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Archive for the ‘Time Up to Pentecost’ Category

Grace and Truth

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , on May 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Grace is a good thing. Always. We can never get too much grace. Like mercy, it is a safe gift. Grace is forgiveness. Grace is forgetfulness. Grace is patient and kind.

Truth on the other hand carries some extra weight. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for truth. But it takes courage to practice truth, particularly truth about oneself. As I see myself more clearly, I am often appalled at what I see. I am grateful for grace that tempers truth.

Truth today: I’m floundering a bit. I’m feeling edgy and I think I’m missing something important. Instead of more centered on Christ, I feel less so. I want to escape. I want to hide. When my kids don’t want to hear me, they cover their ears and say, “blah, blah, blah” over and over again. That’s I feel today. I don’t want to care about anything today.

Grace today: This too shall pass.

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Born of God

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 1:12, 13b
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God … born of God.

This is the gift of Christ Jesus, to have the flame within ignited by the Spirit of God. We are born… or reborn… this is the root of the saying, “born again.”

As I mentioned before, we all have the light, but our personal light needs to be linked to the Source.

And once that happens, as Paul tells Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6), “… I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…” We do this through the personal devotion, koinonia [community], and connecting with the flame of others.

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Witness to the Light

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on May 5, 2009| 1 Comment »

John 1:8b-9
…he [John] came only as a witness to the light.[NIV] That was the true Light which gives light to every man [and woman] coming into the world. [NKJV]

John the Baptizer was a witness to “the true Light.” He began his ministry because it was important to tell everyone about the light. They had forgotten about the light. They could not longer see the light in each other. Just talking about the light brought light into a dark place.

As human beings, I believe we are all given light. Made in God’s image, we are bequeathed the light. But, what do we do with it? Do we hide it under a bushel? Do we distort it? Do we ignore it? And what about the light of others?

Over the last few months I’ve been really interested in the concept of the “sacred other.” It is my belief now that this sacredness is the same as the light that is within each one of us. Accepting Christ is not about accepting the light; we have that already. But the light of Christ fuels our personal light and shines brighter. Light is the root of love.

To witness to the light is to recognize light in others and fuel that fire with the light of Christ. Like John, we are to tell our stories. As we follow the way of Christ, our stories carry light.

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What is Lost?

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , on May 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

So often when we talk about “the lost,” Christians are referring to people who have not accepted Christ. But I think there is more. Jesus came to seek the lost parts of ourselves as well and to redeem what we have lost.

I think humankind has tremendous potential. But, by the choices we make and roads we take, much is lost. We lose our giftings. We lose our talents. We lose our ability to love. We lose our ability to hear and see God.

Reintegrate me.

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Open My Mind

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 24:45
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

Today, I reached the final verses of Luke, in my tortoise-like study of the scriptures. I have intentionally read only 8-16 verses per day, reviewing their intent and seeking an application for me that day. From these daily readings, I have asked the Lord to build these meditations.

But I realized today that we can read and read, we can listen to sermons and teachings, we can write and write about we read and hear or see, but none of it will touch the heart or light a way without the Lord’s opening of our minds for understanding.

In the same way that Jesus opened the eyes of the two disciples He encountered on the road to Emmaus, He opens the mind. It is a healing!

Acknowledging that the mind or the heart or the eyes need to be opened is part of the process. In John 5:6, Jesus asked the invalid who had been lying on a mat for a long time, “Do you want to be well?” I believe Jesus is asking me (and all of us), “Do you want to understand?” Do I really want my mind opened? I do.

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Persistence Brings Justice

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , on May 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 18:7-8
… “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In this parable, Jesus clearly states that persistence is rewarded with justice, whether the dispenser of it is just or unjust. God promises to reward those who cry out to him. I am counting on this justice (as well as his mercy) as I pray and fast for my daughter.

But the last line tells me that there is a key element to this 24/7 crying out to God: Faith. My faith must be rooted in His ultimate sovereignty over our situation and circumstances. I pray now because the outcome is unknown. But will I have the same courage and faith if the doctors give a bad report or if she is destined to suffer?

Some years ago, my friend, who is a “white-knuckle flyer,” was very agitated as we flew across the country together. I told her she could rest easy that God would not allow that plane to fall and for us to die. She asked how I could be so sure and I told her that we had just adopted two boys (back in 1997) and I was sure he wouldn’t save them just to take away their mother again.

Today, I seek this same confidence in God’s will for our adopted daughter. There is something in the adoption process that carries a unique sense of destiny. The stories of orphans around the world are heart wrenching. And when one is picked up, like a starfish in the sand, hope is rekindled for his or her future.

This is my prayer.

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Fasting in Faith

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , on April 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 6:17-18
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Facing the challenge of walking with a child, even a teenager, through the tests and doctor visits and more tests and more doctor visits searching for answers, takes everything and more. It is the parents who must be strong for the sake of the child, who must carry hope like a light in a very dark place, who must model faith. This is the “unknown” time when no one knows for sure what is causing the symptoms. There are theories and suspicions, there are whispered conversations in the hall, and there are scrutinizing questions. But the answers remain elusive. And so we keep going. We keep searching.

This is a faith building time. I know it. But I also know I need a way to focus that faith on the circumstances at hand without anxiety. And so, I choose the fast. May this small gesture propel me into the “secret place.”

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