Helena Chan, a member of our EfM class, offers this reflection on Epiphany from her unique point of view as a scientist and a Christian. Enjoy. Bob+
Today’s Lesson is titled “the Ministry of Jesus” and it is about miracles, the term “Son of God” and the Lord’s prayer.
In Preparing for Your Seminar, I am told
We live in a world dominated by technology and science. Every day new discoveries lay bare superstitions and unexplainable events. Be prepared as a person of the twenty-first century to discuss the use of the concept of miracles, especially as found in the New Testament.
Let me digress a little bit.
If Christmas to me, is about the ordinary – the ordinariness of Jesus coming to us as human, then Epiphany for me, is about the extra-ordinary – the extra-ordinariness of God Incarnate. Recognizing that God is Who He is, one of us.
But wait, didn’t God Incarnate already happen at Christmas? Didn’t the ordinary and extra-ordinary meet when Jesus was born? Why do we have to wait until Epiphany to have an epiphany?
Maybe what is special about Epiphany is that we do a double-take. We do a double-take because we see some strangers, the Gentile magicians, or priests, or wise-men, whatever, look for, come, and worship Jesus. We do a double-take on the event or miracle of Christ’s birth, because we notice other people taking action because God has come among us.
We are challenged about our response when we see others respond to God’s grace, in ordinary and extra-ordinary events that happen, moments and snapshots in time. The events are discrete, come and go, but the responses are dynamic and living. When we witness them and tickle responses from us, they are epiphanies for us.
Going back to the EfM lesson on miracles, I used to be a secular humanist, which in retrospect is kind of an oxymoron. But that’s for another time. Essentially what I thought was that since I couldn’t know or prove that God exists, I shouldn’t bother counting on Him. Walking on water doesn’t happen.
The important thing for me back then, was whether I thought those miracles happened or not – whether the events in the Bible happened or not. I could not find anything that could convince my intellect that these things really happened. I thought that these things could only be useful to me if I knew whether they happened or not. I was looking for proof. And so I could not believe. At that time, I could only believe if I saw the proof.
And so I could not believe. How could I? Believing is not about proving something first. Believing is not about reaching a judgment, a static conclusion about something. Believing is a dynamic, living question mark
Faith is a dynamic, living question mark.
Prayer is a dynamic, living question mark, with an expectation of a tickle – an epiphany.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday, December 30, 2007
FIRST ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SHARED AT CHRIST CHURCH
Christmas Eve, 2007
Dear Christ Church Family:
I’m sitting at home listening to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College in Cambridge, on public radio. What a way to wrap up the calendar year!
And yet, something new has already begun before New Year’s. Advent is the beginning of the church year, and this is my first Advent and first Christmas, as a new Christian.
So there are many new beginnings, even before the end of the year.
The anticipation, the anxiety, and the hope that I have been carrying through Advent, and today, Christmas Eve, are like none other. Their intensity churns the deep, like the Lenten walk to Easter, that I sojourned for the first time this year too. But the flavor and character of Advent and Lent have been like opposite poles, distinctly different, and yet inseparably linked.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols harks back to my first Easter Vigil. – A series of readings, alternating with songs to our Lord, remembering His promises and expressing our fears, our hopes, and our praises to Him. – A summary of the walks through faith, being blind and in the dark; hope, seeing signs and wonders; and love, living a new life in Christ’s Light.
From the first lesson, which is from Genesis, about the Fall of Adam, we hear:
for dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return.
This binds the two poles of Advent and Lent, the darkness from the Fall, how cast off we are from God by sin. We hear this again on Ash Wednesday when we walk with Jesus to Calvary, and then to the joy of his Resurrection.
The waiting, the darkness, and the silence of Advent have swept over and surrounded me for several weeks. Where is God? There is a great tension between my internal emptiness and the air which is filled with swarms of prayers, wild with my confusion, to God.
Lord, maybe I don’t know Who you are.
Can you show me your life-giving love?
Can you teach me what forgiveness means?
Can it be that in the darkness and waiting, that I, like Israel, have become impatient and created a golden calf to worship?
God, lift me up from the darkness.
Jesus, save me from the sins of unbelief.
Holy Spirit, melt down those false idols in your refining fire;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
It is a strange dichotomy to be able to give voice to prayer, both alone and together with you on Sundays and Wednesdays, and to have the noise of confusion and doubt, buzzing around in me, at the same time. There is a twinge of Reality that underlies this dichotomy. It is so quiet, I cannot hear it, but can only sense it in brief moments. Brief like the breaths we take between the lines of psalms, when we chant together.
Now after Lesson three, is this carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” …
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas Angels
The great glad tidings tell:
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
What a grace from God it is to have poetry and music to touch and glimpse some of that silent, ever-present, hidden Reality! Before being found by God, I used to say that God, Jesus, and religion, were concepts created by people, and that these concepts inspired artists and musicians. But now, I don’t see or say that anymore. It’s not a merely human-centric world with only human-bred concepts that inspire creativity.
The new world in which I live, and move, and have my being, is one where the direct experience of the Divine sings through our music; no less and no more, whether we are composing it, or singing it together on Sunday.
It is the music and the poetry, and communal celebration of this mysterious Christ Child, that first drew me to the Anglican liturgy and to the Episcopal Church. These celebrations and the Bible, composed with the beauty and rhythm of English, tugged at me.
Every culture, nation, and tribe experiences the Divine through its unique lens, and paints portraits of God’s Love with different temperaments and techniques. If I had grown up in the East, how different would my experiences be? I don’t know. But as this musical Festival that I’m listening to splashes bits of other Christian traditions and national influences into its selections: Orthodox Christianity, Latin, French, German … so too, can I drop in, listen, and celebrate with other brothers and sisters in Christ, in their traditions.
From the opening prayer of the Festival:
let us make this Chapel, dedicated to Mary, his most blessed
Mother, glad with our carols of praise:
But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world; for
peace and goodwill over all the earth; for unity and
brotherhood within the Church he came to build
On my travels this year, I met some complete strangers and also family members, who I treated like strangers before. I prayed morning prayer from the Daily Office with a postulant for holy orders in Reston, VA; I sang songs and cried with my aunt at a charismatic Christian fellowship in Hong Kong; I learned how to pray the Holy Rosary after visiting my great-aunt, who is a Roman Catholic Sister in Hong Kong; I gave thanks to God with a congregation in Berkeley, CA who used the 1928 Prayer Book …
Now that I have seen and participated in other traditions, I see that my “liking” of the Anglican liturgy is very fragile. And I think that here in Advent, I am tasting the corporate darkness that surrounds the Body of Christ. How do I reach out my hands in love to other brothers and sisters who are vastly different? How is it possible that the Body of Christ has so many contradictions in it? What is the holy catholic Church that I believe in, when I pray the Creed with you?
Oh Lord, it hurts me so much when the things I see,
hear, taste, and touch crumble before me!
I am so blind and weak, groping around in the dark.
Where is the Light?
I gasp for your Love, O God.
Lord, save me from Phariseeism;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Maybe as members of the Body of Christ, we share the faith of being blind and in the dark? the hope of seeing signs and wonders? and the love of living a new life in Christ’s Light? I don’t know, but God knows. Meanwhile, I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, the ones that I don’t understand, and the ones I celebrate with; namely, you.
Week after week, I come home to you—Christ Church. You are my spiritual home. You are the strangers whom I have grown to love, out of the love and light of Christ that shines out of you. Your generosity, your virtues, your weaknesses, your imperfections, your humanness, your Divinity, your Love.
In the Ninth Lesson, I hear this from St. John:
That was the true light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He
was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the
world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth.
Thank you Lord, for the Word made flesh,
Thank you Lord, for dwelling among us at Christ Church,
Thank you Lord, for showing me your Light, week after week.
Please send us Pilgrims who are searching for your Light,
Please guide us to welcome them with your Love,
Please love us into a new life with You;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
It seems that I have blabbered on, quite a bit, and it’s almost time to spend time with you this evening! Well the last hymn in the Festival is “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
So there are many new beginnings, even before the End of the Ages.
I wish you all a safe, fun, and Merry Christmas (& Christmastide), and Happy New Year!
God’s Love and Peace be with you always,
Helena
Friday, September 21, 2007
GOD MOVES, I LISTEN OR AT LEAST TRY TO
My name is Erica Jackson Green and I am temporary member of Christ Church while my husband is on a rotational assignment here. I am a 5th generation Native Washingtonian (DC). I was raised in the Catholic Church. I made my first communion, confession, and was confirmed in the Catholic tradition. I attended church regularly well into my high school years.
Like many other young adults, I stopped attending church during college. I became what is known as a CME Christian; I attended church on Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter. Later, I began to feel a pull back into the church but not to the place where I had been. At that time, I had a friend who was a faithful church goer (Episcopal). I began asking her about her church and how they worshiped and all sorts of other questions. At some point, she told me to stop asking and come! I went and it wasn't bad. I went back about a month later. Eventually, I started attending on a regular basis. I was a happy parishioner, I came, I listened, I went home, rinse and repeat.
Judi, that same earlier friend, became very involved in the Cathedral and became a verger. Then brought the verger program to our church and enrolled me in the course. I took the classes but refused to graduate. By this time, I was no longer just sitting in my pew. I was an active member of the congregation. Eventually, I graduated in the fire, there were no other vergers available and so I stepped up.
Each year my involvement in the church has grown, but there are certain water-shed moments that stand out to me as quantum leaps. Graduating from verger class was one such moment, because that was a time of stepping out on faith. There are two other moments that stand out for me.
The first has to do with prayer. I was a personal prayer. I would not pray out loud. I was uncomfortable with the notion, and scared that I might do it wrong. I was in a small discipleship group and they challenged me to grow, by the end of the 9 month class, I was comfortable praying with them but still not strangers. Around the same time, the rector has instituted healing stations to the sides of the altar. Members of the congregation are welcome to stop at them after Communion. I would go and stand and lend my silent support. Then one Sunday, one of my favorite old people at church stopped, but so had a lot of other people and the line was long and she was week and unsteady, so I took a chance and stepped out on faith and love and prayed with her. I have a come a long way from there.
The second moment has to do with a change of careers. In my previous incarnation, I was a special events/catering person. My last job before becoming a teacher was as a catering manager for Ben & Jerry's (Yes, it was fun & yes, I still love ice cream). I quit, but wasn't worried as I already had resumes out in the world. It turns out that I was over qualified, under qualified or just not right. Mean while, there was teacher shortage and that pesky Judi, knew someone that was going to a one year master's program for education. I talked to that person and she put me in contact with the head of the program.
I needed to take the GRE exam, I figured cool, there's no way they'll be offering it in time. Lo and behold, it's an on-line test and I could sign up to take it at my convenience. The only thing I studied in the study book was the one thing that showed up on the test that I wouldn't have known how to do. I had no money – George Washington University gave me a 1/4 tuition scholarship and got financial aide. All of my excuses were blown away one by one and before I knew it, less than six weeks after I had quit my job, I was enrolled in school, really having no idea how I ended up there.
I fully admit that I was called into teaching because it was not my idea. I just followed the path that was set in front of me. And Rachel, the girl who put me in contact with the school, dropped out.
God moves, I listen or at least try to.
Erica
Like many other young adults, I stopped attending church during college. I became what is known as a CME Christian; I attended church on Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter. Later, I began to feel a pull back into the church but not to the place where I had been. At that time, I had a friend who was a faithful church goer (Episcopal). I began asking her about her church and how they worshiped and all sorts of other questions. At some point, she told me to stop asking and come! I went and it wasn't bad. I went back about a month later. Eventually, I started attending on a regular basis. I was a happy parishioner, I came, I listened, I went home, rinse and repeat.
Judi, that same earlier friend, became very involved in the Cathedral and became a verger. Then brought the verger program to our church and enrolled me in the course. I took the classes but refused to graduate. By this time, I was no longer just sitting in my pew. I was an active member of the congregation. Eventually, I graduated in the fire, there were no other vergers available and so I stepped up.
Each year my involvement in the church has grown, but there are certain water-shed moments that stand out to me as quantum leaps. Graduating from verger class was one such moment, because that was a time of stepping out on faith. There are two other moments that stand out for me.
The first has to do with prayer. I was a personal prayer. I would not pray out loud. I was uncomfortable with the notion, and scared that I might do it wrong. I was in a small discipleship group and they challenged me to grow, by the end of the 9 month class, I was comfortable praying with them but still not strangers. Around the same time, the rector has instituted healing stations to the sides of the altar. Members of the congregation are welcome to stop at them after Communion. I would go and stand and lend my silent support. Then one Sunday, one of my favorite old people at church stopped, but so had a lot of other people and the line was long and she was week and unsteady, so I took a chance and stepped out on faith and love and prayed with her. I have a come a long way from there.
The second moment has to do with a change of careers. In my previous incarnation, I was a special events/catering person. My last job before becoming a teacher was as a catering manager for Ben & Jerry's (Yes, it was fun & yes, I still love ice cream). I quit, but wasn't worried as I already had resumes out in the world. It turns out that I was over qualified, under qualified or just not right. Mean while, there was teacher shortage and that pesky Judi, knew someone that was going to a one year master's program for education. I talked to that person and she put me in contact with the head of the program.
I needed to take the GRE exam, I figured cool, there's no way they'll be offering it in time. Lo and behold, it's an on-line test and I could sign up to take it at my convenience. The only thing I studied in the study book was the one thing that showed up on the test that I wouldn't have known how to do. I had no money – George Washington University gave me a 1/4 tuition scholarship and got financial aide. All of my excuses were blown away one by one and before I knew it, less than six weeks after I had quit my job, I was enrolled in school, really having no idea how I ended up there.
I fully admit that I was called into teaching because it was not my idea. I just followed the path that was set in front of me. And Rachel, the girl who put me in contact with the school, dropped out.
God moves, I listen or at least try to.
Erica
Thursday, September 6, 2007
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
How do you “know that you know that you know” God’s reality and presence in your life? . . . the breadth and depth of His love? . . . Jesus Christ as your personal savior? . . . the guidance and discernment of the Holy Spirit?
Blessed are those who bring good news.
Her name was Mrs. Simmons, my Sunday school teacher during kindergarten. She told us we could invite Jesus into our heart by simply asking him, so I did. I remember closing the door to my room, kneeling on the carpet. I recall the texture beneath me, the colors of my room, the height of my bed. In the moment, life was different and I was changed. Mrs. Simmons also taught our early childhood catechism—the words created music in my own spirit—and shared the requisite Bible stories with flannel board images, opening the door to God’s Word. I am awed today to consider how very young I was, but God loved me so much, He provided the resources I would need in advance. My father, a man of faith, must have known or been sensitive to God’s prompting. He purchased a Bible engraved with my name, along with a set of adult study guides. My father died in a plane crash as I turned seven. While I have very few things to remind me of him, I do have that first Bible and the gift of nourished faith.
Be still and know that I am God.
I have such an abundance of stories and experiences to illustrate my journey! Another profound moment in my spiritual development occurred in my early teens. We lived in Malaysia; youth and Bible study groups nurtured my growth. At the foot of a mountain where local folk long practiced religious rites, I separated from the companions of the day. I sat upon a rock in the warmth of the sunlight, with a stream near my feet. I can’t describe the transition – to write “suddenly” or “gradually” seems inappropriate; there was a moment I just “knew” I was in the presence of God. The colors of the scene intensified, the sounds disappeared and yet were there, enriched, my sense of smell seemed exquisitely heightened. I felt Him, knew His love for me, embraced the peace that surpasses all understanding. I sat, saturated, with no sensation of the passage of time, recognizing the gift. Again, few words accurately portray the gradual re-awareness of “reality” around me; it just was. From that moment, I carried “more” of God within me and I knew God had a plan for my future. As Christians, we are told to “practice the presence of God.” I suspect this is more or less of a challenge at times, but for me—in any given moment of chaos—I reach into this place and moment to enable me to achieve a quietness, spiritual empowerment, and a readiness to “be” what God needs me for.
Have you considered my servant . . ?
Over the years, I’ve faced various challenges. Our second child suffered chronic illness from birth. Starting under five pounds, he barely took an ounce of nourishment at a time and required feeding every hour. He didn’t sleep through the night until he was three years old, and that was just the first time—not the establishment of a pattern of decent sleep! We got very familiar with hospital stays, and more than once I’d follow the ambulance on the two hour drive to transfer our child to the specialty children’s hospital in another city. We lost insurance because his seven plus medications daily included steroids.
A very blessed friend arranged from me to take my then four year old to a specialist at what used to be Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic. I still remember the drive over the Grapevine in an unexpected blizzard as the highway closed behind me. I was the only driver in a silent, white universe, praying that (1) we’d arrive safely and (2) this would be the answer that would save my child. Before I left the facility, we learned that he’d suffered from misdiagnoses from birth and the solution was fairly simple. If the first option didn’t work, a surgery would fix the problem. Our youngest had surgery on Maundy Thursday (Easter season is a fabulous opportunity for renewed life!). Churches in our community covered about 75% of the cost; we were allowed to make payments on the rest.
Faith provides such an anchor and a comfort when life presents challenges; so often I hear people ask why a loving God would allow painful or stressful events to occur. This is my personal answer. I do believe God allows the events. At the very beginning of the book of Job, God brings his faithful servant to the attention of Satan and allows increasingly difficult losses—possessions, family, and personal health. Three “friends” witness Job’s experience. How can we stand under such pressures in our own lives? First, we have assurance we will not endure more than we can bear. Yes, 1 Corinthians 10:13 refers to temptation; but if we are tired from our burden, aren’t we susceptible to temptation? Second, many unknown blessings happen as others witness God at work in our lives. One woman, who believed the church to be filled with hypocrisy, gave her life to Christ after hearing about the churches’ tangible support in our child’s surgery. Another mother had a child with similar symptomology; she obtained the information to challenge her pediatrician to consider similar testing. Her child, like mine, was ultimately fully restored to health. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me . . . including making the choice, every day, to accept all the experiences, both wonderful and challenging, God brings to me.
No one is perfect, not even one.
I have not, and am not likely, to achieve perfection. Despite my best intentions, I can be wrong, I make mistakes, and yes—though the admission pains me—I confess I am a sinner, who falls short of the Glory of God. I’m encouraged by the portrayal of David’s relationship with God. Over and over, David really blows it! I wonder—this one was so obvious! Didn’t he see this coming? How about my own shortcomings? Haven’t I been foolish in my own choices? But David also repents, he humbles himself, he sings praises, he calls on the Lord . . . and God loves him throughout. I have an added advantage in my life . . . Jesus, who intercedes for me. So, I must run with perseverance this race marked out for me!
The word of God is living and active.
I used to inscribe my study notes directly in my Bible; when I’d run out of room, I’d “retire” that copy and buy a new one. Once a pastor, who liked to move about the church, asked to borrow my Bible to read a read a scripture rather than return to the pulpit. He took one look and declared the current well-worn version “a mess.” That very week, my dog who never had eaten a single thing in the entire time he’d been in our home, tore out Timothy to Revelation! I took this as a sign and learned to use notebooks. I could never choose just one testament, and I have far too many favorite scripture to begin a simple list.
We’ve been given lessons for living, instruction from the experience of others, examples of faith and God’s love and care for his people, and inspiration from God’s word. Simultaneously ancient and appropriate for contemporary living, we need to read, intently study, contemplate, meditate on these fabulous texts. Would you like to rev up your study? Add a concordance (mine is from Guideposts, from years ago), a church history (Erdman’s is one of many), and a chain-reference Bible (I have a Thompson’s). Compare different translations, check out the footnotes!
I learn new lessons, even from old favorites.
As a female, I enjoy revisiting the women of faith represented in God’s word. I love Ruth, who was so faithful to her mother-in-law (whither thou goest I will go); Esther, who appealed to the king on behalf of her people (who knows but you have come to royal position for such a time as this?); and Deborah, who took on the mantle of leadership when no man was willing. And, I’m not too hasty with the “begats,” either . . . did you know Boaz appears in the lineage of Jesus?
When I lived in Iran, I stood amongst the ancient stones of what we call Persepolis. The ancient kings Cyrus (pronounced Kharoosh) and Darius (pronounced Dareeoosh) ruled over massive kingdoms and received tribute from many leaders of their day. When we read of God’s interventions on behalf of His chosen people, such places bring the history to life. He’s just as powerful for us today. The fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much! We can pray on behalf of our own family, coworkers, neighborhoods, communities, states, nations, and the people of the world. We can be the catalyst for change!
To whom much is given, much is expected.
I am so blessed – God has bequeathed upon me a wealth of creativity, imagination, skills, talents and resources. I have an obligation to share, to be sensitive to the many opportunities to enrich others, just as I’ve been blessed. I’d love to sum up my belief in a single, profound verse; instead, I encourage readers to find their own. We choose, each day, our attitude and approach to what we’ll face. Today, try on joy: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! Oh, and a sense of humor doesn't hurt!
Yours in Christ,
Kathryn
Blessed are those who bring good news.
Her name was Mrs. Simmons, my Sunday school teacher during kindergarten. She told us we could invite Jesus into our heart by simply asking him, so I did. I remember closing the door to my room, kneeling on the carpet. I recall the texture beneath me, the colors of my room, the height of my bed. In the moment, life was different and I was changed. Mrs. Simmons also taught our early childhood catechism—the words created music in my own spirit—and shared the requisite Bible stories with flannel board images, opening the door to God’s Word. I am awed today to consider how very young I was, but God loved me so much, He provided the resources I would need in advance. My father, a man of faith, must have known or been sensitive to God’s prompting. He purchased a Bible engraved with my name, along with a set of adult study guides. My father died in a plane crash as I turned seven. While I have very few things to remind me of him, I do have that first Bible and the gift of nourished faith.
Be still and know that I am God.
I have such an abundance of stories and experiences to illustrate my journey! Another profound moment in my spiritual development occurred in my early teens. We lived in Malaysia; youth and Bible study groups nurtured my growth. At the foot of a mountain where local folk long practiced religious rites, I separated from the companions of the day. I sat upon a rock in the warmth of the sunlight, with a stream near my feet. I can’t describe the transition – to write “suddenly” or “gradually” seems inappropriate; there was a moment I just “knew” I was in the presence of God. The colors of the scene intensified, the sounds disappeared and yet were there, enriched, my sense of smell seemed exquisitely heightened. I felt Him, knew His love for me, embraced the peace that surpasses all understanding. I sat, saturated, with no sensation of the passage of time, recognizing the gift. Again, few words accurately portray the gradual re-awareness of “reality” around me; it just was. From that moment, I carried “more” of God within me and I knew God had a plan for my future. As Christians, we are told to “practice the presence of God.” I suspect this is more or less of a challenge at times, but for me—in any given moment of chaos—I reach into this place and moment to enable me to achieve a quietness, spiritual empowerment, and a readiness to “be” what God needs me for.
Have you considered my servant . . ?
Over the years, I’ve faced various challenges. Our second child suffered chronic illness from birth. Starting under five pounds, he barely took an ounce of nourishment at a time and required feeding every hour. He didn’t sleep through the night until he was three years old, and that was just the first time—not the establishment of a pattern of decent sleep! We got very familiar with hospital stays, and more than once I’d follow the ambulance on the two hour drive to transfer our child to the specialty children’s hospital in another city. We lost insurance because his seven plus medications daily included steroids.
A very blessed friend arranged from me to take my then four year old to a specialist at what used to be Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic. I still remember the drive over the Grapevine in an unexpected blizzard as the highway closed behind me. I was the only driver in a silent, white universe, praying that (1) we’d arrive safely and (2) this would be the answer that would save my child. Before I left the facility, we learned that he’d suffered from misdiagnoses from birth and the solution was fairly simple. If the first option didn’t work, a surgery would fix the problem. Our youngest had surgery on Maundy Thursday (Easter season is a fabulous opportunity for renewed life!). Churches in our community covered about 75% of the cost; we were allowed to make payments on the rest.
Faith provides such an anchor and a comfort when life presents challenges; so often I hear people ask why a loving God would allow painful or stressful events to occur. This is my personal answer. I do believe God allows the events. At the very beginning of the book of Job, God brings his faithful servant to the attention of Satan and allows increasingly difficult losses—possessions, family, and personal health. Three “friends” witness Job’s experience. How can we stand under such pressures in our own lives? First, we have assurance we will not endure more than we can bear. Yes, 1 Corinthians 10:13 refers to temptation; but if we are tired from our burden, aren’t we susceptible to temptation? Second, many unknown blessings happen as others witness God at work in our lives. One woman, who believed the church to be filled with hypocrisy, gave her life to Christ after hearing about the churches’ tangible support in our child’s surgery. Another mother had a child with similar symptomology; she obtained the information to challenge her pediatrician to consider similar testing. Her child, like mine, was ultimately fully restored to health. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me . . . including making the choice, every day, to accept all the experiences, both wonderful and challenging, God brings to me.
No one is perfect, not even one.
I have not, and am not likely, to achieve perfection. Despite my best intentions, I can be wrong, I make mistakes, and yes—though the admission pains me—I confess I am a sinner, who falls short of the Glory of God. I’m encouraged by the portrayal of David’s relationship with God. Over and over, David really blows it! I wonder—this one was so obvious! Didn’t he see this coming? How about my own shortcomings? Haven’t I been foolish in my own choices? But David also repents, he humbles himself, he sings praises, he calls on the Lord . . . and God loves him throughout. I have an added advantage in my life . . . Jesus, who intercedes for me. So, I must run with perseverance this race marked out for me!
The word of God is living and active.
I used to inscribe my study notes directly in my Bible; when I’d run out of room, I’d “retire” that copy and buy a new one. Once a pastor, who liked to move about the church, asked to borrow my Bible to read a read a scripture rather than return to the pulpit. He took one look and declared the current well-worn version “a mess.” That very week, my dog who never had eaten a single thing in the entire time he’d been in our home, tore out Timothy to Revelation! I took this as a sign and learned to use notebooks. I could never choose just one testament, and I have far too many favorite scripture to begin a simple list.
We’ve been given lessons for living, instruction from the experience of others, examples of faith and God’s love and care for his people, and inspiration from God’s word. Simultaneously ancient and appropriate for contemporary living, we need to read, intently study, contemplate, meditate on these fabulous texts. Would you like to rev up your study? Add a concordance (mine is from Guideposts, from years ago), a church history (Erdman’s is one of many), and a chain-reference Bible (I have a Thompson’s). Compare different translations, check out the footnotes!
I learn new lessons, even from old favorites.
As a female, I enjoy revisiting the women of faith represented in God’s word. I love Ruth, who was so faithful to her mother-in-law (whither thou goest I will go); Esther, who appealed to the king on behalf of her people (who knows but you have come to royal position for such a time as this?); and Deborah, who took on the mantle of leadership when no man was willing. And, I’m not too hasty with the “begats,” either . . . did you know Boaz appears in the lineage of Jesus?
When I lived in Iran, I stood amongst the ancient stones of what we call Persepolis. The ancient kings Cyrus (pronounced Kharoosh) and Darius (pronounced Dareeoosh) ruled over massive kingdoms and received tribute from many leaders of their day. When we read of God’s interventions on behalf of His chosen people, such places bring the history to life. He’s just as powerful for us today. The fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much! We can pray on behalf of our own family, coworkers, neighborhoods, communities, states, nations, and the people of the world. We can be the catalyst for change!
To whom much is given, much is expected.
I am so blessed – God has bequeathed upon me a wealth of creativity, imagination, skills, talents and resources. I have an obligation to share, to be sensitive to the many opportunities to enrich others, just as I’ve been blessed. I’d love to sum up my belief in a single, profound verse; instead, I encourage readers to find their own. We choose, each day, our attitude and approach to what we’ll face. Today, try on joy: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! Oh, and a sense of humor doesn't hurt!
Yours in Christ,
Kathryn
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