Getting Ready to Serve = "Get Down"

Lavishly our lives are wasted
Humbleness is left untasted
You can't live your life to please yourself , yeah

That's a tip from my mistakes
Exactly what it doesn't take
To win you've got to come in last place
To live your life you've got to lose it

And all the losers get a crown

CHORUS:
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down

I've always enjoyed this song by Audio Adrenaline. It's an oldy but goody in my book, and not just because of the upbeat tempo. The words have always held real meaning for me. To me it's been a very necessary reminder in this world where "humbleness is left untasted". While to "get down" at least a decade ago referred to "dancing in a very 'hip' way", Audio Adrenaline used this play on words to liken "getting down" or humbling ourselves to a very hip action.

This may seem very strange indeed... that making less of ourselves could be 'cool.' The 'cool crowd' in school and the 'prestigious' in society aren't the ones who humble themselves... but that's exactly what Jesus did. That's the example Jesus gave us. Our counter-cultural Christian cool does indeed require us to 'get down'... instead of living our lives to please ourselves and live our lives to serve others... so that God can lift us up.

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. ~ Phillipians 2:1-11

We are called in this passage to be like-minded, to be imitators of Christ. Phillipians 2:3 is the verse that Brad and I chose as a guiding scripture for our marriage, and I am still glad that this is the verse we chose. As many like to say, 'marriage is not a 50-50 deal.' You give you choose to serve and love and serve with your whole self, valuing the other as more important than yourself. Who was a better example of this than Christ who gave His life for us? That is why we are called to be imitators of Christ... in terms of His service, obedience and unity to God.

Servant

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

When Christ came to the earth, what he deserved was fine robes, a palace, the best clothes, a life of luxury. He is Lord! But He took nothing that He 'deserved.' Instead, He was born in a stable, lived the life of a simple carpenter, went around healing and preaching to others. So many of the stories of Jesus' life involve Him serving others.

I think of how often I say, "It's not fair!" We very often feel that we are entitled to certain things. And usually, most often it's about wanting more. We should get a higher grade, a better job, a better salary, more vacation, etc. In fact, just last night I was reciting "It's not fair!" about the fact that I need to pay for a new visa to Brazil in addition to a new passport, because I changed my name.

But sometimes I find it helpful to think of all that Jesus deserved that He didn't get. He and his family were refugees. He lived with very little. He was born in a stable. He was disrespected and hated. He had every right to say, "It's not fair!" But let's think about what Jesus said instead... "Blessed are the poor in spirit.... Go, you are healed....In my Father's house, there are many rooms." Instead of worrying about what He deserved and didn't get, Jesus spent His days serving others.

Obedient

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

While serving others, Christ was also obedient... following where Christ led Him to go. It certainly wasn't easy... and that is reflected in the scriptures. We see Him calling out, "Lord, take this bitter cup from me." His whole life was one of humility. Jesus took on human form and lived a humble, simple life. He was obedient in whatever God decided for His life... even facing the cross. He knew what was coming, but He also knew that it was God's will.

Sometimes it's hard for me to be obedient to Christ's call... but mostly because I don't 'hear' it. But sometimes I wonder if that is a fair representation of things. If I clutter my life with so many things that I have no 'time' to spend hours praying and listening and opening myself to hear God. Perhaps my 'disobedience' in not opening myself up to wait and listen to the Lord stops me from being more obedient with other aspects of my life. We know it is said "whoever is faithful with little will be faithful with much." And for me, it is just that.

One of the things that I loved about worshipping with the Quakers was their appreciation for silence and listening. So often we feel a need to fill every silence. Even in our quiet times, we read, we pray, we type ;o), but do we listen? How can we expect to be obedient is we do not take the time to be still... and listen.. If we did this, I feel we would have the same reaction as Jacob in the story of Jacob's ladder: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” (Genesis 28:16)

Unity with God

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

In the scripture, we know that Christ was exalted for His humility and obedience to God. While we cannot (should not) expect to be exalted, we should expect is unity with God. We, being actual humans (not just human in form), will err. We will at times feel proud and act disobediently. While not capable of the perfection of Christ, we can become new. When we ask Christ into our hearts, He has the power to change our lives... to change our marriage, to change our friendships, to change our whole selves. The Holy Spirit will guide and change us and work in our lives.

And then, we will be able to live "in the highest place"! We will be a part of the Kingdom of God! We are welcomed into the family of God.

I'll end this morning with lyrics of another song... that may encourage us as we pray to God this morning, asking Him to grant us the hearts of servants and minds that are obedient to His will only...

Now I won’t deny the worst you could say about me
But I’m not defined by mistakes that I’ve made because God says of me

I am not who I was, I am being remade, I am new
I am chosen and holy and I’m dearly loved, I am new, I am new

Who I thought I was and who I thought I had to be
I had to give them both up cause neither were willing to ever believe

Too long I have lived in the shadows of shame
Believing that there was no way I could change
But the one who is making everything new doesn’t see me the way that I do
He doesn’t see me the way that I do

I am not who I was, I am being remade, I am new
Dead to the old man, I’m coming alive, I am new, I am new

Forgiven beloved, hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous and holy, reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy, this is our new name
This is who we are now

The Meaning of Discipleship: Loving & Leaving

The Bible Study at our home has been going through Song of Songs, and it has struck me that although not commonly thought of as such, it is a book on discipleship. I know this may sound kind of far-fetched, but stick with me on this one. It has commonly been seen as an allegory representing Jesus and the church, His bride. Perhaps in this way, we can learn, as the 80's song says, "what's love got to do with it?" "It" being discipleship.

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ~Luke 14:25-27

Now this passage is often referred to as a classic depiction of discipleship. We must surrender all to follow Christ, even our family, even our own life. Yet, it interestingly enough bares a resemblance to the following verse from Genesis on the relationship between man and woman.

²³ The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. ~Genesis 2:23-24

Many are familiar with this verse as "leaving and cleaving", at least that's how it was referred to in my premarital counseling book. And while I thought it made sense and wouldn't be so hard for us as we live so far away, it turned out to be far more important than I had imagined. Before getting married, Brad and I had made few decisions together, but one that we had made involved our name changes. We decided to both take 2 names. When a week after our wedding, Brad was changing his mind, due mostly to his parents' disapproval, I felt that he was not leaving or cleaving. Even though we were miles away from his parents, I felt that he did not recognize that we were married... that we needed to cleave to each other and our decisions. Now, I bring this up not to bring up hurt feelings. In fact, I feel glad that we have grown in our relationship and especially in terms of leaving and cleaving to one another. But I bring it up, because I see in this instance a powerful portrayal of what we too often due to our Savior, our groom.

As Christians, we pledge to be Jesus' bride. We give ourselves over to unite with Him, loving Him so much more than "father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters" that it could seem we hate them at times. (We may do something of which they greatly disapprove in order to faithfully follow Christ.) I now know firsthand the very deep hurt caused when feeling that your love is cleaving to others before you. But this serves me to understand the hurt and sorrow we must cause our groom (Christ) when we fail to follow Him and place Him before all other things in our hearts, our homes, our lives, our every day.

Now, you might be asking, how does this relate to Song of Songs? In the literal sense, there are many points when the young woman is seeking her groom.

All night long on my bed

I looked for the one my heart loves;

I looked for him but did not find him.

I will get up now and go about the city,

through its streets and squares;

I will search for the one my heart loves.

So I looked for him and did not find him. ~Song of Songs 3:1-2

This kind of refrain is repeated several times until the 6th chapter where her friends ask her if she knows where her lover is, and she responds confidently that she knows.

Friends

Where has your lover gone,

most beautiful of women?

Which way did your lover turn

that we may look for him with you?

Beloved

My lover has gone down to his garden,

to the beds of spices,

to browse in the gardens

and to gather lilies.

I am my lover's and my lover is mine;

he browses among the lilies." ~Song of Songs 6:1-2

In the allegorical sense we may see Song of Songs as more of an inner spiritual journey. Though our groom (Christ) searches for us and proclaims His love for us in so many ways (blessings, miracles, gifts, family, guidance), oftentimes we 'seek' for him with only a part of our heart. We may feel distressed... where is my God? Where is He? We feel as if we are looking, but we are worried about other things in our life; we do not wholly give ourselves over to Christ. Only when we leave our own lives and cleave to Christ only can we feel the abundant love and joy in our unity with Him. We might rephrase Song of Songs verse 2, "I am my Lord's and my Lord is mine" based on our allegorical understanding of the text. Yet, the beauty of an allegory is that it strengthens both images... both the beauty and love which comes from a strong commitment between husband and wife as well as the beauty of the love which comes from a strong commitment between Christ and ourselves.

We never really think about a baptism as a marriage ceremony. But in a way, it bears a resemblance. When we accept Christ into our hearts, we fully commit our lives to Christ and Christ alone.

The Power of God's Word: A Different Kind of Standard

At church this morning Barry Heib gave a reflection on the beatitudes, and it struck me that I was looking at them as he explained he did at first. I was looked at it as a sort of standard to achieve. Ok, so I have to be that way. I have to do that. Well, it's true that God is guiding us in this passage, but Jesus is doing more than that... when He could've chosen to rant about the government or complain about the people and each one of their failings (which He knew well), He chose to bless. In fact, the telling of the beatitudes in itself becomes a beatitude... for blessed are those who bless and do not curse.

^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. ~Matthew 5:1-12

This morning I really appreciated hearing this familiar very in the Message version, with words that seemed to explain why and how it might be a blessing to mourn or to suffer or to be content.

As I mentioned in the preceding paragraph, I often have read the beatitudes as a "to do" list. The problem with this is that you always end up frustrated and downhearted. How can I ever possibly live up to all of this? Can I really be a peacemaker in a true sense of the word? And how much is enough? I mean, the beatitudes don't give you a clear cut off point, so it seems like you must be that way all the time... 24/7. Oh, no... I'm just too weak to be that wonderful....

But the good news is what God says about the weak...

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. ~1 Cor. 1:18-30

Right now I live my life surround by some who are considered very 'wise.' Yet those who I consider the wisest know better. They know that compared to the massive amount of knowledge in the world, what they know is little... humbling even. The most reknown regents professor is often the most humble, because he/she knows what there is still left to know. And so when we feel weak, looking at the Beatitudes, perhaps it is a good sign... and acknowledgment of that which we still have to gain. In acknowledging our own weaknesses, we open ourselves up for God to work in our lives... to "shame the strong" (who think they are everything already without God). So we gladly boast in our weaknesses and appreciate that we fall short of the beatitudes, but we let them guide us toward the refining power of Christ in our lives.

God's Power of a Living Hope

In this passage, I hear several parts of God's power to work in our lives... power for hope, power for change, and power for joy.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ~1 Peter 1:3-9

Power of Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade ~ 1 Peter 1:3-4

Just this morning I was listening to the radio and heard the imminently fun Audio Adrenaline song "In My Father's House". God has the power to comfort all of us in knowing that His house with many rooms waits for us. Though we don't know if there will be a "great big yard where we can play football" as the song goes, we do know that it is there for us... and there is room for us.

Power for Change

⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~1 Peter 1:7

Unlike the gold which perishes when refined, we are refined by God. The Holy Spirit works within us and changes us... allowing us to be made new creations in the Lord. Such beautiful work can only happen with His wonderful power.

Power of Joy

⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ~1 Peter 1:8-9

When His work in us is complete and we are a new creation, we are filled with "inexpressible and glorious joy"... the strength that He gives us. Praise the Lord for the joy He has placed in my heart!

The Power of God's Word: Lectio Divino

Some of you may have heard of "lectio divino".

It is a beautiful way of reading the scriptures, and I felt moved to read the scripture in this way this morning after reading a reflection by Macrina Wiederkehr out of "A Tree Full of Angels." Lectio is the practice of mindfully meditating on, not just reading, the word of God. Though the practice varies, oftentimes people will read one passage 3 times over allowing God's word to fully speak to us. Widerkehr invites us to enjoy the power of God's word, to be reverent before the scriptures, to be un-hurried:

"We do not always realize what a radical suggestion it is for us to read to be transformed rather than to gather information. We are information seekers. We love to cover territory. It is not easy for us to stop reading when the heart is touched; we are a people who like to get finished. Lectio offers us a new way to read. Read with a vulnerable heart. Expect to be blessed in the reading. Read as one awake, one waiting for the beloved. Read with reverence.

We are naturally reverent beings, but much of our natural reverence has been torn away from us because we have been born into a world that hurries. There is no time to be reverent with the earth or with each other. We are all hurrying into progress. And for all our hurrying we lose sight of our true nature a little more each day. This is precisely why we need to believe in the eye of God hovering over us. We are not alone. There is One with us who wants to give back our reverence. There is One with us who wants to give us back the gift of time.

Read the Scriptures, then, with reverence, giving up the lie that you don't have time. Read under the eye of God. Read as one who has nothing but time.

Before you read, you may wish to pray:

All-Seeing One,

above me, around me, within me.

Be my seeing as I read these sacred words.

Look down upon me

Look out from within me

Look all around me

See through my eyes

Hear through my ears

Feel through my heart

Touch me where I need to be touched;

and when my heart is touched,

give me the grace to lay down this Holy Book

and ask significant questions:

Why has my heart been touched?

How am I to be changed through this touch?

All-Seeing one,

I need to change

I need to look a little more like You

May these sacred words change and transform me.

Then I can meet You face to face

without dying

because I've finally died enough

To die is to be healed a little more each death,

until the final death

when I'll be healed forever.

It will be a healing that will last.

Your Words are healing

although they bring about my death."

My Lectio Divino

This is the passage that I read this morning, and bolded are the words and phrases that spoke to me and touched my heart this morning.

¹ I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Paul is such a prolific character, so important to the church in so many ways, that it's often easy for me to forget that he was like the rest of us in some respects. He pleaded for the Lord, "take it away from me." When I read this over carefully this morning, I thought... oh... I say that all the time. Difficulties with relationships, problems getting GRE scores, stomach issues, I say, "Lord take it away from me."

But I seldom hear, or perhaps seldom listen to, the response from God which says, "My grace is sufficient for you." While I don't believe this passage is telling us not to pray for healing or help, I do believe that we are reminded in our prayers to keep in mind the firm understanding that God's grace is enough. I have really wanted to go to the Haiti Disaster Ministry's trip recently, but it doesn't seem that it's possible... especially without any income during the summer. And while I pray for a summer job and the opportunity to go, I remember that God is powerful enough to work in the most difficult circumstances.

If it is His will, I will go without a job. If it is His will, I will work. If it is His will, I will go to Haiti. If it is His will, I won't. If it is His will.... I pray knowing that God is powerful enough to do all that I ask, but also understanding that He knows more than I could ever comprehend. And if this summer is difficult with a little more penny-pinching, I know it will be ok. In fact, I know that God's power is with me, resting on me, over and around me when I am weak, when things are difficult.

This summer things were more than a little difficult between my in-laws, my new husband and myself. There were honestly points where I wished that I weren't married, that I were just on my own. I felt hurt, I felt sad, I felt alone, I felt weak. But now I can see that God's power was resting on me. Though it was hard, I never once considered breaking it off. I knew that I would stay with Brad. For better or for worse means that "worse" will undoubtedly come sooner or later. And I felt God's power through my constant understanding that I pledged my love to Brad before God. So even though I was weak, God's power was strong in me... urging me to stay true to the commitment I had made to my Lord and my love.

On Tuesday at Bible Study, Carrie and Josh announced their engagement. We are so happy for both of them. Carrie asked me about my relationship with my in-laws. I told her about this summer, about the problem with the name, about the hurt. But I also told her that I'm glad it happened. I said, "You know, many people probably don't confront something so difficult in their second week of marriage, but they all do eventually. The most important thing is that you make that commitment to each other for life." And I know that God's power was in the healing process with my in-laws which I am so thankful for. And dealing with such a difficult time this summer has given me even more faith in this marriage... we have been through difficulties, but God's power has been with us through all of it!

Lord, I boast in my weakness, because You are strong... to care for a weak marriage, to care for sickness, to take care of jobs, to take care of all! I pray this morning that I always remember the moments that I have seen God's power in my weakness... and that I have faith that "God's grace is sufficient" whenever I pray for Him to "take it away from me."

The Power of God's Word: Where Joy & Strength Meet

Enjoying the Power of God's Word

We often acknowledge the power of God's word in much that we do... reading, going to church, study in devotional moments, study during Bible Studies or Sunday School, even calling ourselves Christians. But, how often do we stop to enjoy the power of God's word... to glorify Him for the power of His word, to praise and thank the Lord for the strength that it gives us. Three examples from very different moments, very different books will show us ways in which God's Word is powerful.

In the Law

⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ~Nehemiah 8:8-10

This is one of my favorite verses, and for that reason alone I'm pretty sure that I've cited it on my blog before. However, it isn't an old favorite. It's a newer favorite. It reminds me of my dear friend Kammy, who embodied that verse for me... so joyful. Yesterday as we listened to a sermon on joy, I thought of both this verse and Kammy right away... along with many other people and things that bring me joy, of course. But the person giving the sermon mentioned a quote from an old rabbinic text that read, "Someday you will be asked to give an account for all of the good things in God's creation that you were surrounded by and refused to enjoy." Just like the guest preacher, I very seldom think of "giving an account of those things that bring me joy." But, if I ever heard anyone do that, it would be Kammy. She was always saying, "Oh, Katie. I'm just so good. God is so good. He's helping Bi and me." Everything she had to say to me was an account of the joy given to her as a gift from God.

In this verse, though the joy is for a slightly different reason, it is still joy that came from God. Nehemiah makes it clear that this law is not a reason for mourning or sadness or overbearing rules. Quite the contrary. This law brought reason to enjoy and love and appreciate the care and council that the Lord had brought us.

In the Psalms

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace. ~Psalm 29:1-11

When many of us think think of praise and joy in the Bible, it may come quite naturally to look to Psalms... the book of many poems and songs that account for so many emotions certain do hold beautiful verses of joy. What I noticed about Psalm 29 this morning was not just the praise given to the Lord, but the praise given to the Lord because of His "voice". His voice... though we may not always be able to "hear" God in a physical sense, if we open ourselves up to Him, we can hear Him moving in our lives, blessings us with good things, guiding us with scripture and teaching us through the insights of other Christians. We often take for granted the ability to read the Bible, which at one point was not granted to us. In history, there was a point when only certain people were deemed capable to read the Bible. It is a joy to read God's powerful words!

But sometimes, I venture to suggest that we have read the Bible so often, heard the words so many times that we forget the power of these words! Just look at Psalm 29, His words are "everywhere, powerful, majestic, shaking, striking"... in essence, life-changing. Thomas Merton in "Opening the Bible" warns of the complacency which we may develop:

"There is, in a word, nothing comfortable about the Bible- until we manage to get so used to it that we make it comfortable for ourselves. But then we are perhaps too used to it and too at home in it. Let us not be too sure we know the Bible... just because we have learned not to have problems with it. Have we perhaps learned... not to really pay attention to it? Have we ceased to question the book and be questioned by it?"

We can only fully and completely enjoy the power of God's word when we open ourselves up to the challenge that it presents, allowing Him to strengthen us through that encounter.

In the Gospel

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~John 1:1-13

When we hear about God's word, this scripture may come to mind, perhaps for its unique and catchy characteristic, the beginning of John sticks with us. But following Merton's advice, let's allow it to challenge us as well.

Few may know that in Spanish, "verb" is used in place of "word in the first verses. It may seem a minor difference, but to me (as a linguist) a verb is a much more defined grammatical category. A verb implies action, doing something, changing, moving. Jesus, then, came not just to be some kind of word sitting in space. The word, I believe, that is meant by the beginning of John is the kind of word that we use when we say, "send word to so-and-so" or "did you hear the word?" Jesus didn't come just to be, just to exist in the world. He came to spread the message to "all who did receive Him".

Praise the Lord for the power of His word!

Let's enjoy it, let's read it, let's be challenged by it all the days of our lives!

The Call of God: Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep.

Do You Love Me?

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ~John 21:15-17

Many of us are familiar with these verses. "Do you love me? Feed my sheep." During our study of John several years ago, we looked in depth at what these verses mean... including the 3 times asked, compared to the 3 times Peter denied Jesus before the rooster crowed 3 times. Yes, there is symbolism here... perhaps going so deep as to represent the trinity which is made whole in Christ's resurrection, giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Yet this morning, I see another 3 connected... the relationships between Peter, Jesus and others are intricately interconnected in this simple question and answer... "Do you love me? Feed my sheep."

Peter & Jesus

First, I see what is perhaps most at the surface value, although it is un"deniably" important. (Sorry, bad pun.) Yes, Peter had denied Jesus 3 times, and there was a trust that needed to be re-instated, forgiveness that needed to take place. And so, Peter tells Jesus that He loves Him. Furthermore, we often read Peter's response as smart-alecky... "Yeah, you know I love you.... (why did you ask?)." But, stating that He knows Jesus knows shows that Peter knows something he had denied before... Peter is not only Jesus' follower, but he recognizes fully Jesus as Lord, omniscient God who knows all things.

Jesus asks, and Peter responds. But Jesus' next remark leads to the third party who is so important in the whole process of forgiveness and love and Christianity as a whole... our love for God leads us to love others.

Peter & Others

"Yes, Lord I love you."

"Feed/Take care of my lambs/my sheep."

What Jesus is teaching Peter is the new appropriate response to his love for Jesus. While once loving Jesus meant following him (literally) and leaving his family/friends/job (literally), now it would take on new meaning. Jesus wouldn't be there in physical presence any more. But Peter should express his love for Jesus through love and kindness express to Jesus' lambs and sheep.

It even seems that a part of Peter's repentance may be through the act of loving others, feeding Jesus' sheep. After all, what Peter did was for his own sake... in fear he responded, "Oh, no... I don't know the man. Not me." It was not helpful to other Christians who heard about this, and perhaps for this reason it was all the more important that Peter repent (turn 180 degrees) and help those in the faith to not deny Jesus at a crucial time in the birth of Christianity. While repentance involves confessing our sins, it also means turning and doing things differently. What Peter needed to do differently was to proclaim (not deny) the gospel... to feed the people spiritually instead of giving them reason to doubt.

While we may have had an experience of repentance and need to turn to benefit our Christian (and non-Christian) brothers and sisters in response, I believe this passage has much to say to us even if that is not the case. After all, I can imagine the conversation so similar between myself and the Lord, especially important since He is not here to tell us what to do, to literally follow in His footsteps. So, He tells us the footsteps to walk in... to find holiness, to live a set apart life that praises the Lord and glorifies him with every new step. To expresss our love for Jesus, I look to the words written by James C. Fenhagen in an "Invitation to Holiness" which describe so well this link between ourselves and others.

"The pathway to holiness leads us to link ourselves in a serious way to a Kingdom value toward those realizations we are willing to commit our energy. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were touched by holiness in their pursuit of justice through non-violence, clear Kingdom values. The holiness of Mother Teresa and Desmond Tutu is the holiness that emerges out of their compassion for the poor and the oppressed. And there is holiness present in those who struggle for peace and the abolition of the threat of nuclear war. We can't do everything, but each of us can do something. What we do- what we pay attention to- depends, of course, on the tune we hear."

As long as the tune we hear allows us to show our love for Jesus to God and also to others, we are on the right path toward the holy life God calls us to. And in doing so, we can ultimately bring Jesus' sheep to Him.

Others & Jesus

"Feed my lambs."

"Take care of my sheep."

In these verses it seems clear that while we do need to 'take care' of people, we do so acknowledging that they are precious children of God... concerned for both their physical and spiritual well-being. Providence Church had a Missions Statement which I always loved... "We exist to love people into a relationship with Jesus Christ." No arguing, no pushing, no pulling... only loving. Now, after hearing a fascinating talk on apologetics by Ian Pacey last evening, I'm not going to undermine the importance of such logical argumentation. But, I do believe that we often understate the power of love.

One thing I often keep in mind with my classes is... "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." If you never learn your students names, their interests, show compassion, they care very little about the 50 minute discussion section you're leading. The same holds for your Christian faith. If people can't see the love of Christ in your heart, they will never care what kind of faith you are selling. So that leads us back to the first... Peter and Jesus, or you and Jesus... Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" Do you have His love in your heart? That is after all, where we start... to complete and continue to the circle of faith.

I close with a beautiful related reflection that I read this morning also by James C. Fenhagen, this time from "Mutual Ministry."

"I carry within me an image of a covenant between God and humankind that reaches back into the origins of time. It is a covenant both of accountability and forgiveness, calling us to a life of faithfulness in relation to the holiness of God and the needs of the human family. We are indeed 'our brothers' keeper' and we will be held accountable for the way in which we live out this responsibility. The biblical image of the covenant is an image of human and divine solidarity, of relatedness and moral responsibility. It is in relation to this deep sense of belonging that my sense of identity comes- the sense that who I am and who I will become is tied up with my capacity to live with integrity and compassion in relation to the human family of which I am a part. It is a sense that who I am is intimately connected with my capacity for relationships of depths which, at the deepest level, I both yearn for a resist. When grasped by this image of the covenant, I am aware that the freedom and possibility I experience in life is somehow bound up in the figure of the man Jesus who is some incredible life-giving way makes himself present in the deep places of my life. I have a sense- sometimes fleeting, sometimes very real- of what St. Paul meant when he said, 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.' It is this awareness that calls me into covenant with the mystery of life whom we call God."