God’s Generous Love

Lent

Rom 8:31-39  What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?  Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.   Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul probably wrote this letter in Corinth.[1] He was on his way to Jerusalem with the collection from the Gentile churches (15:25-26). At the end of 56CE he spent three months in Corinth (Acts 20:2-3), starting his final trip to Jerusalem in the beginning of 57CE. Therefore, the date of composition was most probably at the beginning of the year, just before he set off for Jerusalem.[2]

This passage is made up of two parts: it begins with Paul’s series of rhetorical questions (verses 31-34), which leads to the theme of God’s love; this is followed by an emphasis on this love’s inseparability from the believers (verses 35-39). The key word here is “charizomai”,[3] which speaks of the generosity of God in giving us all things (Rom 8:32).

 

The invitation is to make tomorrow – Sunday – a day of celebration, a mini-Easter Sunday. Cut loose, and give thanks for God’s generous kindness, for God’s freely given Grace.

 

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Johnson Oatman, Jr.

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

From Death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

 

 

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[1] D Moo, Romans 1-8, Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 3.

[2] E F Harrison, Romans, Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,

1995).

[3] “to grant as a favor, that is, gratuitously, in kindness” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary G5483). The same word is used in Luke 7:21 for Jesus giving sight to the blind, as well as in Galatians 3:18, were Paul talks about Abraham’s inheritance given to him by God.  

Give me your hand my friend...

Lent

 

Col 3:1-3  So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,  for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Col 3:9-11  ........you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

The Church at Colossae began through the work of Epaphras, who had met the Apostle Paul in Ephesus.  He was from the town of Colossae, about 192 km (120 miles) east of Ephesus. Paul then sent Epaphras back to his home region where he planted churches in Colossae and in the neighbouring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis. The Colossian congregation met in the home of Philemon (Phm 2). Epaphras then rejoined Paul, and it would seem that they were imprisoned together, but  expected to be released soon (Phm 1:22). Paul writes this pastoral letter to the church in Colossae, both to strengthen them in their faith and to alert them of his intention to visit them. He tasks his co-worker, Tychicus, to carry the letter to Colossae, accompanied by Onesimus, a runaway slave belonging to Philemon (Col 4:9), who had been led to faith in Christ by Paul.

I can imagine this ‘mixed bunch’ sitting with Paul: Paul, the Jewish rabbi; Epharas, the Colossian;  Tychicus, a native of Asia Minor (Acts 20:4);  and Onesimus, the runaway slave from Colossae. Together they embody the truth that “there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!”  (Col 3:11).

As you and I journey through Lent, let us repent of our difficulty in relating to people of other cultures and economic backgrounds – and commit ourselves to finding a Christian unity that transcends our human divisions.  

 

Thought:

What shall our greeting be:

Sign of our unity?
JESUS IS LORD!
May we no more defend
Barriers he died to end:
Give me your hand, my friend:
One Church, One Lord!

Fred Pratt Green
Words © 1975 Hope Publishing Company

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

From Death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

 

 

Swallowing Death

Lent

 

Isaiah 25:1-9  O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.  For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.  Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.  For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,  the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled.  On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.  And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;  he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.  It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

This is an excerpt from the apocalyptic section of Isaiah (chaps. 24-27). The prophet looks forward to the day when the Lord (Yahweh) will right the wrongs that have been perpetrated by “ruthless nations”. This is the day when the Lord will destroy the strong enemy city and be a refuge for the poor and needy. All ruthless nations will eventually be forced to acknowledge Yahweh's greatness.  

In addition, death will be no more: the Canaanite world describes the god of death (Mot) as a beast who swallows everyone. Now the Lord swallows up death forever ... “for Lord has spoken."

As we continue our Lenten journey towards Easter, we can use the words of Isaiah as encouragement to embrace the Lord, who dries our tears and who has swallowed up death.

Thought

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
Charles Wesley

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

From Death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

 

 

Called to be Saints

Lent

Romans 1:1-7  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,  including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

...................Rom 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

“My Sainted Aunt!” This was my father’s favourite expression of surprise or dismay. As a boy this puzzled me, because I knew his aunt, and Aunty Alice was no saint. As far as I knew, saints were in the windows of the church. I suspect that this idea still lurks somewhere inside many of us: saints are history. Except perhaps for Mother Theresa. And Desmond Tutu. So when we read Paul’s greeting to “God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints” it is easy for the truth of this passage to pass us by.  

The dictionary defines ‘saint’ as “A person acknowledged as holy or virtuous” , which at first glance invokes the response – “Well that’s not me!” However, Paul hastens to add that when he refers to saint, he is not describing someone who has an innate, natural holiness. No, says Paul, I am writing to those in whom the “righteousness of God is revealed through faith” (Rom 1:17). So a ‘saint’ is someone who is willing to step aside and allow God’s grace to be revealed.  The virtue of a ‘saint’ is not the personal perfection of an individual; instead, sainthood is seen when the love of God flows through flawed, weak individuals and touches the lives of the poor, the marginalized and the dispirited.

Saints are people like you and me.

Thought:

If I ever become a Saint — I surely be one of "darkness". I will continually be absent from Heaven — to light the light of those in darkness on earth.
As quoted in Mother Teresa : Come Be My Light (2007) by Brian Kolodiejchuk
 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

From Death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

Setting an Example

Lent

Corinthians 15:1-11  Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.  For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,  and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.   For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.  Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

St Paul writes of a faith that has been handed down from person to person: I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received (1 Co 15:3). While we as Christ-followers treasure our Scriptures as sacred, our faith is not confined to the written page. Ours is a faith that is learned from those who have gone before us. Paul lists those who had gone before him, adding his gratitude that he “the least of the apostles” could also be an inheritor of the faith.

Today – give thanks for those spiritual fathers and mothers who have handed down their faith experiences to you. And then let us be reminded by Paul that we are handing on our faith to others who look to us for courage: “we proclaim and so you have come to believe” (1 Co 15:11).

For Thought

“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.”
Albert Einstein

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent
From Death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

 

 

What Do You See?

Lent

Matthew 11:2-9  When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

“What did you go out to see?”

While this question was directed at the people around Jesus, it is the enduring question of the past 2 000 years: “What do we see in Jesus”. The truth is that humanity often sees only that part of Jesus that we want to see. Do we want a compliant, gentle Jesus? He is there; Do we want a fierce, revolutionary Jesus? He is there; Do we want a mystical, other-worldly Jesus? He is there; Do we want a blessing-giving, materially rewarding Jesus? He is there. It is the enduring problem of our human nature to shrink Jesus to fit our particular desires.

Jesus is aware of this – and protests that he is “more” than whatever conception the people have of him (Matt:11:9).   Lent can be a time where our understanding of Jesus is challenged to become bigger than is comfortable for us. Discover the work of Jesus in the lives of those who make us uncomfortable:  “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them”.  The challenge for today is to look beyond the first impression and see God at work in the people around you.     

For thought:

What do you see, nurse, what do you see?
What are you thinking when you're looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with far away eyes...

 Inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living life over again.

.....So open your eyes, nurses, open and see,
Not a crabby old woman, look closer - see ME!!

By Phyliss McCormick

There is also a later rendition of this poem by David Griffith in Texas.[1]

 

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

From death to Life
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.129

 

 

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[1] http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cranky-old-man-poem.shtml

Don’t Worry – be Happy

Lent

 

Mat 6:25-34  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?  And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, 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.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'  For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.   But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today”.

Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t worry, be happy” from the Movie "Cocktails" became widely popular – because we all worry! Despite his injunction to “be happy”, it is extremely difficult not to worry.  Jesus suggests that worry indicates a lack of trust in God – because “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things”.

So instead of “worrying about worrying”, let us learn to trust that the One who created the heavens and the earth is able to care for those he has made.

To sing to yourself:

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing itnote for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

 

Thought

“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved worrying will do you no good.”
― Śāntideva

 

The Last Sunday after Epiphany

Listen to Jesus Christ
Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.100