1 Peter 3:1-7 Beauty

1 Peter 3:1-7 NIV

Beauty comes not from name brand clothes and jewelry; but,
from what you do and who you really are.

Each succeeding generation of women seems to pick up fashion trends that they think will make them more attractive to men. I've lived a for a few of these generations and I'm thinking that hasn't been working well. Take a look back at photos of when you were a teen. Would you really adorn yourself like that today? Fashion trends change just about every year. They will be eaten by moths or rust away. But, the love of a caring woman with integrity will last a lifetime.

St. Peter suggests that real beauty comes from within and is expressed by our behavior and not by what we wear.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

James 2:1-13 Favoritism and Discrimination

James 2:1-13 NIV
To show favoritism to one means to discriminate against another. James warns against showing favoritism. Sadly, we see this way too often. People are discriminated against for their race, their sex (that includes both males and females), age, where they work or if they don't, how they dress. The list goes on and on.

I admit that there have been times in the past when I have purposely dressed down just to see if security would follow me around through particular stores. They do. In fact, I have been followed around even when I thought I was clothed all right. Not sure why; but, every now and then someone thinks that I might look suspect. On the other hand, if I wear my clergy collar, I almost always get a lot of friendly greetings no matter where I am.

Years ago, when kayaking the shores of Lake Superior, I pulled up on the shore of a town that I had visited often in the past. They had known me as a pastor and had been very friendly to me when they had welcomed me in that capacity. This time; however, they apparently did not recognize me. I had been on the water for about a month and was wearing an old pair of Marine fatigues over my swimsuit. My hair was a ratted mess hanging out from under a baseball cap. I looked pretty forlorn. I needed to use a phone as there was no cell connection. I was not welcomed well. It took forever to find a pay phone as no one apparently had a phone that I could use to let my family know where I was.

When encountering others, it would do us all well to heed the words written by St. James, "If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (vs 3-4)

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Corinthians 5 Representing Jesus

1 Corinthians 5 NIV
So much for the commonly accepted notion that we are not to judge one another.

Today we find Paul exhorting the Christians in Corinth to expel the immoral from among them. He is not saying that they are to be judging the world; those who do not know Christ. He is saying that we are to confront those whose are sexually immoral; and the greedy and swindlers; the idolaters; slanderers; and drunkards and yet claim to be a brother or sister in Christ. We are to remind them, as Paul has, that this is unacceptable for one who claims to be a Christian. Paul tells us that we are to expel that person from among us.

No, the Christian should definitely not be judging the world's morality; not when our own house is such a mess. Sadly, the morality of the world crept into the church from the very beginning and is still there. It appears totally acceptable to live with various lovers and have children by various fathers none of whom were actually married to the woman. It is acceptable to prefer false idols; whether they are money, substances that make you drunk or high, or any of the multitudes of things we seek for self-pleasure over worshipping and serving the one true God. It's just the way it is. But, that is not the way it is suppose to be - not for the one who claims to follow Jesus. It is the beginning of a new year. It is not too late to resolve to change how we live and represent Jesus.

When I worked at the Juvenile Correction Facility I could tell which gangs which youth belonged to; which gang they "represented," just by observing them a little. It didn't take much. The tattoos, the clothes they wore; even how they tied their shoes were dead give-a-ways  as to who they were "representing." But, even more telling than what they wore were the actions that betrayed who they were loyal to. Who are we loyal to? Can the world tell or do we look and sound and act just like any other non-believer to them? To young readers and the old who insist on misrepresenting Christ; instead of gang signs try making the sign of the cross.

May God help us all to remember that it is Jesus whom we are to "represent."

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acts 18:1-17 Truth In Corinth

Acts 18:1-17 NIV
Paul does relatively well in Corinth. That is; he is able to testify that Jesus is the Messiah for about a year and a half in relative peace. I say relative because at one point he shook out his clothes in protest against the Jews who opposed his teaching and told them that from then on he was going to the Gentiles. The truth was not without opposition, even in Corinth.

Have you ever been in a debate that is pretty much one-sided? No matter what you say the other person shouts you down? They might even scream at you or threaten you if you don't shut up? They are adamant that their way is right and are not open to hearing any other truth. There are times when we must shake the dust off our shoes and move on. When, no matter what we say, we run up against bullies who will reject you and the healing word that you bring, then it may be best to quit wasting our and their time and move on to those who will hear and if they have doubts or questions will ask with an open heart and mind; desiring to hear and understand.

Debate is good. Discussion is good. But, both sides must be open to empathic listening to the other person. Paul presented the truth with reasoning from scripture. He did this with empathy, understanding where they were coming from. When certain people would not listen to the truth about Jesus, Paul simply moved on. He did not attack them as he had been attacked.

May God soften the hearts of those who reject the truth and who persecute those who are trying to help them follow in a better way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 15 - What To Wear?

“Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 'Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.'”  (Matt 15:1-2 NRSV)

On occasion, I have heard a whisper or two about how someone dresses "for church" or how a child misbehaves in "in church." (I have church in quotes, because the term in church is used rather than the term "at worship.") Tradition has taught us that there are certain ways we should dress for and act in "church." These are traditions that have come down through the generations. I'm thinking Jesus probably did not change clothes to go to the temple or to preach as he was traveling from city to city. During the time Jesus ministered, here on earth, one of the big "no, no's" was to not wash before you eat. There were whole rituals set up to ensure that hands were washed - rituals that were not to be broken.

We have the religious and we have the faithful. The religious might also be faithful, but often they will remind us of the Pharisees and scribes who faithfully accused and persecuted Jesus. The man-made laws and traditions certainly set them apart from other people; but did they set them apart because of their faith in God or because of the faithfulness to man-made traditions and laws?

Not long ago, one of our members was dropped off by one of their children for Worship. I invited the daughter to join us - but - she said she couldn't come in because she had a pair of those pants on that sort of look like pajamas. Consider this, who exactly are you dressing for? Who are you afraid of offending? Man or God? Do you not pray at home, in the shower, in your pajamas, in the garden, in your running clothes, at work? Do you run to change clothes before you go before God to speak with Him, in prayer, on all of these occasions? Personally, I don't think God cares what we're wearing.

As that child of God, who felt that she was not dressed for "church" declined my invitation to join us at Worship, I thought of Adam and Eve in that garden, naked. God didn't care that they were naked. After they ate of the tree of knowledge, it was they who cared, not God. Since they were ashamed, God made them clothes to cover themselves with and then closed the garden off to them so that they might not eat of the tree of life and live forever.

I like tradition almost as much as the next person; however, let us be mindful that sometimes these traditions separate us from God rather than bring us (and others) closer to him. It is faith in the One who shed His blood for us and not what we wear that reconciles us to God, our Father, in His eternal kingdom.

"This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,    teaching human precepts as doctrines." (Matt 15:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J
P.S. The winter that I was snow-mobile trail boss in southern Ontonagon County, I often went to Worship Services in my snow-mobile suit, simply because I did not have time to change and had to get back out on the trails immediately after worship. It was either not change or not Worship. Which would you choose?