WE ARE CALLED

AS ONE AND MANY – as the body of Christ to work in many ways with God. God, through love, will overcome our fear, and unbelief. Of course we are scared of our ability to do what God has called us each to do, if we think of doing it alone. But when we do anything in God’s name, and pray for what we need to fulfill what God is asking us to do, God will provide what we need to get it done. This will include other people in the resources God gives us. We are never alone, and besides the Holy Spirit – our comforter and guide, there are others around us whom God has called, who will work with us to do even greater things than we could do on our own. Because someone else is doing what God called them to do, it enables us to do more of what God calls us to do. That is the way the body of Christ functions, and does not destroy itself. If everyone were trying to do the same thing, and getting in the way of others doing the very same thing, what would really be accomplished? So we are each called to do something unique, but in support of the others, not interfering or criticizing each other. God reveals to each of us what God is asking us, but that does not put us in the position of knowing what others are called to do.

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” We are all called as individuals to fulfill our calling from God, but we’re also called as members of the body of Christ. This gets very tricky sometimes, but when it doesn’t work it is because we have become self-centered and are forgetting to listen to God. It is God’s church, and as the designer, God is the only one who has a say in how it works. In the verse just before this verse above, we see what kind of care for one another God expects us to demonstrate, and also supports in us. 26 “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” Yes God is expecting a lot it seems, but when we remember that we do not do it as unredeemed sinners, not as we might have treated others before we learned how to love one another, it changes the climate completely. The other day, we were having a training for Eucharistic Ministry that we are beginning for our shut-ins. We were discussing the words of the Communion service. The word “remember” is central to it. We remember why Jesus died for us, to pay for our sins. This act of redemption has changed everything, and changes the way we love one another. Redeeming and loving God, help us make room for others in ministry, to accomplish even greater deeds in your name. Amen.      PEACE      1 Corinthians 12

BELIEF AND TRANSFORMATION

LEADS TO POWERFUL CHANGE – and overcomes fear. Humans are full of fear, sometimes. The kind of life we have experienced and how we have reacted to scary situations sets us up for how we will react to similar scenarios in the future. Notice that this description does not include what God may have been doing in the experience. When we let the world’s viewpoint predominate in our thinking, we don’t expect God to be any part of what happens to us, as we struggle to get through our day. It can become a self-perpetuating outlook, to ignore God in the world around us. It is a nose to the grindstone attitude, where we do not expect anything will ever change. We have to work as hard as we can, and what happens will be what we get from the experience. In this kind of thinking, anything good is random, and progress toward a better world is not expected or wanted. As long as things remain as they are, even though they are not great, we at least know what we are dealing with. So don’t go trying to change things. It will upset the balance, and who knows what will happen next. This a the outlook of many folks in our world, and sadly in our churches. Fear has kept them from really hearing the loving message of God.

In a relationship with our God, the world looks like a much different place. It is the same world, but we see it through new eyes. We know the love and power of God, and believe that this world can be and is becoming a better place. When we live in the grace of God, and know the unconditional love God offers us, the scary situations in life do not have the hold over us that they do over others. We know we are not alone in facing fear. God gives us resources to overcome the fear, and helps us use powerful tools like love, to get through the scary times, and learn how to work with others. As we go through these kinds of experiences, we become stronger, and gain more gifts to work more powerfully for God. We find new ways of reacting to fear, and learn to overcome it. This is the process of love transforming us into the followers Christ talked about in John 14: 12 “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these” When we let God work in and through us, we can become this new person, who is not like what we started as, but as a person who lets the power of God flow through us to accomplish the kind of great deeds Jesus talks about here. It is exhilarating to let the Spirit flow through us in this way. It is like no thrill ride the world has to offer. Thrilling God, we pray for the openness to allow great deeds to be done in your name through us. Ground us, and grow us in the power you show through us to change the world. Overcome our fear with love and grace, that we may be your hands and feet. Amen.       PEACE

WE ARE CALLED TO DO

MORE THAN JUST BELIEVE – because we are called to do God’s work in the world. In the church, the statement “I believe” is often spoken. In the beginning of John 14 we hear, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” This is the starting point of our journey with God. When we say “I believe”, we are beginning a trust relationship with God. But there are some of us who say it, but really mean something like, “I believe you exist God” or some other idea about God, without entering into a covenant with God, and asking God to transform our lives. The church throughout history has not done a very good job in making this distinction clear. This is not just an idea in our heads, but a change in our whole being, and a different kind of thinking, a new way of life. We are agreeing to become a part of the process, of “making all things new.”

The church, in complacency and neglect, has missed the point of the gospel message. We are not called as naughty children to behave as the Bible tells us, but to be transformed. Transformation brings a new kind of life, not belief in what proper behavior is. 2 Corinthians 5 helps us see the difference: 17 “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Yes, this is scary stuff, if we think of doing any of this on our own. 18 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” Transforming God, we thank you for all you make possible in us, to live redeemed and purposeful lives, made new through the great sacrifice from your son, Jesus. May we open ourselves to be led in doing what you have called us each to do, in the strength and with the resources you provide. Amen.      PEACE

WHEN WE PRAY

IN THE NAME OF JESUS – he will answer our prayers. 14 “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” Looking at the setting for these words, they also come from the upper room discourse, in John 14, where Jesus is speaking to his followers, the closest companions to Jesus. He was teaching them to be apostles, although they didn’t know that. These words are meant to empower them in the work they will be doing for him and the Father, after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is providing them with a precious resource, a way of helping them overcome the obstacles they will face in their ministry in the world.

Looking at what had occurred up to this time, Jesus had called ordinary people to leave their lives, and come with him, in an entirely new enterprise; one where the Messiah would teach them what they needed to know and do, in order to carry on the work of God, and the transformation of the world. We are called to do our part in this same process. Our lives are given to us for a purpose, and we too are empowered to do this work, with the promise that Jesus will also answer our prayers. In the name of Jesus, our savior, we ask that we may know your trust and love, leading us to an empowered life, and working to help transform the world, one small step at a time. Thank you Jesus, for this promise. My we use it every day, to fulfill our calling. Amen.      PEACE

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS HERE

TO HELP US REMEMBER – all that Jesus taught while he was with us on earth. The 14th chapter of John is full of beautiful and familiar quotes from the discourse Jesus gave his disciples on their last night together, after the foot washing and their final meal. Near the end of the chapter is this quote, that helps us put all that happened in perspective. “ the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Through our lives, as we follow the way Jesus has patterned for us, we are constantly helped by the Holy Spirit, who is in effect our memory of what Jesus has asked us to do. As we walk each day in the path Jesus set before us, the Holy Spirit will whisper clues and prompt us, to make the choices that will keep us on this path. The key point is to listen for these promptings from the Spirit.

I just finished reading a wonderful book about a pastor’s wife, that closely mirrors what I went through as a new bride. She even talks about singing at the top of her voice in the car, when her frustration was great. She struggled for a way to follow Jesus in an authentic way for who she was as a person, with the talents and abilities God had given her. This is a struggle we all have, if we are even willing to go through it. It is not an easy road, but when we have gone through it, we come out the other side a stronger more confident follower of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who walks with us, reminding us of all Jesus talked about, in order to live a life pleasing to God, and one that fulfills our calling. Loving Father, we thank you for the teachings and example of Jesus, and the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit in our lives, that we may be guided to faithfully living out all you call us to be and do. Lead us to our real selves, where we will fully share your love and peace with everyone we meet. Amen.       PEACE

WHEN WE FIND OUR GIFTS

GOD WILL HELP US LEARN – how to use them. This is not an instantaneous happening, but a life-long process. We will discover our gifts, with God’s help, as we live and serve God. This isn’t anything we are able to do on our own. If we do have an obvious talent, it will take help from God to learn how to best use that talent for God’s glory and our joy. Many in history have been driven mad by the overwhelming feeling of having such a great gift bestowed on them. God gives us gifts, not with strings attached, but with the promise that we will be led and supported in using them for God’s purposes, not our own. As we grow in our relationship with God, we will discover more gifts, that we were not ready for previously.

When we read about the gifts of the spirit, in Galatians 5, what we hear is the result of living every day in a relationship with God, doing what God needs us to do, living out our lives using our gifts. When we have done this, we will also realize – “ the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. ” We will be transforming into a person who is aware and able to enjoy these gifts. If we are trying to get these things in our own diligence, we will not get there. These are the result of the kind of life we live with God. The one I love to think about in this way is self-control. As part of our transformation process, we suddenly one day realize that we are able to have some self-control, where were not able to before. We are receiving it as a gift from God. The other things listed work in the same way. It is not as a result of our effort, but because we let go of trying so hard, and rely on God to show us our way. Lead us, we pray, in the paths you have shown us, and we will know the grace and gifts you will bestow. Thank you for your generous spirit, and may we learn to be as generous with others. Amen.      PEACE

OUR GIFTS ARE MANY

AND GOD WILL HELP US FIND THEM – as we each seek to know how we can serve our God. As I described a ministry yesterday, some may have wondered about it. Phone calling seems like a very simple thing, but not everyone is able to do it, while communicating love and grace to the person on the other end. That is the real gift, and it comes through her from God, by way of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 we hear that the source of the gifts is the important point to understand.
“ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. “ ESV

It is imperative that we understand why we are given these gifts in the first place. Many have suffered much with extraordinary gifts that were not shared, and they caused great anguish. We are meant to give of our gifts freely, and with love, not grudgingly. The story of the manna, a very early gift given to God’s people, was meant to be used as it was intended. When the people tried to hoard it, it rotted. It became unusable for food, its original intended use. When we use our gifts, as they were intended – as a blessing for us and others, they will be just that. If we never acknowledge that we have been given gifts, they will molder and cause suffering, for we have chosen to ignore God, and ignore the idea that we are blessed by being given gifts, and blessed again when we use them in love for others. What joy there will be in heaven, when we each fulfill who we are meant to be, by discovering how God has blessed us with the particular gifts we have been given. We thank you loving God, for each gift we have been given. May we receive insight through the Holy Spirit, to discover what all of our gifts are, and how we may use them to glorify you and your kingdom. Amen.      PEACE

THE GIFTS OF GOD

BOTH PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL – are unique, and designed to enrich our lives, and as a loving gift to pass on to others. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:4-8 ESV

In a local church, there is a ministry happening that illustrates the above passage. This person, out of great compassion, and some trepidation too, has developed, with a strength she gets directly from God, a service of compassion and support for those in need. She calls people who have come home from the hospital. She is also able to connect them to a prayer chain and rides to the doctors. It is something unique and gives her many blessings, even though it is hard to do. Many thank her, and are grateful that someone from their church thought to call them. Any of us who have been in the hospital, or have family that have, know that there is usually great change to cope with, besides other needs to sort through. It can be a very confusing time, when a call from a loving person can chase away fear. Love comes directly from God, and through us to others around us. How do we pass on the love? God will help all of us figure out how we each can do it in our own unique way. The Holy Spirit is a force within each of us, ready to help us perform gifts of love for others. We are not so different from those who felt the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. It is the same spirit, and the same will of God and we, through the grace that comes to us, will do wondrous things in and through us too.      PEACE

LIKE A HOUSE BUILT ON A ROCK

OUR FOUNDATION IS GOD – a sure and dependable source of support from the Holy Spirit. Whatever we do in God’s name is supported through our relationship with God. Whenever we begin to do anything that God wants us to do, we first start and suddenly we are presented with supportive ideas and tools we didn’t know we had, until we needed them. However we start a project for God, we will be led to completion, in the way God wants us to accomplish it. We never know what God intends to have happen in total, just our part in it. God’s plans always involve others, and we trust God in doing our part, without questioning the details. Wherever we do God’s work, we must bear the fruit for God in that place, and trust God’s intentions for us, without understanding why.

Among many stories from Jesus Sermon on the Mount comes this one about the Wise and Foolish Builders: “‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” If we are to bear fruit, and be the instruments God needs to transform the world into the kingdom, we need to build our relationship with knowledge of how Jesus showed us the way to live. Starting with God as our foundation, the Holy Spirit helps us build our house, our understanding of what the Bible says about how we are to follow a life of faith. The life of faith God promises is exciting and surprising, better than any thrills the world has to offer. It is a gift to know we are part of a long line of those who know God, from Abraham, through history to the present and on and on.      PEACE

THE FRUIT WE BEAR INFLUENCES OTHERS

AND THEY IN TURN BEAR FRUIT – and influence others through the Holy Spirit. This is true evangelism. This is the way God works in our lives and others. “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” After Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in John 4, she went out to the village and told others about her experience with Jesus. She became a believer, told others and as the result of her action others came to believe as well. She bore fruit, and because she did, many others were transformed also. The process of transformation is what is at work here. Jesus had an influence on the woman, who was transformed, who carried the influence to others, who saw how it had transformed her, and they were thirsting for this kind of water that Jesus offered, so they came to be transformed by Jesus words as well. They were transformed, and in their turn, began the process of influence and transformation in others. This is the way God works in us, and we are a critical part of this process. If we fail to bear fruit, we are also failing to be part of the chain of events God is performing that will transform others.

39 “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.” Before we get overwhelmed, let’s remember that we are working with God, but God is in control of the situation. So we are only responsible for what we do or do not do. We are not responsible for how others respond. That is in God’s power to influence, and it is our part to help support God’s process in us. We are being transformed by God, and God uses this process in us to help others see the truth of this action, as a light to others. We are not to know how our transformation may cause the transformation in others. It is the way God works. We are to trust God’s process and bear fruit. God will use the fruit we bear to build God’s kingdom.      PEACE