TOOLS FROM GOD

TOOLS FROM GOD
LIKE PENCILS AND BOOKS – can be instruments in a life of devotion to God and bring love to the world around us. As we grow into our relationship with God, we are led to know and understand who we are created to be and how we can best serve God. Practically speaking, we find out what gifts we have been given and how best to use them. This story of the nature of a pencil helps us understand this.  “What makes a thing bad? A pencil is a good pencil because it does what it was made to do. It writes. Is it a good can opener? It certainly is not! Suppose I use the pencil as a can opener. what happens? First of all, I do not open the can. Second, I destroy the pencil.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen  When we allow God to help us live in love, we learn how to be who we really are. We will be successful as we live out our purpose through love, using what God has given us. I have always loved music, but it turned out I was not given the gifts to be a violinist. I was terrible. God did give me a voice to sing though and when I use it for God’s glory it fills me with joy. We all try some things we are not gifted in doing and we are happier when we discover parts of our lives where we are given gifts to be successful for God. When we are open to discovering those parts of us that are supported by our gifts, we will gain in our capacity to love God and those around us.

God will guide and support us in this discovery, although it will not be easy. I have spoken about the role that books have played in my life. I have met countless others who have also found books and the love of reading a great blessing and comfort.  “Books are the most wonderful friends in the world. When you meet them and pick them up, they are always ready to give you a few ideas. When you put them down, they never get mad; when you take them up again, they seem to enrich you all the more.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen  Even more profoundly, this verse from 2 Corinthians 9 assures us of what God will lovingly do in and for us:  8 ”And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say, “God gives generously to the poor; this goodness will continue forever.” 10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant and gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow, and will produce a great harvest from your goodness.11 God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God.”   Such is the life God has given us, if we are willing to grow into it, and be blessed by God as we are living it.   O God of grace and love, we are thankful for all that you give us – our very lives and all the blessings that go with it. Help us to open to you and discover who you have made us to be. Guide us to use all the tools and gifts you have given us so we may live out the highest purpose of your love.  Amen.     PEACE

BEING REBORN

BEING REBORN
IN A NEW AGE – is a new phase of the church’s ministry. The church, as an institution, has never been consistent in its ability to meet us where we are. It is a gathering of imperfect people who may or may not understand the church as a witness for what God does in people’s lives and scattered folks here and there who get what God wants us to do. More than one established church has initiated, or at least participated in, terrorism and ethnic cleansing, as evidenced by the Crusades in France. Abhorrent behavior has continued to more recent years and the present. Without listing the evil executed by the church and its representatives, and the neglect of our purpose, it is a wonder that we see anything left of the church doing God’s work. This is surely evidence of the strength and perseverance of God, and the steadfastness of God’s love and grace. While we have come up short, God has been working.

J. Bennett Guess, a minister of the gospel in the United Church of Christ, asks the question – “In what ways does your church provide grace-space for people to get dirty, and reborn, in honest experiences of God’s forgiveness?” Going into a local church does not guarantee an experience of an openness to God, or even a welcome. Such is the result of the evil demonstrated as fear in God’s people. There is a cleansing happening as some churches die, who have not been faithful to God’s purpose. Like a phoenix from the ashes, there are churches being reborn by God, and going forward in a better understanding of what God needs us to do in and for the world, taking the love of God to all who need it. If we are looking for a church home in which to learn and then go out to practice God’s love, God will guide us to such a place, where this invective from the Second Letter to the Church in Corinth is known: “We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Don’t let the grace that you received from God be for nothing.”  If and when we ask God for such a church home, God will not leave us without what we need.  O God of unconditional love, we seek a home here on earth, where we may learn your love, with the fellowship to support your work of grace in the world. Guide us toward a life with your love at its center and your peace as our rudder through the troubled waters of the world.   Amen.      PEACE

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LOVING ONE ANOTHER

LOVING ONE ANOTHER
IS THE WORD FROM JESUS – that he kept repeating. He did not say love the ones we find acceptable or love others when you like what they are wearing today. There are many specific references to our loving one another. In each case, it is a direct command, not a choice we are given, although we can choose to or not. In Leviticus 19 is a version of the conversation God had with Moses, giving him the commandments for the people to use in living each day. It is very close to the version in Exodus. In this version though, there is a direct statement about loving each other. ” ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.’ ” There are also the instances where Jesus directs various groups to love one another. In Mark 12, he has this to say to a teacher of the law. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” In Matthew 5 we hear it expressed in a way that confronts excuses. “42 Give to those who ask and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. 43 You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” This seems to make it clear that the behavior described is what we are to do, as children of God.

Two more versions come from John 13 & 15. Just after Judas left the upper room, Jesus tells the disciples: “34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Not only are we to love one another,  it is also to be a mark of whose we are. Finally, the reference in John 15 puts it in perspective. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in God’s love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” Taking all these together, it is undeniable that our lives should be all about love – for God and one another. We may know this in our heads, but it needs to become part of our very being, as we grow in God’s love. As we open to God’s love for us, we will find the Holy Spirit will make it so.  Loving God, we thank you for the unconditional love you give us. Help us return that love to you, by helping us love all your other children, no matter how they appear to us. Help our capacity to love grow as we are continually transformed.  Amen.     PEACE

A STATE OF SINNING

A STATE OF SINNING
AND HOW IT ENCOURAGES SINS – is the wrong focus for those who love God. Being in a state of sin means we are separated from God. The unfortunate practice, of punishing the body and mind to get rid of sins, is not only ridiculous and an insult to God. It is not the direction God wants us to take. It is unfortunate that some of us have taken the approach to impress God by demonstrating our obedience through self-induced suffering. These practices have even been condoned by some churches, and are still indulged in today, with some modern twists. This still does not please God. There are some of us who seek to impress God by doing as much good as we can, or try as hard as we can, on our own, to be a “good person”. Unfortunately, we may be doing this on our own as an act of ego and also fail to please God. God wants a relationship with us and all these other shows of egotism are really sinning. When we make either a good or bad show, we still may have a wall between us and God. When we give God our simple devotion, we are showing our love and the desire to walk the path with God and it is God who will help us reach a level of doing good things and help us find the opportunities to serve God.

In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of two men praying in the Temple. “ ‘O God, I thank you that I am not as bad as other people. I am not like men who steal, cheat, or commit adultery. I thank you that I am better than this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of everything I get!’ ” This was a Pharisee, a man of high standing in the religious community, whom people would be impressed by and even feared because he had authority over other people’s lives. He was focused on himself, quite literally, so there seems to be no room for God. There is only what this man wants and considers important in his own little world. The good he did could not make up for a heart and head in the wrong place. Do we hear anything about love here? Then we hear this statement from another person: “ ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ” This is a tax collector, a man who has a job others despise him for. He is in anguish and sorrow and prays to God over in a corner, where he will not be noticed by others. He comes to the temple to change his life and asks God for mercy and relief from sin. This is a person seeking a relationship with God. It is no wonder then, that Jesus says: “14 I tell you, when this man finished his prayer and went home, he was right with God. But the Pharisee, who felt that he was better than others, was not right with God. People who make themselves important will be made humble. But those who make themselves humble will be made important.” O God, we are thankful that when we reach out, you are there with open arms, ready to receive us in love. Take us in, and in your merciful love, abide in us. Show us the way you will help us to live a life of love for you and others.  Amen.      PEACE

TAKE HEART AND SERVE GOD

TAKE HEART
AND SERVE GOD – joyfully because we are being led. As we rise each day, we have many possibilities ahead of us. Which ones will we choose? God speaks to us of what we are being called to do. Are we listening? We are given choices of the kind of life we can live and we are at the same time being led to live a life of walking with God. It is not an easy life and it is full of rich blessings. It is not a safe life because we are called to meet others and love them. This is a challenging life and the Holy Spirit has many ways to guide and support us as we live the life we are called to live. In Psalm 16, King David glorifies and gives God thanks for what God has done in his life:  ” ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts God’s praises! My body rests in hope.’ ”   When we know this to be true for us, then we are reassured and can confidently act for God in the ways God calls us to do. Knowing this in our hearts gives us the strength to love others, even when it is not easy to do.

Once we take the risk to do what God calls us to do, we are rewarded in ways we cannot anticipate. If we take the risk and show mercy to someone when we know we should. Once we do it there will be a change within us. This makes it easier the next time or at least motivates us to do so again. We don’t do it for the reward but because God calls us to do it. The reward is in how we grow as we follow what God needs us to do. Each time we answer God’s call is a step in our growth. As we hear from King David again in Psalm 16:    ” ’28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ ”   Loving God, we are grateful for the guidance and support you offer us through the Holy Spirit. Lead us to a life of acceptance of your call to us, and show us how to love all others around us. Help us live life courageously.  Amen.     PEACE

GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US

GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US
AND WILL GUARD US – from selfishness and evil intent. It is a primary concern to stay focused on the elements of our lives that are most important. Having the intention to love as our primary goal is not as easy as it sounds. Beyond the usual complications of ordinary life, there is much out there that clamors for our attention and is trying to take energy away from our goal of loving others. A blog I read tells the story of a young boy, whose brother had a part-time job of assembling bikes in a store. He frequently came home frustrated by the bent and broken parts he had to cope with. So the younger brother had formed an opinion of a cheap brand of bike. Then he was invited to be part of a marketing study. He watched a 90 second commercial for that very brand of cheap bike and came away wanting one. Contrary to his brother’s experience and his previous opinion of the product, plus his families frugal approach to consumer attitudes, he wanted that bike from the ad in the worst way. He had been psychologically influenced unknowingly by the 90-second experience of that commercial. How are we influenced by ads we see, for things we do not want or need? How much are distractions like this, and the world in general, getting in the way of our primary goal of loving others?

We can ask for protection from distractions, avoid these influences and with our protection from the Holy Spirit, we are able to do that. Even Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16: “13 Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.” But this may suggest that we do this in and through our own abilities and it is just not possible to do that. There is too much to focus on, and we will ultimately fail and then feel guilty. A more helpful passage here is from 2 Thessalonians 3: “3 the Lord is faithful; God will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” It is only through the gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit that we are able to guard against all the evil around us, most of which we are not aware of. We have been given the Holy Spirit to be our protector. That is the only way we are able to focus on the primary goal of love. It is in God’s plan that when God expects something of us, we are also provided with the means to accomplish it. So we are given the tools and resources through the Holy Spirit in order to be successful in that love. Our only stumbling block then is to allow all this to happen, so we can pray, asking that it will.  O God, thank you for all the blessings and resources you provide, so that we can live a life full of love. We pray that we may be protected from all the intentions that would get in the way of us living out this love.  Amen.     PEACE

 TOOLS

WHEN WE COME TO GOD

WHEN WE COME TO GOD
WE ARE THEN ASKED TO GO – taking what we are given and using it in the world. “Come” and “go” are small but potentially powerful words. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen reminds us in his book, Those Mysterious Priests, of how significant those words were in Jesus life, as they are for us. “The first word of His public life was: ‘come’ (John 1:39; Mark 1:17; Matthew 4:18). The last word was ‘go’ (John 20:21; Mark 16:20; Matthew 28:19). The disciple first comes to absorb His Truth, to become inflamed with His Love; then and then only, he goes to accomplish his mission.” However, we are moved to come to God, once we have done this, we then need to be in a state of surrender, in order to learn and then grow. This can be a frightening idea to many of us, and it is why many do not complete the process of letting God grow us into a new person. Depending on the support we have around us, we may fear losing ourselves entirely. We may not know anyone who has had this experience, for help in going down this road. Until we do meet someone who can be a support, there are the words of the Lord from the distant past. These words from Ezekiel 36 remind us of just how long God has been acting in love in peoples’ lives.  “I will wash away all your filth, the filth from those nasty idols, and I will make you pure. 26 I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. 27 I will put my Spirit inside you and change you so that you will obey my laws.”  I have met so many who felt unworthy, unclean and unready to come to God, and yet here is a story of God’s love overcoming all that. If we open up to God, then God does the cleansing we need, in order to feel what else will happen in us. This is the work God’s unconditional love accomplishes in us. There is nothing else that will; only the love of God transforming us.

In Corinthians 5 we can be helped with this:  17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between God and us.  When we come to God, we will also come into Christ and the Holy Spirit. This will happen to each of us according to our openness. I get this picture of us going on a very long journey. First, we are given new clothes, that fit us now, and all along the path, we will be given whatever we are going to need, just when we need it. Along our journey, as we change, we will be given more new clothes that fit us then. We might be given equipment or whatever is needed. We will always be outfitted with what we need. As we come to God in trust, God will provide for us.  O God of trust and change, help us as we transform into who you created us to be. Reach out to us as we come to you, and prepare us for the great journey you have designed for each of us. Show us the blessings that happen when we reject fear and decide on you instead. Thank you for the Christ in us.  Amen.     PEACE

OUR MYSTERIOUS PATH WITH GOD

OUR PATH WITH GOD
IS DEFINITELY MYSTERIOUS – and each step is evidence of our faith. At the beginning of Hebrews 11, this statement is made. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Then there follows a long list of people in biblical history who trusted God’s plan and did something significant, without knowing the outcome. We are able to put our trust in God because of what we know of God. In Jeremiah 29 God gave reassurance to the people of Israel. “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.” And in chapter 31 God renews the covenant with them. “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

Each step on our walk with God is a measure of our trust that God will continue to love and guide us in whatever we are about to face – each day, each hour and every minute. We have some assurance because we have testimony from the Bible stories, of many who went before us, receiving that same love and guidance that we seek. The words that come to my mind most often are “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” These words make me smile, because they were proven many times to the people of God and they have been my experience more times than I can count. They fill me with joy since I know the truth of them, and because of that, I extend my trust in God much further than I might have otherwise. It is true that the longer we are on our path with God, the easier it becomes to stay on the pathway. This is because we are trusting the Holy Spirit and so we learn to discern when God is directing us and we are able to reject the distractions the world puts in our way. We stop questioning whether it is really God speaking to us and become assured that we are following the voice we hear. This pathway is our relationship with God, and like a garden, needs regular cultivation and nourishment through prayer. Each time we pray, we strengthen our relationship and know God more fully.  Mysterious God, we ask for your guidance along the path you have given each of us. As we pray, may your gracious love give encouragement and hope, so that we stay on our pathway. Thank you for the reassurance of good intentions and plans for our future, that we may always walk in your gracious love.  Amen.     PEACE

ON A WONDERFUL JOURNEY

WE GROW ONLY WITH GOD’S HELP
ON A WONDERFUL JOURNEY – of many steps, which move us closer to God and the person God created us to be. Romans 5 lays out for us, in both a thrilling and measured way, what the growth process with God is like. “2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because we have been given the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God’s love.”  Throughout this growth process, every day we will be lifted up when we stumble, be given confidence when we are uncertain and know the hope that gives us strength when we fear there is no way forward. Nothing is impossible if God wants it to happen.

So how do we get ourselves into this process of growth, with this unfailing support of the Holy Spirit? We ask God in prayer. We answer the call from God that has already been in us. We are God’s child, and God calls to us to be closer and come into a relationship in the Holy Spirit. God calls all of us. If we fear we have been left out, that is not true. God speaks to each of us, in a unique way for each of us to respond. It may be in comfort when we are facing a great problem. Or it might be a huge creative wave that stimulates a productive time for us. It can be positive or reactive to something we are facing. However God encounters us, there is always a way God is within us, reaching into our inner being, touching our deepest emotions, and giving us love. We are privileged and we are blessed. The sooner we are ready to see and feel it, the sooner we will step onto the path God gives us. That path will be filled with love like a thick carpet of flowers, beautiful and with a sweet scented smell. Or it may be in a different way that we will be drawn in. God is in us and is calling us forward. If we choose to accept the gifts, we approach God with an open heart and a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us.  Gracious and loving creator, we are your child. We need help to find all the ways we are called into a life of love. Guide us to the path we need to walk, and set us on it, to love and serve you.  Amen.     PEACE

GOD WILL FILL THE SPACE

GOD WILL FILL THE SPACE
WITHIN US – with unconditional love. Since we are created by God, we have been intended to live and work with God our whole lives. That is what God wants for us, a life filled with the unconditional love God offers us all, so that we might become the person we were created to be. God has planned it, and given us gifts and abilities for us to use, so we might be happy and fulfilled, knowing what it is like to be lifted up above the world’s fears and fighting. Even through all the bad experiences from others we are loved and supported by God. Whether we know this in our lives is a choice we make of what voices we will listen for. Psalm 119 helps here even though much of this psalm is too much of an Old Testament point of view. “133 Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.” In Micah, we get a little closer to the relationship of love and grace, later made possible by Jesus. “What does the Lord require of us but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God?”  Lest we forget, this is a reminder that when we seek God, we also seek to do what God needs from us. God has a plan that we are a part of. We are free to choose to become part of that great enterprise and gain the benefits, the blessings that help us continue to work with God every day.

But what happens to those who have not chosen to walk with God? Jesus gave us a compelling image in John 8, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” There is much we can do for those we know or don’t know who walk in the darkness because they are not able to see the light of God in the world. We can begin by praying for those who need God but cannot see what to do. Another important step is to tell others what God has done in our lives. These gifts were not given as a secret to be kept. God expects us to share the love and grace we receive. In Matthew 5 Jesus says plainly how we are expected to share the gifts and understanding we have been given. “15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Parent in heaven.” Jesus does not say, “if you feel like it today, share your light.” Jesus calls us to share all we have been given, even at risk to us. Fear or uncertainty of what will happen is no reason not to follow this call. God is always within us in whatever we do and will always help us accomplish what we need to do, when we allow it.  Gracious God, we need to shine the light for others to see. Give us what we need to overcome whatever stands in the way of us showing our light to others we encounter. May we find ways to let the light shine, through a smile, a kindness or a word. Then lead us to do more to let the light of your love touch others and fill their lives too.  Amen.     PEACE