Refrain From Strife

It is honorable to refrain from strife,
    but every fool is quick to quarrel. Prov 20:3

Lately I have been biting my tongue and restraining my fingers from typing words that are best left unsaid, an awful lot, in order to keep from quarreling with some who appear to be provoking quarrels and strife. It is not always easy for me; but, I do try. Every now and then something slips through my lips or the tips of my fingers and I am confessing that sin before the day's end.

The world appears to be in quite a mess right now. ISIS has caused and continues to cause much devastation. But, it's not all that helpful for those whom ISIS threatens with death to be fighting with each other. There are way too many conflicts going on all over the world (there always are) for any country or people to expend any more time or energy stirring up more conflict amongst themselves.

Is it not time for us to refrain from strife and quit quarreling amongst our brothers and sisters here and around the world so we can focus on taking care of the imminent and very real dangers that ISIS is bent on bringing?

I am fortunate to live in a country where we have freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and a whole lot of freedoms that many in this world do not have. I am very disappointed that we often take those freedoms for granted and use them to cause strife and quarrels. Instead of being thankful for these freedoms we abuse the privileges by using them to cause more strife and quarrels. We do not have the time to argue with or slander one another; we have way too much to do. There is enough suffering in the world without adding to it.

I do not think that I will be repenting of this blog by this day's end.

May God help us to live and work in unity to protect all whose lives are being torn apart and even ended.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Too Much Drama; Too Much Strife

A perverse person spreads strife,
    and a whisperer separates close friends.
The violent entice their neighbors,
    and lead them in a way that is not good.
                Proverbs 16:28-29

Somewhere, somehow, we must take a stand and protect the innocent from slander. There is so much slander, so much aloneness in this world, and so much depression resulting from it. It often comes from one source: the ego or maybe it would be more accurate to say the devil who resides within us. Those in whom the Spirit of Christ does not reside often attack their neighbors; their friends; their enemies unjustly, causing much chaos, pain, and sorrow. Standing idly by because you do not want to become involved or become the next target is not all that helpful. Rather, as most of us confess on Sunday mornings, we end up sinning by what we have not done; by not supporting and helping our neighbor in need. That is not to say that we should not confront sin. We should not support sin. We do need to confront those who would entice others in a way that is not good even while we support and protect those who are falsely accused. 

We teach our children in Sunday School and in Confirmation classes that the eighth commandment; "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." We also teach them as Luther taught that this means: "We should fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, lie or gossip about our neighbors, but defend them, speak well of them and put the most charitable construction on all that they do." How soon we forget what we have learned!

May God help us to love our neighbors and not cause them to suffer any form of anguish because of our actions or inactions.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Habakkuk 1 - Gentler Lives

Habakkuk appears to be a gentler prophet - less accusing than many others. He (like many shepherds/pastors/prayer warriors/etc. today) implores of the LORD:

"How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice is perverted." (Hab 1:1-4 NIV)

How long, LORD, must the people suffer at the hands of one another? We would like immediate help from the LORD; but, the truth is God has given us free-will in many areas of our lives and we choose to hurt one another. We choose to put our own wills before the will of God. We choose to put what we want before the good of the whole.

God will answer our prayers. But, beware; the answer may not be what we're hoping for. May God help us to lead gentler lives; lives that do not inflict violence or injustice upon others. May He lead us in His way so that we are not the wicked that others are praying for deliverance from.

May God grant us mercy and give us His peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Proverbs 17 - Remembering and Fasting

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." (Prov 17:1 NIV)

Lots of words of wisdom that, if followed, will help us to have peaceful, pleasant lives. Since, it is Holy Week and today is Good Friday, a day of fasting and mourning, I want to reflect a bit on the partying that Christians participate in on holydays. That was not a typo. I intended it. Holidays in many parts of the world are a time for partying, for feasting and not for reflecting what our LORD has done for us throughout the ages.

When I grew up, holydays, like Christmas and Easter were filled with a lot of alcohol and not just in my family, but a good majority of the community celebrated with feasting which ended up in strife. From observation, I have seen that this practice has not diminished.

Yesterday, was Maundy Thursday. We remembered the Passover. We remembered how the LORD delivered Israel. We remembered how the LORD was betrayed and in His last hours gave to His followers the Sacrament of Holy Communion - His Body and Blood. This morning, we remember that Peter, as he sat in the darkness around a fire, denied Him to save His own skin. Today, we remember that Jesus gave His life for us so that we might live abundantly in His presence, eternally. Tomorrow, is the Vigil of Easter, when once again, we remember how God has delivered His people, as we await the celebration of His resurrection.  That is something to be celebrated! Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, are not times for feasting that may well end up in strife. It is a time for celebration as we remember and give thanks to God for all that He has done.

Today and tomorrow, would be well spent, quietly remembering and fasting, with service to God and neighbor. It would be a misuse of the holy days to be indulging and feasting. You might be able to block out the fact that Jesus died for us because we are miserable sinners with alcohol and drugs, but it doesn't change the facts. He died for you. He died for me. He had to. We cannot save ourselves. Jesus' life was given that we might live. Today we honor and give thanks to the one who would give us such a life giving gift.

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife."

God's Peace - Pr. J

Job 22 - Search Our Own Heart

Eliphaz makes some very good points here.  But, we don't know Job.  Even if we were there, we wouldn't truly know Job. Like Eliphaz, it's not our place to figure out why Job is enduring such hardship, but to help him in his time of need.  It not our place to judge Job.  We can't know Job, what is in his heart.  But, we can know ourselves.  Do we demand interest from our relatives, adding hardship to hardship?  Do we leave the hungry without food and the thirsty without water?  How are we treating the widow and orphan these days?  How are we helping?  How are we hindering?

At Zion, our annual Toys 4 Tots Concert will be held on the last Sunday of October.  We have so much fun at it - bringing toys and raising funds so that all of the children of Baraga County (one of the counties with highest unemployment in the country) will receive gifts this Christmas.  This will be our 10th Concert for the children.  In all that time, I have never seen or heard of any strife coming out of the concert or in the organizing of it.  It is, for those who participate (the music is great!) and attend, a joy to be able to reach out and give to the children. 

As we search our own hearts, and maybe our pasts.  When was it that you were most happy?  In giving?  In reaching out to others?  Or in serving yourself? It is not in our job descriptions to judge our neighbors.  We can only search our own hearts and following in the footsteps of Jesus reach out to our neighbors in need.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."  (Matt 35:36 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J