| p3. January 17-22 Epiphany: Jan 17. What�s in a Name? And he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. See Luke 2:15-21. Naming is a powerful act. I was named after my father. When parents give a name, they hope that some essence or character traits will be transformed. Some people name their children after famous people, hoping that something of who they were will rub off. The angel instructed Mary to name the baby Jesus because he would save the people from their sins. In Hebrew, the name Yeshua (Jesus) means salvation. The essence of Jesus is expressed in the name. Heavenly Father, may I be obedient to your commands, trusting you even in things I do not fully understand. Amen. Jan 18. Trust in Christ. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. See Hebrews 11:1-12. The writer of Hebrews understood faith to be the fundamental building block of all creation. It�s very difficult for us to trust rather than try to control, especially in the areas of our lives that are most important to us; our loves, our security, our wants and desires. And yet, as counter-intuitive as it may seem to us, the writer of Hebrews said that the fundamental essence of creation is faith, giving up control for the sake of trust. Trusting is not the same as being passive. When we trust, we lose fear. When we lose fear, we gain the freedom to act in positive, constructive ways. Jesus, my hope, free my heart from fear, that I may trust your goodness and act according to your will. Amen. Jan 19. Share the Wealth. May he defend the cause of the poor people, give deliverance to the needy,�See Psalm 72. There is a legend from the first century about the apostle Thomas. He was given money by a king to buy materials and to hire workers so that he could build a palace for the king. Thomas, however, gave the money to the poor, while assuring the king that his palace was progressing steadily. The king asked Thomas, �Have you built my palace?� �Yes,� answered Thomas. �Good, then we shall go now and see it,� the king said. �You cannot see it now. When you depart from this life, you shall see it. I have built you a palace in heaven by giving your money to the poor and needy of your kingdom.� Teach me your righteousness, O Lord, and open my heart to the needs of the poor. Amen. Jan 20. Do You Know Where You�re Going To? �Moses�led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.� See Exodus 3:1-5. A pulpit search committee was growing frustrated looking for a new pastor. They were about ready to call it a night when they came upon a letter of introduction from a candidate: �I understand you are searching for a new pastor, and I would like to apply for the position. I wish I could say that I am a terrific preacher, But I can�t-actually, I stutter when I speak, I wish I could say I have wonderful pastoral skills, But I can�t-sometimes I lose my temper and have been known to get violent when upset. Once I even killed somebody, but, gracious folks that you are, I am certain you will not hold that against me. One afternoon the voice of God spoke to me and said I had been chosen to lead. So here I am. I look forward to leading you into an exciting new future. The chairperson asked, �Well, what do you think?� The committee was aghast, a stuttering, uneducated, ex-murderer as their pastor? The chairperson paused before she added, �It�s signed, �Moses.� God calls and equips unlikely characters to the most sacred tasks. To what is God calling you today? Grant me the courage to overcome my hesitation, that I may trust and follow your call. Amen. Jan 21. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. See Psalm 8:3-5. The Psalmist is properly awed by the responsibility of such glory and honor and by God�s mindfulness and care for human beings. Why are we given this special place in the universe? What is our purpose? What is our calling? All of us who are sexually unique might ask the same question. What gift does one who is attracted to her or his own gender bring to the world? What insight does one who is attracted to both genders offer? And what is the purpose of one who resists being confined to a gender? Human ego and humility interweave in this hymn. That God has given us �Dominion over the works of God�s hands� means responsible stewardship of creation, but it has come to mean domination, exploitation, and control. Those of the majority culture may presume to have dominion over the rest of us, wanting to exercise their control. Rather than allowing this, we can teach them to be responsible stewards of our human rights just as they might be of nature, as when protecting an endangered species! Loving Creator, thank you for shaping my sexuality! Teach me what gifts it may offer the world. Jan 22. Be Strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. See Joshua 1:1-9. A sad event occurred at the zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, sometime back. Twenty-three wallabies died after stray dogs got into the zoo one night. Ironically, the dogs were unable to get inside the wallaby enclosure. But they didn�t have to: the wallabies died from internal injuries suffered while crashing into the fence and one another. They were literally scared to death. Fear is our enemy. It distorts reality. While it may serve a useful function in isolated circumstances, when it becomes a pervasive influence in our lives, it is destructive. Fear distorts reality. The call to follow Christ is a call to boldness. It is a call to let our light shine for all the world to see. It is a call to courage. The opposite of faith is not doubt; the opposite of faith is fear. Like Joshua, we can trust in the abiding presence of God to be with us wherever we go. God, grant me grace to follow your path and assure me of your presence in the face of the things that frighten me. Amen. |
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