“Do not fret; it only causes harm.”
Psalm 37:8
Worry, anxiety, fear and doubt, like family, stick together…
Worry led Sarah to send the slave girl, Hagar to bed with Abraham, which resulted in jealousy, abandonment, and the warring of two nations. Anxiety led Samson to marry women who were not suited for him, which resulted in bloodshed and ultimately his demise. Doubt in God’s purposes for their lives led Joseph’s brothers to be jealous of him, which led to lies, deceit and greed.
But Jesus…
I submit to you that Jesus seldom worried and was rarely anxious because His purpose was never to accomplish His own will, but to fulfill God’s plans according to the will of God. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus had a moment that bordered on worry and anxiety. With His suffering and death looming, Jesus called out to God to once and for all confirm His fate. However, Jesus is comforted knowing that God’s will for His life will be accomplished: “Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done.” Even in His weakest hour Jesus understood that worry and anxiety could not stand in the face of the clarity of God’s call.
When God calls you to certain work, a particular place in life, ministry or whatever, then God will also equip you. Worry and fear creep in when we begin to stray from God’s plans and devise our own. God has called you to a season of teaching, but you have set your sights on being the principal and so you worry to get the proper credentials, impress the right people, all while neglecting your present work. God calls you to a season of childrearing, but you fret and worry, comparing yourself to your friends who work outside the home. God calls you to a season of educational growth, but you are anxious to get this phase over with and get in the job market. We must be faithful to the places where God has called us in this moment, this season of our lives.
Our fretting and worrying signal our lack of trust in God. Our fretting and worrying point us to the areas of our lives that are not completely surrendered to God; the areas of our lives that we try to control and hold on to. Today, resist the temptation to plan and walk by your own will for your life. Try trusting God’s plan.
“Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”
John 15:4
The Gospel of John is unique in the many ways that Jesus is imaged: Living Water, Bread of Heaven, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Word Made Flesh. In our text Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. To bear the fruit of Jesus is to be rooted in Jesus. To bear the fruit of Jesus is to abide in Him. But what exactly does it mean to abide in Jesus? To abide is to dwell, stay, settle in, sink deeper. So to abide with Jesus is to dwell with Him, stay with Him, settle in and become more comfortable wit Him, sink deeper into Him.
Let’s say you are planning to make barbecue chicken for dinner…I am not a gourmet cook, but I would advise against grabbing a few pieces of chicken, throwing some barbecue sauce on top and then throwing them in the oven at quarter to 7. Unless you are Rachel Ray, you will end up with chicken with barbecue sauce on top, not barbecue chicken. Now if you really want barbecue chicken, you have to pierce the chicken, marinate it in the barbecue sauce for a few hours, then cook the chicken and let it simmer. What you end up with is barbecue chicken; chicken that has the barbecue flavor throughout, not just on top. We ought to have the flavor of Jesus in the thick of our lives, not just on the surface. In every aspect of our lives we ought to abide in Jesus. Not just on Sunday or during a prayer, but in all things.
This text is not a declaration of your lack of worth without Jesus. No, this text is one of liberation. One way to read this text is as assurance that we do not have to live perfect lives in order to accomplish things of spiritual value. In our relationship with Jesus we engage in the process of be-coming holy; a process that lasts a lifetime. John 15, verse 4 is an invitation. It is an invitation without condition. Jesus simply invites us to dwell with Him, to be with Him, to belong. This text is an invitation to belong.
And in our dwelling and sinking deeper in Jesus, in our belonging, the ordinary moments of life are transformed into holy ones, even our weaknesses and failings, into holy things. Be at home with the personhood of God no matter where your body is. Whether you are in a physical church building, out with friends or in a compromising position, discover the personhood of God where you are. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are today or wherever you may find yourself in the future.
“He, Himself said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
When you are discouraged, do you mull over God’s promises or your fears? God’s life giving Word or the defeatist words of others? When we are discouraged, when we find ourselves in a bad spot, we ought to say “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hewbrews 13:5a-6)
God promises never to leave you…not for your sinfulness, your stubbornness, your failure to love, your inability to keep a job, your sickness, nothing. God promises never to leave you nor forsake you. God is always with us, even in the ordinary. We sometimes think God is only with us in the extraordinary; the new job offer, the fairytale wedding, the miracle of birth, the blessing of a new home. God is in all of those wonders, but God is also with us in the suffering, the disappointments, the ordinary. Even when seemingly nothing major or spectacular is happening in our lives, God is with us!
Today Oprah Winfrey is a household name. Her fans and critics have to agree that she is an extraordinary woman. However, she did not make it to this point because God only showed up in the extraordinary moments. When her grandmother, was teaching her how to be a laundry woman and little Oprah purposed in her mind that she would live a better life, God was there. As a child, when she was made to sleep on the porch out in the cold, God was there. When she was criticized for looking too ethnic, God was there. In her struggles with weight, God was there.
Your circumstances might lead you to question whether or not God is still with You. You may be hanging on by a thread. Be of good courage my friend! God is here. God will never leave you nor forsake you.
Prayer:
Dear God, help me to find you in the extraordinary and the ordinary. Let me be ever mindful of Your presence in and around me. Amen
“But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me Oh Lord in Your righteousness.”
Psalm 5-7-8a
Oh to dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy! Just looking over the past few days, I have been the undeserving recipient of God’s mercy and grace.
To be alive and well is to dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy. To have a roof over one’s head is to dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy. The support of friends and family in good times and in bad times is an indication of the multitude of God’s mercy. To have educational opportunities is to dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy. To experience the joys and sorrows of Christian community is to dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy.
You and I dwell in the multitude of God’s mercy daily. It is there that we experience forgiveness and are loved in spite of ourselves. It is there that we are favored and called blessed despite our circumstances.
As people all over the world experience hardship in the form of food insecurity, unemployment, sickness and disease, mental illness, and much more, it is sometimes very difficult to imagine that there is a God, let alone One who wants to keep us in the multitude of God’s mercy! Nevertheless, we must hold fast, ever mindful that we serve a God who is intimately involved and wrapped up in the lives of God’s people. We serve a God that is not deaf to our cries; a God who knows our needs before we articulate them.
Today, pray for those whose circumstances make their lives seem devoid of God’s mercy and consider how the multitude of God’s mercy you have experienced might spill out into the world.
Prayer:
Lord, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. For health, strength, opportunity, joy, peace, we give thanks. Let the mercies we have experienced flow out of our lives and into the world. Amen.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving out the others.” Matthew 23:23
If spirituality is a robe, then most of us wear it well. We go to church on Sundays, sing in the choir, serve on the Christian Education Board, post Bible verses on Facebook, and attend weekly Bible study. Our robe is well pressed and laundered. There are no blemishes, holes or even wrinkles. But spirituality is not a robe. It is not something we put on one day a week and take off. It cannot be conveniently stored in the closet until we decide we need to throw it on.
This section in the scriptures where Jesus blasts the Pharisees is harsh. However, His accusations, if indeed true of anyone, warrant a little anger and frustration. And Jesus seems to be especially hard on the Pharisees because they are in leadership. Because of their place in the religious community, the Pharisees are in a position to cultivate actual worshipers or frauds, to lead the people to heaven or to hell.
Jesus not only accuses them of outward show, but also of hypocrisy, damnation of souls, false vows and cleansings, self righteousness, boasting and self-conceit. This is quite the list of wrong doings. If we look closely enough we can find ourselves in the text, in the Pharisees. There is much that we engage in for the sake of religious tradition, while neglecting justice and mercy and faith.
This passage is not a complete dismissal of religious tradition. Notice that Jesus is not instructing the Pharisees to cease paying the grain tithe. He is merely reminding them that to do so at the expense of justice, mercy and faith is hypocritical.
I was on my way to church/work this past Sunday. I had built in extra time, so I was not in a hurry. I noticed that a young man was having trouble starting his car. I had made a few trips back and forth between the car and my house and he was still there, trying desperately to start the car. Inevitably, he asked for a jump and when he did I could not help but initially think, “Do I have time? Is this safe? I cannot be late”. But then, as if God had taken over, my concerns subsided and I agreed to give him a jump. Five minutes later, his car was running and I was on my way to church/work.
Prayer:
Lord, like the Pharisees, we are often on our way to engage in religious tradition, duty and practice, when justice, mercy and faith rear their heads and demand our attention. Teach us that we are not off the hook for tithing and other related practices, but that justice and mercy and faith are tantamount. Teach us how to leave ample space in our lives for God’s work and to allow You to take over. Amen.
Last week, civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leaders Conference, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth died at 89. Steve Jobs, an American computer entrepreneur, inventor and co-founder of Apple, succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Russian ballerina, Nina Sorokina died at 69. Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders and the first to hire both an African-American head coach and later, a Hispanic head coach, died last week as well. Derrick Bell, an African-American law professor who originated critical race theory also died last week.
People die all the time; however, the death of well-known civil rights leaders, entrepreneurs, and other prominent figures gently remind us that death is no respecter of persons. The legacy that each of these figures leaves behind, will be beautifully complicated. You and I will read about their lives and make judgments about their strengths and weaknesses, failings and victories. Nevertheless, it is those closest to them, mothers and fathers, children, brothers and sisters, high school friends and college roommates who hold the truths of the actual legacy of their lives.
Jesus was hated in life, which led to His death. Only after His death did the centurion declare, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” Even Jesus’ closest friends misunderstood Him. So His question to Peter in our text is of great significance: “But who do you say that I am?” Jesus is interested, not in what the multitudes have to say about Him, but in what His closest friends have to say. If His friends get is right, then they can be witnesses to the multitudes.
So, today and everyday, engage in the practice of articulating your faith. Wrestle with the scriptures. Ask the hard questions. Be a part of Jesus’ legacy in the world. Who do you say that He is? To witness, without asking this question again and again, is to do the world a disservice.
Prayer:
Lord, grant me the wisdom of Your Spirit as I search the scriptures. Teach me Your ways and grant me the courage to honor them. Amen.
I have read this Psalm time and time again, but this time was different. This time all I could focus on was the first part of the third verse: “Sing (…) a new song.”
The beauty of our faith is that it is rooted in creativity. God set things into motion in the universe, calling things into being. God called Abraham to do a new thing: travel to a new country and embark on a new journey. God called Moses to do a new thing: leave the dessert and wrest freedom from the Pharaoh of Egypt. God did a new thing through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, speaking prophetically to the nations.
God did a new thing through Mary, the Mother of Jesus. God did a new thing through Jesus: walking on earth, dying on a cross. God did a new thing through the fishermen and tax collectors, harlots and soothsayers. God wants to do new things through each of us!
So today, sing a new song. Let go of the same old same old. Try a different spot for lunch, a new recipe for dinner. Sing a new song. Let go of the hurt and the pain of yesterday and purpose to embrace the blessings of this day. Sing a new song. Forgive those who have wronged you. Move on. Sing a new song.
Prayer:
Lord, grant me the courage to live into the newness of each day. Let me be a part of your new work in the world. Amen.
“Whatever, I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and whatever you hear in your ear, preach on the rooftops.”
-Mark 10:27
God is still speaking. Sometimes we forget that God did not silence God’s voice after visiting Moses in the burning bush or after giving Abraham direction about his offspring. God did not retire from prophecy post Jeremiah and Ezekiel. God is still speaking. The Martin Luther King Jr. monument on the mall is a testament to God’s voice still audible in the 21st century. The legacy of Ghandi is a testament to a God who still speaks.
Have you ever heard God speaking to you? On Sundays and in the walls of a church building, through the preacher during the 11am hour, God speaks, but what about the rest of the week? God speaks through the wind and the rain, the grocery store clerk, the gas station attendant. God speaks through the friend we can count on, the woman walking her dog, the heroine of the novel we are reading. We need only open our spiritual eyes and ears. We need only listen and we will hear God, see God.
And when we think we have heard God, seen God, then what? According to our text we ought to tell somebody. Once you utter aloud what you sense God telling you, you will be surprised to discover confirmation. You may hear things like, “The book I am reading is about exactly that,” or “I just heard the same thing from my hair dresser the other day.”
We are not quick to hear and receive. God knows that. Most likely, when we think we have heard God speaking, God will second that voice through others in unlikely spaces and places. We need only listen, for indeed God is still speaking.
Prayer:
Dear God, Draw me into total surrender to You. Open my eyes, my ears. Grant me the wisdom to see you, hear you and respond in love.
This text is a very familiar one. It is a text that children memorize and recite before the church on Sunday morning. It is a text that most Christian adults know by heart, because at some point in their lives they had to memorize it and recite it before the church on Sunday morning. It is a text that sums up the crux of Christianity. Given all that though, I am not sure we really understand its meaning.
This text reminds us…
of God’s love, not just for those who believe in Jesus Christ, but for the whole world. It reminds us of God’s love, not just for The United States of America, but for the whole world. It reminds us of God’s love for the Jew and the Palestinian. God’s love is far-reaching. God’s love is free of bias. We are all God’s people. According to our text today, Christians do not have a monopoly on Jesus.
This text reminds us that…
salvation is more than deliverance from sin and personal holiness.
It is being completely delivered from oneself and being placed in perfect union with God through Christ. Salvation is about surrender; surrender to God’s love. Salvation challenges us to give ourselves to Jesus in the same way that Jesus gave Himself to us: totally, unconditionally and without reservation.
This text reminds us that…
we are called not to preach holiness or sanctification, but Jesus Christ. Too much time is spent in church preaching condemnation, prosperity and politics. Not enough time is spent preaching and teaching Jesus Christ. Holiness flows out of relationship with Jesus. Get Jesus in the picture and the other things will work themselves out through Him.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to be grateful for the sacrifice and obedience of the Son. You gave us Your One and Only. Teach us to be faithful enough to do the same, giving You our very lives. Remind us of your far-reaching love, help us to surrender to You, and always lead us back to the Son.
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy or Me. “
Matthew 10:37
There are parts of the Bible that are less palatable than others; words we would rather not grapple with, ideas we would rather not subscribe to. However, if we take a closer look and employ what a friend of mine likes to call our “sanctified imagination” we find that these passages have much to teach us.
Our text is in need of the “sanctified imagination”. It is a truth that we may be adverse to hearing. It may be indicative of why God has been described as a “jealous” God.
God is not interested in just parts of us. Its humor was questionable, but I recently read a joke that illustrates the difference between God’s acceptance of us and man’s: “Five Rule for Men to Follow a Happy Life: 1. It’s important to have a woman who helps at home, cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job / 2. It’s important to have a woman who makes you laugh/ 3. It’s important to have a woman you can trust who doesn’t lie to you./ 4. It’s important to have a woman you are physically attracted to./ 5. It’s important that these four women do not know each other.”*
The joke is rooted in the idea that some men are looking not to accept the many different facets of one woman, but just many different women. God wants us all; not just our domesticated selves, our physical selves, our brilliant mind, our heart on the weekends and our spirit during the week…No, God wants all of us; every part of us: the good and the bad. With that kind of acceptance from the Almighty, who can argue if God desires that we put God first?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for loving every part of me. Thank You for allowing me to be whole and complete. Help me to put You first. Let my love for others flow out of my love for You. Amen
*Adapted from Ralph Richard Banks’ Is Marriage for White People?