LENT d365.org: TRANSFORMED

Invocation.....(d365.org - Sharon Ely Pearson) 

The world is changing. When time passes between meetings, you see that friends and family are changing too.

And you are changing as well.

In these next moments, open your heart to God, who is seeking more than change in you, but transformation—something truly new.

SATURDAY, March 22 'Keeping'

Psalm 121 NRSV

 I lift up my eyes to the hills—

    from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord

   who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
  he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
  your going out and your coming in
  from this time on and forevermore.

     The Lord is my KEEPER.  I had to find a more traditional translation to find the use of this accurate translation from Hebrew.  The Message, Good News, and NIV use the more contemporary (and politically correct?) words: guard, protector, defender.  Keeper almost implies a prison.  But God as our keeper is anything but a prison guard.  It is all of the above words but includes putting the interests of 'the kept' ahead of all else, of knowing, and caring, for each other to such a degree that intimate trust in one another binds the relationship.  I trust my spouse to look out for me; do I trust God to do the same?  Really trust?

      One other, rather unrelated, comment about this passage.  It is often quoted by those who are nature lovers to read "I lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes..." with the implication that God resides in the beauty of the mountains.  But the god Baal was thought to live on the mountaintop; Yahweh had no such permanent home.  The early Psalmist was really saying as the Living Bible translates, "Shall I look to the mountain gods for help?  No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too!" 

Benediction Blessing.... (d365.org - Sharon Ely Pearson)

God's light is powerful, revealing

The way to new life,
A new birth by the power of the Spirit.

Walk into your day, then, with new questions
Received with infinite love,
Leading towards a life of righteousness.

God's steadfast care will provide.

FRIDAY, March 21   Righteousness

Romans 4:1-5 MSG

So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.”

4-5 If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

     This is a long passage.  And The Message version is even longer than most.  But it is a typical convoluted Paul passage, and I feel like Eugene Peterson's paraphrasing helps to unwind some of the mystery.  

      Righteousness is being RIGHT in our RELATIONSHIP with God.  It is a two-way relationship of communication and obedience on our part.  Here's what I get from this:  Abraham went on a journey.  He obeyed God.  If that journey had been a vacation trip to a known resort or a business trip to pick up a package and return with it, no big deal.  That isn't much of a God story.  But Abraham's trip was out of his league, beyond the call of a job.  He HAD to trust God; he HAD to build and develop that relationship with God in order to obey.  That's being RIGHT with God. 

      My mind is trying to relate this to our Habitat journeys.  When we regard our travels as a vacation, going to places that are  easy and secure (Las Cruces!), we aren't working on this trust factor.  When we branch beyond to jobs we haven't done before, or locations that ask us to stretch a little, then righteousness might be a possibility.  Just DOING Habitat work isn't the answer.  Doing the work in tough situations is part of the call.  Pete reminded us again to take our talents where they are REALLY needed.  Something we need to keep in mind. 

     I feel God sent us to Silver City.  We did a job that no one here really wanted to do.  It wasn't a fun job.  We kept at it for four days and I think did it well.  We were able to share information and ideas during those four days that I hope will help this Habitat affiliate in their transformation.  Now we head to Tucson.  CHRPA work has proven to be one in which God-TRUST is a constant factor.  It isn't easy,  but it IS righteousnness work.  It will help in our Lenten transformation.  

THURSDAY, March 20  The Big Tweet

John 3:16 GNT

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

     The heart of the Gospel Message - all wrapped up in one verse.  Our d365 writer for today says this could be considered The Big Tweet.  Just 103 characters! Call it the Gospel in a Nutshell, write it on signs at ballgames.  The message is simple and brief.  The realization and acceptance carries a transformation of infinite possibility.  

      God loves the world.  How much?  THIS much!  And arms cannot open wide enough to show the love of God's sacrifice.  

     

WEDNESDAY, March 19  Loose Ends

John 3:11-15 CEB

 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One.14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

     When we are challenged and confused, we like simple, literal answers.  Jesus was giving simple responses, but not literal enough for Nicodemus.  Jesus was calling for a vast change in attitude and practice, and the response demanded was fairly simple to grasp, but difficult to apply and comprehend.  

     Simply put, when I'm confused, I want an answer in a simple package, with all the loose ends neatly tied up in a bow.  I don't want incomprehensible loose ends; I don't want vague metaphors that leave me wondering 'What in the world is Jesus saying?'; I want the easy solution!

     The Gospel isn't a neatly tied up package.  It is a box of God-Spirit power bursting forth with potential, possibilities, opportunities, grace and unlimited love.  Believe in the power of the loose ends.  Believe in what we cannot see right now.  

TUESDAY, March 18   Keep the Coals Burning

John 3:7-10 CEB

Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?”

10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things?

Pneuma is the Greek word for Spirit or Wind.  It is the base word for pneumonia and other terms having to do with breath.   Yet, as Jesus speaks, it is illusive and intangible.  Today's d365.org writer Pearson had a line that struck me:

  Being born again isn’t something we can do; it happens through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

    We can't control the Holy Spirit.  We don't know when and where it will land in our heart and fill us with God's power.  But like a fire, we can keep the coals alive, so when the Spirit-wind comes, it will ignite and flame within us.  We can tend the fire and be prepared.  

    I am going to add the Scribble and a paragraph from a previous thought on this passage for today.  (Partly because I like the picture!) 

     I feel for Nicodemus.  He is a leader, a teacher, of the Jews.  Yet he has come to Jesus seeking answers in a sense of confusion.  He wants to believe.  He must have felt totally humbled, perhaps humiliated, by Jesus' "You don't know this?"

     I feel because this happened to me constantly while teaching computers.  While I had a basic understanding of the programs we used or computer "law" as Nicodemus did, when we got into something new, I was stumped.  The students would ask questions and when I didn't know the answers, they would eventually ask, "How come you don't know this yet you're the teacher?"  It IS humbling. 
     But Nicodemus knows Jesus is speaking of new, unfathomable, concepts.  Born again?  Winds of the Spirit blowing all around?  The author of d365.org today offered the idea of experiencing the RUSH of the Holy Spirit while sky-diving.  The image of Nicodemus free-falling and feeling the Winds of the Spirit came to mind.  Hey, Nicodemus, it's ok to NOT have all the answers!  We today are glad you asked these questions - because Jesus had to explain it all in words that we can begin to understand. 
     Let the transformation of rebirth begin again...and again....and again. (God is so very patient with us!)  The Spirit of God is at work.  Let us seek and be led by that Spirit.(June 5, 2012)

MONDAY, March 17   Spirit-Birth!

John 3:4-6 GNT

“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”

5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.

     Poor Nicodemus!  He is so confused!  But...he is there!  Asking the questions!  Wanting the answers!  Unafraid to appear 'dumb' or 'stupid' for asking the questions.  God doesn't mind our questions - they are a sign we are looking for the answers! 

     Spiritual rebirth is a chance to start over.  It can happen at the moment of our baptism; it can happen every day when we seek God's grace and ask for renewal.  I liked the example given in d365.org today of a friend who uses her morning shower as a daily re-baptism, a daily reminder of renewal and transformation.  Sometimes we may feel like we need it every day!  The Spirit stirring within us, that is a new beginning!  

     Today is a new beginning for Rick and I!  This is the first time we have 'dropped-in' on a build to offer our services.  We will be working in a small group, perhaps just one other.  But we are excited for a new opportunity to serve in a beautiful setting!   Brrrr, however....might have to take another jacket to the job site until the spring sunshine can 'rebirth' the temperature for today!    

SUNDAY, March 16  Turn on the Lights!

John 3:1-3 MSG

There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”

Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”

     Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark of night.  We spend much of our life living in the dark of belief.  It's like we have faulty glasses, or our lenses can't shift fast enough to let the light in.  We struggle with the darkness of doubt,  muddled mistrust, and blurry belief. 

     Rebirth in Christ turns the light of Christ to full power.  The switch is flipped and we can see the Kingdom of God waiting – right there!  And we are changed, transformed, by the light. 

     The more Rick and I work for Habitat, and experience the joy of laboring side by side with the homeowners, the better my vision is becoming.  Slowly God is transforming us; step by step we are being reborn.  Turn on the lights and celebrate the grace of God!