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Perhaps you've seen the movie "Julie and Julia," an interwoven story of a New York woman who cooks her way through Julia Child's masterpiece "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Meryl Streep plays Julia, and who doesn't love Meryl Streep?
Well, being temporarily without the book I was currently reading over the weekend, I went to the bookstore and bought the book. I like how Julie Powell writes - all slash and dash and pick up the pieces later. She doesn't slide fancy words together like pearls on a string, but flings them across the page like so many marbles, round and smooth and shiny. However, if you are easily offended by the "f" word, then Julie Powell's earthy tome is not for you. If you can get past her language and oft times risque subject matter, then the book is a gem of real life in the real world.
So, what in the world does "Julie and Julia" have do to with "Reading The Bible 2010?"
Just this: In some respects, isn't the Bible the same? The Bible is full of lust and adultery, murder and deceit, mankind screwing up over and over and over again. If the "f" word offends you, then the passage in Psalms where we are told, "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!" (Psalm 137:9) ought to make you pause. Just what kind of book is this anyway?
I think the Bible speaks to us because it IS earthy, it DOES "speak to our condition," and, God help us, it IS our story. We can be a vengeful and outrageous people, and sometimes I wonder why on earth God puts up with us. If the vast majority of the stories in the Bible are those of greed and envy and sloth and whatever the other deadly sins are, why do we consider it the holiest of books? Why is the Bible the book we turn to when we need comfort and solace? Why has the Bible, in all its forms, last for thousands of years?
Just this - every time we screw up, God is there to catch us. Every time we fall from grace (for most of us, that's probably on a daily basis) God is there with His arms open. Every time we acknowledge our faults and our sin and our shortcomings, God is there to say, "It's okay, I love you, now go and don't do it again, y'hear?" If the story of man is that of violence and dispair, then the story of God gives us hope, because even at His most vengeful, God has our best interests at heart. We live because He wants us to. And sometimes, maybe that's enough. I read somewhere that children are God's opinion that mankind should continue. And if I'm alive today, it's because He has a plan for my life.
So be it. Amen and amen!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
April 11, 2010 - John 20:24,25 "Doubting Thomas"
Here's the "backstory:" Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. He rose from the dead on the third day. He was seen by the women and also by some of the apostles. "But Thomas, (who was called the Twin) one of twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
Poor Thomas. He kind of gets the short end of the stick, doesn't he? I figure Thomas must have been from Missouri (the "Show Me" state)! I have to tell you that I identify with Thomas...a lot. I too, while not exactly doubting, had to be shown the Lord before I became a believer. For some of you, the following account of how I came to Christ may be something you've already heard. For others, it will be new.
This is what happened:
On May 16, 1996, my life changed forever.
I had a dream, and in my dream I was standing on a hillside, green and lush and beautiful. There were animals of every description, giraffes and lions and lambs and dogs and cats, just every living creature known to man was there, all peacefully being together. In the distance, I could see a man that I knew was Jesus. He was dressed in a white garment, and had sandals on His feet. He was making His way towards me, but would stop to talk to other people along the way. And as He spoke with them, their expressions would just be filled with light. In my dream, I knew He was saving me for last, and when He finally came to me, He put His arm around me and looked deep into my eyes. There was such love and acceptance and joy in those eyes. He saw everything there was to know about me, all the horrible things that had happened to me, and all the lousy things I’d done in my life. And He loved me anyway. Then He asked, “Will you follow Me?” And I said, “Yes! I will follow You anywhere!” I remember we talked for a while afterwards, but my conscious mind doesn’t recall what was said. I believe my soul knows exactly what was said, and it shines in my heart to this day. All I knew when I woke up was that Jesus was REAL, and that threw everything I thought I knew about God into utter turmoil.
It's been a journey since then - a journey of ups and downs and wonderings and questions and lots and lots of prayer. How many of us, I wonder, know about Jesus, we worship Him in church, sing songs to and about Him, praise Him even...but do we really KNOW Him? Has Jesus looked into your eyes and said "Follow Me?" Maybe that's what needs to happen before we can truly say we are a Christian. I'm not suggesting everyone needs an experience such as mine. I think I was so far gone, He had to come get me Himself. Maybe its that way for all of us. In whatever way He came for you, did you say "yes?"
So I say, let's ease up on Thomas....perhaps he's not so different from you and me after all.
Poor Thomas. He kind of gets the short end of the stick, doesn't he? I figure Thomas must have been from Missouri (the "Show Me" state)! I have to tell you that I identify with Thomas...a lot. I too, while not exactly doubting, had to be shown the Lord before I became a believer. For some of you, the following account of how I came to Christ may be something you've already heard. For others, it will be new.
This is what happened:
On May 16, 1996, my life changed forever.
I had a dream, and in my dream I was standing on a hillside, green and lush and beautiful. There were animals of every description, giraffes and lions and lambs and dogs and cats, just every living creature known to man was there, all peacefully being together. In the distance, I could see a man that I knew was Jesus. He was dressed in a white garment, and had sandals on His feet. He was making His way towards me, but would stop to talk to other people along the way. And as He spoke with them, their expressions would just be filled with light. In my dream, I knew He was saving me for last, and when He finally came to me, He put His arm around me and looked deep into my eyes. There was such love and acceptance and joy in those eyes. He saw everything there was to know about me, all the horrible things that had happened to me, and all the lousy things I’d done in my life. And He loved me anyway. Then He asked, “Will you follow Me?” And I said, “Yes! I will follow You anywhere!” I remember we talked for a while afterwards, but my conscious mind doesn’t recall what was said. I believe my soul knows exactly what was said, and it shines in my heart to this day. All I knew when I woke up was that Jesus was REAL, and that threw everything I thought I knew about God into utter turmoil.
It's been a journey since then - a journey of ups and downs and wonderings and questions and lots and lots of prayer. How many of us, I wonder, know about Jesus, we worship Him in church, sing songs to and about Him, praise Him even...but do we really KNOW Him? Has Jesus looked into your eyes and said "Follow Me?" Maybe that's what needs to happen before we can truly say we are a Christian. I'm not suggesting everyone needs an experience such as mine. I think I was so far gone, He had to come get me Himself. Maybe its that way for all of us. In whatever way He came for you, did you say "yes?"
So I say, let's ease up on Thomas....perhaps he's not so different from you and me after all.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
April 4, 2010 - Christ is Risen!
From "The Message" - John, chapter 20
"Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
"Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sittting ther, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"
"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know here they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
Jesus said, "Mary."
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, "I ascend to my Faither and your Father, my God and your God."
Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciple: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her."
The Word of the Lord.
I love the story of Christ's Resurrection! Out of dispair and hopelessness comes the ultimate gift. So much has been written on the Resurrection by people more knowledgeable theologically than I, so I won't even try to compete with those more learned than I. I can only share, as the twelve-step programs say, my "experience, strength, and hope."
Before I met Christ, I mean really met Him, I was lost. I was searching. I had made my own religion, but something was missing. Oh, I knew about Jesus, of course, but I didn't know
Him. Then Jesus came to me in a dream, and my life was transformed. I once was dead, and now I live!
I do find it interesting that Mary didn't recogize Jesus, whom she had spent so much time with, until He called her name after His sacrifice. Me, too. Maybe it's that way with all believers. When Jesus has called your name, and you recognize Him for Who He IS, your life changes forever.
So, on this Easter Sunday, I give praise and honor and glory to the One who pulled me out of the muck and mire, dispair and hopelessness of my human existance, and lifted me on my feet, and instilled in me a Living Hope, and the gift of true Life.
Christ is Risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!!!
"Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
"Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sittting ther, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"
"They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know here they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?"
She, thinking that was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
Jesus said, "Mary."
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, "I ascend to my Faither and your Father, my God and your God."
Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciple: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her."
The Word of the Lord.
I love the story of Christ's Resurrection! Out of dispair and hopelessness comes the ultimate gift. So much has been written on the Resurrection by people more knowledgeable theologically than I, so I won't even try to compete with those more learned than I. I can only share, as the twelve-step programs say, my "experience, strength, and hope."
Before I met Christ, I mean really met Him, I was lost. I was searching. I had made my own religion, but something was missing. Oh, I knew about Jesus, of course, but I didn't know
Him. Then Jesus came to me in a dream, and my life was transformed. I once was dead, and now I live!
I do find it interesting that Mary didn't recogize Jesus, whom she had spent so much time with, until He called her name after His sacrifice. Me, too. Maybe it's that way with all believers. When Jesus has called your name, and you recognize Him for Who He IS, your life changes forever.
So, on this Easter Sunday, I give praise and honor and glory to the One who pulled me out of the muck and mire, dispair and hopelessness of my human existance, and lifted me on my feet, and instilled in me a Living Hope, and the gift of true Life.
Christ is Risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!!!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
April 3, 2010 - Holy Saturday
In the cycle of the church calendar, today is called Holy Saturday. It is that waiting time between Christ's crucifixion and His Resurrection. It is in this "in-between" place where many of us live our lives.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It is a day of hope, of expectation, of "finally, something is happening!" But Jesus makes enemies, doesn't He?
So, on Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper, and in some traditions (including my own), the service includes a ritual foot-washing. Maundy is the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.
Jesus is betrayed by one of His own diciples, Judas Iscariot. He is beaten, mocked, tortured, and finally crucified, a barbaric, painful, lengthy process.
Now, Jesus' body was not left to hang for days, as was sometimes the case. His body was removed from the cross and laid in a tomb that had never yet been used. It was before the Passover, so what preperation was done the body was not completed. The women took note of where He lay, and made plans to return to finish the job of anointing His body for the grave.
Which bring us to Holy Saturday. A day of "in-between." A day of dispair, and in the case of Jesus' followers, not even a day of waiting. Even though Jesus told them He would be raised on the third day, I don't think they "got it." This wasn't a day of waiting for the Resurrection for them; it was a day of mourning and of fear. It was a day of hiding out, jumping at every sudden sound, waiting for the authorities to come after them too.
What great courage it must have taken for the women to leave the relative safety of the hideout in order to go to the graveyard that Easter morning! What courage! They knew they could have been arrested anytime, and perhaps share in Jesus' fate, but they went anyway. What bravery!
But, for us, today is a waiting day. A day of waiting for Easter. A day of waiting for Resurrection. A day of "finally! He's back!"
In the church, Holy Saturday is the day in which "Christ decended to the dead." There is much speculation about what He actually DID. Maybe, just to humanize things a little, He went Home and said, "Hey, Dad, I'm finished." But....He wasn't finished. When He said, "It is finished" on the cross, He didn't mean the entire task was finished, only that portion of it. There was still a lot left to do. Including decending to the dead. But the greatest task, from our worldly point of view, was the Resurrection. But...that's tomorrow. Today we are still in Holy Saturday. Today we wait.
I said in the beginning that for many of us, this is where we live our lives. No longer in an excruciatingly painful place, but not yet having realized the joy of our own lives resurrection, we are in that place where we simply have to wait. Holy Saturday is a long day.
And yet, and yet...for us who carry in our hearts the Joy of Resurrections known, it is a day of hopeful waiting, of joyful waiting perhaps. It is a day when we know a better day is coming. It is a day when we can have faith in knowing that "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again." Hallelujah!
May you have a blessed and restful day of waiting, and a joyous Easter tomorrow!
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It is a day of hope, of expectation, of "finally, something is happening!" But Jesus makes enemies, doesn't He?
So, on Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper, and in some traditions (including my own), the service includes a ritual foot-washing. Maundy is the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.
Jesus is betrayed by one of His own diciples, Judas Iscariot. He is beaten, mocked, tortured, and finally crucified, a barbaric, painful, lengthy process.
Now, Jesus' body was not left to hang for days, as was sometimes the case. His body was removed from the cross and laid in a tomb that had never yet been used. It was before the Passover, so what preperation was done the body was not completed. The women took note of where He lay, and made plans to return to finish the job of anointing His body for the grave.
Which bring us to Holy Saturday. A day of "in-between." A day of dispair, and in the case of Jesus' followers, not even a day of waiting. Even though Jesus told them He would be raised on the third day, I don't think they "got it." This wasn't a day of waiting for the Resurrection for them; it was a day of mourning and of fear. It was a day of hiding out, jumping at every sudden sound, waiting for the authorities to come after them too.
What great courage it must have taken for the women to leave the relative safety of the hideout in order to go to the graveyard that Easter morning! What courage! They knew they could have been arrested anytime, and perhaps share in Jesus' fate, but they went anyway. What bravery!
But, for us, today is a waiting day. A day of waiting for Easter. A day of waiting for Resurrection. A day of "finally! He's back!"
In the church, Holy Saturday is the day in which "Christ decended to the dead." There is much speculation about what He actually DID. Maybe, just to humanize things a little, He went Home and said, "Hey, Dad, I'm finished." But....He wasn't finished. When He said, "It is finished" on the cross, He didn't mean the entire task was finished, only that portion of it. There was still a lot left to do. Including decending to the dead. But the greatest task, from our worldly point of view, was the Resurrection. But...that's tomorrow. Today we are still in Holy Saturday. Today we wait.
I said in the beginning that for many of us, this is where we live our lives. No longer in an excruciatingly painful place, but not yet having realized the joy of our own lives resurrection, we are in that place where we simply have to wait. Holy Saturday is a long day.
And yet, and yet...for us who carry in our hearts the Joy of Resurrections known, it is a day of hopeful waiting, of joyful waiting perhaps. It is a day when we know a better day is coming. It is a day when we can have faith in knowing that "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again." Hallelujah!
May you have a blessed and restful day of waiting, and a joyous Easter tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
March 30, 2010 - Job 12:7-12 "Talk to the animals"
"But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing,
and the breath of every human being.
Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?
is wisdom with the aged, and understanding in length of days?"
I learn so much from the four-legged creatures who share my home. Jasper is a Beagle/Jack Russell male, and Valentino is a Chihuahua/terrier mix. They couldn't be more different, but they are alike in one thing - they both think I'm the greatest thing since chicken. (I would have said kibble, but they like chicken better!)
Jasper is a very patient dog. He's older now, about 8 years old, and starting to slow down just a touch. He puts up with Valentino, who is only a little over a year and so has LOTS of energy. They will play together, but sometimes Jasper will just stand still and let Valentino run all around him. Tino will just pester and pester and pester until Jasper either gives in and plays, or else lets him know in no uncertain terms he's not interested. Both dogs know exactly where they stand with each other at all times.
Both Jasper and Tino are lovers with people and doggie friends they know. Tino likes to cuddle at night; Jasper usually comes and joins us in bed about 2:00 in the morning, bless his heart. They are absolutely loyal and loving creatures and ask nothing more than a little food, a little water, a yard to play and do their business in, and a whole lot of love. Their needs and wants are so simple. I can learn a lot from them, about life.
The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow - tomorrow will take care of itself, and when I look at my dogs, I know they take that to heart. They don't know what tomorrow will bring, and they don't care. All they care about is now. Whether its being curled up on the couch or in my lap, or at dinner time, or just hanging out on the front porch, all there is is NOW.
Of course, their lives would be different if somebody wasn't taking care of future needs. I go to work, pay the bills, keep food on the table and in the bowls on the floor. And they're perfectly content for it to be so.
Am I so different? Do I rely one hundred percent on the bounty of my Master? Do I trust Him to take care of me? Do I allow myself to rest completely in His arms? Do I curl up with Him at the end of the day, knowing that just being with Him is enough for me?
Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of my critters. I would have more, if I could, but these two are enough. Thank You for their love and their companionship and their loyalty. I am so very blessed...thank You, Lord.
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing,
and the breath of every human being.
Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?
is wisdom with the aged, and understanding in length of days?"
I learn so much from the four-legged creatures who share my home. Jasper is a Beagle/Jack Russell male, and Valentino is a Chihuahua/terrier mix. They couldn't be more different, but they are alike in one thing - they both think I'm the greatest thing since chicken. (I would have said kibble, but they like chicken better!)
Jasper is a very patient dog. He's older now, about 8 years old, and starting to slow down just a touch. He puts up with Valentino, who is only a little over a year and so has LOTS of energy. They will play together, but sometimes Jasper will just stand still and let Valentino run all around him. Tino will just pester and pester and pester until Jasper either gives in and plays, or else lets him know in no uncertain terms he's not interested. Both dogs know exactly where they stand with each other at all times.
Both Jasper and Tino are lovers with people and doggie friends they know. Tino likes to cuddle at night; Jasper usually comes and joins us in bed about 2:00 in the morning, bless his heart. They are absolutely loyal and loving creatures and ask nothing more than a little food, a little water, a yard to play and do their business in, and a whole lot of love. Their needs and wants are so simple. I can learn a lot from them, about life.
The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow - tomorrow will take care of itself, and when I look at my dogs, I know they take that to heart. They don't know what tomorrow will bring, and they don't care. All they care about is now. Whether its being curled up on the couch or in my lap, or at dinner time, or just hanging out on the front porch, all there is is NOW.
Of course, their lives would be different if somebody wasn't taking care of future needs. I go to work, pay the bills, keep food on the table and in the bowls on the floor. And they're perfectly content for it to be so.
Am I so different? Do I rely one hundred percent on the bounty of my Master? Do I trust Him to take care of me? Do I allow myself to rest completely in His arms? Do I curl up with Him at the end of the day, knowing that just being with Him is enough for me?
Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of my critters. I would have more, if I could, but these two are enough. Thank You for their love and their companionship and their loyalty. I am so very blessed...thank You, Lord.
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 22, 2010 - Mark 1:35,36 "He prayed"
"In the morning, while it was still dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him."
Sigh...is there no rest? Since Jesus walked out of His mother's door, He's been busy. He's turned water into wine at a wedding, healed innumerable people, raised people from the dead, preached and taught and walked and blessed and preached and taught and blessed and walked some more. He had to have been tired.
I've noticed that Jesus prays a lot. In my early days as a Christian, I questioned that. If Jesus was God, why would He need to pray to Himself? It made no sense. But in His earthly visit to this world, Jesus was just as fully man as He was God. It's the explanation, but I confess it's still hard to wrap my head around. The whole concept of the Trinity is one I find more than difficult to explain to people.
But I surely do understand His need for rest. So much to do, and so little time to do it. But it does make we wonder about myself. I often feel overwhelmed with all the things I need to do, just to keep my head above water. I get tired and cranky, and resting seems like something other people might have time for, but I surely don't. And yet, and yet... if even Jesus made time for rest; if even Jesus made time to pray, with all that was on HIS plate, surely I can do the same.
Writing this blog, for me, is prayer. It gives me the opportunity to look into the Bible, think about things, let God speak to me. Sometimes...often times!...there is a lot I don't understand, but the very act of reading God's word is restful. There is something intensely calming about God's word, even when the word is violent, as it often is. In one respect though, Jesus had it easier than I. His culture, His religion as an observant Jew, required Him to take a day of rest. For Him it wasn't like He could pick and choose. A day of rest is just what you did every Sabbath, and that is one thing that seems to have dropped by the wayside. And yet, if Jesus could do that...if He could take one day out of seven to rest, why can't I?
Sigh...is there no rest? Since Jesus walked out of His mother's door, He's been busy. He's turned water into wine at a wedding, healed innumerable people, raised people from the dead, preached and taught and walked and blessed and preached and taught and blessed and walked some more. He had to have been tired.
I've noticed that Jesus prays a lot. In my early days as a Christian, I questioned that. If Jesus was God, why would He need to pray to Himself? It made no sense. But in His earthly visit to this world, Jesus was just as fully man as He was God. It's the explanation, but I confess it's still hard to wrap my head around. The whole concept of the Trinity is one I find more than difficult to explain to people.
But I surely do understand His need for rest. So much to do, and so little time to do it. But it does make we wonder about myself. I often feel overwhelmed with all the things I need to do, just to keep my head above water. I get tired and cranky, and resting seems like something other people might have time for, but I surely don't. And yet, and yet... if even Jesus made time for rest; if even Jesus made time to pray, with all that was on HIS plate, surely I can do the same.
Writing this blog, for me, is prayer. It gives me the opportunity to look into the Bible, think about things, let God speak to me. Sometimes...often times!...there is a lot I don't understand, but the very act of reading God's word is restful. There is something intensely calming about God's word, even when the word is violent, as it often is. In one respect though, Jesus had it easier than I. His culture, His religion as an observant Jew, required Him to take a day of rest. For Him it wasn't like He could pick and choose. A day of rest is just what you did every Sabbath, and that is one thing that seems to have dropped by the wayside. And yet, if Jesus could do that...if He could take one day out of seven to rest, why can't I?
Monday, March 15, 2010
March 15, 2010 - 1 Peter 4:7-11
"...therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
There comes a point when simply showing up for church on Sunday is not enough. For me, that point comes and goes. Sometimes it's all I can do to drag myself there, and other times I can't get enough. A lot depends on my life circumstances at the time.
I didn't attend church much when my husband was sick, especially towards the end. I don't do well in a large church. Nobody really cares if you're there or not and they have all the help they need. A small church is a better fit for me. I feel useful and wanted, more like part of the family instead of a "check-with-face-attached."
This passage from 1 Peter speaks to that for me. "Serve one another with whatever gift each of you have received." God has gifted me in many areas. I can rub two words together and make a pretty good story. I can read aloud clearly and with appropriate volume. I can listen. I can pray. I can serve.
Now, the next part is a little more difficult. "Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God..." Yikes! Trust me, not everything that comes out of my mouth are words that God would speak! But...I do try. I've been dealing with an issue lately that made me just want to go and vent to a co-worker. But before I did, I remembered that acronym that I talked about before. T-H-I-N-K. Was it Truthful? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind? My issue passed the "T", but pretty much failed the other 4. So, I decided to button my lip and let it pass. (Thank you, Mary Welchel of the Christian Working Woman radio show, for that.)
So today, it looks like I have kind of a tall order on my plate. Be of service, speak the words of God, glorify Christ. Be hospitable. Don't complain. Love. I can in no way do any of these things on my own, but I know that God will supply all the strength I need when the need arises. Thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You've placed in my life. Thank You for the opportunity to be of service. Thank You for my health, for the ability to see and think and feel and enjoy Your creation. Thank You for my jobs (all of them!). Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Your precious Son, Who makes all things new...even me.
Blessings to you, my dear readers. May God bless your day today!
There comes a point when simply showing up for church on Sunday is not enough. For me, that point comes and goes. Sometimes it's all I can do to drag myself there, and other times I can't get enough. A lot depends on my life circumstances at the time.
I didn't attend church much when my husband was sick, especially towards the end. I don't do well in a large church. Nobody really cares if you're there or not and they have all the help they need. A small church is a better fit for me. I feel useful and wanted, more like part of the family instead of a "check-with-face-attached."
This passage from 1 Peter speaks to that for me. "Serve one another with whatever gift each of you have received." God has gifted me in many areas. I can rub two words together and make a pretty good story. I can read aloud clearly and with appropriate volume. I can listen. I can pray. I can serve.
Now, the next part is a little more difficult. "Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God..." Yikes! Trust me, not everything that comes out of my mouth are words that God would speak! But...I do try. I've been dealing with an issue lately that made me just want to go and vent to a co-worker. But before I did, I remembered that acronym that I talked about before. T-H-I-N-K. Was it Truthful? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind? My issue passed the "T", but pretty much failed the other 4. So, I decided to button my lip and let it pass. (Thank you, Mary Welchel of the Christian Working Woman radio show, for that.)
So today, it looks like I have kind of a tall order on my plate. Be of service, speak the words of God, glorify Christ. Be hospitable. Don't complain. Love. I can in no way do any of these things on my own, but I know that God will supply all the strength I need when the need arises. Thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You've placed in my life. Thank You for the opportunity to be of service. Thank You for my health, for the ability to see and think and feel and enjoy Your creation. Thank You for my jobs (all of them!). Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Your precious Son, Who makes all things new...even me.
Blessings to you, my dear readers. May God bless your day today!
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