Once For All - Saturday - February 21, 2015

SCRIPTURE READING:

     I Peter 3:18-22

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to G-d. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when G-d waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward G-d. It saves  you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--which angels, authorities and powers in submission to him." 

THOUGHTS:

      Maybe we should start with re-reading that text? WOW! There's so much and often times this text is just set aside by teachers/preachers because it's implications are too great or too scary.  But hey, I told you that you'd eventually say, Shut up, Sharon! So here goes:
     "For Christ died for sins ONCE for ALL" -- it's done.  The love of G-d, the forgiveness, the grace poured out on a cross more than 2000 years ago for all.  For Jews, for Gentiles, for black, for white, for Muslims, for Hindus, for gay, for straight, for young, for old...for ALL! There is are no boundaries in the love of G-d.  His death and resurrection brought life for all.
     If that's not interesting enough "he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago..." That forgiveness and love wasn't just for those alive at the time of Christ and for those beyond that, but it was also for those before him.  He opened the flood gates of his mercy and grace. Christ traveled into the abyss, into the place where all was seemingly lost, and he spoke life.  He spoke good news. He spoke love to those who had come before him.  He really meant for ALL and to show it he traveled into darkness to bring light!
     What a challenge for us today! We often times are not willing to allow our believe and our behave to match up on this.  Christ died for all and yet we behave as if we have something exclusive.  There is nothing exclusive about the love of G-d.  Nothing.  It is humanity who places boundaries and builds walls. G-d tears down walls, who busts through even the most daunting of boundaries.  Even the people that were destroyed in the flood were given access to this love. There was space for redemption for them both in the days of Noah building ark and thousands of years later when Christ reached into their death and brought life.  G-d's love set captives free!!!
   
     We are exclusive. We are stingy with the love of G-d. Sometimes so stingy we don't even truly give it to ourselves.  We hold it close enough to claim it, but not close enough to free us! And we definitely have a hard time giving it freely to others.

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail. And there I find you in the mystery, In oceans deep my faith will stand.  Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide, where feet may fail and fear surrounds me, you've never failed and you won't start now. I will call upon your name and keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace for I am yours and you are mine.  Spirit lead me were my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior. (Oceans - Hillsong United) 

ACTION:

     Lord, I want to be like you.  Make my love once for all.  Make my life once for all.  Make my actions once for all.  Cleanse me of my exclusiveness and mold me to your inclusive Spirit.  Tear down walls within my heart today that I have built toward others.  Reach into the depths of my darkness and bring light.  Lord, reach into the abyss that I have created and help me to free those whom I have placed there - those who I have cut off from my love.  G-d, I repent of my selfishness and exclusiveness and I cry out to you.

Free Will - Friday - February 20, 2015

SCRIPTURE READING:

     Psalm 25:1-10

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my G-d. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are G-d my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.  Good and upright is the Lord therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant." 

THOUGHTS:

      I believe in free will.  Humanity absolutely has the power and will to step outside of what G-d desires and wills for it.  This is why doing things simply for the sake of  unity is so important.  Together in community we hear the will of G-d and only if we are seeking it.  And sometimes we get it wrong.  Siloed individuals or groups must place themselves within the community to hear and listen to what is stirring within. But we can't get frozen seeking the will of G-d.  Because there is a promise that we have - "we know that in ALL things G-d works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
     You see, free will allows us to turn towards G-d, make the best decision we think possible, have that decision completely fail and G-d STILL bless it! G-d works all things towards his good - which means he works in all things, even the things that one might say are the furthest away from him as possible.
     By all human standards, David (the Psalmist) was in no way the best choice for King.  He was an adulterer. He was a murderer. He was human and he messed up in big ways.  But in G-d's eyes, all that mattered was that David sought after the heart of G-d and G-d took that sliver of hope and changed the world with it! David knew his own brokenness. He didn't need to be judged by others. He didn't need to dwell or let all the ways he (or others) thought he was wrong for the task freeze him up and paralyze him.  He took that brokenness and laid it before the Lord and trusted that G-d and G-d alone would work it out.
     That's a hard thing to do. I've been there.  I'm there now. And I will be there again.  This too shall NOT pass.  It's part of the very nature of being human with free will.

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently...And we know that in all things G-d works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those G-d foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If G-d is for us, who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:24-25, 28-31) 

ACTION:

     Lord, I will gaze on you.  You know my  name.  You know my junk. You know my heart. You know my call. You alone justify me. You alone call me. you alone save me.  No matter the path chosen by man----you are on it! I trust that! I look for you in that!

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.