Practising the Presence of God

Psalm 121:1  A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills--from where will my help come? 2  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 3  He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4  He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5  The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7  The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8  The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

This psalm is the second in a collection of 15 psalms with essentially the same title – “A Song of Ascents”.  They begin with a prayer of distress from one who is far from home (Ps 120) and concludes with a call to praise in the sanctuary of Zion (Ps 134). While this title has led to a variety of interpretations and approaches to this collection of psalms, it seems that there is consensus that the title points to songs of pilgrimage. Three times each year the men of Israel (yes men) were to come to the temple in Jerusalem and present themselves before the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:16). These fifteen Psalms, called the ‘songs of degrees’ (elevation, journey to a higher place, go up) were to be sung as they ascended the temple mount.

Despite all the distractions of the noise and bustle of the city, the pilgrims wind their way up the hill to the temple, in constant conversation with God. At another time in history Brother Lawrence writes of practicing an awareness of the presence of God in the midst of our busy lives:

“In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament”. [1] 

As we journey towards Easter, perhaps this idea can become part of our own spiritual pilgrimage. As we go about our daily lives, let us learn to be in constant conversation with God.

Prayer: “God, I want to give you every minute…I shall try to keep you in mind every moment of my waking hours….I shall try to let you be the speaker and direct every word. I shall try to let you direct my acts. I shall try to learn your language”. 

Frank Charles Laubach[2]

The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany

Protected by God

Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.95

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[1] Brother Lawrence The Practice of the Presence of God (Radford VA, Wilder Publications 2008), 25.

[2] Frank Charles Laubach Learning the Vocabulary of God, (Martino Fine Books, 2012), 5.

Do Not Worry....Do Not Be Afraid

Luke 12:22  He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24  Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26  If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you--you of little faith! 29  And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30  For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31  Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32  "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33  Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Do not worry....do not be afraid”.

When I read these words of Jesus I hear the voice in my head saying – “easier said than done”. Worry and fear are a staple of human existence. When we get together we talk about the things that frighten us. We share stories of crime, of financial pressure, and of illness. These are the things that fill our news reports, and the things that want to keep us awake at night.

Jesus knows this and suggests an antidote:  “Sell your possessions, and give alms” (vs 33). This is an act of positive trust in God. Become generous as a sign that we choose to trust the care of God rather than trust in the wealth we have collected. I know that some may scoff in this “foolishness”. However, accumulated wealth does not give peace of mind either. Either we worry that we will be robbed of it, or we worry that it is not enough!

Perhaps for today you might give up your trust in possessions and choose, instead, to trust the Creator. Begin by giving away something to someone in need.

For Thought

Simply trusting every day;
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

·         Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by,
Trusting Him, whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Words: Ed­gar P. Stites, 1876.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.
Corrie Ten Boom

The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany

Protected by God

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 95.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

Old Friends

Luke 15:1  Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2  And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3  So he told them this parable: 4  "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5  When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Eugene Petersen  suggests that the first few verses of this passage could read as follows[1]: ‘The religious people were not at all pleased that Jesus was treating men and women of doubtful reputation as old friends.’  This is the key to the nature of Jesus. Unlike most of us, he does not treat people as “suspect until proven otherwise”. He welcomes anyone!

This does not mean that Jesus is blind to the faults of other people. It just means that he is willing to welcome people – faults and all. While this offers me the possibility of friendship with Jesus, it also challenges me when I begin to think that there might be some who Jesus might not welcome. The essence of being truly Christian is the capacity to offer love and friendship indiscriminately.

Thought:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

John Newton (1725-1807)

The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany

Protected by God

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 95.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.    

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[1] The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language

A Welcoming Shepherd

John 10:11  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13  The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

The illustration of a shepherd saving sheep is etched deep in our spiritual psyche. The depiction of God as a shepherd in Psalm 23 has comforted countless people through many generations. The Good Shepherd pericope in John 10: 1-21 – of Jesus laying down his life to keep his sheep safe - is a similarly popular portion of scripture.    

The good news of John’s Gospel is that Jesus is not exclusive about the sheep he saves. All sheep are welcome: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also (John 10:16). This reassures me that I too am welcome in Jesus’ flock. The challenge of this lies in the insistence that Jesus also welcomes sheep ‘other than me’. We love being Jesus’ sheep. The question is whether we love the “other sheep” of Jesus too?

Thought:

“.... red and yellow, black and white

All are precious in his sight

Jesus love the little children of the world”    

The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany

Protected by God

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 95.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

Do as I say, not as I do[1]

Mat 23:1  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3  therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5  They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6  They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7  and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9  And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven. 10  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11  The greatest among you will be your servant. 12  All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus addresses the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, who do not practice that which they teach. People generally become critical of those people who do not practice the goodness they preach. This is most evident when a policeman is caught breaking the law, or politician is found to have been less than honest in a public speech, or a preacher exhibits moral failure.

The enduring problem of life is that we are all caught in this paradigm. We, who criticise the hypocrisy in other people, are subject to our own inconsistent behaviour. St Paul described the dilemma of knowing what is right but being unable to do it:  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do (Romans 7:19).  Jesus seems to suggest that the key to living an honest life is to be humble. This is the humility that admits to our own failings, while refusing to allow our shortcomings to limit our expectations of ourselves.

Challenge for today: to allow latitude for the failings in the people around me, while constantly expecting better of myself. 

The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Unchanging Truths

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 90.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

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[1] This order first appeared in John Selden's Table-Talk (c. 1654): "Preachers say, 'Do as I say, not as I do.”

Focus!

Philippians 3:12  Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13  Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. 15  Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. 16  Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. 17  Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18  For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19  Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20  But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21  He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus with a financial gift for Paul as an expression of their "partnership" and "concern". Paul writes to thank them, and drawing on a running metaphor, he encourages them to keep going. He refers to a runner in a race who shows signs of flagging, and in the process of looking over a shoulder will often be passed by the others. Instead, says Paul, do not look back, but look forward, straining to reach the goal.

I wonder how often we glance fearfully over our shoulders. We see the difficult road we have travelled; we see the sacrifices we have made; we see the problems of life overtaking us; and in the process we lose sight of the Saviour who waits at the finishing line to welcome us. Allow your daily devotions, your corporate worship, and the accountability of friends to keep you focussed on the One who calls us into each day.

Thought

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Unchanging Truths

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 90.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

The Cornerstone

1 Peter 2:7  To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," 8  and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11  Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12  Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

The foundations for the new building are being prepared. There are stone masons on site, who are choosing the foundation stones. Because these stones anchor the whole building, the selection process is critical. Some stones are put in place, others are tossed aside. One of their rejects lies on the edge of the site, and from time to time the busy builders curse it as they trip over it.

Finally the foundations are ready – except for one thing: the masons have not found a perfect fit for the cornerstone. This is the most important stone in the building, as it anchors the whole building.  And then they remember the rock “that makes them fall”. On fetching it, it is obvious that this was The One.  "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner" This building is now secure.

As you build your ideas, your career, and your relationships – do you have a foundation stone that will keep you securely grounded? I have found stability in building my life on the values of Jesus. 

Thought:

Build on the Rock, the Rock that ever stands,
Oh, build on the Rock, and not upon the sands;
You need not fear the storm, or the earthquake shock,
You're safe for evermore if you build on the Rock.

The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Unchanging Truths

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 90.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

Coping with Difficulty

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2  looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3  Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Heb 12:12  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14  Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.

Some Christian teachers seem to imply that following Jesus will result in prosperity, blessing and abundance. This passage from Hebrews contradicts this. We are told quite bluntly that following Jesus will be difficult and disheartening.  Nevertheless, the readers are encouraged to “run with perseverance” (vs 1) and to “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees” (vs 12). Our Christian living should not be poisoned by bitterness and disturbance. Instead – despite the difficulties – “pursue peace with everyone” (vs14). We are told that they key to doing this is through the grace of God (vs 15).

Pray that God’s Graceful strength will bring a new spring to your step, and a new lightness to your spirit.     

Thought: “Let us throw off whatever weighs us down, or damps the vigour of our Soul.” (John Wesley)[1]

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.

Words: John S. B. Monsell, Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church’s Year, 1863.

The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Unchanging Truths

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 90.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

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[1] John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes on Hebrews Chapter 12.

Stand Firm

Ephesians 6:10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11  Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15  As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16  With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

This passage from the letter to the Ephesians probably has a military context. While I acknowledge the dispute about authorship of this letter, I like to think that it was written by Paul from Rome soon after his arrival in the year 62. This is four years after he had taken leave of the leadership of the Ephesian church in Miletus. Paul is under house arrest, guarded by a Roman centurion.  It is therefore perfectly logical for him to use the armour of his guard as an illustration for the Christian way of life.

The key word in this extended metaphor is “stand” (histēmi) – Ephesians 6:11. This is the term used to command a soldier to take up a position against the enemy. In other words – “do not turn your back / do not run away / do not retreat”. This metaphor asks the followers of Jesus to “take a stand” against that which is evil. It is not enough to refrain from doing evil. The expectation is that a Christian will actively oppose evil.

Thought:

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.

George Duffield

The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Unchanging Truths

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 90.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

United with Christ

Romans 6:1  What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2  By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4  Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6  We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7  For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8  But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10  The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Paul writes to the Roman Christians about sin. He begins the letter by inviting his readers to escape the consequences of sin through faith in Jesus (Justification).[1] He now discusses life after forgiveness (Sanctification). He has moved from freedom from the penalty of sin, to freedom from the power of sin.

Paul offers an invitation to live a forgiven life that is “no longer enslaved to sin”. He explains that this is possible when “we have been united with him” (suvmfutoi, sumphutoi). This union is not our achievement, but is the gift of God, gained through faith in Jesus. When I surrender my life to the way of Jesus, I discover that Jesus chooses to walk alongside me. Instead of me attempting to avoid the “potholes” of sin in the road, it is Jesus with me who enables me to spot them before I even get there.

Thought: Let us focus on growing our friendship with Jesus, and allow him to guide us away from the potholes of a sinful life.        

My Savior, Redeemer,

lifted me from the miry clay
Almighty, forever,
I will never be the same,

'Cause You came near
From the everlasting
to the world we live
The Fathers only Son

You lived, You died
You rose again on high
You opened the way for the world to live again
Hallelujah, for all You've done

 Hillsong - For All You've Done Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

       

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[1] Rom 1:18 – 5:21

Fidei Defensor

2Timothy 1:8  Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9  who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10  but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11  For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12  and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13  Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14  Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

“Hold to the standard ... guard the treasure”: these are military terms, used by the writer of 2 Timothy to encourage the Jesus-follower to stand firm against anything threatening the gospel of Jesus Christ. The student is challenged to become a defender of the faith. Sadly the term “Defender of the Faith” (Fidei defensor  /feminine: Fidei defensatrix) has become one of the subsidiary  titles of the British monarchy, and has historically had more to do with using Christian faith to prop up the power of the Monarch than with upholding true Christ-like standards of teaching and behaviour. At its worst, defending the faith resulted in Crusading Knights rampaging across Europe and North Africa in the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th centuries, killing people in the name of Jesus.

Perhaps we can recover the term for ourselves, and become defenders of the faith as originally intended – by living our lives according to the “holy calling” of Jesus. The writer of 2 Timothy suggests that this has nothing to do with power and might, and everything to do with suffering and humiliation. This is a life which risks reputation, status and ambition for “the testimony about our Lord” (2 Ti 1:8). Let us rediscover our calling to be defenders of the faith through humility and love.

Thought:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1707.

Charles Wes­ley re­port­ed­ly said he would give up all his other hymns to have writ­ten this one.

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

The Entertainer

Ezekiel 33:30  As for you, mortal, your people who talk together about you by the walls, and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to a neighbor, "Come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD." 31  They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not obey them. For flattery is on their lips, but their heart is set on their gain.  32  To them you are like a singer of love songs, one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33  When this comes--and come it will!--then they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

Laurence Olivier was honoured as one of the best actors of the 20^th Century. A three time Golden Globe and BAFTA winner, he was also awarded two Oscars, five Emmy’s, and a knighthood. Yet despite the accolades he identified most with his role as Archie Rice in The Entertainer - a kind of fake who, as Archie says, can be warm and smiling and feel nothing. "It's all tricks," Olivier told writer Jack Kroll[1].

As a preacher I completely understand this. It is all too easy to turn a sermon into religious entertainment. The temptation is to look for better tricks to keep the attention of the congregation, because, as written in Ezekiel “they hear what you say, but they will not do it (Eze 33:32). I suspect that this is our besetting failure as human beings: we want our religion to entertain us rather than to change our lives.

Thought:

2Timothy 4:3  For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

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[1] blanche-2  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053796/

Attitude

Philippians 3:1  Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard......

Php 3:10  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11  if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12  Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13  Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. 15  Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. 16  Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. 17  Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.

Paul invites the Philippians to “have the same mind” (Php 3:15). The verb phroneo translates as “mind” or “perspective”, or “point of view” – but Good News translation uses “attitude”: here is the invitation to develop an attitude towards life. Paul says this is an attitude that lets go of the past, and looks to the future.

In Philippians Chapter Three he suggests that past achievements do not make anyone more important in the present. Neither do past failures prevent future success. As we learn to let go of the past, we are able to discover a new future that is shaped by the call of God on our lives. His suggestion is that we take hold of life, trusting that Jesus has already taken hold of us. In other words, we will not fall if we reach out to the future – because Jesus has hold of us.

Prayer thought:

Simply trusting every day;
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

          Trusting as the moments fly,
          Trusting as the days go by,
          Trusting Him, whate’er befall,
          Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Edgar Page Stites (1836-1921)

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

Stinking Rich

1Timothy 6:6  Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7  for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8  but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9  But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 11  But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12  Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses......

1Ti 6:17  As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19  thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

The capitalist economic system is built on persuading people to accumulate. Being rich is projected as the desired goal of life. Yet our Christian faith runs counter to this. We are encouraged to avoid loving money; to resist the desire to be rich as a “trap of many foolish and harmful desires”.

Instead we are invited to learn to be satisfied with what we have. The desires that ought to capture our time and imagination are acts of generosity and good works. This is extremely difficult, because human beings struggle to be satisfied with what we have – we continually want more.  For this reason followers of Jesus are encouraged to “Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness”.  These are the only qualities that will ensure peace on earth.

For thought:

“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
― Warren Buffett

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Refrain:
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Frances J. Crosby, 1869

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.   

Death

1Thessalonians 4:9  Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; 10  and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, 11  to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, 12  so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one. 13  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15  For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16  For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18  Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Paul, Silas and Timothy had begun the church in Thessalonica, the capital city of Roman Macedonia. This community of both Jews and Gentiles grew rapidly under Paul’s teaching in the synagogue (Acts 17:2). However, they had to abruptly break off their stay because of intense opposition from the Jews in the city (Acts 17:6-9). It seems that this letter - the earliest of Paul’s letters - was written from Corinth to encourage the fledgling church they had left behind.    

In the extract above Paul writes to help the new Jesus-followers live without fear of death.  Those who had come from a Greek culture would have feared death because of their belief in a journey to Hades. This required crossing the river Styx by negotiating with the boatman Charon, and appeasing Cereberus, the three-headed guard dog. Those who came from a Jewish background had no idea of life after death at all. The best they could hope for was a life in the shadows of Sheol, without personality or strength. Paul writes to reassures these new Christians that there will be no boatman, no dog, no dissolution into shadows. Instead, “the Lord himself will come down from heaven” and fetch both the living and the dead (1 Thes 4:16).  

Let us be clear – this is not some scientific explanation on what happens after we die. It is written to reassure the people of Thessalonica that they would not die alone. Jesus would be there, to carry them through death to life with God. How this happened not even Paul knew – for he had not yet died! I am suggesting that we take our hope from Paul’s reassurance Jesus will be with us at our death.  “And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thes 4:17).

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

          Come home, come home,
          You who are weary, come home;
          Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
          Calling, O sinner, come home!

Words & Music: Will L. Thomp­son,

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The Rewards of Ministry

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 84.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.    

Counter-cultural Commands

Luke 6:20  Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21  "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22  "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24  "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25  "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26  "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. 27  "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28  bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29  If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30  Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31  Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32  "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33  If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34  If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37  "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38  give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

This collection of the sayings of Jesus – often called the Sermon on the Plain - finds a parallel in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5.6 & 7).  Both collections are significant for the way in which we as followers of Jesus struggle to adhere to the instruction of our teacher. We are attracted to the warm, forgiving Jesus who offers compassion and care for the poor, the marginalized and the children. But we tend to skip the bits where Jesus instructs his followers to do the same: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you”(Lk 6:27) looks better when Jesus is doing it. When I am expected to “love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return” (Lk 6:35), it is far less attractive.

The power of the gospel lies in these radical commands. Our greedy, self-serving culture celebrates the accumulation of wealth, the abuse of power, and the rejection of the weak. I invite us to discover afresh the teachings of Jesus to live life with compassionate generosity and a forgiving spirit.   

Prayer: Lord Jesus. Please disturb me out of my comfortable life, that I might discover your invitation to live my life in a new way. Amen. 

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 71.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.