pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: unique


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One

Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

Verse 19b: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Returning to the Great Commission passage found in Matthew 28 today, we lean into the relationship and community found in and through the triune Godhead. Ultimately, entering into the faith and into a personal relationship with the Lord leads one into a new life. This new life engages all three persons of the Trinity. To enter this new life and new relationships, we die to our old self and become a new creation (see 2nd Corinthians 5).

In the early church, when one made a profession of faith, the next step was usually baptism. This sacrament was one’s public testimony of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But it wasn’t just about being in a relationship with Jesus. The man himself instructed the disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Although unique in many ways, together the three parts of the three-in-one form a single, unified Godhead.

We get a smaller but equally important example of unity in the presence of diversity or uniqueness in today’s text. As the risen Christ comes to the disciples, we read that some worshipped and that some doubted. Jesus doesn’t send the doubters into the corner until they believe. He does just the opposite. Jesus commissions all of the disciples to “therefore go and make disciples.” Doubt and all!

Jesus understands that each of the 12 are unique individuals. Faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness – all of these emotions and many more are a part of each of us. This is one of the things that unites us, that makes the many into one body. With Jesus’ love and with this same understanding, may we see and love and understand that all of humanity – no matter where we are emotionally, physically, or spiritually – are one in Christ and one with each other.

Prayer: Lord God, just as you are the three-in-one God, help all believers to live into the many-in-one community. Help each of us to see and treat and live with one another from this place of love and understanding. Amen.


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A Word on the Word

Reading: Psalm 119:97-104

Verse 101: “I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.”

In this week’s reading from the Psalms, the author is overflowing with joy in the Lord and with confidence in his or her faith. These words are a celebration of God’s word and a declaration that the word of God is better than any human teaching. These words, or at least the ideas driving them, are worthy of emulation. Oh to meditate on God’s word all day long! Oh to gain understanding from the word of God!

The psalmist is, naturally, writing in the first person. These verses are about his or her relationship with God. Yet there are lots of “I” statements in there. It feels like it’s a lot about the psalmist’s efforts and achievements. While we cannot assume anything about the author, we can acknowledge that at times we can get a little too high and mighty with our faith. We can assert that this is really what God is saying in this passage, implying that our interpretation is the only possible correct one. We can pick and choose from scripture to “prove” our point in a discussion or argument. We can too easily forget that the word of God is alive and active and has many applications and interpretations.

Often I have read a verse or passage that I’ve read many times before and thought, ‘How did I miss that last time?’ Other times I’ve re-read something and found different meaning or application. Passages I’ve read and took lightly have hit me like a ton of bricks the next reading. My understanding of God’s word has grown and even changed as I better grasp the scope and overall messages of the Bible. The Bible gives guidance for how to live out our faith (and how not to!) We all have an individual and unique relationship with the Lord. So may we read God’s word with this in mind as we apply these words to our lives and as we share this good news with others.

Prayer: Lord God, may I ever learn and study and grow in you. Yet as my ‘knowledge’ grows, may my love for you and for others far exceed this growth. Day by day mold me more and more into the image of your son, the Christ. Amen.


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Gather to Worship

Reading: 2nd Timothy 1:8-16

Verse 12: “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

Today is World Communion Sunday in my denomination. Although apart physically, we share in communion with people all over the world. Each person will come today as unique individuals yet in spirit we will all gather around the one common table. We will gather and come as we are. Some will come in secret and some will come because another insisted. Some will come with joy and some will come with heavy burdens. Some will come to praise, others to find solace. Some will come seeking faith; some to celebrate their saving faith. We gather with many different stories.

Perspective is an important part of our stories. In the culture of his day, to be arrested usually brought shame. The shame fell upon the criminal and upon their family. Such was not the case with Paul and his family in Christ. He tells Timothy not to be ashamed of his faith or of where it has landed him. Quite the opposite – he invites Timothy to join him in his suffering. The invitation is based upon his faith in Jesus Christ. In verse 12 Paul declares, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” Paul knows that Jesus has the power to save and to raise him to new life. He knows that Jesus will protect him in this trial and will keep safe the promise of eternal life. Paul invites Timothy and us to live into this trust.

As we come and gather as the community of faith, both in person and online, both as local churches and as the global body of Christ, we join as one to worship our risen Savior. We celebrate and worship the one who died to pay the price for our sins and who rose from the grave to pave the way to life eternal. We rejoice today in the truths and we step into our tomorrows “with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, today as we gather, help me to be aware of those around me. We all gather, coming from many places and spaces. Draw us together, being generous and loving to one another. Draw us to you, our all in all. Amen.


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Wonderful

Reading: Psalm 139:13-18

Verse 14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.”

God’s knowledge of us and intimate connection to us begins before we are even born. Once again this week we are reminded that God knit us together in the womb, creating each of us just as God wants us to be. Yet we can look in the mirror and question God’s handiwork. Sometimes we look in the mirror and wish we were more attractive, stronger, thinner… Sometimes we look deeper than the surface and wish that we were smarter, funnier, kinder… Even though we know in our heart of hearts that we are the handiwork of God, the standards or expectations of this world can creep in and tell us that we are less than. It is not so!

God is perfect and created each of us in that perfection. We are not the tallest or the best looking or the wisest person in the whole world. But we are each the most loved. In verse 14 we read, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.” You are wonderful. I am wonderful. Each creation of God is wonderful. We are each lovingly and intricately designed, each a unique creation of God. We are precious to the Lord, beloved beyond our understanding. What awesome reasons to praise the Lord!

Today I invite you to think of someone who does not know these truths. You may see this person in the mirror, but for today I ask you to look beyond yourself. Think of a friend who sees themselves as “less than” or as unworthy of love because of something they’ve done or are. Begin to pray for them, to ask the Holy Spirit to begin to work in their life and in yours, showing you how to introduce them to these truths. Then be open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Thank you.

Prayer: Lord God, when I look in the mirror or reflect on myself, help me to see me as you see me. Prevent me from defining myself by the flaws I see or by the things of this world. Root me and ground me in who you created me to be. Living into that may I help others to know that they too are wonderful, that they too are loved. Amen.


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Are You Willing?

Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-8

Verse 5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you a part.”

In verse 5 we hear Jeremiah’s call story. God is addressing him, readying him to begin his ministry. The Lord says to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” This amazing statement is true for all of us. Before God’s hands brought our cells together, before God began to weave us together, God knew us. God knew our essence, our soul, our spirit. God knew who and what we were going to be created for before our first cells were formed. What an amazing and powerful thought.

Yet it gets better: “Before you were born I set you a part.” Woven together by God with a purpose for our lives, we were also set apart by God to live as a child of God. Created by God as a child of God we are to reflect our creator to the world. For each of us, God has a plan for how we are to do that. For Jeremiah, God created him to be a prophet. That might be what God created you to be too. Or maybe God created you to be a banker or a custodian, a mechanic or a lawyer, a business owner or a mom, a pastor or a carpenter, a chef or a firefighter… Whatever our vocation, we remain called by God to live a life set apart.

In verse 6 we hear Jeremiah’s ‘buts.’ we have them too. But God… Yet God says, “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. I am with you.” God says the same thing to our ‘buts.’ Before I formed you… I knew you. Before you breathed your first breath, I set you apart. If we are willing, these are God’s truths and God’s promises. Are you willing?

Prayer: Lord God, it is amazing to consider that you have a vision for me and for each of us. You put me together in a unique and special way – to accomplish what you set me apart for. Wow. And you promise to go with me, step by step, word by word, deed by deed. Wowza! Thank you, God. Amen.


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Hearing and Listening

Reading: Luke 15:1-3 and 11b-32

Verse 32: “But we had to celebrate and be glad… he was lost and is found.”

Today we return to the story of the “lost son.” He was the one who checked out early, squandered his wealth, came home defeated, and was received generously. Throughout the story we see the father. He met his younger son’s demand, longed for his return, and celebrated when the lost were found. The elder son formally enters the story in verse 25. Coming in from working in the fields, he gets angry over the celebration, at this welcoming home of his brother. We have the details or the facts of the story. But we don’t have much of the “why.” Why did the younger son ask such a thing of his father?…

We live around and interact with all sorts of people. We see their actions and we hear some of their words. And as is the case with the parable of the lost son, we can read into or infer some things. Yet we must be careful. These “insights” are guesses that come from within us and are often our perceptions or our own preconceived notions. We work with someone, for example, and we watch them for a bit and then we make assumptions about them. This is dangerous.

Each of us is unique and we all have our own stories. To really understand each other we must be willing to go beyond observations. We must become involved with one another, hearing and listening to each other’s stories. Only then do we enter into authentic relationships with one another, only then do we find space for ministering to one another. May we each be willing to spend time investing in our relationships, deepening our commitment to one another.

Prayer: Lord God, slow me down. Help me to be fully present to the one in front of me. Give me ears to hear and a heart to listen. Amen.


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The Better Way

Reading: 1st Corinthians 12:12-26

Verse 18: “In fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as God wanted them to be.”

Photo credit: Sigmund

Our time in 1st Corinthians 12 this week begins with these words: “The body is a unit… made up of many parts… they form one body.” This description fits all churches, some to a greater degree than others. Even in churches that appear very homogeneous, each person is unique, individual. In churches that appear very diverse, each person is unique, individual. In all churches, though, the call is to be unified in and around Jesus Christ.

Paul uses the parts of the hunan body to demonstrate the unity and connections and interrelatedness that should be found in all churches. Our body needs hands and feet, eyes and ears, and so on. One part is not more valuable than another. All are needed. The same is true in our churches – each part matters, each part has equal worth. Each part should have equal concern for the other parts. It is or should be this way because “in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as God wanted them to be.”

In some ways this statement of Paul’s reminds me of when mom or dad used to say, “because I said so.” Things should be such and such a way because they said so. While we might have gone along with it right then, we soon deviated. The same is true in most of our churches. We know that God loves all people and that we should too. But each person is unique, individual. We can find a million reasons to separate and divide – looks, worship style, dress, ethnicity, economics, politics, vocation… Yes, we can find the reasons. Or we can choose the better way, the way God designed us to be as the church – loving, welcoming, unified in and around Jesus Christ. May it be so in us and in our churches.

Prayer: Lord God, give me eyes to see and appreciate and value our uniqueness, our individuality. And give me a heart to truly love each part in all its uniqueness and individuality. Doing so, draw the church, each church, closer to your design. Amen.


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Desert Places

Reading: Luke 3: 4-6

Verse 4: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord'”.

Photo credit: Mariya Tarakhnenko

Today we continue with the call to draw others towards Jesus Christ. Luke quotes from the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord'”. The one “filled with the Holy Spirit from birth” will “go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:15) to make ready the people for the coming of the Messiah. John preached into these prophetic words, bringing many to the place of being ready to “see God’s salvation.”

Today let us consider the desert places as we think deeper into our call to do what John did, preparing the way for Jesus Christ. The desert is often seen as a place that is dry and without life. When thinking of getting out there to share our faith we often see desert places as challenging places to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Some may see the homeless as such a place. Others see the fancy cigar bars and country clubs as such places. Some see certain professions as such places. Others see certain age groups as such places.

As we think about the charge to make disciples of all people, we realize that we are not all able or gifted to go to all places. Although everyone is born in the image of God, we are each also uniquely created. Our uniqueness is something that can draw us to another’s desert place. There we can offer the living water found in a relationship with Jesus. There our gifts and abilities can connect to the image of God within the other, helping to prepare the way for the Lord. As we seek out those unique places and people whom the Lord is calling us to, may we also trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide.

Prayer: Lord God, you created me just as I am, with unique gifts, talents, interests, compassions. Use these to guide me to those who need to hear of your love and saving grace. Amen.


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Seeking to Love

Reading: Song of Solomon 2: 8-13

Verse 10: “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me”.

Photo credit: Dominik Lange

Song of Solomon is a book of beautiful poetry that creates images and thoughts around being in love. On the surface it is a love letter from Solomon to his lover. And boy are they in love! Chapter two is filled with invitation and appreciation of one another. They are in the serious stage of courting, of wooing one another. In our passage today the young man comes and invites his lover to come with him, saying, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me”. Spring is in full blossom, the flowers are budding! What a beautiful scene for an adventure with the one you love.

These words can guide us in our relationships – not just with our spouse or future spouse but in all of our relationships. The love modeled here comes from seeing and appreciating the unique gifts of the other and from finding their worth as a child of God. The hearts of these two people are bent towards deepening their love for one another. The words they speak flow from these hearts bent on love. Imagine how our world would be if we practiced these things in all of our relationships. Elevating the value and worth in all people, speaking from a place of agape love, we could live in a radically different world.

With this understanding some will read Song of Solomon and see a model for the love between Jesus Christ and the church. Jesus often used bride and groom language when describing his hoped for relationship with the church on earth. The perfecting of this love is found in the passages that detail the new creation that will arrive when Christ returns. In the interim we have been called by Jesus to love God with all that we are and to love neighbor as he first loved us. The language in our passage today could apply to these relationships and to our relationship with Jesus. It is not hard to imagine Christ saying to us each day, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me”.

This day and every day may we rise, hear his call, and go forth into the world with Jesus in our heart, seeking to love as he first loved us.

Prayer: Lord God, above all, there is love. In love you call us into relationship. You lead us to know what love really is through the example of Jesus Christ, your son. Guide and use me today to be love lived out in the world. Amen.


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The Body and Work

Reading: Romans 12: 3-8

Verses 4 and 5: “These members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body”.

In today’s reading Paul gives some guidance on how to be (and not to be) “living sacrifices”. He begins with a warning: “do not think of yourself more highly than you ought”. He is warning against arrogance and pride. When talking about gifts or talents, we can tend towards comparison and competition. For each of the gifts that Paul lists in verses six through eight there are ways to wrongly use each gift. For example, if a leader refuses to listen to others, then his or her pride soon leads to them leading a group of one. Or if God has blessed someone financially or otherwise and their gift is generosity, then giving can become a public display or it can come with strings attached. Both of these examples are getting away from the example set by Jesus.

Before reminding us that we are each uniquely gifted, Paul reminds us that the church is like the human body. He writes these words in verses four and five: “These members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body”. Although unique, as the church we still form one body of believers. He continues in verse five to write, “and each member belongs to all the others”. Imagine if we truly lived this out in our churches and in our own personal faiths! Paul is implying, rightly so, that we are all of equal worth or rank or value – whatever word you prefer. That means the newly confirmed or newly converted member has the same place as the 40-year member, as the pastor, as the lead elder… If the church as a whole lives into this kind of unity within its diversity, God’s power is at work.

In these types of churches each member feels like they matter and that they have something to offer to the whole. If all are valued and seen as bearers of God’s gifts, then all members seek to help others find, develop, and use their gifts. Doing so, the work of kingdom building becomes the work of the whole church. May we all seek to be a part of both sides of this equation: first, offering our gifts and talents as a living sacrifice and, second, helping others to do the same through words of encouragement, support, and love.

Prayer: God, as I consider this new body of Christ to which I belong, help me to lead well and to get to know and understand the gifts and talents of each sheep. Guide me with Holy Spirit discernment to how to best build up the body for your glory. Amen.