Today’s Readings: Psalm 63; 2 Samuel 2:18-32; Mark 5:1-13; Ephesians 5:1-14; Psalm 64
The words from Ephesians 5:2 immediately brought to mind an experience I had with my mother growing up. My mother was very artistic and had a lifelong dream of taking painting lessons so she could learn how to paint. She got married relatively early in life, however, so she had to put those lessons on hold for many years. Finally, when the last of my three older siblings finished high school she figured she would have a small window of opportunity to take those painting lessons before I reached junior high and high school and my needs started to increase. I was in the fourth grade at the time. So my mother quickly signed up for painting lessons with an artist in our small town. Shortly after she started painting lessons, however, I began to whine about taking piano lessons. “You let Karen (my older sister) take piano lessons when SHE was in school,” I observed. “Why can’t I take piano lessons NOW!” My mother could have created an excuse about why it wasn’t a good time for me to start piano lessons, or she could have said something like, “Because now it’s time for ME to pursue my dream.” She did neither of those things. Instead, she quit her painting lessons so my family could afford to send me to piano lessons. Talk about living into the words from Ephesians 5:2 – “[Christ] didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Every time I think about what it means to love another from the depths of ones being, I think of that loving sacrifice my mother made. Perhaps you have had an experience like that in your life where a loved one gave something very profound that for you has come to define the act of giving in a Christ-like manner. If so, today I would encourage you to honor that person’s gift by finding ways you could love like Christ for another person in your life. Til next time…
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Friday, July 17
Today was a travel day for my first day of a three-day vacation so I won't be able to write. I'll write tomorrow (Saturday,July 18). Til next time...
Thursday, July 16
Today’s Readings: Psalm 55; 2 Samuel 1:17-27; Mark 4:21-32; Ephesians 4:17-24; Psalm 127
It is extremely easy to many of us to read Scripture and read it primarily with our own particular interests in mind. Take today’s passage from 2 Samuel, for example. There are many in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community that suggest that the words attributed to David in his lament for Jonathan would suggest David was either bisexual or gay. “After all,” they would say, “the text tells us David said: ‘I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother, you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women” (2 Samuel 1:26 from The New International Version). While the text is clearly an expression of love felt by one man toward another man, I’m not sure we can exactly equate that love with our modern notion of bisexuality or homosexuality. I would be the first to admit I can understand the desire to do so. That’s because as a gay man I’ve had the Bible used as a weapon against me many times. The thought of being able to take a biblical story and use it in my favor is certainly very appealing. The challenge for me, however, is to remind myself that the sacred writings/stories of our faith weren’t created to be about us; rather, I believe they were created to draw us into relationship with something larger than ourselves and our circumstance. Perhaps you have been in a situation or life-circumstance where you felt tempted to use the sacred words of our faith tradition primarily either as a weapon against someone or a means of defense against an aggressor. If that’s the case, take a step back and ask yourself: “What is the purpose of the sacred narratives in my life?” A little honest soul-searching in response to that question might change the way you experience Scripture from this point forward. Til next time…
It is extremely easy to many of us to read Scripture and read it primarily with our own particular interests in mind. Take today’s passage from 2 Samuel, for example. There are many in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community that suggest that the words attributed to David in his lament for Jonathan would suggest David was either bisexual or gay. “After all,” they would say, “the text tells us David said: ‘I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother, you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women” (2 Samuel 1:26 from The New International Version). While the text is clearly an expression of love felt by one man toward another man, I’m not sure we can exactly equate that love with our modern notion of bisexuality or homosexuality. I would be the first to admit I can understand the desire to do so. That’s because as a gay man I’ve had the Bible used as a weapon against me many times. The thought of being able to take a biblical story and use it in my favor is certainly very appealing. The challenge for me, however, is to remind myself that the sacred writings/stories of our faith weren’t created to be about us; rather, I believe they were created to draw us into relationship with something larger than ourselves and our circumstance. Perhaps you have been in a situation or life-circumstance where you felt tempted to use the sacred words of our faith tradition primarily either as a weapon against someone or a means of defense against an aggressor. If that’s the case, take a step back and ask yourself: “What is the purpose of the sacred narratives in my life?” A little honest soul-searching in response to that question might change the way you experience Scripture from this point forward. Til next time…
Wednesday, July 15
Today’s Readings: Psalm 58; 2 Samuel 1:1-16; Mark 4:10-20; Ephesians 4:7-16; Psalm 68
If I were to ask you, “What would you think of a person who tried to function in the world with a 6th or 7th grade level of math?”, you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional math skills in order to fully function in our society. If I followed that question up by asking, “What would you think of a person who tried to function with a 6th or 7th grade level of English?”; once again you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional English skills. And yet one of the ironies is that many Christians in the pews of our local churches haven’t regularly participated in Christian Education/Spiritual Formation programs since they were confirmed in the church in the 6th or 7th grade. Even worse, some have justified their lack of participation by saying, “It’s a good thing I don’t fill my head with those high faluting (sp?) ideas. I am content to hold on to the faith I have from my childhood.” Many folks who would say this equate being faithful with believing what you were taught in Sunday school as a child. That’s too bad. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Roughly two thousand years ago the author of today’s passage from Ephesians wrote: "No prolonged infancies among us, please… God wants us to grow up, the know the whole truth and tell it in love” (Ephesians 4:14 from The Message). So today I wonder where you are at with this notion of becoming “fully mature adults, fully developed within and without” (Ephesians 4:13 from The Message). Are you actively engaged in efforts to grow and expand your faith – the seeds of which may have been planted in your childhood; or would you rather hold on to the faith of your childhood and ignore your potential for spiritual growth and development? Til next time…
If I were to ask you, “What would you think of a person who tried to function in the world with a 6th or 7th grade level of math?”, you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional math skills in order to fully function in our society. If I followed that question up by asking, “What would you think of a person who tried to function with a 6th or 7th grade level of English?”; once again you would probably say that person is in serious need of additional English skills. And yet one of the ironies is that many Christians in the pews of our local churches haven’t regularly participated in Christian Education/Spiritual Formation programs since they were confirmed in the church in the 6th or 7th grade. Even worse, some have justified their lack of participation by saying, “It’s a good thing I don’t fill my head with those high faluting (sp?) ideas. I am content to hold on to the faith I have from my childhood.” Many folks who would say this equate being faithful with believing what you were taught in Sunday school as a child. That’s too bad. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Roughly two thousand years ago the author of today’s passage from Ephesians wrote: "No prolonged infancies among us, please… God wants us to grow up, the know the whole truth and tell it in love” (Ephesians 4:14 from The Message). So today I wonder where you are at with this notion of becoming “fully mature adults, fully developed within and without” (Ephesians 4:13 from The Message). Are you actively engaged in efforts to grow and expand your faith – the seeds of which may have been planted in your childhood; or would you rather hold on to the faith of your childhood and ignore your potential for spiritual growth and development? Til next time…
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