Scripture: Ezekiel 2:1-5
They will know. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing what I am suposed to do. I’m not looking for encouragement, I am just saying I do not always see how the ministry I am involved in affects the world and community I live. I think this is fairly common. We want to make a big difference, but the truth is we live in a culture thatis in open rebelion against God. There are several reasons why, many of them fall squarely on the shoulders of the Church also.
Sometimes we as members of the Church focus so much on the amount of people in our buildings that we forget the true point. Our job is to do as the Spirit leads. Ezekiel said when the Spirit entered him It set him on his feet. Why would the Spirit want him to stand? Well basic Newtonian physics explains this, object at rest stay at rest and objects in motion stay in motion until another force is acted on them. So the Spirit is acting on the restful body to put it in motion, there’s another law about that but to be honest I do not really care all that much. Ezekiel was put on his feet so he could move. Moving is pretty hard to do if you are sitting down.
God is moving us for a reason. It is not exactly what most of of think though, we are not called to win the lost or to save the sinner. If you have ever really thought about that do you hear how we replace God by saying words like that? We are called, prompted, and set on our feet to be the messangers of grace. True religion is to feed the hungrey, cloth the naked, and a bunch of other things, we could probably add to that list a few more items not yet thought of by first century dsciples like help the addicted. While doing the activities God calls us to we are to also speak accordingly. Not so they can be saved, but so that they will know.
They will know that God has sent a prophet. They will know that God cares. They will know that God lives, if we allow His Spirit to fill us and we then allow His Spirit to lead us. I have grown up hearing stories of people that have done this my entire life. As a Quaker our testomony is that God is present today and our ever present teacher and guide. We proclaim that we do not need a mediator other than this inner voice, or the Light Within. This Light will lead us to act or speak, to move or to stay still. Many Friends in ancient or contemporary times have spoke of their experiences in listening to the Spirit, and I still sit in awe of what God has done in the world because of seemingly in significant people doing what God leads. Of course Quakers do not have a monopoly on the Spirit of God. I have also read stories of the Saints of old doing similar things, and there are great testimonies of people even today being lead to do great things. Most of these people are rarely recognized and most do what they do without even realizing that their actions are divinely guided. But the people they reach out to in love and grace know.
They know because God is working in their lives. God is speaking to their hearts, and causing them to face their rebelious spirit. The world hates these men and women, these saints of ancient and contemporary history because they are causing them to question themselve over right and wrong. The world gets angry and bitter and they lash out in violent words and actions. Yet they know. They know if we do what we do and speak what we speak under the guidence of God.
Today as you pray I encourage you to consider what you are doing, why you do them, and if your actions are focused on promoting the love of God or selfish gain. After that just sit for a while in silent reflection and listen for the Inner Light to prompt you to action. I will guess you will not hear a voice like Ezekiel but after you get into a disipline of this, you will begin to sense the leading and see your actions more clearly.
Just remember we do so that they may know, that’s all we can do. God will handle the rest.
Scripture: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
How many times do we mourn over the defeat of our enemies? Today I consider the downfall of several people in the wars that my nation is currently engaged in. We saw the downfall of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and many of our patriots were partying in the streets. Politically part of the United States is in shock as the Supreme Court upheld a law that they disliked, while others celebrate. My personal opinions are my own and I will not discuss them here. But what I want to bring up is how well are you losing and winning?
David spent many years running from Saul. He was ordained king over Israel yet refused to take the throne because to David, Saul was the king and he believed he did not have the right to remove him from power. I find this striking in many ways. I have been promoted a few times in my jobs, and I could not wait to take on the new role, to be honest I was rather put off when one promotion was delayed. Not David, he waited years to step into his next role.
When the time for his rise finally came, his first act as king was to lead the nation in the lamentations over the death of Saul and his son. Would I do this in my own life? Would I honor those I so strongly opposed in life? As I have proceeded with my personal journey with Christ I have noticed many changes in my life. At one point I would have been the first to throw a party for the demise of my foe, not so much now.
I have to admit that I was excited to hear about the capture of my nations enemies, but I was also disturbed. We lose something of our humanity when we neglect to honor the humanity of others. In school after a sporting event we would shake the hands of the opposing team, somtimes it was difficult to do but I now find that task as being one of the greatest lessons of life. David captured this idea of sportsmanship into the largest aspect of life. He did not push his victory into the face of the opponents but honored them. What would this look like for our own nation? How could we honor the life of our enemies without highlighting or degrading your own position? How do we celebrate a loss in our own position? Is it even possible to do this?
I do not have the answers I only have questions and
imperfect attempts. Part of me does not even want to try, but even Jesus wept at the failing of those that opposed Him. I do not think it supposed to easy, life is not easy. David stood at a crossroad in history, and the nation was eased into the new day by him honoring the foe. They emerged stronger after the loss of a king, the only answer is that he lead them honorably. Today I encourage you to honor those around you as you pray and walk through life with Christ.
Scripture: Job 38:1-11
Where were you? Where where you when the world was created? We often think we know so much. We have therories about almost everything, but when it comes right down to it we know next to nothing. We are still wondering about a great number of things. We have television shows dedicated to trying to prove mysteries that many of us question. Questions like where exactly did Amelia Earhart’s plane go down, or did it?
One of the greatest mysteries is how did humans emerge to life? There are several therories: Aliens, God, evolution. The crazy thing is none of these therories can be proven beyond a shadow of doubt. There are holes in every therory even the ones we believe the most. There are only therories because science is based on observation and the origens of live cannot be observed because NO ONE was around.
Job is asked where he was when Earth became. The answer is pretty clear, “I wasn’t there!” Yet we all debate this issue as if we know exactly how it happened, as if we were a witness to the actual event. There are things we will never know, things we are not supposed to know. We are not supposed to know exactly what our friends are thinking. If we did not only would the relationship be boring, but we would probably end up disliking everyone.
Imagine if we did know everything? there would be no reason to pursue knowledge, no reason to build relationships, or to even create art. In essence we would be nothing more than animals, smart animals. Our curiosity, creativity, and emotions are part of our humanity. As is the ability to recognize that we cannot know it all.
Job was give a chance to recognize his true humanity. He was given the oppertunity to pursue not only knowledge but a deeper relationship with God. So where were you? As you pray examine your humanity, who you are and where you are, who you are around. Maybe even why you are…
Have fun just imagining with God, and sittin in Job’s place.