Celebrate Michaelmas!

St. Michael the Archangel, Kiev Square, Ukraine

... or the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels! Wikipedia says this about the Archangel Michael, "He is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence."* Um... understatement.

In Revelation 12 Michael and the angels of the Lord fight the dragon (Satan) and his angel followers ... in the final defeat. The deceiver is thrown out of heaven and then a loud voice cries out, "Now the salvation and the power and kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser ... has been thrown down ... ! ... And, they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony ...." (12:10-11) If you could have anyone fight by your side in addition to Jesus (of course) St. Michael is a good choice.

A couple of years ago I took an iconography class where we painted an icon of St. Michael. Since then I have painted him over and over, wanting to listen to his voice and learn it. For the one he protects, his is a voice of hope and en-couragement and confidence. For the one against him, Michael's is a war cry that sounds his defeat. He has become an important player in my awareness of all that goes on in the heavenlies ... the protector against the dark of night and the one who sends messengers and warriors into the battle.

In the book of Daniel it is Michael who comes to the aid of Gabriel. It is because of Michael that Gabriel makes it through the war to Daniel delivering his message of hope and deliverance.

I find it an amazing thing to look back on the history of the Ukraine and see that above the city of Kiev stands this Archangel ... protecting, keeping ,fighting for its people. He stands above it on both ends of the square.

St. Michael the Archangel, Kiev Square, Ukraine

Do you see him on the other end, standing victorious upon the pillar? And, the people below ... under his protection, angel warriors sent by the Almighty to keep them.

Dr. Allen Ross says that one angel lifting one finger could defeat the enemies of God. That's an angel. What about an Archangel? We have the hosts of heaven keeping us under the protection of the blood of the Lamb. Praise be to God! Yes, praise be to God!

Lord, send your mighty angels to do battle for us and keep us in the powerful care of your hand.
In the Name ... Jesus ... Hashem ... AMEN.


*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelmas

On the road again ...

... but this time the destination is a more permanent one: Lake George, New York. Four weeks ago, the Vestry and Search Committee of St. James Episcopal Church called me to be their next Rector and I accepted.

St. James Episcopal Church, Lake George NY

This is the culmination of 2 years and 8 months of prayer ... not only my prayers but the many who walked this journey with me. And, it answers the prayers of the St. James' Family who have asked God to grant them discernment and wisdom during their search for their next Rector.

What amazes me is God's incredible weaving of all the various strands of prayer. Every thread of warp and woof (or is it weft?) of this tapestry was woven so that at the perfect time we would come together in agreement that this was indeed God's plan. Over the past years it took great courage for all of us ... those who prayed with us and for us as well as for the Vestry, Search Committee, and me ... to say "no" when our hearts wanted to say "yes", and to wait when we wanted to act. One of the greatest lessons in all of this has been learning to listen to the heart of God for what He wanted to do ... in us and through us.

The lectionary for this coming Sunday talks about Solomon asking God for wisdom to lead the people of God. "Understanding mind" can be translated "listening heart". We all need to ask God for "listening hearts" – hearts that are tuned to His frequency, listening for His voice, His transmission of what he desires for us, His blessing for us. There are so many times we want to jump ahead, get going, step on the gas ... but He asks us to wait, say "no", be still. Ugh! Please can't we get going?

No. Wait. Listen. And, Understand.

Solomon asked for a heart that listened to the heart of God in order to govern and lead His people. Don't we need that same listening in order to live this life with{IN} Christ? It's not necessarily something that comes naturally BUT we can learn to do. I know we can, because I have learned to do this over the last few years. (And, I continue to learn!) I testify that it reveals the wonderful and amazing ways of our Master. I witnessed how he marvelously provided for me over the last few years and now, I get to go to St. James, Lake George. What a blessing!

Ask with me. Ask for the LORD God to grant us listening hearts that will understand and discern the ways of God that we may live life wisely ... full of His grace and peace.

Abundant and scandalous blessings of God our Father to you as you listen for Him. +++

Crazy Christians

Over 200 years ago 13 colonies took crazy measures to join together for the cause of freedom and liberty. Many among them were Christians navigating very dangerous and challenging waters of that revolution ... in this country and in the church ... to bring about a historic birth of The United States.

Although we live in this nation where we know countless blessings of freedom and liberty, we continually must navigate very dangerous and challenging waters of our times. Recent news events demonstrate this. Yet, as Christians we know the true freedom and liberty in Jesus Christ and our work here is to bless others in our family, community, and nation with that blessing. Now, is the time for Crazy Christians to join together for the cause of blessing the nations.

At The Episcopal Church's General Convention Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry challenged us to be Crazy Christians for Jesus Christ.  

"Mine eyes have seen the glory ..."

AMEN!

Your Love is Loyal ... by Lauren Daigle

Listen to this in relation to praying Psalm 28 ... the previous post.

Killing Giants, Stilling Storms: Take 2

So, what does it look like to take steps of faith vs. fear? Sylvia Gunter has an excellent email devotional today that answers that question. (My apologies to Sylvia that I could not locate it on her website, The Father's Business, and have copied it here.)

Praying Psalm 28 A Prayer For Help And Praise For The Answer       Has there been a time when it seemed that God was not listening to you? Did you feel as if He was far away? Be encouraged that God sees and hears you. He will renew your sense of intimacy with Him, for He has not moved. Take your eyes off the problems and raise them to praise Him for His loving care. The psalmist said, "It is pleasant and fitting to praise the Lord" (Ps. 147:1). 1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.       I run to you when things get tough. I desperately need help. Hear me, and don't be silent. Don't turn me away. I am crying from an honest heart. I am struggling and in pain. My trust is fractured, and my feelings are hanging by a thread. I want with all my being to trust that You are my Lord and my Rock of safety. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.       I earnestly throw myself on Your mercy. I call to You as desperately as I ever have in all my life. By faith I lift my hands to Your holy throne of grace. Answer me, and let me hear Your voice. I need You to be there for me. I need to know You are close. I need Your answer to be clear and tailor-made for my desperation. 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.       Don't let me be ignorant of the enemy's devices. The people I see are not the real adversary. Don't let me fight according to flesh and blood. The workers of iniquity hide themselves behind smooth words. Don't let their destructive intent have its way against me. 4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. 5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.       I choose to bless the people who are being used to come against me, and I beg You to take Your rightful authority over the invisible powers behind their visible actions. They have set themselves primarily against You and secondarily against me, the work of Your hands. Lord, it's Your battle. 6 Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.       I praise You for who You are to me. Thank You for Your work in my life. Because of Your character as a committed covenantal Father, You are gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, desiring to bless me. I thank You that in Your mercy You hear the cry of my heart when I plead Your promises. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.       You are my strength, or I have no strength to withstand. I hide myself and still my soul in Your impenetrable shield. The habit structures of self-protection do not serve me. You are my refuge, my fortress, my protector, my help, my hope, my high tower to which I run and am safe. Renew my broken trust in the innermost parts of my heart. Enable my heart to lean confidently into You and shout for joy because of the joy of the Lord. I will choose now to give You an offering of songs of thanksgiving. 8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.  Abba, I belong to You. You committed Yourself to protecting me. You alone are my unyielding strength and my sure salvation. On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. I stand still in Your fortress to see Your salvation. I will hide my soul deep in the Rock. I am Your special treasure, chosen, anointed, appointed, sealed by Your Holy Spirit. 9 Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.       Save me and nurture me, and let me enter into all my inheritance of Your blessings. You are my good Shepherd. You will lift me up onto Your shoulders and carry me all the days of my life. So Lord, for today... give me this day the Bread of life that is my rightful portion. You alone are my Victory!      Write your own personal paraphrase of Psalm 28, as aspects of God's character and works exactly fit your need: He is your rock, mercy, holiness, justice, strength, shield from every danger, faithfulness, help, saving refuge, protection, and shepherding presence. Does your heart fill with joy and thanksgiving over who He is? Do you see how you can turn dire circumstances into a showcase for our praise-worthy God? Always "It is pleasant and fitting to praise the Lord" (Ps. 147:1).

Taken from Prayer Essentials For Living In His Presence, Vol. 2, page 78-79,      © 2000 by Sylvia Gunter. Available from www.thefathersbusiness.com.   An archive of past devotionals is available on the website.

Killing Giants, Stilling Storms

Yesterday we heard about David killing the giant Goliath and Jesus stilling the storm on the Galilee. One commentary I read presented Goliath as the underdog who rose up against the mighty power of God. Hmmm. What a different perspective. Wasn't the storm the underdog as well? What if we were to read these narratives from that point of view? What if we were to stand in faith from that point of view?

When we read about David and Goliath, I venture to say that the film that plays in our imaginations puts David as the underdog against the Philistine Goliath ... all 9'6" of him. From a human point of view his gigantic size, his undefeatable strength, his taunts that deflate Israel's courage ... blocks God from their view. All they see is Goliath. Isn't this true of the storm as well?

When we read about the storm ... the wind and the waves threatening the boat that carries Jesus and the disciples, some of them seasoned fisherman very capable with boat and oar and sail ... when we read about that storm, what do we see in our mind's eye? Again, I venture to say it's the gigantic size of the storm, its undefeatable strength, its taunts that deflate the disciples courage ... and blocks their view of God ... who is asleep in the stern!

So, the questions that kept nagging me: What would it be like if I decided to stand up to the giants in my life with faith instead of fear? What would it be like if I decided to look with faith to the mighty power of my Lord ... who may seem to be asleep as he steers my life's course ... instead of fearing the storm that threatens to sink me? What would it be like for the church to respond this way? Faith instead of fear.

Jesus asked, "How can you be so afraid? After all you've seen, where is your faith?"

David by Bernini

Where is our faith? From what perspective do we see the giants and storms of life ... which, by the way, may be without or within? We talk about God being All-mighty. Perhaps, our work is to begin believing it ... day-by-day, moment-by-moment taking a step of faith toward confidence in God to take down our Goliaths and still our storms. Then, with faith like David we can take stock of our resources, utilize all God has given us, and say, "I stand armed in the Name of the Eternal One, the Lord God of all the armies of heaven."

One smooth stone of faith will do it.

Kingdom Seed

Last Sunday's gospel was the parable of the mustard seed. I've been thinking a lot about that parable, that seed ... the smallest of seeds, which grows into a bush so large that many birds find a home in the shade of its branches. Yes, the photo above is a mustard "tree". Hmmm...

This parable is about the kingdom of God, which is like the smallest of seeds, sometimes so small it can hardly be seen. And yet, it grows into something so great that it gives home to many. Isn't it something that ...

The smallest becomes the greatest. 

The smallest

 ... when it breaks open in the soil of the earth ... 

grows and grows and grows

into the greatest.

Why?

In order that 

... the smallest will give greatly,

... the smallest will live into its great purpose,

... the smallest will receive great blessing,

... the smallest will bear great fruit,

so that

... more of the smallest may be sown to become the greatest,

and when they breaks open in the soil of the earth ...

On this journey of the past 2.5 years, God has given me a great blessing of serving some of the smallest parishes who, in my humble opinion, have the greatest to offer the kingdom of God. I had to say goodbye to one such parish this past Sunday. They love Jesus and yearn to know Him more deeply. They love each other and care for one another. And, they share their love with those who live around them. They may look like a small seed, but the kingdom of God is great within their hearts. That is the blessing they shared with me, and I hope that I may allow such a kingdom seed to grow in the soil of my heart and give the same blessing to others.

God bless you, Trinity, New Philadelphia.

Earth, Wind, & Fire

Altar Frontal, Wells Cathedral UK

I wonder if Earth, Wind, & Fire ... the 70's R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Disco, Rock, Pop, Latin, African, Gospel band ... got their name from Acts 2. All the variables are the same. The Holy Spirit came to earth falling upon the waiting, watching, praying followers of Jesus. He opened their ears in the sound of the rushing wind and ignited their hearts with the flame of fire. And, the result was that each one received a gift to speak another tongue or language ... a kind of music? ... so that all the nations of the world gathered in Jerusalem would hear the saving message of Jesus Christ.

Those in Jerusalem that day experienced the first fruits of God's harvest. (50 days after Passover was the Feast of Pentecost ... the Feast of First Fruits, the first harvest of wheat.) They were the first fruits! The power of Peter's words ... the power of the disciples' obedience to be available, to speak the word of God (prophesy) ... harvested the first fruits of those who believed in Jesus Christ. 3,000 people came to know Christ that day.

And, then they went home to their homes ... scattered into all the nations of the world. They took with them the Good News of Great Joy ... a new song ... that Jesus Christ has delivered us from sin, that God has forgiven us covering us in Jesus' righteousness, and through Jesus ... the ruler of this world is defeated. Defeated! Jesus is victorious! They sang the New Song of Great Joy in every language and every tongue ... and the world was lit on fire with the Holy Spirit ... in R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Disco, Rock, Pop, Latin, African, Gospel ... OK, and Classical, Country, Opera, Grunge, Lullaby, Choral, Chant ... in essence World Music!

What is your song that the Holy Spirit wants to sing through you? And, where does He want you to sing it? It makes me smile to think about how the world is being lit by the Holy Spirit's fire through our song of Good News of Great Joy ... Jesus our Savior and Friend.

AMEN!

Blossom in the Present

SheKnows.com

In this my new address, I am helping to care for a number of gardens ... weeding, planting, hauling, mulching, watering. I am truly thankful for this work ... I love gardening as a gift for time to pray and think  ... and see things grow. But, I confess that at the beginning of this new leg of my journey, my thoughts turned to questions of why I went to seminary in the first place if my work is going to be selling stuff or weeding gardens. What were all those years of study and pressing thru to ordination about? Hmmm. A little pity party going on. Then, I read this in Anne Long's book Listening:

It is not the particular ministry but our availability and readiness to respond which matter. Much of what we are called to will be humble, unacclaimed acts of service, a simple response to what God was bringing to our attention. ... It is not the place where you are that is the important thing. It is the intensity of your presence there. It is not the situation that counts ... [but] that you are fully alive in any situation. It is this that puts down roots and then flowers in your life. Availability: that is obedience. That and looking hard at the place where you are, instead of wanting to work wonders somewhere else. 

Wake up call! Bloom where you are planted! I don't know who the author is of that quote, but Jeremiah had something to say about it. In chapter 29 he speaks to the people in exile and tells them to be alive wherever they find themselves. Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and harvest the blessing ... and give that blessing to others. Stop looking to go somewhere else, for some future place or time or event that seems to be the perfect answer to your prayers. Live now. Be fully alive in the present now. Be available to all and everything around you. Be attentive and listen for the Lord's work around you now. And, be blessed and bless ... in His Name.

My Dad loved sunflowers, those blooms that follow the sun all day long and bow their heads of sunshiney petals to sleep at night. Even at night they prayerfully watch the sun to await the dawn and live the new day ... the new address ... fully present and available where they are planted. Be available to God's work in and thru you today and bloom where you are planted.

Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving

About six years ago a family member lost his job. It wasn't a pretty experience and to make matters worse, these years have heaped rejection upon rejection at attempts to get full-time work. Even so, during these years God's love and care provided part-time hourly employment that enabled them to keep their home ... but it has been a long road of piecing together 3 to 4 jobs that translated into 10 to sometimes 14 hour days.

Then ... yesterday ... a promotion to full-time employment!

Praise be to God!

... was my immediate response. My heart spilled over with thanksgiving for God's answer to my prayer, their prayers over these last years. So, now I wonder what to offer as a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving.

When God gave Moses the instructions for the sacrifices to be brought to the temple, the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving was one of them. (Leviticus 7) This sacrifice was to give thanks to God for his answer to a prayer, for his blessing bestowed. The one who prayed was to bring a sacrifice to the temple, and while the priests prepared the offering ... that one was to tell others, give testimony to what God had done. And, then they all feasted together from the sacrifice offered. This offering was praise to God ... an offering of pure praise.

I don't have to do this. I want to. I want to tell you of God's faithfulness and love and tender care for us ... how He provides for us. It isn't always in the way we want it or when we want it. But, when I choose to be present to the present of the Presence of God in my life ... the long road, the hard road, the rocky road, the windy road ... take me to a deeper road of faith in God's unfailing and loyal love for me, for you, for us.

If I were a poet, I would write a psalm. But, I'm not. So, as a sometimes blogger ... I blog in praise and thanksgiving.

... and all manner of things shall be well.

"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple."

Psalm 27.4

... and she loved cats!

Of any verse in Scripture, to me this one describes the life of Julian of Norwich. We probably know her name better for the familiar and popular quote,

"... all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" 

but she could say those words of comfort because of the one thing she asked of the LORD: to know His beauty in the Passion of Christ. From her life of contemplation on His sacrifice for us, she discovered the depth of God's love for us and for all his creation. She said,

"He that made all things for love, by the same love keeps them, and shall keep them without end."

God's love for us keeps us ... forever. We were made for His love and in that love He keeps us, protects us, saves us. And, not only us ... but all of creation. Julian knew this love. It was her daily contemplation, her daily work of worship. She gazed upon Him and inquired of Him in His temple. And, from this daily work of worship she gleaned this:

"Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two come a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love."

This may sound as though Julian lived above the difficulties of life, that she was not aware of struggle and hardship. Not at all. It was an illness that almost took her life that set her on the journey of contemplating the love of the Lord Jesus. And, it was in His love that she found consolation. She said this of struggles of life:

"If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love."

In falling and rising we are kept in God's love. That brings us to this verse:

"Wait for the LORD;

be strong and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD!"

Psalm 27.14

Wait for the LORD. Gaze upon His beauty. Ask Him to show you his love and grace ... that is for you! Be strong in that Love. Take courage in It. Wait for Him. AMEN.

Happy Easter!

So, you probably thought I missed it, didn't you? I didn't change the blog last Sunday for Easter. Well, like Holy Saturday ... that day between Jesus' death and resurrection when it's not yet Easter, we have one week between our Easter celebration and our Orthodox brothers and sisters. They celebrate Easter this coming Sunday, April 12. So, while I'm a little late in declaring Easter greetings for my friends in the Western Church, I'm a little early for my friends in the  Eastern Church.

This Easter date debate has been going on for centuries and has many complexities to sift and sort through in order to understand it. Easter is a movable feast, meaning it's never on the same date every year. The date is set according to the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This seems rather straightforward, right? Well, it appears there is question as to how to define "vernal equinox" and "full moon", and from where those things are observed. (Eastern Church holds that Jerusalem should be the observation point as that is where Jesus was crucified and rose again.) Then, there is the question as to whether the date for Easter should fall after Passover?

Add to the mix that the Western Church uses the Gregorian Calendar and the Eastern Church uses the Julian Calendar. OK, so it's going to take a little more than sifting and sorting ... so here's my take ...

No matter where we stand to observe the movements of our natural world, no matter where we stand on how we count days, we stand on this side of the Cross and Empty Tomb. We are Easter People. (Thank you to my friends in the Adirondacks for this new view of who we are with and in Christ!) We celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord every day. Yes, we especially remember our resurrection life in Christ on Easter Day, but let's not quibble over the specific date. Let's make every date a reason to celebrate our Risen Lord.

Alleluia? Oh, yes. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Triduum - Three Holy Days of Waiting

Triduum. Oh, that Latin. In simple language ... meaning English, American at that ... it means three days. But, what three days! It begins with the Last Supper of Maundy Thursday travels through the Crucifixion of Good Friday and explodes in glory with Easter Sunday. Wait. We skipped Holy Saturday. Well, you're right. But, count in the way of the Hebrews: Thursday evening to Friday evening = Day 1; Friday evening to Saturday evening = Day 2; Saturday evening to Sunday = Day 3. So, I could say that it explodes in the glory of the resurrection on Saturday at sun-down, the beginning of the 3rd Day ... but it was in the dawn of the 3rd day that it was witnessed by the women going to the tomb. For these 3 Days we wait, we watch, we pray ... with hope and assurance. How can that be?

On Maundy Thursday we looked to Jesus with great anticipation. We sat with Jesus and his disciples around the Passover Table remembering the salvation of the Jews from the bondage and slavery in Egypt. As the evening wore on we discovered that Jesus is The Passover Lamb ... God's final act of salvation to save us from the bondage and slavery of sin. And, we discovered two things about ourselves during that meal: that we are the ones who betrayed Him ... but that He loves us anyway and wants us to love and serve one another as He loves and serves us. Is this the Glory you spoke of Jesus? How can that be?

This morning we awoke to learn of the unjust accusations, the hasty trial, further betrayals, the scorn, the ridicule, the horror ... the horror! We awoke to learn that the Son of God, very Life Himself ... is lifted up, high upon a Cross ... to die. Is this the glory of the Father that Jesus told us about during Passover? Is this the Glory you spoke of Jesus? How can it be?

This afternoon He will be laid in the tomb. And, the tomb will be sealed with a stone. All that is Light from which all light comes ... will be laid in darkness. But, in Him there is no darkness. In Him is Light! In Him is Life! Darkness cannot conquer the Light. Death cannot conquer Life. It Light and Life cannot be defeated. Is this the Glory you spoke of Jesus? How can it be?

Friday evening to Saturday evening ... this is the longest day, the most difficult day. The heavy crushing stone seals the tomb. Creation has stopped breathing. The angels are silent. We wait. We watch. We pray. Where is the Glory you spoke of Jesus? You said that you will rise up on the third day ... but how can it be?

Dying to Live

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." - John 12.24

Not only is this true but it is VERY true ... truly, no REALLY TRULY ... Jesus said.  Strangely enough this "truly" truth has been coming to my mind repeatedly over the last few days. Dying to gain life.

Miriam Rockness posted about this same topic on her blog about Lilias Trotter. Through the death of the seed comes the promised fruit of life. Lilias wrote,  "'Death is the gate of life.'  Does it look so to us?  Have we learnt to go down, once and again, into its gathering shadow in quietness and confidence, knowing that there is always 'a better resurrection' beyond?" - Parables of the Cross
I sat with that thought for some time before reading the rest of the post. ... Have we learnt to go down, once and again, into death's gathering shadow in quietness and confidence, knowing there is always "a better resurrection" beyond? 

Jesus went to the cross once for all time. He went down to death's shadow ... in quietness and confidence, knowing the resurrection beyond was infinitely better! He did this that one time on the cross ... on the hill called Golgotha (the place of the skull - death!) outside of Jerusalem (city of peace - shalom). He did this for us. He did this so that we could know with confidence that through death comes life. Through dying to self comes shalom ... that which is infinitely better! We reap the fruit of Jesus' death. We reap life ... infinitely better life ... from death. But, in order to do so we must die to self ... once and again ... with confidence so that we may reap the fruit of peace - shalom, well-being.

Our journey of Lent draws near to the cross ... to death, death of all that we have struggled against and with on this journey. As we walk through this week, let us do so in quietness and confidence, knowing there is better resurrection coming ... resurrection to life!

Hosanna, LORD, Hosanna!"

Palm Sunday. The people making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Thousands of Jews walk the roads. And, then they see Jesus ... one they know has given sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, strong legs to the paralyzed, and restored limbs to the diseased. And, just a week ago ... brought Lazarus back to life. Four days dead! And, now Lazarus lives.

They see Jesus on a donkey ... and Zechariah begins to speak ...
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold! Your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey... 

Could it be? Right now? Right here? Before our eyes? Our Messiah has come! Save us, Lord, save us! Jesus! Our Messiah!"

And, the crowds go wild! People run into the fields and gather branches. They lay them before Jesus, wave them in the air and declare, "Hoshiya-na! Lord, hoshiya-na! Save us! Lord, save us!"

As you say those words today in the liturgy of the Table ... think of yourself in the crowd calling to your King. No, not like the first picture ... pretty as it is ... but more likely like the ones after.* And, then reflect ... will you be like those on that day who in four days will cry out "Crucify him!" ... or will you stand at the Cross with a heart overflowing with ... I can't find words for it ... joyful grief? ... that your King is come. Jesus, Messiah is come with righteousness and salvation for all who believe on His Name.

Hoshiya-na, Lord! Hoshiya-na!

*It was probably more like the middle two pictures but I love the last one.

Lazarus and Life

This morning's lectionary gave the option of reading about Jesus raising Lazarus from death to life. The reading did not include the passage when Jesus said to Martha, "I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

I don't know if that just stopped you in your tracks, but it did me. Jesus is about to call Lazarus from death back to life. Jesus, who is Life itself, is about to taste death and be raised to life again. And, he he asks Martha ... and us ... if we believe in Him, we shall not die but live forever. Do you believe this?

Do you believe this?

Strangely enough, my first reading this morning was from the book The Secrets of Hebrew Words. The book fell open to the word "life". God moment! The author, Rabbi Benjamin Blech, said,

"The word for life in Hebrew ends with YiM, the grammatical indicator of plurality. We are granted not one life, but two; not HaY but HaYYiM.
     Why does the Torah begin with the letter bet, which corresponds to the number 2?* Because our sages teach that God created not one world, but two. There is olam ha-zeh, this world, and olam ha-ba, the world to come.
     Our life must always be lived with the awareness that the grave is not our end, but merely the second beginning. 'Know whence you came and to where you are going and before Whom you are destined to give final accounting' [Ethics of the Fathers 3:1]"

We are granted not one life but two ... because we believe in Jesus Christ, the One who is Life and promises it abundantly!

Are we not all like Lazarus? Do we not all need to be brought back from death to life? Are we not all like Martha? Do we not all need to believe that Jesus is the resurrection ... the One who brings back to life ... and is the life? In this we shall live! Not one life, but two!

The Secrets of Hebrew Words, Benjamin Blech, 1996. Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale New Jersey. p. 45.
*Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Happy map to a richer reality...?

I watched a TEDTalk the other day that discusses the option of giving cell phone map apps alternative routes, therefore giving its users a richer and happier reality to their commute. Instead of taking the most efficient, direct route to your destination ... one that may take you on highways, tollways, and clogged arteries ... you may decide to take a more scenic route and arrive at your destination a minute later but far more at peace. Using social science research new maps are created to give you the most happy route, the most beautiful route, the most peaceful route, the most memorable route.

As I watched this talk by Daniele Quercia, I wondered ... what about the Lenten route? What about a route of struggling against sin and temptation. What about the route that takes us through suffering ... so that we may become like Jesus? What does that route look like? I doubt that many would choose that route ... and yet that is the route that truly leads to a richer and deeper reality. The route of suffering shows us the love of the Father. Paul Claudel said, "Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with his presence." 

May we choose to follow Jesus on whatever route he takes us ... let us pick up our cross and follow Him ... that we may be filled with His Presence. That is the most happy route, the most beautiful route, the most peaceful route, the most memorable route. It leads to life in Him! Amen?

TEDTalk: Happy Maps by Daniele Quercia

Thus says the LORD: Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 16.16

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You...

When struggles and hurdles assault ... inside and out ... here is music from
the Word to encourage. Blessed Lent +++

I Plead, I Plead the Blood

Had a friend send this to me and just had to share it.

We plead the Blood of Jesus ... 

to save us,

cleanse us,

cover us,

embolden us,

strengthen us

in our war against our sinfulness.

We plead, we plead the Blood.

Forgiveness Sunday ... and Every Day

Yesterday in the Orthodox Church it was Forgiveness Sunday. My friend texted me yesterday and asked forgiveness. She didn't give particulars or specifics. She texted, "Today is forgiveness Sunday in the Orthodox Church. On this day everyone who attends church asks each individual, one by one, to forgive them.  So, to that end...please forgive me for all the ways I have failed you or sinned against you. I love you, friend!"

That's all it takes. A simple, "Please, forgive me for how I have failed you or sinned against you." I immediately texted back that indeed, I forgave her ... for what I didn't know or remember ... and asked forgiveness for the ways I sinned against her ... in thought, word, and deed both known and unknown. Her response ...

God forgives and I forgive. That's how it works.

Yes, that's how it works. We forgive because we have been forgiven. We don't harbor grudges, nurse grievances, smart under slights, challenge words of criticism, cringe when another is preferred (see previous blog definition of worldliness). We don't chew on these things or ruminate on them until they take hold in our heart. No. We forgive as we have been forgiven. We let it go.

Forgive and let go.

And we are free!

Praise be to God!

Confessing Worldliness

Lent gives us a season to reflect on the ways in which the "world" has crept into our thoughts, words, and deeds. It gives us a season to repent of worldliness. But, what is worldliness exactly? Dictionary.com defines worldly as:

1.  of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly, mundane

That didn't really help me. How do I repent of things related to this world? There are many things of this world ... created by God ... that are good and beautiful and a blessing. Even mundane earthly things can be of benefit, so is it when the things of the world take priority in my thoughts, words, and deeds ... is that what needs repenting? That is always a struggle, isn't it ... putting God before the things of earth? I kept reading ...

2.  experienced; knowing; sophisticated
3.  devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world
4.  of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.

Um ... still didn't help me get to a real meaning. Then, I came across the definition written by my spiritual elder:

Worldliness means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, and cringing when another is preferred before us. The spirit of worldliness harbors grudges, nurses grievances, and wallows in self-pity. Worldliness in other words, fosters the blindness of self-centeredness.

Ouch! When this spirit of worldliness takes hold of a heart ... of my heart ... what is the result? Discord. Disunity. Discouragement. It breaks my heart. It breaks relationships with others. And, it breaks my communion with God, with my Lord. I get this. I understand this. And, of this with the help of my Lord and the Holy Spirit ... I can repent.

Ash Wednesday Already?

How can it be Ash Wednesday already? I don't know why I'm surprised that it is upon us. Like Christmas it comes with regularity, but I'm caught off-guard. Why is that?

I think it's because I'm always trying to catch up to today. All the "to do's" and people that need meeting and letters to be written and emails to read and ... and ... and ... . They all tell me that I am behind and I need to work faster and harder and more efficiently and ... sigh.

Thank you God for Lent! Thank you God for Ash Wednesday when I remember ...

R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R

... that you are God and I am your servant. From dust I have come and to dust I shall return. Not just any old dust. Cosmic dust. Dust that has the breath of God giving life to each particle of my being.

Lent is a time to slow down and ... R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R ... who God is and that we are His. Lent is a time to look at who we are in Him and sift and sort through that which keeps us from knowing Him intimately, keeps us from being more like Him, keeps us ... separated from Him. Lent is a time to deal with the sin in our lives that needs confessing and of which we need to repent.

While studying Psalm 51 I discovered that the word in Greek for God's mercy and steadfast love are the same. I stopped and considered that. God's mercy and steadfast love are the same for our lives, for my life, for your life. God's mercy. God's steadfast love ... His loyal love. Stop. Look. Listen. ... Stop. ... Look. ... Listen. ...  God's steadfast loyal love is His mercy for us. It is His sure forgiveness for us ... if we take time to receive it. That is what Lent may offer us if we take time out of our "to do's" and away from all the meetings and letters and emails ... to receive it.

God's steadfast loyal love awaits us this Lent. What a wonder! God bless you as we begin this journey through Lent.

Walking on Water

"So Peter got out of the boat and walked on water and came to Jesus." - Matthew 14.29

Yesterday I got word that I will have some unexpected additional monthly expenses. Unexpected = unbudgeted. Hmmm. My first thought was, "How will these additional expenses be paid?" My second thought was, "LORD, you know my situation. You know everything about me. So, you already know how these things will be paid. You know from where the funds will come. You have provided for me over these past two years of being without full-time employment and I know you will provide for me as I enter into the third. So, I'm giving these over to you." 

After I said that ... OK, it was more than a thought, I actually said it out loud ... after I said that I began to remember all the ways God has provided for me over these two years. And, as I remembered thankfulness began to well up and over in my heart. God provides. God is with me. 

This morning I read this in Jesus Calling 

"I want you to be all mine. I am weaning you from other dependencies. Your security rests in Me alone - not in other people, not in circumstances. Depending only on Me may feel like walking on a tightrope, but there is a safety net underneath: the everlasting arms." 

How like God to give such an immediate encouragement for my situation. As I read that the story of Peter walking on water came to mind. So, I flipped open my Bible and because I couldn't remember the exact passage, I did a quick Google search, which wanted to take me to Luke. OK, I'll go to Luke. But, then the first result came up Matthew. That's funny. I choose Luke and it gives me Matthew.

I turned back to my Bible and ... you guessed it ... it was open to Matthew AND there before my eyes was the story of Peter walking on water! I laughed out loud! God wants me to know that He's got it all under control. And, even if I sink ... I will have walked on water! AND, even if I sink ... He will be there to catch me. I will have come to Jesus.

Taking the risk to get out of the boat and walk on water is worth it. For me, it's trusting God with my finances and my work situation and ... well, I won't bore you. For you, it may be something similar or it may be a relationship or an addiction or homework or work itself or ... whatever! The truth is that God provides. God is with you. God will catch you in Jesus' loving arms. And, as you trust Him, He will make you laugh!

Epiphany Blessing

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

AMEN.

The Eve of Epiphany

Tonight is a night for a party! Well, tonight or tomorrow night. Like Christmas when we celebrate the Light of Christ, Jesus, come to dwell among us, tonight we wait and watch and remember that on Epiphany the Light of Christ, Jesus is revealed to the Gentiles.

One of my favorite paintings is Tissot's Journey of the Magi. He paints a caravan of wise men, learned men, fitted out for the long journey to seek the child who would be born King of the Jews. Magi, the plural of the Latin word magus, studied all disciplines and within them were the Hebrew Scriptures and Astronomy. How did the Hebrew Scriptures, God's Word make its way to Babylon? Hmmm. I think, Daniel!

Israel was conquered by Babylon around 600BC and carried away the best and brightest young men. Daniel was one of them. It could be that those best and brightest passed along their knowledge of the One True God, their hope of His coming as Messiah and King, their faith in the sure promise of God's Holy Word. And, for 600 years magi, wise men, studied the Scriptures and watched the sky ... and discovering the revelation that "the heavens declare the glory of God" and that "nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising"!

Tonight, we remember that the heavens indeed declare the glory of God's Light revealed to the nations ... to the Gentiles, to those not of Jewish lineage. Tonight, we remember that a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope. In His Name ... we hope.

This presentation by Rick Larson is worth your time. In it God's plan set before the foundation of the world is revealed; in it is Hope in His Name! Happy Epiphany!