daily spiritual reflection - apr. 22

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

Friday of Holy Week

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

- Luke 23:39-43

THOUGHT: Good Friday is the day that we remember and mourn Jesus' suffering, humiliation and death (awesome op-ed about this here). When Jesus hung on a cross to die, he was crucified between two other criminals. This passage describes their interactions with him. I find it amazing that even after all the shame and suffering that Jesus went through (I just think of how I'd react, angry, hurt, withdrawn... complaining a lot about the pain) that he's still able to talk to these guys lovingly. I really love this exchange though-- I think it so perfectly conveys the internal dialogue that goes with a decision of faith in our broken world. 

The first criminal speaks the words of that voice in our heads that mocks God and rejects him-- when we see suffering that isn't fixed or when we see injustices that don't make sense, or when we feel lonely or unloved or hurting, it is so easy to say, "Well if you're really God, and you're really there, and you're really all that, then why aren't things different?" Essentially, if you're God, then do something, my timing, my way.

But the other criminal cuts in and speaks the words of a different voice-- a voice that reminds us to respect God because he is God, that reminds us of our own responsibility in the brokenness and injustice of the world, that reasserts God's goodness. And then, that criminal makes a statement of hope. Even after he has suffered shame and is all alone on a cross on some charge worthy of capital punishment, he chooses to hope in the man on a cross next to him, to trust God's ways, and to believe in the things Jesus has said about the kingdom he has coming. And he asks to be a part of it! 

And think how beautiful it is that a criminal hanging there reaches out and asks to be remembered by Jesus. This man was clearly of poor status, bad reputation, and all that stuff. He was by no means perfect. But he humbly asks to be remembered by Jesus, and Jesus reassures him (in the bestselling book of all time) that he has a place in paradise... 

CHALLENGE:  If you were hanging there with Jesus, what would you say to him? Does your internal dialogue about faith sound at all like these guys? Take the time this weekend to put yourself in these guys' shoes and try engaging in some kind of dialogue with Jesus during his last hours. See how the conversation goes. Allow for all the different thoughts/voices in your head to have a say and see how Jesus addresses each of them.

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 21

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

   ³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
 ³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
 ³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
 ³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
   Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
 ³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
 ⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
~ John 18:33-40 ~

THOUGHT:
It was hard for me to pick a passage from the last day of Jesus' life. Trying to pick out one part of the day that was  most important is pretty close to impossible, at least for me. Every moment that was recorded from this day shows us something invaluable about God's great love and his plan for the salvation and redemption of this world. Every moment shows us something invaluable about the sacrificial life we are to live if we are followers of Christ. Though I could not find the most important passage, I found a passage that I think is an interesting moment in Jesus' last day.
I find this passage interesting because it shows a one on one conversation between Jesus and someone who has no religious affiliation. Up until this point Jesus has been questioned and beaten by the religious leaders who's main concern was trapping and silencing him, not finding the truth. The conversation in this passage is different because Pilate is actually looking for the truth. Jesus, rather than being condescending and judgmental in his conversation with Pilate, asks questions and speaks honestly and boldly about his identity and purpose. Jesus says that he came to testify to the truth and Pilate, instead of waiting for the answer to his question about truth from the person who calls himself "the way, the truth, and the life", turns away before hearing what Jesus would say. 
Pilate missed out, and so many times we miss out too. We miss out on hearing the truth of Jesus and who he is. Maybe we miss out because we are like the Jewish leaders who were threatened by Jesus' presence and afraid of losing control or power in our own lives. Maybe we miss out because we are like Pilate and we are too caught up in thinking about what the people around us want rather than who Jesus really is and what he wants of us. But Jesus is patient and persistent in sharing the truth with whoever will hear, even today. Especially today, on Good Friday, Jesus is inviting us to know and understand the truth of who he is and what he has done for us.

CHALLENGE:

Wherever you are in your walk of faith, today is the day to remember and mourn the death of Jesus. It's a day to think about why he died and what that means for our lives today. Even if you have never done so, today might be a great day to attend a Good Friday service. There are many happening all over New Haven and at least two happening on campus (information below). Check one out with the same question in mind that Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?", and look for the answer.

Elm City Vineyard Good Friday Service-

6-7p, Af-Am House, MP room

Yale Christian Fellowship Good Friday Service-

11pm, Af-Am House, Game room (downstairs)

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 20

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

The Parable of the Tenants

 ¹ And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. ² When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. ⁶ He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' ⁷ But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' ⁸ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not read this Scripture:
 "'The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone;
¹¹this was the Lord’s doing,
   and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

~Mark 12:1-11~

THOUGHT: 

One of the (many) amazing things about Jesus is his constant focus on teaching everyone within earshot about God. This passage is from just days before Jesus' crucifixion, and still you don't find him saying things like, "Not today guys. I've got a lot of stuff on my mind. I just need some 'me time'.", which would have been completely understandable and within his rights when you think about the unimaginable pain and humiliation he was about to suffer. Yes, this parable is a hard one to read/hear, especially for the Jewish leaders of his day, but how kind and gracious it was for him to continue teaching and lovingly correcting those around him so that they could have a better understanding of God and his character.

One thing that stands out to me about this parable is the horrible actions of the tenants, especially given that the land they are beating and killing people for is not theirs. The tenants didn't plant the vineyard. They didn't put up the fence, or dig the pit, or build the tower. Somehow the tenants have forgotten that they are stewards of the land they live on and not the owners. Greed, fear of losing their possessions, and possibly a false sense of "ownership" hardened their hearts and turned them against their landlord.

If God made this earth and all the creatures living in it, then he is the one who has ultimate ownership of it and everything in it. We, then, are all recipients and stewards of the time, bodies, gifts, and talents he's given us. The problem arises when we, like the tenants in the parable, forget this and begin to live as if we are protecting what's "ours" and trying to get more rather than living as if we are humble stewards of a life we have been graciously given. Too often I find that I am more like the tenants in this parable than a humble steward. I let fear, and greed, and an attitude of stinginess drive the decisions I make rather than the knowledge that all I have was given to me by a gracious and loving God.

The parable ends with the murder of the land owner's son and the land owner avenging his son by destroying the tenants. If I am like the tenants in this parable and God is like the landowner, then this ending would be pretty discouraging for me, to say the least. But God is unlike the landowner in that instead of destroying the sinners, he destroyed the power of sin through the death and resurrection of his son. This is good news, because not only has God told us how we should live, but he has given us all that we need in order to live that way.

CHALLENGE:

Think and pray about areas of your life that may be labeled "yours". These areas could be anything from time, decisions about your future, money, talents, your body, etc. Anything that comes to mind, ask God to help you to view them as a gift rather than a possession. Ask him to help you become a better steward of those gifts. Learning to be a better steward sometimes involves asking another person who is older and wiser to hold you accountable and show you how to be a better steward of your life. If this is something you feel that you should do, ask God to bring people in your path who can help you in this and be on the look out for his answer!

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 19

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

 ¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. (Matthew 21:12-15)

THOUGHT: 

When Jesus goes places, he changes things.  He looks at wrong things and makes them right whether it's a sick body or cash-focused worship practices.  These "wonderful things" are often misunderstood by "teachers of the law," yet children recognize these acts.  This "Jesus change" is what eventually got Jesus killed.  He was too active.  He was too out there.  He was too much on mission.  The beauty of Jesus' life unfortunately provokes a reaction:  the threat of death.

CHALLENGE:  

What if Jesus came to your house and called it a house of prayer?  What would be different?  What would he be praying for?  What if he called our campus a house of prayer?  Sit on Old Campus.  Or Cross Campus. Or the Green.  Imagine Jesus approaching others.  What is he doing?  What is he saying?  If you feel led, do those same things.  

Note:  there will be pushback.  It's the same threat that represents death even if its manifestation is inaction.  Push through that in prayer.

Peace,

Josh

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 18

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

Second Day of the Last Week: Monday of Holy Week

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

  This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "Say to Daughter Zion, / See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, / and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Matthew 21:1-5)

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"

"Hosanna in the highest heaven!" (Mark 11:4-10)

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" (John 12:17-19)

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:39-40)

THOUGHT: This scene reminds me of the classic movie entrance scene... kind of like in Remember the Titans when the Titans enter onto the field with their dance and song (a little strange, and maybe somewhat foolish-- kind of like riding a donkey while being hailed as a king...) to great cheers from a crowd that loves them. But since they're doing something that wasn't always so popular at the time (they're messing with the status quo of racism in our country... much like Jesus was messing with the status quo of power and religious status during his time), the coaches and parents on the other side are going "Who do they think they are?", perplexed, a little afraid, and certainly not feeling friendly towards our heroic team.

Jesus' victorious final entrance refuses to play the game of violent power struggle that the rulers of his time were playing. Much like the Titans chose to sing, dance, and stand together instead of respond to racism with more anger or fear, Jesus chose to neither violently resist nor flee in fear... instead he made a joke out of the power games being played around him. This is what Shane Claiborne writes about this moment in Jesus' life:

"Jesus rode a donkey into Passover. Remember that Passover was the anti-imperial Jewish festival during which the Jews celebrated their ancestors' coming out of Egyptian slavery. With [the occupying] Roman soldiers lining the street, Jews gathered and waved palm branches, symbols of resistance to the empire. Passover was a volatile time, often marked by riots and bloodshed. (Recall that Antipas killed thousands of Jews in the streets at the festival.) When Jesus rode a donkey into this festival, it was a lampoon, like street theater at a protest. Scholars call it the anti-triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Imagine the president riding a unicycle in the Fourth of July parade. Kings did not ride donkeys. They rode mighty war horses accompanied by an entourage of soldiers. So here is Jesus making a spectacle of violence and power, riding in on the back of an ass. (And a borrowed one at that!)"

But I don't think it's just about politics and resistance. One of my favorite moments of this passage is when Jesus is told to silence those praising him and he says that he can't, because even if he succeeded in hushing this crowd, the very stones of the streets and buildings around him would cry out as well in praise. Everybody needs a hero, and the people praising Jesus finally have found theirs-- he works miracles, he defends the poor and marginalized, he teaches in such a way that even the religious leaders of the time are amazed, he's utterly charming, very popular, loves kids, he seems to love and know deeply already every person who meets him, and is totally humble and unconcerned with riches, titles, and status. 

But we all know that sometimes people can misplace praise-- just think of the idolization of celebrities in this country, or how quickly masses of people follow each other after silly things like Rebecca Black's newest youtube video (jk jk)... so Jesus points out that this is not just a popular fad. And when the religious leaders of the time (the Pharisees) who are so afraid of a sort of mass riot getting out of control tell him to stop the demonstration, he basically seems to say, Look, this demonstration of praise and resistance to the status quo and desire for change, it's not just a bunch of rabble-rousing. Even if all the people were to be quiet and you were to terrorize them into going back home and letting me enter here alone, the very earth and rocks that my father created would carry on their cries. This praise is rooted much more deeply than mere popularity and fad-thinking.

CHALLENGE:  I think that the Pharisees can teach me a lot about what it means to make decisions of faith and how to handle our fears, because they do a lot of the same things that I find myself doing in arguments and sticky situations.

First of all, they create a specific narrative that pits two sides against each other. Jesus certainly had pointed out some hard truths to the Pharisees before, but he never took sides against them. The Pharisees, on the other hand, made it into a competition: Jesus and his followers against the Pharisees and their followers. And the Pharisees wanted to get as many followers on their side as possible, and they wanted Jesus' followers to be quiet, and they wanted their side to win. The only thing is, it was never a competition, so Jesus wouldn't play-- or play by their rules.

Second of all, the Pharisees both acted and reacted out of fear. Because the Pharisees were in power, and religion to them was a way of maintaining that power, they had a lot to lose-- in wealth, in power, in status. And when you have a lot to lose, you start to act out of fear that you're going to lose it all.

It seems though, that a worldview of faith can combat this fear. Jesus doesn't seem to be afraid at all, despite the fact that he's responsible for a whole crowd of people who are out on the streets with the Roman guard and could be all slaughtered at any time by the Romans for imperial resistance. It seems to me that this is because Jesus is of the opinion that he is a steward-- he stewards the life he's been given, the relationships with people he's been given, the certain power and authority he's been given, all in faith that God is in charge. Somehow his faith makes him fearless.

So the Pharisees begged Jesus to make his crowd quiet, and when he refused they got really frustrated, because they saw things as a competition. They thought he didn't get it, they were terrified of the possible revolt. Jesus seemed like a foolish rabble-rouser, his popularity a threat to their power.

But this passage seems to say that it's actually the Pharisees who didn't get it. The passage shows that they were so afraid of losing what they had that they didn't listen to see what there was to gain. They didn't see that even the stones would cry out if the people were silent. They didn't see that there was another way to view the world, to live.

Fear and pride blinded the Pharisees to good things around them, and kept them from even considering making choices of faith or love(and trust) toward Jesus and his followers. Today, take the time to consider the most recent 1-3 times that you let fear or pride decide your actions for you. Consider lifestyle choices, choices of time management, choices of reaction and interaction with people-- especially in difficult situations, and choices of faith/interaction with God. Write these out, along with the narrative you created in your head to justify what you chose to do. See if you can see another narrative that is more true that would have allowed you to make a different choice. Try praying and see what other ways of thinking and viewing these situations might come to mind (often in prayer new ideas or relevant memories will be brought up-- just write them down as they come).

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 16

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit,

a broken and contrite heart,

you, God, will not despise.

--Psalm 51:16-17

THOUGHT: When I was younger, when I made my mom or brother mad, I used to be too ashamed to actually apologize, too proud to actually admit I had made a mistake. But then I'd try to make up for it by 'being better next time' or by doing something extra special for my mom, or getting back at my brother to prove myself. But all along what would have meant the most was me simply asking for forgiveness, and being humble enough to expose how sorry i felt.

I think that this psalm shows us that the heart of relationship (if life with God is the epitome of relationship itself) is actually that moment of sharing apology. Of being vulnerable, admitting our wrongs and our mistakes and our baggage and doing that together with someone else. Because when we both meet each other on those terms, it seems like we can finally see into each others' broken hearts and say sorry-- and out of the depths of our hearts, love and forgive and offer grace where we can both feel and see a need. We have nothing left to lose-- no pride or glory or power-- and in that space, we can actually be equals and love fully.

The greatest sacrifice isn't proving that we are right, it isn't even making these grand amends to prove our love or our own goodness and value. It isn't in power dynamics or authority or anything else. The greatest sacrifice, the one that brings delight and closeness, is the 'broken and contrite heart' brought together.

CHALLENGE:  Meet someone, this week, in their apology to you, in their broken-heartedness and hurt. Or, if the case may be, ask to be met by another in your own contrite, broken heart. Take the time to experience the depth of a relationship that uses love and grace to make two broken people offer each other newness and wholeness.

Or, if you feel like this Psalmist, and feel that what is needed in your life is a restoration of that closeness with this same God, or a better understanding of how he is sorry for how you are hurting and how he loves and accepts your heart: offer a broken and contrite spirit to God, and ask for him to pick you up, dust you off, and give you a big hug so that your heart can be made whole and new and joy can be restored. 

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 15

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

--Romans 7:21-25

THOUGHT: One of the age-old debates of philosophy is whether man is basically good or basically evil... I'm not sure if it comes down to good or evil, but I definitely feel like part of me is really loving and caring and part of me is just a jerk... and life is lived in tension between the two. To say that all I am is bad (to just give in to self-condemnation) is to deny my true worth or lovability and value, but to say that all I am is good and loving is completely overglorified and-- well, definitely not always true.

This passage says that all of that bad is separate though-- the writer calls it the 'sinful nature'-- the part of us that is separated from God. He says, yes, we live in that tension, but it's not because I, myself, the real, whole, God-created me, am wretched or sinful or bad. It's because as long as I live in this world, I must wrestle with having sin live within me, just as it exists in the world in various systems. But it isn't me. Rather, I, me, my-God-created-self, am different and separate. And God sees that me-- the pure, whole, brand-new me, beautiful, lovely, good, and loving. All of that potential to be like God, to live in his image, is right there, inside me.

CHALLENGE:  Today, don't let your mistakes, failings, or insufficiencies get you down. No matter how many times you fail or mess-up, don't despair. Always remember how good, and beautifully pure you are in God's eyes, made new any time you ask him to blink. =)

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 14

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "It would take almost a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

--John 6:7-13

THOUGHT: This is one of Jesus' more famous miracles: feeding the five thousand. I can just imagine Jesus, looking at the situation, smiling as he asks Philip, "well, what are we gonna do with this?" amused at Philip's horror at the impossibility of the situation in human eyes. To have thousands of people hungry at our hands-- they need dinner, so what are we gonna do? While Jesus, all along, is unconcerned and excited to do his version of the dinner-table card trick... well, more like give several thousand people one of the coolest, most amazing gifts ever. He has the excitement of a best friend at your birthday or a parent at christmas...

But the coolest thing about this miracle, I think, is hidden in the middle. Did you see it? The little boy. The little boy had offered up the food he had brought-- just a small insignificant boy, with a small insignificant amount of food, offering to help the situation. Jesus always loved the small people-- the children, the elderly, the lonely. And think of how excited this boy must have been to be such a big part of one of Jesus' greatest miracles!

Jesus accepted help from a little boy, and then took what the boy offered and multiplied it-- until it overflowed into so much plenty that there were 12 baskets of leftovers!

CHALLENGE:  What if we were like the little boy? What if we could offer God small gifts of our own? What if he took and multiplied anything we gave him, and then those things could bless and help all the people around us? Think of the things you could offer God that he could multiply. Maybe it's service in a small capacity where you live, or in your city. Maybe it's a spirit of grace, or love, or joy, or peace that you offer to a friend with God's blessing, and then see that friend offer it to others, and let it multiply over and over again. Maybe it is a real miracle that God's going to work!

I think one of the forms where it's easy to see this sort of God-multiplication is in what we do with our money... I've found that when I spend my money selfishly, or hoard money, it seems to disappear. But when I give away my money freely or spend it on the things of God, it multiplies-- it seems like the money comes back to me, multiplied, and that whatever the money was spent on just multiplies God's goodness in the world over and over again... until what seemed like a lack comes to seem like plenty, with generosity everywhere.

So give a shot at God's math sometimes this week. Try offering something to God-- no matter how insignificant and small, and ask to see it multiplied. See what happens!

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 13

** Our prayers go out to the friends and family of Michele Dufault, who passed away last night. If only there were words for such a shocking tragedy that I could offer. For those of you who knew her or who find her passing particularly upsetting, please be sure you talk to someone (and feel free to email me or any of the other YCF leaders). May your grief lead you to peace.

Blessings and prayers to Michele and her family.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  --Matthew 5:4

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

You who are the hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, 

why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night?

Why are you like someone taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save?

You are among us, Lord, and we bear your name;

do not forsake us!...

Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion?

Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed?

We hoped for peace, but not good has come,

for a time of healing, but there is only terror.

We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors;

we have indeed sinned against you. 

For the sake of your name do not despise us;

do not dishonor your glorious throne

Remember your covenant with us, and do not break it.

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?

Do the skies themselves send down showers?

No, it is you, Lord our God.

Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

-- Jeremiah 14:8-9, 19-22

THOUGHT: This passage is about a time of drought in Israel-- in the rest of the chapter it describes the thirst of the people, the weariness of all the animals, the desolation in the land... it's really sad. 

Yet I love the passion of this passage-- the writer who looks up and faces the Lord-- and demands God's presence, who honestly cries out for him to save and help. I think there's something beautiful in taking right up to God all our anger, our frustration, our desperation, our honest ideas of what is fair and just, what we want, what we need, what we hope for. This is prayer!

Most-- if not all-- of us struggle at times with having faith in our idea of God. At some point, we might be frustrated with the way things are, or we might feel abandoned or forsaken, we might feel like God isn't as loving or as great as he's been made out to be. Or we might struggle with how to reconcile the hard things of the world-- things like drought and hunger and injustice-- with who God supposedly is. We might feel hurt or doubt or confusion or any number of questions.

But what do we do with those questions? Do we think them to ourselves and mumble under our breath and complain, and then turn and walk away and distract ourselves instead of dealing with them and actually asking them to someone who could answer? Or do we follow the footsteps of Jeremiah here and walk right up to God, telling him what we think, what we need, and asking him why, why why?

CHALLENGE:  I am convinced, more from personal experience than anything, that God loves this kind of communication, that he wants us to be honest and to bring all of our emotions and questions right up to him. I have been angry with God before over broken relationships, life mishaps, and over injustices in the world. I have felt unreasonably sad, lonely, and even seriously depressed and asked him "why???", bringing my tears and hurting heart right up to him. I have been really confused and had to wrestle with things I've read in the Bible that don't seem to make sense with the God I know. Faith is not always a picnic! 

But each time, when I make the choice for all of that honesty to get poured out in a conversation with God, something hopeful happens. A sense of expectation grows, a hope that there will be change, or that there will be answers, and a knowledge (however cheesy it sounds) that I'm not alone, and that God can be counted on to be listening and to love, even when I don't understand. And in my experience, that change comes! Sometimes as part of a long and complex story that God slowly reveals, sometimes through work that God leads us to be a part of so we can work with him to effect change. Sometimes the answers come through various experiences and conversations and random coincidences that are a little too coincidental to be random... and sometimes the answers come in being led-- in thought, prayer, and reflection-- to better questions, or to better understanding. Often, getting there requires trusting God (faith) and certain aspects of his character as being true. But finally, the process-- which can take anything from a few minutes to a few years-- always grows me into some sort of new peace and new sort of maturity/freedom.

That is my experience, but the challenge this week is for you to use Jeremiah as a model for a conversation of your own with God. What would you like to 'be talking to God about' for the next few weeks or months? What are your questions? What makes you angry? What makes you doubt? What do you not understand? What makes you upset or sad? What do you want to see change? You might even start the conversation at the most basic point, "I don't even know if you're real, but..." and go from there. Be completely and utterly honest-- not insulting or arrogant, but vulnerable and open, admitting where you are. But go into the conversation with high expectations for God, just like Jeremiah. Expect him to answer you, or to guide you to better questions, or to change things that you're talking about. And be ready to be challenged into trusting God in new ways.

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 12

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

  

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14)

 

THOUGHT: We often think of sin as a single offense - a wrong action.  This can mean many things given our faith and church background.  Sometimes, we play a game of asking what is or what is not wrong. As you might imagine, it can get messy.  This is the tough reality of living by the law.  In Romans, Paul suggests sin is more than an offense; instead, it's a power.  Sin is a force in the universe that can enslave and become one's master.  An example is addiction: the desire to act in a way that destroys the wholeness in your life (i.e. alcoholism).  Here, Paul says God is a power and person full of life and right relationship.  It's not about knowing all the right ways to be or even doing good actions (especially right away).  Instead, the spiritual life involves accepting a new master - one who frees us through grace. 

CHALLENGE: Have you ever thought of sin as a power?  Can you identify a personality of sin that you engage with regularly?  Jealousy?  Joylessness?  Self-importance?  Ask yourself if you want this personality to be a master of yourself or anyone?  In prayer, ask God to reveal God's leadership in your life.  Is it clear? Blurry?  Take a step of courage and ask God to let God's grace lead you into life in a specific area where, otherwise, you feel led by a personality of sin.  Share this decision with a friend. 

Also, ruminate on these lyrics and enjoy this song.  "Love it will not betray you, Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free, Be more like the [person] you were made to be "   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7TrU4_-JTY

 

Peace,

Josh

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 11

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

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

THOUGHT: I think that truth is a fascinating concept. Just speaking from a personal level, the idea of truth (which, I think is different than the idea of 'being right'), has had a huge impact on my life. Maybe some of you can resonate. Truth is rooted in the same word as 'trust', something which some of us probably find really hard, but which is absolutely essential to loving relationships. We trust that people love us and want the best for us, we trust that we are liked and that we matter, we trust the people we are in relationships with as a way of loving them and receiving love from them. But in a competitive world, it's so easy to get sucked into untruths about ourselves-- untruths that make us feel lonely, neglected, hurt, insignificant, powerless, discouraged, or despairing. These false things can be really oppressive to live with. It's as if lies can come to have authority in our lives-- dictating the way we think, talk, and act, and pushing us further and further away from life, with all of its joy and love and freedom.

I think that right here, Jesus gets this. He gets that living with lies is oppressing, and that truth is necessary, that trust is necessary. And that trust is hard-- when we feel beat down, our first reaction is to curl up in defeat, not to stand up and insist on hoping, trusting, etc. He understands this feeling of hurt ad has compassion for it, which is why he teaches us to step, one step at a time, into love, and grace, and forgiveness. So he tells the people who are trusting him to follow his teachings, gently encouraging them to stand up strong against whatever lies they've been told in their lives in this world. He wants to love people into being empowered and totally free.

The cool thing is that when we defeat lies and decide to stand up even when everything inside us is telling us to stay in a position of defeat, we grow stronger, and we become empowered, and we stand up and step into that freedom of knowing true things about ourselves. We take back authority over our lives from whatever false things were keeping us down. And we can win that fight. YOU can win that fight. You can stand up!

CHALLENGE:  This week, the challenge is to stand up for truths in your lives and in the people you love. Choose to trust truth.

This might mean making a mental decision to stand up and shove off any voices you might have that are telling you discouraging, unloving, despairing things. Be encouraged now, you can silence those voices, and you can discern what is actually true about you and just how loved and wonderful and not alone you are. Here are two songs I've found helpful for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf7wtB1TGV0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNHmA9a2gI

This might mean reflecting on your actions, thoughts, and words, and searching out any patterns of thought that aren't based on truth, and pulling out one main lesson that you want to work, then posting this in an obvious place in your life: writing it on a mirror, making it your desktop background, posting it above your bed. Make it something encouraging, that reminds you to hope, or to love, or to trust, or that you are loved (and even liked!).

Or, it might mean making a decision in a relationship that is based on a trust that you might think you feel too hurt to give. Trust that there is love, that God creates possibilities for reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration even when it feels impossible. Insist on hope, and love those whom it feels hard to love.

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 9

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

-- Romans 5:1-5

THOUGHT: One of the main tenets of the Christian faith is the idea of "grace" through "faith" in Jesus Christ. It's kind of a complicated concept, but this passage has a lot of really beautiful ideas in it, so I thought it might be worth wading through. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, let me just explain this excerpt as I best understand it, so that you can have a better idea of the concept.

1. We are justified through faith... don't think of justification so much as an excuse, instead think when you justify your typesetting on a paper-- you make it right, you make it fit well where it's supposed to go. By trusting in God (having faith), we fit well into his love.

2. This gives us peace, specifically peace in relationship with God-- there is nothing between us.

3. Jesus Christ is the person who-- if we have faith in his teachings and in his sacrifice*-- can provide a new place for us to stand in grace, where we don't have to live in constant fear of making mistakes, striving to do right or trying to be good, we can just rest that all of our mistakes are covered for in redemption, that even if we'll never be 'good enough' by our own actions, God calls us perfect by covering for everything else with love. We can make choices out of love, not trying to earn love or fear punishment.

4. "We boast in the hope of the glory of God... and hope does not put us to shame..."

The rest of this passage talks about hope-- a hope that doesn't put us to shame (I know we've all experienced that sense of disappointment when we are hoping for something and then it doesn't go well, or it doesn't happen... this author makes it clear that this hope doesn't lead to disappointment or shame, so we don't have to be afraid in hoping in it. It's an interesting clarification). We gain that hope by going through hard things and challenges. In other words, because of our faith, our suffering doesn't have to be meaningless... it can actually be redeemed as perseverance, character, and hope. 

And the hope is connected to the glory of God. Many of you all go to Yale and see the glory of man in academia every day... or maybe you don't see it, because now that you've been in it for a while, you see that the symbols of man-made glory-- fancy buildings and awards and riches-- seem to fade as you get closer. God's glory though, if we can hope in it forever without being disappointed, never loses its wonderfulness and awesomeness. There is no diminishing marginal utility =)

CHALLENGE:  I really love the last verse of this passage: "And this hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." This 'pouring' metaphor is so key to understanding how all this love, faith, grace stuff all works. Imagine that you are a cup, and some great metaphysical being takes you and holds you in a body of water for a second to fill you up, then puts you into your daily life where you get 'poured out.' In your interactions and in your work, it's like you tip yourself over and give away the love and the joy and those things that you have, and when it's over, you feel tired, empty, maybe lonely-- your cup is empty. Then you go through the same process again, looking for places to fill up your cup wherever you are.

But imagine that there is a spiritual being with you everywhere you are, a pitcher of love that-- no matter where you go or who you interact with-- pours love into you. And he (note that the passage says "who"-- the Holy Spirit here is a person) doesn't just keep filling you up to the top like a busboy at a restaurant. In fact, he'd be a really bad busboy, because what he does is fill you up to overflowing. He's like a never-ending pitcher, infinity himself, and so when he's hanging out with you, you don't even have to do anything to be pouring out the love he's giving you... it's just overflowing out of you all the time because he's constantly pouring more into you, over the rim of your cup. And you never have to be drained or empty... on the contrary, you're always full to overflowing.

Try praying this weekend a prayer to ask the Holy Spirit (God's person, dwelling and working in the world) to pour into your life and give you rest from the exhausting process of being drained out. Here's one of my favorite repetitive prayers (you just say it over and over again for a little while, meditating on what each word or phrase means for you):

" Spirit of the living God, rest on me, fill me, pour out of me,

reveal yourself to me, in truth and love. Amen."

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 8

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: ³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

 ⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

 ⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

  Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” ⁴³Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

-John 7:37-44

THOUGHT: In this passage Jesus is extending an invitation. Though his invitation is met with many different reactions and assumptions, his invitation still stands. Jesus called people to himself then, and he still does now. The Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) and others in the crowd did not have the Bible to see the full story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Luckily, we do!

   In my journey of faith I recently noticed how little I have studied and meditated on the whole life of Jesus. I have talked much about Jesus, and studied isolated passages and parables, but there is something to be said about picking one of the accounts of Jesus' life (a.k.a. the "Gospels") and reading it in it's entirety. What new themes and ideas could I find that will affect the way I understand God and the way he works?

 

 

CHALLENGE:  Read through one of the Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke, or John). Ask God to show you something new about Jesus. Pay attention to any thoughts, ideas, or themes that are new and spend some time thinking and/or journaling about those things. If you have never done this before, a good book to start with could be Mark.  May a fuller understanding of the life of Christ bring you to a fuller understanding of his love for you! 

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 7

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."**
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them."***
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
- Romans 4:2-12

Footnotes:
** (Romans 4:3) - Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
*** (Romans 4:8) - Psalm 32:1,2

THOUGHT: I have to take my time when reading through Romans; otherwise, it goes right over my head. Allow me to break down this passage (for my sake): Was Abraham justified by his good works? | Abraham believed God = righteousness | Workers receive obligated wages | Those people who don't work but who instead trust God receive righteousness as a wage | David (the Psalmist and King) talks about this God who gives righteousness without requiring work. | Do both the circumcised and the uncircumcised receive God's blessing? | Well, did Abraham receive God's blessing before or after circumcision? | Before. | Circumcision was a sign or seal of the righteousness that Abraham received from God. Abraham placed his faith in God before his circumcision. | Therefore, Abraham is the father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised, so that these uncircumcised may receive righteousness as an inheritance. | Abraham is also the ancestor of the circumcised, who both carry the sign and seal of faith (circumcision) and believe in God, something that Abraham did before receiving the seal of circumcision.

Phew! Thanks for bearing with me! I feel as if I understand Paul's words a whole lot better than I did before. Perhaps you do too?

CHALLENGE: Do you perform good works? Are you circumcised? Are you relying on these exterior manifestations as the currency with which to receive righteousness from God? Or are these simply signs or seals of the righteousness that God offers you for simply placing your faith in him? Think about some or all of these questions. Consider transferring your ideas to paper. Talk it over with a friend, and take it to God in prayer.

Looking for more? Continue reading in Romans; try putting Paul's ideas into your own words. 

Peace,
Alan

daily spiritual reflection - apr. 6

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people about what had happened to the demon-possessed man-- and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Ten Cities how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

- Mark 5:14-20

THOUGHT: This passage tells the story of a man who was possessed by a 'legion' of demons (evil spirits-- a commonly understood and accepted force during that time) that forced him to live in a graveyard and hurt himself. It might be easy to relate to his issues by thinking of something like a mental illness-- his mind and soul was not quite free. But Jesus, with the authority he claimed to have from God, ordered the evil spirits out of the man into a herd of pigs, where they passed away by running themselves into a river. This passage recounts the reactions of those who saw this incident.

One thing I find very interesting is that those people who had known of this man all their lives-- and probably feared him for his strange behavior and not-quite-there mind-- were afraid when they saw him made right again. Jesus had gotten rid of a legion (2000, according to the military term) evil spirits in their region, and their response was to make Jesus leave.

The power and restoration that Jesus seems to offer us is both amazing and really scary. It requires effort and adjustment on our part! Do we really want things to be made right? Do we really want to embrace our own freedom? Are we scared of all the change we'll have to experience in order to live in a just world? Do we get scared and ask God to leave when we start seeing change in our lives?

CHALLENGE:  Think of some area in your life where a new kind of freedom is offered to you in place of a hurt you've been holding on to. Maybe it's forgiveness from something that happened in a relationship that mattered to you, or maybe it's taking the leap to rejoice in the blessings you have instead of criticizing and complaining about a life that never seems to measure up. The freedom of grace, joy, love, forgiveness, etc are all being offered you constantly.

 On one hand, you could stick with the status quo, and keep poking and pushing your emotional and spiritual bruises to make sure they're still there. Think of what makes it so hard to step into that freedom. Maybe the wounds and hurts you've been holding have been a defining part of your identity in some ways, or maybe it just takes a lot of effort to adjust in your relationships or life to a different perspective.

But I challenge you, this week, to "ask Jesus to stay", instead of shooing freedom away in fear. Step into that freedom and shed that part of your identity. Let the status quo go, in trust that there is something better, even though adjusting is hard and change is scary.