find strength in our bodies and spirits so that we may help others to live in ways that will bring them joy and peace. When we seek God and ask for God's blessings, God will always provide what we need in order to continue the ministry on behalf of others around us.
God's mantle of blessing falls upon all who seek a deeper understanding of God and how God can be involved in our daily lives. As we pray and read God's Word and seek the guidance that God would give us in our lives, we will always receive what we need for our future and for that of others. It does not take a chariot of fire streaking across the sky to open our eyes to God's miraculous universe. If we look around us with eyes of wonder and curiosity, we will see God's Spirit in action wherever we may look. It is enough to believe that God is, and that God is the rewarder of all who diligently seek God.
Monday, June 13, 2016
God is Still Speaking, Quietly
The Old Testament lesson for next Sunday is the story from I Kings of Elijah the prophet running away from the wrath of the evil queen, Jezebel. Elijah has displeased her by having a contest with the priest of Baal and then doing away with them. So, Jezebel threatened revenge upon Elijah if she could catch him. Elijah ran away to the distant wilderness area as most of us would have done also. God miraculously provided food and water for Elijah while he was in the wilderness and then God is revealed to Elijah through the world around him.
Elijah figured that a God as mighty and powerful as YAHWEH would be revealed in the power of the world around him. So, when an earthquake happened, Elijah thought God's voice would be heard in the earthquake but it did not happen that way. Then a fire appeared and Elijah thought that surely God's voice could be heard in the fire but that was not the way it would work either. After that there was nothing but sheer silence. No noise at all, just a silence peaceful assurance that Elijah would be okay.
Elijah needed God's assurance that God would care for Elijah even in the midst of the threat that Jezebel had uttered against him. He told God all that he had done to bring about righteousness in the land of Israel, despite the idolatry that Jezebel and Ahab had instituted in the land. "I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away," Elijah told God. (I Kings19:14c)
God listened to Elijah's complaint and, I believe, understood what Elijah needed in order to feel cared for by God. He needed to know that God knew what he had gone through and that he was not alone. God's word for Elijah in this instance was: ..."all the knees have not bowed to Baal..." (I Kings 19:18b) Elijah was not alone in his quest to bring worship to the One God of Israel back in existence in Israel. There were others who would assist Elijah if he needed them.
Sure enough as he went done the road toward Damascus he met the one who would be his helper, the prophet Elisha. Elisha was plowing with oxen when Elijah met him and threw his mantle around him. Then, after making peace with his family, he "set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant." (I Kings 19:21c)
We all go through times of loneliness and despair. Perhaps it is because of our ill health or due to circumstances that are beyond our control and we think that no one cares or understands what we are enduring. We may even think that God does not care for us because we have not recognized God around us in a long time. We may think that God may speak through something dramatic in our lives and expect it to happen in a thunderstorm as the lightning flashes or when the skies are threatening. Those circumstances could speak to us but more often God speaks to us in the quiet moments of life when we have the time to really listen for God's voice.
God's voice is often heard in the quiet working out of history such as when the wall of Communism fell in 1989 and suddenly people who had been held captive by an oppressive society experienced personal freedom for the first time in many years.
God's voice is often heard in the daily lives of ordinary people as we are around them. People quietly doing their jobs in the world often have something to say that encourages us and lifts our spirits, perhaps in the way they smile at us or say something cheerful to us.
God's voice may be heard in the birth of a child or a wedding or even at a funeral. God is present in joy and in sorrow and there at times that those events make us slow down enough to listen for God to speak to us.
God is still speaking, even in the midst of tragedy. I am writing this on the day after our country experienced the worst mass murder rampage by a gunman in our the history of our country. Fifty persons going about their daily lives were murdered by a crazy, hateful person whose own life was taken in the conflict also. God did not cause this event to happen but God wept for those whose lives were taken by this act of violence and hatred. And in the midst of the bloodshed and confusion, God was present and speaking through the actions of courage and bravery and love as humans helped other humans in need and as first responders worked diligently to save the lives of many who were wounded by this madman with a gun.
God still loves humanity and God still speaks even in the darkest of hours to reassure us that we are not alone. God is with us. Thanks be to God.
Elijah figured that a God as mighty and powerful as YAHWEH would be revealed in the power of the world around him. So, when an earthquake happened, Elijah thought God's voice would be heard in the earthquake but it did not happen that way. Then a fire appeared and Elijah thought that surely God's voice could be heard in the fire but that was not the way it would work either. After that there was nothing but sheer silence. No noise at all, just a silence peaceful assurance that Elijah would be okay.
Elijah needed God's assurance that God would care for Elijah even in the midst of the threat that Jezebel had uttered against him. He told God all that he had done to bring about righteousness in the land of Israel, despite the idolatry that Jezebel and Ahab had instituted in the land. "I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away," Elijah told God. (I Kings19:14c)
God listened to Elijah's complaint and, I believe, understood what Elijah needed in order to feel cared for by God. He needed to know that God knew what he had gone through and that he was not alone. God's word for Elijah in this instance was: ..."all the knees have not bowed to Baal..." (I Kings 19:18b) Elijah was not alone in his quest to bring worship to the One God of Israel back in existence in Israel. There were others who would assist Elijah if he needed them.
Sure enough as he went done the road toward Damascus he met the one who would be his helper, the prophet Elisha. Elisha was plowing with oxen when Elijah met him and threw his mantle around him. Then, after making peace with his family, he "set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant." (I Kings 19:21c)
We all go through times of loneliness and despair. Perhaps it is because of our ill health or due to circumstances that are beyond our control and we think that no one cares or understands what we are enduring. We may even think that God does not care for us because we have not recognized God around us in a long time. We may think that God may speak through something dramatic in our lives and expect it to happen in a thunderstorm as the lightning flashes or when the skies are threatening. Those circumstances could speak to us but more often God speaks to us in the quiet moments of life when we have the time to really listen for God's voice.
God's voice is often heard in the quiet working out of history such as when the wall of Communism fell in 1989 and suddenly people who had been held captive by an oppressive society experienced personal freedom for the first time in many years.
God's voice is often heard in the daily lives of ordinary people as we are around them. People quietly doing their jobs in the world often have something to say that encourages us and lifts our spirits, perhaps in the way they smile at us or say something cheerful to us.
God's voice may be heard in the birth of a child or a wedding or even at a funeral. God is present in joy and in sorrow and there at times that those events make us slow down enough to listen for God to speak to us.
God is still speaking, even in the midst of tragedy. I am writing this on the day after our country experienced the worst mass murder rampage by a gunman in our the history of our country. Fifty persons going about their daily lives were murdered by a crazy, hateful person whose own life was taken in the conflict also. God did not cause this event to happen but God wept for those whose lives were taken by this act of violence and hatred. And in the midst of the bloodshed and confusion, God was present and speaking through the actions of courage and bravery and love as humans helped other humans in need and as first responders worked diligently to save the lives of many who were wounded by this madman with a gun.
God still loves humanity and God still speaks even in the darkest of hours to reassure us that we are not alone. God is with us. Thanks be to God.
Monday, June 6, 2016
What is Yours is Mine
I was just finishing my seminary education at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas in 1994 when I heard the news that one of my fellows students, an older woman who was attending seminary also, had suffered a great tragedy. She and her husband were returning home from dinner out, and as they pulled into their driveway, suddenly they were ambushed by three young men who surrounded their car and demanded the keys. One of the young men shot this woman's husband and he fell to the ground. She crawled under the car in hopes of saving her own life as he husband lay dying a few feet from her. The bandits drove off in their Mercedes without harming the woman who had crouched under the car, and as they sped away, they ran off a curb and damaged the car so that it was soon not drive-able.
The police began looking for those who had committed the crime and soon the evidence led them to a small town in Texas not too far away from where the crime had happened. The three young men who had committed the crime were arrested and soon two of them named the other as the trigger man in exchange for two less severe sentences. The young man who had pulled the trigger and killed the owner of the car he wanted was only 17 years old. He had been president of his senior class and was from a well respected family in his small town.
What would cause such a fine young man from an upstanding family in a small town, an athlete that many looked up to, to want to steal an expensive car and in the process murder the man who owned the car? No one can really answer that question but even the man who committed the crime could not give an adequate answer. He was interviewed by Texas Monthly prior to this execution in 2002 and all he could say was that it not only a heinous act, but a senseless one, a realization that came too late to save his own life or that of the man he had murdered.
The reading from I Kings 21 for this next Sunday is an ancient story that has a similar theme. The story involves the current king of Israel, Ahab, and his wife Jezebel. It also involves a man who is a neighbor to the king, and who owns a vineyard. The man's name was Naboth. Ahab wanted the land that Naboth owned upon which sat his vineyard. Ahab talked with Naboth and offered to buy the land from him but Naboth did not want to sell his land for any price. In fact, he claimed the land was an ancestral inheritance and he could not sell it because it had been given to him by his ancestors and they had received it from the Lord.
Ahab became resentful and sullen and went home and turned his face toward the wall as he lay on his bed. His wife, Jezebel, asked him why he was depressed and he told her that he wanted Naboth's land and he would not sell it to him. Jezebel had an answer to his dilemma. "Get up, eat some food, and be cheeful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." (I Kings 21:7)
Jezebel went about a plan to falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the King with false witnessed to make the case. She carried out her plan and soon Naboth was stoned to death and Jezebel delivered the news to Ahab that the land and the vineyard now belonged to him. Case closed.
But if you read a bit farther in the story, the case is not entirely closed. It may have been a cold case until God got involved but soon God spoke to the prophet Elijah and told him the story that had happened and Elijah delivered the news to Ahab that God would soon judge and punish Ahab and Jezebel for the despicable thing they had done.
Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" (v.20)
He answered, "I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord."
Then Elijah told Ahab the fate that would befall him and Jezebel because of their wicked deeds.
Ahab repented after hearing Elijah's stern warning and immediately put on sackcloth and fasted. Because he humbled himself before God, God forgave him and did not bring disaster on him but did judge his house and bring disaster upon his son's reign. Jezebel lived a while longer but she did not escape judgment. In II Kings 9, her violent death is explained.
Ahab and Jezebel broke at least three of the Commandments given by God to the People of Israel. Ahab coveted what Naboth owned and when Naboth refused to sell it to him, he and Jezebel brought false witness against him and had him murdered in order to take the land from him. Ahab was involved in idol worship before and during his reign as king of Israel. His reign is described as one of the most evil and wicked in the history of Israel.
This ancient story is contained in sacred scripture, I think, to continue to teach the lessons that we all need to continue to remember even in our modern age. Ahab wanted what Naboth possessed and would stop at nothing to have it for himself. The young man that I described in the opening story, only 17 years old, wanted a luxury car of his own. He stopped at nothing to have it, either, resulting in the murder of another person. Too many times, people become fixed upon an object or a person or a goal that they want to have as their own and they will not stop until they obtain it. Their vision and sensibility are clouded by their desire to have as their own the thing they covet. They see no need to stop at anything until they have achieved the goal they have set before them. The news stations report such incidents on a daily basis in our country.
Ahab began his killing spree by dabbling in idolatry with his new wife Jezebel. He was influenced by her to begin straying from the path of righteousness laid out in the Commandments given by Moses to his people. Then, when he began to desire what his neighbor had, he again listened to what his wife would have him do and his common sense seemed obsolete.
We can all be swayed by what others say we should do, either as individuals or as part of a group. We can listen to their arguments or advice and decide for ourselves whether or not it will be good for us as part of our lives. Even someone close to us can send us in a wrong direction if their advice is not good advice, as Ahab learned. Our need for prayerful consideration of what we do in life is made real as we consider both ancient and modern stories that serve as illustrations of what can go wrong in life when we make decisions that take us places where we do not need to go, either literally or in our thinking. Perhaps Ahab's story is provided as a story of warning, helping us who live in this modern world with so many choices confronting us daily, that we need to involve God in our lives and in our decisions so that the choices we make will be good ones both for us as individuals and for the land in which we live.
The police began looking for those who had committed the crime and soon the evidence led them to a small town in Texas not too far away from where the crime had happened. The three young men who had committed the crime were arrested and soon two of them named the other as the trigger man in exchange for two less severe sentences. The young man who had pulled the trigger and killed the owner of the car he wanted was only 17 years old. He had been president of his senior class and was from a well respected family in his small town.
What would cause such a fine young man from an upstanding family in a small town, an athlete that many looked up to, to want to steal an expensive car and in the process murder the man who owned the car? No one can really answer that question but even the man who committed the crime could not give an adequate answer. He was interviewed by Texas Monthly prior to this execution in 2002 and all he could say was that it not only a heinous act, but a senseless one, a realization that came too late to save his own life or that of the man he had murdered.
The reading from I Kings 21 for this next Sunday is an ancient story that has a similar theme. The story involves the current king of Israel, Ahab, and his wife Jezebel. It also involves a man who is a neighbor to the king, and who owns a vineyard. The man's name was Naboth. Ahab wanted the land that Naboth owned upon which sat his vineyard. Ahab talked with Naboth and offered to buy the land from him but Naboth did not want to sell his land for any price. In fact, he claimed the land was an ancestral inheritance and he could not sell it because it had been given to him by his ancestors and they had received it from the Lord.
Ahab became resentful and sullen and went home and turned his face toward the wall as he lay on his bed. His wife, Jezebel, asked him why he was depressed and he told her that he wanted Naboth's land and he would not sell it to him. Jezebel had an answer to his dilemma. "Get up, eat some food, and be cheeful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." (I Kings 21:7)
Jezebel went about a plan to falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the King with false witnessed to make the case. She carried out her plan and soon Naboth was stoned to death and Jezebel delivered the news to Ahab that the land and the vineyard now belonged to him. Case closed.
But if you read a bit farther in the story, the case is not entirely closed. It may have been a cold case until God got involved but soon God spoke to the prophet Elijah and told him the story that had happened and Elijah delivered the news to Ahab that God would soon judge and punish Ahab and Jezebel for the despicable thing they had done.
Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" (v.20)
He answered, "I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord."
Then Elijah told Ahab the fate that would befall him and Jezebel because of their wicked deeds.
Ahab repented after hearing Elijah's stern warning and immediately put on sackcloth and fasted. Because he humbled himself before God, God forgave him and did not bring disaster on him but did judge his house and bring disaster upon his son's reign. Jezebel lived a while longer but she did not escape judgment. In II Kings 9, her violent death is explained.
Ahab and Jezebel broke at least three of the Commandments given by God to the People of Israel. Ahab coveted what Naboth owned and when Naboth refused to sell it to him, he and Jezebel brought false witness against him and had him murdered in order to take the land from him. Ahab was involved in idol worship before and during his reign as king of Israel. His reign is described as one of the most evil and wicked in the history of Israel.
This ancient story is contained in sacred scripture, I think, to continue to teach the lessons that we all need to continue to remember even in our modern age. Ahab wanted what Naboth possessed and would stop at nothing to have it for himself. The young man that I described in the opening story, only 17 years old, wanted a luxury car of his own. He stopped at nothing to have it, either, resulting in the murder of another person. Too many times, people become fixed upon an object or a person or a goal that they want to have as their own and they will not stop until they obtain it. Their vision and sensibility are clouded by their desire to have as their own the thing they covet. They see no need to stop at anything until they have achieved the goal they have set before them. The news stations report such incidents on a daily basis in our country.
Ahab began his killing spree by dabbling in idolatry with his new wife Jezebel. He was influenced by her to begin straying from the path of righteousness laid out in the Commandments given by Moses to his people. Then, when he began to desire what his neighbor had, he again listened to what his wife would have him do and his common sense seemed obsolete.
We can all be swayed by what others say we should do, either as individuals or as part of a group. We can listen to their arguments or advice and decide for ourselves whether or not it will be good for us as part of our lives. Even someone close to us can send us in a wrong direction if their advice is not good advice, as Ahab learned. Our need for prayerful consideration of what we do in life is made real as we consider both ancient and modern stories that serve as illustrations of what can go wrong in life when we make decisions that take us places where we do not need to go, either literally or in our thinking. Perhaps Ahab's story is provided as a story of warning, helping us who live in this modern world with so many choices confronting us daily, that we need to involve God in our lives and in our decisions so that the choices we make will be good ones both for us as individuals and for the land in which we live.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Endless Supply
Now and then there is a scare presented in the media that there may not be an ample supply of one product or another. Often, these scares cause a run on the product that is in the news causing hording by some persons. I remember a few years ago there was a story like that about rice. Supposedly, the rice supply was about to dry up because of many environmental factors. This story caused the price of rice worldwide to rise for a while so many people began to stock up on rice and store it in their freezers so that the bugs could not get into it. Not too long ago, there was a story in the news that the same thing was going to happen to olive oil. We use a lot of olive oil in cooking so I bought an extra container of olive oil when we were at the store where we normally buy it. We have an extra amount of olive oil but the story soon disappeared from the news and I have not heard anything else about this. Such a story helps certain industries because it increases the amount of purchases done for these products. Who knows if there is a connection there?
Anyway, shortages have been part of life for as long as people have been living. In the ancient world, people lived just one harvest from starvation at all times. If for some reason, the crop they depended on was ruined by insects or weather or drought, then many people would die of starvation. They did not have the variety of foods we enjoy today. They subsisted on basic foods such as bread as the mainstay of their diets.
Such is the story from I Kings that is our Old Testament reading for this next Sunday. The old familiar story of Elijah and the widow of Zarepheth is one that has been preached through the years but it continues to be one that will speak to us today. Elijah was growing hungry and God sent him to a widow who was very poor. She only had enough meal and oil to make a small cake for herself and her son. After that they would starve to death. The country in which they lived was stricken with drought and it had not rained in a long time. Elijah went to that widow and had the audacity to ask her to make a cake for him instead of for her and her son. She must have been a very patient person to comply with his request or perhaps she simply resigned herself to die and decided that she would just die sooner if she obeyed him.
So, the woman went to the kitchen and made the cake for the prophet. She must have watched him eat greedily wishing she or her son could have a morsel of the food and then heard the prophet tell her to go into the kitchen and make a cake for herself and her son. Don't you just imagine that she thought this old man was crazy?! After all, she had told him that there was only enough meal and oil to make one cake and then it would be all gone.
She obeyed the prophet again and a miracle happened. There was just enough meal and oil to make another cake for that day. She and her son ate the cake heartily and enjoyed having a bit of food in their stomachs once again. The prophet stayed around with the pair for a while later and each day she found sufficient meal and oil to live for another day. That continued until the drought broke and the rains began again to restore the land to producing a crop.
This wonderful old story is about God's providence in our lives. God will always give us what we need....understand, it is what we need, not what we want, necessarily. God will supply our needs so that we may be rich in our spirits and our bodies too. When we pray and ask God to supply our needs, God will always answer our prayers. God may not answer our prayers as we desire for him to do but God will answer them according to his good will for our lives.
I often quote that verse that says, "All things work together for good for those who are called according to God's purpose." (Romans 8:28) This verse does not say that all thing that happen to us will be good. It says that all things will work together for our good. I understand this to mean that through all the experiences of life, both good and bad, God will bring about something good in our lives that will enrich us and sustain us for the future. We may have to endure hardship or suffering (as Paul describes earlier in that chapter and elsewhere in Romans) but in the end our lives will be better because of all that God has done in our lives in response to the lives we live for God.
There will always be enough to go around. There is always enough to share. There will never be an end to God's abundant blessings as we continue to seek God's will for our lives and follow the path in which God leads us.
Anyway, shortages have been part of life for as long as people have been living. In the ancient world, people lived just one harvest from starvation at all times. If for some reason, the crop they depended on was ruined by insects or weather or drought, then many people would die of starvation. They did not have the variety of foods we enjoy today. They subsisted on basic foods such as bread as the mainstay of their diets.
Such is the story from I Kings that is our Old Testament reading for this next Sunday. The old familiar story of Elijah and the widow of Zarepheth is one that has been preached through the years but it continues to be one that will speak to us today. Elijah was growing hungry and God sent him to a widow who was very poor. She only had enough meal and oil to make a small cake for herself and her son. After that they would starve to death. The country in which they lived was stricken with drought and it had not rained in a long time. Elijah went to that widow and had the audacity to ask her to make a cake for him instead of for her and her son. She must have been a very patient person to comply with his request or perhaps she simply resigned herself to die and decided that she would just die sooner if she obeyed him.
So, the woman went to the kitchen and made the cake for the prophet. She must have watched him eat greedily wishing she or her son could have a morsel of the food and then heard the prophet tell her to go into the kitchen and make a cake for herself and her son. Don't you just imagine that she thought this old man was crazy?! After all, she had told him that there was only enough meal and oil to make one cake and then it would be all gone.
She obeyed the prophet again and a miracle happened. There was just enough meal and oil to make another cake for that day. She and her son ate the cake heartily and enjoyed having a bit of food in their stomachs once again. The prophet stayed around with the pair for a while later and each day she found sufficient meal and oil to live for another day. That continued until the drought broke and the rains began again to restore the land to producing a crop.
This wonderful old story is about God's providence in our lives. God will always give us what we need....understand, it is what we need, not what we want, necessarily. God will supply our needs so that we may be rich in our spirits and our bodies too. When we pray and ask God to supply our needs, God will always answer our prayers. God may not answer our prayers as we desire for him to do but God will answer them according to his good will for our lives.
I often quote that verse that says, "All things work together for good for those who are called according to God's purpose." (Romans 8:28) This verse does not say that all thing that happen to us will be good. It says that all things will work together for our good. I understand this to mean that through all the experiences of life, both good and bad, God will bring about something good in our lives that will enrich us and sustain us for the future. We may have to endure hardship or suffering (as Paul describes earlier in that chapter and elsewhere in Romans) but in the end our lives will be better because of all that God has done in our lives in response to the lives we live for God.
There will always be enough to go around. There is always enough to share. There will never be an end to God's abundant blessings as we continue to seek God's will for our lives and follow the path in which God leads us.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Faith of an Outsider
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." (Luke 7:10)
Jesus' words quoted above are in reference to a Gentile, a Centurion, a guard in the Roman Army. Most Roman soldiers had little use for religion, either their own mixture of gods and goddess for which temples and worship sites were erected or for the god of the Israelites whom they regarded as just part of a myth that was being promoted by the Jewish population. This soldier, however, had a reason for asking for Jesus' help. He had a slave whom he "valued highly" who was ill and close to death. This man of importance thought of himself as unworthy of having Jesus to come to his house to see the sick man but sent servants to ask Jesus to simply "speak the word" and his slave would be healed.
Jesus' astonishment at these words of the Centurion have their roots both in the faith he has seen exhibited by this man and by the fact that the man who said the words was a Gentile. Jews regarded Gentiles as dogs or low-life and Gentiles generally regarded Jews as less than reputable and given to myths and superstitions. For a Gentile to ask a favor of a Jew, even a miraculous one such as Jesus, it took a lot of courage. This Centurion was a man of importance who was accustomed to giving orders but he ventured into an area of society that most people in his social standing would not have gone.
The Centurion received what he was seeking--the healing of his slave, given in response to the words he sent to Jesus, the healer. Jesus' recognition of his great faith, faith that even Jesus thought of as exceptional and unusual, was such that he did not need to make a visit to the home of the Centurion. Jesus could provide the healing being sought through the positive energy he sent along with his greetings to the Centurion by way of the servants who delivered the message.
Many who use the word "Christian" to describe themselves will attribute faith in God as something owned by Christians. In fact, some Christians deny that God even hears the prayers of those who do not call themselves Christians. A few years ago, one minister in a certain denomination made the national news with his statement that God did not hear the prayers of Jews except for prayers of repentance. He believed that only "Christian prayers" truly were ones that God honored and heard.
How arrogant are we when we negate so many in the world who do not call themselves Christian but do have prayers that they say to their Higher Power in order to bring themselves comfort or peace or joy! Our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters share a common heritage with us who claim the name Christian as we are all Children of Abraham and we pray to One God who is Father of us all. Other religious persons in the world may not share in this heritage but may be true seekers of truth and light. Jesus said in the Gospels that God would not turn away anyone who comes to him seeking what God may offer to all.
In the ancient world, there were clear divisions between those of various religious identities. Now and then, someone would cross the line and seek out others who did not believe as they did. Jesus did this many times in the Gospels, for example with the woman at the well in John 4 and with the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15 who sought healing for her daughter. He was constantly open to all who were seeking him or a new understanding of the God of Israel. Jesus did not worry that a person did not belong to the People of Israel. He was concerned for what they needed from him and open to help meet their needs.
We have a plethora of religious expressions in our world today. They range from the tradition to the odd or unique. Persons who are part of different religious groups are there for different reasons. Sometimes it is because they were born into a certain religious group. Other times it is because something about that group attracted their attention and they converted and became a part of it. Even persons who have called themselves Christians have aligned themselves with non-Christian groups and given up their Christian identity, much to the amazement of others in the Christian movement.
Jesus demonstrated in his life that God's love is for all who live in God's world. We may all be seeking God on different paths in life but the paths are illuminated by truth from God if seekers of truth are sincere. There is still light to be revealed to those who honestly seek the light that comes from the God of all. Christians share the light they have received with others as they attempt to live in peace and harmony with others who may adhere to other religious traditions or who may not have a connection to religion at all. Many today see no need for religion in their lives. Perhaps it is the God of us all who calls those of us who claim faith as part of our lives, whatever our tradition may be, to live out our faith daily so that some can recognize God's presence in our lives, not by our words we speak but by the way we treat others in our world....the very visible presence of the God of us all at work in our lives daily.
Jesus' words quoted above are in reference to a Gentile, a Centurion, a guard in the Roman Army. Most Roman soldiers had little use for religion, either their own mixture of gods and goddess for which temples and worship sites were erected or for the god of the Israelites whom they regarded as just part of a myth that was being promoted by the Jewish population. This soldier, however, had a reason for asking for Jesus' help. He had a slave whom he "valued highly" who was ill and close to death. This man of importance thought of himself as unworthy of having Jesus to come to his house to see the sick man but sent servants to ask Jesus to simply "speak the word" and his slave would be healed.
Jesus' astonishment at these words of the Centurion have their roots both in the faith he has seen exhibited by this man and by the fact that the man who said the words was a Gentile. Jews regarded Gentiles as dogs or low-life and Gentiles generally regarded Jews as less than reputable and given to myths and superstitions. For a Gentile to ask a favor of a Jew, even a miraculous one such as Jesus, it took a lot of courage. This Centurion was a man of importance who was accustomed to giving orders but he ventured into an area of society that most people in his social standing would not have gone.
The Centurion received what he was seeking--the healing of his slave, given in response to the words he sent to Jesus, the healer. Jesus' recognition of his great faith, faith that even Jesus thought of as exceptional and unusual, was such that he did not need to make a visit to the home of the Centurion. Jesus could provide the healing being sought through the positive energy he sent along with his greetings to the Centurion by way of the servants who delivered the message.
Many who use the word "Christian" to describe themselves will attribute faith in God as something owned by Christians. In fact, some Christians deny that God even hears the prayers of those who do not call themselves Christians. A few years ago, one minister in a certain denomination made the national news with his statement that God did not hear the prayers of Jews except for prayers of repentance. He believed that only "Christian prayers" truly were ones that God honored and heard.
How arrogant are we when we negate so many in the world who do not call themselves Christian but do have prayers that they say to their Higher Power in order to bring themselves comfort or peace or joy! Our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters share a common heritage with us who claim the name Christian as we are all Children of Abraham and we pray to One God who is Father of us all. Other religious persons in the world may not share in this heritage but may be true seekers of truth and light. Jesus said in the Gospels that God would not turn away anyone who comes to him seeking what God may offer to all.
In the ancient world, there were clear divisions between those of various religious identities. Now and then, someone would cross the line and seek out others who did not believe as they did. Jesus did this many times in the Gospels, for example with the woman at the well in John 4 and with the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15 who sought healing for her daughter. He was constantly open to all who were seeking him or a new understanding of the God of Israel. Jesus did not worry that a person did not belong to the People of Israel. He was concerned for what they needed from him and open to help meet their needs.
We have a plethora of religious expressions in our world today. They range from the tradition to the odd or unique. Persons who are part of different religious groups are there for different reasons. Sometimes it is because they were born into a certain religious group. Other times it is because something about that group attracted their attention and they converted and became a part of it. Even persons who have called themselves Christians have aligned themselves with non-Christian groups and given up their Christian identity, much to the amazement of others in the Christian movement.
Jesus demonstrated in his life that God's love is for all who live in God's world. We may all be seeking God on different paths in life but the paths are illuminated by truth from God if seekers of truth are sincere. There is still light to be revealed to those who honestly seek the light that comes from the God of all. Christians share the light they have received with others as they attempt to live in peace and harmony with others who may adhere to other religious traditions or who may not have a connection to religion at all. Many today see no need for religion in their lives. Perhaps it is the God of us all who calls those of us who claim faith as part of our lives, whatever our tradition may be, to live out our faith daily so that some can recognize God's presence in our lives, not by our words we speak but by the way we treat others in our world....the very visible presence of the God of us all at work in our lives daily.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Thinking About the Spirit
This Sunday is called Trinity Sunday on the Church calendar. It is the day we think about the concept of The Holy Trinity and talk about how the three persons in the Trinity work together. Explaining the concept of the Trinity to non-clergy persons is a daunting task at times. We are always wanting to find something to compare it to. Some people think about the three forms of water...liquid, steam, and ice, all water but just in different forms...or there is the idea that it is like an egg which contains a shell, yoke and white which is still an egg regardless of how you put the parts together.
I think that trying to explain a mystery of the faith is a bit like trying to explain how electricity works or why a plane can fly or a boat can sail even though both are heavy and should not be able to go in the air or the water without falling or sinking. There are just some concepts of the faith that are inexplicable. They just are.
The idea of the Holy Trinity is a bit like that. I like to think about God the Father, an old man in a big chair and he has a long white beard and white hair and he is very stern. You cannot get anything past him. Then, Jesus is a young man with long brown hair and a brown beard and he is very pleasant and kind looking and smiles a lot. The Holy Spirit is right there with them but he/she is a bird, a white bird, hovering in the air above the other two. Sunlight shines on all of them and they sit, stand, and fly always as the look over humans and the mess they are making of the world, wanting to do something about it but not able to because of the free will they granted everyone at creation.
If your idea of the Trinity is a bit like mine, then it is because we have all been shaped by the paintings that artists made of religious figures during the Medieval period of afterwards. Religious art and also religious media that followed in the age of technology has made many of us think about the Godhead in humanistic ways. We have made God in our own image, in other words.
I really think that the Godhead is only one being, the Holy Spirit, of which all three persons are a part, actively involved in the lives of humans on a daily basis. Jesus taught his followers that the Spirit would come to be an Advocate, a Comforter, a Guide, to assist all who would call on God to find healing, hope, and help in their time of need. I think that Jesus is already here, not sitting on a cloud waiting for the cue from the Heavenly Father to come to earth to bring about some cataclysmic era that needs to happen. I think that Jesus came already in the form of the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost and all of those things that Peter preached about happening in the universe happened as the Spirit brought energy and a divine spark where it was needed for humans.
The Holy Spirit is involved in the daily lives of humans beings who ask for divine intervention. The Spirit is Spirit of Truth whose mission it is to remind us of all that Jesus said and taught while he was a human being on earth. The Spirit is meant to bring peace to persons who need peace in their lives in the midst of distress. The Spirit is present to everyone, everywhere on earth all at once taking the place of Jesus who was bound to a human body, as we are, so that we can all find help in our time of need, even if it is in the middle of the night in China but in the lunch hour in New York City. God is an ever present help in the time of need, as the psalmist said.
So, the idea of the Trinity is bound up in the working of the Holy Spirit, bringing to our lives what we need to live and learn and grow and help one another on our paths of life. The Spirit is a mystery, not to be understood but to be trusted to show us the love of the Father and Son when we need it most.
I think that trying to explain a mystery of the faith is a bit like trying to explain how electricity works or why a plane can fly or a boat can sail even though both are heavy and should not be able to go in the air or the water without falling or sinking. There are just some concepts of the faith that are inexplicable. They just are.
The idea of the Holy Trinity is a bit like that. I like to think about God the Father, an old man in a big chair and he has a long white beard and white hair and he is very stern. You cannot get anything past him. Then, Jesus is a young man with long brown hair and a brown beard and he is very pleasant and kind looking and smiles a lot. The Holy Spirit is right there with them but he/she is a bird, a white bird, hovering in the air above the other two. Sunlight shines on all of them and they sit, stand, and fly always as the look over humans and the mess they are making of the world, wanting to do something about it but not able to because of the free will they granted everyone at creation.
If your idea of the Trinity is a bit like mine, then it is because we have all been shaped by the paintings that artists made of religious figures during the Medieval period of afterwards. Religious art and also religious media that followed in the age of technology has made many of us think about the Godhead in humanistic ways. We have made God in our own image, in other words.
I really think that the Godhead is only one being, the Holy Spirit, of which all three persons are a part, actively involved in the lives of humans on a daily basis. Jesus taught his followers that the Spirit would come to be an Advocate, a Comforter, a Guide, to assist all who would call on God to find healing, hope, and help in their time of need. I think that Jesus is already here, not sitting on a cloud waiting for the cue from the Heavenly Father to come to earth to bring about some cataclysmic era that needs to happen. I think that Jesus came already in the form of the Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost and all of those things that Peter preached about happening in the universe happened as the Spirit brought energy and a divine spark where it was needed for humans.
The Holy Spirit is involved in the daily lives of humans beings who ask for divine intervention. The Spirit is Spirit of Truth whose mission it is to remind us of all that Jesus said and taught while he was a human being on earth. The Spirit is meant to bring peace to persons who need peace in their lives in the midst of distress. The Spirit is present to everyone, everywhere on earth all at once taking the place of Jesus who was bound to a human body, as we are, so that we can all find help in our time of need, even if it is in the middle of the night in China but in the lunch hour in New York City. God is an ever present help in the time of need, as the psalmist said.
So, the idea of the Trinity is bound up in the working of the Holy Spirit, bringing to our lives what we need to live and learn and grow and help one another on our paths of life. The Spirit is a mystery, not to be understood but to be trusted to show us the love of the Father and Son when we need it most.
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