The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Sunday, 26 June 2016 – "Prayer Tip" Seeing Ourselves in Our Dogs"
Daily Scripture:
Romans 7:
Prayer Tip:
As an animal lover, I so enjoyed Adam’s sermon last week. But when I got home I ran to my husband and said: “Uh, honey. I think our dog is broken. We might need to get a new one.” You see, our beagle, Barley, doesn’t seem to have a protective or particularly loyal bone in his tiny body. He loves strangers. He barks the loudest when he is trying to get the attention of the kids next door at the church. He really wants a playmate. He doesn’t seem to have strong preferences for particular people; he is completely undiscerning. He’ll beg for a belly rub from just about anyone. Barley is also atypical in the sense that he is slightly lethargic at times. He will agree to a walk, but his daily exercise consists of him running a couple of figure eights around our living room and then plopping down exhausted. He isn’t astute when it comes to observing the world around him. He has accidentally run into our cat Quinoa several times.
Maybe some of you have a dog like Barley. I am sure all of us can remember the eccentricities of our past or present pups. These unique traits, in most situations, become pretty endearing to us over time. The picture below has become one of my favorites because it captures Barley’s personality in a special way. He is just so relaxed and pleased to be near my husband Andy. When I look at him, I remember how little insecurity seems to plague our dogs. They are the way they are and they don’t think a thing about how we humans evaluate their “dog-ness.”
I think this is a lesson God would have us remember as we get caught up in moments of self-consciousness, self-judgement or self-hate. Like dogs, we are just creatures. As Psalm 139 says, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” just as we are. I am not suggesting we numb our ability as humans to be self-aware or to work towards self-improvement - I think both of these things are essential for growing into more whole versions of the people God created us to be - but I am challenging us this week to take more time to reflect on how okay we are, just as we are, in each moment. This week, will you join me in resting in this prayer?
God of love,
I am yours.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I am okay just as I am in this moment.
Your love for me is not contingent on anything other than my belonging to you.
Help me to see myself the way you see me.
May I have the confidence to live as the unique creature person you made me to be.
All for your glory, Amen.[Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer]
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Sunday, June 26, 2016
"Spiritual Lessons Our Four-Legged Friends Teach Us: Seeing Ourselves in Our Dogs”
Scripture:
Romans 7:14 For we know that the Torah is of the Spirit; but as for me, I am bound to the old nature, sold to sin as a slave. 15 I don’t understand my own behavior — I don’t do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate!
24 What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death?
Psalm 16:11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.
Ezekiel 34:16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the outcasts, bandage the broken, and strengthen the sick. But the fat and the strong I will destroy — I will feed them with judgment.”
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Monday, 27 June 2016
Romans 14:1 Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him — but not to get into arguments over opinions. 2 One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him — 4 who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; likewise the abstainer abstains to honor the Lord, and he too gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives only in relation to himself, and none of us dies only in relation to himself; 8 for if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord — 9 indeed, it was for this very reason that the Messiah died and came back to life, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God’s judgment seat; 11 since it is written in the Tanakh,
“As I live, says Adonai, every knee will bend before me,
and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God.”[Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23]
12 So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore, let’s stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment — not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother’s way.
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“I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.”[Will Rogers (Actor)] – “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”[Harry S. Truman (33rd U. S. President)]
In case you haven’t noticed, this is an election year. If you visit a friend who votes differently than you do (surely you have at least one such friend), their dog is likely to greet you just as warmly as if
you planned to vote “correctly.” The apostle Paul, writing to Roman Christians who held differing convictions, told them Christians do not have to stop loving due to differences. Dogs can certainly help us learn the value of Paul’s counsel: “stop judging each other.”
• This passage may at first pull many of us up short. In verses 5-6, Paul said people with opposite religious practices, in all but the very most central elements of the faith, can both be doing what they do “for the Lord.” Is there someone whose worship style or way of living out the faith bothers you because it is so different from yours? Have you ever tried to look at what they do as being done “to the Lord” (as is what you do)?
• Instead of judging each other, Paul called on the Romans to “never put a stumbling block or obstacle in the way of your brother or sister.” When have you seen a judgmental attitude become a stumbling block to another Christian? How can people who practice the faith differently encourage and love one another, rather than judging?
Prayer: Loving Lord, I’m glad that a friendly dog is friendly without quizzing me on 17 points of opinion! Help me to learn from that example as I seek to extend your love and welcome to other people. Amen.
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We struggle with sin
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Romans 7:21 So I find it to be the rule, a kind of perverse “torah,” that although I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me! 22 For in my inner self I completely agree with God’s Torah; 23 but in my various parts, I see a different “torah,” one that battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin’s “torah,” which is operating in my various parts. 24 What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death? 25 Thanks be to God [, he will]! — through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord!
To sum up: with my mind, I am a slave of God’s Torah; but with my old nature, I am a slave of sin’s “Torah.”
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“A dog can’t think that much about what he’s doing, he just does what feels right.”[Barbara Kingsolver (Author)]
We love them, we play with them, we train them. But even most “good dogs” once in a while remind us that they are still a dog. Sometimes they like to roll in smelly stuff, or perhaps tear up a favorite toy of theirs or a shoe, glove or couch pillow we value. The apostle Paul wrote honestly about moments when he realized that his actions didn’t match the ideals he truly held to. Like our
dogs, we sometimes fall short in our struggle to live the way we want to live.
• In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrased verses 22-23 this way: “I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.” Can you recall times (though you might prefer to forget them) when those words described your experience? In what ways do times like that make God’s ever-present grace particularly important to you?
• Research shows that even when we think we’re being strictly logical (e.g. buying a car), we often act on inner factors we don’t recognize consciously. That doesn’t relieve us of responsibility for our choices, but it helps to explain Paul’s cry—“I’m a miserable human being.”
When has the realization that you’ve fallen short of God’s (and your) ideal made you feel
miserable? At those times, don’t forget what followed in Paul: “Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Prayer: Lord, I often wish you would just “flip a switch” and wipe out all the inner flaws I struggle with. Give me persistence to walk with you each day, growing the kind of character no flip of a switch could give me. Amen.
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We must listen to the Master
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Luke 9:28 About a week after Yeshua said these things, he took Kefa, Yochanan and Ya‘akov with him and went up to the hill country to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed; and his clothing became gleaming white. 30 Suddenly there were two men talking with him — Moshe and Eliyahu! 31 They appeared in glorious splendor and spoke of his exodus, which he was soon to accomplish in Yerushalayim. 32 Kefa and those with him had been sound asleep; but on becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Yeshua, Kefa said to him, not knowing what he was saying, “It’s good that we’re here, Rabbi! Let’s put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moshe and one for Eliyahu.” 34 As he spoke, a cloud came and enveloped them. They were frightened as they entered the cloud; 35 and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him!” 36 When the voice spoke, Yeshua was alone once more. They kept quiet — at that time they told no one anything of what they had seen.
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“There are times when even the best manager is like the little boy with the big dog—waiting to see where the dog wants to go so he can take him there.”[Lee Iacocca (Former CEO of Chrysler)]
Our dogs may not always “get down” the moment we tell them to, or instantly stop sniffing at the fascinating scent on their walk. But for their own safety, and that of others, there are times when dogs really need to listen to and obey their master. In the dramatic event in today’s Scripture (which we often call “the transfiguration”) God identified Jesus as God’s son. There followed the command, “Listen to him!”
• The amazing change the disciples saw in Jesus’ physical appearance pointed strongly to him being more than just one more teacher. But, as though to leave no doubt, God’s voice said of Jesus, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” What does it mean for you to listen to Jesus today? How willing are you to actually do it?
• Can you recall a “mountaintop experience” you’ve had with God? In what ways did that
experience stay with you when it was necessary to leave the “mountaintop” and go back to everyday life? In what ways does what you “hear” from God in the intense spiritual high moments shape the way you live your life day-to-day?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep my spiritual ears always attuned to listen to you. Help me not only to listen, but to obey you in the ways of living to which you call me. Amen.
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Comfort one another
Thursday, 30 June 2016
2 Corinthians 1:3 Praised be God, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, compassionate Father, God of all encouragement and comfort; 4 who encourages us in all our trials, so that we can encourage others in whatever trials they may be undergoing with the encouragement we ourselves have received from God.
5 For just as the Messiah’s sufferings overflow into us, so through the Messiah our encouragement also overflows. 6 So if we undergo trials, it is for your encouragement and deliverance; and if we are encouraged, that should encourage you when you have to endure sufferings like those we are experiencing. 7 Moreover, our hope for you remains staunch, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, you will also share in the encouragement.
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“When an eighty-five pound mammal licks your tears away, then tries to sit on your lap, it’s hard to feel sad.”[Kristan Higgins (Author)]
Dog lovers nearly always talk about their dog’s capacity to offer comfort when they are sad. If the apostle Paul had had a dog, he’d have needed a lot of caring. We know he’d been through a very trying experience (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11). What’s more, the Corinthian Christians, people he’d won to Christ, had been seriously at odds with him for a time (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:7-13). As he started this letter to them, he used the word “comfort” nine times in just five verses!
• Paul said God comforts us. Scholar William Barclay said, “Comfort in the New Testament
always means far more than soothing sympathy. Always it is true to its root meaning, for its root is the Latin fortis and fortis means brave. Christian comfort is the comfort which brings courage and enables a [person] to cope with all that life can do.”1 When has God, or one of God’s people, given you new courage by the comfort you received? (For a look at many of the resources Resurrection, across all campuses, offers to give you comfort when you need it, visit www.cor.org/care.)
• Strikingly, Paul did not describe “comfort” purely in terms of what he received. Instead, he wrote, “We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God…. if we have trouble, it is to bring you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is to bring you comfort.” How have you seen people use their own hard experiences to shape them into a source of comfort and courage for others? In what ways have you been able to pass on the comfort you have received?
Prayer: Compassionate God, thank you for the times you have strengthened me and given me
new courage. Make me the kind of person whose caring strengthens others. Amen.
1 William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Corinthians (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, pp. 170-171.
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Adopted: welcomed into the family
Friday, 1 July 2016
Galatians 4:4 but when the appointed time arrived, God sent forth his Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm, 5 so that he might redeem those in subjection to this legalism and thus enable us to be made God’s sons. 6 Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir.
Micah 6:6 “With what can I come before Adonai
to bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings?
with calves in their first year?
7 Would Adonai take delight in thousands of rams
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Could I give my firstborn to pay for my crimes,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 Human being, you have already been told
what is good, what Adonai demands of you —
no more than to act justly, love grace
and walk in purity with your God.
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“Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs—loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified love—can be elusive to humans.”[John Grogan (Author)]
Wayside Waifs came out to Resurrection last weekend. They do a great job saving animals and encouraging people to adopt them. (You can learn more at www.waysidewaifs.org.) That’s one way for us to live out God’s call to “do justice,” to “embrace faithful love.” But it also reminds us that one image Paul used for God’s salvation was to say that God adopts us. When we might otherwise be on a course leading to eternal darkness, God takes us into the safety of heaven’s family.
• Slavery was common in Paul’s day—it was the main backdrop for the word “redeem” in Galatians 4:5. Imagine how a slave would feel if the person who owned them said, “I’m
adopting you. You’re now a full member of the family, not a slave.” Do you tend to live more as God’s “slave,” fearful and frustrated, or as God’s beloved daughter or son? How can you more fully accept your adoption, your complete “belonging” in God’s family?
• Micah ironically portrayed people who wanted to please God through religious rituals. The proposed sacrifices in verses 6-7 got bigger, ending with child sacrifice, a ghastly practice of some of Israel’s neighbors. God didn’t want that, but called us “to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” What do these requirements tell you about what God is like? How can adopting a pet be one way to live them out? In what other ways does your
lifestyle reflect your choice to “walk humbly” with your God?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to live in ways that honor and please you. Help me to offer you my heart, my inner being, before I offer you anything else, and then guide me each day. Amen.
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Gratitude
Saturday, 2 July 2016
Colossians 3:15 and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
And be thankful — 16 let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. 17 That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
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“A dog is grateful for what is, which I am finding to be the soundest kind of wisdom and very good theology.”[Carrie Newcomer (Singer; Songwriter; Author)]
One reason so many of us love dogs so much is their ability to be happy and grateful for every treat, every bit of attention. We live in a culture that much of the time seeks to drive us toward ingratitude instead. Our cars and appliances are too old, our hair is too thin or the wrong color, our vacation lodgings are only four-star rated, and the operating system on our cell phone is two
versions behind. Upgrade it all, we hear. And why? “You deserve it!” There’s nothing wrong with buying nice things, as long as we’re financially responsible when we do it. But God has called us to cultivate a spirit of gratitude more like that of our dogs, a spirit of gratitude at all times.
• How many times, in these three verses, did Paul mention the importance of gratitude? Where is your heart on a “gratitude meter” as you face this day? What inner choices can you make that would move you higher on the scale today? Verse 17 took in a lot of ground: “Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” In this next week, how can you “give thanks to God the Father” as you work, shop, drive the freeway, react to the news or cheer for the Royals or your kid’s soccer team?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see reasons to say “thank you” no matter what comes my way
today. Let your peace more and more control my heart and my words. Amen.
Family Activity: God shows his love to us through his creation and we can show love to God by taking care of his creatures! Choose an animal shelter where your family could donate items or volunteer. (Great Plains SCPA or Wayside Waifs are excellent options.) If you decide to donate items, consider collecting toys, food, blankets and towels for the animals. If you decide to volunteer, check on either website for their process on how to do so. If you have a dog or other pet
at home, encourage every family to help care for him or her and make sure to give your pet lots of love! Pray and thank God for God’s creatures and the love they give us!
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Prayer Requests – submit requests at cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Anne Blue and family on the death of her mother Opal Proctor, 6/19
• Shannon Dyer and family on the death of her father Phillip Dyer, 6/17
• Tim Mathews and family on the death of his grandmother Marie Calvo, 6/16
• Tonja Britt and family on the death of her father Jerry Britt, 6/16
• Vicki Smith and family on the death of her mother Dorothy Holman, 6/15
• Nancy Spoolstra and family on the death of her father Richard Marquart, 6/14
• Todd Sloan and family on the death of his father George Sloan, 6/14
• Friends and family on the death of Margaret Warren, 6/14
• Sondra Ratliff and family on the death of her husband Larry Ratliff, 6/11
• Janice Updike and family on the death of her mother Genevieve Fenton, 6/10
• Jeff Inman and family on the death of his wife Sara Inman, 6/9
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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