This is a place where we can share thoughts on living the Christian life. Feel free to join the conversation about the daily readings from the One Year Bible Online.
In today’s reading from the One Year Bible Online (1 Kings 2-3:2) King David breathes his last. In so doing, he gives his son Solomon one last piece of advise: “Take courage and be a man.” For some the charge to “be a man” might suggest a call to be strong, or tough, or relentless, or dogged. It might suggest certain behavior towards women or to one’s enemies (I’m not suggesting they are one in the same). The common theme that runs through all of them is the notion of being large and in charge – a “man’s man!”
As we read on, however; we find David suggesting no such thing. The passage continues:
Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.
Though throughout his life David had been a “Man’s Man,” the kind of man he’s talking about is a man of submission. “Observe the requirements… Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws…” David understood that anyone can act like a “Man’s Man.” He himself had once, and Solomon was the result of that moment of weakness. David had come to understand that being a real man meant complete submission to God. David had always been good at living that out – right up to that fateful point when Solomon was conceived with Bathsheba. In that moment of turning away from submission to God’s expectations and pursuing his own pleasures, he failed to be a real man – a man of God – and his actions initiated the downfall of his kingdom.
So, if you are a man (or a woman, for that matter), be a “Real Man” and let God be the one that’s “large and in charge.”
In comments made to the United Methodist Connection concerning the recent change in DC law allowing same sex marriages, the Rev. Mary Kay Totty, Pastor of Dumbarton UM Church, said something that really caught my attention. She said,
“As a pastor, I take on the duel roles of civil servant of the state and spiritual leader of a congregation.”
A civil servant? Really? I don’t get that. I didn’t realize my ordination examination was also a civil service exam. Aside from giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s (paying taxes) I thought I was obliged to be a servant of the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of this world.
I see things a bit differently. I would submit that clergy need to be deliberate in NOT thinking of themselves as civil servants. Consider history. The kingdoms of this world have created such things as slavery, apartheid, the Holocaust, and countless other atrocities. If clergy were ordained to be civil servants, we would be obliged to support whatever atrocious policies the state might choose to establish. Of course, history tells us the church has historically done just that. My own denomination bears the shame of being too comfortable with slavery in the 19th century, just as other denominations bear the shame of being involved in similar atrocities. Civil servant? I don’t think so! Clergy are called to serve God & neighbor; not the state.
I would submit that marriage is a religious institution, and as such government should have nothing to do with it. In my perfect world the state would wash its hands of marriage and give it back to the religious institutions from whence it came. Marriage would not be licensed,or taxed, and would bring with it no civil benefits (tax breaks, etc.). It would be treated by the state like baptism, a bar mitzvah, or any other sacred rite; something that religious adherents freely choose to do as an expression of their faith, and I, an ordained clergy person, could administer that rite without any hint of being a “civil servant.”
On the other hand, legal/contractual relationships between two parties should be handled by the state. If the state wants to define and license legal relationships between persons for the sake of taxation or the distribution of government benefits, so be it. That is the business of the state. People of faith could have a voice in the public discourse concerning the development and establishment of such policy (that’s the beauty of democracy), but the issue at hand would be one of public – not religious policy. If such a separation were ever able to be accomplished we would truly be giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and giving back to God what is God’s (…and I wouldn’t have to worry about being mistaken for a civil servant).
Unless you just crawled out of a cave, you’re familiar with the acronym WYSIWYG; “What you see is what you get.” Psalm 12, from today’s readings in The One Year Bible, speaks to the reality that people are rarely WYSIWYG. We tend more toward WYSAWYG, or “What you see AIN’T what you get.
1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
Speaking “with flattering lips and deceitful hearts” is apparently nothing new. In fact, it’s a timeless problem all of us suffer. In the best sense we behave this way because it’s easier to say what people want to hear than it is to speak the truth in love. In the worst sense we do so because we care only about “#1″ and we’ll say (and do) whatever it takes to satisfy ourselves regardless of the impact on our neighbors.
The author of the Psalm offered up one solution as to how God might rectify the situation…
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
and silence their boastful tongues.
OUCH! That seems a bit harsh – especially since I’m just as guilty of being WYSAWYG as the next guy. I think I’ll offer up a less violent request:
God: Forgive us all for being WYSAWYG people, and by your Spirit at work within us, transform us to be as WYSIWYG as Jesus was. Amen.
Today’s readings from the One Year Bible include Proverbs 30:18-19, which state:
18 There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.
After two-three millenia, the sciences of physics and biology have answered the first three questions… but the forth? That one is still up for grabs. 
Who says the Bible isn’t fun to read! Have a blessed day.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. …9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 9-11
Advent is a season that tends to call us to look in the rearview mirror at the manger and the birth of Jesus; the first “Adventus” or coming of Christ. The readings at the beginning of Advent however remind us that we’re not just called to look back – but to look ahead to Jesus’ second “coming,” not in meekness like a child, but in judgment.
Now, I’m not one to spend much time focusing on the details surrounding the second coming of Christ. One reason is that biblical details on the subject are nebulous and a matter of great debate. The other reason I don’t focus on the details of the second coming is captured in the passage above from today’s readings. It’s because, “God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation.” We who trust in Jesus Christ have nothing to fear in his second coming. We don’t have to worry about what it will be like. We don’t have to worry if we’ll be early or late for his arrival. He’s coming for us… we’re not going to him. All we have to do is trust; and live lives that bear out that trust. The rest will work itself out.
So – Advent is not just a time to look backward – at Jesus’ first coming. It’s also a time to look forward to the promise that he will come again. It’s a reminder that as Christians we have something to “look forward” to with excited anticipation.
Prayer: God: Help us to live and speak today as those who excitedly expect you to come to take us home at any moment. Amen.
Today’s reading from the One Year Bible Online reminded me of the John Fogarty song, Centerfield, which revolves around the lyric, “Put me in coach, I’m ready to play, TODAY!” The player in today’s reading was Isaiah…
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Isaiah wasn’t initially so eager. His first response was to say, “No – I’m unworthy,” but God made him ready through the seraphim with the burning coal. That’s what a good coach does; he prepares the players so when they are eventually put in the game they can succeed.
Such is the nature of our role in the Body of Christ. God, through the Holy Spirit at work in each of us, has bee preparing us to be put in the game that we might drive in runs (or this time of year, make touchdowns) for the Kingdom of God.
You might be asking, “Where is the game, what are the rules, and how is it played?” The game is where you are, be it home, work, school, retirement, or anywhere in between. In a word, the game is life. The rules are laid out in the Bible. How is it played? That’s not always clear, but what is clear is when it’s played well, God winds up looking good, people are made whole, and everyone comes away a winner.
How has God been preparing you to “produce on the field?” However that may be, know that you have an awesome coach who has been, and continues to prepare you to be a wonderfully productive player, so get out on the field!
Today marks the end of the looooonnnnngggg reading of Job in the One Year Bible. My conclusions:
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
You think you have it tough? Consider the apostle Paul. According to his own account in 2 Cor 11:24-28, he had received 39 lashes five times, survived three shipwrecks, and encountered all sorts of dangers and trouble in travelling about the world telling people about Jesus. On top of that, he’s getting old and becoming more and more aware of his mortality. He knows that if shipwrecks and beatings don’t kill him, time eventually will. Nevertheless, he was still able to enjoy the hopeful perspective recounted above. Amazing! How was he able to do it? Simple. He was able to maintain a long distance perspective. He was able to focus on the promises of God beyond this life, and not be distracted by the trials of his day to day life.
I bet you do have it tough. We all do. Underneath the “I’m fine” face we put on in public most folks I meet have a laundry list of troubles; troubles that distract us from the hope we have in Jesus. Follow Paul’s advice. Fix your gaze on things that cannot be seen. The troubles you experience today will soon be gone, but persevering them in faith will result in a glory that is far greater than our troubles – a glory that will last forever.
1 Then Job spoke again: 2 “You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!
Job 12:1-2
This sarcastic comment by Job was a response to his friends – yes, friends – who were there to console him in the midst of his suffering. The well intended words each friend spoke to comfort Job wound up doing more harm than good. Why? Because they were rooted in each man’s personal wisdom (which as it turned out, wasn’t very wise at all). Even through the distraction of his grief and pain Job was able to detect that “their” wisdom was not “true” wisdom.
It’s easy to sit back as the reader and cast stones at Job’s friends, but the fact of the matter is; we’re in the same boat. Like them, we too have our own “personal wisdom,” our own views we consider wise, but truth be known, there is a chasm of ignorance separating “our” wisdom from “true” wisdom. The life well lived is the one lived in the chasm; aware that the wisdom one has… is not, and the wisdom that is… is not yet known.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
The good Christian lives in the chasm, and studies God’s word in hopes that day by day the chasm might narrow.
The good Christian lives in the chasm, and speaks as one who knows the wisdom we have is not wisdom at all.
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. .. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 1 Kings 19:3-4
Sounds like Elijah was having a bad day, doesn’t it? Truth be told, he was actually doing well. He had just completed a stunning work of God, demonstrating in grand fashion the false god du jour (Baal) was a fraud (1 Kings 18) and he would soon have a close personal encounter with GOD who would care for Elijah’s needs and send him into the next phase of his divine service. Despite the fact that he was being used by God in such significant ways and enjoying such an intimate relationship with God, Elijah was afraid and wishing he were dead.
A wise man once said while lamenting that his missionary children (and grandchildren) were serving in a dangerous overseas setting, “There’s no better place for them to be than right in the middle of God’s will, and I know that’s where they are.” That’s where Elijah was – right in the middle of God’s will for his life, and as a result he would do the great works of God recorded in scripture, and at the end of it all receive the rare honor of being taken up into God’s presence “in a whirlwind,” bypassing the grave altogether. That notwithstanding, from Elijah’s perspective, life stunk!
When life brings us trouble, like Elijah, we get scared and discouraged. It’s important to remember that our relationship with God does not come with a guarantee of happiness and easy living. There will be days when you’ll find yourself “under a broom tree wishing you were dead.” As Jesus put it in his last supper with his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble…” All of us know that all too well. Fortunately, Jesus went on to finish that sentence by saying, “…but take heart, I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33) That’s the true benefit of the Christian life. Not being promised a life of “sunny days,” but a life of hope that we have an eternity of sunny days waiting just beyond the storms we face in this life. Elijah would eventually move beyond the storms he faced in his life and enjoy eternity in the presence of God.
Do you find yourself sitting under a broom tree today? Take heart. Whatever you face has already been “overcome.” We serve a God who has promised us a better tomorrow that will last eternally longer than the troubles of today!