Living forgiveness

Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.  Romans 14:3. Paul is responding to a problem in the Roman church.  Some people believe that they are better than others because of their practices in the faith.  He makes it clear in this passage that we are not to pass judgment.  Different people are at different places in their walk with Christ, and that’s okay.  

Some of us may honor the Lord in different ways and that’s okay.  Paul reminds us that we don’t live to ourselves but to the Lord.  When we died we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  And our Gospel lesson tells us that we will be judged according to the judgment we have passed on others.  One of the hardest things a Christian does might be to learn how to be non-judgmental.  We must remember that forgiveness is from God and is always to be passed on to those we meet. 

Reflection on Psalm 119:105 - Word of God

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.”  There is a reason why more Bibles are sold every year than any other book.  It not only talks about eternal salvation, but it lays out a plan for living out our lives here on earth.  It gives examples of both right and wrong ways of doing things.  It also points out that even when you don’t do everything exactly right, you can still be acceptable before God. 

    At ordination, an Episcopal priest declares that they believe the Bible to contain all things necessary to salvation.  Sometimes when I don’t have a clue about what I’m supposed to do and I yell out, “Oh God, what now?”  God’s word can be comforting.  It can be challenging.  It can place you in God’s presence and help you see that path God has chosen for you to travel.  And it is always time well spent reading and contemplating God’s word.

Reflections on Genesis 24

In our first lesson from Genesis 24, We see Isaac’s man-servant going out to find a wife for Isaac.  According to the instructions from Abraham, he is going only to Abraham’s kinsfolk.  As he approaches the neighborhood, he stops and prays to God to help him find a mate for Isaac.  And he doesn’t leave it open to interpretation.  He asks for a specific sign (that the woman who gives him water, will also offer to water his camels) so that he will know without a doubt that he has received an answer.  

As I was graduating from seminary, I was questioning what God was calling me to do and where he was calling me to be.  I thought I was going one place, but then John Logan, then Canon to the Ordinary, called and asked me to go interview in Huntsville for an assistant rector/campus minister position there.  I remember praying on the way to Huntsville asking for a sign.  I decided that the sign would be that I would be able to see outside from the nave.  When I walked into the nave, there were three clear glass windows on either side of the congregation and a large clear glass window behind the altar showing the forest behind it.  I had my answer.  

I don’t think that the sign we ask for is arbitrary.  I believe that God places that specific sign in our mind so that he can answer our question without a doubt.  If you don’t ask for a specific sign, it might be possible to miss (or misinterpret) God’s message for you.

Reflections on the Gospel reading

Today’s gospel reading (Matthew 10:24-39) is a continuation of last week.  Jesus is sending the disciples out to preach the good news in neighboring towns.  This is still part of the teaching and instructions before they leave.  He encourages them to be like him, and what he has taught them in secret, they are now to go out and proclaim it to all they meet.  They are not to be afraid of people who come up against them.  When they proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are people who will take exception and argue with them.  It might even be family members who work against you.  

But through it all you are to remember that God considers you precious in his sight and He will be with you.  The same is true for us, also.  It doesn’t really matter whether it is family members, friends or strangers, there are people who will not agree with us.  And it doesn’t have to be about God - people will take exception over religion, or sports, or politics or even about what is a good place to eat. Arguments will happen, friendships will be strained, but through it all, we are to remember that we belong to God.  We are made in his image and are his forever.  He will give us strength to meet the needs of the day, to find solutions for working together and he will be with us through it all

Reflections on Mountain top experiences

In our second lesson, Peter reports, "When we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty."  Eyewitnesses - that is how the word of Jesus was spread - through eyewitness accounts of what Jesus said and what he did.  "Up on the mountain we saw his glory, we heard the voice of God, and we saw Moses and Elijah."  

Mountains were often where people went to experience God.  I remember climbing the Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos mountains in Big Bend.  When we reached the top, there was an amazing view of the hills and valleys below reaching on to the mountains over the border in Mexico.  We got to experience a little bit of the view that God has.  Maybe it is the rarified air of the high mountains, but there is truly an experience of God as we begin to understand how great he is, and how insignificant we are.  And we begin to understand how blessed we are to have been given that glimpse of his glorious creation.  You may not have been to a high mountain, but those of us who have, can share that experience through retelling the story just and Peter and James and John.  God's glory was not just seen, but experienced, and the tale was retold over and over so that others might come be believe.

Reflection from Habakkuk

The first part of our lesson from Habakkuk is something of a lament.  Habakkuk is lamenting the destruction he sees coming into the land at the hands of the Babylonians, and he is bold enough to ask God why he has not taken care of the problems.  This means that we also can be bold enough to go to God when problems arise, both in our nation and the world, and when problems arise in our individual lives.  We also can cry out to God, for answers and for relief.

Habakkuk stations himself on the rampart - the watchpost to keep watch for the Lord - waiting for an answer to his complaint.  The Lord tells him, it's okay.  The Lord has heard the complaint and assures Habakkuk that the answer will come.  He is told to wait patiently for the hand of the Lord to move.  The time will come when all will be made right and our God will be seen as Lord of all.  He gives hope for the future.

I feel somewhat like Habakkuk.  I cry out to the Lord for the future of our nation.  I know that regardless of who wins this election, we are in for a rough and contentious 4 years. May God's mercy pour out on us and as followers of Jesus Christ, I ask everyone to pray for our nation and for its leaders; not telling God how to solve the problems, but asking him to work through whatever circumstances arise

A woman brought an alabaster jar of ointment - excerpt from today's sermon

A woman brought an alabaster jar of ointment and began to weep and wash his feet with her tears and anointed him with the oil.  The Pharisee who had invited Jesus thought if Jesus was a prophet, he should have known her sins and rebuked her. . .  From Luke 7

Pharisees get something of a raw deal in the gospels.  In truth, Simon is not really a bad person.  He has spent his whole life trying to live up to the laws handed down for generations - really trying to be the best Pharisee possible.  Remember that Pharisee wasn't a dirty word...  It's simply the name of a group of religious people.  Not much different from saying you are Episcopalian, or Baptist, or Catholic.  In that day the prominent groups were Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.

But this attempt to be good has left Simon spiritually proud - unable to even imagine his need for God's forgiveness.  What Simon doesn't realize, is that God, who is perfect, sees all sin the same.  It is only on this earth, where no one is perfect, that we use comparisons to justify our actions, to elevate ourselves or to exclude certain others.

What we need to remember is that God's economy is based on mercy, not merit.  To God, we are all his children, all the same; some of us just need more forgiveness than others.  And Jesus is there for us - just like he was there for both Simon and for the woman.

How do we respond to Jesus?  Do we accept his invitation to lay our burdens at his feet?  Do we accept his forgiveness for our sins, both great and small?  Or do we take offense that he is generous with others whom we consider to be greater sinners?

Having a heart for God doesn't mean we will always get it right or do it right or be right, but it does mean we really do want to get it right, and when we figure out that we are wrong, we will acknowledge it, repent and try to turn our life around.