Psalm 5

 

To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

 

1  Give ear to my words, O LORD;

give heed to my sighing.

 

2  Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

 

3  O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

 

4  For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil will not sojourn with you.

 

5  The boastful will not stand before your eyes;

you hate all evildoers.

 

6  You destroy those who speak lies;

the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

 

7  But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house,

I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.

 

8  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me.

 

 

 

 

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

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), 207.

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

 

 

 

Staying Committed

2Timothy 2:1-13  You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.  Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier's aim is to please the enlisting officer.  And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.  It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops.  Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.  Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David--that is my gospel,  for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.   The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;  if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;  if we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself.

Serve like a soldier, compete like an athlete, work like a farmer…. Paul/the writer of this letter mixes metaphors in order to make the point: this Christian life demands obedience to God, and commitment and perseverance in our practice. We follow Jesus both when it pleases us, and when it does not; both when it is easy, and when it is not; both when we feel like it, and when we do not. We are to remain faithful.   

The Methodist Church makes this explicit in an annual prayer said by all members in a Covenant Service.  This acknowledges that Christian discipleship is both “in season and out of season”. Perhaps you might read this prayer as your reflection for today.

 

The Methodist Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.                                    
And the covenant made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

 

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity
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), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

 

Do as I Do

1Timothy 4:6-16  If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed.  Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives' tales. Train yourself in godliness,  for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance.   For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.  These are the things you must insist on and teach.  Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.  Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Timothy (Τιμόθεος), which means “honouring God”, becomes a student of Paul in Lystra in Anatolia. [1] It would seem that he is walking in the faith-footsteps of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Louis.[2]  In this passage he is reminded that, like his mother and grandmother, he is in turn setting an example for other people to follow:

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

 Here is a healthy reminder to all who read this passage: our words and actions matter! We who claim the name of Jesus become a public witness to our beliefs. We are being watched and weighed, and ought therefore to live in a way that points beyond ourselves to the One who has called us.

For Thought

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
― Brennan Manning

 

Prayer    

Speak to me by name, O Master,
Let me know it is to me;
Speak, that I may follow faster,
With a step more firm and free,
Where the Shepherd leads the flock
In the shadow of the Rock!
Lyrics: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity
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), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

 

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[1] Acts 16:1

[2] 2 Timothy 1:5

Oh Grow Up

Philippians 2:12-18  Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Do all things without murmuring and arguing,  so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.  It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.  But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you--  and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

 Paul urges the Christ-followers in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”.  This is not saying that salvation is obtained through work. Paul’s repeated affirmation for salvation by grace through faith is beyond question. Instead, this is a blunt injunction to “grow up and live as an adult Christian”. This is the point at which Paul tells those who follow Jesus that they are to get on with being Christ-like of their own accord, without needing a supervisor.  Cultivate the capacity “both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure…without murmuring and arguing”.

How sad when followers of Jesus do nothing for fear of breaking the rules. I dare us all to become pioneers who allow our passion for the values of Jesus to push the boundaries of social convention.

For Thought:

“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.”
― Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God

 

Third Sunday after Trinity
33 Christian Maturity
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), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Flesh & Spirit

Galatians 5:16-24  Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.  Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions,   envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

It is difficult to read a translated text and accurately understand the original nuances. This passage uses a juxtaposition of ‘flesh’ and ‘spirit’ to understand our lives a followers of Jesus. The Greek word for flesh (sarx σάρξ ) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit (pneuma πνεῦμα). When assisted by the original Greek, the verses above read as follows:

I say then: Walk in the pneuma, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the sarx. 17 For the sarx lusts against the pneuma, and the pneuma against the sarx; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the pneuma, you are not under the law.

This draws on a Greek philosophical concept that defines our lives as consisting of body and spirit. Paul uses this to encourage followers of Jesus not to be distracted by the “desires of the flesh”/sarx/σάρξ, but instead to be led by the promptings of the spirit/pneuma/πνεῦμα.  This resonates with anyone who has struggled with the tension between the selfishness of our inner drives of lust, desire, and passion -  and the knowledge that these cannot have unfettered reign over our thoughts actions.

 

As we submit our lives to the direction of the Spirit, the selfish passions of the flesh will be transformed, so that they produce “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.

 

For Thought

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne
Frances R. Havergal, 1874

 

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity
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), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

The Blasphemy of the Prosperity Gospel.

 

Luke 18:18 -30  A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.  You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.'"  He replied, "I have kept all these since my youth."  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."  But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich.  Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."  Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"  He replied, "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God."  Then Peter said, "Look, we have left our homes and followed you."  And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,  who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

Jesus lived in a culture that believed that God showered riches on the righteous, and - conversely - poverty was a sign of God’s displeasure. Luke records a moment when Jesus opposes this idea: the crowd is stunned to hear the rabbi say “how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” (Lk 18:24).  They would have been thinking – “Surely their riches are a sign of God favour… a guarantee of their membership of God’s realm”.   Jesus repeatedly hammers the message home that God has a particular compassion for the poor, the helpless, and the marginalized. [1]  

Sadly there are many who have not heard this. There are Christian teachers who teach that prosperity is guaranteed for those who follow Jesus; that the preachers of Jesus are to enjoy luxury and comfort; and those who hear their message will have treasure from God if only they tithe their income. This “name it and claim it” theology is the ultimate blasphemy:  it turns God into a service provider – and humanity into greedy consumers of God’s provision. Only when we recognize out status as stewards of this earth will we discover the call of God to use our possessions to benefit all of creation.

For today: ask how you can bless someone who has a greater need than you.  

 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity
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), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

 

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[1] See for example Luke 6:20-25;

Psalm 113

This Psalm forms part of the “Egyptian Hallel”. This is one of the psalms that is said before the Passover meal – and in Christian tradition is one of the Easter Psalms. “Hallel" is a Hebrew word that means "praise" – so when we say “God be praised”,  it is a translation of Hallelujah.  Use this as a praise Psalm for today – if possible read it with another person, and use the verse as a responsive reading.  

 

Psa 113:1  Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD;
 
praise the name of the LORD.

 

Psa 113:2  Blessed be the name of the LORD

from this time on and forevermore.

 

Psa 113:3  From the rising of the sun to its setting

the name of the LORD is to be praised.

 

Psa 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations,

and his glory above the heavens.

 

Psa 113:5  Who is like the LORD our God,

who is seated on high,

 

Psa 113:6  who looks far down

on the heavens and the earth?

 

Psa 113:7  He raises the poor from the dust,

and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

 

Psa 113:8  to make them sit with princes,

with the princes of his people.

 

Psa 113:9  He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

ALL: Praise the LORD!

 

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love
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), 202.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.