pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: justice


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Be Ready

Reading: Mark 13:24-37

Verse 33: “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

In this week’s gospel text Jesus calls us to a constant state of preparedness. He is talking about being ready for the time when we will be judged. Being “ready” would lead to being found worthy of entry into the kingdom of heaven. Trouble is, we do not know when his return (or our final breath) will be. Even so, we are told, “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” In verse 36 Jesus reiterates our need to be prepared as he warns, “do not let him find you sleeping.” To be asleep would be to live with a dormant faith.

Time feels like a key element in our passage. The passage is set in God’s time and we tend to live in our understanding of time. Jesus is calling us to live in the intersection of these two ways to see time. The calls to being on guard and alert and awake are calls to live out our faith in the here and now, every day. We are to guard our hearts from the lies and temptations of the evil one and the world. We are to be alert to both God’s work in our lives and to the places and ways that God is calling us to bring love, compassion, justice… to bear in the world. We are to be awake to God’s presence, guidance, conviction, direction… in our lives.

Overall the call is to be faithful and obedient to God all of the time. Then, no matter when that day comes, whether for our lives or for our world, we will be ready to meet Jesus. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to become lazy, to become complacent, to become self-absorbed. It is hard to always walk the walk, to always live out our faith. Help us to do the hard things. Help us to walk the narrow way that leads to life abundant and everlasting. Amen.


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Mercy and Justice

Reading: Psalm 123

Verse 3: “Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.”

This week’s Psalm is a song of ascents. It would’ve most often been sung as people made their way up to the temple. As they walked and as they prepared themselves for worship, the opening verse would set the tone: “I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.” Read today, these words feel like words spoken to a benevolent God who reigned from a distant place. Christ has not yet come to bring God’s presence among and within us.

Verse 2 can be difficult. Slaves and masters, maids and mistresses – these terms have negative connotations. We cannot dismiss them as “then” and skip on to verse 3. These relationships were common for a long time in our world and even in “Christian” circles. This is a sad truth of our common history. Here in the Psalm the writer parallels these relationships with their traditional relationship with God. It speaks to a dependence on the one with power, to a trust in their good care and benevolence. The psalmist looks to this God to show mercy to the people.

Verses 3 and 4 reveal the unfortunate reality of many power dynamics. The faithful in the Psalm are not the ones with power. They are enduring contempt and ridicule. Those with power are prideful and arrogant. The faithful call on a good God to have mercy, to end this injustice. At times we are in this position, calling in God to intervene on our behalf. In these times we too lift our eyes to heaven. But sometimes we are in an observers role – we are not the one with all the power but we do have some power to act. We see or become aware of an abuse of power. In these cases we cannot remain silent. Our good God calls on us to intercede on behalf of the oppressed, bringing justice and mercy to the situation. Stepping out in faith, the God of mercy will be with us.

Prayer: Lord God, walk with us day by day. In your presence, encourage us in those times of suffering. Be our defender, be our redeemer. And in your presence, O Lord, spur us to action when injustice and oppression are evident in our worlds. Empower us to work for justice and good. Walk with us day by day, O God. Amen.


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What Is Required?

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

Verse 17b: “And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Today’s words from Paul connect really well with the themes and ideas around All-Saints’ Day. In Revelation 7 the vision of heaven and all its glory brought hope to the believers suffering in John’s time. These words offer hope to all believers. The Thessalonians aren’t quite there yet. The vision detailed in Revelation probably hasn’t reached them. They are concerned with the souls of those who have died (“fallen asleep”) before Jesus returned. The common belief was that Jesus was coming back any day, soon. They fear that these souls might miss out or forever be trapped in limbo.

Paul begins to address their fears and concerns by assuring them that because Jesus died and rose again that one day all who believe in him will one day rise with him. Paul further assures them using Jesus’ own teachings. He reminds them that Jesus taught that when he returns “the dead in Christ will rise first.” Those who have fallen asleep will indeed join Jesus in glory. Paul then turns to those who are alive, reminding them that Jesus taught that those who are still alive “will be caught up together with them.” All who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior “will be with the Lord forever.” What words of hope and encouragement Paul shared with the Thessalonians and with us!

The underlying question that bubbles up here for me is this: What is required of me so that I am one day a part of this heavenly gathering? I first turn to Micah 6:8. These words are my daily prayer of commitment to God. Each day I strive to act justly, to love mercy and kindness, and to walk humbly with the Lord. These words and actions focus and frame my day. What words and practices guide you to living in a way that brings honor and glory to God?

Prayer: Lord, justice, mercy, kindness, and humility – they are a good start but I know that this is not all that is required of me. By the power of your Holy Spirit fill me with your love and compassion, with your grace and forgiveness. Show me the way to daily serve you and neighbor. Amen.


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The Way to Abundant Life

Reading: Psalm 106:1-6 and 19-23

Verse 6: “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”

Psalm 106 begins by praising and giving thanks to God because God is good and because God’s love endures forever. To praise and give thanks to God for these things is something that we should do every day. The psalmist then notes that we are blessed when we “maintain justice” and when we “do what is right.” Living in alignment with God’s will and ways is a blessed way to live. This is the experience spoken of in verses 4-5. The people of God – when living as the people of God – they enjoy prosperity and joy. What blessing!

The Psalm suddenly turns in verse 6. It gets real honest. Here the psalmist writes, “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” This is as true for us as it was for the psalmist. Humanity is prone to sin. Left unchecked by the will and way of God, we become selfish and greedy and prideful… We become the one on the throne or we try and surround ourselves with things that make us feel safe and secure. We seek to achieve and gather, these things soon growing into idols. It might not be a golden calf, but it is certainly as temporal and manmade.

We make idols and lose our way for the same reason that the Israelites did: “They forgot the God who saved them.” We do this when we fail to do what the psalmist prescribed in verses 1-6. Praising God for the love and blessings, living out God’s justice and righteousness, and frequently confessing and repenting of our sins – these are the antidotes to becoming selfish, greedy, prideful… This is the way to abundant life, both now and into eternity. May this be the way that we choose to live day by day.

Prayer: Lord God, forgive my wayward and selfish decisions and choices. Strengthen me to change, to grow less selfish and prideful. Replace these with your justice and righteousness. Open my eyes to your works, filling my heart with praise and thanksgiving – for your mighty deeds and for your gentle touches. All praise and glory to you, O God! Amen.


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Sing a New Song

Reading: Psalm 149

Verse 1: “Sing to the Lord a new song.”

God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are the same then, now, and forever. The scriptures have existed in their present format for almost 2,000 years. When we read today, “Sing to the Lord a new song,” is the psalmist still speaking to us today?

Music has always been a part of the worship of God. Even before the Psalms were written and sung, God’s people were expressing their faith through music and song. The Psalms run the gamut of expression – from the laments to heartfelt prayers to the celebration of God’s presence and activity among the people of God. The tradition of proclaiming our faith has continued throughout the history of the church. Music – be they hymns or gospels or contemporary praise songs – it all teaches theology and offers shared experiences of our encounters with God through sung expression. When each of these works were written and shared, they were a “new song” to the Lord.

These new songs run the gamut of the Psalms. Many address what we Methodists call “social justice” and “social holiness.” Music centered on love and peace, hope and justice calls us and society to a better world, to a holier way of living and of treating one another. Some of the voices come from the edges, adding to this rich mix of music, expressing the pain of being ignored or shunned or marginalized, sharing the hope of truly being a part of the family of God. Through these new songs we can become more aware of and engaged with the needs of our day. These new songs are evidence of God’s Spirit at work. They are invitations to be a part of God’s growing kingdom here on earth. As people of God and as people of love, peace, hope, and justice, may we too sing these songs.

Prayer: Lord God, continue to bring to our ears the cries for justice and equality and fairness. Guide this music and these cries to trickle down to our hearts, moving us to be people who invite all into the circle of your family. Lead us to speak out and even to fight when it is needed to welcome others into the family of God. You created us all. You love us all. Amen.


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This Same God

Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

Verse 6: “My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.”

Isaiah 51 reminds reminds me of the “then and now” of our faith. Written to those “who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord,” it calls them and us to remember the long arc of the relationship between God and God’s people. Looking into today and beyond into eternity, we are also reminded of God’s standing promise: “My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.”

Isaiah writes these words to the Israelites living with him in exile. Their time in exile has grown long. They are living as strangers in a place far away from all they’ve ever known. It has been a wearying and difficult stay. So Isaiah calls them to remember where they came from and whose they are. He calls them to remember Abraham and Sarah, the ones who received the covenant and who were blessed as God fulfilled the promise. When we find ourselves in a trial or in a season of suffering, it is good to remember the great stories of faith and to be reminded of “the rock” that we too stand upon.

The prophet also speaks of hope and restoration. Isaiah tells the exiles that God looks “with compassion on all her ruins” – both those back home and those that are their lives now. He prophesies that God will transform these dry and barren places and lives into a garden paradise, into a place where there will be “thanksgiving and the sound of singing.” Isaiah tells them that justice and salvation are on the way! This was all probably hard to hear in the darkness and despair of exile. But, wait. Remember, God took one and “blessed him and made him many.” This same God promises to restore Israel. This same God can and will bring us through our trials and sufferings. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, it is good to remember and to know once again that your promises of salvation and compassion are for all people who call on you and who seek your righteousness. The promises are for us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Praise, Worship

Reading: Psalm 33:1-5

Verse 4: “The word of the Lord is upright, and all God’s work is done in faithfulness.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

Today the psalmist calls us to praise God. We’re called to “sing joyfully” and to “make music” and to “shout for joy.” We are invited to praise and worship God because “the word of the Lord is upright, and all God’s work is done in faithfulness.” While this is most certainly true, it isn’t always easy to live these things out.

Sometimes (or often) life is hard. Bad or sad news about this or that is received. Unwanted change comes. Evil exists and it touches our lives. We battle depression or insecurity or guilt or shame. It is not always easy simply to “praise the Lord.” And yet we are called to do this.

Verses 4 and 5 contain the “how” or the “why.” The psalmist reminds us that God’s word is “faithful and true.” We’re reminded that God is “faithful in all God does.” In the next verses we are reminded of God’s “unfailing love” that fills the earth – especially for “righteousness and justice.” When one begins to accept and stand upon and live into these truths, then praise and worship become possible – no matter what life brings.

God is with us. God is for us. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are with us and for us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you are with me, you are with us. Your love never fails and it never ends. May righteousness and justice mark our lives, revealing you to others as we live a life of praise and worship. Lead and guide us, O Lord. Amen.


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Look to the Heart of God

Readings: Genesis 1:26-31, 2:1-4

Verse 26: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.”

Returning to the creation story today we turn to the last two ‘days.’ On what has been identified as the sixth day the three-in-one God creates humanity “in the image of God… male and female God created them.” These are such interesting terms. If we had 5 eyes and 2 mouths and wings but no hands and were half covered in scales, isn’t that how Jesus would have come to earth? And if Jesus came that way just a couple hundred years ago, would we portray him as he actually was or would we still warp him to look more like the dominant socioeconomic religious group?

So what if “in our image/likeness” wasn’t and isn’t about skin or eye or hair color or about where you were born or about your gender? What if being made in the image and likeness of God was about love, compassion, generosity, mercy, grace, hope, peace, justice, forgiveness, goodness, salvation…? We know nothing at all about the physical nature of God or even if there is one. So like God modeled with David, perhaps we too should look to the heart of God to understand who and what we were and are created to be.

Day 7 brings us another important part of God’s character, heart, soul. On this day God practices the sabbath. It was a holy day, a day of rest, a day without work. It is a day to look at the beauty and diversity and complexity of the world and of the creator and to celebrate, to worship, to be grateful for all of this. It is a day to see the holy in all of creation. It is a day to thank God for creating the world and us just as it and we are: beloved, unique, worthy, special. Thank you, creator God.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to see and love as you see and love. May we not see male or female but child of God. May we not see white or yellow or red or black or tan or… but child of God. May we not see rich or poor, professional or laborer, saint or sinner, but child of God. May it be so, Lord, may it be so. Amen.


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True Blessing

Reading: Psalm 112

Verse 1: “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in God’s commands.”

Psalm 112, like much of the Old Testament, reflects the Jewish understanding of blessings and curses. Much of their experience can be seen in this concept. In the desert, when they worshipped the golden calf, many were punished. On the other hand, when they were faithful and marched around Jericho, the walls came down. In a general sense, they held that when one was faithful, God blessed them. When one was cursed it was because they had sinned. This was how the Israelites saw and understood the world. Even though it is clear in Job and in Jesus’ ministry that this understanding is simply not true, it still persists in our thinking even to this day.

In the opening verse of this Psalm we read, “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in God’s commands.” First, let us define ‘fear.’ This is not ‘afraid of’ but is respect, reverence, awe. It is a holy and high view of God. Second, what is the blessing? On the surface level and in the ancient understanding, it is wealth and other forms of personal security. But there is more. We find it if we dig deeper. It is light in the darkness. It is found in being generous and in seeking justice. It is found when one trusts in God. These things bring true and great delight to our lives. These would be the treasures that Jesus described as those that do not rust and that thieves cannot steal.

When one considers that we are made in the image of God and that we are created to reflect God to the world, one quickly realizes that because money, status… do not matter at all to God, then they should matter very little to us. It is when we relinquish the drive to attain these earthly things that we find joy and contentment as a child of God. It is here, settling into our place in God’s family, that we really experience the life that God desires for us. May this life be true for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, I know that having this or that brings no lasting peace, no true joy. It just breeds a desire for the next latest and greatest. God, rid me of all of these desires. Turn my focus wholly to your heart – to mercy, kindness, justice, love, forgiveness, humility, generosity, service. There, bring me great delight in you. Amen.


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Justice, Mercy, Humility

Reading: Micah 6:6-8

Verse 8: “God has shown you… what is good… what is required… To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Photo credit: Simon Berger

As we turn to the second half of this week’s Old Testament passage, Micah asks what he should bring before the Lord. He wonders if burnt offerings would be enough. Maybe so if it were “thousands of rams” followed by “ten thousand rivers of oil?” That sounds like a lot. Or maybe something closer to home? Perhaps sacrifice a child – “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” That feels like a lot. It felt like a lot was needed. The sin of Israel was great. Yet for God, restoring a relationship wasn’t about volume or about a huge but isolated proof of faith. It was much simpler. It was about the heart. In Micah’s day the Israelites were going through the motions required by the sacrificial system. To go through them a thousand or ten thousand times mattered not. To offer your firstborn and then to return to sinful living? Worthless.

Instead of hands and feet going through meaningless motions, God desired the heart of the people. God wanted to see hearts committed to what really mattered to God. In verses 8 we read, “God has shown you… what is good… what is required… To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” God sought people with hearts focused on justice, mercy, and humility. This is what is good. This is what is required. This is what really matters to God. The challenge for us is this: in our modern world, how do we live this out?

We live in a time when people are selfish and focused on material goods and social status. From this place it is difficult to see injustice, oppression, and pride as bad things. They are the means to achieving success. Yet these practices leave a wake of poverty and division and need. It is to these things that the eyes and heart of God are drawn. What is our response, our good and required response? It is not to write a check for $1,000 or to donate 10,000 meals or to sell our house to give money to some great cause. While good and likely helpful to others, these motions do not align our eyes and heart with God’s eyes and heart. Our response is really much simpler than these things. Very hard in our culture, yes, but simpler. What is good, what God required? A daily walk that focuses on justice for all, mercy and kindness to all, and humility as we seek to walk hand in hand with our God. Walking this way, our eyes and hearts will be drawn to the places and people that draw God’s eyes and heart. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, it really is pretty basic, isn’t it? Step away from self and from all that the world says matters. Step into the circumstances and lives of people that matter to you – those needing to experience justice, those needing mercy, those requiring a humble servant’s presence. Use me in all of these ways, O God. Amen.