pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: hurting


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No One Sees

Reading: 1st Samuel 1:3-8

1st Samuel 1:8 – “Why won’t you eat? Why are you so sad? Aren’t I worth more than ten sons to you?”

This week we delve into our call to see the small, the overlooked, the marginalized. We will wrestle with how we respond to their cries. This often puts us at odds with those in power and with our culture.

All of these topics are present in our 1st Samuel 1 reading. In the text, Hannah is the central figure. She is the one who only receives one part of the offering “because the Lord had kept her from conceiving.” In this agricultural society, children were necessary for a family’s survival. This also factored in later in life. Without children in old age, one would potentially not have anyone to care or provide for them. To be unable to bear children was a cultural shame and a great risk.

Hannah is frequently reminded of all of this by Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, the one with many children. This cruelty was especially unavoidable at the festival in Shiloh. All were together in limited space. Elkanah sees Hannah crying and says to her, “Why won’t you eat? Why are you so sad? Aren’t I worth more than ten sons to you?” The focus of his questions are really on himself and his self-worth, not on Hannah. He sees her but doesn’t really see her. No one really sees Hannah. Who do you know that is like this?

Prayer: Lord God, we too can look past the one hurting right in front of us. We too can make it about how their pain or suffering is effecting us or our lives. In these times, Lord, slow us down, divest us of self, guide us to be present to the person and make us responsive to their needs. Amen.


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Heirs in Christ

Reading: Galatians 4:4-7

Verse 7: “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are God’s child, God has made you also an heir.”

Paul connects into the story of Christmas as he writes, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son.” When God’s timing said that now is the time, Jesus entered into the world. Paul reminds his audience that Jesus was born a Jew – “born under law” – who came to redeem his fellow Jews. I wonder if when Paul penned verses like these, if he thought of his former life as Saul and rejoiced in the redeeming work that Jesus had done in his own life. Paul writes of that which he knows firsthand.

Paul notes that when we are redeemed we “receive adoption to sonship.” This leads to each of us receiving the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, which reminds us again and again of our family connection to God the Father. Another ‘right’ comes in verse 7: “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are God’s child, God has made you also an heir.” Through our redemption we become brothers and sisters in Christ, heirs with and in Christ. To be a brother or sister is to be a part of the family. But to be an heir – what does that mean?

To be an heir means we receive an inheritance. Parts of our inheritance are things like salvation and eternal life. Parts are the peace, love, hope, joy, grace… that we receive and live in every day. And… we also inherit the living example of Jesus Christ. This part of our inheritance calls us to expand the family – to “make disciples of all peoples” is how Jesus put it. We are called to live as Jesus lived, bringing light and love into the world. We are called to do as Jesus did, standing with and caring for the hurting, the suffering, the outcasts. Living in these ways of Jesus, our lives will invite others to seek to be a part of this wonderful family of God. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice over being a part of your family. We celebrate and offer thanksgiving for all that this means in our lives. Let us not be content here, Lord. Guide us out into the world, living as Christ’s brothers and sisters, so that others can be welcomed home. Amen.


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Such… Good… News

Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4

Verse 1: “The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor… to bind up… to proclaim release for captives… liberation for prisoners.”

As Isaiah’s ministry and Israel’s time in exile is coming to a close, the prophet offers these words of hope and promise. These words were written to a people living in captivity in a foreign land. These words can be applied to many times and to many people who are experiencing exile in many forms. These words spoke to the people of Jesus’ day as they lived under the Roman occupation. These words speak to many people today. These words speak to you and to me.

Verse 1 is so powerful. It is jam-packed with hope, promise, rescue… It begins with a call to “preach good news to the poor.” Maybe this is material good news – food, help with rent or gas or utilities, warm clothes for the winter. Maybe this is spiritual aide that helps them to know that they are beloved and worthy, that they matter and belong to God and to us. Then there is “binding up” those who are broken and hurting. Verses 2 and 3 also touch on this. The binding up is healing for the ill and the suffering. It is also comforting those who grieve. It is drawing in the lonely. There is also proclaiming the freedom from captivity and darkness that the Lord brings. This encompasses the Israelites literal release from Babylon. It also includes release from addictions and other abusive relationships or from unjust situations and systems. And it includes freedom and release from our sins and from the guilt and shame that is often connected to our sin.

In one form or another we have each experienced each of these forms of the good news. As followers of Jesus Christ we too are sent to bring this good news to others. Taking where we have been, recognizing how we got to where we are at, may we help others to experience the good news of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, walking and living with you, we’ve experienced firsthand all of what Isaiah speaks of. We’ve been healed, freed, rescued… Use each of us today and every day to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to those who need healing or hope, release or rescue, restoration or redemption. Amen.


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The Good Shepherd

Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16

Verse 12: “I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered.”

Photo credit: Patrick Schneider

We begin this week with Ezekiel. The prophet lived about 600 years before Jesus was born. His ministry began as a temple priest in Jerusalem. But with the invasion and subsequent exile imposed by the Babylonians, Ezekiel experienced and lived through the disaster that he foretold earlier in his ministry. Yet even while living in exile in a foreign land, far away from the temple, Ezekiel speaks a word of hope today.

Speaking to the scattered flock of Israel, through Ezekiel God says, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” God doesn’t wait for Israel (or us) to come to God. The all-present and ever-loving God will go out to the scattered. God will care for them even in their exile and in their separation. God will provide as a shepherd provided for the sheep. These words of hope remind the scattered flock that God is with them even in the foreign places. Our God continues to be with us in all aspects of life – in the good and in the bad and in all places in between.

Reading on, the promise becomes even greater. God gives this greater promise: “I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered.” Not only will God be with them in their exile, but God will regather the community of faith. God will bring them home to Israel where God will tend to them in “good pastures.” Within this promise there is a word that may be some need to hear today. God will “bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.” Maybe you or someone you know is hurting or is worn down. Maybe grief or isolation has set in heavy upon the spirit. If so, remember that the good shepherd seeks you and desires to love and care for you. Step into this good news. Share it with someone in need of this good news.

Prayer: Lord God, wherever we are today, draw us closer to you. Whether in sorrow or in joy, whether in want or in plenty, may we grow closer to you today. And if we have the capacity, Lord, use us to remind others of your love and care for them. Amen.


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From the Margins, to the Margins

Reading: Luke 1:46-55

Verses 47-48: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has been mindful of the humble state of God’s servant.”

Mary’s Song is a beautiful song lifted up to her God. It is an outpouring of faith and emotion. She begins by glorifying and praising God because God has “been mindful of the humble state of God’s servant.” In these words we see the spirit shared by Mary and Elizabeth. Both women are totally humbled by God choosing them to play such important roles in the birth and life and ministry of the Messiah.

Mary’s Song speaks of God’s preference for the poor and marginalized. Mary is one of these. She is a young girl, pregnant and not yet married. Her song is personal in this sense. Elizabeth too was from the margins. She was barren. Old and without any children to care for her, she existed on the edges of society. Mary and Elizabeth were two of the unlikeliest choices possible. I wonder what each thought as they stated at each other while this beautiful song poured out, amazed at what God was doing. What a blessing for these two women!

Within Mary’s Song we also find evidence of the divide between folks like Mary and Elizabeth and the folks who were rich and powerful. Mary sings of God “scattering” the proud and of God bringing down rulers from their thrones. Mary has a deep sense of who and what God is, and by nature, of who and what her son will be. In God’s choosing one from the margins, Mary knows that God is a God of the margins. In his ministry, Jesus will very much reflect God’s preference for the poor and needy, for the marginalized and the outcast, for the hurting and broken, for the powerless and the sinful. With Mary’s humble spirit and deep faith in God may we go forth to do the same, loving those most in need of God’s presence.

Prayer: God, turn my heart to what matters to your heart. Lead me away from the cares and concerns of the world, away from greed and pride and power. Lead me to love those who matter to you. Amen.


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Called

Reading: Isaiah 1:1 and 10-20

Verses 16-17: “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!”

Photo credit: Sophie Walker

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God calls out the people of Judah. In verse 10 God refers to the leaders of Judah as “rulers of Sodom” and to the people as “people of Gomorrah.” These were 2 evil-filled cities that God rained down fire and sulphur upon, destroying them completely. When God’s people thought of depravity and greed, these 2 cities would come to mind. To be compared to Sodom and Gomorrah – things must’ve been pretty bad in Judah.

In verse 11 we see that the people are still bringing sacrifices to the altar of God. But God is not pleased by them. These rote rituals are simply a “trampling of my courts.” This creates a vision of them rushing in, getting the deed done quickly, and rushing back out. God decries, “Stop bringing meaningless offerings!” Their hearts are far from God; their “hands are full of blood.”

God says to the children, “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!” Stop sinning. Learn once again to do good in the world. We see God’s suggestions for doing good in verse 17: seek justice, encourage those who are oppressed, defend the orphans, stand with the widows. These words call out to us today as well. We live in a hurting and broken world. Our question is this: where is God calling us to do good?

Each of us has been called to be a part of the healing of the world. As followers of Christ we are charged with making disciples and with transforming the world. These two go hand in hand. As we seek to partner with God, working to bring about a more just and loving world, we are striving to build the kingdom of God here “on earth as it is in heaven.” May these words not just be a rote ritual that we say each Sunday morning.

Where is God calling you? Where can you be a part of healing this hurting and broken world? Through the power of the Holy Spirit may God use each of us today, according to God’s will.

Prayer: Lord God, where does the world’s brokenness meet my passions? Where does the hurting meet my hope? Where do you need me today? O God, lead me to serve you and your children. Use me as you will today. Amen.


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You Chose Love

Reading: John 3: 14-18

Verse 17: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”.

Our passage today begins with Jesus referencing an Old Testament story. When the Israelites grumbled against God and Moses, God sent poisonous snakes. In response to their cries for help, God had Moses fashion a serpent and place it high on a pole. By looking up to this symbol, the people who had been bitten were saved. Jesus parallels this story with belief in him. If one looks to the “lifted up” or risen Christ, we too are saved.

Verse sixteen details the depth of God’s love: “he gave his one and only Son” so that we could be saved. God incarnate loved us enough to take upon himself the sin of the world and to die on a cross. His loving sacrifice saves us from the consequences of our sins and from the finality of death. Sin and death no longer reign. The cross speaks the final words: you are loved. The Old Testament God who quickly judged the people’s sin and sent snakes as the consequence instead chose to send his Son. The God who judged and condemned the Israelites turns to love.

In verse seventeen we read, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”. God chose to love us as we are and as we always will be on this earth. God chose to save us because of his great love for us. God chose to enter our broken and hurting and messy world in order to save us. Instead of tossing in the towel and giving up on us, Jesus wrapped himself in a towel and knelt at the disciples’ dirty feet. Washing their feet was a symbol not only of humble service but also of the way his death on the cross would wash away our sin.

In many ways Jesus said, ‘You are loved’. As we continue to walk deeper into Lent and to draw closer to the cross may we seek to reveal to one and all that they are loved. May Jesus’ love be our love as we strive to draw the kingdom of God near.

Prayer: God of grace and power and love, you sent Jesus to save. Thank you for the depth of your love. You gave a willing sacrifice. You chose to love when condemning would have been so much easier. Thank you for choosing love. Amen.


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Two Actions

Reading: Mark 8: 34-38

Verse 34: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”.

Continuing on from yesterday’s passage, Jesus gathers his disciples and the crowd to explain the cost of following. Having just explained the price that he will pay, Jesus details what will be expected of those who choose to follow him as Lord and Savior. The words that Jesus speaks are powerful and challenging. His words will become even more so as the disciples reflect on the events of the last week of Jesus’ life.

Jesus identifies two actions one must take to “come after” or to “follow” him. The first is to “deny self”. This is what Jesus lived out his whole ministry. He placed the needs and wants of God first, closely followed by the needs and wants of others. Self was a very distant third. If we were to follow Jesus today, what would this look like? It would begin with listening to the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God in our lives. The second step would be to respond to the guidance and direction of said Spirit as we respond to the needs of those we meet day by day. Jesus saw the other, the lonely, the hurting, the hungry… and ministered them as he encountered them. May we too have ears to hear and eyes to see.

The second action is to “take up” our cross. The cross represents the way of Jesus. For Jesus it was ultimately walking the path to suffering and death for the sake of others – for you and me. Along the way Jesus often took up the cross for others. He took up the cause of the marginalized and the sinners and the outcasts and declared them worthy of his time and of the kingdom of God. Each of these encounters against the powers of the world came with a price too. The way of Jesus calls us to sacrifice as well. Jesus calls us away from the things of this world by reminding us that the cost of trying to “gain the whole world” is to “forfeit” our soul. In contrast, following Jesus will save our soul. Giving up our selfish desires and leanings and focusing on Jesus’ example of sacrificial service will lead us to bless others as we live out the good news or gospel of Jesus Christ. May it be so as we seek to bring God the glory.

Prayer: Lord God, tune me in to the Holy Spirit within me. Guide me to not only hear but to respond, offering all I can to those I meet in the world around me. Empower me to shine your light in all I do and say. Amen.


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Fringes and Edges

Reading: Matthew 9: 9-13

Verse 11: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners”?

Photo credit: Marten Newhall

Our passage today opens with Jesus calling another disciple as he walks along the road. The man he calls us named Matthew. He was sitting in his tax collector’s booth when Jesus said, “Follow me”. It’s hard to say what an equivalent calling would be today. Tax collectors were almost universally disliked and hated. They worked for the occupying force, the Romans, collecting taxes to pay for the enemy to stay in power. Most tax collectors gathered well above and beyond what the Romans required. Becoming rich was a side perk of this government job. Being wealthy was nice but the occupation limited one’s circle of friends. Matthew’s crowd would be limited to other tax collectors and others who took advantage of others. Money lenders, prostitutes, slave traders… would have been among the crowd at Matthew’s house as Jesus joined them for dinner.

Upon seeing the crowd that Jesus has chosen to become a part of, the Pharisees ask, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners”? Why would Jesus call one of these to discipleship, to following him? Why would Jesus sit amongst this crowd of sinners? I suppose some people today think the same thing when they see their pastor emerging from the hymn sing at the local brewpub or when they see members of the outreach team exiting the local strip club. In response Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. Jesus did not come to just sit around the temple or local synagogues chatting with the faithful about the scriptures. Yes, Jesus did this and this habit continues to be a very important part of our faith journey. But Jesus also spent the majority of his time doing ministry out in the world – among the tax collectors and sinners, among the hurting and broken, among the Gentiles and others who were marginalized by the religious establishment. These are the ones in need of a “doctor”. These are the ones in need of healing, wholeness, love, a sense of community.

Who are the tax collectors of your neighborhood or community? Who are those on the fringes and edges? How can you minister to these that Jesus surely would have?

Prayer: Lord God, make my heart and will more like yours. Guide my feet to those in need of your love and care. Bring me past the barriers and fears in my mind, trusting more fully in your guidance and direction. Amen.


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Hope in Faith

Reading: Psalm 107: 1-7

Verse 6: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress”.

Today’s Psalm reading begins with a great line: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”. Every time I read that line I am reminded of a song (Forever) that just makes me happier. This line is found in several Psalms – it is a familiar refrain for the people of God. The thanks in today’s Psalm is centered on the redeeming and gathering power of God in verses two through four, and on the Lord’s deliverance and guidance in verses five through seven. The acts of redeeming and gathering, of delivering and guiding, continue to be reasons we today can also say (or sing), “Give thanks to the Lord…”

Psalm 107 is one of many Psalms of thanksgiving. The nation has wandered and has been dispersed. They have been hungry and thirsty, life “ebbed away”. In his great love, God gathered them back into community, leading them once again by a “straight way”. God’s steadfast love remained strong for his children. God hears their cries and God responded. Through no fault of their own, our current pandemic has caused many to feel difficult emotions. Many are or worry about being hungry and cared for as employment is tenuous in this new time. Many are stressed by anxiety over their health or by the health of loved ones and friends. Many long to be gathered back into community, feeling the pain of isolation and loneliness. Many in our churches and neighborhoods are longing to be redeemed and gathered, to be delivered and guided. Many are crying out, many are hurting. It is a time of struggle, even for some of us.

Verse six reminds us of the promise: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress”. God will hear and deliver. There is hope in these words. Maybe we need to hear them ourselves. If so, spend some time today with this Psalm and in prayer with your loving God. Maybe we are people of faith who can share these words with those who are worried or stressed or anxious or lonely. As we live out and share our faith, may we each be a part of the healing of the nations. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, guide me and the church to the cries of the hurting and breaking. Lead us to respond in love and hope, offering fellowship and community, care and provision – offering faith in you. Use us to bring healing to our communities and neighborhoods. Amen.