Mission Faithwalk

                 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3) The phone rings. You pick it up and the voice on the other end says, “It’s ____ (your neighbor.) Get out of your house! It’s on fire!” There are times and reasons when an abrupt beginning is necessary. James may not have had time to write a longer letter, or the situation might have been that dire. I think it more likely that James was just that sort of person. He didn’t want to waste their time with platitudes or give them cause to misunderstand what he was trying to say. He begins his letter, From James. To the Twelve Tribes. Hi. Trials are good for you. The Twelve Tribes were used to all sorts of trials: slavery under Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Iran (Medes and Persians), and the Greeks, inconvenient commandments, famine, drought, and pov...

              Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Jesus Christ took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)           Lord, how does a person work toward becoming “like Christ” without spending all one’s time focusing inward on oneself?  How does one balance inward and outward life?           About a week ago, I wrote the second quote above in response to something I had read or thought. The problem, of course, is my mental examination table and my tendency to spend a great deal of time fussing over how exhibit Me, or some small aspect of ...

                      No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13)           Are you as disappointed by the first line of today’s passage as I am? It’s comforting in a way, but the drama queen in me wants my temptation, my drama to be award winning. I simultaneously want to be invisible, but to have others notice and value me. If my temptations are mass produced on an assembly line, I’m just a cheap bit of refuse rather than something to be repurposed, reused, recycled, reclaimed, redeemed, rescued, or otherwise valued.           Of course, if my temptations were one-of-a-kind, they wouldn’t be relevant or relatable. The fact tha...

  Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16”) “OK, God, get me moving…” There are mornings when I grumble as I get out of bed. I sound like someone trying to start a motor that just won’t catch. “Help, God. Left…right…hup, two, three, four.” Grumble, grumble, grumble. I am working on doing this less, but there are body parts that grumble at me, and sometimes it helps if I grumble back. And as my body and mind start, I get into gear and I don’t think I grumble, or at least not as much. Then, of course, there is the whining. Paul didn’t mention whining, but I suspect it’s a form of arguing, or flat-out rebellion. “I caa – aan’t.” We’re not even talking one-syllable. ...

                 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6-7)   For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:14-15) There’s a major gathering of angels and Satan shows up. Why would Satan show up? Why would the angels at the gate let him in? Why didn’t God attack him, bind him, throw him in hell, or whatever? How do you read the Job passage above?  Did God say, “Hey, have a seat. Want some coffee? Where’ve you been?” Or is it closer to the tone of a mother? “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for the past century! Just look at you....

            To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)           I can’t quite claim that this passage is “nonmagical.” It is, but I think a better description is that it’s universal and basic. If we hold to anyone’s teachings, we are their disciples because that’s what a disciple is: a person who follows teachings. If you follow the teachings of Christ,  you’re a disciple of Christ. If you follow the teaching of the Buddha, or Mohammed, Bart Simpson, or either Dr. or Mr. Spock,  you are their disciples. If you try to follow the teachings of more than one teacher, unless their teachings are identical, you aren’t a disciple of either.           The other part that isn’t magical is that the truth will set you free...