TASTE AND SEE

WEDNESDAY, October 31
Mark 10: 49-52 (The Message)

 Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”

They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.

Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”

In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.

Lord, how quickly we follow the crowd. 
We did it on Calvary and nailed you to a cross. 
We do it daily...often in denial,
Rarely affirmation. 
We silence the outcast, 
Yet when Jesus acknowledges his presence,
We swiftly change our tune:
'Go to Jesus!  Hurry!  He's calling!
When Jesus isn't looking,
Do we again turn our backs?
Because service isn't easy,
Or convenient,
Or even popular at times. 
God hears the cries of every voice,
Even a single, lone call of despair. 
Are we listening as well,
Even when the crowd around us clamors
For something more appealing?
Lord, help us keep our eyes sharp
Our ears well tuned 
To hear the cries amidst the chaos of our world 
And respond. 
Regardless of the crowd.  


TUESDAY, October 30
Mark 10:46-48 (The Message)
They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!
They tell me to disappear;
To get lost. 
But I can't.
I simply can not.  
I know in my heart this
new preacher has the power to heal.
I feel it from within.
I sense his presence now.
But where is he in this crowd?
I can only call out...and hope.
I will not be silenced!
Notice me, Healer!
Do not walk past unseeing,
As the crowd does daily. 
I'm a blight on their purity.
Easily overlooked, forgotten.
Have mercy, Holy One!
Have mercy on me!
I can not see...
But I reach out...in faith. 

Who is blind today
When we fail to SEE
The outcast in the crowd?
Are we silencing their cries for help?

MONDAY, October 29   "Fear Not!"
Psalm 34:6-8 (The Message)
"When I was desperate, I called out,
    and God got me out of a tight spot. 
God's angel sets up a circle of protection
    around us while we pray. 
Open you mouth and taste, open your eyes and see,
    how good God is. 
    Blessed are you who run to him." 
Help me, Lord!
I'm desperate!
I'm in trouble!
I'm afraid!
I'm scared!
I'm alone. 
But no....I'm not. 
Is that you? 
I feel a presence. 
Help is coming. 
Where did it come from? 
Did you send this person?
Is this you, Lord?
I see no halo or angel wings, 
But I KNOW my help has come 
   from a heavenly source. 
A hug. A hand. 
Reassurance, Encouragement.
Guidance. Assistance. 
Help me remember, Lord. 
To savor this moment and
To never fear.
For you are here
With me.
Always.  


SUNDAY, October 28  "Magnify God!"

d365.org PAUSE! (Estelene Boratenski)
Of all the human senses, sight is the one most of us take for granted. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, we expect to see the world. And of all the human senses, taste is the one we savor, the one where we become keenly aware of the blandness, the tartness, the spiciness, the sweetness of the world.

Consider now how we encounter God through an awareness of what it means to taste and see the wonder in the world.

Psalm 34:1-3 (Good News Translation)

"I will always thank the Lord; 

I will never stop praising him. 

I will praise him for what he has done; 

may all who are oppressed listen and be glad!

Proclaim with me the Lord's greatness; 

let us praise his name together!" 

I did just a little research with translation comparisons here for the term PROCLAIM from verse 3.  Various other texts say....

O MAGNIFY the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. (NRSV)

Join me in SPREADING the news; together let's get the word out. (The Message)

GLORIFY the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. (NIV)

PRAISE the Lord's greatness with me; let us highly honor his name together. (God's Word)

Ascribe ye greatness to Jehovah with me, and we EXALT his name together. (Young's Literal)

     What does it mean to exalt, proclaim, magnify, glorify,  or praise?  While magnify isn't exactly a word we use much anymore, it might perhaps be the best one for the job.  Like a magnifying glass, we want to focus attention on the details of God's activity so that they aren't missed.  You can't exaggerate God or make God bigger, but we can amplify God at work in our lives and world. We can make God appear bigger to us!   Glorify, praise - talk about all the great things God has done!  Talk God up!  See God at work in creation, constantly recreating! 

      While all these texts use different terms for the action performed, they all are united in HOW we glorify and praise.  TOGETHER.  With each other.  In community.  When we focus on praise and glory together, we can't  nitpick our differences and argue among ourselves.  Every denomination and religion can agree that "God is good.  God is good!"  Together let us join in sharing with the world this good news of God's wonder and grace, of God's glory.  Maybe the blog title should read, Taste and See, Then Tell!     

OUR PLACE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

SATURDAY, October 27 "Shout for Joy"
Job 38:1-7 (Good News Translation)
Then out of the storm the LORD spoke to Job. 
Who are you to question my wisdom
  with your ignorant, empty words?
Now stand up straight
  and answer the questions I ask you. 
Were you there when I made the world?
  If you know so much, tell me about it. 
Who decided how large it would be?
  Who stretched the measuring line over it?
  Do you know all the answers?
What holds up the pillars that support the earth?
  Who laid the cornerstone of the world?
In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, 
  and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 
We ask so many questions.  
We question the whys and the hows,
We question the whens and wheres. 
We seek in the name of science. 
We search in the quest for understanding.
HOW did you make our world? 
WHY do people suffer?
WHERE can we find your presence? 
WHEN shall my prayer be answered?
You answer...with more questions. 
And a demand for
Trust. Faith. Obedience.
Question not. 
Believe. 
And gather as one 
To shout with joy and acclamation
With praise and thanksgiving
To our Creator God.
Our Loving God. 
Our Sustaining God. 
There, the answers are found. 

This week in d365.org, Jeff Light has concentrated on the theme of "Our Place in the Sight of God".  Each day he has concluded his reflection with another statement of our role in God's eyes.  I would like to recap these statements in one place: 
OUR PLACE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD IS TO....
   - reflect God’s goodness, honor, and majesty through our faithfulness and trust.
   - choose to sit with those who need God’s love and our acceptance.
   - bear each other's burdens and welcome everyone to the table
   - give our lives as Jesus gave his, serving others first to show God’s grace, love and mercy.
   - do for the least of our brothers and sisters, and in so doing, for him.

   - be ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of the power and presence of God at work in us.

   - join the stars and heavenly beings in shouting for joy.

d365.org GO!  (Jeff Light)
There is a place for you,
A place where you are always safe.
It is found wherever you are,
Always within sight of the God 
Who loves you,
Cares for you,
Seeks the very best for you,
And watches you

All the way home.

FRIDAY, October 26 "Trusting Obedience"
Hebrews 5:7-10 (The Message)
 ^"While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him."
Father, God. 
I'm tired of servanthood.  
Is there no respite? 
Am I making an difference?
In this world of hurt and pain,
People suffer.  
I suffer. 
I question and challenge. 
I don't have what it takes. 
You ask too much. 
I'm just an ordinary person. 
Extraordinary is out of my reach. 
Obedience is hard.
Trusting even harder. 
But....
The Spirit, Your Spirit,
Comes and fills me.
In my doubt I am made strong.
My ordinary is remade for great works
By the extraordinary God dwelling in me. 
People suffer. 
People question and doubt.
People despair. 
Use me, Lord, 
To heal.
To encourage.
To serve. 
To LOVE.
In your name.
Amen. 

THURSDAY, October 25 "Called to the Priesthood"
Hebrews 5:1-4 (The Message)

"Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it’s like from his own experience. But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the peoples’.   No one elects himself to this honored position. He’s called to it by God, as Aaron was."

     My first thought when I read Jeff Light's comments on d365.org, ("our place in the sight of God is as priests to others.  That is, we represent God through our gentle kindness and open hearts") was of Rachel Scott and the
Columbine shootings.  Having taught at the middle school, I sat in on several 'Rachel's Challenge' programs on treating all with respect and kindness.  Rachel was know far and wide for her ability to reach out to all groups within the school and performing countless acts of kindness to others.  I think Rachel Scott knew what it meant to be an honored priest, called by God.  
     We all encounter people everyday who need words of kindness, signs of hope or encouragement.  Sometimes these actions seem meaningless to us when we perform them, but to the receiver, they can make all the difference in the world.  What gifts have I been given that might help another in some small way?  How can I uplift another?  The priesthood we have been given is an honored position with responsibility and humility, but it is always a position dedicated to servanthood.  

WEDNESDAY, October 24   "Becoming Servants"
Mark 10:41-44  (The Message)
"When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave." 
God vision. 
God sight. 
What does God see?
Number One?
Power?
Prestige?
Privilege?
Servants?
God sees Jesus. 
Humble.
Servant.
Giving love, grace, mercy.
Honor God. 
Live God. 
Sacrifice. 
Service. 
God wants to see Christ
Living in us. 

Our journey is nearly ended.  By noon today we should be home in Baker City!  Home!  Back to the comforts and wealth of possessions.  May I be able to keep my focus on the service, the sacrifice, and the simple living that honors our place in the sight of God.  

TUESDAY, October 23   "God Gifts"
Mark 10:38-40 (Good News Translation)

"Jesus said to them, “You don't know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I must drink? Can you be baptized in the way I must be baptized?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup I must drink and be baptized in the way I must be baptized.  But I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. It is God who will give these places to those for whom he has prepared them.”

With baptism come gifts.
Gifts of the Spirit,
Gifts from God.
Gifts to serve.
Gifts to heal and welcome.
Gifts to feed and share.
Not selfish gifts. 
Not gifts for power or position.
Gifts of love. 
God is in control of the giving. 
God is in control. 
Our place is to open the gifts, 
And use them
As God intends.


MONDAY, October 22  "Seat of Honor"
Mark 10:35-37 (The Message)
"James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.”  
 “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.”
 “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.”

    The Message translation makes the request of James and John milder than it appears in older scripts.  In The Message, it is simply a request for a favor.  But in other texts, the question is stated as "We want you to do whatever we ask of you!"  Really? Anything?  I had to read through the NIV translation on d365.org twice because I couldn't believe what I was reading.  How presumptious of the disciples!  How self-centered!  But...how often do our prayers sound the same way?  Some prayers become a litany of our wants with little time left for 'What do you want of me, God?'  'Who needs help today?'  or even a 'Thank you, God.'  
     Our seat of honor in God's Kingdom will come about when we choose to sit with those who need God's love and help...and our acceptance.  Our seat of honor will come when we worry more about whether everyone has a place at the table.  


SUNDAY, October 21
d365.org PAUSE!  (Jeff Light)
How we see things is a matter of perspective, and we are each limited by the experiences our lives have brought us. We simply cannot be truly objective.   But our Maker sees it all, knows every experience, and sees us - each one - with absolute clarity.  The result is love and acceptance. Open yourself now to be seen clearly, and to be loved.

Psalm 104: 1-6  (The Message)

O my soul, bless God!

God, my God, how great you are!

  beautifully, gloriously robed,

Dressed up in sunshine,

   and all heaven stretched out for your tent.

You built your palace on the ocean deeps,

  made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.

You commandeered winds as messengers,

  appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.

You set earth on a firm foundation

   so that nothing can shake it, ever.

You blanketed earth with ocean,

  covered the mountains with deep waters.

"God, my God, 

How great you are!"

Grand Canyon.

Zion. Bryce.

Monuments of your creation over time.

YOUR time.

Testimony to your presence

Eternal. Unending. 

So much is changing,

Shifting, moving around us.

You are here,

As always. 

The canyons are the big picture

of your power and existence;

The big picture we cannot see

But know includes you. 

We are a part of this Creation,

A part of your plan. 

Make us a canyon wall.

Strong but changing.

Reflecting your presence

every stage of our life. 

God, my God,

How great you are! 

RICHES AND THE KINGDOM

SATURDAY, October 20
Mark 10: 29-31 (The Message)
"Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”

Blessings in abundance.
God-given gifts.
Ours to have and hold,
To enjoy and relish.
But only if the decision has been made.
The sacrifice fulfilled.
The control relinquished.
Then the Kingdom is truly ours,
The blessings overflowing.
Don't run to the head of the line.
Patiently serve to the end. 
The bonus is eternal. 

d365.org GO!  (John Woods)
Go now knowing just how much you are blessed.
Find creative ways to risk yourself for the world God loves.
Seek out ways to be extravagant with your gifts,
Making your life useful in God's service.

FRIDAY, October 19 "Let God"
Mark 10:26-27 (The Message)
"Then who has any chance at all?" they [the disciples] asked.  Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself.  Every chance in the world if you let God do it."

    "Let God do it."  Let go and let God.  How many times have I heard this message given?  What are we letting go of?  Must we all sell all we have? Literally taken, yes; but I think Jesus is asking us to let go of something more.  We need to let go of selfishness, of tight-fisted holding on to more than we need.  We need to let go of trying to control our life; trying to be the one in charge.  We need to let go of worrying about tomorrow when today has enough worries of its own.  We need to let go of hurts and pains, frustrations and bitterness.  Then we can let God take over!  We can let God be in control!  We can let God bless us with 'enough' but not 'excess'.  We can let God guide us to his service.  Let go and let God.  It is a pretty good slogan for life.  

THURSDAY, October 18 "Camels & Needles"

Mark 10:23-25 (The Message)

"Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, 'Do you have any ideahow difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?  The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on.  'You can't imagine how difficult.  I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's Kingdom."

Camels. 

Needles. 

What in the world is Jesus talking about?

A camel is huge:

Big humps, big feet. 

A needle is so small. 

It's hard to put thread through at times!

Impossible. 

Can't be done. 

But...what are you saying, Lord?

The camel is easier to thread

Than the rich,

Loaded down with cars and houses,

Money and wealth,

Overflowing closets,

And tightly clenched fists holding on to it all?

But the rich give money to the poor!

The rich care about the Kingdom of God!

Isn't that true?  Doesn't that matter?

Help me understand, God! 

WEDNESDAY, October 17 “Cookie Jar”

Mark 10:22 (The Message)

“The man’s face clouded over.  This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart.  He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.”

     As I read this passage, the image of the child caught with a hand in the cookie jar came to mind – the hand that couldn’t come OUT of the opening because it was holding on to too many cookies!  Are we holding on to too many riches and possessions and unable to let go and enjoy the goodness of the cookie?   

     Are we the man with the heavy heart because God has told us what to do, but we aren’t willing to take that final step of submission?  How many cookies are in my tightly clenched fist?   

My hand is caught in the cookie jar.

I have it wrapped around giant cookies of possessions,

Bad habits,

Misconceived ideas,

God.

Yes, I have my grip on that tasty cookie, too.

I don’t want to let go and lose my cookies.

I can’t pull them all from the jar.

Jesus says, “Let go of all the others.”

Jesus says there is only one cookie that matters.

A super great-tasting cookie,

That will sustain me for life.

Let go!

And my hand can bring out just one:

The God-Cookie. 

TUESDAY, October 16 “Yard Sale?”

Mark 10:19-21 (The Message)

“You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.’  He said, ‘I have, Teacher – from my youth – kept them all!’ Jesus looked him hard in the eye – and loved him!  He said, ‘There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it all to the poor.  All your wealth will then become heavenly wealth.  And come follow me.”

    Jesus has listed all the commandments regarding our relationships with each other.  These are the ‘easy’ ones to keep; it’s how we define ourselves as a good ‘moral person’.  But then?  There’s more!  It’s almost like an infomercial – ‘But wait!  There’s more!’  There’s the matter of our relationship with God, the sacrifice and relinquishment of what we are and have to God’s control.  This is MUCH harder. 

     If I met an itinerant preacher on the streets of Baker City and he told me to sell my house and possessions, leave Rick, and follow him, would I do it?  Probably not!  Yet that is exactly what is happening for this well-intentioned man. 

     The key here to me is ‘Jesus looked him hard in the eye – and loved him!’  God knows us and loves us – much better than we do ourselves.  For THIS man, Jesus knew total sell-0off of his wealth was what it would take because the man was controlled by his possessions.  This is not the answer God gives to everyone.  But it begs each of us to ask ourselves, “Where do we place God in relationship to all we ‘own’?  (Who are we kidding, it’s all a gift from God anyway!)  Is God at the top?  More important than all the rest?  Or perhaps we have the need for a yard sale as well!  

Monday, October 15
Mark 10: 17-18 (The Message)

"As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God."

God of everything,

Riches and wealth,
Beauty and wisdom,I have a simple question:
How do I live?
How do I live with and in you?
What must I do?
I ask your Son. 
But, as usual, He turns it around,
And asks me another.  
It puts me on the defensive. 
I'm not sure how to answer. 
'No one is good,
Only God.'
Is this God speaking to me? 
Reminding me that ONLY through him will 
His Kingdom come.
His will be done?


Sunday, October 14
d365.org PAUSE!  (John Woods)
There is such a thing, you know, as having too much: too much money, too much power, too many possessions, even too much time – if we become bored with it.

It's hard to know, sometimes, when it becomes too much. A good clue is that we lose sight of when and where the reign of God is revealed.

In these next moments, ask God to clarify your view, clear out whatever clouds your vision, and help you to see where God is at work.

Job 23:1-4 (The Message)
“I’m not letting up—I’m standing my ground.
    My complaint is legitimate.
God has no right to treat me like this—
    it isn’t fair!
If I knew where on earth to find him,
    I’d go straight to him.
I’d lay my case before him face-to-face,
    give him all my arguments firsthand."

     I am sorry to be missing Rev. Katy's Sermons on Job!

     Job had riches and wealth.  Job was blessed.  All was stripped from him. Why? Job asks!  Why doesn't God answer?  Why can't Job seem to 'find God' to get his issue resolved? Perhaps God is still using Job in some way...God isn't absent, but at work! 

     How much is too much? Some accumulate wealth and put it in bank accounts to grow and grow....and never spend.  Or buy and buy and then shove it all into closets because it is blocking the hallway!  Some retirees have far more than ever before because they have saved and saved and never learned how to spend.  What is the opposite of poverty?  ENOUGH.  Rick and I used that as a guide for when to retire....not when we had bundles of money, but enough.  And....when God made clear that it was time to use our enough for his work. 

     We are leaving Las Cruces and our Habitat for Humanity work today to head northward...slowly making our way back home.  To our full closets and material riches.  May God continue to 'clarify our view, clear out whatever clouds our vision, and help us to see where God wants to put us to work'.

      

    

CHILDREN OF GLORY

SATURDAY, October 13
Psalm 2:1-6 (The Message)
Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth-leaders push for position,
Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
“Let’s get free of God!
Cast loose from Messiah!”
Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing.
At first he’s amused at their presumption;
Then he gets good and angry.
Furiously, he shuts them up:
“Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet
Is spread for him on the holy summit.”

Too much power, God.
Those in authority have forgotten you.
They have forgotten who put them in their position.
They are playing God
Without the authority of God.
The campaigns continue,
Election Day nears.
Where is the one who will lead through God?
Where is the one who remembers who is in charge?
Don't laugh at us, God!
Help us restore our world
To YOUR leadership.
To YOUR kingship.
God rules over all!
God in in charge!
Listen to God. 

d365.org GO!  (adapted from Richard of Chichester)
Day by day, 
Oh, dear Lord 
Three things I pray: 
To see thee more clearly, 
Love thee more dearly, 
Follow thee more nearly, 
Day by day.

FRIDAY, October 12
Hebrews 2:11-12 (New Living Translation)

 ^"So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
    I will praise you among your assembled people."

     One of the wonderful tenets of the Presbyterian Church is the concept of "the priesthood of all believers".  To use the new terminology, some are 'ruling elders' and some are 'teaching elders'.  Our representation in councils is equal.  We have been blessed and redeemed and made equal with Christ.  We are brothers and sisters together WITH Christ.  Wow!  
     In some churches this concept is emphasized with lay readers taking the Gospel down among the congregation to be read each Sunday.  The people have 'one of their own' among them.  They have to look at each other, face to face, as the scripture is proclaimed.  Our sense of community as family, as children of God, is renewed. 
     Habitat builds hope through volunteers.  Yes, there are the 'teaching elder' supervisors, but the nails are hammered, the screws are drilled, by the 'priesthood of believers'.  We assemble together to actively proclaim our faith.  In building a home side by side with the homeowner, we are building community within the Kingdom of God with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  

THURSDAY, October 11
Hebrews 2:10 (Good News Translation)
"It was only right that God, who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share his glory. For Jesus is the one who leads them to salvation."
Ouch.  
That hurts, Lord. 
Not physical pain.
Pain inside.
Deep. 
No one understands. 
No one else knows how it feels
To be rejected and alone. 
To suffer deep loss. 
To feel failure in the eyes of those who 
    count on you. 
But, wait.
You do understand, don't you?
You suffered. 
You were rejected and alone. 
You failed in the eyes of the disciples. 
And you rose above it all 
To Glory in God. 
With my eyes focused on you, 
I shall rise again.
My house shall rise again.
Thank you Habitat. 
Thank you volunteers.
Thank you, God. 
I am a child of glory. 
Through Christ. 
Note: Our primary homeowner works at McDonald's.  Her first Habitat home burned after one year of residence.  The cause is unknown.  Las Cruces affiliate offered to rebuild her house.  She is SO grateful.   

WEDNESDAY, October 10
Hebrews 2:5-8 (The Message)
"God didn’t put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we’re dealing with here. It says in Scripture,

What is man and woman that you bother with them;
    why take a second look their way?
You made them not quite as high as angels,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light;
Then you put them in charge
    of your entire handcrafted world.

When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. But we don’t see it yet, don’t see everything under human jurisdiction."

     It is said that we are the "Masters of our own Universe" - God put us in charge.  But, really?  We can think we control our lives.... many decisions are ours alone to make.  But we also react often to events over which we have no control....the weather, the economy, world affairs.  Sometimes we probably feel like there is 'nothing we can do to change it'.  Perhaps the problem is we are trying to control it too much.  Perhaps 'what one man can do' is simply pray and turn it over to God.  Perhaps we need to consider Mother Theresa's words, "There are no great things, just small things done with love."  Small acts of kindness can put us in charge.  
     We don't see all of God's plan, but we can trust that he is using us if we put him in control of our lives.  


TUESDAY, October 9  "Mirrors"
Hebrews 1:1-3  (The Message)
"Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!"

As a child, I could look at my mother
   and know what I would look like as I grew older.  
As a child, I could watch my parents 
  and learn how to behave, how to love, how to worship.  
As a child, I could listen to my parents 
  and learn how to pray, how to speak to God. 
I am a Child of God. 
How do I learn to listen?
Who do I watch?
What does God look like?
His son: JESUS. 
Hold a mirror to Christ and see God. 
The actions of Jesus reflect the desires of God. 
The words of the Son echo the message of the Father. 
The Child shall lead us.
The Child is God in recognizable form. 
How well do we mirror our God? 


MONDAY, October 8   "Childlike"
Mark 10:14b-15 (The Message)
[Jesus said,] “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” 
Kingdom Father,
Why do we make things so
very difficult to understand?
Why do we interpret and devise,
Complicate and twist,
Apply secret meanings 
to your presence among us?
Why do we allow our misunderstandings 
to form a basis for division?
Why must we make it so hard
when it can be so simple?
A child comes among us and doesn't ask questions. 
A child will simply say, 
"Do you want to play with me?
Are you cold and hungry?
Let's be friends!"
No names, no titles, no secrets. 
Just love.  Just community. 
A child will imagine worlds we cannot see. 
Worlds that include God and love.  
Father God, let us come to your Kingdom as a child,
Listen as a child.
Imagine as a child. 
Live as a child. 
Loving you.  Loving each other.  

d365.org PAUSE!  (Sarah Turner)
"Children always share traits of their parents; there's no getting away from it, even when - usually as teenagers - we want to distance ourselves from our folks.

As a child of the Divine, what traits do you see in yourself that reveal something of your heavenly Parent? In these next few moments, take a look at yourself in the mirror of Scripture and see the lines of your glorious heritage there."

SUNDAY, October 7

Psalm 8:1-2  (The Message)

"God, brilliant Lord

 yours is a household name.

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you

toddlers shout the songs

That drown out enemy talk

and silence atheist babble."

The divine loves infants.
New life with new hopes and dreams,
Unencumbered with notions of grandeur,
Materialism and greed. 
Babies are accepting, loving, pure. 
Babies make us want to be better,
Draw us closer to God. 
Babies see the world with
A sense of awe and wonder.
Babies can transform the ill-intentioned
And bring out the best in us. 
God has a purpose and role for infants in his Kingdom. 

This Kingdom of children of God. 
"Out of the mouths of babes" 
comes great wisdom. 

Let us listen to God as children, and
Not be in a hurry to grow up.