Category: Year A

Rejoice instead of Complain (Philippians 2:14-18, 3:1-4a)

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

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me…

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. (New International Version)

Here is a simple observation: Complaining and rejoicing cannot come out of the same mouth at the same time. The two of them mix about as well as toasters and bathtubs.

Everything is to be done without grumbling or arguing. Sheer willpower is insufficient for the task. Instead, you and I need to replace words of complaint with words of joy. Rejoicing is the antidote to murmuring. The world already has more than enough curmudgeons who crank on about everything from politics and religion to the weather and social media. Grumblers seem to always find the negative in just about everything.

Any fool can complain. It’s easy. Complaining takes little effort, and even less brains. Joy, however, takes some work. The sage person practices gratitude and joy so that it becomes the default response to most situations. We need a lot more folks with joy in this sad world.

Yesterday I visited a dear woman who was just diagnosed with cancer, and is expected to have only months to live. She had many tears, yet she also had lots of smiles. In fact, she was either crying or smiling most of the time. And her smile was genuine, not forced.

Whenever I encounter folks like this, who do not complain but rather rejoice, I ask them, “What gives you such joy in the midst of such sorrow?” This particular woman answered, “I have a simple faith. I trust God. I believe the Lord is good. I am blessed with many friends, a supportive family, and a God who loves me.” May her tribe increase.

On this same day, I visited another woman. She also had just been diagnosed with cancer and was facing a shortened lifespan. She yelled at the doctor and argued with the nurse, screamed at and quarreled with her family, and cried without any joy in my presence. Eventually, she left the hospital against medical advice because all she did was complain about everything and everyone.

Although I believe it is quite appropriate to have anger against disease, it’s inappropriate to rage against other people. The woman was miserable and had no smiles. I couldn’t help but see the incredible contrast between the two women in a single day of visits.

For all the talk we hear about how important it is to be positive, it is, unfortunately, negativity that sells, wins elections, and moves people. The irony of it all is that a large chunk of people continually grumbles, complains, and argues about all the negativity in the world. *Sigh*

Complaining and arguing are nasty practices; they breed disunity and division within groups and families. Murmuring only warps the ones who do it and infects others with spiritual disease.

Grumbling is always the first building block of a crooked and depraved generation. Conversely, being blameless and pure is winsomely attractive and unites folks together as a cohesive force for the world. Joy inoculates people from divisive pathogens. A people who rejoice together produce generations of individuals who impact their culture with delight and satisfaction.

Not even suffering and hard circumstances can curtail the comfort and cheer of the joyful. Rejoicing is a way of life – a path which no one and nothing can take away from us. Unwanted situations can be imposed on us, yet a person’s joy cannot be dislodged.

Eleanor Porter’s 1913 storybook character, Pollyanna, learned to take such a look upon life from her parents. Even after losing them to an accident and being orphaned, she honored their memory by saying, “… there is something about everything that you can be glad about, if you keep hunting long enough to find it.” Pollyanna went on to teach an entire community about her way of life:

“What people need is encouragement. Their natural resisting powers should be strengthened, not weakened…. Instead of always harping on a person’s faults, tell them of their virtues. Try to pull them out of their rut of bad habits. Hold up to them their better self, the real self that can dare and do and win out! … The influence of a beautiful, helpful, hopeful character is contagious, and may revolutionize a whole town…. People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts. If a person feels kindly and obliging, their neighbors will feel that way, too. But if a person scolds and scowls and criticizes—their neighbors will return scowl for scowl and add interest! … When you look for the bad, expecting it, you will get it. When you know you will find the good—you will get that…”

Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter, 1913

I wonder what our world would look like if we all took such an approach of finding joy in our lives. We are meant to guard ourselves from those who boast and brag, who belligerently bully others with their bellicose blustering and bellyaching.

We are designed by our Creator for better things. Joy is more than the spice of life; it is life itself. Moving mindfully and without rush through our days, setting aside times for contemplation and rest, offering gratitude to God and encouragement to others, and exploring our own heart’s desire are all ways we can tap into the large hidden reservoir of joy within each of us.

Complaining is cheap and easy. Joy is rich, full, satisfying, and takes practice to master. Rejoice in the Lord, take joy in the presence of the Spirit, and exult in Christ our Savior. In doing so, we shoo the devil away and create a better society.

God is good all the time. And all the time God is good.

O Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You mark out my journeys and my resting place and are acquainted with all my ways. Lord of creation, whose glory is around and within us: Open our eyes to your wonders so that we may serve you with reverence and know your peace and joy in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Call to Truth and Justice (Exodus 23:1-9)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Moses Receives the Law, by Marc Chagall, 1963

“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.

“If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.

“In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.

“Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.

“Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.

“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. (New Living Translation)

On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. These laws are basic ethical commands given to the people in their relationship to God and to one another. Following those Ten Words, the next several chapters of Exodus provide detailed instructions and commands for the Israelites in their own social, economic, and cultural context.

Today’s Old Testament lesson is part of this sequence of specific laws for the Israelites. These laws all have to do with being honest in legal matters. There is to be no perversion of justice through perjury, favoritism, bending to dishonest pressure, bribery, and false charges. What’s more, there must be no overlooking of the poor and powerless; and no disregard for the immigrant and foreigner.

All the sequences of commands – covering Exodus chapters 20-25 – are connected back to the basic Ten Commandments. The laws about justice and injustice are the fleshing-out of the ninth command to not testify falsely against your neighbor.

In other words, we are not to lie in public, especially when a person’s life or livelihood is at stake. We are to practice right relations with others; and do justice for all persons without prejudice or favoritism. We do this because God shows no favoritism and judges rightly with proper justice.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. (Isaiah 11:3-4, NIV)

The Lord is a just God – it is inherent to the divine character. Therefore, our actions, as people created in the image of God, are to always be just, right, and truthful. There is a special place in God’s heart for the poor and powerless, and so, we ought also to consider their needs and treat them well and with respect – because true religion gives to those who we know cannot pay us back.

This, then, also is why immigrants and foreigners are mentioned. They need proper justice, and not negligence on our part to provide them with what they need. Throughout Holy Scripture we are admonished to not oppress the stranger from another place.

For through him [Christ] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:18-20, NIV)

The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (Psalm 146:9, NIV)

Jesus picked up on the basic commands of God in his Sermon on the Mount – which, in many ways, is a restatement of the Ten Commandments by getting to the heart of them. Concerning the matter of giving false pledges, he said:

“Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord… Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:33, 37, CEB)

In court, we offer an oath, swearing that we will tell the truth and only the truth – and no lying. This is the only way that injustice can be avoided and justice can be established.

“I swear on a stack of Bibles I won’t…” “I will, if I get around to it….” These are a few of the caveats we give when making a promise or oath. Oaths communicate our truthful intentions of being above board with a high level of integrity.

It’s not okay when we bear false testimony concerning an event or incident that has taken place. There is no excuse for saying something is truthful when you know it isn’t quite true or all true. That makes us liars.

The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. (Proverbs 12:22, NIV)

Jesus wants us to clarify our values of right and wrong; make wise decisions; identify what we know is truth and error; and follow through on speaking the truth in love.

Any human society cannot stand unless it is committed to justice for all. People everywhere have a universal need for communities and nations which pursue truth, justice, benevolence, and integrity for everyone within their sphere of influence and responsibility.

Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us grace to fearlessly contend against evil; and to make no peace with oppression, so that we may reverently use our freedom. Help us to employ that freedom in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Encountering God (Exodus 19:9-25)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Israel at Mount Sinai, by Jan Luijken (1649–1712)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.”

Moses told the Lord what the people had said. Then the Lord told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’ However, when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain.”

So Moses went down to the people. He consecrated them for worship, and they washed their clothes. He told them, “Get ready for the third day, and until then abstain from having sexual intercourse.”

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.

Then the Lord told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die. Even the priests who regularly come near to the Lord must purify themselves so that the Lord does not break out and destroy them.”

“But Lord,” Moses protested, “the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai. You already warned us. You told me, ‘Mark off a boundary all around the mountain to set it apart as holy.’”

But the Lord said, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. In the meantime, do not let the priests or the people break through to approach the Lord, or he will break out and destroy them.”

So Moses went down to the people and told them what the Lord had said. (New Living Translation)

Moses receives the Ten Commandments, by Caspar Luijken (1672-1708)

There’s a lot of drama surrounding today’s Old Testament story. That’s because it’s a big deal when an announcement comes that God is about to show up, speak to the people, and be with them. This is definitely not the stuff of daily mundane life.

The Mount Sinai event is one of the most remembered and talked about events in the Old Testament. This encounter establishes that the presence of the Lord is with Moses, thereby giving him authority over the people. It authenticates the leadership of Moses up to this point – in leading the people out of Egyptian slavery and to the Promised Land.

The presence of God with the people, demonstrated in Moses the leader, assures the Israelites of protection against dangers from other nations and peoples. The divine presence of the Lord will be seen preeminently in the giving of the Law. God’s very Word is encapsulated in the commands and instructions given to Moses on the mountain.

Although the scene on Mount Sinai appears dark, serious, and even scary, it nonetheless is a gift of God’s self-revelation to the people. The Law is a wonderful and gracious provision for Israel. The Lord is providing necessary guidance for living, direction in shaping successful spiritual lives, and the opportunity for obedience to a life-giving system of laws.

If the Israelites hear and obey the Lord, they will be God’s special and treasured people – a nation of priests, a people set apart to be a light for the world.

So, preparations were made for God to enter. The Lord is truly awesome and holy, and so, certain boundaries needed to be established so that the people would be safe and not overcome by such immense light and power. The mountain shakes in anticipation of the divine arrival; the shofar (ram’s horn) is heard, signaling the imminent entrance of God.

The people are assembled by Moses. God descends in the fire, which accompanies the Lord’s presence. Yahweh has come to Israel. The way is now prepared for God’s revelation to be given to Moses in Israel’s hearing. It is an awesome sight and experience.

Perhaps your own days on this earth seem very ho-hum compared to the mountain encounter of Moses and God. You may even feel as if your prayers are puny and don’t get beyond the ceiling of your house. Yet, there is always and continually an opportunity to meet with this very same God, without all the pomp and scariness.

Every single day we have the gracious and wonderful opportunity of opening the book containing a good and merciful God’s self-revelation, and reading gracious words of life to live by. We have guidance for our earthly journey; there is direction for our needy souls.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105, NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, so that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Organizational Leadership (Exodus 18:13-27)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Jethro and Moses, by James Tissot, c.1898

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter because they will share it with you.If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. (New International Version)

I’ll be the first to say that administration is not my gift – much like I think Moses would have said. So, wading out into the ocean of organizational theory might be a bit like a pastoral walking-the-plank for me. Yet, on the other hand, I have found myself time and again in leadership situations where significant organizational change is needed.  

Maybe God has a sense of humor, or maybe the Lord just wants to use somebody who recognizes he isn’t going to get anything done on the organizational level without a lot of divine intervention. Because of this, I like the K.I.S.S. approach to organizing a group of people (Keep It Simple Stupid). For me, that means sticking with a results-oriented organizational system as opposed to task-oriented organization.

In a task-oriented system, everything lives or dies with the “To Do” list. The focus is accomplishing a few core functions. For example, as a church pastor it might mean preparing sermons, visiting shut-ins, and attending meetings. As a hospital chaplain it could mean serving communion to patients, and listening to complaints from cranky staff persons. For an Administrator it might involve overseeing a sizable budget, leading several committee meetings, and keeping track of the organization’s numbers.

With task-oriented organization, church members feel good about attending worship services and putting money in the offering plate. The problem? People are unlikely to see a need for change and a transformation of the heart because these few tasks are simply what they do. It’s a sort of spiritual cruise-control, driving the car of mediocrity.  

Jethro advising Moses, by Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst (1603-1661)

Meetings and church services within the task-oriented system tend to be ends in themselves (frustrating and boring!) because the meeting itself is just something that gets scratched off the to do list. Churches that have a hard time making decisions are probably stuck in the task-oriented mode, because there is no over-arching framework from which to decide anything.  

So, people entrench themselves in positions based in personal preferences. It’s the world of heated conversations and worship wars. If motivation and morale is dependent on people getting their way, no one is likely to be happy. The great need for a task-oriented church is a big picture vision that seeks results.

The results-oriented organization focuses on achieving some desired outcomes. This is the kind of organization that Jethro was thinking of when he observed Moses engaged in the endless task orientation of hearing people’s cases.

Tasks and functions are not ends in themselves, but will continually change in order to accomplish the results we want. This is a church or organization oriented around mission.  

Jesus came to this earth to accomplish the salvation of the world. He was on a mission of love – intent on extending grace to lost sinners. In this setting, decision-making becomes exciting. A group of people come up with ideas and tasks about loving people and reaching them with the grace we have received from God.  

A results orientation has personal preferences taking a back seat to the great needs of the community. There is freedom to experiment and imagine together, instead of guilt for not getting something crossed off the “To Do” list.

In truth, I like to create lists; it feels good when everything is scratched off the list at the end of the day. But I make sure that those things are a means to an end, and not the end itself.  

By orienting my ministry around mission (God’s, not mine) I am able to create tasks and functions that contribute to seeing the kingdom of God break into the church and the world. So, here are two K.I.S.S. questions for every leadership team:  

What result(s) would you like to see in your church?  

What kind of tasks will help you get the results you want?

Jesus is building his church, and the gates of hell will not overtake it. We can participate, change, grow, live, and learn, without fear of screwing up the church and making it more complicated than it is. Why? Because Jesus is the One building it.

All we need is a bit of grace with each other to step out by faith and make a difference by focusing and planning for some worthy, good, and just outcomes.

Almighty God, we pray for leaders everywhere in every place, that you will guide them in the ways of freedom, justice, and truth, so that all persons may live in peace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.