pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: connected


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Chaos to Beautiful Diversity

Reading: Genesis 1:1-25

Verse 2: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Genesis 1 is a great place to begin the week that culminates in Trinity Sunday. As Disciplines writer Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli puts it, “In the beginning, a diverse God – Creator, Word, and Spirit – created a diverse world, all interdependent, all profoundly good” (page 184). What a beautiful thought!

Now, the world did not begin this way. Verse 2 establishes the starting point of our world: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In the beginning there was a nothingness. It was formless and empty, dark. The deep waters represent the unknown. Because the deep was unknown, it was feared, it was avoided. Chaos and angst lived there.

Chaos and angst are still the parts of life that we avoid or wish we could avoid. Yet “life” happens – death enters unwanted, relationships become strained and break, illness and disease impact us, nature reeks havoc, employment and other decisions that people make affect our lives and families… In these moments we can feel like our world is formless, empty, dark.

As Genesis 1 begins God takes action. The chaos and nothingness are replaced with order and purpose – 2 things we love! As creation unfolds all that God does is good, everything is valued, there is an interconnectedness to all of creation. There is a beautiful yet connected diversity to this world that God created. May we see, appreciate, and love this world, especially one another. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, what an awesome and amazing and beautiful world you created! Thank you for this gift. May we receive it, live in it, love it, and honor all parts of it as all of our world is your creation. Amen.


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The Wilderness

Reading: Psalm 107: 1-3

Verse 1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

Psalm 107 is a Psalm that reminds us of God’s faithful love. It is a song of thanksgiving to the God that never abandons or leaves his people. The Israelites and individuals within the faith community have experienced this faithful love. The nation has experienced exile, slavery, and times of oppression and conflict with those living around them. Individuals like Joseph, David, Samuel, and Job have had their own wilderness experiences. Each time that the community has found themselves in the wilderness, whatever that may be, God has remained present and connected to his people. At times the connection was to a small remnant, but God was always faithful. Experiencing this over and over has led them to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

As we experience life we also find ourselves in the wilderness from time to time. We find ourselves there in many ways. Loss and grief can lead us into the wilderness. Moving, job loss, and other forms of unwanted change can lead us to this place. Sudden bouts of physical or mental illness can take us to the place of isolation and fear. Yes, there are many ways that we can find ourselves in the wilderness. If we choose to remain connected to God, then we experience what the psalmist and the Israelites experienced. God remains present. God sustains us. God’s faithful love endures the trials with us. From these experiences we too can proclaim: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, your love is grander than the mountains and deeper than the ocean’s depths. Your faithfulness stretches past the furthest star. I am but a tiny speck in the cosmos, but you love me as if I were the only speck. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Remaining Connected

Reading: Genesis 25: 19-34

Verse 21: “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren”.

Last week we looked at the miraculous story of finding a wife for Isaac. The baby born when mom and dad were 90 and 100, respectively, marries a wife that clearly God had a hand in selecting. Remember how the servant’s prayer was exactly how things unfolded in finding Rebekah? It seemed like a fairy tale beginning to a storybook marriage. But then, in today’s passage, we find that it is not exactly the case. They cannot have children. Rebekah is barren.

One of the main reasons for marriage was to have children, to produce heirs. Children were a couple’s pride and joy. They were a sign of God’s blessings. But Isaac and Rebekah were without children. Like Abraham and Sarah before them, like Zechariah and Elizabeth and many other couples to follow, this barrenness was like a cross to bear. And like all the other cases of barrenness that we read about in the Bible, God chooses to intervene in their behalf. In verse 21 we read, “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren”. God responds with twins! As it was with all of these couples, God has a plan and will work it out in his time and in his way.

Although for most of us barrenness is not our issue, for some couples it is. Others deal with sickness or disease. Some struggle with an addiction. Anger, doubt, anxiety, pride, selfishness, loneliness, singleness – the list of things we bring to God is long. We all need God’s intervention. Whatever valley we are in or whichever sin we are currently dealing with, we all need God to answer our prayer. For us, as it well may have been for Isaac, the waiting is the hardest part.

In the passage it sounds so easy: he prayed and they become pregnant – all in one verse. We’d all like our prayers answered in what appears to be expediency. But more often our reality is like Isaac and Rebekah’s reality – married when he was 40, the twins are not born for another 20 years. For us there is often a span of time that falls between our initial prayer and God’s response. Isaac and Rebekah remain connected to God and God remains connected to them. They trust in God’s plan. May we do so as well.

Prayer: God of all, you created this world and continue to create, to form, to shape, to guide. Help me to have a faith that is trusting and patient, content and assured. Lead me to a faithful and long walk with you. Amen.


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Connections

As one part of God’s creation we are connected to all parts of His creation.  There is a special connection that exists between all living creatures.  At the same time we are also blessed to be able to sense a connection to God’s presence in nature and in the rhythms of nature.

Once in a while I am blessed by a moment of connection to an animal.  Sometimes while walking there will be a deer or a rabbit just off my path and for just a moment we look into each other’s eyes.  I can sense a connection between us that can only come from our common creator.

Nature can also create the same sense of overall connection.  It can be in the breeze that sways the leaves on the trees or in the movement of the grass.  It can be in the gentle rain or in the powerful thunder and lightning.  These are just a few examples of the many ways we can connect with God.

God wired us to be connected to and in relationship with Himself and all He created all of the time.  But the greatest desire of God is for us to be connected to each other.  In today’s reading it states: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.”  It is pleasing to God and it is why He designed faith to be practiced in community.  Through our connections to each other we find love, support, encouragement, accountability, help, learning, and much more.

In the greater sense of being connected to all of God’s children, we are called to go out for the purpose of bringing the lost into our communities of faith.  Jesus named this as the second greatest command: to go and make disciples of all nations.  Let us make the most of our opportunities today!!

Scripture reference: Psalm 133


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As We Begin

Psalm 8 is both humbling and empowering.  It poses the question, “what is man that you are mindful of him?” amidst the reflections on all that God has amazingly created.  Yet the psalm also acknowledges that God made man “ruler over the works of your hands.”  Within the setting of this psalm though it is a ruling full of love, respect, honor, and care.

“Turn, turn, turn…”  Ecclesiastes 3 is also a great passage to start off 2015.  ‘To everything there is a season.’  Yes, remember the great Simon and Garfunkel song – a time to be born, a time to die, a time to…  This passage (and song) is such a great reminder of the natural give and take that life really requires and that is a part of God’s plan.

As we begin a new year, may we take a moment to consider where we fit in and contribute to this masterpiece that God has created.  To contribute we must be attuned to the world and people around us.  Our common experiences combined with our common faith connects us together in one huge family.  May God grant us eyes to see His world from His perspective and hearts to live and love as He loves.

Scripture references: Psalm 8 and Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13