On Epiphany Sunday (January 6, 2019), each member of our congregation received a "star word:" a single word to help them focus as they take this year's journey of faith. Those words--there are 30 of them--each represent some aspect of the sort of life God wants us to live:
* Acceptance * Boldness * Caring * Clarity * Comfort * Compassion * Devotion * Discipline * Faith * Fellowship * Healing * Honesty * Hope * Humility * Integrity * Kindness ** Listen * Mercy * Nurturing * Obedience * Pardon * Praise * Rejoice * Renewal * Sharing * Sincerity * Strength * Truth * Unity * Wonder *
They are not magic words, and they are not miracle-makers. Instead, they are invitations to wonder...to ponder...to be curious in all sorts of ways, including these:
* Acceptance * Boldness * Caring * Clarity * Comfort * Compassion * Devotion * Discipline * Faith * Fellowship * Healing * Honesty * Hope * Humility * Integrity * Kindness ** Listen * Mercy * Nurturing * Obedience * Pardon * Praise * Rejoice * Renewal * Sharing * Sincerity * Strength * Truth * Unity * Wonder *
They are not magic words, and they are not miracle-makers. Instead, they are invitations to wonder...to ponder...to be curious in all sorts of ways, including these:
- How does [your star word] relate to what you are facing in your life right now?
- What is the biggest source of [your star word] in your life right now?
- What is the biggest obstacle to [your star word] in your life right now?
- What does Scripture have to say about [your star word]?
- How do you see [your star word] as an agent of change? As a call to action? As a source of encouragement?
- What might life be like if you had more of [your star word] in your life?
February 4, 2019
LISTEN
For most of us, "hearing" isn't too difficult. Our ears (sometimes with the help of hearing aids) pick up sound waves and transmit them to our brains. Listening, though, is more than just "hearing:" it means paying attention, too, and working to understand the other person...and sometimes, that's a lot harder! True listening isn't just a matter of the ears: it involves the heart and mind as well.
You'll find the words "listen" and "hear" over 1,500 times in the Bible. Entire communities are called to listen, as are individuals (I'm talking to you, Moses!). We are commanded to listen to God, God's prophets, and even our parents--and we are assured that God listens to our cries and our prayers, even when we aren't quite sure what to say (Romans 8:26).
If a Bible verse tells you to listen, you can safely assume that you are expected to act on what's being said, not just let it go in one ear and out the other.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, which is a great reminder that we should probably do more listening than talking. In James 1:19 we are advised to "be quick to listen, slow to speak" or, as the Message Translation puts it, "Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue." Listening is important, but putting what we hear in action matters most of all. In fact, a few verses later (1:22), James warns us not to fool ourselves: "be doers of the word, and not merely hearers."
This week, slow down and make a real effort to listen to the people around you. Give your spouse, your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors, and your family your full attention. Then be curious about what God is inviting you to do with what you hear.
January 21, 2019
ACCEPTANCE
Latin, "to take to oneself."
We ACCEPT all sorts of things, every single day: a gift...a responsibility...liability and risk...a helping hand...an opinion...the facts. Whether ACCEPTANCE feels like "welcome" or "tolerance" or (in the worst case) "endurance" depends on how well something fits in with the life we're already living--and how well it meshes with the hopes and dreams we've already embraced (and the plans we've already tried to chisel in stone).
Of course, you don't have to ACCEPT anything. You can deny, refuse, oppose, disbelieve, or even fight; and, while there is certainly a time and place to say NO, refusing to accept the truth is a waste of time and energy.
Being a follower of Jesus gives us a framework for accepting some truths we might otherwise waste time fighting: the truth that none of us (me, you, my best friend) are perfect...that sometimes suffering and disappointment come despite our best efforts...that God never abandons us, no matter how dark and scary life seems...that "being right" is no guarantee that life will be easy...that we can't always choose our neighbors--but, by God's grace, we can choose to love them.
The best words I know about ACCEPTANCE are found in a prayer written in the 1930's by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. You probably know a shorter form of it, but here's the whole thing. I hope you'll make this your prayer this week.
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
January 7, 2019
COMPASSION
from the Latin "com pati," which means "to suffer with"
Compassion has to do with our ability and (perhaps more importantly) our willingness to care about the misfortunes of others. Compassion is not just a feeling of pity; it is what moves us to take action in order to bring relief to someone who is suffering. It is the opposite of indifference, and the basis for a whole lot of kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, and care.
Jesus was often moved by compassion to feed, heal, and teach people. A few examples:
How is God inviting YOU to be compassionate today?
January 28, 2019
HOPE
HOPE is good word--related to all sorts of "expectant" words, like anticipation, desire, optimism, trust, promise, and even dream--but it is not an easy word. We seldom talk much about HOPE when everything is going well. HOPE, we claim, springs eternal. When times are tough, we HOPE for the best. When they are tougher, we HOPE against HOPE.
One of the Old Testament words for HOPE is tiqvah: literally, "attached by a cord." Maybe HOPE is that unseen force which keeps us connected to all that is good, right, just, peaceful, whole, and loving in the world--even when all of that seems far away.
As Christians, all of that good stuff is rooted in Jesus. Frederick Buechner sums it up like this (and I cannot do better):
For Christians, HOPE is ultimately HOPE IN CHRIST:
January 14, 2019
OBEDIENCE
It’s related to both looking (observe) and listening (from Latin, “obedire,” which means “to give an ear”), but we all know what it means: Tow the line. Serve. Comply. Submit. Do your duty.
That's alright for soldiers, dogs, children, or employees, but does it really apply to me?
Obedience is an essential part of our relationship with God right from the start: in Genesis, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, and Lot and his wife all struggle with obedience, even before the Ten Commandments (or any of the other 603 commands God gave Israel). Again and again, God promises that obedience will lead to blessing (check out the list in Deuteronomy 28:1-7); again and again, disobedience leads to trouble for the People of God (check out the messages of the prophets if you've forgotten what that looks like).
You find references to "obedience" a lot more often in the Old Testament than in the New, and while we are accustomed to seeing this word go hand-in-hand with words like “rule” or “law” or “command,” sometimes it shows up in unexpected places.
In Mark 1:27, unclean spirits obey Jesus, and a few chapters later (in Mark 4:41) the wind and waves obey him, too. To say that the people who saw it were “amazed” is an understatement: “terrified” is more like it. Who is this guy?!
Who indeed? The wind and waves and evil spirits obeyed him, but even Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
If Jesus' relationship with God is characterized by obedience, maybe mine should be, too...
LISTEN
For most of us, "hearing" isn't too difficult. Our ears (sometimes with the help of hearing aids) pick up sound waves and transmit them to our brains. Listening, though, is more than just "hearing:" it means paying attention, too, and working to understand the other person...and sometimes, that's a lot harder! True listening isn't just a matter of the ears: it involves the heart and mind as well.
You'll find the words "listen" and "hear" over 1,500 times in the Bible. Entire communities are called to listen, as are individuals (I'm talking to you, Moses!). We are commanded to listen to God, God's prophets, and even our parents--and we are assured that God listens to our cries and our prayers, even when we aren't quite sure what to say (Romans 8:26).
If a Bible verse tells you to listen, you can safely assume that you are expected to act on what's being said, not just let it go in one ear and out the other.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, which is a great reminder that we should probably do more listening than talking. In James 1:19 we are advised to "be quick to listen, slow to speak" or, as the Message Translation puts it, "Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue." Listening is important, but putting what we hear in action matters most of all. In fact, a few verses later (1:22), James warns us not to fool ourselves: "be doers of the word, and not merely hearers."
This week, slow down and make a real effort to listen to the people around you. Give your spouse, your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors, and your family your full attention. Then be curious about what God is inviting you to do with what you hear.
January 21, 2019
ACCEPTANCE
Latin, "to take to oneself."
We ACCEPT all sorts of things, every single day: a gift...a responsibility...liability and risk...a helping hand...an opinion...the facts. Whether ACCEPTANCE feels like "welcome" or "tolerance" or (in the worst case) "endurance" depends on how well something fits in with the life we're already living--and how well it meshes with the hopes and dreams we've already embraced (and the plans we've already tried to chisel in stone).
Of course, you don't have to ACCEPT anything. You can deny, refuse, oppose, disbelieve, or even fight; and, while there is certainly a time and place to say NO, refusing to accept the truth is a waste of time and energy.
Being a follower of Jesus gives us a framework for accepting some truths we might otherwise waste time fighting: the truth that none of us (me, you, my best friend) are perfect...that sometimes suffering and disappointment come despite our best efforts...that God never abandons us, no matter how dark and scary life seems...that "being right" is no guarantee that life will be easy...that we can't always choose our neighbors--but, by God's grace, we can choose to love them.
The best words I know about ACCEPTANCE are found in a prayer written in the 1930's by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. You probably know a shorter form of it, but here's the whole thing. I hope you'll make this your prayer this week.
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
January 7, 2019
COMPASSION
from the Latin "com pati," which means "to suffer with"
Compassion has to do with our ability and (perhaps more importantly) our willingness to care about the misfortunes of others. Compassion is not just a feeling of pity; it is what moves us to take action in order to bring relief to someone who is suffering. It is the opposite of indifference, and the basis for a whole lot of kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, and care.
Jesus was often moved by compassion to feed, heal, and teach people. A few examples:
- Mark 1:40-45: Jesus heals the leper
- Mark 6:30-44: The feeding of the 5,000: "Jesus saw the crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd..."
- Luke 7:11-17: Jesus raises the widow's son from the dead
- Matthew 20:29-34: Jesus heals two blind men
How is God inviting YOU to be compassionate today?
January 28, 2019
HOPE
HOPE is good word--related to all sorts of "expectant" words, like anticipation, desire, optimism, trust, promise, and even dream--but it is not an easy word. We seldom talk much about HOPE when everything is going well. HOPE, we claim, springs eternal. When times are tough, we HOPE for the best. When they are tougher, we HOPE against HOPE.
One of the Old Testament words for HOPE is tiqvah: literally, "attached by a cord." Maybe HOPE is that unseen force which keeps us connected to all that is good, right, just, peaceful, whole, and loving in the world--even when all of that seems far away.
As Christians, all of that good stuff is rooted in Jesus. Frederick Buechner sums it up like this (and I cannot do better):
For Christians, HOPE is ultimately HOPE IN CHRIST:
- The HOPE that he really is what for centuries we have been claiming he is.
- The HOPE that despite the fact that sin and death still rule the world, he somehow conquered them.
- The HOPE that in him and through him all of us stand a chance at somehow conquering them too.
- The HOPE that at some unforeseeable time and in some unimaginable way he will return with healing in his wings.
January 14, 2019
OBEDIENCE
It’s related to both looking (observe) and listening (from Latin, “obedire,” which means “to give an ear”), but we all know what it means: Tow the line. Serve. Comply. Submit. Do your duty.
That's alright for soldiers, dogs, children, or employees, but does it really apply to me?
Obedience is an essential part of our relationship with God right from the start: in Genesis, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, and Lot and his wife all struggle with obedience, even before the Ten Commandments (or any of the other 603 commands God gave Israel). Again and again, God promises that obedience will lead to blessing (check out the list in Deuteronomy 28:1-7); again and again, disobedience leads to trouble for the People of God (check out the messages of the prophets if you've forgotten what that looks like).
You find references to "obedience" a lot more often in the Old Testament than in the New, and while we are accustomed to seeing this word go hand-in-hand with words like “rule” or “law” or “command,” sometimes it shows up in unexpected places.
In Mark 1:27, unclean spirits obey Jesus, and a few chapters later (in Mark 4:41) the wind and waves obey him, too. To say that the people who saw it were “amazed” is an understatement: “terrified” is more like it. Who is this guy?!
Who indeed? The wind and waves and evil spirits obeyed him, but even Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
If Jesus' relationship with God is characterized by obedience, maybe mine should be, too...