Our Creator and Sustainer (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Bible Art

Our Lord, by your wisdom
    you made so many things;
the whole earth is covered
    with your living creatures.
But what about the ocean
    so big and wide?
It is alive with creatures,
    large and small.
And there are the ships,
    as well as Leviathan,
the monster you created
    to splash in the sea.

All of these depend on you
    to provide them with food,
and you feed each one
with your own hand,
    until they are full.
But when you turn away,
    they are terrified;
when you end their life,
    they die and rot.
You created all of them
    by your Spirit,
and you give new life
    to the earth.

Our Lord, we pray
that your glory
    will last forever
and that you will be pleased
    with what you have done.
You look at the earth,
    and it trembles.
You touch the mountains,
    and smoke goes up.
As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
    the Lord God.
I hope my thoughts
    will please you,
because you are the one
    who makes me glad…

With all my heart
I praise you, Lord!
    I praise you! (Contemporary English Version)

In the wake of the Day of Pentecost, we are reminded by the psalmist that the Spirit was not only involved in forming the church, but was already experienced in forming creation. Everything about the Spirit’s work at the origins of the earth was immensely good, wonderfully complex, and intricately interrelated. Indeed, it all reflects the wisdom and majesty of God.

According to the psalmist, God is the Creator and is therefore sovereign over all of this vast dominion of earthly space and ecological systems. We humans are workers in this ordered world; and created in God’s image and likeness as the Lord’s vice-regents over this incredible domain. Humanity is thus both intimately connected with and distinctly separate from all the rest of the world.

As the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the entire world depends upon God for every need; no one can survive, let alone thrive, without the Lord’s continuing presence by means of the Spirit.

This sustaining force of God includes gracious, loving, and compassionate guidance. Everything holds together and has its meaning within God. The breath of God – the Spirit – gives life to both our physical and spiritual selves.

The psalmist paints a picture of creation as full of life – with life itself as the highest expression of its purpose. Our delight in living and being comes from a profound connection with the Creator, Sustainer, and Guide of the universe.

Because of humanity’s deep connection with God and the rest of creation, everything we do as people on this earth impacts God and God’s big world. Every human action exerts an influence. Theology, anthropology, and ecology all exist with complex interconnectedness. God, people, and the world are bound to each other. Since God is relationship itself, relational connection is built into all creation.

Humanity is the apex and climax of God’s creative activity; yet, at the same time, we are but one piece within this intricate whole of creation. We humans are tasked by God to serve the earth and care for it – not to rule in such a way that exploits its grand resources, but to maintain and strengthen the existing connected systems of the earth.

This means we are meant to think of the common good of all earth’s citizens, as well as to consider future generations, and equip them to steward our vast world with practical wisdom and spiritual sensitivity.

Everything that brings disconnection, and thus harm, is to be weeded out and discarded. Wickedness, injustice, oppression, exploitation, unrighteousness, and arrogance are to be purged from the good earth, so that all creatures great and small can thrive and enjoy what God has provided.

Even the seemingly uncontrollable elements of this world – sea monsters and leviathans, chaos and evil – are ultimately subject to the sovereign God of this realm. It is the Lord who brings order from chaos, life from death, and calms the churning waters – quieting all of those ancient leviathans which cause so much of a stir.

It would be great if everyone everywhere found joy in their lives, brought God joy, and enjoyed being with everyone else and caring for all creation. Yet, those chaotic disconnecting powers are there – causing harm and division, splitting that which is designed to be connected, and disrespecting the inherent goodness of God’s image bearers and God’s world.

By being in harmony and in sync with God’s Spirit, we can work together against wickedness and not separate or dismantle what God has built and joined. Through our spiritual awareness, we can help, and not harm. In maintaining our proper spiritual connections, we can be agents of upholding the good, the right, and the just; and not underhandedly undermining God’s sovereignty.

Let us then offer our hallelujahs; our praise, adoration, and gratitude, to God who is the source of life. Because it’s awfully hard to be bad when you’re being good.

May you be able to say with the psalmist – and with all creation, including the trees and even the rocks – that with my whole heart I praise you, almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth.

And may your prayers be pleasing to the Lord and be full of mercy and love. Amen, amen.

Pentecost (John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Holy Spirit, by He Qi

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning…

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 

“And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (New Revised Standard Version)

Pentecost, by John August Swanson (1938-2021)

This is the Christian Day of Pentecost. It is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. Pentecost marks the time when the Holy Spirit came upon the fledgling believers in power. 

Pentecost is significant for Christians because it marks the age of the Spirit, the era of new spiritual life and power. Ten days after recognizing Christ’s Ascension, and fifty days after Christ’s resurrection from death, the Christian Year observes the Day of Pentecost (which literally means “fifty” in Greek). 

An implication of Pentecost is that it brings both change and stability, of being uprooted as well as deeply grounded. To experience Pentecost, it is necessary to invite change and to allow ourselves to be changed.

To live a truly spiritual life, full of the Holy Spirit, means that things will never be the same again. With the Spirit, there is a new form of consciousness, an emerging awareness of both self and the world, and new interests and commitments which are followed.

Change involves unlearning old thinking and ways of doing things, becoming uprooted and planted in fresh spiritual soil. The spiritual person will discover new, necessary, and expansive ways of living the faith of Jesus Christ in today’s topsy-turvy world.

Today’s Gospel lesson has Jesus talking to his disciples for the last time before his crucifixion and resurrection. He communicated to them that he was going away, and they were sad and confused about it all. So, Jesus assured them that they would not be alone – his presence would be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus made it plain that the One who is coming, the Paraclete, is the One who comes alongside and offers to the disciples a ministry of advocating, testifying, speaking truth, glorifying, and proving the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.

The Spirit advocates for us and all creation. The Spirit hears our pain, moaning, and desperation, bringing it all to God in helpful language (Romans 8:26). The Spirit testifies about Jesus to us and about his ministry. The Spirit speaks truth to us whenever we go astray from the words and ways of Jesus; and so, will challenge us and provoke us to live into our majesty as people created in God’s image and redeemed by Christ’s death and resurrection.

If and when our Christian life and worship becomes a ho-hum hodge-podge of ritualistic or legalistic goo, where no spiritual growth or life transformation is happening – and worse, if it becomes characterized by injustice – then the Spirit will have something to say in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment.

A lack of faith can take many forms. For many Christians, the separation between belief and practice is a form of apostasy. Signing off on a set of doctrinal beliefs means nothing unless it has feet and hands to it by going after those who are suffering, giving restitution for what we’ve taken, and putting the love of Christ where love is not found.

A confession of faith is hollow and useless without first having a confession of sin. Jesus did not say that people will know Christians by their doctrinal confessions and ancient creeds, but that others will know the Christian by the fruit of a life given to righteousness and justice. (Matthew 7:16)

The worldly ruler is the one who perpetuates systems of evil and oppression; and ignores poverty, hunger, and need. The ruler of this world is condemned by the Spirit because of meanness, brutality, violence, and abject greed and selfishness.

Anyone who turns the life-giving good world which God has made into a death-dealing world of ignorance, sloth, and power politics is under the judgment of the Spirit, on orders by Judge Jesus. Whenever the bent of the will is developed into only being concerned with personal happiness, while ignoring communal needs, the person is existing far from the teachings of Jesus to his disciples.

On this Day of Pentecost, and into this proper Pentecostal season, our call is to have a genuine spiritual life that allows the true self to make a difference in this old fallen world. The spiritual person seeks to tap into the Spirit and insist on caring for others without prejudice or favoritism; and will ground themselves in healthy spiritual dynamics of positive change and transformation as living sacrifices to God. (Romans 12:1-3)

With the reality of Pentecost, believers in Jesus, and the whole Church everywhere, has the full power of the Holy Spirit with them at all times. This means our ultimate trust is not in the power of authoritative positions, economic budgets, polished programs, personal ingenuity, or a consumer self-realization.

Our trust is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth, in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, and in the strength of the Holy Spirit who is the continuing presence of Jesus. Such power is given for a purpose. So let us be responsible and conscientious in living the Christian life.

And may the blessing of the Spirit move you to know Jesus better, love the world more, and be the person you were created to be – to the glory of God. Amen.

Are You In Need? (John 7:37-39)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit because Jesus was not yet glorified. (New Revised Standard Version)

Let’s take Christ’s words at the end of the Jewish Festival of Booths (or Tabernacles) at face value. Jesus said that if anyone is thirsty, they could come to him and drink. This is an unconditional statement with no caveats, qualifications, or fine print to it.

Jesus did not say that if anyone is spiritual enough, strong enough, or committed enough that then they could come to him.

The only qualifications one must have in coming to Jesus is to be needy. To be thirsty and want a drink is it, period. No interviews. No jumping through any hoops. No red tape. No having to go through one of the disciples to get to Jesus. No obstacles whatsoever.

Sheer need and want gets anybody an audience with Jesus.

“Thirsty” is Christ’s simple metaphor for need. Whenever we long to have our needs met, there is always the opportunity and possibility of going to Jesus. And all of us are thirsty because every single person has needs that aren’t getting met. These important and vital words of Jesus are encouraging. They help us admit whatever is going on, and say to him, “I need you, Lord.”

The Lord’s response to such a humble expression of need is this: “Please come here to me and drink till you are full.” No judgment. No condemnation. No big sighs. No snarky comments. No disappointed looks. Our confession of need accesses divine compassion and help.

Who will help us? The Holy Spirit will help.

Christ ascended and gave us the Spirit. On this day before the Christian celebration of Pentecost, we are reminded that Jesus delivered on his promise to give help. There is no better assistance in all the world than having a permanent live-in Guide, Helper, and Advocate who is continually alongside us, even in us.

Ask. Seek. Knock. That’s it. Help is just a call away.

We have a popular commercial figure in my city, a lawyer, whose one-liner is, “One call. That’s all!” And help will come. All we need to do is express our needs and wants.

And yet, that is so awfully hard for so many people. It seems weak or selfish to come right out and say what we need and what we want. Yet, if we are to embrace any sort of Christian discipleship, straight forward asking will be involved.

Believers can state their needs simply. They are breathed on by the Spirit. Then, we have our thirst satiated. If we make it more complicated than that, we lose the incredible simplicity of the gospel – good news for needy people. Yet, we sometimes make it complicated by not coming out and saying what we need.

Why, in tarnation, is it so hard for people to ask for what they need and want?

For many, it’s because they have never been given permission to do so. They were never encouraged to express their needs and wants. However, it is perfectly acceptable to state what you want, and what you really need. Ask for what you want, and you may be surprised at how often you get it.

The lack of asking goes much deeper than this. Our fear of vulnerability and being judged by God (and others) prohibits us from asking for what we really want.

Therefore, we must see and understand that vulnerability is crucial to having our needs met. Only through being open enough to share what you need will relational connection happen. A relationship with Jesus is based on humility and vulnerability. Without it, there is no relationship.

We also might be afraid of not getting what we ask for; so we don’t ask, at all. Or, conversely, we may be afraid of receiving our asking! On some level, it’s more comfortable to stay in a familiar situation. We think we want something different, but we’re worried about the downside of getting it. We fret and wonder about it, not trusting ourselves. So, we become paralyzed, unable to say what we really want or need.

All of this overthinking comes down to our own image of self. It’s as if we don’t believe we deserve to be treated well. But the reality is: This isn’t about whether you deserve to have something; it’s about your needing or wanting it. Plain and simple. There’s no shame, being in want or need.

Some folk are so used to putting others first and meeting another’s need that they become stymied by their own inability to state what they need. So, they try and feel better by meeting everyone else’s need. When they become bitter about being emotionally depleted, and when they are thirsty for someone to meet their needs, they end up not asking for help – because they feel they can’t.

But you can, and you must. Jesus says so. We don’t always get what we want in life. But we won’t get it if we don’t ask. It’s good to focus on what you want or need in life, instead of questioning whether you’re worthy to receive it. Jesus said:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8, NLT)

So, what are you waiting for!?

How To Handle the One Who Grieves (Job 37:1-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Wrath of Elihu, by William Blake, 1805

“At this my heart pounds
    and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.
After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work,
    he stops all people from their labor.
The animals take cover;
    they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
    the cold from the driving winds.
The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture;
    he scatters his lightning through them.
At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.
He brings the clouds to punish people,
    or to water his earth and show his love.” (New International Version)

Job’s Despair, by William Blake, 1821

On the one hand, the biblical book of Job needs little introduction. Many people know it has to do with a man’s innocent suffering and tenacious faith. Most folks are familiar with how it feels to suffer for no apparent reason. And everyone understands the struggle when life is broken by pain and loss.

Yet, on the other hand, the book of Job defies simple anecdotes about suffering. And the relationship between Job and God has a lot of complexity to it. Add in Job’s friends with their wordy offerings into his situation, and there becomes a fuller picture of the true wrestling of faith and patience that occurs.

Elihu was a young person who was with the three friends of Job. After listening to everyone speak, he himself went on a long speech, stretching six chapters from Job 32-37. He was angry with Job, and with Job’s three friends.

The young Elihu had picked up that Job thought of himself more righteous than God. And he was also upset that the “friends” offered nothing helpful, and could provide no convincing answers to Job – thus making it appear that God was guilty of Job’s intense suffering and grief.

Job, by French painter Léon Bonnat, 1880

In today’s Old Testament lesson, we are getting an end part of Elihu’s speech in which he sought to defend God’s justice through observing the majesty and order of creation.

The testimony of God’s sovereign governance of the world is found in the rain, the thunder, and the lightning; through the winter storms and the frost. The Lord uses the created order to both judge and sustain people. And through the ecological systems we can see that God is at work, regulating it all, and using it for divine purposes, Elihu points out.

What strikes me about Elihu’s words is that he is not wrong, he’s just not very helpful. As a believer, I look at his speech as more of a Captain Obvious moment; yes, he is stating theological reality, but no, he’s not really breaking any new ground or giving any great insight here.

Both Job and Job’s friends had already expressed a theological perspective in kind. Which makes me curious as to why Elihu felt so compelled to even talk at all. I think he would have been better remembered, and maybe even hailed as spiritual beyond his years, if he would have just kept silent.

I realize not everyone is going to go with me on that observation, and that’s fine. Yet it seems to me that a good many people lob too many words toward the suffering among us, when what is actually needed is a compassionate presence that has learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

There are times when words are not needed, when the situation is so incredibly unique and/or difficult that to offer a speech is like yelling in the woods with no one around; it might make the one yelling feel better but that’s about it.

If anyone needed to feel better it wasn’t Elihu. What’s more, a perceived need of defending God’s reputation or honor perhaps betrays a shortsighted theology to begin with. The Lord is quite big enough to handle any rebuffs or misunderstandings from mouthy humans. God isn’t in Junior High School, requiring a mouthpiece to help him out in a scuffle.

I would personally rather give comfort to a hurting person, instead of theological exhortations and speeches about how we ought to talk to, and about, God. That’s because I observe Jesus bringing genuine comfort and help. And I would much rather take my cues for dealing with grieving people from Christ than from Elihu, or anybody else for that matter.

“God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!” (Matthew 5:4, CEV) Jesus said this in his Sermon on the Mount, as a beatitude of all who desire God’s kingdom. Christ understood well the psalmist’s understanding of God’s role and stance concerning people’s grief: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18, CEB)

The Apostle Paul, taking a lesson from both his Jewish learning and his encounter with Christ said, “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15, NIV) Comfort because of grief and suffering will be built into the end of time. Methinks, then, that this is important…

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV)

In whatever way you choose to look at the book of Job, please don’t miss what is to be our response to another’s pain. There is a time for theological education, and there is a time to put a robust theology into practice through a very real comforting presence of another who is in terrible suffering.

God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of those who suffer: Hear my prayers and grant those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit the power of your grace, that affliction may be turned into health, and sorrow into joy. Amen.