Readings for February 25th

He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” John 8:23

Is diplomacy overrated. Here Jesus is not making any friends. He is drawing a line in the sand and excluding the ones who are challenging him. In fact some would say Jesus sounds nearly insane because he is claiming to be from above and not of this world. Above and out of this world leaves only one option, from God. In Hawaii you see the bumper sticker NOTW for not of this world. How crazy do we come across making this claim? I suspect we do come across a little insane by saying this. NOTW is a good thing because it tells the truth about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. In the world, not of the world, born from above, living below for the good of the world.

Readings for February 23rd

“No one should betray the truth with silence.” Valerius Herberger talking in a positive way about Polycarp.

In an oddly contradictory way I think this statement says enough to make you think. So I’ll keep silent

Readings for February 22nd

“How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studies?” (John 7:15)

We just began the Bible study, “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus.” I child in Jesus day would have begun memorizing the Torah at age 4 or 5, learning how to interpret Torah at age 6 (like the Catechism), and continued studying until around 12 when most would begin their occupational training most likely with dad. They had a whole lot of Torah long before this day in the temple. I think the listeners would have wanted to know who taught Jesus, what rabbi was responsible. Instead Jesus quotes no other authority except for His Father.

Readings for February 20th

Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life.

Is there anyplace else so firm as that? Truth in one place, in the one who is God made man. No one claims to know it all. Politicians claim truth after they’ve fulfilled it, science points to laws but insists anything can change, every one of us laces truth with lies, but in Christ there is nowhere else to go, in Him is just Truth.

Readings for February 19th

Eat me! You can’t blame people for wondering if Jesus was insane. Eat my flesh and drink my blood fits in with the macabre vampire culture of the day but it still causes revulsion to anyone pondering the idea. It is certainly not a new one. People have been trying to steal strength, absorb mana, or dominate enemies by canabilism for the history of the world. Jesus won’t back down, he’s even willing to push this to the division of his closest followers, this is very important to Jesus.

He says this near the beginning of His ministry and because of His insistance we must look for the answer, at the end of His earthly ministry when ordinary things become extraordinary. For bread Jesus says, ‘take eat this is my body’ and for wine, ‘take drink this is my blood.’

Readings for February 18th

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him”  Job 13:15a

I had the honor of a sermon for Ash Wednesday from the pastor of our pastors.  Bob Newton, president of the CNH district, shared a message about the trust Jesus had in His Father.  The most poignant reminder for me was the combination of two statements from the cross “Why have you forsaken me?” with “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”  A forsaken Son divided from His Father, in fact God divided against Himself must have been incredibly painful and completely foreign in the unity they have shared for eternity,  and yet the trust in the Father whose will led Jesus to the cross remained through that isolation so that Jesus gave His Spirit into the Father’s hands.

I hear that trust foreshadowed and echoed in Job’s statement today.  In pain and suffering, in the dark times when God is distant do I continue to trust.  Would I put my life in the hands of the person that I feel has pushed me away?  Thank God that because of Jesus Christ I am never truly forsaken.

Readings for February 17th

Heavenly Father, You have revealed Your wisdom and glory in the universe and entrusted to us mortals the “dominion” or power “over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air…and over all the earth.” What a privilege!  What a responsibility, Lord!  To me You have opened opportunities and insight into the marvels of Your creation.  Grant me the grace to always remember that You are the Creator of all things visible and invisible and that all that I discover, create, and formulate is made possible by Your gracious hand.  In Your goodness give me the wisdom and the will to use all my abilities to make the world in which I live a better and more useful world, that all the discoveries and inventions be used for the good of humanity.
Above all, grant that I will always remember that all that I am and all ability I possess comes from You, who has given me more than life, yes, also a soul redeemed through Your Son Jesus Christ.  Keep me faithful to Him and steadfast to the church and its saving Gospel.  This I ask in His name.  Amen.

-prayer for “Technicians” from My Prayer Book, CPH.

Readings for February 15th

“the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.  For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” John 5:19

Although this has to do with the mystery of the Trinity it certainly gives insight into the complex relationship of fathers and their sons.  What a significant influence a father has and how sad that so many are absent!  A father has influence whether he is present or not and the son will be present for his sons like his father before him unless the pattern is broken.  So I find empowerment and fear in what Jesus says when I relate it to my role as Father.

Origen’s advice to a son – “For we need to study the divine writings deeply in order to prevent ourselves from speaking faster than we think”…”what is most necessary for understanding divine things is prayer…so much I have ventured on account of my fatherly love to you.”  Origen teaches from the Father’s heart in the hopes that the son will do likewise.  A great witness.

Readings for February 14th – St. Valentine

One tradition of St. Valentine is that he performed Christian weddings even in opposition to the government.  Is it time to do this again?  I wonder what would happen is instead of giving benefits to the ever broadening definition of marriage that it is time for our government to just take all the benefits away.  Do you think marriage would stop happening?  I would rather the government take them away since it seems to be moving in the direction of redefinition, first same sex, then polygamy, then cross species – laugh now if you want, cry later.  I think it would be better if the government got out of the marriage business, or perhaps it is time for the church to withdraw from theirs.  St. Valentine did and paid dearly and here I pay my respects.

Readings for February 13th

He that stole, let him now steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something yo give to him who suffers need.

This is a succinct and clear message of our personal ministry, working in a productive way and blessing others with the fruits of our work. Profit kept to ourselves for ourselves is sin.