 |
| "Happy Thanksgiving" |
 |
| p3. November 21-30 Commonwealth. Nov 21. Don�t be self-righteous or pretend to be above others, as Jesus said (regarding self-righteous religious leaders)��They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogue� But woe to you�hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.� See Matthew 23:1, 6-7, 13-14. Thank you, God, for your commonwealth devoid of pretense. Nov. 22. Jesus said, �But I am among you as one who serves.� See Luke 22:27. Bless me with the largeness of heart to serve others! Nov 23. God loves the poor, and they more likely love him. �These people who have been turning the world upside down come here also.� See Acts 17:6. How rarely are those who proclaim the gospel today accused of turning the world upside down! Most preachers do not question the structuring of society, often for fear of sounding �political,� Yet Christian faith requires us to view social and political systems in a new way. Pope John Paul II has spoken of God exercising a �preferential option for the poor.� Christianity has from the first taken root most firmly in the hearts of the powerless. India�s �untouchables� embraced Christianity because they had few rights in the caste system. African-American slaves welcomed Christian faith to endure the humiliation of being treated as mere property. Central American campesinos and campesinas (�peasants�) espoused liberation Christianity that called for a reordering of their nations� governments. We, too, have been accused of wanting to turn the world upside down. But it�s not us. It�s God�s commonwealth. Lord, create revolutions of the spirit that transform our world. Nov 24. When I answer another�s cry for help, Yahweh, then you will say, �Here I am.� Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? See Isaiah 58:6, 9. Attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God. Nov 25. But be doers of the word, and not merely bearers who deceive themselves�So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. See James 2:22. 2:17. Faith without works has no life, and love without works has no life for us. If we do not do what we say we believe we forget our identity. Help me act on your Word so that it may be well with my soul. Nov 26. Teach peace, not war. Study peace, not destruction. Come, let us go up to the mountain of God, that God may teach us God�s ways, and that we may walk in God�s paths. See Micah 4:2. Nov 27. Terrorists who kill in the name of God do not understand God. �Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.� See Matthew 5:9. We wouldn�t know that God is a peacemaker if we read the Bible uncritically, for humanity has frequently ordained its own violence as God�s will, even within scripture. Jesus blessed peacemakers as children of God. To be a child of God meant one contained the essence of God. Peacemakers contain the essence of God. God is a peacemaker. Bless us as peacemakers, that we may be your children, God. Nov 28. Heaven is Within Us. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, �Your God reigns.� See Isaiah 52:7. Think of the first person who helped you understand it was okay to be gay or lesbian. Think of the first person who helped you understand it was okay to be a gay or lesbian Christian. Perhaps it was you. Whoever it was, how beautiful they seemed, how good the news, what a blessed message to receive, peace of mind, body, and spirituality. In our mother earth, heaven is the harmonious soul. Lord, your Kingdom come in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Amen. Nov 29. Truth versus the Closet. For whenever I speak, I must cry out�If I say, �I will not mention Yahweh, or speak any mention in God�s name,� then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. See Jeremiah 20:8-9. The closet is more demanding than speaking our truth. Within me there is something like a burning fire! Help me to speak my truth! Nov 30. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. See Isaiah 11:6. We do more as insiders. Reflecting with a group of ministers on how their congregations could become more welcoming of gay people, one minister mentioned his confirmation class of eighth graders. �I believe one of the boys is gay,� he said. �He may be the one to lead our congregation to better understanding,� he added, looking as if he shared the boy�s burden. The more everyone understands that being lesbian or gay is a �family thing,� the less threatening it becomes. Bless all children, God, as citizens of your commonwealth. |