In today’s first reading from Isaiah 55, God tells us that, just as the rain and snow come down from heaven and water everything before returning to the atmosphere, so God’s word comes to us and carries out God’s purposes. In the Gospel today, Jesus warns us not to pray “like the pagans who think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
Since we are discussing temptation this week, what temptation is implied in these readings? The temptation not to truly believe that God is enough for us, to not believe that our prayers are heard, to believe perhaps we must pray a certain way (with many words?). This is a trust issue — and always we are tempted not to trust God. “God is not powerful enough,” or “God doesn’t care about your little problems,” or “God won’t answer your prayer unless you pray the right way,” are variations on the same temptation. Do you really trust God? That was the temptation in the Garden of Eden that led to the mess we are in — “You will not die! God knows that you will become like him, knowing good and evil. …. You can’t trust what he told you.” Don’t you wonder if Satan grabbed a piece of that fruit and ate it in front of Eve to show her, “Look, I didn’t die!”
Here is the truth: God does hear us. God cares. God will ‘drop everything’ to help us when we ask for help. And God is enough for us–powerful enough to meet any problem, any challenge, even death itself. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth … so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” [Isaiah 55:10-11]. If this is a problem for you (and it’s a problem at times for all of us), read all of Isaiah 54 and 55 today. There are numerous promises in these chapters. My favorite, as far as the tempter goes, is: “Whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall … No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:15 and 17).
How about you? What trust issues do you have about prayer? Have seemingly unanswered prayers interfered with your trust? Can you go back to a specific incident where God said “no” to a specific request, but that great good came out of it?
Today’s Scripture readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 34; Matthew 6:7-15.
LENTEN MOMENTS–MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011
Yesterday’s Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent was the retelling of Jesus’ temptations in the desert after his 40-day fast. Think about this: Everything Satan wanted Jesus to do eventually happened, but not in the self-centered, arrogant way the tempter wanted. Jesus would not turn stones into bread to feed himself, but he would turn a little bread into a lot of bread to feed the hungry. He would not show off his special relationship with God by jumping off the temple, but he would demonstrate God’s power and love by curing the sick and casting out demons. And he would not bow down to the devil in order to take back the world from Satan’s dominion — instead he submitted to death, thus freeing us from sin and death.
We Christians are tempted just as Jesus was. Like Jesus, we have opportunities to give glory to God by turning away from what the evil one proposes and then seeing how God will use us to minister to others. For the next few days, let’s consider the temptations we experience.
Today’s Gospel is the familiar Great White Throne Judgment scene. Jesus tells us what the final judgment of ‘the nations’ will be like. The good and evil are separated, and each group is told, “whatever you did to the least of these my brothers, you did to me.” We all know this Scripture. We should also know that ‘the nations’ Jesus refers to are people who were not Christians in this life. Otherwise, why would they wonder, “When did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked ….?” They have never heard the Gospel; they knew nothing about Jesus, so how could they have cared for him — or neglected him? No real Christian, even the least attentive, could come to the judgment with these kinds of questions!
This temptation for us Christians is this: We can read this Gospel and think that we only have to do things, especially for the poor, instead of having a relationship with Jesus. Those who never heard of Jesus are judged that way. If they were moving toward God, in whatever faith they practiced, the fruit of Godliness and love will be there. And vice-versa. But we Christians have a greater responsibility. We are called to have a relationship with Christ, not merely practice a religion. That is our privilege — and our sacred duty. For it is only through that living, loving relationship with Christ that we will ever convince anyone that Christianity is not just another religion. Our oneness with Jesus is not only the sign to others that Jesus is real, it will also naturally produce the type of fruit Jesus talked about in this Gospel reading.
I am appalled when I hear Christians, even people in ministry, say things like, “My work is my prayer,” as though busyness and activity could take the place of daily quiet time before God and relationship building. This is like saying, “My work is my meal.” How long do you think you can work without food? How long does it take before you become weak, inefficient and irritable without nourishment? By the same token, your ministry, your everyday work which is your ministry, cannot be effective and you cannot be strong without daily going to God for quiet, for instructions, for respite. Nor can you resist the devil’s temptations.
And that is why, today especially, this is one of Satan’s best weapons: “My work is my prayer.” We modern Christians are ‘doers’ — busy, productive, running here and there with all the ‘stuff’ we do. We are part of our culture, and this is one of the hallmarks of 21st Century life. If we succumb to this temptation — and it is a temptation — we will find ourselves doing, not God’s will, but our own. We will have lost contact with God, and we will be wandering off on our own, doing things but wondering why we feel so empty. On the other hand, if we are faithful to spending time with God every morning when we get up; if we pull away from our work when God shows us it’s time, when we find ourselves getting frazzled and confused; if we keep the Sabbath, we will be nourished. And we will find ourselves producing the ‘fruit’ Jesus talked about — without all the stress and fatigue and angst.
How about you? Do you find yourself attracted to the “my work is my prayer” temptation? Do you feel that you have so much to do, you simply don’t have time for prayer? Try waking up a little earlier tomorrow, giving God the first 15 minutes of your day, even if it’s just to say, “Hello.” And then see how the day goes.
Today’s Scripture readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Psalm 19; Matthew 25:31-46.
LENTEN MOMENTS — SATURDAY, MARCH 12
“If you hold back your foot on the Sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the Sabbath a delight, and the Lord’s holy day honorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests … Then you shall delight in the Lord ….” [Isaiah 58:13-14]
How fitting that today’s first reading — just before the first Sabbath of our Lenten season — is about keeping the Sabbath! If there is one thing we Christians can do to move forward in holiness, draw closer to God and our loved ones, and make a difference in our Lenten observance, it is to keep the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is the greatest example of God taking away with one hand, and giving back with the other. We give a whole day, yes a whole day, to God. We turn away from our own pursuits, our need to produce, to get things done. And God gives us back the day as a gift. We become less stressed (and this effect can last all through the following week!). We give our minds and bodies the rest they need. We pay attention to our relationships with our loved ones, often so rushed during the work week. And we do not lose any time. Unlike returning from a vacation, returning from our Sabbath rest does not leave us ‘behind’ in our work.
I have found that keeping the Sabbath has made me more productive. Since I began this practice in 2002, I have accomplished more, been better organized, and had more energy for my work than I ever did before. Part of the reason is that Sabbath time is part of God’s ‘economy,’ the same mechanism that works for tithing. Few of us these days can ‘afford’ to tithe, but those of us who do tithe, find we have all the money we need. In the same way, few of us can ‘afford’ to take a whole day off every week for Sabbath, but when we do it, we suddenly have plenty of time to do all that is necessary. How does that work? Well … it’s a ‘God thing.’ And it does work.
If you have never seriously kept the Sabbath, if you tend to work seven days a week, it’s time to give God’s solution to your time constraints a try. And if you’ve been getting lax in this area, it’s time to ‘hold back your foot from following your own pursuits.’ And remember: Sundays, even during Lent, are ‘little Easters.’ So, enjoy yourself, relax, have fun, and eat all the chocolate you want!!!
As always, I do not write a Lenten Moment on the Sabbath. Be back on Monday. Today’s Scripture readings: Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 86; Luke 5:27-32. Sunday Scripture readings: Genesis 2:7-9 and 3:1-7; Psalm 51; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11.
LENTEN MOMENTS — FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” [Matthew 9:14]
What we have here in today’s readings is a failure to communicate! Isaiah is sent by God to tell the people of their wickedness; the Israelites ask in reply, “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” John the Baptist’s disciples ask a similar question of Jesus: Why are we fasting, but you are not?
We must understand that our ways are not God’s ways. “We’re doing what You asked; we are obeying the letter of the Law. Why are you not happy??” we may ask. God says, “I do not need your sacrifices. I don’t need you to fast, dress in sackcloth, sprinkle yourself with ashes. What I want is people who think like me, who do the things I do. I want people who have tender hearts for the oppressed and poor; who weep over their own sins, but who also celebrate and rejoice when it is the proper time.”
God wants to re-make us in His image and likeness. Sin has dimmed God’s reflection in us, like a mirror that has become warped and clouded. We humans tend to look to the world for our cues about relating to God, but God’s ways are totally different. We cannot guess what God wants by looking at the world or our culture. The world says: Follow the rules; Be productive; Keep busy; Do this and do that. Then collect your pay and you are free to do whatever you like on your own time. We treat God the same way: I give God a certain amount of time (prayer time and Sunday services); I am productive all day long and I keep busy; then I collect my ‘pay’ (I am assured of eternal life because I earned it), and I am free to do whatever I want on my own time, in my own mind, in the autonomy of my life.
In God’s ‘economy,’ there is no “God time” and “my time.” There is no earning eternal life by our own efforts. There are no compartments–this is mine; this is God’s. God’s idea of eternal life is what Jesus asked of the Father just before his death: “I ask … that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us … that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one.” (John 17:20-23). The unity of the Godhead — absolute oneness and holiness — that is God’s vision for us.
Are we moving toward that unity God desires by immersing ourselves in God’s presence day by day, by allowing God to heal us and teach us? Or are we just ‘doing stuff for God,’ following the rules, dong the right thing, believing it’s some kind of magic trick and we will become holy that way?
Ask God to show you the areas in your life that are still ‘yours,’ the areas where you are holding out, holding on to your own thinking, refusing to surrender.
Today’s Scripture readings: Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 51; Matthew 9:14-15.
LENTEN MOMENTS — THURSDAY: MARCH 10, 2011
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread … They are like trees planted by streams of water … Their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. [Psalm 1]
Do you ever get discouraged at the state of the world? Are you tired of feeling like an oddball because you follow Jesus and have values that are counter-cultural? Do you get weary of the spiritual battle that goes on all around you, especially when you see your children and grandchildren being lured away from God into the emptiness that the world offers? I sure do! Sometimes, it feels overwhelming. Sometimes it feels as though we are swimming upstream, the whole world is going in the other direction, and evil is stronger than good. Sometimes.
Today’s Scripture readings are all about making the choice to believe, to hold on to God, to hope. “I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom,” God tells us through Moses. Jesus tells us, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” At times, the choice seems clear and logical. Why would anyone turn away from God? “I don’t know how anyone can get through this life without faith,” a friend told me just today. At other times, as the great evangelist, Oswald Chambers, put it, the things that Jesus stands for seem like will-o‘-the-wisps, insubstantial, maybe unreal. In fact, that is one of the enemy’s chief temptations. “How can you believe all that. Look around you. This is real, not that.”
So here is the test: God promises us in Psalm 1 that those who believe will be “like trees planted by streams of water … Their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” Be honest now. No matter how bad things get, don’t you find that you always have that Source of fresh water deep within? No matter how down you get, God always lifts you up. Your ‘leaves,’ your spirit never really withers and dies. You may get tired of it all, but you also get stronger through every trial. Notice also that Psalm 1 does not say that everything you do will prosper, but that in everything, you will prosper. Haven’t you found that? I’ve experienced some spectacular failures in my life, but, somehow, in God, I always come out of it ‘smelling like a rose!’
Take some time today to think about that image of a tree planted by a stream of water. No matter what happens on the outside, the tree is always nourished, always has a Source of life to draw from. Think of specific incidents in your life that seemed hopeless but, somehow, God brought victory out of it and ‘prospered’ you.
Today’s Scripture readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Luke 9:22-25.
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart … Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” [Joel 2:12, 18]
If you attend an Ash Wednesday service today, more than likely, you’ll hear this reading from Joel, chapter 2. It speaks of weeping and mourning for sin, calling the assembly to proclaim a fast. The first and last verses of that reading are the essence of what Lent is all about: Returning to God with our whole hearts, and giving witness among people who do not know God. Today’s second reading from II Corinthians begins, “We are ambassadors for Christ.”
Our private spirituality and our public witness are never separate entities. Each depends on the other. We cannot witness unless we are authentic before God in our hearts. And our personal spirituality is nothing if we are not willing to be ‘ambassadors for Christ.’ Hiding our light under a bushel basket, keeping our religion private is not an option in Christianity. The Good News is too good to keep to ourselves. There are people all around us who are starving, dying for the Truth.
But the simple (if not easy) part of Christianity is this: If we take care of the inner life, if we are faithful to meeting with God every day and open to God’s movement in our hearts, the public witness kind of takes care of itself. We may have to push ourselves at times to speak out when we know we should, but our words will be blessed with God’s grace and wisdom. Lent is the time when most of us need to return to God with our whole hearts. We get lazy. We pick up attitudes and habits that are not Godly. We get busy with our outer duty and neglect our inner beauty. The next 40 days are an opportunity — “Return to me with your whole heart.”
How will you spend this Lent? Personally, I am going to be more faithful to coming into God’s presence first thing when I wake up. Those 15 minutes are so important. If I have to be somewhere early, I will rise earlier. How about you? Today’s Scripture readings: Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.
PENTECOST MOMENTS — SATURDAY, JULY 10
TRAINING THE IMAGINATION
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast …” Isaiah 26:3.
In older translations of the above Scripture, the word ‘mind’ is translated ‘imagination.’ In the old Revised Version, this passage reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose imagination is stayed on Thee.” The imagination is part of the mind, one of the more important functions of our intellect. And it has a holy purpose.
When I was a youngster growing up in the ‘50s, imagination was not so appreciated by adults. “Get your head out of the clouds,” “Quit daydreaming,“ and “That’s just your imagination,” were common criticisms. Being a very imaginative little girl, I was made to feel ashamed of my flights of fancy, my rich inner life. No one ever thought to encourage me to become a writer, that’s for sure! I carried this attitude into adulthood, and my vivid imagination became the subject of a lot of prayer and worry. Then a friend gave me Oswald Chambers’ classic book of daily meditations, My Utmost for His Highest. I was startled to read Chambers’ feelings about imagination: “Imagination is the greatest gift God has given us and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him.” [Page 42].
If you think about it, Jesus was one of the most imaginative people ever. All those stories and parables he made up to teach his points came from a fertile imagination. One can see in Jesus what it means to have an imagination devoted entirely to God. Imagination is a way to leap beyond our mundane circumstances, to see connections between ordinary earthly happenings and spiritual truths. Imagination helps us put ourselves in God’s presence when we pray, to ‘see’ God in our mind’s eye and, thus love him more. We know the images we have of God are not complete, but that’s all right. Until we actually do see God face to face, our imaginations are all we have to picture God and may actually prepare us for that great encounter.
How do we devote and dedicate our imaginations to God? Here are a few things to consider:
Remember that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” [Ephesians 3:20]. So … we should get into the habit of asking — and imagining!
Scripture Readings for Sunday, July 11: Deut. 30:10-14; Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-34; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 (the Greatest Commandment and the Parable of the Good Samaritan).
Meditation: Read the Gospel reading for tomorrow. Samaritans were hated by the Jews, so for Jesus to tell a story where the hero was a Samaritan was a challenge for his hearers. Use your imagination to picture this story in modern times. Who would you substitute for the Samaritan as the unlikely hero of the story? A homeless person? An undocumented Mexican? That certain crabby neighbor no one likes?
“…he leads me beside still waters …” Psalm 23:2.
Sheep do best in dry, semi-arid country, and the shepherd / ranch owner must plant rich pasture to help them thrive. But he must also provide good sources of fresh water, not easy in the best sheep-raising climates. Sheep are not like gazelles or camels who can store large amounts of water in their bodies and go without drinking for days or weeks. They are very much like us and need a constant source of fresh water. How does a shepherd provide that good, wholesome water?
There are three ways that sheep satisfy their thirst: dew on the grass, deep wells, and running water (springs and streams). When the weather is not too hot, there is heavy dew on the pastures (which the shepherd planted with such care) in the early mornings. The sheep habitually rise before dawn to begin feeding, and they take in enough dew, which is the purest source of water, in their early morning feeding to last them through most of the day. Here is how Philip Keller describes his sheep’s normal behavior:
In my mind’s eye I can see my flock again. The gentleness, stillness and softness of early morning always found my sheep knee deep in dew drenched grass. There they fed heavily and contentedly. As the sun rose and its heat burned the dewdrops from the leaves, the flock would retire to find shade. There, fully satisfied and happily refreshed, they would lie down to rest and ruminate through the day. Nothing pleased me more. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Philip Keller, page 53.
In my mind’s eye I can see my flock again. The gentleness, stillness and softness of early morning always found my sheep knee deep in dew drenched grass. There they fed heavily and contentedly. As the sun rose and its heat burned the dewdrops from the leaves, the flock would retire to find shade. There, fully satisfied and happily refreshed, they would lie down to rest and ruminate through the day. Nothing pleased me more.
How interesting that sheep have that need to eat and drink in the very early morning hour. And in the spiritual sense, we do also. Our ‘morning appointment’ with the Lord is our time to feed on God’s presence and to drink those ‘living waters’ Jesus spoke of in John 4:13-15 and 8:37-38. You’ll notice that sheep never ‘sleep in’ and miss their morning feeding. They enjoy that time and get up eagerly, knowing instinctively that the refreshing morning graze will make their whole day healthier and happier, no matter how hot the day is later. We, too, must learn to love the early morning rising and meeting with God, knowing that, whatever else happens that day, we are spiritually ‘fed and watered’ and ready for the day.
The shepherd must also see that there are other sources of water for his flock. He may have to dig a deep well on his property. Often, this is not a narrow well you would lower a bucket into, but a deep cistern with stone steps which the sheep can walk down to the very source of the water. Or the shepherd may be fortunate enough to have a good stream or river nearby. If it flows through his ranch, all well and good. Otherwise, he may have to dig a side channel to make some of the flow go onto his land. Providing good fresh water takes effort.
The Shepherd of our souls goes through the same kind of effort and trouble to be sure we have all the ‘living water’ we need for our souls. But we, like some of the sheep Keller has known, may prefer to drink from polluted ‘water supplies.’ When sheep take it into their heads to drink from any muddy, dirty pool along the path, instead of waiting to drink where the shepherd is leading them, they can sicken from the bacteria and parasites floating in those pools. The shepherd is not idle; he moves them on to where he wants them to drink. Sheep do not make the connection between drinking from a urine- or feces-polluted puddle and their later sickness. Often, we humans do not make the connection between where we have been ‘drinking’ and our spiritual sickness, lethargy or temptations. But God sees what we are doing, and tries to move us on.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and he has given us the Holy Spirit to live intimately with us, guiding us in the paths God wants us to take. We need to rise early to make our first contact with God for the day, then we must keep listening to God’s direction throughout the day. He will move us away from the dangers along the way and lead us to the healthy, fresh, living waters.
Meditation: In what ways do you see Jesus providing ‘living water’ for you every day? How can you cooperate more in Jesus’ provisions for you?
Scripture Readings: Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 8:31-39.
NEXT TIME: Do you know what a ‘cast down’ sheep is? Find out next time when we reflect on “… he restores my soul” (verse 3).
OF PENTECOST PEOPLE, PART FIVE: PENTECOST PEOPLE MEET GOD EVERY MORNING.
“Morning after morning God opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” Isaiah 50:4-5
We cannot be true Pentecost People if we simply drift through our lives, working, running, keeping busy. The first priority of a Pentecost Person is the habit of morning prayer. Jesus never started his day without seeking God out in the lonely, quiet places in the early morning before dawn. He had to get away from the crowds and away from his work — to listen.
There is a great story in Mark 1:32-38 about this. Jesus’ visit to a certain town caused quite a stir. The townspeople, Mark says, brought all the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus. “The whole town was gathered around the door.” Strangely, the gospel records, Jesus did not heal them all; He healed many. That’s very interesting. How did Jesus know when to stop? I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible time stopping once I’m on a roll.
The next morning, Jesus got up to pray. Notice what Mark writes: “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place …” He must have stayed there a long time, and the crowds started gathering again. So his disciples tracked him down and found him, irresponsibly ignoring the crowds, and …. doing nothing! “Everyone is looking for you!” You can hear the panic and annoyance in their voices. It almost sounds like they are trying to lay a guilt trip on the Son of God! Jesus’ response is incomprehensible to them: “Let’s leave this place, let’s go on to the neighboring towns …”
This is not what the disciples wanted to hear (or the people in the town who hadn‘t gotten their ‘cure’ yet). Why move on to other towns when this one is so profitable and productive? Why start over when you’ve got these people eating out of the palm of your hand? The other towns might not like you — why not just stay here and milk it for all it’s worth? Why? Because God said so … because God made his will known to Jesus in that deserted place before dawn.
Maybe we don’t want to keep our morning appointment with God because He might tell us something we don’t want to hear. Like “You don’t have to do all that.” or “You’re done here; it’s time to move on.” or “You need to say ‘no’ to that person.”
“Everyone is looking for you!” Of course they are. Can you say ‘no’ to them?
Jesus rose to keep his appointment with God while it was still very dark. Was it 4 AM? Earlier? He had been up until late the night before healing people. It had been the Sabbath, so the crowds couldn‘t come until sunset. His tiredness did not keep Jesus in bed. How many of us (myself included for years and years) push away our morning appointment with God because we need just a little more sleep. “God understands how tired I am,” we tell ourselves. I have discovered that missing my morning appointment with God is a guarantee that I will stay tired–permanently. But making myself get up to meet God gives me a spiritual energy that stays with me all day, even if I haven’t had enough sleep.
During Jesus’ prayer time, the Father had the opportunity to speak to Jesus and tell him what was going on and where Jesus should be next. He was not to stay there, even though it seemed there was a great ‘harvest’ in that town. That kind of information is really precious to all of us. How many of us go off impulsively to what we think God wants — or what the world is pushing us to do — without ever asking what God wants? I used to do it all the time. I’d run myself ragged doing things for other people, then find out someone else had done them or it didn’t need to be done or it wasn’t my job to do.
So it comes down to this: Why do we think we can be Jesus’ witnesses in this world or even survive the chaos of our days without our morning prayer appointment? Jesus never did that, and Jesus is the Son of God, completely tuned into God’s will. He was never distracted by sin as we are, for he is sinless. He lived in a simpler time. He didn’t even have a day job! Yet he never missed that morning appointment. Jesus never assumed he knew what to do each day.
Maybe it’s time we stopped assuming everything we do is automatically God’s will. We need to get alone with God and ask more questions — and listen to God‘s answers. It’s our choice.
Scripture: Mark 1:32-39 and 6:30-32; John 5:19-20 and 7:37-38.
Meditation: Have you become lax in keeping your morning appointment with God? Or have you never developed this habit? Start today — be setting aside 10-20 minutes a day to be alone with God. And make sure you listen during that time; don’t do all the talking or just say rote prayers and think you are done. God loves you. Let Him tell you that. Ask for His guidance for today’s activities.
