Called or not called
May 29, 2007
Bible Reading: “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” Proverbs 13:3
Bonus Readings: Mark 7:14-23; Psalm 141:3
The Latin theologian Erasmus once said, “Called or not called, God is present.” This is a simple, but profound statement of God’s omnipresence and omniscience, all rolled into one package. Ask nearly anyone you see and they will make a similar statement about the nature of God - even if they don’t live a Christian life. Interestingly enough, though, even though they will admit to you they think God is present, it does not seem to affect how they talk. Ya gotta wonder why.
We’ve all been there, though. We read our Bibles, pray every day, and even invite others to share our faith. Every so often, though, a noxious word flies from our mouths like a sudden burp. But if someone from church hears, we are embarrassed. We might say something like, “I can’t cuss in front of you.” Amazing. For fear of offending a human being, we apologize. The fact that we have a problem that keeps us from full fellowship with God is a secondary concern. A quick recall of Erasmus’ wisdom is a huge wake-up call.
Of course, visualizing God’s presence in our minds bestows comfort to our hearts, and restrains sinful tendencies in our behavior. It isn’t a matter of projecting an imaginary image of God and pretending He’s there. It’s a matter of recognizing the presence of our holy God who really is there. Frequently reminding ourselves of the Lord’s abiding presence will eventually, if applied consistently, establish more Godly speech as a habit. But there’s a deeper and more abiding solution that extends far beyond the speech itself. We can attack the problem at its root.
Jesus Himself takes it a step further, when he teaches us in St. Luke that from the abundance of our hearts, our mouths speak. This calls the question of what we allow to prevail inside us. The answer is simple; what occupies our minds most. Philippians 4:8 gives us a good laundry list of things to focus our minds on, and the “how” then, is simple - read and listen to God’s Word as often as possible, allowing it to become abundant in us. Then, we will be in better position to place what Scripture describes as a “guard on our lips.” If we can take this simple action, God can take control of what comes out of us. Then Erasmus’ warning will be unneeded in our lives. God is changing us elementally.
To bring this into sharp focus, then, consider the case of the in-flight cockpit recorders that document the last minutes of aircrew lives before a crash - and some of the language there. Now imagine these as our last words before standing in God’s undiluted presence. Is this really what we want? More importantly, is it really God’s best for us?
For your prayer time: What have I done to change the abundance of what is in my heart?
Grace and peace,
Chip+
Liturgy Lesson for Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday: Come, Holy Ghost!
May 26, 2007
Pentecost! The very name conjures the image of that first empowerment of the Church Militant as documented in Acts 2. On this day, we commemorate the Holy Ghost’s pouring Himself on Christ’s disciples, as they waited before Him, obedient to the Lord’s instruction. We regard the day as the Church’s birthday, because the gift of the Holy Ghost was then bestowed on the new Christians, filling and baptizing them with power to work for the Kingdom, as Christ promised-launching them on their apostolic mission to carry the Gospel to the world. Taking place 10 days after the Ascension, on the Jewish Festival of Shavuot (Weeks)–sometimes called “the Day of the First Fruits”-it was a significant time for the new Church, as God the Holy Ghost, for the first time, began to manifest the Gifts of the Spirit outlined in 1 Corinthians 12, while growing the first Fruit of the Spirit enumerated in Galatians 5. We call it “Pentecost” from the Greek word pentecoste, meaning “fiftieth,” since the holiday occurs fifty days after Passover and Easter. “Whitsun” is similar–a corruption of the German “Pfingsten,” and also means “fiftieth.” The liturgical color is red, representing the fire of the Holy Ghost and the Blood sealing the third and final Covenant God made with mankind. Preceded by the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, this New and third Covenant rightly sets the stage for the Church’s longest season-Trinity, (Three) celebrating our new relationship with our triune God and the season of growth and spiritual plenty blessed by the fullness of God-Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Come, Holy Ghost-fill us with celestial fire!
This Collect is to be said daily throughout Whitsun Week.
O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Global Day of Prayer Observance
May 17, 2007
The Global Day of Prayer is Pentecost Sunday, May 27th.
The Global Day of Prayer for San Antonio, Texas will take place Sunday, May 27th, at 6:30 pm at Alamo Stadium. In case of rain, the event will be moved into the SAISD Convocation Center directly behind Alamo Stadium.
Use the resources available to prepare for and fully participate.
Liturgy Lesson for the Sunday after Ascension: Ascensiontide
May 16, 2007
Ascensiontide is 10 days between Ascension and Pentecost, the birth of the Church Militant.
This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.
G RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Liturgy Lesson for the Fifth Sunday after Easter: Ascension
May 11, 2007
May 17th is Ascension Day, commemorating our Lord’s ascension to the Father in Heaven. We keep this day 40 days after Easter, because Jesus ascended 40 days after the Resurrection. This was the final act of His earthly ministry and final proof of His divinity, removing all possibility of doubt from the Apostles’ minds and was the perfecting of His work of Atonement - His primary mission among us in the flesh. Ascensiontide lasts 10 days, beginning at Ascension Day, and ending at Whitsunday, or Pentecost. It’s also important to note that He ascended bodily, in a perfected flesh, acceptable for Heaven - as we will one day, as well, since Scripture teaches us that “where He is, we shall be also” and “shall be like Him” - for we shall see Him as He is (St. John 14 & I St. John 3). Moreover, our Lord, before He ascended, gave instructions to the disciples, to wait for empowerment in Jerusalem - setting the stage for the Church Militant’s most powerful day - its birthday, Pentecost. So we should, as the angel instructed the disciples, not stand staring into a cloud, but look expectantly for His return in glory, with a new prayer - Maranatha, meaning, “our Lord comes.” Even so, come quickly, Lord!
Outta gas?
May 1, 2007
Bible Reading: ” And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint” ~ Galatians 6:9 (Amplified Bible)
Bonus Reading: Matthew 24:45-51
On the first good day of spring, you succumb to the siren song of the spirit of car washing. Back it out with gusto. Wash and dry it with a spotless cotton car towel. Vacuum it out, taking some cleaner to the bug spots. You are so enthusiastic, you start waxing and polishing. “Wow, this is terrific,” you say. “I’m gonna finish this up, then clean out the garage, mow the lawn - maybe call the golf course for an afternoon tee time.”
But then, as you wax and whistle, your back starts to ache and the tennis elbow you’ve been nursing in your arm starts talking to ya. Your whistling slips into a slower tempo and shifts to a minor key. Maybe you’d better leave the lawn for another day. The garage can wait too, you guess. Doing this car is a big enough job all by itself. Well, leave the rest of the car for next Saturday too. Now go back inside and see how Tiger is shooting today! We overestimated our own strength.
The sense of adventure and the rush of enthusiasm for working for the Kingdom can turn into a sinking sense of futility when we run out of strength or get a lukewarm response. We’ve also felt crushed when the adventure runs off in sweat. But God gave us a standard to rally to in Galatians 6:9 - the word for enthusiastic Christians who’ve who’ve run out of their own gas: we’ll reap the fruit of the Spirit in a life that never ends - if we don’t give up.
The good news: we don’t have to give up, if we are working to please the Lord and in our own strength. Isaiah wrote about it: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
If we are “waiting upon the Lord” - doing what pleases Him - we will not lose heart while working for the Audience of One, because our strength will be renewed - and all we have to do is to be faithful to the task He calls us to - to please and follow Him!
–Adapted from Neal Plantinga in Beyond Doubt
Think about it: If you have not been tired, have you been working in His vineyard?
Grace and peace,
Chip+
