Dishonoring Covenant - Thursday - February 19, 2015

SCRIPTURE READING:

     Genesis 9:8-17

"Then G-d said to Noah and to his sons with him: 'I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you--the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you--every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.'  And G-d said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember by covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between G-d and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.'  So G-d said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.'" 

THOUGHTS:

      A few weeks ago I was given a book called Forgive us: confessions of a compromised faith.  I dove in and read the entire thing in a matter of a day or so.  It wrecked me. It is a book that I will find myself returning to over and over during Lent because it is a book of lament, a book of honesty, a book of repentance for the things that the Church has willingly and unknowingly perpetrated. It is acknowledges the brokenness of the Church (the people of Christ).  I highly recommend this book for now during this season and far beyond.  May prayer as I read it was that it would be a book that forever changes me and those who read it. The first chapter is dedicated to the seeing and lamenting of the sins we (the Church) have committed against G-d's creation.
     Humankind was placed in the midst of the new creation and told to care for it (Gen. 2:15), to love it, to name it, to be co-creators with the Lord.  In the history of humanity somewhere we warped the vision of   G-d and began to treat creation as something to be lorded over, something to be conquered, something simply meant to meet our needs.  This isn't only a modern problem. This happened by the time of Noah.  Genesis 6 recounts not only how humanity had faltered but how as a result the earth had become corrupt and full  of violence. And so as to not get sidetracked into why G-d did what he did, let's just simply say he started over - He de-created and then re-created his precious work of love.  At the completion of this re-creation, the gracious Creator made a covenant. A covenant that holds true today.

July 2014 - Ecuador - Cayambe 

     This covenant was established by G-d.  He provided a sign (a rainbow to be seen anywhere and everywhere on the earth) and He remembers this covenant because it is an everlasting covenant for all generations.  G-d made this covenant with Noah, his descendants and every living creature and he made it between Himself, Noah and every living creature for all generations.  G-d established with us a covenant that is between us.  It is a covenant initiated by G-d but it is also a covenant that requires action and participation by us.

We have dishonored that covenant. We have participated in destroying G-d's creation.  We have not lived as part of creation, but instead have lived as gods of creation - taking power and dominion - making idols of natural resources and laying waste to all that G-d created.

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from G-d his Savior.  Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O G-d of Jacob." (Psalm 24:1-6)

ACTION:

Lord, this can't just be about reducing, reusing and recycling. Those things are wonderful and we should do them. But there's something more.  May my heart be changed today to view your creation as part of me, as part of my children.   Father, give me your eyes to see the destruction and the wisdom to know how to be a part of your redemption because your redemption is for all of creation.  I repent for any thought and action that has made redemption and salvation simply about myself and humans. Lord you are redeeming and saving the world --- and everything in it.

Our Own Worst Enemies - Wednesday - February 18, 2015

SCRIPTURE READING:

    2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
          (Additional Readings: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)

"We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.  For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!     We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see--we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

THOUGHTS:

    Throughout my life I have experienced "afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger." Not just figuratively, but I experienced these things in the most literal of ways. They were devastating. Before I began to run desperately towards G-d, more often than not, when left with the natural reflex of fight or flight, I fought and it was ugly. Very rarely did I take flight and run.  I fought or I laid down and gave in - crushed in spirit. These things are REAL in our life - not just in the huge things like the ISIS beheading of 21 Christians, but these afflictions, hardships and such happen in seemingly small ways in our daily lives that crush and seek to destroy as well.  The hard part is they happen among the fellowship of believers.  The author of this piece of scripture, Paul is speaking to fellow believers and how they are to live together.

     We must not think that our turning towards G-d removes the pain or the hurt of life.  Over and over in scripture the case could be made for the exact opposite.  As a member of the fellowship of Christ, I have experienced these very things and I have experienced them of not only the world, but also at the hands of my brothers and sisters. I believe that each of us in the body could say this is true. For me, the beatings in this context have never been literal; however, I have taken a good figurative beating or two in my years. The response has been different though.  Years ago, I surrendered to the One who became like me so that I "might become the righteousness of G-d." And with that "purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech and the power of G-d" have become front and center in the response to the onslaught when it comes (not perfectly, I'm in process, as we all are).

     The shepherd of a flock--carries the weight of the sheep on their shoulders. Carrying weight hurts. It brings afflictions. Occasionally, as that sheep is on your shoulder, it's hoof collides with your cheek. It cuts. It bleeds. It hurts. It brings sleepless nights. It brings hardships. Not necessarily intentionally but these sheep are people and all people experience these things.  (Please hear this: There is beauty in feeling the wool of the sheep brush your nape of your neck. There is joy in the closeness of sheep to your heart and mind.  Not all is grim. I am speaking simply in the context of this brief text.) Also, the sheep of the flock brush up against one another and often times move tightly along--rightly so.  We were created to be together, to impact one another, to walk together.

     This text has reminded me that we are human.  We often times treat others as imposters, yet they are true.  We treat them as unknown, yet we know them well. We forget that they are living, breathing and treat them as if they are dead or dying.  We punish and accuse unjustly, just enough to shame or destroy but not to kill.  We speak down to one another as if something is wrong with them, as if they are sorrowful, poor and have nothing. And we forget that they rejoice, make many spiritually rich and that they possess everything, simply because they possess the very image of our Creator and his righteousness through Christ.

We are often our own worst enemies in the body of Christ.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me....Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

ACTION:

Lord, make this my heart's cry, my prayer. All I can do is be myself totally surrendered to you. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  I am worthy of love, respect, honor, but I acknowledge that I cannot demand those things from others.  And when they cannot give those things to me or to others, the issue is not mine, but theirs and yours.  I cannot withhold my affection in any circumstance. I must speak freely and open wide my heart to ALL even in the deepest of afflictions.  "Now is the acceptable time, see, now is the day of salvation" and I commend myself to the One who loves me unconditionally.

Lenten Journey 2015

My journey into lent begins tomorrow for 2015 and once again for me this year's lent is not about giving up things like soda or coffee, but instead about writing out a large piece of scripture each day and allowing it to stir an action in me each day - finding a very provocative way to live the Shema each day! Hoping to keep my readers here updated on what God is doing in this season. 

I wrote the remainder of this post in 2011.  Since this blog is new there are things that can be brought forward to it.  This post however, is an important one because I am at the same place this year and have been since 2011.  That's a good thing. This writing of mine definitely has gone "far beyond a 40 day challenge." 

Over the past few weeks, I have been struck by Isaiah 58.  As I began to think of what it is this year I might do different for Lent, I've struggled. I'm not one to give up on food because I always fail and it ends up being warped into a diet of sorts.  Giving up on TV or even Facebook are both reasonable and great things. I just don't feel called to do that. 

Lent is supposed to be about identifying with Christ sacrifice. There's much more to it, but essentially that's what I want to learn from Lent.  I want to draw closer to the God of the Universe and I want to be like John the baptist and say "He must become greater; I must become less." Lent must be a death to a part of me, giving life to something else in exchange.  Read Isaiah 58 with me.

     "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.  For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them."
     'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
     "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?"
     "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Hear I am.
     "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like noonday.
    The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strength your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with dwellings."

Lenten Fast this year, for me, can't be about what food I give up or what sacrifice I make that might make me uncomfortable for 40 days...it has to be about laying my life down for the sake of others in the name of love and far beyond a 40 day challenge.

Lent must be a certain death to some part of me, if not all, so that I might give life to someone else in exchange.

Is there any deeper way to identify with Christ? Is this not what His fast is all about?