It’s sunny September.
We’ve had so much rain that I am expecting more blue skies, dryer air and a bit of crisp air floating our way this Fall..
We can already sense a small seasonal change in these parts.
In the mean time, we continue to meander through scripture with a few surprises now and then.
No path is perfectly straight.
Tweaks and turns here and there provide some serendipity as we absorb God’s words and plant them in our hearts.
If this is your first time reading this blog, you may choose to scroll through the three parts of August.
Inserted among the entries are moments to PAUSE.
That's where I explain the reason for this reading format and words like 'liturgical' and 'Saints' and other tidbits.
No matter what Christian denomination we attend for worship, we all are disciples, trying to know Christ and make Him known to others.
EnJOY!
If this is your first time reading this blog, you may choose to scroll through the three parts of August.
Inserted among the entries are moments to PAUSE.
That's where I explain the reason for this reading format and words like 'liturgical' and 'Saints' and other tidbits.
No matter what Christian denomination we attend for worship, we all are disciples, trying to know Christ and make Him known to others.
EnJOY!
September 1, 2019 15th Sunday after Pentecost 15, Year C
Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16; Luke 14:1,7-14
Luke 14 Jesus was invited to the home of a leader of the Pharisees and He noticed how leaders picked out places at the table.
:11 Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” :12-:14 And he also went on to say to the one who invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Once again, these scriptures fit together like puzzle pieces to show us our vulnerability, our pride, as mere mortals.
Sirach, a book that is part of Jewish writings, speaks bluntly. "Our human pride shuts out God."
Proverbs speaks of humility by stepping back from the limelight and waiting for an invitation to step front and center.
The verse in Hebrews reminds us to reach out with hospitality to those who may not be able to return the favor. Who knows who we will meet. We might engage with a stranger whose influence might change our lives.
In Luke, Jesus quickly noticed the anomaly.
Pride-filled leaders immediately chose their seats of choice thinking they had earned their pride-full position?
Think about it: The bottom line is, if we are invited to a function do we assume we are one of many guests and wait for the host to seat us?
Or do we dive in and take the best seat or the seat closest to the most popular person before waiting to be seated?
When attending a function at church do you try to sit with people we know or do we scout out someone sitting alone and offer our time and attention?
I bet you’re thinking, “The only time I get to see my friends is once a week during coffee hour. I have questions to ask or ideas to share.” or “What if this stranger does not talk or might be boring? What if I feel ‘stuck’?”
It’s not about ‘me’. It’s the opportunity to reach out the the stranger and draw them into the fold as Jesus did throughout his ministry.
It’s about “How can I die to self and live another day to draw one more person into the loving, grace-filled presence of the Lord?”
The most convenient, and much needed, avenue for
outreach is at your church.
September 2
2 Chronicles 6:32—7:7; Psalm 25, 9, 15; James 2:1-13; Mark 14:53-65
James 2:5 James said, “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” :8 “If you keep the royal Law in scripture,
‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well. If you break any part of the Law, you break ALL the Laws.”
The book of James is profound, filled with exhortation. James did not mince words as we see in this passage. His passion was to build up the followers of Christ, to make them strong in their Christian walk as they become strong disciples.
One cannot say, “I love my neighbor as myself,” and pick a dear friend or someone who thinks the same way to love as our neighbor. We are called to love the awkward, the least popular, the bedraggled, or the one who has nothing to give back. Easier said than done sometimes.
Think about it: We all have donated to the food pantry
or helped to distribute food to the poor. Perhaps you serve a meal at the homeless shelter.
by doing so we are loving our neighbor but it’s a ‘neighborly’ love, a caring love.
Step back a moment.
Did someone love you into the kingdom of God by earning your trust and then sharing their salvation story with you?
Did someone pray for you until you ‘got it’ and let Jesus take you by the hand into His presence?
Jesus loved us so much that he died a gruesome death for us. We should love our neighbor enough to die to our own inhibitions.
Do we love others enough to walk them into “new life,”
into believing in the Way, Truth and Life: Jesus Christ?
Do you love others enough to listen to another, pray for their salvation and, in the Lord’s timing, share your own story of salvation?
Agape Love, dying-to-self-love, is offering new life, eternal life to another, isn’t it?
The book of Kings picks up here. Continue to read through it as God's story is amazing!
James 2 If one has faith and no works, can his faith save him? :15 Faith without works is dead. :19 You believe God is one, you do well. The demons also believe and shudder. :26 Just as the body without spirit is dead so also faith without works is dead.
Doesn’t it take 'work' to take a couple hours each week to join others in worship and thanksgiving to our Lord . . . to give to the Lord a tiny morsel of the Love He has given us?
God is amazing.
Our tongue, a small part of the human body, can be as powerful as a massive ship’s rudder.
In fact, we may have found out that our tongue can do more damage when it goes ‘off course’ than if a ship steers off course in the middle of the sea.
The book of Kings picks up here. Continue to read through it as God's story is amazing!
9-3 1 Kings 8:65—9:4; Psalm 26, 28, 36, 39; James 2:14-26; Mark 14:66-72
James does not mince words.
He means what he says.
Faith without any action that shows the world we are Christian means nothing. Some Christians might say, “I do not have to ‘work out’ my salvation.
But do you know what that means?
Doesn’t it take ‘work’ to pray without ceasing?
Doesn’t it take ‘work’ to gather with other Christians to grow and learn more about our faith through Scripture study?
Doesn’t it take 'work' to take a couple hours each week to join others in worship and thanksgiving to our Lord . . . to give to the Lord a tiny morsel of the Love He has given us?
Think about it: Ask yourself, how you are different from your neighbor who does not go to church, does not read scripture, does not pray or even ask for prayer?
How is your faith in Christ seen is different from those who know ‘about’ the Christian life but do not live it?
9-4 1 Kings 9:24—10:13; Psalm 38,119:25-48; James 3:1-12; Mark 15:1-11
James 3:1-12 A bit guides the whole animal. A rudder guides a huge ship. The tongue guides man . . . Every animal is tamed but the tongues is not tamed. :9 We praise God with our tongue and we curse men made in God’s likeness. Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. :12 Can a salt water spring yield fresh water?
Our tongue, a small part of the human body, can be as powerful as a massive ship’s rudder.
In fact, we may have found out that our tongue can do more damage when it goes ‘off course’ than if a ship steers off course in the middle of the sea.
Yet, it’s not the tongue that is the problem, is it?
It’s our soul.
If we neglect the state of our soul when all is well, our tongue very often forgets that we, as Christ followers, are always ambassadors for the Lord.
Even unkind words to ourselves as we murmur and mutter over challenging circumstances are not of the Lord.
If, indeed, we say we are followers of Christ we must guard the tongue at all times and make sure any words that come forth from our tongue glorify the One who enables us to speak at all.
Think about it: What James is asking seems impossible. I’m the first one to berate myself if I forget something
or if I am stuck in traffic. Yet, God is listening.
Can you think of ways to ‘guard the tongue’ during challenging times?
Perhaps it might be a good time to draw on that prayer or scripture you memorized?
Or ask yourself to say out loud three positive results that can come out of this trying moment.
Three words that always work when frustrated with one you love are, ‘I Love You’.
These words are like sweet incense to the Lord . . . and to that precious one who frustrates you.
Can you think of ways to ‘guard the tongue’ during challenging times?
Perhaps it might be a good time to draw on that prayer or scripture you memorized?
Or ask yourself to say out loud three positive results that can come out of this trying moment.
Three words that always work when frustrated with one you love are, ‘I Love You’.
These words are like sweet incense to the Lord . . . and to that precious one who frustrates you.
9-5 1 Kings 11:1-13; Psalm 37; James 3:13—4:12; Mark 15: 12-21
It’s a pretty tall order to ‘delight’ in the Lord and ‘wait’ for the Lord.
Verse :4 is one of many favorite verses in the Psalms.
The words roll off my tongue. Yet, this verse is packed with assumptions.
What does it mean to ‘delight’ in the Lord?
I most certainly ‘delight’ when everything is going my way, when my life runs smoothly, when I’m not backed against the wall feeling trapped by a wrong decision.
Verse :9 might get in the way of our own delights by reminding us to “wait for the Lord.”
Oh, oh!
You mean I can’t pick my own desires to delight in and then ask God’s blessing?
You mean I must truly WAIT for the Lord’s direction, for the Lord to show me exactly how I could best delight in being in the presence of the Lord?
Only when we pray, wait, and keep listening for the Lord’s direction, will we truly learn that our ‘desire’ is exactly the same as God’s desire for us. . . and delight in that desire.
Does your heart desire more of Him the more you delight in Him?
9-6 1 Kings 11:26-43; Psalm 31,35; James 4:13–5:6; Mark 15:22-32
Does James sounds a little judgmental here?
To bring up ‘sin’ when we are not doing our best seems a bit harsh.
Or is it?
The Apostle Paul spent several verses in the book of Romans saying pretty much the same thing. Yet, if we know, deep in our heart that one path we choose will lead to good and the other will lead to mischief or worse, and then take the path that leads to mischief, are we not doing wrong, sinning, going against God’s will for us?
We might say to ourselves, “Just this once can’t hurt.”
If we choose to live the righteous life in Christ then we must choose the Christ-path.
If I know full well that the other path will lead me astray from God’s will for me, even if it hurts no one else, I am still hurting the One who died for me.
The Holy Spirit, planted in me through baptism, is God’s presence helping me make the right choices.
Think about it: Do you sometimes feel bored by seeking to make the ‘right’ choices? Is some bad habit beckoning
you to say ‘yes’ and go off God’s path just once . . . or twice . . . or how many times?
If you have a habit that you know is not what God wants for you, are you relying on the Lord’s forgiveness each time you digress from the right path?
Do you expect God to be grace-filled when you stray ‘just this once’?
How often must we stray from God’s will before we can’t even see God’s will before us?
Being a Christian is not easy.
But to be able to know what is good and DO it, consistently, is amazingly fulfilling. God’s way is unbelievably joy-filled if we continue to stay in His path.
9-7 1 Kings 12:1-20; Psalm 30, 32, 42, 43; James 5:7-:12, 19-20; Mark 15:33-39
Powerful words.
Sometimes we think of the Psalms as lofty praises to God but this verse causes deep conviction.
Confession is powerful.
King David confessed to God with deep sincerity after some very severe transgressions.
Confession is meant to clear the slate, so to speak, to keep us cleansed from our sin. Confession is like bathing our soul in the righteousness of our Lord.
The Lord will forgive us when He sees our sincere heart.
Better yet, when we know we must confess our sins to another, perhaps a leader in the church or our mentor, there seems to be a greater desire not to transgress.
Confessing that we went astray, even for a moment, is easy when we confess often.
We have a variety of church denominations in the U.S. Some never suggest the necessity to confess our sin. Some churches say a rote ‘confession’ each Sunday in their worship service. It’s short and tugs at the heart, prompting one to ‘confess’ in greater personal detail with a church leader or mentor.
Some churches suggest confession as a monthly necessity or, at the very least, annually. Each church focuses on confession in a different way.
Think about it:
Have you ever confessed your transgressions to another
person?
Do you sense God’s forgiveness?
If you have never ‘confessed’ or cleansed your soul of worries, anxieties, transgressions etc. try it just once . . . with a trusted mentor or pastor.
Clergy take a vow to never tell anyone what was shared. Clergy also know how to direct you and affirm a path that coincides with God’s grace-filled reconciliation.
Luke 14:27 Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry his own Cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. Who builds without calculating the cost? What king fights without first assessing whether he can win?”
9-8 16th Sunday after Pentecost, year C
Deuteronomy 39:15-20; Psalm 1; Philemon 1-21, Luke 14:25-33
:33 “None of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his possessions.”
Jesus reached a point in His ministry when he could not couch words. Many Christ-followers sought food, instant healing and protection from oppressive Roman rule. Jesus’ followers had no idea that Jesus would be executed in the most cruel manner known to His followers, on the cross. So Jesus expanded the argument inviting all who followed Him to count the cost. In other words, Jesus was saying, “Do you have any idea what you are getting into when you say you will follow me?”
Think about it: Can you recall how you were drawn into
the Christian faith? Have you, at any time, stepped back to count the cost of “dying to self and living for and for Christ?”
Write a short paragraph explaining that turning point when you became ‘all in’ for Christ. Take time to ponder your commitment to Christ. That paragraph is a powerful evangelism tool that can be used when someone asks you how you became devoted to Christ. Remember, we all can be born into a Christian family and even feel fed when we attend church but there is far more to being a disciple of Christ. What is your story?
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