With that project complete, I am returning to my love of writing in response to scripture. Today, my attention was called to Psalm 82, and I invite you to explore my reflections and join in my prayer of response.

Hear the word of God in the Heavenly Council:

God has taken His place in the divine council;
 in the midst of the gods, he holds judgment.
How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
Give justice to the weak and the orphan.
Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
(Psalm 82:1-4, NRSV)

This injunction from God is followed by God’s assessment of the social setting of those times: “They have neither knowledge nor understanding; they walk around in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken” (Psalm 82:5).

This Psalm is a type of colloquy—a conversation with God and with the readers. The Psalmist reports what he has understood as if he had been in the throne room of Heaven and witnessed God in His omnipotent authority surrounded by lesser ‘gods’—but beings worthy to hold court with God. Astonishingly, that status is broadened to include mankind in the next words of God: “I say, you are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals and fall like any prince” (Psalm 82:6-7).

The Psalmist, in response to this amazing scene, prays: “Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to You!” (Psalm 82:8).

I am hearing this in light of the trying times in our nation and world, marked by confusion and polarization, anger and suspicion, violence and abuse—none of which can stand before God’s judgment. No matter what our political viewpoints, it is God’s view that ultimately matters; and this Psalm provides a barometer for where we are expected to stand in God’s eyes.

May I suggest assessing our politics and theology honestly in light of verses 2-4? Are we judging fairly or unjustly? Are we standing with those who do? Is partiality being shown to the wicked (those opposed to God’s authority and the rights of others)? Are we supporting those who are giving preferred justice to the weak and the orphan, the lowly and the destitute, to deliver them out of the hands of the wicked?

Prayer of response:

O Lord, God our Father,
Omnipotent and Omniscient
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Divine Father of Jesus our Savior
Giver of the Holy Spirit
Who calls and invites us into your council,
Help us to live worthy of our holy privilege.
Help your people to hear the cries of the suffering ones
and support ways to help them.
Help us lay aside our political and social prejudices
in order to care for the weak and destitute, the orphans and widows,
the frightened and mistreated, the sick and dying.
Open our eyes, Lord, to see as You see
and to love as You love.
Amen.

Top painting: ”The Trinity” by Andrei Rublev. It depicts the three angels hosted by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre, but also represents the Holy Trinity.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Our might resides in our bodies, and we rightly interpret this to mean serving the Lord with our bodies. That includes ways in which we express love to God in prayer, music, art, work, service and worship. In the spiritual formation traditions, creative expression of worship through our bodies has emerged as a significant personal and group experience. Similar to liturgical dance, Body Prayer is interpretive movement and can enable our souls to express the deeper longings of our soul.

Through Body Prayer, we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in creative ways. It enables us to engage our whole being in communion with God—Mind, Heart, Soul and Body. When our bodies are allowed to express the longings of our soul, we experience new freedom in prayer and a deepening sense of being in touch with God.

So, I offer you this morning prayer and encourage you to use your imagination to form movements of your body (perhaps like Yoga) to express the yearnings of your soul as these words guide you.

Morning Body Prayer

Lord, I stretch to You like a flower to the sun, seeking Your life-giving Presence to imbue me with the power and energy I need for the living of this day.

I bow to You in Worship and Praise, for You are “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,”[1]—Lover of my soul, Redeemer of my life, and Eternal Guardian of all that is. You are the God who comforts me like a perfect Mother and who reveals truth to me for my life.

I bow to You in deep and sorrowful contrition for all my many manifold sins and failures—the things I have done that I should not have done, and the things I should have done but did not do.

I stretch out to You in absolute surrender, for You are Sovereign God and I am Your creation, created and re-created in Christ Jesus for good works which You have fore-ordained that I should walk in them, and which I have failed to do as I ought to have done.

Wash over me with Your waves of Love, Mercy and Grace; and cleanse me till I am “whiter than snow”[2], until I have clean hands and a pure heart, that I might stand in Your Holy Presence and see You, O Beautiful God, in all Your Glory—and serve You forever.

I thank You for all my sustenance in life and the Presence of Your Holy Spirit to guide and teach me. Hold me up when I and others fail, as we often do in the course of life. Bring me back into Your Womb of Love and Transforming Grace. Bring me back through gestation in Your Will and remake me in Your Divine Image. Re-form me like clay on a potter’s wheel until I am shaped according to “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ,”[3] into a vessel fit for service in Your Kingdom.

Fill me with Your Spirit and enable me to stand and move and have my being for the Praise of Your Glory now and forever. Amen.

[1] Isaiah 9:6 (NRSVue)

[2] Psalm 51:7 (NRSVue)

[3] Ephesians 4:13 (NIV)

Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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When I meditate on these passages, a prayer wells up:

O Lord God of Heaven and Earth, we see the world around us writhing in pain at the same time that babies are born, bringing the delight of new life amid death and destruction. We dance and we cry over and over. Every night the evening news gets louder as the reporters raise the volume and the pace of their voices with urgency about the latest despicable actions of those who have lost any sense of love and compassion. We seem looped into a cycle of pain and suffering.

Isaiah brought us a beautiful vision of the creative work that the book of Revelation promises God is going to accomplish. But, there are many long centuries between the prophecies, the vision, and our experience. Sometimes we feel as if we are standing on the edge of the crater of hell, seeing the evil bubbling closer and closer to the surface where we stand. Our day-to-day world is beginning to resemble the description of the Great Tribulation. O Lord, help our world find a positive way forward. Give ear to the prayers of your people crying out night and day for help.

Surely, in every generation there have been people who experienced severe tribulation. But, when it comes over and over from every direction, day after day, we begin to lose heart, for we instinctively know that there is no way for this to subside or end without something monumental happening. We hardly know what to seek in prayer. It seems so hopeless.

The book of Revelation ends with, “Come, Lord Jesus.” That is certainly an understandable way to pray: “Come, Lord, put away this evil once for all. Come establish your Kingdom of Love and Righteousness forever. Come end the shameless evil and long suffering of innocent people.” But, Isaiah holds up a portal through which we see God’s vision and hear God’s longings; and from that, we can pray and live more effectively. When our prayers are in tune with God’s purpose, we can be sure that the answers will come.

So, what does God envision? For what does God long? It is surprisingly simple and practical. God wants what we want—for people to be able to build houses and live in them, and plant vineyards, gardens and fields. He wants open green space, fresh water, clean air—safe space for animals and people, where a wolf and a lamb can have their needs met without one being prey of another.

He desires people to be steady like strong oak trees, faithful to place, family and community. It is not God’s will for people to labor in vain, with a sense of futility. God longs for blessings of fruitful lives to flow from one generation to another, and that their prayers will be met before they even notice the need to ask. In God’s vision, no one prays and gets no answers; but prayers are in tune with His longings.

So, to heal our world today and for the future, let’s pray for what God longs for—for the vision of Isaiah to be fulfilled—with humanity rejoicing and glad forever in what God has been creating all along. While we cannot see the end result yet, we have the promises of the Gospel that He has redeemed, is redeeming and will redeem and create a new Heaven and a new earth in which His people will live together in peace with all of life—and will be glad and rejoice forever as they allow themselves to change and become truly the people in whom God delights.

Hear our prayer, O Lord:

Please move in every country to restore faith among all people and lead people of all nations to fall in love with the earth, the sky, the water, each plant, tree and each creature—and to love one another. Restore the joy of family, the comfort of home, the fellowship of community, the satisfaction of good work, and the faith to believe in Your creative, redemptive power.

Encourage hope to rebuild houses where destruction has brought ruin—to plant vineyards and gardens, and live in harmony with nature and people of all cultures. Teach us how to make peace through humility rather than increasing division through competition and domination. Help us let go of our willfulness that is rooted in fear of losing or being mistreated; and help us gather courage to love and not hate, to help and not fight.

May the Spirit of Jesus the Christ enter our souls and make us whole. May goodness and kindness replace jealousy and retaliation. May mercy and hospitality replace prejudice and blame. May the gift of redemption overcome our “name, blame and shame” games so that we forgive one another. Yes, Lord, may Your beautiful vision of what You are creating be seen with our spiritual eyes and give us hope that even now You are working toward that beautiful purpose. Guide us to find ways to help Your dream come true; for when we do, our prayers will be answered, too. Amen.

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After Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested, Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and stated that he had examined Jesus and referred him to Herod who also came up with the same verdict—that Jesus had done nothing to deserve death. So, it was his intention to flog and release him.

But the crowd began to shout, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and also for murder. Pilate continued to protest that Jesus did not deserve crucifixion, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”

As they kept vehemently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, fearing a riot and insurrection, Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. Their voices prevailed, though they could not have been more off base. They had clamored for the release of a man who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder; and pushed for Pilate to hand over Jesus for execution. Jesus, the righteous healer and teacher, was crucified as they demanded.

It is sobering.

I encourage you to take the time to read Luke 23 in its entirety and marvel at the paradox of sinners, in need of God’s Grace, shouting for the Messiah, the promised Redeemer, to be crucified. Imagine the scene as it unfolds with Pilate himself pleading for sanity—saying that both he and Herod were in agreement that Jesus had done nothing to deserve death. Yet, it was the will of the people to crucify Jesus and release a murderer. 

This sounds like a scene straight out of our news reports today, when truth seems to be turned upside down and inside out—or completely bypassed. It reminds me that we need to be careful what we demand. It is possible to be right logically and wrong morally, or right legally and wrong spiritually.

I offer this prayer of response:

Perhaps, Lord, a passage like this is best responded to with silence. We find ourselves facing a scene we cannot comprehend. Innocence declared guilty. Truth stifled by angry shouts. Release deserved but flogging ordered. A murderer released and a healer condemned to execution. No ground for a death sentence, but Jesus led away to be crucified. The God-Man without strength to carry his own cross. The God-Man dying, dead and buried. We are dismayed and bewildered even when we know the end of the story. Even when we have heard it hundreds of times, it grips us with consternation.

The only thing that makes it all make sense is our great need for forgiveness—our helpless estate as sinners, created for God and self-doomed to our selfish pursuits. Only divine love can look on us in mercy and devise a plan of salvation that is more than rational equation. Only a pure sacrifice could ever be acceptable for a divine ransom.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man—we bless your sinless life which undergirds the paradox of God’s love reaching past our sin to procure a ransom that works—incredibly, at the hands of sinful men. We praise and bless your name for your great and wonderful mercy shown toward sinners. Thank you that our sins are dealt a mighty blow and removed as far as the east is from the west, thrown out of your sight, not to be brought back up again and again. Forgive us when we do.

Help us remember that it is your will for us to pass on the blessing you have given us to others. We are to have mercy on the sinners, as you did. We are to forgive sinners, as you did. We are even to forgive ourselves and have mercy on ourselves. Why? Because that is the way You have designed the world, and us in it, to work best.

Lord, we pray that a day will come when the voices that prevail are the voices of equality and wise justice, impartiality and respect, forgiveness and mercy. We pray for the grace to forgive and the wisdom to uphold the rights of all people to live an unfettered and meaningful life, in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.

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I have come to recognize that my perfectionist personality stems from some longings that grew in me through my childhood experiences—to be right and good and avoid discipline. Those are not bad goals, but they are impossible to meet perfectly in our human limitations. So, a lifetime with a lot of frustration for me and others followed.

I never prayed to be perfect and did not realize I was striving for it to an inordinate degree. I just thought it was required of all of us. After all, there are scriptures that seem to call for it, such as: “Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, NRSV). When lifted out of the bed of scripture, it sets an impossible goal. Even if it means to be complete and whole, human nature cannot achieve it fully.

The wonderful, good news is that we are made perfect in God’s sight through faith, as it was said of Abraham: “[He] believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6, NRSV). We are made right with God through faith in the Love of God that brought us the gift of redemption through Jesus Christ.

The gift of righteousness that God gives is multi-dimensional and always in process—covenantal, personal, communal, relational, moral, ethical—and the outcome of faith in God’s Love as revealed in Christ. It is a higher attainment than we can reach, so God reaches it for us.

We need not only to be saved from our “sins,” but also from the power of “sin”—that power in us stemming from instincts and attitudes in our personalities that drive us to do and say things that mar relationships and muddy the river of our life. In short, we need to be transformed in our inner being, and that is the work and gift of the Holy Spirit. It is ours to receive and celebrate.

This poem is my celebration of God’s gift that makes us “right” in our relationship with God, even as He progressively loves us into being right with ourselves and one another.

I hope you enjoy the poem!

Perfect

Perfect was not my cry

But it is what Jesus gave.

He knew better than I

What my soul did crave.

I must earn it, was my thought,

Make it my own, not just pray.

Instead of trusting what He bought,

I was striving all the way.

Like a jewel hidden in plain sight,

It eluded my desperate eye.

I searched in the day as if it were night.

I missed the mark and swallowed the lie.

My greatest failure was not my sin.

It was missing the extent of His Love

And the Perfection He plants within

To fit me for His Kingdom above.

Perfectionism is striving to be

Right and correct in every way

Expecting others to tow the line

Criticizing and judging day by day.

While perfect is not ours to do

Lying beyond the reach of mortal aim.

It is the gift of love so true

When we give up the strain.

When we let Christ the Perfect One in,

He fills our soul with blessed light

And gives what we failed to win.

As Perfect Gift, He makes us right.

Through His loving Presence, He makes us whole.

All is forgiven that lies in the past.

He renews my mind and nurtures my soul.

My pursuit of perfect is over at last.

(written December 7, 2020)

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Christmas Is Coming!

Christmas is coming, make ready with song

Something we’ve waited for all the year long

Now that the bells and the singing are here

We can remember until the next year

How the sleigh bells ringing out through the air

And the soft snow lying restfully there

Made us all tingle with joy and delight

As we sat singing by Christmas Tree light.

I think what led me to share this today is an article I read in a magazine about a woman of Hindu background whose family immigrated to America. They wanted to assimilate while also maintaining their Hindi faith. So, they integrated every secular Christmas tradition they could into their December but refrained from any of the “religious“ traditions. I wondered to myself, can you really completely sever the customs from the tradition in which it emerged?

If so, we have some work to do. The light that we celebrate every year—on trees, in windows and outside decorations—originally began to be used by Christians in devotion to the One Who claimed, “I AM the Light of the World.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, NRSV). In today’s context, however, all the tinsel and glitter are simply about having celebratory times with family and friends. There is nothing wrong with that. Goodness knows, we all need to celebrate life, especially in a pandemic! But, how can we as Christians distinguish our celebrations from the non-Christian world?

The world at large decorates Christmas trees, listens to Christmas music, bakes Christmas cookies, exchanges gifts, and all the rest. So, what makes our celebration different? Look around your home and ask: if an unbeliever walked in today, would he or she see anything that points to Christ? For that matter, would my family members recognize in my home that “Jesus is the reason for the season?”

If not, you have some work to do! Find a Nativity set, some Christian-themed ornaments, an Advent wreath, angels, and have sacred Christmas carols playing in the background. Let your friends and family know why we celebrate Christmas! When we sit singing by Christmas Tree light, be singing songs that celebrate the coming of the Savior! And wrap it all in prayer! Give Glory to God in the Highest for bringing True Light into the darkness of our world—a light that only grows brighter in our hearts.

Merry Christmas! 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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In a letter written from the Apostle Paul to new believers in ancient Corinth, there is a key verse for our attention: “Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?” (II Cor. 13:5b, NRSV) I am grateful for this strong assertion that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified in the weakness of human flesh, now lives in the Resurrection power of God—in us! Jesus promised that He would come to us in the Spirit and would dwell in us, and Paul affirmed it to be true.

Paul raises the question in this chapter with an incredulous ring: “Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?” I suspect many would say, “Well, no, I don’t realize that. How can that be?” Paul asserts that this is unrefutably true in saying, “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (II Cor. 13:8, NIV).

The truth is that Jesus promised He would return in the Spirit to be with us and even in us. Read Jesus’ promise in the following verses from John 14: 15-18 (NIV):

If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Jesus promised to send the Spirit of Truth and then identifies Himself with the Spirit—saying “I will come to you.” He told His disciples that they already knew this Spirit that He would send—that he was already living with them. He then promised that He would personally come to them and live in them.

Maybe that sounds well and good for the disciples, but you may wonder how this can mean that He has promised to dwell in you as well. We know that it includes us because of His prayer on the night before the crucifixion, when He prayed for the disciples and then prayed the same wonderful things for those who would come to believe in Him through the witness of his disciples (John 17:20-23). That means us!

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

So, the Gospel truth is that I am weak in Christ, but He is powerful in me. I come to Him in my weakness as a flawed child of God, in confession and repentance; and He comes to me in the power of Resurrection Life. His life builds me up and strengthens me to build up others, even while I am still in formation myself. Though I am still unfinished and in process, the Spirit of Christ is working through me. Though I am imperfect and will always experience flubs, flops and failures, I am being renewed and restored all along by the Perfect One.  It is an amazing gift of God’s Grace.

Paul urged the Christians in Corinth to examine themselves (II Corinthians 13:5), and that we must do that as well. All that he named in the previous chapters as sin must be removed from our lives and our faith community as we grow more and more to be truly the people of God that our Lord Jesus Christ calls into being—to dwell within. As Paul said, our prayer should always be for improvement, aiming toward perfection—for ourselves and our church. Our work should always be to build up and not tear down. We need to especially build up our faith to affirm that Christ comes to dwell within us! We are the temple of God today! Thanks be to God for His amazing gift!

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to us in the power of love when we came to you in our need. Help us recognize your power at work within us to build up and improve our life in you, individually and in our church. Lead us to mend our ways, cooperate together and live at peace in the love of God. May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forever. Amen.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Retirement was one of the most significant times when life did stop to some extent and really changed. But soon, I was as busy as ever, going up and down, round and round, but honestly not making the progress I wanted. Deep longings for a different way of being remained a constant, underlying shadow over my soul.

My image for the “now” is very different. The merry-go-round is completely still. There is little that I had been doing that is possible now without some change in the way I do it. So, it took a few moments for the answer to emerge for the second part of her question. Slowly, I came upon it as my eyes landed on an art print in my study—“The Road to Emmaus” by Robert Zünd (1877). It beckons to me for a way of being in this current context, as well as an invitation to the way of being that I have always wanted and now have the best opportunity to realize. It was that longing that made me identify with the painting decades ago and led me to purchase the print.

So, how do I learn from these two images? I do not want this to be wasted time, and I surely do not want it to become just a different way of riding a merry-go-round. I hear a call from the Spirit to walk with Jesus more closely during this time. This is my chance to read more, reflect more, pray more, meditate more. We often think that walking with Jesus means doing the good that He would have us do. And certainly, that is primary. Our best service, however, arises out of being constantly immersed in the fresh flowing current of the river of life in the Spirit.

The better path that Jesus makes meaningful is one on which we take time with Him, spend hours rather than minutes in communion with Him, listen to Him through His Word with our heart more than our mind, in silence and solitude with him. If I cannot do that during this time, then when? This just may be the best time of the rest of my life!

We are in a similar situation as the two disciples were that day when the resurrected Jesus joined them on the walk to Emmaus after the crucifixion. They were lost in sorrow over the death of Jesus and the perplexing stories of some women that He had been raised from the dead. They were disappointed to the core of their being. Isn’t that the way we feel now? As a global society, we are dismayed deep down in the core of our being—going through all five stages of grief together: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance.

We hear denial in the brave declarations: “We got this! We can do this! Nothing can stop us! We are together in this! We can beat this! This is just a bump in the road. We must re-open very soon!” We hear anger in the volley of conversations about loss of jobs and financial security. We hear bargaining in the political tug-of-war about longer shut-downs versus the re-opening of businesses and services. For some, depression is already setting in—the dismal fear that perhaps we cannot overcome this, even working together. It is heard in the weariness of those on the front line. This fight is bigger than all the nations around the globe put together.

Already, there is overwhelming sorrow for many. BUT, it is true that we are together in this and that we need each other in order to come out of this with a hopeful future. It is also true that we all have the same resource for helping us through these uncertain times. Government officials, business leaders, front-line workers, back-line workers, moms, dads, friends, children—we all can walk with Jesus. There is one way through this that can bring us out in a different place and a better place. It is the path of walking more closely with Jesus, seeking His wisdom, following the inner guidance of His Spirit, taking time to listen for His inner voice and being obedient to what we hear.

Want to go deeper? Read more here.

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There is a shining thread related to the blood of the lamb all through the Bible. You can follow it all the way through Revelation. The original quote of God’s instructions to Moses is found in Exodus 12:13. “The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (NIV). While this is an ancient story, all scripture is given to us as a model and pattern for us to live by. It is not necessary to do this in order for God to hear our prayers, but I decided in my heart that it is necessary for me as a statement of faith that God hears the prayers of His people. I want to encourage others to believe that He cares for us!

The connection of Jesus with the concept of a lamb is embedded in scripture from the earliest times. In the story of Abraham, he told his son Isaac that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice that he was committed to make. And God did. Many believers have seen that as a pointer toward the Christ who was to come. When John the Baptist saw Jesus one day, he pointed him out in the crowd and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, NRSV). He believed God had provided a lamb again—one whose life, death and resurrection would offer redemptive hope to all people.

The Apostle Peter declared, “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through Him you have come to trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God” (I Peter 1:18-21, NRSV).

In the last book of the Bible, this same concept shines: “And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the Nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed’” (Revelation 15:3-4, NRSV).

Whenever you see a cross, remember that God wants us to have hope in Him. Let’s put our faith to work by believing that He wants to help us. He wants us to believe enough to pray, expecting His loving response. Hope is the message of the cross.

To God be the Glory now and forever, Amen.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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God is listening for our prayers. In these times, my guess is that there is a lot more prayer. Just as we have heard the amusing comment that there is always prayer in school on exam days, my suspicion is that there is a lot more prayer during a pandemic.

Due to these challenging times, we are also seeing increased acts of generosity in which people of all walks of life and religious beliefs are moved with compassion to help people in various crises. Heroes are showing up every day, and it is quite heart-warming, as well as inspiring.

We are fasting from things we didn’t think we could do without. Our country is fasting from the social obsessions of sports, recreation, fashion and entertainment—and finding that those are not essentials. We are having to learn to be content with less of everything. I hope everyone finally found enough toilet paper, but you are probably much more conservative with it now. I read a joke online that we used to spin the toilet paper roll like it was the Wheel of Fortune, and now we turn it like we are cracking a safe! We are learning to be content with less in many ways.

We are eating out less—and then only by take-out, delivery or drive-thru. In my case, I am preparing every meal. I miss our favorite restaurant fare, but I am fasting from those preferences in an attempt to be safe. We are shopping less—even for less groceries—and learning to eat more simply. It’s just too time-consuming to suit up in a mask and gloves, armed with hand sanitizer and wipes—and then “stage” everything in the garage to wipe it down with disinfectant before carrying it in the house. (How do you disinfect lettuce?) So, we are doing without it. I miss it, yes, but I love life too much for the risk.

So, what are the lessons in all this? I propose that we are learning to understand better what the Apostle Paul was speaking about in his letter to the Philippians. This is a well-known passage and contains a verse greatly beloved by Christians:

“. . . I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).

That is the greatest lesson we can bring with us out of this apocalyptic season of world history. We really can face all situations of life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. His Spirit indwells those who call upon His name and is with all who may not know that precious name—though they may only call out to the God of the universe in desperation. God hears. God loves all His creation. God is listening. God is answering. God will help us. And the good news of Easter is that no matter what happens, there is Resurrection! In other words, there is Hope for all circumstances!

In every person who helps anyone, God is answering. In every lab, testing for the virus or researching for a cure, God is answering. In every country, doubling efforts to protect the medical personnel and first responders, God is answering. In every retail business and restaurant, trying to take care of their employees and provide assistance in the community, God is answering. In all governments, setting policies and dedicating resources to fund all the sky-rocketing needs, God is answering. In hearts of people giving more generously to helping agencies, God is answering. We are His hands!

The message we celebrate at Christmas is “God is with us.” The message we celebrate at Easter is “God is Living and Active among us.” Let these be lessons we learn more deeply in these uncertain times. And, just maybe, we will keep the ancient practices embedded into our lives from now on. Just maybe, we will fast with gladness in order that others may have more. Just maybe, we will pray with deep faith because we know God answers. Just maybe, we will sell some of what we have—or just buy less—so that we may give more generously to those in need.

We have already seen how closely-knit the whole world really is. What began in China arrived on our doorsteps in America within a few weeks. In the face of a pandemic, there is no difference in human need. Let us learn the lesson of global love for all of mankind and obey the call of Christ to love God supremely and one another generously.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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