Assist With A Spirit Of Gentleness

"My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted."

Gal 6:1-2 NRSV

I was with a woman yesterday who is always a joy to be with. I rarely hear about her having any personal problems that she might need help with. On the other hand, she often shares with me many prayer requests for others. She not only prays for them, she personally assists those in need. She is there for the hungry, the sick, the elderly. She is there for others in personal crisis. It does not matter if the personal crisis was brought on by a transgression of the individual. She will, in a spirit of gentleness, guide them toward reconciliation. In the spirit of gentleness, she will guide them in the truth.

She is not the only one I know that is so faithful. It does my heart good to be able to witness others living out their faith lives. Way too often I hear people say things like "It's not my problem" or "It's their own fault they're in this situation." They will not only refuse to help strangers; but, their friends and family as well.

St. Paul reminds us that we are to bear one another's burdens. We are to be there for others in their time of need no matter what the need is. He cautions us; though, that we ought to be careful that we are restoring them and not allowing ourselves to be tempted to fall into the same situation the one we would help has fallen into.

May God give us the spirit of love so that we can help those who are in need. May He give us the spirit of gentleness so that we can minister to those who are in trouble because they have taken the wrong path.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Amos 9 - God's Promise Thru Amos

After many warnings of destruction to those who do not listen to God, Amos ends with a promise.

“In that day

'I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins—
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
    and all the nations that bear my name,^'
declares the Lord, who will do these things.

'The days are coming,' declares the Lord,

'when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
    and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,
    and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.'" (Amos 9:11:14 NIV)

 

God's awesome promises - the Good News of His Kingdom - is for all nations who will bear His name. Shall we then bear His Holy Name - proclaim it to all people - that all might live in His loving grace?

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Lamentations 5 - Prayer of Jeremiah

"The Prayer of Jeremiah," a lament, confession, and plea to restore God's children to Himself.

"Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
    look, and see our disgrace.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
    our homes to foreigners.
We have become fatherless,
    our mothers are widows.
We must buy the water we drink; 
   our wood can be had only at a price." (Lam 5:1-4 NIV)

As I read the first few verses of chapter 5 this morning, I thought that it sounded familiar. It sounds a lot like us, today. There is a difference, though. We think that buying water to drink and purchasing fuel for cooking and warmth is the way it should be. It is definitely common practice. Our children are fatherless and/or motherless. In many cases; they have no parent at all; at least none that act like parents. We have many, many homeless children in this country. And... we don't even have enough sense to know that this is a disgrace.  

Since, we don't know that we have been disgraced; we also can't figure out that we need to repent and be reconciled to God and to one another. That, in itself, is a shame.

With the "Prayer of Jeremiah," let us pray:

"Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old. (Lam 5:21)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 27 - Nebuchadnezzar; The Servant of God

"Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.  All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him." (Jeremiah 27:6-7 NIV)

We all have those days when we just can't figure out why our enemies prevail; when we beg God to intervene. Can you imagine what God's people thought when they heard Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Nebuchadnezzar being the servant of God? I'm thinking, it probably would have been pretty hard to believe Jeremiah and much easier to believe the false prophets. Of course, many of God's people have already been exiled to Babylon, so maybe they should be listening a whole lot closer to Jeremiah.

But, God has a plan and that plan includes restoring His people in the long run. Nebuchadnezzar has been chosen by God to help in that plan. The people have been yoked, for a very long time, to their false idols. Now, they will learn what it really means to be yoked by something, by someone, who is not God Almighty. They will learn this and turn to the LORD. They will then return to the land promised them.

Sometimes, hardships, may not be so much about our enemies persecuting us. Sometimes, they just might be about our LORD softening our hearts toward Him, as well as others.

May God bless your day as you go about serving the One God with an abundance of joy!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 80 - Restore Us - Grant Us Peace

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (Psalm 80:1, 19 NIV)

It is New Year's Day.  This is a good prayer for the new year.  Make your face shine on us.  Restore us. Save us from our own iniquity.  The walls, indeed, have been broken down and sin seems to run rampant.  We don't even know what sin is any more.  The walls between good and evil have been torn down.  What is evil is seen as OK or even good and what is good (worship of the one true God) is seen as adiaphora, even a nuisance.

I worshipped with a United Methodist congregation this past Sunday.  The preacher spoke about living in God's peace this coming new year.  He spoke about the peace of God being the answer to the ills of this world.  I'm also re-reading St. Teresa's "Interior Castle." She speaks of inner peace, as well. 

A whole lot of the world's ills do seem to come from people not having this inner peace. We are an anxious people. People anxious to have everything our way. People who do not know peace because they have allowed the walls between good and evil to be so demolished that they know longer know what is good or evil.  And... when evil (envy, greed, anger, lust, etc...) seeps into your life then their is an internal battle.  There can be no peace within, when we've allowed evil to exist within ourselves.  There can be no peace when sin is no longer sin and we all strive to have the most, the best, to have it all, our way.

And... when you have a whole community of people (whether it is your neighborhood or Congress) who do not know peace as individuals, you have a whole community of people who live in strife with their neighbor.

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (80:1, 19)

May you know the peace of God throughout this new year.  Pr. J.

Psalm 51 - Lutheran Music and Liturgy

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12, 21st Century King James Version)

 

I have had countless complaints about Lutheran liturgy and the overall music. Boring, I've been told. Hmmm.... Somebody has not been listening. Verses 10 thru 12 of Psalm 51 are a wonderful example of why we do what we do during worship.  Sadly, it is no longer a part of many services.  We've been given options.  Some of the options are not so good. 

 

Years ago, one of my sons' friends, who had gone to worship with him, complained about the music. He informed him that Lutheran music during worship is all supported by scripture.  The Lutheran Liturgy is all supported by scripture.  That is why we do what we do.

 

During Lutheran Worship you are hearing the word and the Word.  There should be no part that is not supported by scripture; that is not proclamation in some form.  Ok... maybe the announcements after worship, but not during. 

 

In singing the words, "create in me a clean heart, O God..." we are not only confessing our sins, but acknowledging that God can and will do this thing.  We are acknowledging that we need the Holy Spirit; that we need and desire God's presence.  We are acknowledging that only by the power of God can we know the joy of His salvation. 

 

Lutheran liturgy and the overall music is not boring, unless you refuse to engage yourself in it, unless you refuse to participate.  Nothing worse than singing alone, especially when one (I) can't sing.  Years ago, immediately following the Great Thanksgiving, I stopped a congregation and told them that we would receive Communion when we could give thanks to God and actually sound like we meant it.  It was much better the second time around!  You have no idea how much fuller the service is when we actually all participate!

 

I see I'm side-tracked again.  Back to the main thing! Create in us clean hearts, O LORD, renew right spirits within us, and restore unto us the joy of Thy salvation, that we might glorify your holy name.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J