ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 23, 2019 Scripture: Psalm 28:6-7 Bless the LORD because he has listened to my request for mercy! The LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts him. I was helped, my heart rejoiced, and I thank him with my song. Thought for the Day: It is beautiful poetry, and I can almost imagine the song of thanksgiving echoing the beauty of these prose. Though let me follow with a tough question – does God act like a shield against all that is bad? Does God act as a shield only for the righteous people? Is there some other matrix by which God determines whether someone is shield-worthy? I don’t know about you, but there are plenty of moments in which I did not get the shield. And even more troubling are all the awe-inspiring people of faith who had absolutely no protection from the hate and violence of this world. So how do we join the choir in singing of God as both our strength and our shield? Years ago, I heard a minister from Venezuela who had been badly beaten a few weeks earlier by some young people who robbed the church. His take was that God “defended” (though he could have used shielded) his faith from doubt and indecision. Those events could have had him questioning God’s love, but even as they beat him over and over again, he knew that God was with him. It was one of those powerful testimonies that will forever stay with me. And when you think about all the other main characters in the Christian Scriptures, including Mary and Jesus, Paul and Lydia, their lives were not perfect. Yet their faith appeared shielded from everything that sought to rob them of this life-giving connection. Prayer: For your grace, Great God, that holds me together when everything else is falling apart, I give thanks! I do not request an easy life, and I do not pretend that I can ask for a pain-free life. But the request I make is for a life with you. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2TWCDZE
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via WordPress https://ift.tt/2TYcj1f ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 22, 2019 Scripture: Isaiah 43:19 Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. A Thursday Prayer: So many problems; so many who suffer; so many acts of violence; so many human beings used as pawns; so many children who fall through the cracks. We look at the world, and it can all seem overwhelming. We look to our own community thinking it will be easier, but the immensity of our local struggles can leave us feeling incapacitated. This is where we find ourselves, O Spirit of the Living God. You know what it means to weep over a community that has lost sight of how to live with compassion and kindness. There is so much that makes us weep, yet it is hard and complicated and frustrating. When we are overwhelmed, remind us of how we were called, not to fix every problem, but to find where we can best embody your love and to do so passionately and even recklessly. Let the feelings that so easily lead to paralysis fade as we take another look at the one who enfleshed love, Jesus Christ. Too often we have slipped away from our mission because we follow those who believe that complaining is the same as serving, that posting on social media is the same as compassion, that finding someone to blame for the problem is the same as finding a solution. Give us a moment to breathe, to take in your Living and Loving Spirit. Reconnect each of us to our unique gifts. And then amidst the chaos that can so easily overwhelm, provide us clarity on where we can make a difference in one life today. Guide us to that person, and then allow for the Good News of Jesus to be made real in us. We ask this as those who have too often allowed the immensity of the problems to be our excuse. No more! Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/33Pn8rc ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 21, 2019 Scripture: Psalm 30:5b Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy! Thought for the Day: Have you ever come across a quote that you found inspiring, and then upon seeing who said it, the inspiration grew exponentially? That happened to me yesterday. Someone had referenced a quote, but no name was attached. Some quick research provided what I thought was the answer, and I went from being blessed to awestruck. The quote was this: Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Those words were attributed to Harriet Tubman. Her life-story is breath-taking by itself, but amidst all the obstacles and perils of her life, these words made we want to stand up and stretch a bit further in my quest to change the world. But here’s the thing, those words were probably not spoken by Harriet Tubman. Come to find out, lots of people have attempted to attribute these words to her, but historians suggest they were not spoken by her. After wanting to stand up and reach for those stars, I felt a little deflated in this new knowledge. We can so quickly lose sight of everything Harriet Tubman did if we allow something like this to leave us feeling defeated. I say this because I have a tendency to do the same in my relationship with God. Something disappoints me in the church or a fellow Christian screws-up, and I can feel deflated in regard to my faith. I too often see people become sour on faith simply because one thing didn’t live up to their expectations. We can allow that single happening to blind us from everything else that is breath-taking and amazing. It is ok to be disappointed, but try your best to keep your disappointment in check. Harriet Tubman, whether she said those words are not, is still a rockstar in American history. Prayer: Let me continue to see and name the good around me, O Lord. Disappointment and sadness might hit me unexpectedly, but through your grace, they shall not define the possibilities that come with each new morning. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/31QW4WB ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 20, 2019 Scripture: Matthew 6:1 (the Message) Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. Thought for the Day: In a recent reading of scripture, I came across this verse as it is translated in the version of the Bible called the Message. Jesus was cautioning his disciples during his Sermon on the Mount, for it appears that he had witnessed those who enjoyed making religion into a show. On one level, this is a bit of a challenge as Jesus told his disciples to not hide their light under a basket, but place it somewhere so that everyone could see it. This sounds like a contradiction. Of course, I find that a lot of life is a balance. Most of us have seen some breath-taking examples of faith coming alive, and the people were able to do so without making themselves the hero of the story. At the same time, we have seen plenty of folks whose actions made us feel a little icky. Oh sure, they had a lot of good Jesus language and made the audience feel good, but we walked away with the question, “Who exactly were we worshiping?” I don’t want to pretend that I have never found my ego getting a little puffed up while doing ministry. Have there been times when my ego might have gotten in the way? I think we can all feel pretty certain about that. So if we are to give witness in a very public way, while not making it into a performance, I see a challenge. And maybe there is where Jesus was trying to stimulate some conversation and personal reflection. I don’t know if any act of kindness or generosity is entirely sacrificial. Maybe? But for most of us, there is a little bit of us that seeks affirmation and enjoys it when it comes. As I said earlier, life is a balance. We serve, and then we reflect. We make changes and ask others to come alongside as accountability partners. We try again, and hopefully we find other people as the more prominent catalyst for why we are doing what we do. We make little changes in how we think about our motivation. These changes allow for the love of God revealed in Jesus to become the primary actor on the stage, and hopefully we are more of the stagehand who doesn’t accidentally trip onto the stage and into the spotlight. Prayer: Continue to work with me, O Lord. I want to feel pride in what I do in the name of Jesus, but I also want his name to be the name that is on other people’s lips. Not my name! Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2HhUMw9 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 19, 2019 Prayer for the Week: Such a wide range of emotions right now — among students and parents and educators — excitement, uncertainty, apprehension, anticipation, exhaustion. Some enter this moment with confidence generated by past success. Others find unwanted trepidation building on some negative experience from the past. We pray, Merciful God, for young people who are beginning a new school year. Let us see them, not simply as our future, but our present as well. If we do not value them today, we can begin to push their worth as human beings into some undetermined future that may never be revealed. We celebrate every child no matter their place of birth, their economic status, the color of their skin, their gender, their orientation, their family status or even their grades in the classroom. They are precious, and it is only as we claim their immeasurable value that we will see them as you see them, O Lord. For parents who are doing this parenting-thing to best of their ability. May each of them be filled with your gifts of encouragement, wisdom and patience. Make real your unconditional love as a way of preparing parents to instill within their children a sense of belovedness. And for educators and support staff who do what they do, not for the money or the fame, but with a deeply held conviction of divine calling, we pray they find support and respect from the community. May they receive your affirmation in the little classroom successes that come amidst all the challenges. And may those who assist in uplifting children be considered among the most honored in our community. We offer our words today in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2Z27utA ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 18, 2019 Scripture: Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Thought for the Day: Many of us know these words well. We might have memorized a slightly different version, but no matter how you first learned them there is an important and beautiful transition in the language that should not be overlooked. Earlier in the Psalm, the author spoke of God in the third person. “The Lord is my shepherd…” is the metaphor by which the author described God, but as we transition into the darkness and shadows of the valley, the pronouns change. The language becomes intimate as the author makes a profound statement of faith: “…you are with me…” The Psalm would have still been beautiful if the author would have said, “The Shepherd is with me,” but with the transition to first person, we find a confident familiarity that is so much more comforting. A shepherd is a nice image to use, but at the end of the day, I don’t want a shepherd in my valleys of darkness. I desire the One who might be LIKE a shepherd, but is in fact the Source of Everlasting Life and Love. Prayer: Whatever language I may use to describe you, Lord, at the end of the day I do not desire a relationship with language. I want to know you and the love found in a relationship with you. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2TIclKF ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 17, 2019 Scripture: Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD— he will support you! God will never let the righteous be shaken! Thought for the Day: Does anyone else have a difficult time ‘casting’ those things that weigh heavy upon you? We can usually talk a good game about letting go or turning over to God, but do we really do this? I find that most folks struggle with the whole notion, especially in the middle of the night when anxiety creeps back in and the concern (issue, fear, etc) returns with authority and strength. It sticks to us like a dryer sheet in December. With this verse, and others like it, we tend to focus on the part that is easily repeated: Cast your burden on the LORD… This limited focus ignores the language of divine support and the steadiness of God found in the latter part of the verse. A contrast is made between us and God, suggesting that our casting will be a work in progress. As we both cast and cling, toss and hold tight, we can trust in God to work with us. Our inability to let go does not impact God’s capacity to remain faithful and encouraging. God is not looking for us to flog ourselves when we fail, but to appreciate God’s unchanging care and kindness that refuses to be anything but an unshakeable supporter in our struggles. Prayer: Thank you for your unmerited love, O Lord, even when I struggle between trusting you and attempting to control those things that are out of my control. With your help, I will continue to work on those unhealthy things to which I grip tightly. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2Na8Lb2 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 16, 2019 Scripture: 1st Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it. Thought for the Day: I have always been troubled by the pithy line, “God will never give you more than you can handle.” My response has always been, “God doesn’t, but the world can sure pile it on pretty thick.” I feel strongly about it, but also want to take seriously these words from 1st Corinthians. Temptation is the issue, and on a first reading it appears that God will limit the ability or power of temptation in our lives. This too seems strange to me, for if God can restrict temptation, then why not reduce it all the way around? Reading these words must be done within their original context, and Paul was writing to Gentile Christians who were worshiping gods that were petty, manipulative, seductive and would view human beings as pawns in their divine games. For Paul to speak of God differently would have been shocking, but also liberating. God is not the source of temptation, according to Paul, but the One who works with us amid the temptations. Paul is cracking open a new way of thinking about God that is not as small-minded and shallow as we often are. God is not in the tempting business, but in the saving business. God is not into manipulative game playing, but in the loving work of creating human beings who are able to become more than what the world might suggest. Prayer: As Paul broke open a new understanding of the divine for his generation, we ask for help as we break open new ways of thinking about you, O Eternal God. As we grow in our relationship with the fullness of your love, may old and empty ways of perceiving you slip away. This is our hope. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/31Aqo7U |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
April 2024
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