Scripture: Exodus 20
hen God spoke all these words:
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
you shall have no other gods before* me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord
your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of
parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation* of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
For six days you shall labour and do all your work.
But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord
your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your
male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your
towns.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.*
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet
your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbour.
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid* and trembled and stood at a distance,
and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’
Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to
test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’
Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Observation:
These are the Ten Commandments. God gives them to Moses and the people of Israel when they gather at the foot of Mt. Sinai, after the harrowing escape from Egypt. The escape was a massive rescue operation performed by their God --Yahweh--who detested the cries of suffering God heard rising from the Israelites, who were treated brutally as slaves. They were slaves for 400 years before rescue. The rescue required bold advocacy, public nonviolent resistance, and powerful opposition to the rule of the Egyptian king. Now the people are free at last!
But their freedom was won for them by their God, whose desire is to live in a covenant relationship with the people. Therefore, their freedom includes responsibility and rules. If they are going to live together as a household of faith, they will have rules to follow that define their character and identity. Will they obey the rules? What will be the consequences for failure to comply? Like any household, what discipline will be applied to establish authority and obedience?
Application
With freedom comes responsibility. There are rules. If all of the rules are negative, what you cannot do, how do you know what you can or ought to do? These rules mostly prohibit certain behaviors, including ancient customs around the crafting of idols for worship. This God is not an object, but a person. With language and presence and the ability to move and act. The rules govern their relationship with God and with other people. Jesus says that the summary for all the rules is love. Love God, love the neighbor. Love is to guide our action and our words.
These are not suggestions. They teach Israel how to live in relationship with their God. Israel will fail to comply. There will be consequences. But the relationship will remain intact. In any household, good parents have rules. But if a child breaks the rules, they still live together. They still love one another. There is forgiveness. Some parents are harsh disciplinarians with limits to forgiveness. But not God. There is always forgiveness and mercy. Think of a time when you broke the rules. What were the consequences? How was forgiveness or mercy shown? What can love do when someone fails? When guilt and shame are present, what provides hope?
Prayer
Lord, you give us a certain amount of freedom to test our limits. You give us boundaries and rules for protection and for identity as your people. You command and we sometimes obey. When we don't, there are consequences in our lives. But with you there is mercy and forgiveness and love. Help us to be loving toward others. I pray for people who have been found guilty of a crime and await sentencing. Amen.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
baptized
Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Observation:
Jesus enters into the ongoing spiritual practice of John, the desert prophet calling God's people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John's wilderness work reminded the people that their covenant relationship with God required an active pursuit of God's justice. It reminded them of the exodus experience, in which they had to depend on God alone to live. Baptism was a sign of covenant renewal and a washing away of the dead self enslaved to sin. This is a new way of returning to God, receiving forgiveness, and renewing one's devotion to practice the faith. John's way did not involve clergy, priests, temples, or sacrifices. Only a heart of repentance and the Jordan river.
Jesus came to be part of the liberation of Israel, God's holy people. He came to set right a world turned upside down. Jesus was not himself yet an innovator, but a follower and practitioner in this way of John. Jesus was part of a longer narrative about God and people that goes back to the Genesis beginning story. He stands in a tradition of prophets, priests, and kings. And he participates in the narrative arc of Jewish teaching, customs, and rituals. He does, however, also participate in this innovative practice of John the baptizer. Jesus shows us that faithfulness includes both religious tradition and inspired innovation. Both can draw us closer to God. Jesus' identity as beloved son of God reminds us of Genesis 22 where Abraham is challenged by God to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac.
Application
This story is why Christians are baptized. We follow Jesus into the water. Jesus' baptism aligns him with the innovative and radical teaching of John the baptizer. Even Jesus has a teacher. And place is important too. A return to wilderness and water, the borders and margins. These are places of subsistence and survival, of danger and detachment. They are outliers, revolutionaries, spiritual radicals. Baptism is entry into a relationship with Jesus the radical son of God. His baptism signifies that Jesus is the son of God, the one who pleases God. To align ourselves with his way of life is to live a life pleasing to God. He has come to set right what is wrong in the world. He will recruit others to work with him. Baptism is belonging to and learning the ways of Jesus---radical teacher of the God-centered life.
Prayer
Lord, baptism connects us to you and through you to God, who desires to love us like a parent loves a child. Help us to accept that we are loved. Help us to live as you lived, setting out to do what is right. Amen.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Observation:
Jesus enters into the ongoing spiritual practice of John, the desert prophet calling God's people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John's wilderness work reminded the people that their covenant relationship with God required an active pursuit of God's justice. It reminded them of the exodus experience, in which they had to depend on God alone to live. Baptism was a sign of covenant renewal and a washing away of the dead self enslaved to sin. This is a new way of returning to God, receiving forgiveness, and renewing one's devotion to practice the faith. John's way did not involve clergy, priests, temples, or sacrifices. Only a heart of repentance and the Jordan river.
Jesus came to be part of the liberation of Israel, God's holy people. He came to set right a world turned upside down. Jesus was not himself yet an innovator, but a follower and practitioner in this way of John. Jesus was part of a longer narrative about God and people that goes back to the Genesis beginning story. He stands in a tradition of prophets, priests, and kings. And he participates in the narrative arc of Jewish teaching, customs, and rituals. He does, however, also participate in this innovative practice of John the baptizer. Jesus shows us that faithfulness includes both religious tradition and inspired innovation. Both can draw us closer to God. Jesus' identity as beloved son of God reminds us of Genesis 22 where Abraham is challenged by God to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac.
Application
This story is why Christians are baptized. We follow Jesus into the water. Jesus' baptism aligns him with the innovative and radical teaching of John the baptizer. Even Jesus has a teacher. And place is important too. A return to wilderness and water, the borders and margins. These are places of subsistence and survival, of danger and detachment. They are outliers, revolutionaries, spiritual radicals. Baptism is entry into a relationship with Jesus the radical son of God. His baptism signifies that Jesus is the son of God, the one who pleases God. To align ourselves with his way of life is to live a life pleasing to God. He has come to set right what is wrong in the world. He will recruit others to work with him. Baptism is belonging to and learning the ways of Jesus---radical teacher of the God-centered life.
Prayer
Lord, baptism connects us to you and through you to God, who desires to love us like a parent loves a child. Help us to accept that we are loved. Help us to live as you lived, setting out to do what is right. Amen.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
four women
Scripture; Gospel of Matthew 1.
An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
Observation:
Matthew starts his gospel with this geneology. It connects Jesus, son of Mary, to some important characters in the Old testament: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah. Four women whose stories of sexual exploitation, rape, or foreign marriage for security were well known "sins of the fathers". From Judah to David, the Messiah's line was riddled with questionable sexual ethics. There were good men and wicked men, good kings and bad kings listed as his ancestors. You can read their stories in Genesis, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and Ruth. This ancestral history connects Jesus to royalty, to priesthood, and to Abraham the founder of Israelite faith. It also connects him to exploitation, abuse, and shame. The women in Jesus' story matter.
Application:
Jesus' story is a family story. But among all the men in the biblical history, it is the women who stand out here. Why? Jesus' own parentage was questioned. Who was his "real" father? Was his mother a rape victim or a whore? When we look back at Abraham and David, we see that the great ancestors of the faith came from a messy family; one that included sexual violence, marital infidelity, and mixed racial/ethnic marriage. (Ruth was not Jewish). Jesus' kingship comes through the human family---full of sin, corruption and brokenness. Our royal status as children of God is not granted to us because of our purity or our goodness. It is bestowed on us as a blessing or gift. But, as we will see with Jesus, the royal identity comes with responsibilities. We are called as God's children to act out of our identity, to use our God-given authority to recognize and serve the vulnerable and the exploited. Jesus' own family history taught him that all God's children are beloved, even the rotten ones. And that God can transform a family from one generation to the next. And mothers are sacred. Patriarchy is disrupted by the presence of these women, including Mary the mother of the Lord.
Prayer
God, the human family is imperfect. We see that Jesus' family story included sexual exploitation, rape, and coercion. We pray for victims of sexual violence and abuse;we pray for women and children who are forced into marriages or sold as slaves. And we ask that you bring healing and an end to family cycles of abuse. Amen.
An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
Observation:
Matthew starts his gospel with this geneology. It connects Jesus, son of Mary, to some important characters in the Old testament: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah. Four women whose stories of sexual exploitation, rape, or foreign marriage for security were well known "sins of the fathers". From Judah to David, the Messiah's line was riddled with questionable sexual ethics. There were good men and wicked men, good kings and bad kings listed as his ancestors. You can read their stories in Genesis, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and Ruth. This ancestral history connects Jesus to royalty, to priesthood, and to Abraham the founder of Israelite faith. It also connects him to exploitation, abuse, and shame. The women in Jesus' story matter.
Application:
Jesus' story is a family story. But among all the men in the biblical history, it is the women who stand out here. Why? Jesus' own parentage was questioned. Who was his "real" father? Was his mother a rape victim or a whore? When we look back at Abraham and David, we see that the great ancestors of the faith came from a messy family; one that included sexual violence, marital infidelity, and mixed racial/ethnic marriage. (Ruth was not Jewish). Jesus' kingship comes through the human family---full of sin, corruption and brokenness. Our royal status as children of God is not granted to us because of our purity or our goodness. It is bestowed on us as a blessing or gift. But, as we will see with Jesus, the royal identity comes with responsibilities. We are called as God's children to act out of our identity, to use our God-given authority to recognize and serve the vulnerable and the exploited. Jesus' own family history taught him that all God's children are beloved, even the rotten ones. And that God can transform a family from one generation to the next. And mothers are sacred. Patriarchy is disrupted by the presence of these women, including Mary the mother of the Lord.
Prayer
God, the human family is imperfect. We see that Jesus' family story included sexual exploitation, rape, and coercion. We pray for victims of sexual violence and abuse;we pray for women and children who are forced into marriages or sold as slaves. And we ask that you bring healing and an end to family cycles of abuse. Amen.
Monday, April 11, 2016
the with-ness of God
Scripture: Matthew 11
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Observation:
Jesus offers a high invitation culture, in which he shares his life with other people. He "yokes"himself with us. To share a yoke alludes to the farming practice of teaming a seasoned ox with a young ox to teach the younger ox how to work at a steady pace. A young ox will overwork to exhaustion and be less productive in a long, hot day of plowing the field. So, a wise farmer teams a mature ox with a young one, in order to train the younger ox for an easier and more enduring pace. The best way for us to learn is by imitation. Like a master and apprentice. This is the way of discipleship. One-to-one mentoring, walking side-by-side in the work of ministry to which we are called. The field is the community in which we find ourselves. The yoke is the practice of Jesus--to forgive, heal, and serve. His yoke is love. His yoke is easy and light because the love we offer others is merely a reflection of his never-failing, constant, consistent, complete love for everyone. To love is to have been loved. To love greatly is to realize how greatly you are loved.
Application
The bible is a journey story in which the creator God is companion with his beloved creatures, humans. God is described as walking beside and with us. God promises to be with God's people over and over again. In hardship, in suffering, in weakness, in fear, in danger, in struggle, in death itself--God promises to come with us. The story of Jesus is the enfleshed with-ness of God. Jesus is called Emmauel, which means God is with us. The gospel of John says that in Jesus, God's Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus calls companions to himself to teach them what it means to experience the with-ness presence of God in the world---in the flowers and birds, in the abundance of food, in the beauty of friendship, in words of forgiveness, in acts of mercy, in the face of the child, in the longings of the poor, in the suffering of the weak and vulnerable. God is with us in these ways. Jesus teaches them how to embody as image-bearers, the presence of God for others. Through acts of love, people encounter God-in-the-flesh. Discipleship is our training in bearing the image/presence of God, walking beside us. Going with us. And, amazingly that is often enough. Be with me. Be my companion. Walk beside me. Hold my hand. That's really all any of us wants, isn't it? Someone who cares enough to yoke him or her self to me. So that I might learn my own belovedness as child of God. Today, who are you walking with as companion in their earth journey?
Prayer
Jesus, walk with me. Hold my hand. Lead me. Teach me to be like you. Compassionate servant. Patient friend. Constant companion. And when I fail, show me the way. Amen.
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Observation:
Jesus offers a high invitation culture, in which he shares his life with other people. He "yokes"himself with us. To share a yoke alludes to the farming practice of teaming a seasoned ox with a young ox to teach the younger ox how to work at a steady pace. A young ox will overwork to exhaustion and be less productive in a long, hot day of plowing the field. So, a wise farmer teams a mature ox with a young one, in order to train the younger ox for an easier and more enduring pace. The best way for us to learn is by imitation. Like a master and apprentice. This is the way of discipleship. One-to-one mentoring, walking side-by-side in the work of ministry to which we are called. The field is the community in which we find ourselves. The yoke is the practice of Jesus--to forgive, heal, and serve. His yoke is love. His yoke is easy and light because the love we offer others is merely a reflection of his never-failing, constant, consistent, complete love for everyone. To love is to have been loved. To love greatly is to realize how greatly you are loved.
Application
The bible is a journey story in which the creator God is companion with his beloved creatures, humans. God is described as walking beside and with us. God promises to be with God's people over and over again. In hardship, in suffering, in weakness, in fear, in danger, in struggle, in death itself--God promises to come with us. The story of Jesus is the enfleshed with-ness of God. Jesus is called Emmauel, which means God is with us. The gospel of John says that in Jesus, God's Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus calls companions to himself to teach them what it means to experience the with-ness presence of God in the world---in the flowers and birds, in the abundance of food, in the beauty of friendship, in words of forgiveness, in acts of mercy, in the face of the child, in the longings of the poor, in the suffering of the weak and vulnerable. God is with us in these ways. Jesus teaches them how to embody as image-bearers, the presence of God for others. Through acts of love, people encounter God-in-the-flesh. Discipleship is our training in bearing the image/presence of God, walking beside us. Going with us. And, amazingly that is often enough. Be with me. Be my companion. Walk beside me. Hold my hand. That's really all any of us wants, isn't it? Someone who cares enough to yoke him or her self to me. So that I might learn my own belovedness as child of God. Today, who are you walking with as companion in their earth journey?
Prayer
Jesus, walk with me. Hold my hand. Lead me. Teach me to be like you. Compassionate servant. Patient friend. Constant companion. And when I fail, show me the way. Amen.
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