Tag: blessings

Blessings or Woes?

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality BlogLeave a comment
The Sermon on the Mount, by Miki de Goodaboom

There are many persons who currently feel angry and powerless in the face of recent and contemporary political events. All of this has large implications, especially for workers.

I admit to being one who is frustrated and saddened by the U.S. government’s unwillingness and inability to simply care about all of its citizens (as well as the citizens of the world). Along with their spirit of the age, they are failing to ensure the common good of everyone.

What’s more, there are large swaths of American Christianity who are either complicit or actively involved in establishing and perpetuating a system of governance which is fundamentally out of sync with biblical norms.

The Church and the Christian have a responsibility and a call, based in the words and ways of Jesus, of whom we purport to follow. In some of the first words uttered to his disciples, establishing what is of upmost importance for us to know, Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
    for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh…

“But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now,
    for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
    for you will mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:20-21, 24-25, NRSV)

Jesus was building and upholding an alternative kingdom to the political systems of the time. Christ came to this earth to set things right amidst a corrupt world whose authority was held in the hands of evil.

But change would not come through the typical means of worldly power such as coups, revolutions, or economic exploitation of some persons over others.

For those who feel helpless and without power, Christ brings a liberation which transcends all other powers and authorities. He brings blessing.

What this means for those who are enamored with worldly aspects of power (money, wealth, resources, political authority, etc.) the words and actions of Jesus brings woe.

An evil grip of the world cannot be loosened with practices and responses of hate, class warfare, verbal and physical violence, and economic takeovers. For those with spiritual eyes to see, and ears to hear, the sandy and shifting foundations of this present government administration are being, and will be, washed away. (Luke 6:49)

It’s important that people of faith participate with what is good, right, and just – that they are concerned with the public good of everyone; and are attuned to a social and economic vision for humanity that is concerned for all citizens, and not just some or a few of them.

For the past few hundred years, much of the church has made spiritual deliverance and socio-economic freedom a matter of only the individual. As long as one embraces a personal salvation in Christ, well then, all is well, right!?

Wrong. Holy Scripture is filled with concerns for the whole of humanity because of the exploitive powers of this world. We have stories in the Bible replete with such powers as the Pharaoh who enslaved and exploited workers for his and Egypt’s own wealth, power, and benefit.

Jesus came not to the religious leaders and the kings of the earth, but instead made it his purpose to spend time amongst the least in society, those for whom the rich and powerful had no inclination to pay attention to and help.

“We have for much too long settled for a gospel of private other-worldly possibility.”

Walter Brueggemann

Even amongst God’s own ancient people, King Solomon built an empire on the driving force of both slavery and cheap labor, exploiting a large class of persons in order to feed the behemoth of structural wealth.

Economic systems which exploit workers do it so that they can maintain cheap labor. They seek to keep those persons invisible and outside of any safety net of security which might cost the system money.

Unfortunately, there are extremely rich persons who rely upon workers remaining on the underbelly of their companies and of society. Embracing unrestrained individualism and unbridled capitalistic practices make for a permanent class of exploited workers who remain poor on purpose by those wishing them to remain there.

Such extremely rich individuals become political players only because of their wealth. They know little about statecraft and how a politics concerned for the common good really works. And, frankly, they don’t seem to care.

I bring up these things because many Christians have been complicit in the injustice and exploitation; and because many churches and church leaders try to operate like the super-rich, instead of trying to follow the words and ways of the Lord Jesus, whom they purport to follow.

The Apostle James minced no words in addressing the rich within the church:

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure during the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you. (James 5:1-6, NRSV)

Meanwhile, the poor and exploited are suffering. Christians are not to kiss-up to those in power, nor try to be like them. And, for God’s sake, we are never to get into the game of systemic evil, like those who mistreat us.

Instead, we learn to practice patience and endurance in the face of suffering, while we work toward a better society. We strengthen one another’s hearts through faith. We do not grumble and turn against each other, like a pack of wild dogs, but pray continually and practice forgiveness, so that we can be compassionate and merciful.

Since we are all connected on this planet, any time an individual shows unmitigated kindness toward another, chooses to love the enemy, expresses gratitude, or offers sincere forgiveness to someone who doesn’t deserve it, we shift the balance of the world back toward the axis of grace.

Unless we all work together to embrace our collective poverty of spirit and acknowledge our grinding emotions (and sit with them), we will eventually go the way of the already condemned who spend, eat, and laugh with sinister abandon.

Life is not a 100 meter sprint; life is a marathon. We are in the long haul of life, and do not live for the pleasures of the moment. So then, let us live up to who we are in Christ, created in the image and likeness of God, and possessing divine light and living water which will nourish us through our time of need.

For humanity does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. I, for one, want to be blessed by Jesus, and not experience a woe from him. That means paying attention to the people and the matters of importance to Christ.

Telling a Story of Faith (Deuteronomy 26:5-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
A 13th century artwork depicting the Apostles writing the Creed

Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray:

My ancestor was homeless,
an Aramean who went to live
    in Egypt.
There were only a few
    in his family then,
but they became great
and powerful,
    a nation of many people.

The Egyptians were cruel
    and had no pity on us.
They mistreated our people
    and forced us into slavery.
We called out for help
to you, the Lord God
    of our ancestors.
You heard our cries;
you knew we were in trouble
    and abused.
Then you terrified the Egyptians
with your mighty miracles
    and rescued us from Egypt.
You brought us here
and gave us this land
    rich with milk and honey.
Now, Lord, I bring to you
the best of the crops
    that you have given me.

After you say these things, place the basket in front of the Lord’s altar and bow down to worship him. (Contemporary English Version)

Forty years of wandering throughout the desert, in the backside of the wilderness. Having been delivered out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, the Israelites were on a very circuitous journey to the Promised Land.

The Book of Deuteronomy is a restatement of the people’s history and God’s law for the generation about to enter the land of Canaan. Moses told the people that when they enter the land and have their first harvest of crops, they are to remember and give thanks for all their blessings.

People need to be reminded of important things. Sometimes, in the middle of success and good fortune, we can forget to savor the moment, neglect to appreciate what it took to get to this place, and fail to celebrate with others the God who has made good things happen.

Interestingly, in appreciation for the abundance of a harvest, Moses did not tell the people to give thanks for the weather or the crops themselves. Rather, they were exhorted to recall and retell the story of Israel and their ancestors.

Through historical narrative, the Israelites tethered themselves to their present reality. They located themselves in the past, as contemporary links in a holy chain that stretched generations, all the way back to the patriarch Jacob.

This sort of relational and generational gratitude is in stark contrast to what current cultural appreciation and thanksgiving is, for cars, homes, jobs, resources, and stuff. Although thankfulness is appropriate and necessary for those things, none of it is lasting and sustainable.

Beneath all of the purchased things and electronic devices is a longing for connection, a desire to know who we are, where we came from, and what our true roots are.

Greater emotional health comes from knowing where we came from. Our connections to family, friends, church, and community are a vital and essential piece of living a good life with satisfaction and contentment.

Healthy roots enable us to respond well to the challenges of life with strength and resilience.

One way to recall and remember is to recite a creed. Sadly, many churches today recoil at reciting creeds and confessions, as if this were a bad thing. But there is significance and power to a group of people who stand and recite an ancient creed together.

The Christian ecumenical church creeds, including the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed, capture the settled convictions of early believers in Jesus as they struggled to express their faith in the church and the world.

Those creeds are a part of us, and of our collective spiritual history as the people of God. There are yet other kinds of creeds, as well. We have an even more ancient creed expressed in today’s Old Testament lesson – the sort of creed that tells a story.

Moses gave the Israelites some parting instructions to follow for their future worship in the Promised Land. When they enter the land a bring in their harvest, they were to bring the first-fruits of their crops to the priest, and then profess a creed, which is really a story, a historical narrative of God’s people.

Every Jewish farmer and worshiper who brought their crop to the priest would recite the creed about their ancestors suffering in Egypt and being redeemed by God through a great deliverance. God granted them the gift of land, a promised place to call their own.

We as the people of God must discern the importance of embracing the story of redemption, of crying out and being delivered from the shackles of sin, death, and hell. We receive this salvation with thanksgiving and joy.

Christians tell their story of deliverance not only through the ancient ecumenical creeds, but also through the sacramental means of communion. The Table proclaims the life and death of Christ, given for us, and for our salvation. It is a story with deep roots in the life of Israel.

Believers in Jesus are invited to participate is something bigger than themselves. The Christian’s story begins not at Pentecost in the New Testament, but in the promise to Abraham way back in the Old Testament.

The blessing given to Abraham was a blessing for all nations, not just Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). Knowing the roots of our spiritual life and Christian faith helps inform us how we are to live out that faith and life in this present time.

Within Christianity, our history and story is much bigger than Europe and Western civilization. The earliest church began in the Middle East. Ancient Christian traditions and churches still exist, and worship today in places like Egypt and Ethiopia. There are presently large numbers of Christians in every part of the world, especially in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Essentially, we are the lost, the last, the forgotten, the outsiders who cried out to God. And the Lord rescued us, blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and gave us the privilege of being ambassadors for Christ in the world.

We belong to God. Along with believers throughout the ages, and across the world, we declare:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Farewell Speech of Joshua (Joshua 23:1-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The tomb of Joshua in the West Bank

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them:

“I am very old. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 

“But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you, have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.” (New International Version)

Orthodox icon of Joshua

The Person

Joshua, the son of Nun, was the protégé of Moses, as the Israelites wandered the wilderness. After the death of Moses, Joshua became their military commander, leading the people into the Promised Land.

The biblical book of Joshua involves the Israelite conquest and settlement of Canaan. After securing decisive victories in the middle, north, and south of Canaan, the land was allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Close to his death at 110 years old, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the people in which he called them to remember God’s actions, and be faithful to the Lord. He also warned them that if they failed in their memory and in their faith, they would lose the very land which was promised to them.

The Conquest

Throughout the Book of Joshua, there is a very positive view of conquering the land of Canaan. There are several notable stories of stepping out in faith despite the fear of engaging a much larger foe.

God is pictured as the real force behind all of the Israelite success, bringing the people into the land by through a miraculous parting of the Jordan River, and securing victory over great cities like Jericho by means of supernatural help.

After entering the land, the covenant with God was reaffirmed. The Israelites had moved around the Sinai desert for 40 years, and the new generation of people needed both circumcision and law in order to become faithful inhabitants of the land.

By the end of chapter 12 of Joshua, each of the native nations in Canaan had fallen. The conquest was complete, albeit with some of the Canaanites still living in the land. This would eventually prove to be a problem after Joshua’s death.

Allocation of the Land

A detailed account of the land’s division for all of the Israelite tribes covers chapters 13 to 22 in Joshua. Nearly all of the tribes settled between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with a few exceptions settling along the eastern bank of the Jordan.

The reason for this traces back to a story in the Book of Numbers in which the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh ask to settle there. At the time, Moses agreed to their request on the condition that they help complete the conquest of the land before being allowed to return and settle in their own, which they did.

Moses and Joshua

The book of Joshua and the story of Moses have a lot of similarities, such as:

  • Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt; and Joshua led them into Canaan.
  • Moses led the Israelites miraculously through the Red Sea; and Joshua led them miraculously across the Jordan River.
  • Moses sent out spies into Canaan; and Joshua sent spies to Jericho.
  • Moses allocated land on the east side of the Jordan River; and Joshua allocated land on the west side of the Jordan.
  • Moses gave a prolonged address before dying; and Joshua also gave a parting address to the people.

The Farewell Speech

Joshua’s farewell speech was both an exhortation and an encouragement to the Israelites. Joshua gave them a charge to remain faithful to God, just as God had faithfully fulfilled the promise of giving the people the land of Canaan. We get the sense that Joshua knew what was coming down the pike, and that unfaithfulness was in their future.

We also get the spiritual sense from Joshua that unless one’s heart is filled to the full of God’s law and love, something or someone else will come along and fill the void, no matter how big or small. Our happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction is to be found in the Lord.

Joshua was insistent that to remain true to God is to remember what God has done. The Israelites were to always keep in their memory how the Lord brought them victory and fought their battles for them. By being continually reminded, the people would always trust and obey their God.

Indeed, even for believers today, if we can keep in mind God’s past faithfulness, it will help us have faith in God for the present time.

And just as the Israelites needed to hold onto and keep the Book of the Law in their minds and hearts, so we are to be ever mindful of God’s Holy Word. Christians are especially to realize the connection we have with Jesus and the Spirit.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Joshua 1:7-8, NIV

We are to avoid compromising our faith and marrying into foreign concepts that would take us away from our fidelity to the Lord. As Christians, our lives are to maintain the center of Christ. It is therefore imperative that we continually have the words and ways of Jesus ever before us. Otherwise, false gods can easily take over our lives.

The consequences of disobedience are much like those of trying to defy the law of gravity. It won’t go well with you to believe you can walk off the roof of your house in faith and be just fine.

Whereas many people may believe that God is punishing them when there are devastating consequences, typically we create our own problems by refusing to pay attention and listen to God’s warnings to avoid stupidity.

But if we remember our history with God, and God’s history with others, perhaps we will not take our spiritual lives for granted, nor let our spirits fall into disuse.

Not one good promise from God failed to be realized for the ancient Israelites. And all the good promises fulfilled in the person of Jesus are connected to his Church. Ultimately, our blessings come through the person and work of Christ – and not our own abilities, or lack thereof.

God almighty, Lord of heaven and earth, renew us with your divine love, energize our souls, nourish our spirits, empower us to show our faith, help us to walk with you, abide in us always, and teach us to continually remember you and follow you at all times and in every way. Amen.

Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:7-14)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Trinity, by Ukrainian artist Feodosiy Humeniuk, 1981 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.He did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in heaven and the things on earth.

In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory. And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. (New English Translation)

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Ephesus. Believe it or not, the first chapter of Ephesians  comprises only two sentences in the Greek language for which he originally wrote. Ephesians 1:3-14 are one sentence, and Ephesians 1:15-23 is the other sentence. Thankfully, understandably, and mercifully, English translators have created multiple sentences for us so that we can better make sense of the text. 

It’s almost as if Paul was so excited to talk with the Ephesian believers about who they are in Jesus Christ and what they possess in him that he blurted out in writing with a flurry of enthusiasm and excited fervor without stopping to take a breath or a break.

Paul stacked word after significant word, on top of each other, in order to communicate the spiritual blessings that believers in Christ enjoy. Redemption, forgiveness, grace, wisdom, insight, predestination, faith, inheritance, and salvation are just some of the blessings given to those in union with Jesus Christ.

And, if that wasn’t enough, God has also graciously given us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the one who comes alongside and helps us to live into the blessings we possess. Because God the Father predestined and elected us, God the Son redeemed us, and God the Spirit took possession of us, we are delivered from sin, death, and hell.

It’s as if we came to Christmas day expecting a package of underwear, and found instead a bunch of big boxes with some of the most lavish and expensive gifts we’ve ever seen!  This says much more about the giver than it says about us.

It was according to God’s good pleasure in Christ through the Spirit that believers in Jesus have such privileges.  Like the parent who sits back and watches the unpackaging of presents happen with great joy, so God delights and is pleased with the gifts given to us. The Lord absolutely delights in watching us unpack them and use them in this life.

These gifts, these blessings, are all lavishly provided because they are extensions of God, as if the Lord meticulously handmade each present with us in mind.

Throughout the entirety of Holy Scripture, all the stories and narratives, teachings and writings, are about God. The Lord of all creation is both the subject and object of each book of the Bible. Every good thing we have in this life is because of God’s gracious presence and power in this world.

Each positive experience we have is a direct result of God’s steadfast love toward people. All good gifts come from a good God who is delighted and pleased to give them.

Not a one of us purchased our own gifts and stuck them under the tree. God bought them all with the precious blood of Jesus and sent the Spirit to deliver them to us. 

Consider setting aside time today or tomorrow in a quiet place, and reflect on just one of the words in today’s New Testament lesson. Think about redemption or forgiveness, salvation, or grace, or any of the words which grab you.

Say the word repeatedly and meditatively, quietly and loudly, thoughtfully and with flavor. Consider what God did to bring you that gift. Contemplate the way(s) in which you have received the gift. 

Plan one way in which you might share your gift with another person. And make sure to give glory and praise to God for the grace lavishly given to you.

May your meditation lead to a deeper appreciation of what God has done for you; and may that revelation result in praise, honor, and glory to the One who accomplished so much on our behalf.

Gracious God, you have revealed and made known the way of deliverance from the power of darkness and brought me into your marvelous light. Help me to better understand all the ways you have acted on my behalf so that my life might reflect your grace and steadfast love to the world, through Jesus Christ, my Savior, in the enablement of the Holy Spirit. Amen.