Wednesday, October 8

Today’s Readings: Psalm 130; Numbers 3:1-13; Luke 22:39-53; Ephesians 2:1-10; Psalm 7

Articulating an understanding of the word “humility” is a huge challenge since most of the ways a person could define it would still end up sounding as if you are tooting your own horn. Dictionary.com, for instance, defines humility as having a “modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.” The definition still makes it sound as if humility is a virtue that reflects well on the individual. I don’t think that’s what humility is about at all. Today’s words from Ephesians play more into my understanding of what humility is really about. Ephesians 2:8 says, “Saving is all [God’s] idea, and all [God’s] work. All we do is trust [God] enough to let [God] do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role” (The Message). The way I see it, humility has little if anything to do with having “a modest opinion” of oneself. Instead, humility is about giving credit where credit is due. So where do you believe credit is due in your life? Do you believe that you’ve pulled yourself up by your bootstraps and therefore deserve the lion’s share of credit for your life; or do you believe that all you have is “God’s gift from start to finish”? Where you place that credit will go a long way in determining just how humble you are – regardless of how you might define humility. Til next time…

Tuesday, October 7

Today’s Readings: Psalm 70; Leviticus 26:27-42; Luke 22:31-38; Ephesians 1:16-23; Psalm 60

There are lots of words or phrases that are used to describe the times in which we live. One of those phrases is “post-Christian”. Let me tell you my understanding of what the phrase means. From the time of Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century on, the Christian movement has enjoyed a degree of power and privilege; this has been particularly true in Western cultures. While there was some degree of ebb and flow to this, for the most part this was true. Over the last Century, however, that power and privilege has decreased dramatically. The implications of this decline? Christianity went from being front and center in people’s lives to being on the periphery. As I’ve alluded to in earlier posts, I actually think it was a good thing that Christianity lost its institutional power because I think that institutional power caused the movement to stray away from Jesus’ values in desperate attempts to maintain its societal status. I think the shift of peoples’ faith from the center of their lives to the periphery is a tragedy, however, at the personal level. Today’s reading from Ephesians addresses this very issue and makes a powerful challenge for each of us when it comes to the location of our faith. The passage reads: “The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church” (Ephesians 1:22 from The Message). My question for you to consider today is this: where would you locate your faith in terms of your life? Is it at the center of your life, or does it lie along the periphery? Til next time…

Monday, October 6

Today’s Readings: Psalm 67; Leviticus 26:1-20; Luke 22:14-30; Ephesians 1:11-15; Psalm 141

I have many passions in life. One of those passions involves issues of leadership. I’m interested in the topic because it presents a fascinating glimpse into the minds and values of people. Over the past 7 or 8 years, I’ve noticed a profound shift in the way people are thinking about what leadership means at the most basic levels. People use to expect leaders to be the ones to give them answers; now, people are more comfortable with leaders being the ones to ask the tough questions. I noticed that people use to expect leaders to do all of the work for them; now, people are looking for leaders who will inspire them to do the work for themselves. I could go on and on detailing other shifts in the understanding of leadership, but those first two changes I listed should give you a feel for what I mean. Given my interest in leadership, you might wonder what source I turn to for guidance on the topic. “Does he consult the New York Times’ list of best-sellers? Does he regularly peruse the bookshelves at Barnes & Noble or Borders? What listservs does he subscribe to on line?” While I do those things on some occasions, I have to confess that one of my favorite sources to consult regarding issues of leadership is the Bible - for in the Bible, you get amazing models of what a true leader should look like (and some cases what a leader SHOULDN’T look like as well). In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gives us a couple invaluable insights into how a true leader operates. The passage, for instance, tells us that a good leader doesn’t surround him/herself only so-called yes-people; a good leader (that would be Jesus) should be so comfortable in his/her call that he/she can surround him/herself even with those who might ultimately betray him (that would be Judas). Second, the passage gives us an important principle of good leadership: a good leader couldn’t care less about titles (“let the leader act the part of the servant” – Luke 22:26 from The Message). And third, leadership isn’t about having others tend to your needs; leadership is about tending to the needs of others (“I’ve taken my place among you as the one who serves” – Luke 22:28 from The Message). One of my fundamental beliefs is that each and every one of us has an area in our life where we are a leader. It may be at home; it may be at the office; or it may be in a special interest or community group. My question for you to consider today is this: what kind of leader are you? Are you a heavy handy, autocratic leader who demands you get your own way; or are you the type of leader who embodies the wisdom and values of Jesus? Til next time…

Sunday, October 5

Today’s Readings: Psalm 19; Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Matthew 21:33-46; Philippians 3:4b-14

Today marks the 72nd observance of World Communion Sunday (although it was originally called World-wide Communion Sunday when it first began in what we know today as the Presbyterian Church USA in 1936). The purpose of the event as described on the National Council of Churches USA website is to “celebrate our oneness in Christ, the Prince of Peace, in the midst of the world we are called to serve”. What I’ve noticed is a particular bias in the way we observe the event. Most of us focus solely on the first half of the description – the “celebrate our ones in Christ” piece – that puts the emphasis on humanity. What we often leave out is the second half of the description – the part that locates our celebration “in the midst of the world we are called to serve”. The second half of the statement of purpose can be interpreted to speak more to the ecological aspect of our faith. I was thinking of this particularly in light of today’s Psalm that begins with words that point us powerfully in this direction: “God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening” (Psalm 19:1-2 from The Message). The psalmist’s words got me to wondering about two things. First, what do the wonders and beauties of our natural world teach you about God? Second, how can you incorporate environmentally-friendly practices into your daily routine so they aren’t simply acts of self-preservation or self-interest but rather are passionate expressions of your spiritual beliefs? Til next time…

Saturday, October 4

Today’s Readings: Psalm 55; Leviticus 25:35-55; Luke 22:1-13; Ephesians 1:1-10; Psalm 49

As a person of faith who continues to be subjected to the rhetoric surrounding the upcoming election every time I turn on the television or radio, I’m fascinated by how strategically individuals will use their faith when it supports their position and conveniently ignore their faith when it does not. Case in point: the so-called social issues of our day. We have grown to expect candidates to use their faith when it comes to issues like homosexuality and abortion. There’s one area in our common life, however, where faith is NEVER used in political discussions. That area? Economics. When was the last time you heard a politician quote a passage like today’s from Leviticus, for instance, as a call to expand unemployment benefits or welfare. After all, the passage reads: “If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him” (Leviticus 25:35). And how many candidates have used the passage from Leviticus to argue in favor of regulating interest rates? Don’t forget today’s passage reads: “Don’t gouge him with interest charges… Don’t take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans” (Leviticus 25:36-37). The answer to the last two questions is “Never” and “None”. Why is that? Why has it become okay to use one’s faith in one area and completely ignore it in others? I’m sure there are many answers to that question. One of the primary answers involves self-interest. When it comes to the use of our faith, a guiding principle is this: “I’ll use my faith when it helps me get what I want, and ignore it when it doesn’t.” Of course politicians aren’t the only ones to do that. Many of us (myself included!) are prone to do that. Today’s passage from Leviticus reminds us that if we are going to make appeals based on our faith in one area of our life, we better be ready to open other areas of our lives to our faith as well – especially those areas that we might like to consider off-limits to our faith. Til next time…

Friday, October 3

Today’s Readings: Psalm 29; Leviticus 25:1-17; Luke 21:29-38; Philippians 4:14-23; Psalm 46

One of the recent developments I’ve noticed during this political season is a rising sense of urgency that has overtaken the American public. In previous election cycles, people would talk about problems primarily at the theoretical level (i.e. what’s the best way to combat crime, what should we do about the budget deficit, etc). Sadly, so many problems have become so pressing that we no longer have the luxury of simply talking in the abstract. The conversations have all taken on a sense of incredible urgency! Folks are talking about a financial bailout plan that needs to be passed – not next session but in a matter of days; folks are talking about whether we should drill for oil off shore or pass a spending bill to support alternative forms of energy – not in the distant future, but starting next January; folks are talking about when to withdraw the troops from Iraq – not in terms of years, but in months. Everything under discussion seems to have a short time-line involved. While we might like to think we are the first generation facing such a sense of urgency, the truth is we’re not. You can feel a similar sense of urgency in today’s words from the Gospel of Luke. In comparing their times to a fig tree, Jesus says, “… when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off… be on your guard” (Luke 21:31 & 34 from The Message). So what’s the worst thing you can do during times of urgency? Nothing. Jesus warns, “Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise” (Luke 21:34-35 from The Message). While it’s easy for us to grasp the urgency of the world events around us, it’s often much more difficult to feel a sense of spiritual urgency in our daily lives. That’s why spiritual matters often fall to the bottom of our “To Do” lists – because we always assume we’ll have more time to tend to those matters. My sense, however, is that we have things backward. In the midst of a world with pressing challenges all around us, the very best place to start is by tending our spiritual lives. So how would you characterize your approach to your spiritual life? Do you have a sense of importance and urgency as you tend to your relationship with God, or have you put that relationship at the bottom of your “To Do” list – something to get to after “the really important stuff” is out of the way? Til next time…

Thursday, October 2

Today’s Readings: Psalm 2; Leviticus 23:23-34; Luke 21:20-28; Philippians 4:8-13 Psalm 58

I’ve long been fascinated with the way some sports psychologists have come to use the concept of visualization with athletes. They’ll tell a basketball player whose struggling with his or her free throws, for instance, to get a mental image of him or herself making a free throw. Or they’ll tell a wide receiver in football that’s struggling with his or her confidence to visualize him or herself making a catch from his quarterback. The theory behind visualization is that if you focus your mind on one thing long enough you can make that vision become a reality. The book of Philippians wasn’t written by a sports psychologist, but in many ways the author is getting at pretty much the same concept. Except instead of telling the Philippians to focus on things like free throws or passes, the author tells the folks to focus on other things – things that are true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious, the best (and not the worst), the beautiful (not the ugly), and things to praise (not things to curse). The author’s hope is that by focusing on those things, you’ll develop a life from which those positive qualities emanate. Today would be a good day to watch yourself and see on what things you are focusing. Are you focusing on the best or the worst in life? The beautiful or the ugly? The things to praise, or the things to curse? What you focus on will go a long way in determining what qualities become embodied in your life. Til next time…