tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40549646360373525572024-03-18T12:44:11.724-07:00Presby-MusingsThoughts on Life, Faith, God And Other Stuff That HappensLeon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.comBlogger2811125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-69021879852700849822024-03-18T06:52:00.000-07:002024-03-18T06:52:13.679-07:00Reading The Bible Critically<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjODZ_5SZG8BMl3AlBSd-E_Ak9jmIuVk3ohmbBeCHSSTomhCpOT2wOnzJqI0eKA03uLjWQwnRgPNXedCoQv9rhFUkWRLaRo_2lYu6AbcyP3njAWBpjQw7EmbkkOpDBvvMjj-nRu0bfwPcJbHdvX635IoTSwRqDa2IROuahZirgt0Q97ME1kqZ5XWoMSDhj/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjODZ_5SZG8BMl3AlBSd-E_Ak9jmIuVk3ohmbBeCHSSTomhCpOT2wOnzJqI0eKA03uLjWQwnRgPNXedCoQv9rhFUkWRLaRo_2lYu6AbcyP3njAWBpjQw7EmbkkOpDBvvMjj-nRu0bfwPcJbHdvX635IoTSwRqDa2IROuahZirgt0Q97ME1kqZ5XWoMSDhj/w453-h255/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="453" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my seminary professors told us about a time when he guest-preached at a small, rural church as a favor for a friend. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When he read the Scripture for his sermon, he used his Greek New Testament, which he translated directly from the original Greek. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">After the service, he was approached by several of the agitated church elders. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"What version of the Bible were you reading from?" they angrily demanded. "We only use the King James Version of the Bible in our church!" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He patiently showed them his New Testament and explained that he translated it from the original language on the fly, but they were not mollified. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of them said, "If you ever preach here again, make sure you use the right interpretation." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course, this begs the question, "What is the <i>right</i> interpretation of the Bible?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't have the space in a Daily Devo to address that question entirely, but suffice it to say that whichever interpretation is closest to the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages from the original manuscripts is a safe bet. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The problem with interpretations, in general, is that they are interpretations. People are making editorial decisions about which variations in the ancient manuscripts (none of which are original, by the way) and codices that have been discovered to use as sources. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then, there is the problem of Aramaic, which is the language that Jesus and his disciples would have spoken to each other. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For example, to better understand what Jesus may have said when he gave the disciples the Lord's Prayer, you would need to translate the Greek text into Aramaic and then back into English. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Biblical scholar Neil Douglas-Klotz did just that; see the result below. The bold print is the traditional words, and the italicized are the words translated from Aramaic: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Our Father who art in heaven<br /></b><i>O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, you create all that moves in light.<br /></i><b>Hallowed be thy name<br /></b><i>Focus your light within us — make it useful: as the rays of a beacon show the way.<br /></i><b>Thy kingdom come<br /></b><i>Unite our “I can” to yours, so that we walk as kings and queens with every creature.<br /></i><b>Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven<br /></b><i>Create in me a divine cooperation — from many selves, one voice, one action.<br /></i><b>Give us this day our daily bread<br /></b><i>Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.<br /></i><b>And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors<br /></b><i>Forgive our hidden past, the secret shames, as we consistently forgive what others hide.<br /></i><b>And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil<br /></b><i>Deceived neither by the outer nor the inner — free us to walk your path with joy.<br /></i><b>For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.<br /></b><i>From you is born all ruling will, the power and life to do, the song that beautifies all from age to age it renews. Amen.</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i></i></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you can see, language matters. The translation from Aramaic is full of nuances and an expanded understanding of the words that Jesus would have spoken to his disciples when they said to him, "Teach us to pray." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, why am I sharing all of this in a Devo? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are far too many Christians in our culture today who are fond of starting conversations about faith with the words, "The Bible says..." Sadly, most of them never really read the Bible for all it's worth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you want a translation of the Bible closest to the original Greek and Hebrew, get a copy of the New Revised Standard Bible. There are editions of the NRSV that also have study guides. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And if you want to read some great books on how to read the Bible critically, check out these: </span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Peter Enns: "How The Bible Actually Works," and "The Bible Tells Me So"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rob Bell: "What is the Bible?"</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rachel Held Evans: "Inspired" </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Various Authors: "The Bible And The Believer: How to Read The Bible Critically and Religiously" </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Marcus Borg: "Reading The Bible Again For the First Time" </span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you want a conversation partner in your journey or have questions about where to find more resources, feel free to contact me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May you discover more about the Bible than you ever knew, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-45733864414270187242024-03-10T05:25:00.000-07:002024-03-10T05:25:34.291-07:00Signs and Wonders - Week Four: "The Verse After THE Verse"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR5bdjv6YuZixF73RRHXhrOCWOsrotgaNkMxmp9DAN1eUSzxvLZQkG3v6sLZLncN8IBWbHUKYEC7xL93yAWrZxx49tvKrLoFYQ5iJ7VQAiVJfHDxRnfY3rlT_buoO0Vzj7GFlM9AntQYpOCchvBZYy3FNmhlFnsYgIo8bWXjlok2Ue8ONWPGQBVqqC85i/s1920/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR5bdjv6YuZixF73RRHXhrOCWOsrotgaNkMxmp9DAN1eUSzxvLZQkG3v6sLZLncN8IBWbHUKYEC7xL93yAWrZxx49tvKrLoFYQ5iJ7VQAiVJfHDxRnfY3rlT_buoO0Vzj7GFlM9AntQYpOCchvBZYy3FNmhlFnsYgIo8bWXjlok2Ue8ONWPGQBVqqC85i/w484-h272/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" width="484" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Season of Lent </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Scriptures help us paint a picture of Lent filled with signs and wonders for those willing to see them. They help tell the story of how far God is willing to go to rescue those whom God loves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the Fourth Sunday of Lent </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We will read a passage that includes the most famous verse in the New Testament and why the next verse should be more famous. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roadside Christian Signs—the good, the bad and the ugly</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Images of Roadside Signs with Christian-y Declarations</span></b></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But there’s one reference that gets more play… and that's John 3:16. We find it being waved in sports stadiums, plastered on buildings, even athletes put the verse on their body. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The question that we will be asking today is: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If all you had was John 3:16—would that be enough to tell the whole story?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the passage we're reading today, Jesus tells a religious leader that to fully experience the kingdom of God, he needs to be "born again." </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being “born again” - how that can be problematic and helpful </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The helpful part is that it gives a framework for how we need to have a complete shift in how we think about ourselves---our pedigrees, our accomplishments, our status, pretty much everything. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The unhelpful part is that because of the nature of this entire discourse and how we tend to stop reading past John 3:16, there is a dualistic theology where there are saved/unsaved, haves/have-nots, inside/outside. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And an air of condemnation springs from this way of thinking. It is the foundation of a theology that is grounded in triumphalism. You have many people who think they have it all figured out because they got "born again" but then continue to live their lives as if nothing really happened. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meanwhile, scores of people are left out of this scenario and condemned. Far too often, the way Christians approach this is to say, "Well, you're already condemned for all eternity, so why don't we start now?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This, my friends, is why we read the Bible. So let's do that. But first, let me just state something for the record so we can hold tight to it through the sermon. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE WONDER OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT WE ARE NOT CONDEMNED</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">John 3:14-21</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, who is Nicodemus? Pharisee, Sanhedrin, Open and Curious </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He comes to Jesus "by night." And he opens with a remarkable statement: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God..." Who is "we?" There must have been more on the Sanhedrin who thought this but kept quiet because they feared the power of the religious elite they were a part of. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[a] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[b]</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus takes Nicodemus back into history for a lesson in “lifting up” </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">“This is how God loved the world...” no more pedigrees, being “right” </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">What happens if you read 16 and not 17—you miss the whole story </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Believe and live” - they are inseparable. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Self-condemnation - what does that look like? It's when we choose to continue embracing the systems and powers of this world, leaning into the world's ideas of power and salvation. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">It leads to spiritual "death," much like what we see in the Garden of Eden story. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">To read this passage as a referendum on what happens when we die, misses the point. </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ironically, Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the darkness but then stands in the light. </b> </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those that continue to embrace the sinful systems of this world as their ticket to rescue, do so away from the light because they are afraid of what they would have to change if they didn't. </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">If Christians say that they believe the truth about John 3:16 but not the truth of John 3:17 they are missing the point, and missing out. </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What we need to know about God’s amazing grace today... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. We will never be good enough to deserve God’s grace </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. God gives it to us anyway</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Because of this, we are not condemned</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE WONDER OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT WE ARE NOT CONDEMNED</span></p><div><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-22472133085640078422024-03-08T04:29:00.000-08:002024-03-08T04:29:08.646-08:00Beauty Can Save The World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElwLvv5-D_293wX9csyaZtLjY0Xw-bew4ygh3rhM9f1hSnTNQuj66vbhOrJ-dZ2USRUYA88nIimDEnpQGhBbonqNID3eAu1icNFAPU1bzbpBfV70cWhoDTmGjl_1cZJ8VFwau5OqWiOdlwC3qOWjfQE5MRGl-QBiNK5TjpFitfuMJZyLWTFJ03scecPoJ/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElwLvv5-D_293wX9csyaZtLjY0Xw-bew4ygh3rhM9f1hSnTNQuj66vbhOrJ-dZ2USRUYA88nIimDEnpQGhBbonqNID3eAu1icNFAPU1bzbpBfV70cWhoDTmGjl_1cZJ8VFwau5OqWiOdlwC3qOWjfQE5MRGl-QBiNK5TjpFitfuMJZyLWTFJ03scecPoJ/w471-h265/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="471" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Did you know that a little bit of paint, some fantastic creativity, and community investment can transform roads and make them safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, the Asphalt Art Initiative has done just that in cities across the U.S. </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Asphalt Art Initiative was created in 2020 by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Within its first year, it helped cover “nearly 86,500 square feet of streets with artwork in 16 [U.S.] cities,” according to a news release by the City of East Providence, Rhode Island. It’s since expanded its grant program, and has now supported a total of 64 art projects in U.S. and European cities.</span></i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, what is the Asphalt Art Initiative? It's best to simply show some examples: </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagAEv0ct5FEm66M_kPTqoWQCvRX4FFLbpOsRjc2e8GiPqMzEXKBbZNmcldSYFsK6BUcAfwtf2UcwN6NyRxOk_8tLHM82OZqUhWQPR6ggSL8K5AjOm5Clntv7uz_JOAH7RIjHThsaVWxC-r_8satfa6MpT8DnmE-iJdvc-NBdNdWlcaeX1ergMH_fi8gg7/s1500/20210806_PittsburghPA_pSean-Carroll_aTim-Englehardt_Randi-Stewart_1389.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagAEv0ct5FEm66M_kPTqoWQCvRX4FFLbpOsRjc2e8GiPqMzEXKBbZNmcldSYFsK6BUcAfwtf2UcwN6NyRxOk_8tLHM82OZqUhWQPR6ggSL8K5AjOm5Clntv7uz_JOAH7RIjHThsaVWxC-r_8satfa6MpT8DnmE-iJdvc-NBdNdWlcaeX1ergMH_fi8gg7/s320/20210806_PittsburghPA_pSean-Carroll_aTim-Englehardt_Randi-Stewart_1389.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WH3UCekUIuAyiDb5S78wa23X6RJKBj6EKR2JS45yDihKlC0Kpo1U69NU96-fTbjbiOW9mQKbzHFYdhRRZ03ahyphenhyphen-KKSoaXAcDleF4-XT_kSUhwyRxuUJatTZ3sE49wmt-4HDVL9rFpOSLmL5oZyvrlCtPLQ1cQml3RCLNzhc7Eah06btnK7-yXsibJSqH/s2048/Saginaw-aNyesha-Clark-Young-assistantJesse-Schmitt-pCody-Powers-2048x1364.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WH3UCekUIuAyiDb5S78wa23X6RJKBj6EKR2JS45yDihKlC0Kpo1U69NU96-fTbjbiOW9mQKbzHFYdhRRZ03ahyphenhyphen-KKSoaXAcDleF4-XT_kSUhwyRxuUJatTZ3sE49wmt-4HDVL9rFpOSLmL5oZyvrlCtPLQ1cQml3RCLNzhc7Eah06btnK7-yXsibJSqH/s320/Saginaw-aNyesha-Clark-Young-assistantJesse-Schmitt-pCody-Powers-2048x1364.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY76yGUvfDCup52dCt3vLlBY9E0tUnt6wy4MXz3M0Ww25prqQsWvv-at864NDNrVl9MdZfW8P4IL6vpOvCgnbH6YX_ZEdTwHfZL7naVm06XNQDe8TVY2S7o2ZXQ_QTMAehbe3Z1zbh5UfeRblFxYUMEj9aUxic5TFK0Ti3BiNMyBvpomiQeweynH0DQn4/s2048/Saginaw-aStephen-Hargash-assistantTristan-Zamora-pCody-Powers-2048x1364.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY76yGUvfDCup52dCt3vLlBY9E0tUnt6wy4MXz3M0Ww25prqQsWvv-at864NDNrVl9MdZfW8P4IL6vpOvCgnbH6YX_ZEdTwHfZL7naVm06XNQDe8TVY2S7o2ZXQ_QTMAehbe3Z1zbh5UfeRblFxYUMEj9aUxic5TFK0Ti3BiNMyBvpomiQeweynH0DQn4/s320/Saginaw-aStephen-Hargash-assistantTristan-Zamora-pCody-Powers-2048x1364.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">How does a mural on the pavement affect traffic safety? That's an excellent question, and it has a data-driven answer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Asphalt Art Initiative recently published a study it commissioned to determine the difference in crashes and accidents before the murals were put in place and after they were installed. Here's what they discovered: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">In April of 2022, the organization published research demonstrating just how much of an impact the colorful transformations have had. Data showed that implementing asphalt art projects led to a 50% decrease in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or other vulnerable road users, a 37% decrease in the rate of crashes leading to injuries, and a 17% decrease in the overall crash rate. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The study showed that because drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists slowed down to view the beauty of the murals, they became more aware of their surroundings and the people around them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's a lesson in this story for all of us, and it has to do with our ability or inability to be aware of truth, beauty, and goodness in the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It also speaks to the importance of creativity and how when we use our God-given gifts to share truth, beauty, and goodness, we bring the kingdom of God nearer, and God's <i>shalom</i> is more evident to everyone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each of us can act like those beautiful murals at the intersections of our lives. If we embrace our calling as God's <i>shalom</i> ambassadors, we can be bridges of peace, love, hope, and joy to the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What can you do today to bring truth, beauty, and goodness to the world around you? It could be as simple as a kind word to a stranger or an act of kindness, or you could try to beautify the world in any way you can. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For some of us, planting flowers and making our yard a beautiful oasis can show our neighbors that we are committed to a better world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For others, it might mean speaking the truth in love about the hard things happening around us and finding ways to claim common ground with people we disagree with. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we all find those intersections to beautify our lives today and every day from this day. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all now and forever. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-1316722395246201772024-03-07T05:17:00.000-08:002024-03-07T05:17:14.869-08:00Being An Evangelist For The Right Reasons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOA19YkRJswdXLdlvriTrR3KGYD0p-nt4akeA-ONAwd1vT-oFZ_2iYL6zf6rXc-aJfvFJDg7zSDhgFyNCfuTXYe30Sgg2Yu3SUHFf-KZYZNqFhhrJOgU4kr2E0UoaAnl7LQiW0Z2D21pjdBIwlR1GtaFkFGzkrW9pJ9IxTWitz89a72uqhHhtdVxdehR_/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOA19YkRJswdXLdlvriTrR3KGYD0p-nt4akeA-ONAwd1vT-oFZ_2iYL6zf6rXc-aJfvFJDg7zSDhgFyNCfuTXYe30Sgg2Yu3SUHFf-KZYZNqFhhrJOgU4kr2E0UoaAnl7LQiW0Z2D21pjdBIwlR1GtaFkFGzkrW9pJ9IxTWitz89a72uqhHhtdVxdehR_/w482-h271/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="482" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the Church in the U.S., which is what you do when you're a pastor. I've read many books and articles about the decline of the Church in the U.S., which probably isn't good for my mental health. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Honestly, it keeps me up at night sometimes to think about it. The news could definitely be better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I recently attended a governing body meeting that I serve on as a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister. There was much discussion about the future of the Church and declining attendance, membership, and engagement. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The vast majority of the church leaders gathered there that day lead churches with less than 100 members and less than 50 people in worship each Sunday. I discovered that one pastor in a discussion group with me had maybe two members left in her church. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A few years ago, a study revealed that over 4,000 churches close their doors yearly. That number is about to go up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even the so-called mega-churches are feeling the pinch. They bolster their flagging numbers by poaching members from smaller congregations, but that well will eventually run dry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The problem that no one within the Church wants to admit is that millions of people have become disillusioned with the Church in the U.S., and millions more have such bad feelings about the Church they aren't willing to even try it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Emerging generations are rejecting the Church at a rate higher than previous generations. They cite as their reasons that the Church is too exclusive, misogynist, homophobic, and not all that interested in making the world a better place. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They also find a massive disconnect between what they read about Jesus and what they see in many churches they attend. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fr. Richard Rohr wrote about this recently and gets right to the point of why the Church seems to have lost its way: </span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></i></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">At this point in history, when most people can read Jesus’ (and the Bible’s) clear and consistent bias toward the poor, the foreigner and the marginalized it can only be ignored with a culpable blindness and ignorance. Most Christians have been cafeteria Christians when it comes to this. Usually, they will markedly emphasize something else (often a sexual issue) to divert attention from what Jesus did not divert attention. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">At this point, you might wonder: "Where's the good news, Leon? This Devo is a real downer!" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's the good news: This bad news provides a massive opportunity for churches and faith communities that want to live out the Good News, the authentic Gospel of Jesus Christ. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When a faith community leans into Jesus' teachings and example, choosing to follow the Great Commandment to love God and everybody, it can become a beacon for people hungry for something more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, I conversed with a young woman in her mid-twenties who joined my church. She told me she had been drawn in by our message of inclusivity and how we put our faith into practice. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She shared that it was important to her to be able to ask questions about faith, the Bible, and what it meant to be a Christian without fear of judgment. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I never knew there was a church like this." She said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those words both encouraged me and haunted me. On the one hand, I was elated that she felt the way she did and wanted to be a part of our faith family. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the other hand, I was grieved because thousands of churches seek to be the same kind of community the young woman described, but far too many people can't imagine they exist. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you are part of a faith community that is seeking to truly follow Jesus, you need to share that with as many people as you can. Find ways to connect with people who may have given up on church because they can't imagine a church like yours is possible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Be an "evangelist" in the best sense of the word, and don't be afraid to share the Good News that God is still speaking, working, and using faith communities to heal the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-51944406051299434292024-03-06T04:09:00.000-08:002024-03-06T04:09:31.763-08:00Emptying The Storehouse Every Morning <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOA19YkRJswdXLdlvriTrR3KGYD0p-nt4akeA-ONAwd1vT-oFZ_2iYL6zf6rXc-aJfvFJDg7zSDhgFyNCfuTXYe30Sgg2Yu3SUHFf-KZYZNqFhhrJOgU4kr2E0UoaAnl7LQiW0Z2D21pjdBIwlR1GtaFkFGzkrW9pJ9IxTWitz89a72uqhHhtdVxdehR_/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOA19YkRJswdXLdlvriTrR3KGYD0p-nt4akeA-ONAwd1vT-oFZ_2iYL6zf6rXc-aJfvFJDg7zSDhgFyNCfuTXYe30Sgg2Yu3SUHFf-KZYZNqFhhrJOgU4kr2E0UoaAnl7LQiW0Z2D21pjdBIwlR1GtaFkFGzkrW9pJ9IxTWitz89a72uqhHhtdVxdehR_/w438-h246/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="438" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some days, it's just hard to get out of bed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Granted, the older I get, the more difficult it is to get my limbs to cooperate when I first rise. Everything pops and cracks like the floor of an old house when you walk on it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But it's more than just the discomfort of joints and aching muscles that makes me want to stay in bed some days---it's a sense of dread or of feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes, it's the lingering effects of whatever kept me up the night before, too. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the past months, I have had more than a few nights when my thoughts were spinning, ideas forming, plans swirling, and worries abounding, and I lay awake, knowing that sleep wouldn't happen for a while. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think too much... I think. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm not alone in this. I'm certain that more than a few of you are reading this Devo today who resonate entirely with what I'm saying. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I read a beautiful prayer the other day by Kate Bowler (who is becoming a go-to source of inspiration for me), and I thought I would share it: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Bless me, God, crowded out<br />by all that I've endured. <br />Unburden me, packed so tightly <br />In the memories of those <br />who loved me best<br />(and worst, if I'm being honest). <br />Relieve me of every fresh wave of guilt<br />of all I've already forgotten. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br />Bless me with enough forgetfulness<br />to notice the way the sun <br />is demanding another day <br />and you can mind the storehouse<br />of all I've loved<br />while there is still time to gather more. </i></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's so much going on in this prayer, and it absolutely speaks to me, and I hope it does to you as well. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The prayer acknowledges something incredibly vulnerable about the person who is praying: They are filled to the brim with memories and thoughts that keep them from being able to take in one more thing. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They have been relitigating the past, thinking about all of the ways they have failed before, which spell some kind of doom for them in the future. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But then there's a shift as the prayer begins to remind the pray-er that God can "mind the storehouse" if they want to let go of their fullness and become empty again to receive whatever the day has to bring. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then the last line... "while there is still time to gather more..." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love this because it speaks to the brevity of life and how precious each day we are given truly is. This kind of reminder can get us out of bed each day and give us the strength to empty ourselves of everything that keeps us feeling "packed so tightly." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you have yet to say a prayer this morning, try praying the one I've shared or your own version of it. What matters is not what you say but what you mean when you say it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's a day stretching before you with much to offer if you embrace the gifts it brings. May you find the emptiness that comes from trusting God with your stuff. May you discover peace as you let yourself be filled with goodness, grace, and love. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-8027026732462087842024-03-05T04:43:00.000-08:002024-03-05T04:43:23.981-08:00How To Be An Encourager <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImxGlBw9USfV-8MEl93_FBkSVFvfcxlnvr6T_K9W2YWT_Tb5DSNgKcTXreS7t3tX33DDoYF_fJ3ZltLgHS3qtq2idafepclN7qnnduXqsPa15Vc3TOAeFEjsgKdvmXzAoIGNDhATxH9QK2McOhG-sHtk7F-MOPiLIFN2k23NwqHPCKb28GnHS2aPAgYJ4/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImxGlBw9USfV-8MEl93_FBkSVFvfcxlnvr6T_K9W2YWT_Tb5DSNgKcTXreS7t3tX33DDoYF_fJ3ZltLgHS3qtq2idafepclN7qnnduXqsPa15Vc3TOAeFEjsgKdvmXzAoIGNDhATxH9QK2McOhG-sHtk7F-MOPiLIFN2k23NwqHPCKb28GnHS2aPAgYJ4/w427-h240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="427" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, the language tutoring company Preply conducted a survey asking some interesting questions. The first question was how often they shared words of support and affirmation with others. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of those polled, 42% said they share words of support with others daily. I found that number fascinating because it could have been much lower, considering the lack of civility in our current culture. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other question that sparked my attention was, "What words or phrases of support or affirmation do you like to hear the most?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, three simple phrases topped the list of words they like to hear: “I’m proud of you,” “You’ve got this,” and “I believe in you.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Following up in fourth, fifth, and sixth place were “You’re doing great,” “I’m here for you,” and “You can do it,” respectively. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some readers might recall the book and course accompanying "The 5 Love Languages." The "languages" included Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Deeds of Service, Quality Time, and Receiving Gifts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While there very may well be one particular language that we might be drawn to more than the others, I still believe that Words of Affirmation is one language that crosses through to all the others. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In other words, we all need to hear them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If we don't have at least one person who supports and affirms us by telling us, we can grow wary and closed off from the world. Or we can develop a sense of ourselves that is highly critical. We can even begin to feel poorly about our work, our lives, and how we believe others perceive us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul touches on the notion of "mutual encouragement," which he describes with his desire to come and visit them in person: </span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></i></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.</span></i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A significant part of Paul's idea of mutual encouragement were words of support and affirmation, which he used throughout his letters (even when writing about something uncomfortable). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As followers of Jesus, we have been given the mission to show the light of Christ to the world, and one of the many ways we can do that is by sharing our words of affirmation with others as often as we can. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So many people around us simply need to know that they have been seen, and that someone not only cares about them, but also notices the good they are doing in the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Others may be going through some terribly difficult times in their life, facing challenges that we can't possibly imagine. To them, those words of affirmation could be life-giving and uplifting to the point that they feel their strength to carry on renewed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">None of us know what others might need to hear, but they will never hear what they need if we don't find the courage and the kindness to say something encouraging. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Take the time today to think about the people in your life who might need to hear some of the phrases I mentioned above. Then, after you've though of them, say a prayer tell them of your support and share your affirmation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who knows what the simple act of encouragement might change for them? You could be the kind of light-bearer they have been longing for. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-83982582344632261312024-03-04T11:49:00.001-08:002024-03-04T11:49:51.558-08:00Speak Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-vykza0vioj25_yR2TrCFdhHuTaypPBxZBfsy2xsOB1dJJgKmfBbiueNAAJhAH6mzY8eoWrUzjXfRhpYyRjo-zxwCD8AXFSWd_q5qR1hqeHSsnkTROQ-aamhZZvsp3vU4YiHKwgeSOb1mtixtISF84KFi5IO9tzJ5Yl_gYYjZXUg1189VQqbxWALWepF/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-vykza0vioj25_yR2TrCFdhHuTaypPBxZBfsy2xsOB1dJJgKmfBbiueNAAJhAH6mzY8eoWrUzjXfRhpYyRjo-zxwCD8AXFSWd_q5qR1hqeHSsnkTROQ-aamhZZvsp3vU4YiHKwgeSOb1mtixtISF84KFi5IO9tzJ5Yl_gYYjZXUg1189VQqbxWALWepF/w441-h248/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="441" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the many issues that have emerged in our post-pandemic culture is that in our eagerness to put all of the trauma of the pandemic behind us, we've never really taken stock of the collateral damage that still exists in our society. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One such area of concern for sociologists and psychologists is the lack of meaningful connections between people, which can result in ever-increasing isolation, loneliness, and a deterioration of mental health. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We live in an age of anxiety. More people are walking around with low-grade depression than at any other time in U.S. history. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And for Jesus-followers this presents a unique opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world, if we are willing to embrace it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, I read a remarkable passage from a book by Kate Bowler, who addressed this very thing: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our neighbors are expressing an aching desire to feel less alone, needing language for the pain they've experienced, searching for meaning and someone to tell them the truth. They are hungry for honesty in an age of shellacked social media influencers. They are desperate for a thicker kind of hope that can withstand their circumstances and embolden them to preach the truth of our resurrected Lord, whose future kingdom will have no tears and no pain and no Instagram at all. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is so much good news in Bowler's words here. She doesn't shy away from addressing the issue, but there's also an exhortation here for Jesus-followers filled with hope and joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a culture that seems to be filled with the dishonesty of social media, a lack of civility, and a dearth of thoughtful Christian voices speaking the truth about Jesus' love and God's amazing grace, those who have words of life need to be speaking them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now is not the time to shrink back because when we do, the loud, angry, divisive voices of people who purport to be Christian and yet seem to deny Jesus by both word and deed are the only ones that people hear. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not to mention the fact that there are far too many "shellacked social media influencers" out there who present themselves to the world with a view of success that glosses over the reality of pain and the struggle to stay "put together" when it feels like the world is falling apart. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And even when many of these influencers share their struggles, it often feels contrived. There is a shallowness that seems cynical at best and manipulative at worst. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our neighbors need us in our most authentic and most faithful versions of ourselves. We can't be afraid to speak about our faith's role in our lives, and the power that Christ has to transform us, make us new and give us hope and peace. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a culture where honesty and authenticity are hard to come by, we can be lights in the darkness and help show the world what it looks like when God's <i>shalom </i>permeates all of Creation, including us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So find ways to speak to your neighbors, friends, co-workers, and loved ones about what the risen Christ has done in your own life. Speak to them about the joy of being part of a faith community that attempts to fully follow Jesus. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Speak words of life because the world needs that now more than ever, and we can't afford to be quiet about it any longer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-703277437829547912024-03-03T06:35:00.000-08:002024-03-04T04:25:52.219-08:00Second Sunday of Lent: Signs and Wonders - "The Sign of The Cross" <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDV4EwWYjnyrsNfM7yA9Benwn3h5PhAv7S_nJXuSY293tSM6I-QaGN6T8ZsdoZdCdCyltIq-UUmOsTMd6Fep9rJ8akyjVW3_XXLXXeUB2CEskyutimk2F01KIaGb2Vl7QIfHo4JcVRs0OUPr5Zp2PZAEfJ7exCBsXRzuVa23y_B7qbR6AfL1uTHIsXZNd/s1920/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDV4EwWYjnyrsNfM7yA9Benwn3h5PhAv7S_nJXuSY293tSM6I-QaGN6T8ZsdoZdCdCyltIq-UUmOsTMd6Fep9rJ8akyjVW3_XXLXXeUB2CEskyutimk2F01KIaGb2Vl7QIfHo4JcVRs0OUPr5Zp2PZAEfJ7exCBsXRzuVa23y_B7qbR6AfL1uTHIsXZNd/w439-h247/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" width="439" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Season of Lent </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Scriptures help us paint a picture of Lent that is filled with signs and wonders for those who are willing to see them. They help tell the story of just how far God is willing to go to rescue those whom God loves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today Is The Third Sunday of Lent </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We’re going to glimpse one of the central points of the Apostle Paul’s understanding of the Gospel and discover a new way of seeing the Cross. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">First, let me ask you a question. Is The Cross More Than A Symbol?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm sure that most of us in here today would answer an emphatic "Of course!" but practically speaking, I wonder if we truly see it that way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are crosses everywhere in our culture, and sometimes they are found in the most unlikely places. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; white-space: normal;"><b>Strangest places to see a Cross </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is behind the use of the Cross in so many different ways? Why do people who don't even really buy into Christianity find something compelling about them? Use them as tattoos? Jewelry? Clothing? Art?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; white-space: normal;">There’s something about it that’s more than a sign or a symbol</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ISN’T A SYMBOL, IT’S SALVATION</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We'll dig into this statement throughout this sermon, and we're also going to discuss what we mean when we say "salvation." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But first, let's take a look at 1 Corinthians 1:18-25</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Background on Paul's letter to the church at Corinth: Ancient Corinth, the City of Love, the church was experiencing divisions between haves and have-nots, Jews and Gentiles, you name it. </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."</span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s talk grammar - present tense participles “perishing” “being saved”</span></b></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, </span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jews & Greeks - Signs/Explanation, Law/Rhetoric </span></b></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.</span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The logos of the Cross—Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leading a cruciform life—wisdom and power are found in a Cross </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b></b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Cross is a sign that is more than a symbol, it’s not an end, but a beginning. Salvation (rescue) is also a beginning and not an end. </span></b></p><div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">What Does It Look Like When We Are Being Saved</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. We grow—in faith, in wisdom, in every way that matters. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. We live—as Jesus would have us live, not some trumped-up pattern. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. We die—to ourselves and our notions about what is wise and powerful. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ISN’T A SYMBOL; IT’S SALVATION</span></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-44251768102525856242024-03-01T06:10:00.000-08:002024-03-01T06:10:27.209-08:00Stilling The Storms Inside <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iAZXAfXyNC2kquxg2GXw4XobJ_rhccZEc0WvmtJNQbuWykNnZNpP_SRQg_5-hcmdhrG_CkSnjvNPWcoGUMTpr12FrBU3TW8FAwVcJX5sTc4Wwbo9Rmg8jGjRvPoyuvp4g1Hfr4PXQwTtt2Qb80Z9tfjERVs_YxN5ip_vhLvRIRFW2gU51vv-w5v3eD8z/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iAZXAfXyNC2kquxg2GXw4XobJ_rhccZEc0WvmtJNQbuWykNnZNpP_SRQg_5-hcmdhrG_CkSnjvNPWcoGUMTpr12FrBU3TW8FAwVcJX5sTc4Wwbo9Rmg8jGjRvPoyuvp4g1Hfr4PXQwTtt2Qb80Z9tfjERVs_YxN5ip_vhLvRIRFW2gU51vv-w5v3eD8z/w441-h248/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="441" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I posted a verse in my notes a couple of years ago, and I have glanced at it scores of times but never felt the urge to reflect on it until today. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here it is: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed." Psalm 107:28-29</span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's something about that verse that is both troubling and comforting at the same time. First, let me address the comforting part. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We all want to know that when the storms of life are bearing down on us, and the waves of trouble and challenge keep crashing and sending us spinning and gasping for air, God isn't here to calm the storm and lift us to safety. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But what about when we cried out to God in our trouble, and the storm didn't let up? What about the moments when we felt like we were drowning and the waves didn't relent? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So the troubling aspect of this verse is that there are storms, which don't often abate, even when we beg God to still them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know about you, but there have been more than a few moments in my life like that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Years ago, I begged God to heal my mom when she was terribly ill, and the outcome was grim. I prayed fervently, offering bargains, pleading for God to intervene and provide any way toward healing, and it never came. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The waves just kept coming, the storm didn't let up, and she passed away far too soon. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm guessing that many of you have stories where all your begging, praying, and pleading were met with only one wave after another, and the storm raged on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But what I've come to understand about that verse and its promise is that the storms and waves that are the most damaging don't come from the outside; they come from the inside. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most of us want God to quiet the storm of our circumstances, but God offers something more healing and long-lasting if we embrace its gift... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">God quiets the storms within our souls. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes, the circumstances don't change. Sometimes they do. The circumstances aren't the issue, though, although most choose to focus on them. It's easy to blame the circumstances because the storms they bring can feel unrelenting and awful. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the storms within us are the ones that cause the most damage in the end. When we fight the waves of doubt, fear, inadequacy, grief, and anger, that struggle can leave us far more exhausted than any external challenge. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Psalmist who wrote the line from Psalm 107 seems to have an inkling of this and speaks directly into that existential storm that God quiets when we surrender, saying to God, "This is too much; you take it." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Surrender isn't easy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When you think about what it feels like to fight a rough surf, straining to keep from being swamped by the waves, you get some idea of what it's like within our souls when we keep fighting beyond the point of exhaustion. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our every instinct is to fight, to struggle, to try to find control. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we finally cry out to the Lord in our trouble and let go of our need to determine our outcomes on our own, a miraculous thing happens... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The waves within lose their punch, the wind of fear and frustration dies away, and we find ourselves floating on the surface of a glassy sea. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The storm of our circumstances may continue to rage on, but surrendering our outcomes can create a stillness within us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you find yourself in stormy circumstances that have wrought an even more powerful storm within you, there is help and hope in a simple prayer of surrender and letting go of everything that is wearing you out inside. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May you find the peace you seek and the stillness within you long for. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-42544810857973824822024-02-29T05:10:00.000-08:002024-02-29T05:10:08.729-08:00When Your Inner Critics Need To Be Quiet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvPcjcgYn9Ezqkq_sDvPSapWz0Zk5fu-xmzpwhIcu6veTGWilEiihuJnQQq964OXaHXTHGp5DZFq9wyMshau0hYvtTahxiS9GKPahWk-7FA9gIGlyJAxxXSZ6YgCeSZ5HzP5L2XZUrsu4mjqguFfMjYlExkFVWa3q5sW_TuXWtQzKKGVNgNwq4eEMQ48D/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvPcjcgYn9Ezqkq_sDvPSapWz0Zk5fu-xmzpwhIcu6veTGWilEiihuJnQQq964OXaHXTHGp5DZFq9wyMshau0hYvtTahxiS9GKPahWk-7FA9gIGlyJAxxXSZ6YgCeSZ5HzP5L2XZUrsu4mjqguFfMjYlExkFVWa3q5sW_TuXWtQzKKGVNgNwq4eEMQ48D/w478-h269/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are often our own worst critics when it comes to the way we see ourselves. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I know that I am. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A cinema reel plays in my imagination of everything I have messed up or done wrong on any given day. And this is often accompanied by a chorus of voices telling me I'm not enough. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The chorus seems like a combination of my voice but at different stages of my life. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You might wonder about my sanity, but I've talked to enough people to know that I'm not alone in how I critique myself. We all have our own methods, both real and imagined. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've read enough of the letters of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament to know that he struggled with the same kind of inner criticism that many of us do. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even though he seemed confident in most of his writing about himself, his purpose, and his faith, Paul also admitted to having doubts, fears, struggles, and a need to "die" to himself daily. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This resonates with me because there are days when I need to do just that so I can get out of bed and keep moving. The only way sometimes is to let go of the cinema and the chorus, to die to my false self, and embrace my truest self more fully. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other day, I was reading a wonderful meditation by Kate Bowler and a prayer she wrote absolutely put into words the feeling of letting go of all the negative self-talk I often employ. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are the two most impactful stanzas, in my opinion: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lord, I've spent so much time <br />imagining my worst qualities<br />that its difficult to imagine that you<br />numbered the hairs on my head, <br />painted my eyes this color, <br />and soften at the sound of my voice. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><i>You are not the bathroom scale, <br />or a work evaluation. <br />You are not every ex-partner or ex-friend. <br />You know the very best of me. <br />You are my cheerleader and champion, <br />my memory keeper and favorite friend. <br />Flood me with love, love, love<br />because of who I am, and who I've become, <br />and who you made me. </i></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Come on! What a great prayer to start the day off, am I right? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love what this poem/prayer says, but I love what it signifies even more. It reminds us that we are not the person an awful chorus of naysayers has to say about us. It tells us who we are in the eyes of a God who loves us beyond our wildest imagination. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maybe you woke up today with feelings of inadequacy or that you just aren't enough for whatever you are facing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You need to know just how much you are worth. You haven't run out of chances to become the person you long to become. The God who loves you and knows you wants more for you than you can know. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Be encouraged today and be reminded that God is <i>for </i>you and beside you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-29751000589600950482024-02-28T04:37:00.000-08:002024-02-28T04:37:09.748-08:00Some Good News For A Change<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvSfTHo4Eq3uqe8AHm-rDIYUVmJ6wZ-kwEQGsA-tE026_pmidk7YuJX5g2vUrdOx4EQZ9XxG58C8GnzjJznvtJhd2JbeOxq8Ms1EVleIOr_N7u5vTKy3IoRYlxQu_8AiK4r9Yqynpew8AwnTliHR7IC376a0cZpyEYAJkxfUdhJZbvg3nnTTfVZcgrbD/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvSfTHo4Eq3uqe8AHm-rDIYUVmJ6wZ-kwEQGsA-tE026_pmidk7YuJX5g2vUrdOx4EQZ9XxG58C8GnzjJznvtJhd2JbeOxq8Ms1EVleIOr_N7u5vTKy3IoRYlxQu_8AiK4r9Yqynpew8AwnTliHR7IC376a0cZpyEYAJkxfUdhJZbvg3nnTTfVZcgrbD/w506-h285/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm getting weary of bad news. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm also weary of how much bad news there is lately. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When you peruse the headlines and significant stories that are making the rounds every day, it's easy to recall the wisdom of Don Henley from his 1980s hit "Dirty Laundry:" </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">We got the bubble-headed bleached-blonde,</span></i> <br /><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">comes on at five<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's interesting when people die<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Give us dirty laundry</span></i></p></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then there is the fake outrage that permeates the cable news channels as people square off in their little boxes on the TV screen, shouting over one another, ratcheting up the rhetoric, and doing their dead-level best to retain viewers by ensuring them they have a right to be anxious and outraged over one damn thing or another. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The problem is if all you are getting is a steady diet of phony outrage, manipulated facts, and deeply partisan politics, you can rightly assume that the world is going to hell and a handbasket. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is why I want to share something different--a story about one person's kindness to a little boy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other day, the following news story caught my attention: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) bus driver went above and beyond to put a smile on the face of a heartbroken little boy.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Larry Farrish Jr. was driving Levi, a first grader, to Engelhard Elementary School when he noticed his drastic behavioral change.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">The usual happy boy was sad and tearfully told Farrish he didn't have pajamas for Pajama Day at school.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">That's when Farrish jumped into action. After finishing the route, Farrish bought two pairs of pajamas and brought them to the school for Levi to keep.</span></i></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Think about the stereotypical image of a school bus driver, or you can recall a school bus driver from your past that fits that bill. You know what I'm talking about. The surly, grumpy, scowling, barking orders kind of bus driver. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But like most things in life, our stereotypes are typically about the minority, not the majority; we just apply them to the majority without critique. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Larry Farrish, Jr. obviously saw himself as more than just a guy who drove kids to school. He was the first contact for kids who were beginning their school day. He paid attention to them. He knew them and cared about them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is why he could quickly see that something was wrong with Levi. And his heart went out to the little boy, who faced a day of being asked and maybe teased about why he didn't wear pajamas on Pajama Day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Farrish didn't try to placate Levi or tell him to "buck up, little camper," he took action and did something that I have no doubt will have a lasting impact on the little boy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And there's also a lesson for the school that was learned. In some places, the assumption that every kid will have pajamas is a foregone conclusion, but it can't be in others. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For those of us who want to follow Jesus, this story teaches us just how important it is to stay awake and aware of the needs of the people around us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It also teaches us that we ought to think of how some of the systems we employ in our culture can leave some folks on the outside looking in, but we can do something about that, too... one life, one heart at a time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we all have eyes to see the brokenhearted and marginalized souls around us and do what we can to show them they matter. May we all have the wisdom to follow our hearts when our hearts tell us to act. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-15860996343851883012024-02-27T04:50:00.000-08:002024-02-27T04:50:40.777-08:00How Jesus Saves The World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp3MqwcPW8sJPzFwcBx3niISPeOsAaYWDDwG0ZafdGX708GX7trCxLzxoTq0Q3iuhUq5P8jqhznNUMavOcRAYfx-22cOjshD6CRWByfrjbfo_KYz2oPofm_qIkNhcN0z8ozbYFiL9pEOR4p2EMMKctxS0OScFLMKMBc4U0TZ9TmRSCm8yN3ZzgNMWhpbA/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp3MqwcPW8sJPzFwcBx3niISPeOsAaYWDDwG0ZafdGX708GX7trCxLzxoTq0Q3iuhUq5P8jqhznNUMavOcRAYfx-22cOjshD6CRWByfrjbfo_KYz2oPofm_qIkNhcN0z8ozbYFiL9pEOR4p2EMMKctxS0OScFLMKMBc4U0TZ9TmRSCm8yN3ZzgNMWhpbA/w448-h252/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="448" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other day, I saw a thought-provoking post on social media from an avowed atheist I follow. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I started following him a few years ago out of curiosity. Then, to my surprise, I discovered that some of his posts resonated with me and helped me ask excellent questions about my faith. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm going to show the content of the post: </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Hindus have been waiting for Kalki for 3,700 years.<br />Buddhists have been waiting for Maitreya for 2,600 years.<br />The Jews have been waiting for the Messiah for 2500 years.<br />Christians have been waiting for Jesus for 2000 years.<br />Sunnah waits for Prophet Issa for 1400 years.<br />Muslims have been waiting for a messiah from the line of Muhammad for 1300 years.<br />Shiites have been waiting for Imam Mahdi for 1080 years.<br />Druze have been waiting for Hamza ibn Ali for 1000 years.</i> </span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Most religions adopt the idea of a “savior” and state that the world will remain filled with evil until this savior comes and fills it with goodness and righteousness.</i> </span></blockquote><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maybe our problem on this planet is that people expect someone else to come solve their problems instead of doing it themselves.</span></i></blockquote></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is an honest and appropriate critique. But while I am sure that many expressions of the religions listed in the post are "so heavenly minded, they aren't any earthly good," there are also some that are much more balanced. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can only speak to Christianity because that is my tradition. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I currently lead a particular congregation that looks toward a day when the world will be made right but also does everything imaginable to make it as right as possible now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Granted, there are plenty of Christian traditions that go a different direction and, in my opinion, get led astray by bad theology. It's an easy trap to fall into when the world seems so out of joint. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It also absolves adherents from responsibility and, sadly, can turn them into self-serving isolationists when it comes to their faith. We are seeing this happen in Christianity here in the U.S. at an alarming rate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, I read a fantastic quote from author Joyce Rupp about this very thing: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">We can’t just sit on the roadside of life and call ourselves followers of Jesus. We are to do more than esteem him for his generous love and dedicated service. We do not hear Jesus grumbling about the challenges and demands of this way of life. We do not see him “talking a good talk” but doing nothing about it. He describes his vision and then encourages others to join him in moving those teachings into action. </span></i></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I also need to say this: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Putting our faith into action to do our best to live as Jesus would have us live in our world isn't an example of "woke" Christianity; <i>it is Christianity</i>- at least Christianity as it <u>should</u> be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You see, you can long for a day when the <i>shalom</i> of God, as described by Jesus, will permeate all of Creation, and you can also work to bring that <i>shalom</i> to the world to fulfill that longing right here, right now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The vision of my church is <i>Love God, Love Everybody</i>, which represents this balance. You show your love for God by loving everybody that God loves. And if you can't bring yourself to truly love everybody that God loves, you might not love God as much as you think. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And so we follow Jesus rather than sit on the roadside. We put our faith into action to do everything we can to bring hope to the hopeless, healing for the broken, and inclusion for those left on the outside. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We don't need to pine for a future savior---our savior, our rescuer, our example, has already saved, rescued, and shown those who follow him how to live. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May it be so. And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and forever. Amen. </span></p><p><br /></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-32894503245938194082024-02-26T04:50:00.000-08:002024-02-26T04:50:07.357-08:00A Different Kind of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESmdqM3PBocesNoIGxOoaUytfnSEQ5O4SeX9grb16pehK3hug1ShK9ZRgyWLRQgx_6tisqIf-evD8RmefkdPqlekYO90YUf7l6RQf7LuGWNvs28HfqV10QHDNsHOsIgELJ01a2WZmDCP-9p4SMIYrpwdGaxCFdf5RswD0K1QmnV8NUmB_UzpyLyuc9SzI/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESmdqM3PBocesNoIGxOoaUytfnSEQ5O4SeX9grb16pehK3hug1ShK9ZRgyWLRQgx_6tisqIf-evD8RmefkdPqlekYO90YUf7l6RQf7LuGWNvs28HfqV10QHDNsHOsIgELJ01a2WZmDCP-9p4SMIYrpwdGaxCFdf5RswD0K1QmnV8NUmB_UzpyLyuc9SzI/w498-h280/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="498" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For those of us who grew up in faith traditions that espoused the idea that God is a ticked-off old white dude, high above somewhere "up there" on a white throne, handing out heaping helpings of judgment and damnation for those who cross him, it's hard to imagine something different, even when we come to know better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trust me on this; I know from experience how hard this is to do, and I've been teaching and preaching about a different image of God for decades. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I often find myself reverting to that old image of God when things in my life aren't going as I think they should. I know I'm not alone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When hardships come, or calamity falls, many of us wonder if we just might have done something to offend that old God to cause them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've written here before that when we hold on to that old image of God, we are tacitly embracing a transactional form of faith where God's grace is only available if we toe the line and the line keeps moving. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is why the following quote from Frederick Buechner is so significant to me, and I hope it's meaningful to you, too. Buechner imagines the voice of God speaking to those of us who have held on to that transactional God for too long: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you." </span></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A friend sent me a devotional that included this quote I had read before but needed to reread. I love this because it speaks directly to an image of God that is nothing like the old transactional one many of us struggle to shake. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The God described in this Buechner quote is not a God who is far away, high in some holy temple with a scowl on his face and judgment on his mind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The God of Buechner's quote is a God who is near. This God looks upon us with love, acknowledging that we will go through hard times, none of which were caused by God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This God has purposes for us that are glorious and wonderful, and this God invites us to step more fully into them without fear of messing up or falling short of them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wonder how often people fall away from faith because they can't reconcile themselves with the image of the old God they were handed when they were young. I know that I very nearly did. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But at just the right time, I was introduced to the God of Buechner's quote, and it brought me back to faith. I never knew such a God existed, and the idea that there was such a God literally rescued me from years of bitterness and anger. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maybe you were handed that old image of God a long time ago, and you still find yourself feeling like that image is peering over your shoulder, telling you that you aren't good enough. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If that is the case, I want you to take that quote from Buechner and transfer it to a notecard or a sign and hang it somewhere where you will see it continuously as a reminder. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May you find grace in being reminded of God's true nature of love. May you find peace in knowing that you are enough and you are loved. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-4952119359201779322024-02-25T04:52:00.000-08:002024-02-25T04:52:36.554-08:00Signs and Wonders - Lent Week Two <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59YHwhRuNcZb4LYpJ5TLZBDYjK8IdlXDvLohNs8HYpnA_pZlUCndi3lZTGVxq2MuyssMQoMQXnl0pWGcUX-WXpAU43NVby0lkvGBwthcBsKIQHI9tFOZMc549hr3rGmdhCebZIx7u5ub_42rHwKpVEljcldlp84N0uHKmxferiytGwy8Dj3N-5xykSIb8/s1920/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59YHwhRuNcZb4LYpJ5TLZBDYjK8IdlXDvLohNs8HYpnA_pZlUCndi3lZTGVxq2MuyssMQoMQXnl0pWGcUX-WXpAU43NVby0lkvGBwthcBsKIQHI9tFOZMc549hr3rGmdhCebZIx7u5ub_42rHwKpVEljcldlp84N0uHKmxferiytGwy8Dj3N-5xykSIb8/w396-h223/Signs%20And%20Wonders%20graphic.png" width="396" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Season of Lent </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Scriptures help us paint a picture of Lent filled with signs and wonders for those willing to see them. They help tell the story of how far God is willing to go to rescue those whom God loves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the Second Sunday of Lent </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today, we will read a story about how Abraham and Sarah got both a promise and a name change and what spiritual meaning that might have for us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When People Change Their Names For The Wrong Reason... </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Darren QX Bean! (Darren Lloyd Bean)<br />Bacon Double Cheeseburger (Sam Smith)<br />Tim Pppppppppprice (Tim Price)<br />Henry Lizardlover (Henry Schiff)<br />Sexy Crabtree (Sheila Rae Crabtree)<br />Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined (George Garratt)<br />King Arthur Uther Pendragon (John Rothwell)<br />Ynot Bubba (Justin Brady)<br />Lianne Madonna Vogue On The Cover Of A Magazine McHale Dawson<br />Emma Madonna Confessions Of A Dance Floor Dawson <br />Luther Devine None of the Above Knox<br />Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-bop-bop (Jeffrey Drew Wilschke)</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But what if you don’t like the name you have been given, or your name has a meaning you don’t want to live with? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bible had lots of moments when people were given new names that signified a new calling, a new purpose, and a new identity in God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; white-space: normal;">Our true name and purpose are found in one place… within us, where God placed it before we were born. The Divine DNA that makes us an image-bearer of God contains everything we need to know about who we are and what purpose we are called to fulfill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; white-space: normal;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE WONDER OF OUR TRUE NAME AND PURPOSE GIVES US NEW LIFE</span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We need some background on what's happening here to understand the passage we will read more thoroughly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Abram is from Harran (Turkey) and receives a message from God to "go to a place where I will tell you..." So he picks up and leaves with all his retinue, his nephew, flocks, camels, you name it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">God tells Abram he will have descendants that will be so numerous they will be more than the sands on the sea. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But Abram is skeptical, along with his wife Sarai, because he has no heir, which is wrongly considered a curse in the ancient world. Sarai takes matters into her own hands and offers up her slave girl, Hagar. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">All of this creates a strange passage with lots of silence and even more questions. </span></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty[a]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. </span></i></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”</span></i></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What about the missing section? Well, it's all about circumcision. Which is an entirely male kind of thing. Abram, now called Abraham, takes all the dudes in his household and circumcises them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Imagine having that conversation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's a host of problems with this passage, seemingly prioritizing men as the recipients of the blessings of the covenant, but there is this passage where God gives a blessing to Sarai and a name change for her, too, from Sarai to Sarah. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sarai - "My" Palace, Princess</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sarah - Palace, Princess - no possessive, no restriction </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The name change of Abram and Sarai symbolizes the wonder that comes with a new sense of purpose and a truer sense of self. Despite the problems, we see a God who names and defines identity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Apostle Paul wrote about this very scene and connected it to Christ, who Paul believed was the blessing that God spoke of when he told Abraham through him he would bless all the nations: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.</span></i></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where Do We Find Our True Name & Purpose? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. We find it when we surrender to a God we trust has good purposes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. We find it when we realize the story we told about ourselves isn’t over. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. We find it when we trust even when we don’t fully understand. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">THE WONDER OF OUR TRUE NAME AND PURPOSE GIVES US NEW LIFE</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-84706500408350249912024-02-23T05:12:00.000-08:002024-02-23T05:12:24.479-08:00Letting Go of "Yes, But" Thinking <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESmdqM3PBocesNoIGxOoaUytfnSEQ5O4SeX9grb16pehK3hug1ShK9ZRgyWLRQgx_6tisqIf-evD8RmefkdPqlekYO90YUf7l6RQf7LuGWNvs28HfqV10QHDNsHOsIgELJ01a2WZmDCP-9p4SMIYrpwdGaxCFdf5RswD0K1QmnV8NUmB_UzpyLyuc9SzI/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESmdqM3PBocesNoIGxOoaUytfnSEQ5O4SeX9grb16pehK3hug1ShK9ZRgyWLRQgx_6tisqIf-evD8RmefkdPqlekYO90YUf7l6RQf7LuGWNvs28HfqV10QHDNsHOsIgELJ01a2WZmDCP-9p4SMIYrpwdGaxCFdf5RswD0K1QmnV8NUmB_UzpyLyuc9SzI/w436-h245/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="436" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I journeyed to the mall with my middle and youngest sons this past Christmas to buy presents, and for the entire journey there and through the parking lot, my middle son and I had an intense discussion about a social issue that has been politicized. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will leave it to your imagination as to which social issue... there are many to choose from. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At any rate, we reached a point in our conversation where we had a divergence of opinion, and things started to get heated as we tried to explain why we felt the way we did. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, I said, "You know what, I agree with the central part of your argument 100%, but I also have questions and don't know how to feel about [this particular thing]. I think it's okay to just hold all that in tension."<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was trying to describe a "both/and" way of thinking to him instead of a "Yes, but" way of responding. Ultimately, we both agreed that was a good resolution for our discussion. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then my youngest son, who had been listening to the whole thing, quietly spoke up and said: "Y'all talk a lot." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He was right, you know. And there's a more profound truth underneath his succinct observation. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A lot of us talk a lot. We speak more than we listen; even when we listen, we think about what we will say next in response to what others might be saying, especially when we have disagreements. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because far too many of us in our culture respond to arguments about issues in our culture that divide us along political, social, and religious lines because we are constantly waiting our turn to speak so we can say, "Yes, but..." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We seldom try to find common ground with those with whom we disagree. It's far easier to say "Yes, but" and then make our point. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In fact, making our point, declaring ourselves correct, and planting a flag on the day's issues are more important than finding common ground. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some time ago, a pastor and author I admire said this in a sermon, and I have never forgotten it, though I have ignored it on occasion: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Sometimes, when you want to make a point, you lose the chance to make a difference." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our current culture is permeated with "Yes, but" thinking. Most of us have opinions about everything, and social media gives us a willing partner to share our views with the world. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Social media is the ultimate "Yes, but" resource because we don't need to look the person with whom we disagree in the eye to say what we feel we absolutely need to say. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All we need to do is send our opinions into the social media void with little or no give and take with anyone unless people choose to say "Yes, but" to our declarations with their own comments. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sadly, far too many of us who claim to be Christian fall prey to this mentality, even though we ought to know better. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus' teachings to "turn the other cheek" and to "be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves" tend to get glossed over by most people who say they follow him. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even the Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to "telling like it is," offered up this bit of wisdom in his Letter to the Colossians: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If this isn't a "both/and" kind of approach to addressing disagreements, I don't know what is. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When you have a conversation that is full of grace and appropriately seasoned with kindness and forbearance, you find that you can be curious and calm and also live in the tension of "both/and" thinking as opposed to the "either/or" of being a "Yes, but" kind of person. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's so much we can do to make the world better, kinder, and gentler; for some, it might start with our conversations. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we have "both/and" grace-filled conversations where our disagreements can become launching pads for deeper understanding and connection. <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-1762248978443934822024-02-22T04:15:00.000-08:002024-02-22T04:15:26.873-08:00When The Rain Comes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvSfTHo4Eq3uqe8AHm-rDIYUVmJ6wZ-kwEQGsA-tE026_pmidk7YuJX5g2vUrdOx4EQZ9XxG58C8GnzjJznvtJhd2JbeOxq8Ms1EVleIOr_N7u5vTKy3IoRYlxQu_8AiK4r9Yqynpew8AwnTliHR7IC376a0cZpyEYAJkxfUdhJZbvg3nnTTfVZcgrbD/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvSfTHo4Eq3uqe8AHm-rDIYUVmJ6wZ-kwEQGsA-tE026_pmidk7YuJX5g2vUrdOx4EQZ9XxG58C8GnzjJznvtJhd2JbeOxq8Ms1EVleIOr_N7u5vTKy3IoRYlxQu_8AiK4r9Yqynpew8AwnTliHR7IC376a0cZpyEYAJkxfUdhJZbvg3nnTTfVZcgrbD/w428-h241/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="428" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Several years ago, the drought-prone city of Los Angeles began efforts to add more green spaces near roadways, replacing concrete with dirt and plants. They also created "spreading grounds" that allow water to be soaked up by the earth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The idea was that with more dirt and plants, more water could be absorbed during the rainy season, which reduces flooding and conserves water for use when it's dry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There were critics aplenty of these efforts, to be sure. More than a few of them leveled accusations of "wokeness" being the reason why so much of taxpayer's money was being used to make the changes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then, the rain came in early February. A lot of it. Record amounts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But because of the efforts to replace concrete with dirt and plants, along with all of its traditional dams, from February 4-7, Los Angeles captured 8.6 billion gallons of water, enough to provide 106,000 households water for a year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute at UC Berkely, stated: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">"No one driveway or roof in and of itself causes massive alteration of the hydrologic cycle, but combine millions of them in one area, and it does. Maybe we can solve [the drought] problem with a thousand Band-Aids." </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I thought about this story as an illustration of how to change the world, which most of us would like to do but never believe we can make a difference. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And I also thought about this story as an illustration of how keeping our hard concrete exteriors can damage ourselves and the world around us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So many of us have hardened ourselves out of what we believe to be self-defense as a reaction to the chaos and turmoil of our current culture. We want the rain of our worries and fears to slide off us more easily. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meanwhile, we're creating floods that can't be controlled, and the life-giving water from those rains is being lost, wasted, and unused. Our hardened exteriors are leading us to disaster. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But when we remove the concrete and become vulnerable to the rain, we soon discover that whatever it might bring can be soaked up and give life to the now exposed ground of our lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When more and more of us begin to learn this and break apart the hardness, it can change things for all of us, even those who cannot find the strength to be vulnerable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The storms of life might seem as though they are bent on destroying us at times, but if we have done the excellent work of preparing our souls for them, there will be fertile ground within us to absorb what lessons they have to give us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The reservoirs they fill will serve us well, not only us but our family and friends, co-workers, and even the strangers who encounter us. Our willingness to be vulnerable opens us up for so much more than maintaining our hardness. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we be brave enough to break apart everything keeping us from growing and thriving and let the rains come without fear. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-11058241056912336522024-02-21T04:09:00.000-08:002024-02-21T04:09:01.637-08:00Why "Faith Over Fear" Isn't Helpful<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXzOE2Mg60ANFFFVyzjYh1tWYBKKlrS_LhOf4y3o2TP01PD3CCaGybNr674f7VBIIQPwYtg3od_3mLwdvFzTg8nvypm5J43j_qVyfAe2Mt6r-Ao534PKfFJYUXbrtdALtpXNYphRb487PzpdRu4qTxj4MozyfVEvW6TWjPsRuJLG7OaJK8wtTUNuoRZrj/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXzOE2Mg60ANFFFVyzjYh1tWYBKKlrS_LhOf4y3o2TP01PD3CCaGybNr674f7VBIIQPwYtg3od_3mLwdvFzTg8nvypm5J43j_qVyfAe2Mt6r-Ao534PKfFJYUXbrtdALtpXNYphRb487PzpdRu4qTxj4MozyfVEvW6TWjPsRuJLG7OaJK8wtTUNuoRZrj/w430-h242/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="430" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the past few years, I've seen a lot of, shall we say, <i>interesting </i>things posted by people professing to be Christians on social media. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aside from all of the conspiracy theories, thinly veiled racism, misogyny, homophobia, Christian nationalist rhetoric, and the like, I have seen a particular phrase more than a few times.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The phrase is <i>Faith over Fear.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I first saw this phrase crop up during the pandemic as a great many Christians publicly opposed safety measures, vaccines, etc. But it pops up occasionally on my social media feed whenever there is a calamity, tragedy, or worrisome event. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The intimation of how this phrase is used by some people is that true Christians should never be afraid. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This phrase is usually posted on social media; typically as a response to a political or social issue where the person posting has stated a position and is defending it in religious terms. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interestingly, the Bible has 365 instances where God-fearers and Jesus-followers are encouraged not to "be afraid." The folks using the phrase <i>Faith over Fear</i> have a leg to stand on, in a manner of speaking. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the problem with a phrase like this is that it supports the notion that Faith and Fear cannot co-exist. In other words, you won't be afraid if you have enough faith. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The fact of the matter is that people of faith are frequently afraid. The exhortations in the Bible to not be afraid are directed at people of faith, who are, in fact, afraid. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These biblical exhortations are God's encouragement to the faithful, who naturally felt afraid when fear was warranted. The biblical messages are reminders that we can be freed from fear, but they don't say we <i>shouldn't </i>ever fear. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can have faith and still be afraid. Some fears are healthy, in fact. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't have to remind anyone reading this today that there is a lot to fear in our current culture. Not to mention the many things in our lives that are also fear-worthy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Millions of people suffer from anxiety in our world, most of whom have no control over it without counseling and/or medication. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To hear the phrase <i>Faith over Fear</i> is like a slap in the face to those who can't help their fears and require treatment to be able to function. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's also a dangerous thing for some who need treatment but then think that if they just had enough faith, they would be able to overcome their fears without it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In her book, <i>Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! </i>author Kate Bowler wrote a variation of the Beatitudes that reflects the idea that we often hold faith and fear in the same space and why that's helpful: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessed are we, the anxious, <br />with eyes wide open to the lovely and the awful. <br />Blessed are we, the aware, <br />knowing that the only sane thing to do in such a world<br />is to admit the fear that sits in our peripheral vision. <br />Blessed are we, the hopeful, eyes searching for the horizon, <br />ready to meet the next miracle, the next surprise. <br />Yes, blessed are we, the grateful, <br />awake to this beautiful, terrible day. </span></i></blockquote></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's something we all need to hear... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We can have faith and still have fear, and we can also have hope in the midst of that tension. Sometimes, being able to name the fear within us is powerful because it's there and needs to be confronted. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Naming our fear also takes away some of its power and enables us to find the strength to look to the horizon for signs of hope. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So consider yourself blessed today if you are anxious, aware, and afraid. It does not mean you don't have faith; quite the contrary. It simply means embracing your current reality and reminding yourself that "this too shall pass." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are miracles and surprises aplenty if we are willing to lift our eyes and look beyond where we happen to be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and always. Amen. </span></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-65403670349003209492024-02-20T04:25:00.000-08:002024-02-20T04:25:22.903-08:00Make. Good. Art. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0A1pxNmNSFZwcUToYke7Ji0njVQK1arM-zIc5rQP_0ofi-54mjdZ9PKfHzqHq-9cR6i_3axUfhY69tygrAMY-NjDaoKEaxt2H9B4WuJPpmnjg7YwavW641ZQyolWb6ki4yUJVk_i_NC4-cycrUcQEj5QCN61fsK1BbkbGTFQ4ARQFO0-fFrcY-Zu-fCoe/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0A1pxNmNSFZwcUToYke7Ji0njVQK1arM-zIc5rQP_0ofi-54mjdZ9PKfHzqHq-9cR6i_3axUfhY69tygrAMY-NjDaoKEaxt2H9B4WuJPpmnjg7YwavW641ZQyolWb6ki4yUJVk_i_NC4-cycrUcQEj5QCN61fsK1BbkbGTFQ4ARQFO0-fFrcY-Zu-fCoe/w462-h260/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="462" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm a comic book nerd. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I was in my early twenties, I collected comics, but my weekly comic bill got up to about $75, and with a new baby on the way, I decided my collecting days were over. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I did amass a pretty good collection full of rare comics and a host of first editions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">During this time, I was introduced to author and creator Neil Gaiman through his <i>Sandman</i> series, which became one of my favorites. His use of mythology, religion, and pure imagination appealed to me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Sandman </i>was recently released as a series on Netflix, and I loved every episode. Other books of Gaiman's that have been made into movies are <i>American Gods, Good Omens, </i>and <i>Coraline. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He's written scores of books and comics that have won almost every award you can win as a comic creator. He has worked on musical projects, plays, and episodes of <i>Doctor Who,</i> along with other TV projects. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's not fair, is it? How can one person be so talented? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I discovered a book that Gaiman wrote on creativity a few years ago entitled <i>Art Matters</i> and read and reread it several times. The quote below is my absolute favorite: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good. Art.</span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So there's so much about this quote that I love, and something about it is terrifying. There's freedom in this idea, but it comes only through a willingness to be vulnerable and to allow for failure. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If we want to become the people we long to be, we must be willing to fail occasionally. We need to be completely fine with making mistakes. We don't need to double down on denial when we mess up. We also don't need to blame others (which many of us do). And we don't need to try to cover up our blunders. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The trick is to allow ourselves to follow Gaiman's advice and make interesting, unique, glorious, and fantastic mistakes that speak to our willingness to try something new even when we have no idea how it might turn out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each mistake we make is a step in learning the lessons we need to discover who we are and how much we are capable of. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We also need to realize that if we venture nothing, we gain nothing. So many people spend a lifetime holding on to their god-given gifts because they worry that if they share them, they won't be well-received. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who cares? Share them anyway. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author Bob Goff once wrote, <i>"Don't fail watching, fail trying."</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love that so much. There will be critics because there are always critics who risk nothing, share nothing, and then stand around critiquing those who do. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Critics are not your crowd, your people, or your audience. You are not sharing your gifts to please them because they are seldom pleased. You share your gifts because you can't keep the fire in your heart contained. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You share your gifts because there will be someone who resonates with what you are doing and will almost certainly tell you so by affirming your gifts and what your sharing has meant to them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">God has placed a desire in your heart and a purpose in your life. It may change with age, wisdom, or ability, but whatever form it takes throughout your life, be true to it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Make. Good. Art. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And know this: Art can be whatever you are compelled to create, share, or let loose into the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let it loose without fear. The world needs what you have to share. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-25662819223570027872024-02-19T07:57:00.000-08:002024-02-19T07:57:29.697-08:00Surpised By Grace<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUAKeLMTAQGS1tYqH8SxpA5_ESB6rFHAzSnySfc77cBzOutjzVSI7FGKaPjf9ZkMNPSbcV7REHWAtcycLcwfbWTUr0VwBTUODJ85N-K4uuGhUYBN2ccyq_LLjbitUzdAfTBPOLtMgsRZBDV32N-SzIokR5EKDdCPDAvXYs76YfhGI7RRWme3ZXwM_thza/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUAKeLMTAQGS1tYqH8SxpA5_ESB6rFHAzSnySfc77cBzOutjzVSI7FGKaPjf9ZkMNPSbcV7REHWAtcycLcwfbWTUr0VwBTUODJ85N-K4uuGhUYBN2ccyq_LLjbitUzdAfTBPOLtMgsRZBDV32N-SzIokR5EKDdCPDAvXYs76YfhGI7RRWme3ZXwM_thza/w455-h256/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="455" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>I have had more than a few brushes with celebrities in my life. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've met all kinds of people I have admired from afar, from authors to musicians in famous bands, celebrities, and politicians, who have turned my former opinions about them upside down. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some of the sweetest celebrities I have met include Michael Jackson, Robin Williams, John Stamos, Jim Henson, John Lithgow, and Paul Sorvino, to name a few. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I expected them to be aloof, but they were not. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will never forget guiding Robin Williams through the Backstage Studio Tour at Walt Disney World and how beautifully gracious and kind he was. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those are pleasant surprises because we always hope the celebrities we admire will be good people worthy of our admiration. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But there are moments in our lives when the rubber meets the road with that kind of thing a bit more personally. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The other day, I was reading one of the Daily Meditations I received via email from Fr. Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation, and I read a quote from Fr. Richard that hit me right between the eyes: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Have you ever spoken ill of somebody, actively disliked somebody, or put someone down in the presence of others? Then they approach you, and it turns out they’re not only nice, but they’re really nice. They wish you well. </span></i></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ouch. If you are like me, that might have landed on you. I've had that happen more than once, most often to people I had never gotten to know. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Years ago, there was a pastor of a large church in my presbytery, and I would often see him at Presbytery Meetings as he got up to protest one thing or another, ask provocative questions, and generally act like a pain in the butt. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When he or one of the other pastors on his staff would get up to the microphone at the meetings, you would hear an audible groan from the crowd. I was one of those people who groaned. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He and I couldn't have been more different, so I thought I had him all figured out until I went to lunch with him one day. The lunch was my idea because I wanted to see if he was as big a jerk as I had decided he was. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">He wasn't. In fact, he was warm, open, and curious. I was amazed at all of the mission projects that his church was doing to improve the lives of the people in their neighborhood and surprised at his humility. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even though we had theological disagreements, we bonded over our common calling and desire to follow Jesus as best we could. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then I felt really awful. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fr. Richard had this to say about that awful feeling we get when we realize we were wrong about someone we had poor opinions about: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">That feeling is called remorse; we used to call it compunction. We are reduced to silence and confusion. Let’s be honest, grace is always a humiliation for the ego. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And that is precisely what happens. Our ego gets humiliated as it ought to be in moments when we let it run the show. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because the truth is, we don't know anyone all that well, or at least as well as we imagine. The only way to do that is to have proximity to them, allowing us to listen to their stories, share our own, and find common ground. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This doesn't mean that disagreements will fade, but it does mean that we can get a chance to glimpse their humanity and realize that most of our preconceived notions about them were mainly about ourselves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will some people affirm our poor opinions of them? You bet. But even in those moments, we ought to realize that even they are worthy to receive grace, even as we are, despite our ego. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we find ways to let our ego be humiliated by encountering the image of God in those we struggle to find connection with, and may we be surprised by grace. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-63216692629266475892024-02-18T05:10:00.000-08:002024-02-18T05:10:38.543-08:00First Sunday of Lent - Signs and Wonders: "A Sign In The Sky" <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxaYSLGGLn6wFii3aheWKZVhmWX9dNJQ-Fpng3FwURH_U6W6mIpDkw3TliEculnaAL6rnlP6Hj6QhXkGRrzLva4SHrLt4YP6_KvIVJ2wRohHQB7v4W5wzsrFXySbc5F2bbrtlbmwsIvmrAH3cBJgBkb9wExc1orQZF2ijHWtlVppamsVTGquZUhL7vRbq/s1920/Signs%20&%20Wonders%20graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxaYSLGGLn6wFii3aheWKZVhmWX9dNJQ-Fpng3FwURH_U6W6mIpDkw3TliEculnaAL6rnlP6Hj6QhXkGRrzLva4SHrLt4YP6_KvIVJ2wRohHQB7v4W5wzsrFXySbc5F2bbrtlbmwsIvmrAH3cBJgBkb9wExc1orQZF2ijHWtlVppamsVTGquZUhL7vRbq/w512-h288/Signs%20&%20Wonders%20graphic.png" width="512" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Season of Lent - Signs and Wonders</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Scriptures help us paint a picture of Lent filled with signs and wonders for those willing to see them. They help tell the story of how far God is willing to go to rescue those whom God loves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the First Sunday of the Season of Lent. Lent is a word that is connected to the Latin word for "40" which reflects the roughly forty days that we spend symbolically following Jesus to the Cross. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Forty is a significant number in the Bible that speaks of preparation. Here are a few examples: </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rained 40 days and nights in the Great Flood<br />Moses was 40 when he went into the Wilderness out of Egypt, where he remained for 40 years and then spent another 40 years with the Israelites (symbolic meaning)<br />Psalm 40 is about being in the midst of trial and tribulation and being lifted up by God. <br />Jesus spent 40 days in the Wilderness before he started his ministry. </span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today, we’re going to go all the way back to a story in the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures—the story of Noah and the story of a promise. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here’s Your Sign — How do you know a sign from God when you see it?</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Let’s see how churches have tried to convey this… </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But what if... the signs we seek are all around us, but we can't or won't see them? </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">SIGNS OF A GOD WHO GIVES LIFE AND HOPE ARE ALL AROUND US</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Genesis 9:8-17</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's set the stage for this particular passage with some background. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Account of the Great Flood contains multiple authors from different times in Israel's history. There are at least three reasons that God gives in Genesis 6 as to why God wanted to destroy the earth, each reflecting different ages of understanding. </span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></i></div><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth </span></i></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's also weird stuff in this story about angels having children with humans, which brings rise to the Nephilim. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are also a lot of problems with the story of Noah and the Flood. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The size of the ark, and how it fits all the animals. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">What the animals ate. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The ridiculousness of what happened to dinosaurs. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not to mention the highly symbolic nature of the entire account. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Clearly, there was a cataclysmic event because other accounts of a flood stemmed from that same time period. But there has never been any evidence that it was worldwide. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But all of this sets the stage for a different reading of this narrative. In other accounts, the flood is caused by gods who cause the same kind of disaster just for the fun of it, so to speak. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Humans are pawns. They have no real relationship with the gods, who are always angry. So let's read a bit from the end of this story in Genesis 9:8-17</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”</span></i></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interestingly, this narrative leaves open the idea that God just might destroy the earth some other way. Just not by water. </span></p><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”</span></i></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”</span></i></div></blockquote><div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Question: So, did rainbows not exist before this? Of course, they did because that happens when light passes through water in the air. Literal readings lead you down the primrose path to ignorance and obscure the story's truth. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Despite the pretty terrible way God is depicted in this story, there is a difference between God and the gods of the Mesopotamian world. This God repents what God did and puts a rainbow in the sky. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The beauty of the rainbow taught an important lesson to the ancients about a different kind of God and how this God communicates life and hope. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Is this a perfect depiction? Absolutely not. This is why we have to read these metaphorical stories within their context so we can see that even in a primitive way of thinking, revelations about God being different than other gods were changing people. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So how do we take the truth of this story, which is deeply spiritual and applicable to our time, and look for signs all around us? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Creation’s a sacramental nature if we are open to it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Some are clearer than others—and some can be downright miraculous. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. A sign doesn’t work until we acknowledge and act upon it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">SIGNS OF A GOD WHO GIVES LIFE AND HOPE ARE ALL AROUND US</span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-52822480132558277082024-02-16T06:36:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:36:44.249-08:00The Journey<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7k4TPdFJ3LRI4BX-GJt6XcluoyIuvFg8i_td8kBBymgs5855AWb19z8VFUli7a-HnBP_HcdihW7xtM1zt2HuY4DTHr1mPBAk0HBID5ZFY12yhfxbMWmZyP7JXGu1IKdirXyQfxX3z6UxeFtXtEeG3AMaD6Uo0mX0Dzdz0hwXsoqOOgiKQ7mxtkQNMcXU/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7k4TPdFJ3LRI4BX-GJt6XcluoyIuvFg8i_td8kBBymgs5855AWb19z8VFUli7a-HnBP_HcdihW7xtM1zt2HuY4DTHr1mPBAk0HBID5ZFY12yhfxbMWmZyP7JXGu1IKdirXyQfxX3z6UxeFtXtEeG3AMaD6Uo0mX0Dzdz0hwXsoqOOgiKQ7mxtkQNMcXU/w447-h251/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="447" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ordinarily, I try not to put a more extended quote or poem in a Devo, but this just might be my favorite Mary Oliver poem: </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Journey</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">One day you finally knew</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">what you had to do, and began,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">though the voices around you</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">kept shouting</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">their bad advice–</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">though the whole house</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">began to tremble</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">and you felt the old tug</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">at your ankles.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Mend my life!”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">each voice cried.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But you didn’t stop.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">You knew what you had to do,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">though the wind pried</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">with its stiff fingers</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">at the very foundations,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">though their melancholy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">was terrible.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was already late</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">enough, and a wild night,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">and the road full of fallen</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">branches and stones.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">But little by little,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">as you left their voices behind,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">the stars began to burn</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">through the sheets of clouds,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">and there was a new voice</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">which you slowly</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">recognized as your own,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">that kept you company</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">as you strode deeper and deeper</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">into the world,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">determined to do</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">the only thing you could do–</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">determined to save</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">the only life you could save.</span></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love this poem, and it speaks to me on so many levels. It's a tale of transformation and self-discovery. It paints images that are inedible if we would embrace them to our own bosom. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the kind of poem that speaks to the way that I believe we hear the voice of God speaking to us above the din of all of the other voices in our own heads. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Funny that the voice of God can sound so much like our own. It seldom comes from the outside, you see. It's a voice that speaks from deep within our souls, a voice that we recognize but finally trust. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because it's hard to trust even our own voice when it's speaking untruths to us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes, we have a moment in our spiritual journey when we realize we can't save people. We might even start to see how all of our efforts may have actually kept them from finding what they are looking for. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's not easy to walk away from the things and the individuals that have kept us propped up, standing still, unable to become the people we have always dreamed we might become. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The road before us might be filled with obstacles, but when we keep walking and climbing, we soon find that even the sky has changed. We can see the light again, pin-pricking the darkness, lighting our way. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The only thing that we can really do, after all, is to live the life we have been given to the fullest. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We reflect God's glory when we begin to do this bravely and well. The voice (our own) that we hear then is one urging us to keep going, a voice that speaks grace and peace to us, reminding us who we really are. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you are reading this, you find yourself listening to the bad advice of the voices who keep crying, "Mend my life!" That advice is typically to stay right where you are, as you are. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">You need to know that there is always time for you to start walking again and to let go of all of the guilt you might feel about not being able to save the world so that you can live in the world more fully as yourself. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The way will be clearer as you begin taking more steps, but you must begin with the first one. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">May it be so. And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-49928473636117230892024-02-15T06:25:00.000-08:002024-02-15T06:25:38.418-08:00Feathers and Stone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBLKOlBigGjL-bHrBR4fYGbbLBqOZb98PzRPD_xNos55qr6ZrOAr5RDgPIfJU_vv0kbmhGub3z4grrBh3vdtyUgp09ZWwbv79fbpSrj3NWI9uogseu1VT9Q69pTjnKte7XehbIzUhbdbuDa9KxSAnEzdu1bi29l2RkOESfNBEU5c1t9jhIz-pcTXv1G6_/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBLKOlBigGjL-bHrBR4fYGbbLBqOZb98PzRPD_xNos55qr6ZrOAr5RDgPIfJU_vv0kbmhGub3z4grrBh3vdtyUgp09ZWwbv79fbpSrj3NWI9uogseu1VT9Q69pTjnKte7XehbIzUhbdbuDa9KxSAnEzdu1bi29l2RkOESfNBEU5c1t9jhIz-pcTXv1G6_/w459-h258/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="459" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I recently discovered Kate Bowler, a fantastic podcaster and author, through a friend who shared her work with me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bowler's battle with cancer left her with chronic and debilitating pain, and it was during this season of her life that she began to write daily about her experiences and what they were teaching her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Her reflections on her own experience also have universal and existential lessons to teach about trauma and anxiety, but also hope and joy amid struggle. I couldn't recommend her work more, and I am blessed by it immeasurably. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the issues that Bowler addresses in the preface to her latest book of daily reflections is how our current culture is so fraught with uncertainty, amplified by our shared experiences of a global pandemic, intense divisions, and feelings of dread over all of it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But what I love about Bowler's work is that even as she refuses to shy away from naming the fears and dreads we may feel, she also acknowledges the universal rhythms of dying and rising in a universe imbued with the spirit of Christ. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the preface to her book, <i>Have A Beautiful And Terrible Day!</i> Bowler writes something wonderful and profound about how we can be simultaneously so very fragile and also so very resilient: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the new way of being in the world, the sense of unpredictability and precipitously rising and falling. We are made of feathers. We are made of stone. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can't tell you enough how much that line resonated with me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is a new way of being in the world that has emerged after the pandemic, and it alternately makes us feel fragile and impervious. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some of us feel we might fall apart at any moment, and others steel ourselves against the changes around us, desperate to not be moved. And sometimes, we find that the unpredictability of all of it is too much to bear, and we grow tired and weary of trying. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bowler's point is that we must learn to embrace all of who we are--the fragility and the strength, the dying, and the rising. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a world that is permeated with impermanence, there are at least two things that we can hold on to with certainty: We are created in the image of God, and we are unconditionally loved. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is dying and rising all around us and also within us. This is the Divine pattern of the Universe. We may fall, but we will also rise. We might feel like we'll blow apart, but we also know that we have the weight of God's glory inside us to keep us grounded. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And God's love is the kind of never-ending, never-forsaking, never-forgetting kind of love that we don't always understand but never lose. This love can guide us toward God's glorious purposes and our best and most authentic selves. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May you embrace your beautiful fragility and also your strength and resilience today and every day from this day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and forever. Amen. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-69687396594145241032024-02-14T04:18:00.000-08:002024-02-14T04:18:22.588-08:00When Going To Church Helps You Forgive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y0PrNFwIW2HsbC1qRJuv5I2JGLW3DlZ0oQ8BQOx9OpyOABFw7j9lUd-InBqHWfSDHe-49RV4joGF-MnOuuHCBRFyHCEfASpwScg3XKLrvvpkdd5BHtLQTdwW0vy7AZOLGUScMYQZIsW7pstjweWf24d1De1kspUM9o4DOhk8WzECdodOpnQZM5bzqDvV/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y0PrNFwIW2HsbC1qRJuv5I2JGLW3DlZ0oQ8BQOx9OpyOABFw7j9lUd-InBqHWfSDHe-49RV4joGF-MnOuuHCBRFyHCEfASpwScg3XKLrvvpkdd5BHtLQTdwW0vy7AZOLGUScMYQZIsW7pstjweWf24d1De1kspUM9o4DOhk8WzECdodOpnQZM5bzqDvV/w464-h261/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="464" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of all of the things that Jesus told his disciples they needed to do as his followers, forgiveness is perhaps the most difficult to master. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">God knows I have struggled with this in my own life. Most of us have if we are being honest. The old 18th-century chestnut "to err is human, to forgive is divine" speaks to how challenging it is to forgive those who have wronged us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our own frailty as humans seems to keep us from practicing forgiveness regularly, and it often requires what could be described as "divine intervention" to get there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shared teachings with his followers about the power of forgiveness, and he had this say: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.</span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's beauty to this teaching that is far beyond the simplistic way that many churchy folks have assumed it should be taken. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is not about needing to have everything worked out in your life before you come to church. It's not about making sure you don't offer a gift to God "unworthily," as many preachers from my past put it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead, this is about how worship often brings to mind the ways that we ought to be and the wrongs that we may need to forgive and release in order to worship more fully. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many of us have lived our lives with a ledger-based kind of faith. We expect God will reward us if we put in the effort. Conversely, we might believe that if things are not going our way, we might be getting punished by God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is also known as transactional faith, and it's a terrible kind of theology that gets peddled in all sorts of ways in all kinds of churches. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The problem with living this way is that we often extend the same thought process to others regarding our ledgers with them. It's difficult to overcome and forgive when we keep track of wrongs and see people as "in the red" regarding our relationship with them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fr. Richard Rohr puts it like this: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">To participate in the reign of God, we have to stop counting. We have to stop hoarding in order to let the flow of forgiveness and love flow through us. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Among the many reasons why I believe that being an active part of a faith community and regularly attending worship is that it's in those settings that we are often convicted and led to repentance of our ledger-based faith and relationships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">At least the kind of faith community that doesn't erroneously teach that God is transactional in God's love for us and the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the above passage of Scripture, Jesus teaches his followers that as we come to God in worship with our burdens, longings, and need for grace and mercy, we should also bring to mind anyone who requires that from us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook for their bad behavior; it's about setting <i>yourself</i> free by forgiving them and turning them over to God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They may not accept your forgiveness or deny that they have done anything to warrant it. It could be that the person you need to forgive and release is no longer alive or in your life (maybe for good reason). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yet, the act of forgiveness itself is enough, even in those circumstances, to loosen the walls around your heart that should be wide open to receive and give. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we all find the strength and resolve to find a place to worship and to grow. May we all find the courage and the faith to forgive and let go. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-90536048084690702942024-02-13T05:26:00.000-08:002024-02-13T05:26:50.403-08:00He Gets Us - Anatomy of A Super Bowl Ad<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y0PrNFwIW2HsbC1qRJuv5I2JGLW3DlZ0oQ8BQOx9OpyOABFw7j9lUd-InBqHWfSDHe-49RV4joGF-MnOuuHCBRFyHCEfASpwScg3XKLrvvpkdd5BHtLQTdwW0vy7AZOLGUScMYQZIsW7pstjweWf24d1De1kspUM9o4DOhk8WzECdodOpnQZM5bzqDvV/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y0PrNFwIW2HsbC1qRJuv5I2JGLW3DlZ0oQ8BQOx9OpyOABFw7j9lUd-InBqHWfSDHe-49RV4joGF-MnOuuHCBRFyHCEfASpwScg3XKLrvvpkdd5BHtLQTdwW0vy7AZOLGUScMYQZIsW7pstjweWf24d1De1kspUM9o4DOhk8WzECdodOpnQZM5bzqDvV/w455-h256/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="455" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the many interesting commercials during Sunday's Super Bowl was another provocative ad that is part of the <i>He Gets Us</i> campaign, which declares at the end of each ad that "Jesus Gets Us." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I must be honest; the ad aired during the Super Bowl nearly brought me to tears. It was so well done. I'll post the link below: </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/94BqlDQ-Ppo" width="421" youtube-src-id="94BqlDQ-Ppo"></iframe></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The latest ad from the Super Bowl joins many similar advertisements created by a Michigan-based ad agency funded by "anonymous" donors. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The ads address the significant issues that divide our society: politics, refugees, immigration, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and many more, focusing on how Jesus can heal divisions and press us to act with love in the world instead of hate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I haven't seen one of those ads that I disagree with. They are poignant, professional, and filled with incredible messages about how the Light of Christ can change hearts and transform our culture. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But there's a catch to all this that I have written about before. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The donors to this ad campaign are not anonymous; we know a bit more about the source of the money, and it's this source that has troubled me about the whole thing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to the group openDemocracy, the source of income that has been used to fund the ad campaigns for <i>He Gets Us </i>is the Servant Foundation, and they had this to say about it: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">But analysis of financial accounts by openDemocracy shows over the last five years the Servant Foundation has also grown to become the main identifiable source of funding for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), described as an anti-LGBTIQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC) </span></i></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's much more to the story; believe it or not, it worsens. If you keep following the money, you discover that the Servant Foundation has funded many other shady things. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the gist is that the prominent donors to the <i>He Gets Us</i> campaign are firmly rooted in evangelical Christian and far-right-leaning organizations and funnel monies through the Servant Foundation to support political aims, which are the exact opposite of the ads' message. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes, following the money can be disheartening. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But here's what I've come to think about these ads and how to respond to them, which may surprise you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think they're great. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love the fact that all kinds of people who may have a negative view of Christians and Christianity are getting a different type of message than they may have received either by their own experience in church or via social media. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I especially loved the ad I posted above, what it says about how Christians should act, and how it honestly answers the question, "What would Jesus do?" in our current culture of division. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is a problem, however. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If people outside of the Church view these ads and then decide to give Christianity a chance, what will they find in the kinds of faith communities around them? The answer is, "It depends on where they go." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They may visit a church where women cannot be pastors or elders. They may also discover that while LGBTQ+ folk are welcomed, they are not included in the life and leadership of the church. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They may also find leaders and members who have very hard-line views on immigrants, refugees, racism, and a host of other issues, which stand in sharp contrast to the message of the <i>He Gets Us</i> ads. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To put it bluntly, if that is the case, those cautious visitors may never darken the door of a church again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's the good news in all of this. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think the <i>He Gets Us</i> campaign provides an opportunity for those of us who are part of faith communities, churches, and denominations that believe and practice the truths about Jesus the ads espouse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">These ads open the door for conversations and perhaps invitations if we are willing to reach out to people searching for something more but are afraid to try a Christian church. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We can share these ads on our social media with posts like, "Want to try a church that believes and practices the messages of these ads? I know one, and you can come with me." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most people who visit a church do so because they were invited by someone. It may be time for those of us who resonate with the message of <i>He Gets Us</i> to show others why we believe that Jesus actually does... get us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we share our thoughtful, open-hearted Christian faith. May we not be shy about reaching out to those who may have been wounded or have poor feelings about Christianity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always, now and forever. Amen. </span></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054964636037352557.post-60755851547575949142024-02-12T05:31:00.000-08:002024-02-12T05:34:01.032-08:00The Prosperity Gospel Isn't Good News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0A1pxNmNSFZwcUToYke7Ji0njVQK1arM-zIc5rQP_0ofi-54mjdZ9PKfHzqHq-9cR6i_3axUfhY69tygrAMY-NjDaoKEaxt2H9B4WuJPpmnjg7YwavW641ZQyolWb6ki4yUJVk_i_NC4-cycrUcQEj5QCN61fsK1BbkbGTFQ4ARQFO0-fFrcY-Zu-fCoe/s2240/Daily%20Devo%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2240" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0A1pxNmNSFZwcUToYke7Ji0njVQK1arM-zIc5rQP_0ofi-54mjdZ9PKfHzqHq-9cR6i_3axUfhY69tygrAMY-NjDaoKEaxt2H9B4WuJPpmnjg7YwavW641ZQyolWb6ki4yUJVk_i_NC4-cycrUcQEj5QCN61fsK1BbkbGTFQ4ARQFO0-fFrcY-Zu-fCoe/w446-h251/Daily%20Devo%204.png" width="446" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The prosperity gospel crowd (who claim that if you give to their church, you will get more back from God than you give) often misuses a verse from Matthew's Gospel to make their case. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here, it is from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. <i>You cannot serve both God and money.</i></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A lot of biblical translations employ similar language for the last line of the verse, translating the last word as "money," "wealth," or "riches." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, there is one version that leaves intact in its original form, the word used by the author of Matthew's Gospel, the Revised Standard Version (RSV). The word many other versions translate as "money" is <i>mammon </i>in the RSV<i>. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adherents and leaders within the prosperity gospel movement love this verse because it gives them an on-ramp to an argument that people should give more to their ministries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aside from being a gross and self-serving interpretation of the text, those who focus solely on translating <i>mammon </i>to <i>money</i> miss the whole point of the statement itself. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's so much more here than a simple indictment of loving money more than God, so much more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The word <i>mammon</i> refers to an entire system Fr. Richard Rohr describes as "disorder." Money may be a part of it, but the more expansive interpretation of <i>mammon</i> shows us that it includes power, inequality, oppression, and privilege. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The word <i>mammon</i> has been further expanded by many scholars to be a slang reference to a Canaanite and Mesopotamian god who demanded sacrifices from his adherents, including the sacrifice of their own children, in order to grant them their wishes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In short, Jesus appears to be describing a system that acts like a false god or an idol that constantly demands more and more of us without offering anything in return other than emptiness and misery. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those who short-change this interpretation by focusing solely on money unwittingly buy into what they say they are trying to avoid. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus is saying here that you can't live in two worlds. You can't have one foot in the kingdom of God and another in the kingdom of <i>mammon</i>. There's no middle ground with this. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fr. Richard Rohr puts it like this: </span></p><p></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">The love of God can’t be doled out by any process whatsoever. We can’t earn it. We can’t lose it. As long as we stay in this world of accumulation, of earning and losing, we’ll live in perpetual resentment, envy, or climbing. </span></i></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This also needs to be said: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you have ever been poor, you know what it's like to live in scarcity, to be uncertain whether to feed your family or keep the lights on because sometimes you must make that choice. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For some cynical preacher to take a verse like Matthew 6:24 and use it to prey primarily on people who don't have any wealth at all is unconscionable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">These preachers are either unwittingly or uncritically serving <i>mammon</i> when they do this. Their business model is grounded in accumulation and earning. The "gospel" they preach is a self-serving black hole that takes and takes but rarely gives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">God's love is not contingent upon how much or little we give to our church. God's love is unconditional. When we live with both feet firmly planted in God's kingdom, we become ambassadors of God's <i>shalom</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We live out of the abundance of God's love rather than the scarcity of <i>mammon.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we live this way, our generosity is not coerced or an obligation. Our entire lives are an offering of gratitude for what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">May we learn to live more fully out of this abundance. May we plant our feet firmly in God's kingdom of <i>shalom</i>. And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us now and always. Amen. </span></p><p></p>Leon Bloderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599363190566898855noreply@blogger.com0