Daily Lectionary for August 31, 2010
Psalm 122
Job 12:1, 13:3-17, 21-27
Acts 12:1-17
John 8:33-47
Psalm 122
Following visits to the Holy Land in 2000 and 2001 this became one of my favorite Psalms. "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!' Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem."(v.1,2) And further on, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem".(v.6) A quick commercial. If you have any inclination to travel to the Holy Land, I'd encourage you to do it. There is nothing like it. The land is sometimes referred to as the Fifth Gospel and it is hard for me to come up with a better description or a more compelling rationale for going. If I could make it a requirement for seminary students to travel to the Holy Land I'd do it. One can absolutely be a person of faith and never go near the Holy Land, it's not that there is any magical quality that makes you a better person. There is, however, such wonderful insight into Scripture to be gained from standing alongside of the Sea of Galilee and walking the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem. I am greatly looking forward to having the opportunity to return to the Holy Land in January of 2011 - this coming January! If anyone is interested in traveling with the group that my wife and I are going with please contact me at jhgclove@windstream.net. The trip is for ten days and leaves January 19, 2011. The cost is $2298 (plus about $600 taxes and fees) and covers flights, rooms, breakfast and dinner and all admissions to sites. The price is not inexpensive, but if you compare it to other packages traveling to the Holy Land I believe you'll find that it compares rather well. This is the same group that I have travelled with before and they are very good. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested or have any questions at all - I love talking about the Holy Land. One need not fly out Louisville as their first leg. Flights can connect from other cities to our common departure point.
Acts 12:1-17
This is another great passage. Peter is arrested and in jail. "While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently for him."(v.5) They may have prayed fervently, but perhaps not expectantly. Peter is delivered from prison and goes to the house where folks are gathered praying for him. A maid, Rhoda, comes to the door - she is so overjoyed to see Peter that she fails to let him in, instead running to tell the assembled praying church the good news that Peter is standing at the gate. To which they do not respond, "Yes, we knew this would happen, we've been praying for just that." No they resond, "You are out of your mind!" and then when she refuses to stop they say, "It is his angel." (v.15) One can imagine them saying, "Stop bothering us with these stories about Peter being delivered from prison and let us get back to praying for poor Peter to be delivered from prison." How often do we fervently pray with no real expectation that the thing we are fervently praying for will happen? Prayer is powerful and prayer matters.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Who Are You? - August 30 2010
Daily Lectionary Readings for August 30 2010
Psalm 15
Job 12:1-4, 13-25
Acts 11:19-30
John 8:21-32
John 8:21-32
Jesus is speaking about himself and about his death in this passage. Jesus is saying things like, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe in me."(vs23,24) The peoples response is, "Who are you?"(v.25) The passage is an extended version of this frustrating interaction. Jesus says things about himself. The people struggle mightily to get any kind of grip on what he is saying. They see a person before them who looks much like any other person; when he speaks of his relationshp with "the Father" he speaks in a way that makes sense to Christians reading his words two thousand years later, but which virtually all of us would have been hard pressed to understand if were standing in his presence in the moment when the words were spoken. I wonder today if we are so accustomed to the divine Jesus that the part of him we struggle more with is the real man standing in front of all those folks debating. We, I think, picture him standing in the midst of the crowds preaching, healing, carrying a lamb on his shoulder and with a lovely golden halo visible for all to see. It baffles us how folks could have misunderstood so regularly who they were dealing with. It is a good thing to be thankful for the power and majesty of the Son of God's life and message, it is maybe not such a good thing to so easily embrace the walking, talking divinity of Jesus that we lost track of the awesome wondrous reality of the flesh and blood person. Christ's divinity carries with it the accomplishment and the message of our salvation. Christ's humanity carries with it the possibilities for human life that are ever before us. Fully human and fully divine is more than a dry theological calculation, it was a walking, talking, living, breathing, loving, compassionate, demanding, hard-to-follow once in a creation happening. The folks in Jesus time struggled with understanding Jesus. If we begin to feel a bit sorry for them and imagine that we understand Jesus, it might be good to take another look at Jesus. I believe we can know something of Jesus, but I also believe that there is always going to be something of my encounter with Jesus that will have me coming back to the same question the people asked - "who are you?" - not out of disbelief, but simply out of my limited ability to understand the totality of who Christ is and what God, through Christ, has done and is doing.
Psalm 15
Job 12:1-4, 13-25
Acts 11:19-30
John 8:21-32
John 8:21-32
Jesus is speaking about himself and about his death in this passage. Jesus is saying things like, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe in me."(vs23,24) The peoples response is, "Who are you?"(v.25) The passage is an extended version of this frustrating interaction. Jesus says things about himself. The people struggle mightily to get any kind of grip on what he is saying. They see a person before them who looks much like any other person; when he speaks of his relationshp with "the Father" he speaks in a way that makes sense to Christians reading his words two thousand years later, but which virtually all of us would have been hard pressed to understand if were standing in his presence in the moment when the words were spoken. I wonder today if we are so accustomed to the divine Jesus that the part of him we struggle more with is the real man standing in front of all those folks debating. We, I think, picture him standing in the midst of the crowds preaching, healing, carrying a lamb on his shoulder and with a lovely golden halo visible for all to see. It baffles us how folks could have misunderstood so regularly who they were dealing with. It is a good thing to be thankful for the power and majesty of the Son of God's life and message, it is maybe not such a good thing to so easily embrace the walking, talking divinity of Jesus that we lost track of the awesome wondrous reality of the flesh and blood person. Christ's divinity carries with it the accomplishment and the message of our salvation. Christ's humanity carries with it the possibilities for human life that are ever before us. Fully human and fully divine is more than a dry theological calculation, it was a walking, talking, living, breathing, loving, compassionate, demanding, hard-to-follow once in a creation happening. The folks in Jesus time struggled with understanding Jesus. If we begin to feel a bit sorry for them and imagine that we understand Jesus, it might be good to take another look at Jesus. I believe we can know something of Jesus, but I also believe that there is always going to be something of my encounter with Jesus that will have me coming back to the same question the people asked - "who are you?" - not out of disbelief, but simply out of my limited ability to understand the totality of who Christ is and what God, through Christ, has done and is doing.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Pit Digging - August 29, 2010
Daily Lectionary for August 29, 2010
Psalm 7
Job 11:1-9, 13-20
Revelation 5:1-14
Matthew 5:1-12
Psalm 7
Has a bit about what God will do to those who don't repent, but am drawn to v. 15-16. "They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made. Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads violence descends." This sounds less to me like God punishing and more like people living with the consequences of their choices. If my choices are not in step with God's will, and if I'm making these choices willfully and rebelliously I am digging a pit so I can fall into it.
Matthew 5:1-12
Reading the Beatitudes through the lens of the two verses from Psalm 7 mentioned above. Just as behavior that is out of step with God's will distances us from experiencing God in growth producing ways and creates difficulties (dig a hole and fall in), so behavior that is in step with God's will draws us closer to experiencing God in growth producing ways and results in mutliple blessings.
So...a good question to keep before us - are we doing more pit digging or are we moving towards being more in sync with God's will?
Psalm 7
Job 11:1-9, 13-20
Revelation 5:1-14
Matthew 5:1-12
Psalm 7
Has a bit about what God will do to those who don't repent, but am drawn to v. 15-16. "They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made. Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads violence descends." This sounds less to me like God punishing and more like people living with the consequences of their choices. If my choices are not in step with God's will, and if I'm making these choices willfully and rebelliously I am digging a pit so I can fall into it.
Matthew 5:1-12
Reading the Beatitudes through the lens of the two verses from Psalm 7 mentioned above. Just as behavior that is out of step with God's will distances us from experiencing God in growth producing ways and creates difficulties (dig a hole and fall in), so behavior that is in step with God's will draws us closer to experiencing God in growth producing ways and results in mutliple blessings.
So...a good question to keep before us - are we doing more pit digging or are we moving towards being more in sync with God's will?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Hindering God - August 28 2010
Daily Lectionary Readings for August 28, 2010
Psalm 89:1-18
Job 9:1, 10:1-9, 16-22
Acts 11:1-18
John 8:12-20
Acts 11:1-18
"If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God."(v.17)
Peter summarizes his whole experience with Cornelius as a part of defending the reception of the Gentiles to the Church leaders in Jerusalem. First, when you are Peter in the early church you probably begin with the benefit of the doubt; they may not have been happy with his actions, but Peter is going to have a moment to be heard - he's Peter. What he says is really good - again, no surprise, he's Peter. Great question - "who was I that I could hinder God?" Suggests one of those handy end of the day kind of questions - what have I done today that hinders rather than helps God's kingdom? Truly, I don't think my actions will hinder God from accomplishing what God sets out to accomplish, that seems unlikely. What I do think is that my actions may hinder me from participating in God's plan in a way that puts me in agreement with God's will moreso than not and, in turn, helps me to experience the life abundant that comes with obedience to God. How have I hindered God today is not a question to figure out what I need to be punished for - it's a question to help me consider how to get out of my way in living towards God's will tomorrow.
Preaching tomorrow on Hebrews 13:1-8,15,16. Continuing with the series, Encouraging Words From Hebrews. The theme will focus around v.15, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." The sermon title is "The Part of Life that is Potentially Not Worship (Doesn't Exist)". The uplifiting part, hopefully, will be the message that every moment is an opportunity to honor/worship God. The reality, of course, is that we miss many of these opportunities, but the challenge is to meet more of these moments with hearts that are ready to encounter God rather than tired souls simply looking to get through another day.
Psalm 89:1-18
Job 9:1, 10:1-9, 16-22
Acts 11:1-18
John 8:12-20
Acts 11:1-18
"If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God."(v.17)
Peter summarizes his whole experience with Cornelius as a part of defending the reception of the Gentiles to the Church leaders in Jerusalem. First, when you are Peter in the early church you probably begin with the benefit of the doubt; they may not have been happy with his actions, but Peter is going to have a moment to be heard - he's Peter. What he says is really good - again, no surprise, he's Peter. Great question - "who was I that I could hinder God?" Suggests one of those handy end of the day kind of questions - what have I done today that hinders rather than helps God's kingdom? Truly, I don't think my actions will hinder God from accomplishing what God sets out to accomplish, that seems unlikely. What I do think is that my actions may hinder me from participating in God's plan in a way that puts me in agreement with God's will moreso than not and, in turn, helps me to experience the life abundant that comes with obedience to God. How have I hindered God today is not a question to figure out what I need to be punished for - it's a question to help me consider how to get out of my way in living towards God's will tomorrow.
Preaching tomorrow on Hebrews 13:1-8,15,16. Continuing with the series, Encouraging Words From Hebrews. The theme will focus around v.15, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." The sermon title is "The Part of Life that is Potentially Not Worship (Doesn't Exist)". The uplifiting part, hopefully, will be the message that every moment is an opportunity to honor/worship God. The reality, of course, is that we miss many of these opportunities, but the challenge is to meet more of these moments with hearts that are ready to encounter God rather than tired souls simply looking to get through another day.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Who To Tell? - August 27, 2010
Daily Lectionary for August 27, 2010
Psalm 32
Job 9:1-15, 32-35
Acts 10:34-48
John 7:37-52
Acts 10:34-48
Peter preaches the good news of Jesus. Gentiles respond and believe. Peter decides to baptize them. "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." Not people just like we are. People who have received the Holy Spirit like we have. Peter is just consumed with sharing what he has been witness to. His goal is to get what he knows in his heart, mind and soul out. He is not aiming to control what happens with it once he gets it out - he just wants it out. Faith sharing as Peter does it in this passage is not something to be diagrammed or strategized. He's not concerned with demographics or target audiences. His need is to bear witness to Christ. Sometimes in those moments when God's Holy Spirit is very nearly tangible to us we have a sense of what he must have felt like. God is so near and so real that we can't help but talk about it, share it, pass it along. When we witness Christ at work in our lives and in our world we are moved to bear witness. Not to determine who hears, but to offer the possibility of hearing to anybody within earshot.
John 7:37-52
Jesus says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink."(v.37-38) Maybe Peter in the passage above was remembering this moment and these words. The good news isn't only for the Jews. It isn't only for the Gentiles. It's for the thirsty. Offer thirsty folks Jesus and if they want to drink they are welcome. Jesus is for the thirsty. That's all of us.
Psalm 32
Job 9:1-15, 32-35
Acts 10:34-48
John 7:37-52
Acts 10:34-48
Peter preaches the good news of Jesus. Gentiles respond and believe. Peter decides to baptize them. "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." Not people just like we are. People who have received the Holy Spirit like we have. Peter is just consumed with sharing what he has been witness to. His goal is to get what he knows in his heart, mind and soul out. He is not aiming to control what happens with it once he gets it out - he just wants it out. Faith sharing as Peter does it in this passage is not something to be diagrammed or strategized. He's not concerned with demographics or target audiences. His need is to bear witness to Christ. Sometimes in those moments when God's Holy Spirit is very nearly tangible to us we have a sense of what he must have felt like. God is so near and so real that we can't help but talk about it, share it, pass it along. When we witness Christ at work in our lives and in our world we are moved to bear witness. Not to determine who hears, but to offer the possibility of hearing to anybody within earshot.
John 7:37-52
Jesus says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink."(v.37-38) Maybe Peter in the passage above was remembering this moment and these words. The good news isn't only for the Jews. It isn't only for the Gentiles. It's for the thirsty. Offer thirsty folks Jesus and if they want to drink they are welcome. Jesus is for the thirsty. That's all of us.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Soul Rest and Not Getting In The Way - August 26, 2010
Daily Lectionary Readings for August 26, 2010
Psalm 116
Job 8:1-10, 20-22
Acts 10:17-33
John 7:14-36
Psalm 116
"Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." (v.7)
Another verse making the obvious, but still often overlooked in the midst of challenges/trials/difficult times, point that God has always been faithful. Our souls leave their rest on a regular basis and go visit places that get them all stirred up, apprehensive, angry, out of kilter - everywhere, but at rest. God hasn't walked away and has promised repeatedly to be faithful. Praying that my memory can grow to be a little longer than whatever is presently problematic.
Acts 10:17-33
In the midst of yet another story of a disciple following a very demanding call without a moments hesitation we have an illuminating moment with Peter. He arrives at the home of a Roman centurion, Cornelius who has summoned Peter so he can learn more about The Way. Cornelius meets him and falls at his feet and begins to worship Peter (v.25). This can't be all that uncommon. Whether it is Peter or Paul or any of the other Apostles, this tendency to elevate them and to worship them must have been a fairly regular occurrence. Peter is having none of it. "Stand up; I am only a mortal."(v.26) It could have been easy for one of those early leaders to stop pointing beyond themselves and begin pointing to themselves and accepting the accolades of the masses they spoke to. Their practice led to the church of Jesus Christ, rather than the Church of Peter or the Church of Paul, and their example is a reminder to each of us to be pointing beyond ourselves to Christ.
John 7:14-36
A point in Jesus' words in this passage that touches on the point above from the Acts passage. Jesus says, "Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him."(v.18) Again, it's not about our glory, but letting God's glory show through.
Psalm 116
Job 8:1-10, 20-22
Acts 10:17-33
John 7:14-36
Psalm 116
"Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." (v.7)
Another verse making the obvious, but still often overlooked in the midst of challenges/trials/difficult times, point that God has always been faithful. Our souls leave their rest on a regular basis and go visit places that get them all stirred up, apprehensive, angry, out of kilter - everywhere, but at rest. God hasn't walked away and has promised repeatedly to be faithful. Praying that my memory can grow to be a little longer than whatever is presently problematic.
Acts 10:17-33
In the midst of yet another story of a disciple following a very demanding call without a moments hesitation we have an illuminating moment with Peter. He arrives at the home of a Roman centurion, Cornelius who has summoned Peter so he can learn more about The Way. Cornelius meets him and falls at his feet and begins to worship Peter (v.25). This can't be all that uncommon. Whether it is Peter or Paul or any of the other Apostles, this tendency to elevate them and to worship them must have been a fairly regular occurrence. Peter is having none of it. "Stand up; I am only a mortal."(v.26) It could have been easy for one of those early leaders to stop pointing beyond themselves and begin pointing to themselves and accepting the accolades of the masses they spoke to. Their practice led to the church of Jesus Christ, rather than the Church of Peter or the Church of Paul, and their example is a reminder to each of us to be pointing beyond ourselves to Christ.
John 7:14-36
A point in Jesus' words in this passage that touches on the point above from the Acts passage. Jesus says, "Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him."(v.18) Again, it's not about our glory, but letting God's glory show through.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Psalm Readers True Confession! - August 25, 2010
Daily Lectionary for August 25, 2010
Psalm 119:145-176
Job 6:1, 7:1-21
Acts 10:1-16
John 7:1-13
Psalm 119
Another good thing about the Daily Lectionary. I am reading all of Psalm 119. Some who know me know that I struggle with the Psalms at times. There are moments when I can read them and resonate with the thoughts and be right there with the Psalmist. Some people can do that on a regular basis. I'm not one of those people. In my not so good moments I can think unpleasant things like read one Psalm and you've read all 150. Or I can come to a Psalm like 119 and think where is the Psalms version of the Deuteronomistic editor 'cause this thing surely could use some editing. The Daily Lectionary doesn't let me get away with that kind of stuff. It pushes me. Asks me to read what's up for the day and see what God has for me there. I've come to find this sort of guidance helpful.
Acts 10:1-16
In which Peter sees a vision of food he has always believed and been taught he is not supposed to eat. He hears a voice (he answers by naming the voice "Lord" so it doesn't appear he is confused about who is speaking to him) that tells him to "Get up, Peter; kill and eat."(v.13) Peter's response in summary is that while he is hungry he has rules for things like this, so thanks but no thanks. Another nudge about the moments when we are tempted to make rules and doctrines primary over God's call.
Psalm 119:145-176
Job 6:1, 7:1-21
Acts 10:1-16
John 7:1-13
Psalm 119
Another good thing about the Daily Lectionary. I am reading all of Psalm 119. Some who know me know that I struggle with the Psalms at times. There are moments when I can read them and resonate with the thoughts and be right there with the Psalmist. Some people can do that on a regular basis. I'm not one of those people. In my not so good moments I can think unpleasant things like read one Psalm and you've read all 150. Or I can come to a Psalm like 119 and think where is the Psalms version of the Deuteronomistic editor 'cause this thing surely could use some editing. The Daily Lectionary doesn't let me get away with that kind of stuff. It pushes me. Asks me to read what's up for the day and see what God has for me there. I've come to find this sort of guidance helpful.
Acts 10:1-16
In which Peter sees a vision of food he has always believed and been taught he is not supposed to eat. He hears a voice (he answers by naming the voice "Lord" so it doesn't appear he is confused about who is speaking to him) that tells him to "Get up, Peter; kill and eat."(v.13) Peter's response in summary is that while he is hungry he has rules for things like this, so thanks but no thanks. Another nudge about the moments when we are tempted to make rules and doctrines primary over God's call.
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