WATCHWORD:
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Meditation:
What the Heck is Going On?
If we had a Time Machine and could return to Galilee and followed our Lord on his initial travels through the fields and farms and villages surrounding the sea of Galilee, what would we learn in our travels? Let’s say that In being transported to first Century Judea, we retained our present knowledge, understandings and biases, what would be find? You know, I think we would be completely lost.
The dominant presence in the area, at that time, was Judaism, if there was a dominant presence at all. In that day and in that place, being a Christian would have hardly raised anyone’s eyebrows. In fact, if you wanted to make yourself completely separated from Judean society, become a Christian, although that term was not broadly used until after the Jerusalem Council of 50 AD.
In the Book of Acts, we are led to believe that Pentecost, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, made all the difference, the entry-level point in the spread of Christianity that proceeded smoothly. The historical reality is much more complex.
The Christian movement, as we know it, probably began not from a single center but from many different centers where different groups of disciples of Jesus gathered and tried to make sense of what they had experienced with him and what had happened to him at the end of his public ministry. Each of those groups probably had a very different take on what was the significance of Jesus. Talk about denominational squabbling!
Each one of us has a different take on what’s happening within our respective churches. What’s causing division, what’s causing strife, and maybe some solutions. Whatever that division is, it exists because we are sinful. We are not following our Lord. On this point, we’re no different than our brothers in first Century Christianity.
The tension in the ministry of my current church causes me a great deal of stress, and frankly, grief. I long for the good old days; a generational ministry, future ministry deliberations, outreach to the community, “each one reach one.” It seemed at that time there was both instruction and construction. Christian education was an important component, while sharing discipleship was our ministry.
So many of our churches are dying. No telling what the Covid impact will be. We worship through streaming, in the comfort of our living rooms, in our PJs. What will constitute an outreach from that settings? How will we re-adapt once more when we freely worship together, without fear?
What will the bridge to bring us back to true worship? I long for the good old days, but I don’t think they’re going to be coming back the way they were. We’ve all been adjusting to a new normal which is abnormal at best. Sometime in the distant future we will be adjusting to still another new normal. I pray that the power of the Holy Word, that the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the trust of all believers in Christ will be strong.
It seems to me that we have forgotten a bunch of stuff. We seem to forget that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, including ourselves. We seem to forget that it was God himself who said he would be with us to the end of the age, whenever that will be. It was God incarnate who came among us to find out what the heck is going on with these beings I created?
We do talk like we need bridges to span the gaps between love and hatred. The gap between stupidity and other stupidity. To span the gaps between the color divide, the racial divide, the language divide, to somehow address the difference between compassion and reckless cruelty.
God is still in charge. God still loves us. Got has a purpose and we are part of that purpose, and we should act like it. We are no longer Jews, or Muslim, or Catholic, or 45,000 brands of Protestantism. We are one, just as he created us.
We are in the garden of Eden but, friends, we don’t get to stay here if we continue to act out our divisions. Amen.
Psalm 100:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord is God! It is he who made us and we are HIS people, the sheep of his pasture. Interest gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise! For The Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Prayer for this day:
Introduction — When we pray, we often turn to God to unleash blessing upon our lives. We can also pray for God to help us overcome obstacles. it’s important that we understand that we wouldn’t be here without the power of God’s hand and His power to make things possible in our lives. Matthew 19:26 says, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this impossible; but with God all things all things are possible.” When we believe in God’s power, we can rest assured that all things are possible. When we face obstacles this day, rely on Jesus to lead them through, and pray:
Jesus, Bless me with the faith to always believe, to affirm the power of Your miracles to make all things possible in my life. Grant me the ability to instantly perceive the source of all my needs, which is You. Amen.
