As I was standing in church worshipping the other day the Lord spoke to me that He is standing at the door and knocking and quite a number of people are afraid to let Him in because they are afraid of what He might do.  Sometimes we tend to think that He will do something bad in our lives, bring judgment upon us, or shame us if we open our doors to meet Him and He would happen to see the mess we have.   I have news for you – God can see through your walls and He knows what kind of mess you have and He wants to come in anyway!  He is standing at the door knocking and knocking and He’s not empty handed.  God wants to bring good and blessing into our lives and in order to receive that blessing we must answer the door.

We must not be afraid to open the door, or even if we believe He is standing on the other side wanting to do good we must not walk to the door casually.  Rather we need to run to the door in anticipation, fling it wide open and receive Him with more excitement than we would our favorite relative bringing gifts on Christmas!  How we view Christ and what He wants to do in our lives will determine the extent to which He can work.  If we are expecting bad things then we will hold Him at arm’s length.  But, if we expect good things we will welcome Him with open arms, ready to receive all the abundance He brings.

Have you ever had a good friend come over and pitch in to help you organize your mess?  Some of us are good at organizing and others struggle at it.  I am not too bad at organizing, but I appreciate when someone volunteers to come to my house and help me tackle a mess that seems to have gotten out of control!  I appreciate it even more when that friend understands and doesn’t judge but rather takes initiative to set things right.   It is freeing to have a friend who doesn’t shame or come in and make the mess I have worse!  The Holy Spirit is like that; He comes in, doesn’t get angry about the mess, doesn’t judge, but picks up the broom and dustpan and gets to work giving us direction as He works alongside of us to restore things to their rightful place.  What makes the outcome of this work of the Holy Spirit beautiful is that in His gracious, compassionate and loving kindness He leaves beautiful gifts and abundant blessings in place of the former mess.  I am so thankful He is that kind of friend!

Having the anticipation of something good and receiving help will go a long way in improving your attitude and how you deal with life and most of all it will affect your relationship with Christ.  Make a commitment today to run to the door with anticipation of what He wants to do in your life to help tackle your mess.  Trust that God loves you unfailingly and that He will help you and in the place of that mess leave a bouquet of good things – it will be a sweet smelling fragrance in your life!

Psalm 145:3-8 (NIV)
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
    they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
    and I will proclaim your great deeds.
 They celebrate your abundant goodness
    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.

Govern our ways for we are weak;
Strengthen us for we are frail;
Refresh us for we are famished;
And plentifully bestow Thy good gifts upon us.

Defend us from the snares of Satan, our old enemy,
That he tempt us not out of the right way,
But that we may be evermore ready to praise and glorify Thy holy name,
Through Jesus Christ.

Amen.”

–”Psalm 145″ in Prayers on the Psalms From the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 145.

May the United States seek You with the faith of a child.

Father God,
You are the God of faithful promises,¹ worthy of praise!² It is by your hand that America has become great—for all government is established within the sovereignty of your purpose.³ You alone bring blessings to our nation, but we will find darkness where we allow our footsteps to depart from the light of your Word.⁴ Reveal where our hearts must turn back toward you, for you have said:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.⁵

May our leaders be blessed as their hearts turn toward your will.
May we hear the echo of your voice within the patriotism of our cries.
May we, in our strength, seek you with the faith of a child, ⁶
and may your name be glorified by that strength.

Give us the wisdom, as Christians Patriots, to represent the freedom of worship you’ve bestowed upon us with excellence. Give us a heart for our neighbors and our communities; grant us a burden to pray for those in authority⁷ and the guidance to be ambassadors of your mercy with intentional integrity. May the heart of the American Christian be renewed and become a beacon to those who seek your faithfulness.
Amen.

.

_________
1. 2 Peter 1:3-4
2. Psalm 145:3
3. Romans 13:1
4. Psalm 119:105
5. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV84)
6. Luke 18:17
7. 1 Timothy 2:1-3

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.
Photo Credit: Cris Watk

Above: Byzantine Mosaic of John the Baptist, from Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

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FIRST READING AND PSALM:  OPTION #1

Genesis 32:22-31 (New Revised Standard Version):

The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said,

Let me go, for the day is breaking.

But Jacob said,

I will not let you go, unless you bless me.

So he said to him,

What is your name?

And he said,

Jacob.

Then the man said,

You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.

Then Jacob asked him,

Please tell me your name.

But he said,

Why is it that you ask my name?

And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying,

For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.

The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Psalm 17:1-7, 16 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

1 Hear my plea of innocence, O LORD;

give heed to my cry;

listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.

2 Let my vindication come forth from your presence;

let your eyes be fixed on justice.

3 Weigh my heart, summon me by night,

melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.

4 I give no offense with my mouth as others do;

I have heeded the words of your lips.

5 My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law;

in your paths my feet shall not stumble.

6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me;

incline your ear to me and hear my words.

7 Show me your marvelous loving-kindness,

O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand

from those who rise up against me.

16 But at my vindication I shall see your face;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

FIRST READING AND PSALM:  OPTION #2

Isaiah 55:1-5 (New Revised Standard Version):

Ho, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and you that have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

listen, so that you may live.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander for the peoples.

See, you shall call nations that you do not know,

and nations that do not know you shall run to you,

because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorified you.

Psalm 145:8-9, 15-22 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,

slow to anger and of great kindness.

9 The LORD is loving to everyone

and his compassion is over all his works.

15 The LORD upholds all those who fall;

he lifts up those who are bowed down.

16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD,

and you give them their food in due season.

17 You open wide your hand

and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

18 The LORD is righteous in all his ways

and loving in all his works.

19 The LORD is near to those who call upon him,

to all who call upon him faithfully.

20 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and helps them.

21 The LORD preserves all those who love him,

but he destroys all the wicked.

22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD;

let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

SECOND READING

Romans 9:1-5 (New Revised Standard Version):

I am speaking the truth in Christ– I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit– I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

GOSPEL READING

Matthew 14:13-21 (New Revised Standard Version):

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said,

This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.

Jesus said to them,

They need not go away; you give them something to eat.

They replied,

We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.

And he said,

Bring them here to me.

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

The Collect:

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Follow the URL for thoughts about Jacob’s all-night wrestling match:

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/week-of-proper-9-tuesday-year-1/

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The call of God transformed a schemer named Jacob into a the patriarch Israel.  That mandate was to be a light to the nations, and it applied to the Israelite people as a whole.  (It still does.)  To be set aside as chosen is to receive a great responsibility.  This is a matter of duty, not prestige.

That duty is to bring diverse peoples to God.  Read Matthew 13, which contains parables of inclusion.  The mustard plant was inclusive in so far as animals of various species took shelter within it.  This mustard plant was an allegory for the Kingdom of God.  And, when we turn to the wheat field infected with tares and the net full of good and bad fish, we read that God will sort out the good and the bad, the wheat and the weeds, later.

We read also in Matthew 13 that the Kingdom of God is precious, worthy of single-minded devotion.  Consider the brief parables of the pearl and the treasure.

So here we are in Matthew 14, following those parables and the execution of John the Baptist.  He drew people to God.  But lest we oversimplify, and say that we must always be nice, consider the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist.  They used harsh words when appropriate, and they contributed greatly to these holy men going to their deaths.  Read the prophets, also.  Was Jeremiah habitually polite and respectable?  No, of course not.  All these men suffered because of the ways they brought people to God.

Even being nice scared people and put Jesus at risk.  Few actions are nicer than feeding people.  But this and other miracles scared certain individuals who had the power to execute Jesus or to arrange such a death.

Why do we fear good, holy people at any time, in any place?  Sometimes their examples reveal our own shortcomings.  So, instead of seeking to correct our errors, we react defensively.  Or, in the case of Jeremiah, Jesus, and John the Baptist, they threaten power structures–such as domestic and foreign potentates and religious hierarchies.  And, in a society lacking the separation of religion and state, powerful political figures can label theological dissent as treason, or at least a moral threat to society.  This happened in the Byzantine Empire, too, and, in North America, in colonial New England.  (Puritans hanged Quakers.)

So being a light to the nations is a perilous vocation.  But it is God’s call.  It is the way to life, even if death is a stop along the way.  Countless saints, many of them martyrs, continue to teach this lesson by the example of their lives, even many years after their earthly journeys ended.  And contemporary martyrs and other saints do the same.  Potentates who persecute think that they can eradicate a message they fear.  But, time after time, history proves that the blood of the martyrs waters the church.  Persecution usually has the effect of increasing the brightness of the light the persecutors seek to extinguish.  These persecutors do not learn quickly or at all, do they?

And so the Kingdom of God continues unabated, much like the mustard plant Jesus used as a parable illustration.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

–John 1:5 (Revised Standard Version)

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 14, 2011 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST SAINTS MACRINA THE ELDER, BASIL THE ELDER, EMILIA, NAUCRATIUS, AND PETER OF SEBASTE, FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS OVER THREE GENERATIONS

THE FEAST OF CIVIL RIGHTS MARTYRS AND ACTIVISTS

THE FEAST OF RICARDO MONTALBAN, ACTOR

THE FEAST OF SAINT SAVA, FOUNDER OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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Adapted from this post:

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/proper-13-year-a/

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The reality of God’s existence is a refuge for some and a source of fear for others.

To those who believe in the God of the universe, the God of Jacob and Genesis, the God who sent Jesus Christ to earth to be the savior of all mankind, he is the foundation of our faith.

For those who believe in other gods, Jehovah God brings fear, frustration and anger. Albert Barnes writes in ‘Barnes notes on the Bible’, “People cannot, by an effort of will, get rid of the evidence that there is a God. In the face of all their attempts to convince themselves of this, the demonstration of his existence will press upon them, and will often fill their minds with terror.”

Jesus himself warns us that we would be hated by the world because the world hates him, and if the world hates Jesus it hates the Father God of the universe. What was the first emotion felt by Adam and Eve after they sinned? When God came looking for them to take his normal evening walk in the garden with his friends they were hiding. Why? “We hid because we were naked and afraid.”

Unhealthy fear of God is expressed in many ways. Some go to any effort at all to disprove his existence.

Others show fear though anger at God. He didn’t do what I wanted. He didn’t meet my wants. Therefore he must not exist and if he does exist, he isn’t interested in me or is angry with me.

Still others become frustrated in their walk with God. They live the way they want. They follow their own passions, their own desires and when the natural consequences of their decisions produce the expected outcome they are shocked. Where is God now? They ask. If he loves me why does this happen?

Referring back to the earlier quote from Barnes’ may help us to understand a little bit more about our enemy. Our ultimate enemy of course is Satan, but he works in the minds of his children (those who refuse to believe) to instill fear in a variety of ways in order to pull them farther from the God who desperately wants a love relationship with them.

What does this mean to us as Christ followers? Perhaps it is easier for us to realize that those attacks on us that seem to put us on the defensive are really the attacks of people who feel trapped. Cornered by the sub-conscious realization that God does exist, they have two options. Fight or give in.

Our responsibility as children of God isn’t to fight back, but to love and accept them into the kingdom. Show them the forgiveness available through grace. Realize their attacks are really an indication of the realization that we are right about our belief in a sovereign God and a gracious redeemer.

PRAYER: Father, I confess to you that I get angry when I see people around me mocking your name and living in ways that don’t please you. I get judgmental and critical of their ways. Help me to see what you see, a bunch of scared people seeking relief from their fears in the wrong way. Help me show them that you are the solution to the fear and frustration in their lives, not the cause of it. In the name of Jesus, my Lord I pray, Amen.

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Nature’s cyclical pattern marks God’s scheme of blessing. All blessings come from above (Genesis 49:25; Ephesians 1:3). As Creator of all, the Lord is the Giver of life along with what sustains us (Psalms 145:15-16).

Heat from the sun, moisture from the rains, and oxygen in the atmosphere originated in His mind and exist through His wisdom and power (Genesis 1:1 – Genesis 2:3). He is the Designer of our bodies—organs, bones, tissues, muscles, nerves.

Our Father is also the Originator of our spiritual blessings. We can know God only because He first chose to reveal Himself through His creations; His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and the Bible (1 John 4:19).

When we receive the blessings of God through faith, the cycle continues as we share His presence in our conversation and our deeds. God told Abraham: “I will bless you…and so you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2 NASB).

The Lord favors us with His encouragement, hope, and joy. In turn we encourage the fainthearted, revive the sagging soul, and bring cheer to the afflicted.

Are you participating in God’s cycle of blessing? Look to Him as your Resource; then look to help others.

Precious heavenly Father, You are the Originator of all my spiritual blessings. Help me to plug into Your divine cycle of blessing. Let me look to You as my divine Resource in every situation, and then reveal ways I can bless others.

Praise on the Lord’s Day ~ March 11, 2012

 ”I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

²Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.     Music:  Psalm 145

⁴One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
⁵I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
⁶And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
⁷They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
⁸The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
⁹The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
¹⁰All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. ¹¹They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
¹²To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 
¹³Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
¹⁴The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
¹⁶Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
¹⁸The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
¹⁹He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. 
²⁰The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Grace Crowned with Glory agoldentreasury.com

And so my challenge was going to be, as a justified Christian, one who has found justice and complete victory in Calvary, to introduce that fact into the poems I would write. I know that if David had been a New Testament Christian, Jesus would have been front and center in every one of his psalms. While David found most of his enemies on the battle-field of life, and he was a warrior poet, we, as new testament Christians fight on a different battle-field. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. We fight our battles in the shadow of victorious Calvary. So, we have attained justice and we walk in victory, yet we still battle principalities and powers. This is why the psalms still speak so powerfully to us today. David writes down every raw emotion with total honesty. We find comfort in the fact that a man after God’s own heart struggled on so many different levels.

We see the comfort that David inevitably always finds as he falls back upon the God he knows, even if he could not always feel His presence and at times felt abandoned. All of these issues are so relevent to the modern Christian. We no longer call out for the deaths of those who hate us, our enemies, we have been called to a higher plane by the Lord, to walk in the light of Calvary. Yet, we will still go through every dark valley, we will still experience loss. We will still find ourselves holed up in caves as we withdraw from those who despitefully use us and seek for a place of refuge. That is why the Psalms are as beloved today as they were 3000 years ago. They peel away the layers of the heart and leave us standing alone with our Lord. Below is the poem that I wrote for psalm 139 a few days ago, this psalm has always brought me much comfort………………

The Book of Life was opened
And a name was written down
All of heaven stood and gazed
Not a movement, not a sound

The angels watched in silence
As the story did unfold
And from the pages of the book
The story it was told

And life sprung up from off the page
These words became a man
The angels gasped to see such work
To see God’s mighty plan

A soul was fashioned in His hand
And how, no one could tell
It was marvelous and wonderful
And this my soul knows well

Where could I go from you Spirit Lord?
Could I hide in the depths of the sea?
No matter where I run to Lord
You still come after me

I could take the wings of the morning
And fly into the darkest night
And there be blinded by the darkness
And you would come and give me sight

I could ascend to the highest heaven
And I would find you there
I could fall to the lowest pits of hell
And discover that you are everywhere

And so you came and sought me out
Even in this hell dark place
For the day and night are both alike
As they gaze upon your face

For in the glorious light of heaven
There is no darkness that can stand
For through the very gates of hell
You came and took me by the hand

And you laid your hand upon me
That hand that gave me birth
That hand that knew me through and through
Before I came to earth

For before the earth was fashioned
That Book was in your hand
Before the sun shone in the sky
All of this was planned

Oh search me God and know my heart
That sin may have no place in me
For I was covered by your Blood
That precious Blood of Calvary

This sin it would assault my soul
And rob and steal and take from me
The testimony of my King
And what He did on Calvary

But praise the Lord there is no power
Neither hell nor death nor misery
Can come against the precious work
The precious work of Calvary

How precious are your thoughts to me
They’re more in number than the sand
I’ll praise you Lord eternally
My name was written by your hand.

The choicest first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the Lord, your God.
~ Exodus 34:26

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
~ Galatians 5:19-23

The dead of winter feels like a funny time to talk about fruit. Luckily for us, I’m not talking about grapes and oranges. I have had a different kind of fruit on my mind, “fruit” as it means “produce”.

The ancient Jews, following Moses in the desert, had escaped Egypt after the Passover. During the Passover, God had taken from Egypt every first-born, animal or human. This plague of death passed over the faithful Jews who followed the Lord’s instructions and found themselves released from their servitude. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, all chronicling the trek through the desert to Canaan, God says repeatedly that, at the Passover, he consecrated the first-born to Himself. Those who were spared death in the faithful households belonged to God and He claimed them as His own. He claimed also the first-born of the livestock, and the first-fruits of the field.

The Jews therefore gave in sacrifice their first-born livestock and the first-fruits of their crops. The Levites, one of the tribes, God took in place of the first-born of each household to serve in His temple.

In the time of the Old Testament, it was easy to know how to give to God one’s “first-fruits”, but what kinds of “fruits” do we give Him today?

Galatians, written thousands of years after the Exodus, speaks of the difference between the flesh and the spirit. The author illustrates the base desires of the flesh and identifies them as contrary to the path to Heaven. He follows this with a listing of the “Fruits of the Spirit”. These are the gifts, given to us by God through the Holy Spirit, which, when faithfully practiced, will bring us closer with our Lord and lead us to Him.

So, we know that the first-fruits of our harvest belong to God, and we know what the fruits of the Spirit are. How do we give the first-fruits of the Spirit to God?

Love - God has given us each the ability to love every one and everything around us. And through our love of others, we show our love of the Lord. The offering of this fruit to God is exemplified in Blessed Mother Teresa, who said, “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” To give of your love to the Lord, give of it to every person you see, whether your gift be a smile, a helping hand, a day of service, or heartfelt prayer.

Joy - God has blessed us with the ability to feel joy. We feel the joy of a child’s birth or the joy of a new morning. Joy is a celebration of the good in our lives. To give the fruits of our joy back to the Lord, we must celebrate our lives. Find the joy in every moment of your day-to-day existence and offer it up to Him constantly, living a joyful life in Him.

Peace - We have each been given the ability to have inner peace through God. Through his Spirit, he calms our souls and minds and brings us to communion with Him and with those around us. Some of us struggle to give God the space in our souls to create His peace. Open your heart to Him and give Him room that He may give you peace throughout your day. And once you’ve given Him a place in your heart and live in His peace, share that peace with those around you. Show the world the peace the Lord gives to you.

Patience - It can be hard to believe at times, but we all have the ability to be patient. God asks us to wait for many things. In the short-term, for answers to our prayers, and in the long-term, for Jesus to come again for us. It is easy for us to be impatient though. The world we live in is one of instant gratification and we are quick to choose the easier and faster path. Examine your choices. Is God asking you to wait a bit to get the thing you want? Are you making choices to by-pass God and get to your desires faster? Trust in God to give you what you need in His time and choose the patient path.

Kindness - A popular arrangement of Psalm 145, Scott Soper’s Loving and Forgiving describes God as “slow to anger, rich in kindness”. These descriptors are all related. God is loving, forgiving, slow to anger, and rich in kindness. He sees past our faults because He loves us, quashes His anger toward us and shows us instead His unending kindness. He has given us of His kindness that we might share it with others. This kindness is rooted in the others: love, forgiveness, and absence of anger. In your interactions with those around you, you are already sharing God’s love. Take the time to also consider whether you are practicing forgiveness and whether you are allowing anger to affect your decisions. Kindness comes in the absence of judgement and in actions of genuine care for those around us.

Generosity - God has made us a generous people. He asks us to sacrifice for each other and for Him. We give, not just of worldly goods, but also of ourselves, to those who need our help. During this time of Lent, one of the three forms of penance we are to be practicing as Catholics is almsgiving. Find ways to give generously of your goods and of yourself to those in need in the service of the Lord during Lent and the rest of the year.

Faithfulness - God calls us each to faithfulness. Our faithfulness is our gift back to Him. God’s call to faithfulness is explained beautifully in a song by Notre Dame grad Danielle Rose, Holiness if Faithfulness. I strongly suggest you take a listen, and give of your faithfulness to the Lord.

Gentleness - It is the intention of God for us to be gentle. Yet the world we live in today abounds with messages to the contrary. We are encouraged to be sharp and sarcastic with those around us and to speak ill of others behind their backs. Some of the most painful blows in life are not from a fist, but from the words someone has spoken about us. Guard your tongue, be gentle both with the people around you and with your Lord.

Self-Control - In the Garden of Eden, God gave Man the freedom of choice. With the Holy Spirit, He gave Man self-control to help him to make the correct choice. During Lent, we sacrifice and make use of our self-control to bring us closer to God. Use your self-control to make decisions that are pleasing to the Lord, showing restraint in decisions that are contrary to His Word.

Everything that we have has been given to us from the Lord, and of every thing we have, we owe to the Lord the first-fruits. Look daily for the ways to give of the first-fruits of your gifts to your God and He will continue to bless you in abundance.

God is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.

(Psalm 145:9, The Message)

Sweet dewdrops are on the thistle as well as on the rose.
The diocese where mercy visits is very large.

(Thomas Watson)

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About Preparation Day

Taking a deep breath in the
best quiet spots of the weekend:

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Psalm 145

¹ I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
⁶ Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
⁷ They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
⁹ The LORD is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
¹⁰ All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
¹² To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

 ¹⁴ The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
¹⁶ You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
²⁰ The LORD keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
²¹ My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

I love spending time in the word, drinking coffee, wearing sparkling comfy shoes (that use to belong to my sister) in the grass outside on beautiful days. I rarely sit outside and read the word just because it is hard to keep up with Noah & keep my train of thought outside. However, on Mondays & Wednesdays he spends time at Mothers Day Out. So a new habit has started this morning. Enjoying it.

For a long time I didn’t post about what God is speaking to me through His word or take pictures of it…. to be honest, I’m not sure why other than I thought perhaps some might think it is silly. Kinda odd, when He is the number one thing in my life & is continually on my mind & speaking to me but yet I was worried about others thinking I’m silly. Now THAT is just silly. I am SO encouraged & enjoy seeing what God is doing in others lives so why not reciprocate.

Lately I can NOT get away from reading in Psalm. As I’ve been praying for sweet people in my life this last week I just started praying the words in psalm over their life. The word is some powerful stuff. Psalm 145: 1-7 & 11-14 & 18-19 are the promises that make my heart so grateful & happy today.

ps. my friend karlie gave me Kari Jobe’s newest CD last week & I am crazy for the song, Savior is Here. the last minute is amazingly good!!! Click here for a link. 

I often write out lyrics to worship songs that our my favorite… these are the lyrics from the song. Go take a listen to the song.

~brit

Exodus 33-35

Music rings through my mind as I read these chapters today.  Enjoy the beauty of God’s words proclaimed in song today.

The Lord had told Moses, “I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Exodus 33:3) Moses begs God to be with them as they go into the promised land.  Moses says, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15) Then God agrees to go with them!

Listen to the song “Without You” by Shane and Shane.  Don’t you just love the line: If your presence goes, I don’t want to stay…If your presence stays, I don’t want to go?  Let us seek Him with our whole heart for guidance and follow Him throughout our lives!

Right after Moses requests this of the Lord, he then requests one more thing.  “Show me your glory.”  (Exodus 33:18) God grants this request as well; however, Moses does not see God’s face.  Moses does however get a glimpse of His glory.  At this point, the Third Day song “Show Me Your Glory” rings through my head.  Do you yearn to see God?

God then proclaims to Moses, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) This brings the words of Psalm 145 to mind and with that, another song: “Psalm 145″ by Shane Barnard.

A Cat and Her Kittens

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Collect and lections from the Episcopal Lesser Feasts and Fasts Holy Women, Holy Men:  Celebrating the Saints

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Follow the assigned readings with me this Lent….

Kenneth Randolph Taylor

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Isaiah 49:7-15 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):

Thus says the LORD,

The Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One,

To the despised one,

To the abhorred nations,

To the slave of rulers:

Kings shall see and stand up;

Nobles, and they shall prostrate themselves–

To the honor of the LORD, who is faithful,

To the Holy One of Israel who chose you.

Thus said the LORD:

In an hour of favor I answer you,

And on a day of salvation I help you–

I created you and appointed you a covenant people–

Restoring the land,

Allotting anew the desolate holdings,

Saying to the prisoners, “Go free,”

To those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”

They shall pasture along the roads,

On every bare height shall be their pasture.

They shall not hunger of thirst,

Hot wind and sun shall not strike them;

He will guide them to springs of water.

I will make all My mountains a road,

And My highways shall be built up.

Look! These are coming from afar,

These from the north and the west,

And these from the land of Sinim.

Shout, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth!

Break into shouting, O hills!

For the LORD has comforted His people,

And has taken back His afflicted ones in love.

Zion says,

The LORD has forsaken me,

My Lord has forgotten me.

Can a woman forget her baby,

Or disown the child of her womb?

Though she might forget,

I never could forget you.

Psalm 145:8-18 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

The LORD is good to all,

and His mercy is upon all His works.

All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,

and Your faithful ones shall bless You.

They shall talk of the majesty of Your kingship,

and speak of Your might,

to make His mighty acts known among men

and the majestic glory of His kingship.

Your kingship is an eternal kingship;

Your dominion is for all generations.

The LORD supports all who stumble,

and makes all who are bent stand straight.

The eyes of all look to You expectantly,

and You give them their food when it is due.

You give it openhandedly,

feeding every creature to its heart’s content.

The LORD is beneficent in all His ways

and faithful in all His works.

The LORD is near to all who call Him,

to all who call Him with sincerity.

John 5:19-29 (The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition):

Jesus therefore said to them [some Jews],

I solemnly assure you that the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.  For whatever the Father does the Son does the same.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he does himself.  Yes, and he will show him even greater things than these to fill you with wonder.  For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them live, so does the Son give life to any man he chooses.  The Father is no man’ s judge; he has put judgment entirely in the Son’s hands, so that all men may honour the Son equally with the Father.  The man who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.  I solemnly assure you that the man who hears what I have to say and believes in the one who has sent me has eternal life.  He does not have to face judgment; he has already passed from death into life.  Yes, I assure you that a time is coming, in fact has already come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who have heard it will live!  For just as the Father has life in himself, so by the Father’s gift, the Son also has live in himself.  And he has given him authority to judge because he is Son of Man.  No, do not be surprised–the time is coming when all those who are dead and buried will hear his voice and they will come–those who have done right will rise again to life, but those who have done wrong will rise to face judgment!

The Collect:

O Lord our God, you sustained your ancient people in the wilderness with bread from heaven: Feed now your pilgrim flock with the food that endures to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

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My theme this day is eternal life.

In the reading handed down by (Second) Isaiah exile of Judah is nearing its end.  And God expresses love and forgiveness for the descendants of those who went into exile.  The dominant (and retrospective) theology of much of the Hebrew Bible is that sin led to exiles.  God has forgiven the people, and is pulling strings to bring about a resettlement in the homeland.  I love the concluding words:  “I never could forget you.”

This day’s reading from John follows directly on the heels of the previous day’s gospel lection.  (And the next day’s reading from John will follow this one immediately.)  So, recall that Jesus had just healed a man on the Sabbath, and received criticism because of his timing.  Then he referred to God as his Father, which some construed as blasphemy.  Who did Jesus think he was, to speak of God in such familiar (and equal) terms?

He was (and is) the Second Person of the Trinity.  And his authority flows from the First Person.

Verse 24 uses the term “eternal life.”  In verse 24 anyone who internalizes the teachings of Jesus and trusts in God has eternal life.  This is the present tense, not the future tense.  This is consistent with John 17:3:  “And this is eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and him whom you have sent–Jesus Christ.”

Father Raymond E. Brown, the Roman Catholic priest and great Bible scholar, wrote two thick volumes on the Gospel of John for The Anchor Bibleseries.  His first volume contains appendices, one of which includes a detailed explanation of eternal life on pages 505-508.  Anyone who wishes to read Brown’s analysis in full should consult those pages.  The essence follows:  Eternal life is “the life by which God Himself lives, and which the Son of God possesses from the Father.”  The Son became incarnate to give eternal life to human beings.  The Holy Spirit, which can be given only after the Son has conquered death, breathes eternal life after the Son has conquered death.  Before that happened, Jesus breathed eternal life in person.  Eternal life is associated with the waters of baptism and nourished by the body and blood of Jesus received during the Holy Eucharist.  Eternal life begins during this natural life and continues after natural life ends.  Thus eternal life is not everlasting life.

Being a stickler for details, such as definitions, I chafe when I hear people say “eternal”  and “eternity” when they mean “everlasting.” Hell is everlasting, but Heaven is eternal.

Think about this:  There is no eternal life apart from God.  There is no eternity apart from God.  God cannot forget us; may we not forget God.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

MARCH 1, 2010 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT MAXIMILIAN OF TREVESTE, ROMAN CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR

THE FEAST OF SAINT DAVID OF WALES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF MENEVIA

THE FEAST OF GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI, COMPOSER

THE FEAST OF SAINT THEOPHANES THE CHRONICLER, DEFENDER OF ICONS

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Adapted from this post:

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/twenty-fifth-day-of-lent/

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Above: Paul Writing His Epistles (1500s C.E. Painting)

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FIRST READING AND PSALM:  OPTION #1

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 (New Revised Standard Version):

The servant said to Laban,

I am Abraham’s servant. The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, `You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’

I came today to the spring, and said, `O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also” — let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’

Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, `Please let me drink.’ She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, `Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, `Whose daughter are you?’ She said, `The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.

And they called Rebekah, and said to her,

Will you go with this man?

She said,

I will.

So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.

Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant,

Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?

The servant said,

It is my master.

So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

AND

Psalm 45:11-18 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

11 “Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely;

forget your people and your father’s house.

12 The king will have pleasure in your beauty;

he is your master; therefore do him honor.

13 The people of Tyre are here with a gift,

the rich among the people seek your favor.”

14 All glorious is the princess as she enters;

her gown is cloth-of-gold.

15 In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king;

after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.

16 With joy and gladness they are brought,

and enter into the palace of the king.

17 “In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons;

you shall make them princes over all the earth.

18 I will make your name to be remembered

from one generation to another;

therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever.”

OR

Song of Solomon 2:8-13 (New Revised Standard Version):

The voice of my beloved!

Look, he comes,

leaping upon the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

My beloved is like a gazelle

or a young stag.

Look, there he stands

behind our wall,

gazing in at the windows,

looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me:

Arise, my love, my fair one,

and come away;

for now the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines are in blossom;

they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one,

and come away.

FIRST READING AND PSALM:  OPTION #2

Zechariah 9:9-12 (New Revised Standard Version):

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!

Lo, your king comes to you;

triumphant and victorious is he,

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war-horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall command peace to the nations;

his dominion shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.

For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have made Ephraim its arrow.

I will arouse your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Zion,

and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Psalm 145:8-15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,

slow to anger and of great kindness.

9 The LORD is loving to everyone

and his compassion is over all his works.

10 All your works praise you, O LORD,

and your faithful servants bless you.

11 They make known the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your power;

12 That the peoples may know of your power

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;

your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14 The LORD is faithful in all his words

and merciful in all his deeds.

15 The LORD upholds all those who fall;

he lifts up those who are bowed down.

SECOND READING

Romans 7:15-25a (New Revised Standard Version):

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.  But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law oat war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am!  Who will rescue from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

GOSPEL READING

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 (New Revised Standard Version):

Jesus said to the crowd,

To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we wailed, and you did not mourn.”

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

At that time Jesus said,

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Collect:

O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Sometimes I can tie all lectionary readings for a day together neatly via a common thought.  This unifying theme might be easy or difficult to locate, but I can find it–much of the time.  Proper 9, Year A, is an exception to this rule.  So I state quickly that genuine romantic love between adult human beings, especially those bound to each other by the sacrament of marriage, is beautiful and that God is present there.  Now I move along to Zechariah, Paul, and Matthew.

I take these readings in chronological order.

The Book of Zechariah exists in two parts:  Chapters 1-8 and 9-14, each section having separate authorship.  Zechariah 9-14 contains prophesies about how God will deal with the Jewish people from the time of Hellenistic domination of the Holy Land to the coming of the Messiah.  The texts say that God will act, so the victory will belong to God.  Worthless shepherds will not obstruct these deeds, for God will replace them with a worthy shepherd, the Messiah.

Jesus, of course, was (and is) that Messiah.  People criticized him for many reasons:  he ate and drank too much or he fasted too much; he healed on the Sabbath; the man could not satisfy some people regardless of how good he was.  Some people will find fault with anyone, even Jesus.  But he was (and is) the Good Shepherd, and through him God has made atonement for sins.

Speaking of sins, Paul struggled with them.  I know this feeling, but I take it as more positive than negative.  The term “immoral” indicates that one knows the difference between right and wrong, and chooses the latter.  But “amoral” indicates that one cannot make the distinction.  At least the person who is immoral at least some to the time knows the difference, and God can work with that.  It is vital to try and to want to do the right thing.  We humans are deeply flawed, “but dust” as the Book of Psalms says, but we also bear the image of God (Genesis 1).  So we need to honor the divine image within ourselves and each other, and to trust God to help us distinguish between right and wrong, and to believe that God will help us choose what is correct.

Culture can affect our perceptions of morality, sometimes for the worse.  As a student of U.S. history, I know that many Antebellum Southerners thought that keeping slaves was moral, and that anyone who said or thought otherwise did not understand the Bible correctly.  Also, I have a book containing a 1954 sermon from Texas entitled “God the Original Segregationist.”  The pastor continued to sell copies of this sermon via the mail through at least 1971.  It is easy for me to point out these moral misunderstandings, but I am blind to my own.

So I read Paul’s confession and identify with it.  And I take comfort that the victory is God’s work, and that neither I nor anyone else will stand in its way.  But I hope I am not and will never be a would-be obstacle God must sweep aside.  No, I want to be on God’s side.  By grace, may as many of us as possible be there.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

DECEMBER 18, 2010 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF MARC BOEGNER, ECUMENIST

THE FEAST OF DOROTHY SAYERS, NOVELIST

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Adapted from this post:

http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/proper-9-year-a/

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