Grow. Pray. Study. Daily Devotion Guide from Sunday, 21 May 2017 through Saturday, 27 May 2017 from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States
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Prayer Tip: The Compassion of the LORD
Daily Scripture
Psalm 103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
I heard a story about a therapist who laminated an Equal packet and gave it to her client to carry around with him - he was to to take out when he struggled with feelings that he was less worthy than others. It served as a visual reminder that he was equal to other people and just as worthy of respect and love. We live in a society that is steeped in comparison. We compare ourselves constantly to others and place judgement on ourselves and others. I am worth more than you; I am worth less than you.
This is not how God wants us to spend our time and it wreaks havoc on our romantic relationships as well as our relationships with co-workers and friends. Comparison breeds jealousy, contempt and envy. We cannot love our neighbors when we see them as less than us. We cannot love our ourselves when we see ourselves as beneath our neighbors. When we reflect on the fact that we are created as individuals with different gifts to serve different purposes, we realize that we are not meant to compare ourselves with others. We are meant to come alongside each other and to appreciate the individual gifts and talents given to ourselves and those around us.
The prayer tip for the week is this: Spend time in prayer with God discussing your tendency to compare.
Ask God to help you reach peace with yourself and who you were created to be. Ask for help appreciating the beauty and wonder he has created in others without the lens of judgement against yourself. Ask for forgiveness for times you have harshly judged others.
Dear Lord,
You have fearfully and wonderfully made each of us. We are all created in your image by your loving hands. Please dissuade us from comparing ourselves to our brothers and sisters which can cause rifts and make harmonious relationships with others difficult. Please help us to love ourselves so that we can shine the light of that love into our relationships with others. Amen.[Ashly Cooley, Counseling & Support Ministries]
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Used by permission. All rights reserved.The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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Sunday, May 21, 2017 "The Birds and the Bees 'The Compassion of the LORD'”-------
Scripture:
Psalm 103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass,
he sprouts like a flower in the countryside —
16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone;
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him
is from eternity past to eternity future,
and his righteousness extends
to his children’s children,
18 provided they keep his covenant
and remember to follow his precepts.
19 Adonai has established his throne in heaven;
his kingly power rules everything.
20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his,
you mighty warriors who obey his word,
who carry out his orders!
21 Bless Adonai, all his troops,
who serve him and do what he wants!
22 Bless Adonai, all his works,
in every place where he rules!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
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"Gender roles: creation vs. ancient culture"
Monday, 22 May 2017
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.”
, 2:
18 Adonai, God, said, “It isn’t good that the person should be alone. I will make for him a companion suitable for helping him.” 19 So from the ground Adonai, God, formed every wild animal and every bird that flies in the air, and he brought them to the person to see what he would call them. Whatever the person would call each living creature, that was to be its name. (S: iii) 20 So the person gave names to all the livestock, to the birds in the air and to every wild animal. But for Adam there was not found a companion suitable for helping him.21 Then God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the person; and while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and closed up the place from which he took it with flesh. 22 The rib which Adonai, God, had taken from the person, he made a woman-person; and he brought her to the man-person.
23
The man-person said, “At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She is to be called Woman [Genesis 2:23 Hebrew: ishah], because she was taken out of Man
[Genesis 2:23 Hebrew: ish].”, Leviticus 12:1 Adonai said to Moshe, 2 “Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days with the same uncleanness as in niddah, when she is having her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day, the baby’s foreskin is to be circumcised. 4 She is to wait an additional thirty-three days to be purified from her blood; she is not to touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over. 5 But if she gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean for two weeks, as in her niddah; and she is to wait another sixty-six days to be purified from her blood.-------
Most ancient cultures valued males above females. Israelite women could not inherit family lands; widows had no legal status (cf. the book of Ruth). So it was not strange that Leviticus 12 called women “unclean” after giving birth—and unclean twice as long after a girl’s birth as a boy’s! But it may show how our cultures shape our comprehension of God that they said God gave Moses that biased law. In the Hebrews’ own creation stories, God made male AND female in God’s image. The woman was called man’s helper and partner, not his servant.
• Scholar and pastor Matthew Henry wrote (in 1706!) that Eve was “not made out of his [Adam’s] head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” Who shaped your opinions about gender as a 21st-century person? How do your beliefs shape how you treat your own gender? The other gender?
• Scholar Lesslie Newbigin wrote, “Most of us treat the Bible as an anthology of helpful thoughts… from which we can obtain comfort, guidance and direction…. It is rather an interpretation of the whole of history from the creation to its end… and is told from the point of view of the people whom God chose to be the bearers of his purpose.” * How can Newbigin’s outlook help you make better sense of how Israel could believe God gave laws that blatantly discriminated against women?
Prayer: Lord God, it’s a privilege, and a challenge, to bear your image. Grow the qualities of your very self in me, so that my connection to you will more and more define me every day. Amen.
* Lesslie Newbigin, A Walk Through the Bible. Kansas City: Barefoot Ministries, 1999, pp. 12-13.
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Denise Mersmann
Denise serves as the Early Childhood Coordinating Assistant at Church of the Resurrection.
The Message Bible renders Genesis 1:27 this way: "God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female." And then "God looked over everything He had made; it was so good, so very good!"
In no translation of the Bible have I seen, "God created man and it was good, but He was disappointed with His work on woman."
God created both man and woman in his image, not based on appearance. God didn't create us in His image to let the world know if he was short or tall, had a certain skin tone or slightly uneven eyebrows.
God created humankind to reflect His nature. He created each of us to be kind, filled with grace, caring, compassionate, willing to hold each other to a higher standard and to care for animals, the earth and our fellow man. That role can be filled by both men and women equally well. When I think of someone who reflects God's image, I can't tell you what they look like. But I can absolutely identify their character, because that is what God looks at in each of us and what we should be looking at as well.
In no translation of the Bible have I seen, "God created man and it was good, but He was disappointed with His work on woman."
God created both man and woman in his image, not based on appearance. God didn't create us in His image to let the world know if he was short or tall, had a certain skin tone or slightly uneven eyebrows.
God created humankind to reflect His nature. He created each of us to be kind, filled with grace, caring, compassionate, willing to hold each other to a higher standard and to care for animals, the earth and our fellow man. That role can be filled by both men and women equally well. When I think of someone who reflects God's image, I can't tell you what they look like. But I can absolutely identify their character, because that is what God looks at in each of us and what we should be looking at as well.
"Human sexuality: Good gift and cultural challenge"
Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Genesis 2:24 This is why a man is to leave his father and mother and stick with his wife, and they are to be one flesh.
25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed., Song of Solomon 8:[Chorus]
5 Who is this, coming up from the desert,
leaning on her darling?
leaning on her darling?
[He]
I awakened you under the apple tree.
It was there that your mother conceived you;
there she who bore you conceived you.
It was there that your mother conceived you;
there she who bore you conceived you.
[She]
6 Set me like a seal on your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
passion as cruel as Sh’ol;
its flashes are flashes of fire,
[as fierce as the] flame of Yah.
7 No amount of water can quench love,
torrents cannot drown it.
If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love,
he would gain only utter contempt.
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
passion as cruel as Sh’ol;
its flashes are flashes of fire,
[as fierce as the] flame of Yah.
7 No amount of water can quench love,
torrents cannot drown it.
If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love,
he would gain only utter contempt.
, Genesis 29:31 Adonai saw that Le’ah was unloved, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless. 32 Le’ah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Re’uven [see, a son!], for she said, “It is because Adonai has seen how humiliated I have been, but now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again, gave birth to a son and said, “It is because Adonai has heard that I am unloved; therefore he has given me this son also.” So she named him Shim‘on [hearing]. 34 Once more she conceived and had a son; and she said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore she named him Levi [joining]. 35 She conceived yet again, had a son and said, “This time I will praise Adonai”; therefore she named him Y’hudah [praise]. Then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing children for Ya‘akov, she envied her sister and said to Ya‘akov, “Give me children, or I will die!” 2 This made Ya‘akov angry at Rachel; he answered, “Am I in God’s place? He’s the one who is denying you children.” 3 She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Go, sleep with her, and let her give birth to a child that will be laid on my knees, so that through her I too can build a family.” 4 So she gave him Bilhah her slave-girl as his wife, and Ya‘akov went in and slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Ya‘akov a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has judged in my favor; indeed he has heard me and given me a son.” Therefore she called him Dan [he judged].
7 Bilhah Rachel’s slave-girl conceived again and bore Ya‘akov a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have wrestled mightily with my sister and won,” and called him Naftali [my wrestling].9 When Le’ah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah her slave-girl and gave her to Ya‘akov as his wife. 10 Zilpah Le’ah’s slave-girl bore Ya‘akov a son; 11 and Le’ah said, “Good fortune has come,” calling him Gad [good fortune].
12 Zilpah Le’ah’s slave-girl bore Ya‘akov a second son; 13 and Le’ah said, “How happy I am! Women will say I am happy!” and called him Asher [happy].
(iv) 14 During the wheat harvest season Re’uven went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Le’ah. Rachel said to Le’ah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes [so that I can be fertile].” 15 She answered, “Isn’t it enough that you have taken away my husband? Do you have to take my son’s mandrakes too?” Rachel said, “Very well; in exchange for your son’s mandrakes, sleep with him tonight.” 16 When Ya‘akov came in from the field in the evening, Le’ah went out to meet him and said, “You have to come and sleep with me, because I’ve hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Ya‘akov slept with her that night. 17 God listened to Le’ah, and she conceived and bore Ya‘akov a fifth son. 18 Le’ah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my slave-girl to my husband.” So she called him Yissakhar [hire, reward].
19 Le’ah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Ya‘akov. 20 Le’ah said, “God has given me a wonderful gift. Now at last my husband will live with me, since I have borne him six sons.” And she called him Z’vulun [living together].
21 After this, she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah [controversy over rights].
22 Then God took note of Rachel, heeded her prayer and made her fertile. 23 She conceived, had a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24 She called him Yosef [may he add], saying, “May Adonai add to me another son.”
The Hebrew Bible was much more frank about human sexuality (for good and ill) than many church people tend to be. Both the Genesis story of creation and the poetry of Song of Solomon celebrated physical intimacy as a good (and bonding) gift from God. But Jacob’s story (and many others) showed how sex disconnected from love and commitment could foster jealousy, rivalry and selfishness, and make life tangled and painful.
• How does including Genesis 2 and Song of Solomon in the Bible show that the Hebrew people (guided, we trust, by God’s Spirit) believed God created sexual attraction, as a force for good? In what ways did this bold Hebrew love poetry link the strong pull of sexual attraction with God’s larger intention that the union of bodies should bond hearts together?
• Rachel had Jacob’s love, but ached for children. Leah had children, but wanted Jacob to love her. Both wives had Jacob sleep with their maidservants, treating the maidservants and him as pawns in their struggle for family status. We’d never do THAT! In what ways does our culture separate sex from love and commitment? When have you seen that separation produce the same types of pain and dysfunction that it did in Jacob’s family?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the good gift of human physical intimacy. Whatever my current circumstances, help me view that gift as a way of emulating, at our deepest levels, your steadfast love for us. Amen.
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Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
In today’s passage from Genesis 29-30, we have two women, Rachel and Leah, and it seemed each of them faced a choice: did they want love or children? Rachel had love, but no children; Leah had children, but no love; and each of them wanted both, but it seemed neither could have it. Even today, that choice seems cruel. Why should anyone have to make it?
And yet, there are plenty of people who have to make that choice today. There are couples and people who, for whatever reason, cannot have children. These people may have medical problems, or they may be gay, or they may just have really lousy luck with relationships--there are lots of reasons why--but the end result is that there are people who can have love, but not children.
There also single parents who may find parenthood such a huge job that they have trouble finding love. This is a much bigger problem than many married people imagine. There are others who stay in loveless marriages because they know it’s the only way they’ll be able to support their children.
There are also people who simply choose not to have children and lose love in other ways, like parents’ disapproval or even friends with children calling them selfish. A choice not to have children should never result in a loss of love or respect, which leaves the person with neither.
Today’s passage from Genesis 29 and 30 doesn’t offer a solution, but it makes very clear that these situations are painful. Rachel and Leah do some pretty crazy things to overcome these situations. We’re not meant to emulate their behavior--we’re meant to notice that the lengths they go to shine some light on how serious these problems are.
These are problems that aren’t always talked about much, but the Bible is clear that we should have sympathy and love for these people. If you’re in one of the groups I mentioned above, you are not alone, and you are loved. If you know someone in one of the groups above, make sure they know you have their support. They’ll need it even when they don’t ask for it.
And yet, there are plenty of people who have to make that choice today. There are couples and people who, for whatever reason, cannot have children. These people may have medical problems, or they may be gay, or they may just have really lousy luck with relationships--there are lots of reasons why--but the end result is that there are people who can have love, but not children.
There also single parents who may find parenthood such a huge job that they have trouble finding love. This is a much bigger problem than many married people imagine. There are others who stay in loveless marriages because they know it’s the only way they’ll be able to support their children.
There are also people who simply choose not to have children and lose love in other ways, like parents’ disapproval or even friends with children calling them selfish. A choice not to have children should never result in a loss of love or respect, which leaves the person with neither.
Today’s passage from Genesis 29 and 30 doesn’t offer a solution, but it makes very clear that these situations are painful. Rachel and Leah do some pretty crazy things to overcome these situations. We’re not meant to emulate their behavior--we’re meant to notice that the lengths they go to shine some light on how serious these problems are.
These are problems that aren’t always talked about much, but the Bible is clear that we should have sympathy and love for these people. If you’re in one of the groups I mentioned above, you are not alone, and you are loved. If you know someone in one of the groups above, make sure they know you have their support. They’ll need it even when they don’t ask for it.
"Gender roles: Jesus and early Christians"
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Luke 10:38 On their way Yeshua and his talmidim came to a village where a woman named Marta welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Miryam who also sat at the Lord’s feet and heard what he had to say. 40 But Marta was busy with all the work to be done; so, going up to him, she said, “Sir, don’t you care that my sister has been leaving me to do all the work by myself?” 41 However, the Lord answered her, “Marta, Marta, you are fretting and worrying about so many things! 42 But there is only one thing that is essential. Miryam has chosen the right thing, and it won’t be taken away from her.”, Galatians 3: 23 Now before the time for this trusting faithfulness came, we were imprisoned in subjection to the system which results from perverting the Torah into legalism, kept under guard until this yet-to-come trusting faithfulness would be revealed. 24 Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. 25 But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; 27 because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one.-------
Jesus treated women as—well, as people. Most rabbis thought women couldn’t learn, and were not worth teaching. But when Martha grumbled that her sister wasn’t helping her with “woman’s” work, Jesus said it was good for Mary to learn from him. The apostle Paul followed Jesus. His rabbinic training may have peeked through at times, but he boldly wrote that, in Christ, the old distinctions between the value of male and female no longer applied.
• Jesus teaching Mary may seem normal to us. In his time, it was most unusual—and it was not an isolated incident (cf. Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 27:55-56, and women as the first resurrection witnesses, as in Luke 24:9-11). How does Jesus’ model speak to attitudes and actions that still treat women as second-class citizens in homes, workplaces or other settings?
• Paul wrote some things (e.g. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:11-15) that sound antifemale. On closer study, those seem to be answers to specific church or city situations, not general wisdom (though his cultural background may have shaped how he said them). Galatians 3:28 was a sweeping statement reflecting how Christ changed gender views. In what ways have you seen the church live out Galatians 3:28? Where do you, or the Christian community, still have room to grow in living this out?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, even in our “enlightened” times, we’re tempted to make jokes about “woman drivers” and similar topics. Guide me as I discern and live beyond any prejudices that my heart still harbors. Amen.
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Wendy Connelly
Wendy Connelly is wife to Mark, mom to two kids and is a seminary student at Saint Paul School of Theology. In an effort to defuse the "fear of the other," Wendy is on a "Year of Faiths" adventure in 2017, building bridges with a different world religion each month, searching for positive points of convergence with Christianity, and sharing them through blog posts and podcasts. Follow her "Year of Faiths" journey at TheLiftPodcast.org.
At the 2015 Parliament of World Religions, a speech was rendered by Marianne Williamson, titled “On Women and Religion”:
“As women, let us just point out – not with anger or with rancor – that the history of religion has not been so good to women. And to be honest, in many of the great institutionalized religions that are represented even here at this Parliament, they’re not doing so good, even today. So, let’s take a moment to atone in our hearts, to be honest and be real, because religion, when it refuses to be honest and refuses to be real allows itself merely to be co-opted by the very forces we are here to protect human beings from.”
The way Jesus treated women was revolutionary. He counted them among his closest friends, discipled them despite stigmas, and lauded Mary above Martha in today’s story as she took a socially subversive role. Jesus’ Way stood apart from a long history of patriarchal religion, and is a far cry from what many women experience in both church and society today.
Patriarchy says, “Submit. Tend to your tasks. Don’t bother us.”
But Jesus lifts womankind, takes her enemies to task, and asks, “Why are you bothering her?”
“As women, let us just point out – not with anger or with rancor – that the history of religion has not been so good to women. And to be honest, in many of the great institutionalized religions that are represented even here at this Parliament, they’re not doing so good, even today. So, let’s take a moment to atone in our hearts, to be honest and be real, because religion, when it refuses to be honest and refuses to be real allows itself merely to be co-opted by the very forces we are here to protect human beings from.”
The way Jesus treated women was revolutionary. He counted them among his closest friends, discipled them despite stigmas, and lauded Mary above Martha in today’s story as she took a socially subversive role. Jesus’ Way stood apart from a long history of patriarchal religion, and is a far cry from what many women experience in both church and society today.
Patriarchy says, “Submit. Tend to your tasks. Don’t bother us.”
But Jesus lifts womankind, takes her enemies to task, and asks, “Why are you bothering her?”
Marianne Williamson on Women and Religion
“The LORD feels compassion for those who honor him”
Thursday, 25 May 2017
Psalm 103:1(0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass,
he sprouts like a flower in the countryside —
16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone;
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him
is from eternity past to eternity future,
and his righteousness extends
to his children’s children,
18 provided they keep his covenant
and remember to follow his precepts.
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 Yes, a human being’s days are like grass,
he sprouts like a flower in the countryside —
16 but when the wind sweeps over, it’s gone;
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the mercy of Adonai on those who fear him
is from eternity past to eternity future,
and his righteousness extends
to his children’s children,
18 provided they keep his covenant
and remember to follow his precepts.
19 Adonai has established his throne in heaven;
his kingly power rules everything.
20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his,
you mighty warriors who obey his word,
who carry out his orders!
21 Bless Adonai, all his troops,
who serve him and do what he wants!
22 Bless Adonai, all his works,
in every place where he rules!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
his kingly power rules everything.
20 Bless Adonai, you angels of his,
you mighty warriors who obey his word,
who carry out his orders!
21 Bless Adonai, all his troops,
who serve him and do what he wants!
22 Bless Adonai, all his works,
in every place where he rules!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Pastor Hamilton often quotes Frederick Buechner’s words: “The worst thing is never the last thing.” The people of Israel believed and celebrated that when they sang Psalm 103. Their history included terrible times of oppression, uncertainty about how best to serve God (and, sometimes, unwillingness to serve God), and many feelings of powerlessness and despair. But the psalmist said God knows and loves us, and “the LORD’s faithful love is from forever ago to forever from now for those who honor him” (verse 17).
• Just how far IS the east from the west? Like most people of his day, the psalmist likely thought of earth as a flat disk, rather than a globe. If you think of the edges of a disk, then the distance between “east” and “west” is the greatest possible distance. How does this image help you picture the vastness of God’s compassion and mercy?
• Verse 6 said, “The LORD works righteousness; does justice for all who are oppressed.” Most of us live in an affluent county in one of the freest nations in the world. Who are some of the people who are oppressed even in this setting—who are ridiculed, misunderstood and shunned? How can you take part in God’s work to bless those who face types of oppression that you do not face?
Prayer: LORD Jesus, you came to earth because of what the psalmist called your “faithful love.” In my human relationships, keep teaching me how to love as faithfully as you do. Amen. -------
James CochranJames Cochran serves as the Director of Counseling Ministries. He is a licensed professional counselor and completed his graduate studies at University of Missouri – Kansas City. His professional experience includes counseling in a private practice setting, conducting mental health assessments in an emergency room, and developing programs for non-profits. James’s defining passion is helping people become who God created them to be. Resurrection has been James’s home church since he was in elementary school.
The goal of this blog is to offer insights related to this week’s Scriptures. Not to spoil the mystery, but it’s a pretty simple process. Darrell sends us an email the week before with the Scripture passages and some study questions, and from this material we (the bloggers) work to find ways to relate how these ideas are lived out in our lives.
Last Sunday, Pastor Adam spoke about how Christians are called to interact with our LGBT sisters, brothers, and others with the compassion of a parent (articulated with far more, well, psalmy-ness by the psalmist in today’s reading).
To recap, my task is to (a) read the Scripture passage (b) process it within the context of the sermon series (c) as it relates to my daily life.
And do you know what? I don’t know how to do it. I’ve tried to craft a comprehensible blog that ties these things together, but I am coming up empty.
So I’m taking a different approach. I’m going to tell you what I want to say, what I feel called to say. This story doesn’t lend itself well to Scripture tie-ins or the other study questions, but I think it says something about what compassion is, and what it isn’t. If you’re reading this, it means that the editor agrees with me.
When I was younger, I had a gay friend. I didn’t know this person was gay at the time, and we had a pretty definitive falling out prior to this person coming out. This person has mostly remained disconnected from me. I’ve had a chance to see this person on occasion, and we’re mostly amicable, but we’ve still never discussed the truth of this person’s sexual orientation.
As I’ve gotten older, it’s become clearer to me why we had a falling out in the first place. You see, I was one of those “love the sinner, hate the sin” kinds of Christians. This person knew that, and may have even agreed with me. It wasn’t uncommon for me to cast judgment if we were discussing someone who was gay, always covered with a thin veil of kindness (don’t forget, we still had to "love the sinner").
Today I cringe when I think of those conversations. I also cringe when I think of the things I’d say that were less loving and kind, or just plain bigoted. Now it seems obvious why we had a falling out, why this person hasn’t shared this part of their life with me. As far as this person is concerned, I’m not safe. I’m just another judge, smiling politely while holding a stone behind my back.
Looking back, what if I had shown everyone the kind of compassion the psalmist describes? What if I had loved others like parents love their kids? Like I now love my own daughter? I can’t help but think that this person and I would still be connected.
This is a sad story--a story of how compassion-flavored judgment is so much less than what we’re called to. But to me, the true sadness of the story is recognizing that in every stage of this process, I was a “Christian.” By this I mean I called myself a Christian. And in the name of Christ I articulated small-minded values and attributed them to the Gospel, to the Kin-dom of God.
It’s hard to say what my point is. Be more compassionate. Be a vessel of God’s justice for all oppressed peoples. Most of all, be careful. Acting out of hate, confusion, thinly veiled judgment or anything but love brings pain to your relationships and your soul.
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"Jesus’ spirit: 'Neither do I condemn you'”Friday, 26 May 2017
John 8:2 At daybreak, he appeared again in the Temple Court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery and made her stand in the center of the group. 4 Then they said to him, “Rabbi, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?” 6 They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger. 7 When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down and wrote in the dust again. 9 On hearing this, they began to leave, one by one, the older ones first, until he was left alone, with the woman still there. 10 Standing up, Yeshua said to her, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don’t sin any more.”
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The accusers in this ugly scene weren’t satisfied with shaming the woman. They wanted to stone her to death, quoting verses like Deuteronomy 22:22. (By the way, the woman’s partner was missing—the reason many scholars believe she’d been set up.) Jesus did not blindly follow every word in the Bible. He offered the accusers a different standard: “Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.” The accusers left, and Jesus, who WAS sinless, didn’t want to throw stones.
• Have you, or someone close to you, ever responded to a failure to live up to God’s (and your own) ideal by saying, “I just feel sick about what I did” or even “I wish I could die”? In what ways was Jesus’ offer to free the woman from shame, and restore a healthy relationship with God and others, an act of deep inner healing? Can you accept Jesus' offer of forgiveness by forgiving yourself?
• Imagine yourself on the ground like this woman, encircled by the “righteous” who condemn you. Hear Jesus saying, “I don’t condemn you.” How precious is his grace to you? Now imagine it’s you holding a stone. Who—what person or group—did you throw before Jesus? What “sinners” do you most despise? Lay before Jesus the fears, feelings and incidents that make those people so offensive to you. Ask Jesus to help you daily grow into someone who deals with people as he did.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes difference or disagreement make me want to condemn those who shake my sense of certainty. Help me walk farther away from judging others each day. Amen.
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Ginger is graduate of Saint Paul School of Theology. She and her husband Rob have a son, a daughter, and a high energy dog. She loves writing, conversations over coffee, and teaching spiritual classes.
Imagine this….a woman accused of adultery is dragged by religious leaders to the center of a crowd and thrown onto the sandy gravel ground. They ask Jesus to acknowledge the law and initiate a public stoning as punishment. The pulse of the crowd is increasing. The crowd feels a rush of anticipation at this drama unfolding. Each one feels relief--this is about her and not them. The religious leaders ask Jesus for his opinion.
Jesus is silent. He looks at the ground.
They ask again. Jesus stands and says, “Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.” The accused woman is bracing for the first stone. There is a hush over the crowd. You could imagine that everyone looks around, maybe mumbles a bit…and then each one is struck by an unavoidable truth about themselves.
Jesus is silent. He looks at the ground.
They slowly walk away. When he is alone with the woman, he speaks to her. He reminds her that no one is without sin. He frees her from condemnation. He offers her a new beginning.
Jesus teaches and models how to judge. Don’t.
Jesus let it be between God and the woman. No shaming, no labeling, no dehumanizing, no opinion offered. When others were sharing their judgment and asking for his opinion, he looked at the ground. When they were alone, he shared his thoughts with her lovingly.
Let’s do that.
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"Jesus’ spirit: 'mercy overrules judgment'”Saturday, 27 May 2017
Matthew 9:9 As Yeshua passed on from there he spotted a tax-collector named Mattityahu sitting in his collection booth. He said to him, “Follow me!” and he got up and followed him.
10 While Yeshua was in the house eating, many tax-collectors and sinners came and joined him and his talmidim at the meal. 11 When the P’rushim saw this, they said to his talmidim, “Why does your rabbi eat with tax-collectors and sinners?” 12 But Yeshua heard the question and answered, “The ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick. 13 As for you, go and learn what this means: ‘I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifices.’[Matthew 9:13 Hosea 6:6] For I didn’t come to call the ‘righteous,’ but sinners!”
Matthew 19:10 The talmidim said to him, “If that is how things are between husband and wife, it would be better not to marry!” 11 He said to them, “Not everyone grasps this teaching, only those for whom it is meant. 12 For there are different reasons why men do not marry — some because they were born without the desire, some because they have been castrated, and some because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever can grasp this, let him do so.”
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James 2:8 If you truly attain the goal of Kingdom Torah, in conformity with the passage that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[James 2:8 Leviticus 19:18] you are doing well. 9 But if you show favoritism, your actions constitute sin, since you are convicted under the Torah as transgressors.
10 For a person who keeps the whole Torah, yet stumbles at one point, has become guilty of breaking them all.
11 For the One who said, “Don’t commit adultery,”
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also said, “Don’t murder.”[James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:] Now, if you don’t commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the Torah.
12 Keep speaking and acting like people who will be judged by a Torah which gives freedom. 13 For judgment will be without mercy toward one who doesn’t show mercy; but mercy wins out over judgment.
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Through the ages, various groups have been outcasts unwelcome in “religious” circles (e.g. Deuteronomy 23:1-2 banned eunuchs and illegitimate children). To Pharisees amazed that he would eat with “tax collectors and sinners,” Jesus said his kingdom was different. He said even people most Hebrews looked down on, like eunuchs, were welcome, that there were not onesize-fits-all rules. In his letter, Jesus’ brother James underscored the same idea. His words about breaking even one commandment were not meant to discourage, but to say we’re all in the same boat. All of us must trust that, with God, “mercy overrules judgment.”
• In Jesus’ day, as in ours, some religious people thought holiness included showing your virtue by loudly condemning “unworthy” people (which generally meant “different”). Have you ever seen some “righteous” church people judge and criticize non-religious and nominally religious people (or even believers who are different from them in some way)? If Jesus brought Matthew and his friends to your worship service or small group, would they be welcome? James said the command to love your neighbor as yourself was a “royal law.” When has mercy had to overrule judgment in order for you to live up to that law, and welcome any and all human beings with God’s compassion? In what ways does relating to others with mercy rather than condemnation create greater freedom for them? For you?
Prayer: Lord, when I’m the “tax collector and sinner,” I want your mercy and grace. When you call me as your child to offer mercy and grace to people I don’t like or approve of, that gets tougher. Grow a more merciful heart in me. Amen.
Family Activity: God created each person as a sexual being and designed sexuality to be a good gift. Children will learn about sex from someone, so as parents or caregivers, commit to being the people who teach them. With younger children, use appropriate names for all body parts, including those we keep covered. With older children and youth, bake a cake. Take the cake out of the oven 15-20 minutes early. Talk about what isn’t right about the cake and the importance of timing in all things. Finish baking it and when it is done, celebrate its goodness. Talk about the goodness and gift of waiting for the right time to have sex. Pray, asking God for wisdom and guidance as your family continues these critical conversations through the years. -------
Dr. Amy Oden is Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality at Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU. Teaching is her calling, and she looks forward to every day with students. For 25 years, Amy has taught theology and history, pursuing scholarship in service of the church.
GETTING IT RIGHT. Jesus grew up in a religious world that believed the most important thing was to get it right--to do the right things to stay right with God. To make the right temple sacrifices at the right time. To keep all the right laws in the right way. To condemn others when they didn’t get it right and keep score on who was getting it right and who wasn’t. Jesus came to say, No, that’s not my way. My kingdom has new rules. The rule of mercy. The rule of freedom. Mercy, not getting it right.
There is something in human nature that insists on keeping score, on figuring out who’s right and who’s wrong, even when Jesus tells us to just stop it. So today, we do the same thing, believing that the most important thing is to get it right in order to stay right with God. And we compound our mistake by making God just like us, the big judge in the sky who thinks the most important thing is to get it right. And still Jesus says to us, No, that’s not the Jesus way. My kingdom has new rules. The rule of mercy. The rule of freedom. Mercy, not getting it right.
Why is this so hard? Why do we want to believe in getting it right, instead of believing in Jesus and his kingdom of mercy? Carry these questions through your day and listen to the Holy Spirit speak into your life.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Ronda Richey and family on the death of her father Griff Pickett, 5/13
• Joy Wightman and family on the death of her mother Ruth Scott, 5/13
• Tammy Henke and family on the death of her father Roy Sturgis, 5/10
• Bill Blessing and family on the death of his mother Jeanne Blessing, 5/9
• Dale and Kay Shelite and family on the death of their daughter Melissa Shelite, 4/30
• David Shelite and Drew Yarnell on the loss of their sister Melissa Shelite, 4/30
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