September 3, 2008
Jude 1:24-25
“Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
The scene is powerful. Two men sit side by side on the brightest and sunniest of days peering out over the golden hues of the Egyptian pyramids. Their conversation moves to a holy point when the character played by Morgan Freeman poses the question, “What brought you joy today and to whom did you bring joy?
Jude understands that it is only God who can protect a community from falling victim to the evils that come its way and then only by the gift of God’s grace. He is a believer that God’s power is evidence for us in creation and in all that occurs among the order that is creation. But if God’s power is evidenced there, so is God’s judgment. As false teachers go, he is certain that they will one day stand before God in judgment and find themselves wishing that they had lived different lives—lives that would have brought honor and glory to God. So, to the true believers, he exhorts the community to live as if they were already standing before Christ.
Essentially, this is Morgan Freeman’s point to Jack Nicholson in “The Bucket List” movie. If we live our lives by simply asking those questions of ourselves each day—what brought you joy today and to whom did you bring joy?—maybe we would find that we would already be living as if we were standing before Christ.
So the questions rest before us today: What brought you joy today? To whom did you bring joy today? May our answers cause us to embrace the grace and glory of God and to stand without blemish in God’s presence! Amen.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Building on Faith
August 27, 2008
Jude 1:20-23
“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.”
It has been at least a year if not much longer. Specificity of time has a way of blurring in my mind. But, I do remember the actions of that morning very specifically. It was 7:30 in the morning and I was settling into my work when my office phone rang. It was Vioreca, a member of our custodial staff, who was frantically yelling into the phone. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying except for the part where she wanted me to come downstairs. I grabbed my cell phone figuring there was some sort of danger and I may need it somehow, closed the door and walked at a rapid pace. I could see her jumping up and down and waving at me to hurry. What I found as I looked out of the glass doors where she was standing was a man who was hurriedly trying to steal a trailer that belonged to our building supervisor, Steve. Steve was not on the church campus at the moment and so I walked out of the door (thank you adrenaline!) and simply said to the man, “May I help you?” The man replied that he was taking this for Presbyterian Hospital. I said, “No you’re not. You are going to detach it from your vehicle and you are going to leave.” He rapidly did what he was told and left.
I tell you that to say that if I hadn’t been more internally calm (I was cool as a cucumber externally) I would have wanted to ask him what was motivating him to do this illegal thing. There had to have been something behind the action—something with which I could have helped him. I was pleased that I had the presence of mind to call him on his action and reverse the behavior in the moment, however.
This is the point of Jude’s words: that as believers we are to focus our lives on developing our faith in three crucial ways—prayer in the Holy Spirit, love of God and waiting for Jesus’ mercy. (Now by the latter we have to understand that they were very focused in those days on the second coming of Jesus.) With all three of these in play in our lives, Jude suggests that these then cause us to demonstrate clear concern for the lives of others and thus, we are called to challenge the behaviors of others.
We are products of a culture, however, that has taught us well to not interfere with the lives of others and while there is value in allowing others to be as they are (especially when it is evident that they will not alter their ways or their behaviors,) there is something to be said for accountability with each other that motivates us to stay on the path of faith. Both perspectives should be held in moderation.
I have no way of knowing if the man attempting theft in our parking lot would ever change his ways, but if I had at least asked him why he was doing what he was doing there would have at least a been a chance that I could have guided him lovingly in a better way.
So, I wonder, are their people in our lives from whom we (who are faithful believers) have withheld our loving guidance? In order to offer that guidance though, we must be very careful and very clear that we are indeed right with God ourselves—we must be clearly focused on prayer, love and the practice of mercy.
May that be our mission this week—to be vessels of prayer, love of God and the practice of mercy! Amen.
Jude 1:20-23
“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.”
It has been at least a year if not much longer. Specificity of time has a way of blurring in my mind. But, I do remember the actions of that morning very specifically. It was 7:30 in the morning and I was settling into my work when my office phone rang. It was Vioreca, a member of our custodial staff, who was frantically yelling into the phone. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying except for the part where she wanted me to come downstairs. I grabbed my cell phone figuring there was some sort of danger and I may need it somehow, closed the door and walked at a rapid pace. I could see her jumping up and down and waving at me to hurry. What I found as I looked out of the glass doors where she was standing was a man who was hurriedly trying to steal a trailer that belonged to our building supervisor, Steve. Steve was not on the church campus at the moment and so I walked out of the door (thank you adrenaline!) and simply said to the man, “May I help you?” The man replied that he was taking this for Presbyterian Hospital. I said, “No you’re not. You are going to detach it from your vehicle and you are going to leave.” He rapidly did what he was told and left.
I tell you that to say that if I hadn’t been more internally calm (I was cool as a cucumber externally) I would have wanted to ask him what was motivating him to do this illegal thing. There had to have been something behind the action—something with which I could have helped him. I was pleased that I had the presence of mind to call him on his action and reverse the behavior in the moment, however.
This is the point of Jude’s words: that as believers we are to focus our lives on developing our faith in three crucial ways—prayer in the Holy Spirit, love of God and waiting for Jesus’ mercy. (Now by the latter we have to understand that they were very focused in those days on the second coming of Jesus.) With all three of these in play in our lives, Jude suggests that these then cause us to demonstrate clear concern for the lives of others and thus, we are called to challenge the behaviors of others.
We are products of a culture, however, that has taught us well to not interfere with the lives of others and while there is value in allowing others to be as they are (especially when it is evident that they will not alter their ways or their behaviors,) there is something to be said for accountability with each other that motivates us to stay on the path of faith. Both perspectives should be held in moderation.
I have no way of knowing if the man attempting theft in our parking lot would ever change his ways, but if I had at least asked him why he was doing what he was doing there would have at least a been a chance that I could have guided him lovingly in a better way.
So, I wonder, are their people in our lives from whom we (who are faithful believers) have withheld our loving guidance? In order to offer that guidance though, we must be very careful and very clear that we are indeed right with God ourselves—we must be clearly focused on prayer, love and the practice of mercy.
May that be our mission this week—to be vessels of prayer, love of God and the practice of mercy! Amen.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Spiritual Deafness
August 20, 2008
Jude 1:17-19
“But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.’ It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.”
I tracked her down today in the living room of her wing in the facility where she resides. Evelyn looked just lovely. She looked happy and healthy. But poor Evelyn cannot hear ANYTHING. I realized the tones in my voice are difficult to pick up so I wheeled her to her room at her request and then realized that no matter what I said, how loud I said it, or how close I was in proximity to her ear, she would not hear me. She would not hear because it was not physically possible. She simply could not hear me. There was a clear division that was created by her inability to hear and my inability to communicate. Thanks to be to God for technology but even then with her special sound magnifying instrument I spent 30 minutes literally leaning over her and screaming into the instrument for her to hear me. I was exhausted when I left but happy to have visited her.
When Jude speaks about the predictions of the apostles he notes scoffers. Scoffers being those people who are so bent on their own ways that they will not allow God to fill them with God’s spirit. The thought of being God’s vessel is not something that they can comprehend. They choose to create division because they are out for their own selfish gains. From Jude’s perspective they have no right to call themselves Christians because Christians by definition are people who possess the Spirit of God.
These people exist today. They are in our work environments. They are our neighbors and in some cases they may even be masquerading as our friends. These people are those who are spiritually deaf. They have not allowed themselves to hear anything beyond themselves and so they block out the voice of God. Unlike with Evelyn’s hearing, there are no tangible instruments to enable them to hear God’s voice, embrace God’s love and allow themselves to be God’s vessels. The only remedy is their willingness to let go and place their faith and trust in God.
It is easy to judge others around us and we have to be wary of others who do not choose to embrace God’s spirit. But, we also need to examine our own hearts to be sure that we are embracing faith and trust, that our ears are open and that we do hear clearly the voice of God’s love so that we can also communicate that love by our living. May that be both our challenge and our goal! Amen!
Jude 1:17-19
“But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.’ It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.”
I tracked her down today in the living room of her wing in the facility where she resides. Evelyn looked just lovely. She looked happy and healthy. But poor Evelyn cannot hear ANYTHING. I realized the tones in my voice are difficult to pick up so I wheeled her to her room at her request and then realized that no matter what I said, how loud I said it, or how close I was in proximity to her ear, she would not hear me. She would not hear because it was not physically possible. She simply could not hear me. There was a clear division that was created by her inability to hear and my inability to communicate. Thanks to be to God for technology but even then with her special sound magnifying instrument I spent 30 minutes literally leaning over her and screaming into the instrument for her to hear me. I was exhausted when I left but happy to have visited her.
When Jude speaks about the predictions of the apostles he notes scoffers. Scoffers being those people who are so bent on their own ways that they will not allow God to fill them with God’s spirit. The thought of being God’s vessel is not something that they can comprehend. They choose to create division because they are out for their own selfish gains. From Jude’s perspective they have no right to call themselves Christians because Christians by definition are people who possess the Spirit of God.
These people exist today. They are in our work environments. They are our neighbors and in some cases they may even be masquerading as our friends. These people are those who are spiritually deaf. They have not allowed themselves to hear anything beyond themselves and so they block out the voice of God. Unlike with Evelyn’s hearing, there are no tangible instruments to enable them to hear God’s voice, embrace God’s love and allow themselves to be God’s vessels. The only remedy is their willingness to let go and place their faith and trust in God.
It is easy to judge others around us and we have to be wary of others who do not choose to embrace God’s spirit. But, we also need to examine our own hearts to be sure that we are embracing faith and trust, that our ears are open and that we do hear clearly the voice of God’s love so that we can also communicate that love by our living. May that be both our challenge and our goal! Amen!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Reflections from Clarence: Wandering Stars
Your devotional a couple of weeks ago left me thinking and I finally got the words on paper and decided to share this.
WANDERING STARS
Jude 12-13
Everywhere we see stars,
in movies, on TV, in Rock Bands,
on billboards
and fashion show runways.
They are athletes, artists,
singers, wrestlers
and rodeo cowboys. They race
cars, trucks, motorcycles,
dirt bikes and skate boards.
They are news anchors
politicians and preachers,
writers (well, maybe not poets)
and daredevils trying
to cheat death. They are
magicians and coaches,
and little children trying
to do grown-up things.
They are merchants, inventors,
politicians and heads
of governments.
Many are people
seeking fame to fill
empty spaces in their lives.
We call them celebrities.
Sometimes they are us.
Jude says that those who ignore
the way of love and live ungodly lives,
are wandering stars for whom blackest
darkness is reserved forever.
Enough to make us wonder
about wandering.
Clarence Eden
WANDERING STARS
Jude 12-13
Everywhere we see stars,
in movies, on TV, in Rock Bands,
on billboards
and fashion show runways.
They are athletes, artists,
singers, wrestlers
and rodeo cowboys. They race
cars, trucks, motorcycles,
dirt bikes and skate boards.
They are news anchors
politicians and preachers,
writers (well, maybe not poets)
and daredevils trying
to cheat death. They are
magicians and coaches,
and little children trying
to do grown-up things.
They are merchants, inventors,
politicians and heads
of governments.
Many are people
seeking fame to fill
empty spaces in their lives.
We call them celebrities.
Sometimes they are us.
Jude says that those who ignore
the way of love and live ungodly lives,
are wandering stars for whom blackest
darkness is reserved forever.
Enough to make us wonder
about wandering.
Clarence Eden
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Listen to the Whisper
August 6, 2008
Jude 1:14-16
“It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.”
I have a friend who recently recounted an experience to me that seems to resonate with this passage. He is the president and owner of his own company and his business is such that it requires him to be on the road a lot thus leaving 10 to 15 employees in the office at any given time. Cameron began to notice than when he would return to the office (which was rare due to his selling of his product) there was a tension in the office that was unmistakable. When he coaxed some employees at different intervals into sharing why they thought the tension was there, they all indicated that one person was the cause. This young lady apparently had a way with using her speech and her actions for selfish causes. She would manipulate situations, flatter people to get what she wanted, lie about others to work things to her advantage and she had by her way of being left (to varying degrees) the other employees feeling abused. My friend didn’t believe their reports at first and decided to monitor the situation. He noticed that there was “a cloud” over the office whenever the young lady was present and it was as if the cloud completely lifted in her absence. People were happy, working productively, enjoying coming to work. But those times were short lived. Cameron realized that he had to do something, so he let the young lady go. He said that it was such a difficult situation but he knew he did the right thing and yet the only regret he had was that he hadn’t done it sooner because he lost some of his best people who had been diligently seeking other employment because of his own inability to shut the situation down with the young woman.
Jude sees that same sort of thing at work in this church. The people are hearing the words and being tempted, persuaded toward things that are not truth. As he quotes from an extra-Biblical source known as Enoch (verse 1:9), he uses words like ungodly, sinners and all to indicate how snowed the people are becoming and how dangerous it is to be so blind to the truth.
Some friends in the church gave me a calendar that has quotes from church signs on it—some are profound and some silly—but today’s speaks to our scripture when it says, “Goodness speaks in a whisper; evil shouts.” Those who are out for themselves are people who work situations to their own advantage like these false teachers and therefore make a choice to participate in evil. In the loudness and manipulative nature of their evil ways, people fail to see them for who they are and thus they fail to see the TRUTH.
Jude wants the Christians to wake up and to listen for goodness and truth. Had Cameron listened for the truth a little earlier, he wouldn’t have lost such great workers. I wonder if there are situations in your life where you are missing the chance to listen for the goodness. I encourage you this day, to join me, in listening for the whispers of life that reveal God’s goodness and truth.
Jude 1:14-16
“It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.”
I have a friend who recently recounted an experience to me that seems to resonate with this passage. He is the president and owner of his own company and his business is such that it requires him to be on the road a lot thus leaving 10 to 15 employees in the office at any given time. Cameron began to notice than when he would return to the office (which was rare due to his selling of his product) there was a tension in the office that was unmistakable. When he coaxed some employees at different intervals into sharing why they thought the tension was there, they all indicated that one person was the cause. This young lady apparently had a way with using her speech and her actions for selfish causes. She would manipulate situations, flatter people to get what she wanted, lie about others to work things to her advantage and she had by her way of being left (to varying degrees) the other employees feeling abused. My friend didn’t believe their reports at first and decided to monitor the situation. He noticed that there was “a cloud” over the office whenever the young lady was present and it was as if the cloud completely lifted in her absence. People were happy, working productively, enjoying coming to work. But those times were short lived. Cameron realized that he had to do something, so he let the young lady go. He said that it was such a difficult situation but he knew he did the right thing and yet the only regret he had was that he hadn’t done it sooner because he lost some of his best people who had been diligently seeking other employment because of his own inability to shut the situation down with the young woman.
Jude sees that same sort of thing at work in this church. The people are hearing the words and being tempted, persuaded toward things that are not truth. As he quotes from an extra-Biblical source known as Enoch (verse 1:9), he uses words like ungodly, sinners and all to indicate how snowed the people are becoming and how dangerous it is to be so blind to the truth.
Some friends in the church gave me a calendar that has quotes from church signs on it—some are profound and some silly—but today’s speaks to our scripture when it says, “Goodness speaks in a whisper; evil shouts.” Those who are out for themselves are people who work situations to their own advantage like these false teachers and therefore make a choice to participate in evil. In the loudness and manipulative nature of their evil ways, people fail to see them for who they are and thus they fail to see the TRUTH.
Jude wants the Christians to wake up and to listen for goodness and truth. Had Cameron listened for the truth a little earlier, he wouldn’t have lost such great workers. I wonder if there are situations in your life where you are missing the chance to listen for the goodness. I encourage you this day, to join me, in listening for the whispers of life that reveal God’s goodness and truth.
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