ALLOW GOD TO SURPRISE US

ALLOW GOD TO SURPRISE US
AND CERTAINLY WE WILL BE – surprised. I have been an appreciator of creation all my life, and I just love serendipity. So one morning God surprised me with not one but two amazing events. First, there was a knocking at my window which turned out to be a goldfinch pecking at the glass and fluttering to find a perch. It finally found a tenuous perch at the bottom molding and pecked some more. I had never seen one so closely, less than three feet, and it was such a spectacularly brilliant yellow, I found myself frozen to the spot in awe. A few minutes later I was having my breakfast on our front porch, when suddenly I noticed a large bumblebee hovering over the garden. I had never seen one hover in one spot, its wings a blur, just like when hummingbirds do the same thing. Then it gave a flick of a wing and turned 180 degrees, still hovering in the same spot. It did the same thing several more times and flew off. I sat there in awe again, trying to digest what I had just seen.

In a few minutes, I had seen, been shown, two awesome wonders of creation. As I pondered this, Isaiah 40: 31 came to mind in a new way, “those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting for the Lord is being open to God showing us marvelous wonders, and that is certainly how I started that particular day. I knew I have been blessed by seeing these wonders, and it did renew my strength and gave me what I needed to begin to do some challenging things facing me that day. I pray that we may all be open to seeing the wonders of God, and renew our strength for the work we have to do.  Gracious God, thank you for connecting to us through creation and showing us the wonders you have in this world. May we find strength for the calling you have given each of us, that your Kingdom may advance. Thank you for the joy we can know as we are shown these wondrous sights in creation, the flowers, the birds and bees, and the eagles soaring.  Amen.     PEACE

 

MANY PATHS ARE GIVEN

MANY PATHS ARE GIVEN
SO THAT WE MAY COME TO BELIEVE – and change our lives through the choices we make. After the famous story of Thomas and the Risen Jesus in John 20, there is an interesting conclusion to the chapter.    “ 30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”  Whether we are expecting our believing to turn our lives around or support our continuing to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, these two verses are a statement of hope.

Some of these other signs are in Luke and John. We will look at them in the next few days. Today, let’s look at what this says and doesn’t say. First, verse 30 proclaims the disciples as witnesses to these signs of God’s power working in Jesus. Then we are given the reason we have these signs. Overcoming his physical death is the greatest of these signs we see from Jesus. The sheer weight or importance of this happening lends credibility to Jesus saying he is the Son of God. It makes it possible for us to believe that statement. Finally, we are shown the result of believing this. We are given life just by the power of Jesus name. To support this idea, we know from elsewhere in the gospels that Jesus’ name has great power, especially when we invoke it in prayer. His name has the power to cast out evil. Many other acts can be accomplished for God through the power of the name Jesus.

We have just scratched the surface in looking at what can be accomplished for God through our believing. It opens the door to a different and more powerful way to live in this world. The act of believing sets us on a path to a way of accomplishing the things we are called to do. The power of Jesus becomes a force within us, around us and behind us, supporting and guiding all we will do from this point on.  Dear Jesus, who has risen from the dead, and displays the power we can trust, we are grateful. As we make our choice each day to believe in the power of your name, show us how to find the way you wish us to follow. Lead us through the wilderness and swamps of this life in the world so that we may be a part of the new world you will show us. In your powerful name, we pray.  Amen.     PEACE

 

WHAT GOD ASKS OF US

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD
IS WHAT GOD ASKS OF US – and is the best reason for prayer. There are so many ways that we knowingly spend time with God. Walking and delighting in the awesomeness of creation; worshiping with our fellow believers in celebration of all God has done, is doing, and will continue to do; experiencing joy in others, knowing God is the source, and feeling thankful; singing to God in thankfulness and praise; telling our children or anyone else a story about God; asking God to guide us in living our lives with love; anything else that helps us listen for God, as we live in the palm of God’s hand. God is as close to us as our breathing, whether we know it or not. God claims us as God’s own, and cares for us, no matter what happens. In John 6 Jesus says,  37 “The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them.” And in Matthew 11, we have this awesome invitation, 28 “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”

All of this is prayer, in one way or another; it is communicating with the Creator, Jesus our Redeemer, or the Holy Spirit, that transforms us. From the beginning, we are loved by God. From before we sin, we are forgiven. From before we begin our relationship with God, we are being transformed into someone who is able to know God as much as God knows us. The Holy Spirit is with us in our every breath, comforting and guiding our steps. When we look at our lives with God in this way, it is so much more than the words we say in a formal prayer, or the prayerful words of a hymn we sing. Our whole lives become a prayer, ordinary as all the mundane things we do, but it is glorious music to God’s ears, an offering, when we live to serve our God by loving others. This is a choice we are offered every day – to love and serve God. This is the beginning of a relationship. From there it will grow and flourish in ways we can only imagine. God will always make us this offer, no matter what we do. God will always welcome us and continue to ask us in. Whenever we accept God each day, it allows us to walk with a new attitude. We will be given the grace that allows us to walk with our head up and a smile on our face, greeting others in the grace from God, to live our lives more fully from love. Jesus is knocking at the door to our heart. What will be our choice?  Great God, we ask you to transform our ordinary lives for the ministry you have called us to do. Help us to see whatever we do as a blessing to others, an offering of love to you, and most of all gives us the strength we need to live our lives in joy.  Amen.     PEACE

 

BEYOND OUR 5 SENSES

SENSING AND KNOWING
BEYOND OUR 5 SENSES – is a gift from God. This is not hocus-pocus or something out of fantasy writing. Instead, it is one of the facets that develop in us as we grow in our relationship with God.

It is how many of the characters in the Bible accomplished what God asked them to do. God asks us to lift our heads and hearts out of the mud of the world, so that we may begin to see what God has put within us and around us. We are loved beyond anything we can understand. Through this love, we are able to raise our senses beyond what they are now, with God¥’s help. As the Psalmist once did, we may raise the question, “Who am I, Lord, that you are mindful of me?” (Psalm 8:4) In another Psalm, we hear the affirmation of just one of the many ways God cares for us. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19) Think of the glorious lives we could live if we can visualize how God is carrying the weight of our burdens. We need not be exhausted by carrying what God can lift off our backs. This is the beginning of what it could mean to live beyond our senses. God will help us teach our brains and our hearts to see life without the heavy loads that stop us from making a difference in our own lives and the lives we could touch with the renewed energy – the result of learning to live life in the way God is ready to show to us.

“God will supply all your needs according to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19  In our growing relationship with God, we begin to internalize and trust these kinds of understandings of what our working together with God does for us, while also knowing the new ways that God makes it possible for us to act. When we are willing to let go of our fear that evil wants us to carry, we will begin to see the world as a different place than we might have seen before. The first difference may be a vision of what creation is meant to be. Hurt and anger will fade, as we see more and more of the beauty of God’s creation. This includes more than the glorious beauty of nature. We will begin to see people who are blessed by God, showing how much joy and good humor is within them. Evil prevents us from seeing all this until we are ready to say things like “Thank you God for my life and the love you give me.” Evil cringes and runs away from gratitude and love. Even making these kinds of statements before we entirely feel them, will banish evil and open our hearts to receive more love and the blessings God has promised and given to so many others before us. The world is not a reliable source to tell us about what is beyond our 5 senses. Much of these blessings are hidden from the world. Evil makes sure this continues to be hidden. Reaching out to God will break the invisible barrier. We will then begin an ever-growing relationship into the blessings and gifts waiting for us with God.  O God, who has loved us all from the beginning, we are grateful. Help us reach out to you and begin or increase our lives of love and grace with you. As you have shown us through the suffering of Jesus, you there with us, no matter what we may have to carry. You will lighten our burdens and set us on a new way to live. We are grateful for the promises and for all you have done for us, so far. Guide us in how we live from here, so that we may grow in your love embrace and learn how to open that love to others. In the name of Jesus love and sacrifice.  Amen.     PEACE

 

SING TO THE LORD

SING TO THE LORD
AND PRAISE GOD- for all the wonderful things the Lord has done. “Tell the nations what God has done. For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” Isaiah 12 is very short, just 6 verses, but tells us a powerful story. For the Israelites in exile in Babylon, it was meant to bolster their confidence, especially with the ending, “For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” There were many that succumbed to the evil around them in a foreign land and so forgot the Lord and all their nation had achieved because of God. It was convenient to believe in a god who lived in only one place and could not leave that place. Isaiah calls his people to remember all God had done and was still doing, even though they were not in Israel at the time. God was greater than one who was struck in one place. It is a great message of hope, that God was living among them, and loving them.

We are not so different from the exiled people of God, we who live in a land where the church has lost its former glory and influence on the culture. When we lose touch with our relationship to God, we can easily lose hope as well. We can debate about how great our past effect on the culture really was, but we live in the here and now, and God is also with us, offering the guidance and wisdom we need to do the work God has for us to do in the present. It does not help us or God’s plan, to get stuck in the past, and wallow in what did not get accomplished. That will only feed the evil intentions, who are very willing to build on negative thoughts and guilt. Instead, we can choose to listen to the voice of God, who offers us hope, and love for our souls. God calls us to do the work of love, and help God overcome the evil that would get in the way of love.  Comforting God, we thank you for all the great things you have done in the world and in us, and we look forward to the great things you offer to accomplish in and through us for the future. Grant us your guidance and perseverance as we place ourselves in your hands, doing the work and using the gifts we have been given, for your glory and honor. We will trust in you and not be afraid.  Amen.    PEACE

 

GOD WILL HELP US

GOD WILL HELP US
OVERCOME FEAR AND DOUBT – just as Jesus did with Thomas. The women had seen the early evidence of Jesus’ overcoming death. Then some of the disciples also had experiences of Jesus’ resurrection. Thomas was not among them when any of this happened. Many of the others were gathering in community for support in their grief. This does not seem to be the way Thomas wanted to process his anger over Jesus’ death. We all have the choice to handle our emotions in extreme situations in ways that seem to work best for us. Thomas chose to sink into his anger and fear. Then we read in John 20,  26  “Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

Reading between the lines, we see that Jesus knew how Thomas was struggling. So he reached out to Thomas. We are told elsewhere that the rest could not touch him before he ascended. Somehow Jesus made an exception for this struggling disciple.  “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”   Are we able to believe without seeing? Thomas had a unique opportunity that Jesus gave him at the time of his need. Jesus knew Thomas and made it possible to turn the situation around for him, with that offer to touch him. Jesus knows each of us and will turn us toward the path we need to travel by the opportunities we are given. It will be a blessing for our lives if we accept the choice we are given. May we learn from Thomas’s opportunity and let Jesus overcome our anger, fears and doubt.  O Risen Lord, we are grateful for the gifts of love and forgiveness your death on the cross made possible. Help us accept these gifts and let go of all the emotions we hang onto. Show us how we may live in your love and not need other emotions to protect us from the ugliness of the world. Guide us with the strength and courage that comes from you, to live out our calling of loving and serving those in need.  Help us see the vision of how different and fulfilling our lives can be when we work with you.  Amen.      PEACE

FEAR OR LOVE

FEAR OR LOVE
– WHICH IS STRONGER?  It depends on who is influencing us at the time. Fear is the tool of evil, working in us in very subtle ways, undermining our confidence, encouraging self-doubt, and a critical nature. We have all had times when we let evil creep into us. There are even cultural habits that support and encourage these behaviors, and so encourage and give a voice to evil in the world. God can help us recognize these habits and through grace and love help us turn away from evil ways of living. It takes dedication while the strength to do it comes from God. John 4 reminds us,  15 “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. … God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face God with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear because perfect love expels fear.”

Practicing love is the best way to defeat evil. When we love God and each other, in the strength and knowledge we get from God, evil shrivels and runs away to find a more willing host. Evil recoils when we invoke the name of Christ and state our love for him, along with our desire to follow Jesus. Evil and love are both energies, but because we live in a world created by God, love will win over evil every time, when we connect with God.  20 “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And God has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”

God promises we need not live with fear when we are in God’s hands. Since we are so supported by God, we can use a repetitive prayer or mantra to block and chase away evil. It may be general or as specific as we need it to be. We may invoke the name of Jesus or say “Leave me evil. I live my life of love with God. The intent is most important and the words will be given to us. Make it short so it may be repeated easily. God has spoken the truth to us. So we can believe evil will recede in this process.   Loving God, prompt us to ask your help to protect us from evil, chase it from our lives and live with the love that strengthens us for the journey. Open our eyes to recognize the subtle forms of evil around us and guide us to commit to loving you and others every day, always with your help and strength.  Amen.     PEACE

 

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

“PEACE BE WITH YOU!
AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU.”   On the first day of the week, the very same day he appeared to Mary Magdalene, we hear in John 20 that Jesus also appeared to his disciples. “Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you.’ ”  That simple act, of being in the locked room with them, may seem like magic – but it wasn’t magic. It was the power of God in Jesus, being displayed for the disciples. He is no longer a physical body as we understand it, but a unique state that God is using to make a point. Did the disciples fully take in the significance of the experience? They were probably somewhat overwhelmed by what was happening. Moments before, they were in this locked room because of fear of the Jewish authorities. What did they have to fear? We don’t know the details here. Implied in the passage is the fear that they would be arrested, as Jesus had been before them. But what Jesus says to them, after this powerful greeting, is designed to take them out of their fear.

Let’s look first at the greeting and see the power it has. Jesus is bestowing a blessing on these people full of fear. He is giving them PEACE, a gift from God, a blessing that they may feel the peace of God. We can think of as a oneness with God. This is beautifully described in Psalm 27 and shows how this oneness with God dispels fear.   1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid?”  Jesus is saying – let go of your fear. Be present in God, who does all the things described in the Psalm and more. Then being in a state beyond fear, he tells them that he is sending them out into the world, just as the Father had sent him.   “21 Again he said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’ 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven.’ ”  This is an important reminder for us, who call ourselves Christians. We are called by God and we are sent into the world, just as Jesus sent the disciples. We go with the blessing of the PEACE OF GOD. We are not carelessly sent. We are given all the resources we will need to do God’s work. Prayer is the pathway that connects us to God’s peace and the way to know all the resources that God gives us. This is why I end each day’s blog with “PEACE”.    O God of love and power, we thank you for the gifts and abilities you bestow on us. Help us learn to be thankful for them, and to use them for your purposes. Guide us as we choose to put them to work in love and through the Peace of God.  Amen.     PEACE

 

HE IS ALIVE !!!

“HE IS ALIVE
I HAVE SEEN THE LORD! ” – and I have talked with him! Of all the accounts in the gospels, I find the one in John 20 the most dramatic and even arresting. Mary Magdalene is alone at the tomb, crying. She has seen the tomb empty and two angels seated where Jesus body had been. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She tells them that they have taken away my Lord. She turns and sees a man who asks her again why is she crying? “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Then comes the most dramatic moment of this scene. Jesus says her name, “Mary.” She cries out in response, “Teacher.” Her recognition of him by simply hearing her name said in love is poignant.

Jesus directed her to go and tell the others the good news. Imagine the joy she is feeling, along with the great relief, knowing that her beloved Jesus is not dead. He is risen from the dead, just as he had told them he would do. So she doesn’t simply go to the others, and make a casual announcement. She must have run, carried by the emotion she feels. Mary bursts in on the gathering of the disciples and followers, shouting with great joy, “I have seen the Lord!”  We can imagine she may have shouted it more than once, because she feels so much joy over this news. In their fear, the rest had not dared to hope this would happen, and now it has. And Mary is the one who gets to tell it. She is consumed by joy, but also humbled by the privilege. What unaccountable love she must have felt, for her beloved Jesus is alive, and needed her to tell the others.

It may not seem as dramatic, but we too are needed, to tell the others about the love God has shown us, that Jesus is not dead, but alive! He has triumphed over death for our sake, so that we are saved for a new way of living, a joyous and exciting way of life, walking with God every day. And to receive this life, we need only say, yes Jesus, forgive me and thank you for this great love you offer. It is a reason to live joyfully every day and motivation to tell others about the great gift of love and forgiveness we are offered. This is our true path – to turn a corner, leave fear behind and walk away from all the old habits the world taught us. They are not meant to lead us where we need to go. Only the acceptance of the forgiveness offered by the risen Christ will bring us to the path where we find true fulfillment of who we are created to be. On this path, we will find joy, love and peace.  O Risen One, we are grateful for the opportunity to live a fulfilled life we joy, love and peace are the norm, totally unlike what the world can offer. Help us overcome the fear that keeps us from that life and the glorious daily walk we are offered. Show us glimpses of what our life might be. Help us find ways of beginning to live in this way and share it with everyone we meet. Give us the smile, born of inner assurance, that will draw others to want to know the source of our joy. O Lord, continue the mantra within us.        HE IS RISEN !!!.   Amen.     PEACE

 

ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN

ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN
BUT WHERE HAS HE GONE – and why did he disappear? Uncertainty was still in the community of followers, after Jesus death. It was slowly revealed to a small number that something very strange had happened. Who knew the significance of such an unexplainable outcome? It was not as simple a transition as the gospel stories would make us think. Humans need time to process events, especially with the added element of grief. Caught up in these emotions, it was difficult to remember the predictions. If we empathize with the women who were there to finish the care of the dead body and then discovered the empty tomb, we can feel the fear and turmoil within them that early morning. It was not a joyous event for them at first. Even with the appearance of the angels to reassure them and dispel their fear, it didn’t seem to really help the tremendous loss they felt with the body missing, added to the grief they already carried for the death of their beloved Jesus.

Then they heard, again, the words [in Luke 24] that connected them to Jesus – “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  8 Then they remembered his words.”   May we remember Jesus’ words and know his presence in us, especially when we meet fear and uncertainty. Those words are even stronger than when Jesus said them because he is now risen. All he promised is coming to pass. Our salvation is a certainty. With Jesus, we can be a part of the exciting plan for God’s new creation finally coming. ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED !!!  O Risen Lord, we are humbled by all you have done – in your life, death and finally the resurrection for us. Help us learn and grow into the person we have been created to be. Lead us to the life of love and grace provided for us, that we may fulfill our calling to be your disciple, while we spread your love to others. Thank you for the reminder of Easter.  Alleluia.  Amen.     PEACE