Mission Faithwalk

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24 NASB)           Yes, this is the day, and the year, that the Lord has made. There will be parts of it in which rejoicing may not be our impulse. I tend to rejoice in private of on-line where people can’t really see me rejoicing. The bigger problem is that I only tend to rejoice when I feel like it – when, in my judgment, God has gotten something right. Is it any less a day that God has made if things don’t go the way I want? Does God love me less on the days I don’t get my way? The adult answer to both questions is “no.” Rejoicing isn’t just about how we feel. It’s also an act of the will. So, rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, “Rejoice!”            I compiled the prayer below for the church service at the park. I hope it will cause you to rejoice:         Father, like Paul, we bow before you as servants of Christ Jesus (Romans 1:1), called to do the work You prepared in advanc

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)           What out, tomorrow 2018 will be here, ready or not! Are you ready? I’m not. December has been busy even without celebrating Christmas. I feel like I’m on a gerbil wheel that’s not in my head (where they’re generally welcome.) I don’t have any goals beyond “make it through the day.” It wouldn’t be hard to set the usual goals, but one has to take the time to do it.           No, I must say again that my life isn’t all that hard. I don’t have that much trouble, but it’s more trouble than I want, and it’s really not looking like I’m going to get help. I’m not the only one, of course. We all have troubles. Jesus promised us we would. It’s part of life and while we tend to like to think otherwise, Jesus tends to bring blessings into our troubles and through our troubles. The troubles of this past year and this past mon

          “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)                          One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"            Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’   This is the first and greatest commandment. 39  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:35-40) As we are looking toward 2018, and setting the goals I mentioned yesterday, as we get our vision checked, it seems reasonable that we should consider what Jesus considered a priority. It’s so easy to get our priorities messed up. This is something I’ve been struggling with a little. When I came south this year, my in

Where there is no vision , the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.   Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”   As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 3:13-17)           I love Proverbs 29:18 for all the wrong reasons. It’s about what happens when God doesn’t speak to a people, when His Word is not revealed given to them. It’s not really about setting goals, writing vision, or mission statements, but goals and vision or mission statements serve the same purpose. They are flawed as we are flawed

Praise the Lord , my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord , my soul, and forget not all his benefits— (Psalm 103: 1-2)          Yesterday, I encouraged us to deal with 2017’s sins. Today, we need to remember the good things. People who know me know that I tend toward the negative. It’s easy to whine and grumble. One of the fastest ways to lose my respect is to praise me effusively. When I worked in retail, we were encouraged to manipulate people toward perfect survey scores. My bosses weren’t fond of the fact that in my opinion, a perfect survey score was proof that the customer was either blind or stupid. (You would not have enjoyed being my boss.)           As I look back at the past year, the only positive that comes to mind is that I finished the rough draft for my story. Digging a little deeper, I got new gutters on the house. I’m sure that if I thought about it, which is exactly what I’m suggesting that you do, I’d come up with more. But I’d like

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)           Part of getting ready for a new year is dealing with the old. Most of us end up with at least a few regrets, or a few strained relationships by the end of the year. We know we shouldn’t have done this, or said that. What may seem worse is not what we have done, but what has been done to us. The end of 2017 is a great time to deal with those sins that are separating us from God or from one another. It may take asking forgiveness. It may require forgiving. The point is to enter 2018 without things hanging over our heads.           It’s best to do this as soon as it happens, but I’m I, and you are you, and chances are we not only haven’t done it as it happened, or even the day it happened. Chances are there are things that have piled up. We didn’t mean to. We put a sin on our desk, planning to deal with it soo

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.            When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:21-24)                   When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.   He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. But if she cannot affor

        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.   Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.   In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.             There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.           The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a

          “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)           Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)          He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible fo rhtis cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matthew 26:32)        Yesterday morning (which is when I wrote this) was a hard morning after a difficult night. Dad says he didn’t sleep at all, which means that my sleep was disturbed. As I walked the dog, I couldn’t bring myself to go through my usual long list of people, requesting blessings of love for this one or peace for that one. It’s not that I’m physically tired at the moment, and I suspect I’ll get a nap later in the day, it’s just frustrating when you have to get out of bed

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)           Rejoice and be glad? When someone attacks you because you say you’re a Christian? When someone claims you did something you didn’t? When someone attacks you because you did what Scripture says is right? Yes, rejoice and be glad because you have a reward coming and because you’re in good company.          I’ve mentioned Viktor Frankl before. He was a psychiatrist who was put in a work camp in World War II. He watched the people who survived, and the people who didn’t survive, even though they lived through the experience. One of his biggest observations was that if you have a why, you can survive the whats and hows.           In the King James version, Proverbs 29:18 reads, “ Where there is no vision , the peo

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that  you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword o

  Blessed are the peacemakers,      for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)                    It seems as if everyone wants peace. In our Post-Modern thinking, we should have peace with everyone being able to do what they want, when they want, with whom they want, where they want and how they want (as long as no one gets hurt.) Then the very people who claim that ideal hear that a Conservative thinker is going to speak on campus, or Ivanka Trump is going to visit, or someone doesn’t agree to the whims of all of the approved minority groups, and any thought of peace goes out the window. It becomes all about resistance and retribution. Their words are meaningless. Their deeds express the truth of the matter. There can be no peace if everyone involved is not on the same page. There can be no peace if there is division. They aren’t alone. Even our toddlers and our pets understand this. Grace is as sweet as can be if you’re doing what she wants, but try to type when sh

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8)                Like so many of the other Beatitudes, this one has a bite. In fact, it has several. The first is that the heart isn’t the emotions, the heart is the will. It’s not about whether we want to be pure, it’s about whether we will and do be pure. In a way, we’re talking about a marathon race. You don’t wake up the day of the race, weighing three hundred pounds and having not even jogged a mile in ten years and run a marathon. Those who train for marathons spend months preparing every day. Even if they aren’t out running, it’s on their minds. Their hearts are set on that race.           The second bite is the issue of being pure in heart. I suspect most people would like to be pure, if it just weren’t so difficult. We want to be good, but then that pan of penuche beckons, or that glass of wine, or that racy novel or TV show comes on, or that person we despise shows up. We don’t want to hate anyone, but

Blessed are the merciful,      for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)          “I will never forgive (name that horrible person) for (reason he’s a horrible person.)”          “It’s up to them to take the initiative. Once they ____________, then I will _________. I have been too hurt to make the first move.”          I have heard these statements from people who claim to be Christians, and, humanly speaking, I understand. I was hurt by my parent’s adherence to an understandable but foolish hospital policy. I was hurt by my brother’s alcoholism and my parents enabling thereof. I’ve been attacked by someone at a church I used to attend As hurts go, they weren’t arterial bleeds. I know people whose injuries were far worse, but my sores turned gangrenous. I had help working through parts of some of them years after they occurred. And while some may proudly say that my injuries don’t meet the threshold to their mercy because their own pain is worse, that’s not what Script

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,      for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)          Yesterday, someone posted an interesting challenge to make a controversial statement, which those who read afterward were to state only “agree” or “disagree.” The controversial position I posted (and about which I’ve heard neither agreement nor disagreement) was, “I’m right.” It doesn’t seem to matter what controversial statement is, the thing people seem most ready to blast me for is my thinking that I’m right. Of course, they only have problems with my being right if I make a statement that requires that they be wrong.           The problem is that none of us are likely to seriously hold an opinion or make a claim that we think is wrong which means that we are all guilty of this, if guilt is the right term. It’s not just arrogance. There is a human need for rightness, or righteousness. The problem is that we aren’t good at applying it. X may be the right thing for y

Blessed are the meek,      for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)           Some of my ancestors came to North America in the Seventeenth Century, and by the Eighteenth Century, they were moving west. We’ve always been part of that good old American ideal of pulling oneself up by one’s own bootstraps. I grew up when the country was filled with the idea that we can do anything if we set our minds to it, and with the idea that meek means weak.           I hate feeling weak, and I have felt weak for most of my life, so the idea of being meek isn’t something I’d share much excitement about. Who wants to be a doormat? At the same time, do you realize how strong a doormat has to be? I’m not suggesting that anyone should lie down and allow others to abuse one, but I have to think of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his nonviolent civil disobedience. If being pelted with rocks or locked up in prison got people’s attention or changed their minds, then he and his followers would withs

Blessed are those who mourn,      for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)           Shock and denial. Anger. Depression and detachment. Dialogue and bargaining. Acceptance. According to some, these are stages faced by someone who is grieving. They don’t happen in any predictable cycle or pattern. You don’t get through the shock and denial stage never to face it again. You could accept what you’ve lost one day, be angry the next, and try to bargain the day after that. Five years later a sight on the street can bring on depression.          How, then, can mourning result in blessing? As Jesus noted, they will be comforted. Loss is something to which we can all relate and that means that there is a widespread human response to it. We give comfort, which means we give love to those who have lost something or someone. Sometimes, it’s a pretty lame comfort, because we have forgotten what comfort means. It’s not a “There, there, everything will be all right.” Comforting means being

Blessed are the poor in spirit,      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . (Matthew 5:3)           Blessed are not the poor. That’s not what it says. Some people seem to think that those living below a certain income are somehow special or more spiritual. That might make sense if those same individuals gave all their money to someone they hate and fought to end welfare and charity because helping the poor escape poverty comes between them and their blessing. But we don’t send condolence cards when someone gets money. In fact, if we don’t feel happy for them, it might be because we are jealous that they got it. If you happen to be one of those convinced that the poor are blessed, I’ll suffer being cursed to ensure your blessing. Just sign over your bank account and belongings. It will be a trial, but if you are blessed by it, that’s the important thing.            No, it’s not “blessed are the poor.” It is “blessed are the poor in spirit ,” and that makes it more challenging.

Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting.   If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.   If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.   Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10: 11-15)           I listened to this passage on my way to the hospital yesterday morning. The first thing that came to mind was “so much for ‘judge not, that ye be not judged.’” Shake the dust off my feet if they don’t listen to me? I suppose that’s not calling down fire and brimstone, but then again, Jesus said that fire and brimstone was too good for those who rejected what the disciples had to tell them.           But there’s another way to look at it that doesn’t speak to me. It scre

ָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה   (Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Cha-nu-kah.) Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light. (First Blessing) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּמַן הַזֶּה   ( Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-zman ha-zeh.) Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time. (Second Blessing) ָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לִזְּמַן הַזֶּה (Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-